Status.
A tool unlocked after awakening, designed to display stats, class, blessings, and more. It had always been a constant in my life—reliable, predictable.
But the status in front of me now…
This wasn't the same.
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Welcome back, user!
Your regression has been successful!
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My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the words, blinking in disbelief.
"What the hell is going on?" I muttered, my voice barely more than a whisper.
My hand trembled as I swiped at the glowing interface, as though dismissing it might change what I'd just seen. But the message didn't disappear. It lingered, unshakable.
"Is this… karma?"
A bitter laugh escaped me, shaky and hollow, echoing off the tiled walls.
Hahaha...
The sound grated in my ears, raw and unnatural.
I slammed my hand against the edge of the sink, hard enough to send a jolt of pain through my palm. But the sharp sting did nothing to quiet the storm raging in my chest.
Tears burned at the edges of my vision, hot and insistent, until they spilled over.
My legs gave out, and I slid to the cold floor, the chill seeping through my skin. My shoulders trembled uncontrollably as the sobs overtook me, raw and unchecked.
I don't want this.
The thought clawed its way to the forefront of my mind.
I don't want to go through it again. I don't want to see them again. I don't want to see her again.
Each admission was like a blade, cutting deeper than the last. My breathing grew ragged, the air catching in my throat as the weight of it all pressed down on me.
The world around me blurred—colors smearing, sounds muffled—as darkness crept in at the edges of my vision.
When I opened my eyes again, the void had returned.
Endless, oppressive.
It welcomed me back like an old friend.
Xian and Umbrion stood in front of me, just as before. They were still here in this place.
The darkness loomed around me, thick and suffocating, as if it were alive. Xian and Umbrion stood in front of me, their forms eerily clear despite the oppressive void.
"Yo... you okay?" Xian asked, his voice soft but tinged with genuine concern. He stepped closer, his eyes searching my face for answers I didn't have.
I couldn't answer. My chest heaved as the weight of everything crashed over me.
Umbrion, ever the silent shadow, remained still in his spot. His dark eyes were unreadable, but there was something in his gaze—an awareness, maybe even judgment.
The pressure of it all finally broke me.
"JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" The words ripped from my throat, raw and shaking. My voice echoed in the endless abyss, the sound swallowed by the void almost as soon as it left my lips.
Xian flinched, his hand halfway raised as if to steady me, then stopped, unsure. His wide eyes reflected my own panic.
Even Umbrion reacted, the smallest shift in his posture betraying his attention. His head tilted ever so slightly, like a predator assessing prey.
Before either of them could answer, a voice—low, detached, and chilling—cut through the tension like a blade.
"Let me explain."
I froze. It wasn't Xian's voice. It wasn't Umbrion's. It came from nowhere and everywhere at once, reverberating through the darkness.
The void seemed to shift around us as the voice continued, each word laced with an ominous weight:
"Umbrion."
The name hung in the air, heavy and foreboding.
"A name that even the bravest of men fear to utter—a shadow given form."
My breath hitched. I turned to Umbrion, but his face remained cold, his expression unchanging.
"Xian."
This time, the voice felt closer, almost intimate.
"A king who rules without an army—the Mad King."
Xian's jaw tightened, his usual carefree demeanor slipping. His hands balled into fists at his sides, but he didn't speak.
"And lastly..."
The voice paused, as if savoring the moment, before it whispered:
"Alaric Valkrond. The man with no free will—the Puppet."
My stomach twisted at the words. A chill ran through me, colder than the void itself.
The silence that followed was deafening, oppressive. My mind raced, the weight of those titles crashing down like stones. The Puppet. Is that all I was? All I ever would be?
I sank to my knees, the darkness closing in around me, suffocating and endless.
Before we could react, a figure appeared before us, as if summoned from the void.
In an instant, he stood there, his presence heavy and unshakable, like the weight of an approaching storm.
He...
No.
He looked like me.
An older version of me.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him. The resemblance was undeniable, but the differences were just as striking. His figure was gaunt, his skin stretched tight over sharp bones, as though life had drained him over the years. His hair shimmered an unnatural, luminous blue, cascading like liquid light. His eyes burned with the same radiant energy, piercing and infinite, as if they held the weight of countless worlds.
For a moment, I forgot to breathe.
"I am Zeno," he said, his voice calm but commanding, carrying the weight of an immutable truth.
The air seemed to ripple around him. The ground felt unsteady beneath my feet, though he hadn't moved. His mere presence made it clear: this was no ordinary man.
No. He was something beyond comprehension.
And somehow, we all knew it.
Xian stiffened beside me, his usual confident smirk wiped clean from his face. Even Umbrion, who rarely showed anything close to emotion, shifted slightly, his gaze narrowing as if analyzing a predator he couldn't fully understand.
The realization struck me with crushing certainty: Zeno wasn't just powerful. He was as powerful as the Ten Gods. Maybe more.
"What… What are you?" I managed to whisper, my voice hoarse and barely audible.
Zeno's glowing eyes flicked toward me, and I felt like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a wolf.
"I'll get straight to the point," Zeno began, his glowing blue eyes fixed on us with an intensity that demanded attention. "Xian, Umbrion—you two have been chosen to help Alaric.
"And you, Alaric..." His gaze settled on me, the weight of his words crushing. "You've been given another chance at life... to kill your mother."
...
The room fell silent, the air growing heavy with tension.
"And why should I help him?" Umbrion's cold voice broke the stillness, his expression unreadable, his tone sharp.
Xian leaned slightly toward Zeno, raising a hand lazily. "Yeah, same question," he said with a casualness that didn't match the gravity of the moment.
Zeno's lips curled into a faint smile that didn't reach his glowing eyes. "If you succeed," he said calmly, "I will grant each of you one wish."
His gaze shifted between the two of them. "And, for you two, I will return you to your original worlds."
Zeno leaned back, though there was no visible chair or support. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, but his words carried an undeniable authority.
The promise of a wish and their return to their worlds hung in the air, impossible to ignore.
"And I know very well..." Zeno paused, his glowing blue eyes lingering on each of us, piercing through any pretense. "That all three of you died with regrets."
The silence that followed was suffocating, the weight of his words pressing down on us like an invisible force.
Xian and Umbrion exchanged brief glances, their expressions unreadable. The offer hung in the air, heavy and unspoken.
But I didn't need time to think. I already knew my answer.
"I refuse," I said, breaking the stillness as I slowly stood.
Zeno's gaze snapped to me, his eyes narrowing slightly, the faintest hint of intrigue flickering in their unnatural glow.
"If I'm correct, you're as strong as the gods. Yet here you are, asking for help." My voice steadied despite the storm raging inside me. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I let the frustration boil over. "That means even the gods couldn't stop her."
The words echoed in the room, each one laced with bitterness.
"Just let me die in peace." My voice cracked, the plea raw and unfiltered.
"Haven't I suffered enough?"
Zeno tilted his head slightly, studying me as if I were a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.
The silence stretched, and then:
"I also refuse," Xian said, his voice calm but resolute.
He crossed his arms, leaning back slightly, his fiery red eyes softening with an unexpected warmth. "I have no regrets about the way I died. I always knew I'd pay for my sins." He let out a dry chuckle, his lips curving into a faint, bittersweet smile. "And when death came for me, I wanted it to be at her hands."
His statement hung in the air, a quiet acceptance that seemed to solidify his stance.
Zeno shifted his attention to Umbrion, who stepped forward, his movements deliberate and steady.
"I refuse as well," Umbrion said, his tone as cold and emotionless as ever. His black eyes met Zeno's glowing ones, unflinching. "I've completed all my goals. I got my revenge. Avenged the people I needed to. There's nothing left for me to do."
Simple. Direct. Final.
The three of us stood united in our refusals, each for our own reasons, facing down the man who claimed to hold all the power.
For a moment, Zeno said nothing, his piercing gaze sweeping over us as if he were reevaluating everything he knew.
"Pfft..."
The sound was soft at first, almost imperceptible, but it quickly grew.
Zeno's lips twitched, and he burst out laughing.
The sound echoed around us, loud and unrestrained, as if he'd just heard the punchline to a joke only he could understand.
It wasn't the reaction I expected, and the chill it sent down my spine was anything but comforting.
.
"HAHAHA!" Zeno's laughter erupted, sharp and jarring in the void, reverberating like thunder. He clutched his stomach, the sound grating against the suffocating tension in the room.
We stared, frozen in stunned silence. His outburst was so sudden, so wildly out of place, that none of us knew how to react.
"You know," Zeno said, wiping an imaginary tear from his glowing blue eyes, his voice now dripping with mockery, "you three act like tragic heroes. Noble martyrs, suffering through the cruel hand of fate."
His grin sharpened, cutting through the air like a blade.
"But let's not kid ourselves here—you're no different from the people who destroyed you."
The laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by a chilling stillness. His gaze snapped to Xian first.
"Xian, the Mad King. You slaughtered millions—men, women, children—all so your beloved could have an easier time ruling the ashes you left behind. Entire kingdoms wiped out, their screams echoing in the flames you lit. And you think you're noble?"
Xian's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. His fists clenched at his sides, trembling ever so slightly.
Zeno's glowing eyes turned to Umbrion, his smile growing colder, sharper.
"And you, Umbrion. The Shadow of Vengeance. You didn't just kill the ones responsible for your pain; you unleashed horrors on innocents—people who had nothing to do with your so-called justice. The rivers ran black with blood, didn't they? Tell me, does your revenge still feel righteous?"
Umbrion's face remained stoic, but a flicker of something—pain, regret—shimmered in his black eyes.
Finally, Zeno turned to me. His smile faded, leaving only the harsh glow of his gaze.
"And then there's you, Alaric." His voice dropped to a venomous whisper, sharp as shattered glass.
"You're the worst of them all."
My breath caught in my throat.
"You had the strength to defy her. The power to change everything. And yet, you chose to follow her orders like a dog."
He leaned forward, the weight of his presence bearing down on me.
"All that strength… wasted. For what? To please a woman who didn't even see you as a person? How does it feel to know you're nothing but a broken puppet?"
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My chest tightened, my fists trembling at my sides.
Silence filled the void, heavy and suffocating.
"Pfft…" Zeno's lips twitched, and then he burst into laughter again, sharp and cruel.
"Ah, you three are perfect!" he exclaimed between chuckles, his voice laced with mockery. "Absolutely pathetic."
Zeno's words sliced through the air like a dagger, sharp and deliberate.
"But let's put that aside for now," he said, waving a hand as though brushing off the weight of his provocations. His glowing blue eyes locked onto Xian, his smirk twisting into something cruel.
"Do you want to know, Xian, what happened to your precious empress after your death?" His tone dripped with mockery, each word a calculated jab. "A few years later, she was betrayed and publicly def—"
Xian moved before Zeno could finish.
In an instant, he was a blur of motion, his fiery red eyes burning with rage. His sheer speed and strength defied reason, even in this void where power seemed suppressed.
As his fist surged toward Zeno's face, the void itself seemed to shudder under the force of his attack.
But Zeno didn't flinch.
With a flick of his wrist, a shockwave erupted. Xian's body was hurled backward like a ragdoll, crashing into the ground with a resounding thud. The impact left a faint scorch mark in its wake.
Silence followed, heavy and suffocating.
Xian rose slowly, his breathing ragged but his defiance unbroken. A thin line of blood trailed from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, his lips curling into a snarl.
"FUCK IT!" he roared, his voice cracking with fury and desperation. "I ACCEPT YOUR DEAL!"
Zeno's grin widened, his gaze shifting to Umbrion, who stood unmoved, his expression unreadable.
Zeno tilted his head, clearly ready to unleash another carefully crafted barb, but Umbrion raised a hand, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
"Spare me your theatrics. I can already guess what happened after my death," he said, his tone as cold as ever. "I'll accept your offer. It's obvious you won't take no for an answer."
There was no anger in his words, no visible regret—just quiet resignation.
Zeno turned his attention to me at last, his glowing eyes narrowing as if peering into my very soul.
"Now, you—"
"Just stop."
My voice cut through his words, sharp and final. The bitterness in my tone was impossible to miss.
"You think I could stop her? Ha. Nice joke," I said, letting out a dry, humorless chuckle.
Zeno's smirk faltered slightly, his glowing blue eyes narrowing as he studied me.
"I won't deny it," I continued, stepping forward, my fists clenched at my sides. "I was one of the strongest of my generation. But do you know how I got there?"
I met his gaze head-on, my voice steady even as my frustration threatened to boil over.
"While others climbed with ease, I barely crawled. Born with a cursed body—weak, frail, broken. Unlocking my bloodline? That was a pipe dream."
The words tasted bitter, each syllable a reminder of my failures. I let out another laugh, hollow and devoid of humor.
"And now, here you are, expecting me to kill her. My mother. The strongest being in existence. Stronger than even you gods."
The silence that followed was suffocating, each word hanging in the air like a lead weight. My chest tightened, the weight of my past and the absurdity of Zeno's expectations crushing me.
Zeno let out a soft sigh, breaking the stillness. "You know what? Summon your status."
His tone shifted, suddenly serious. His casual arrogance was gone, replaced by something colder, sharper. "I've adjusted it—created a new one. You'll understand everything once you check it."
He crossed his arms, waiting as though he had all the time in the world.
I hesitated, my mind racing. My body felt heavy, as though resisting the mere thought of summoning that cursed thing.
Xian's fiery red eyes flicked toward me, curiosity flickering beneath his usual indifference. Even Umbrion, who rarely betrayed emotion, tilted his head slightly, a faint furrow creasing his brow.
They don't know, I realized. Neither of them has ever heard of the status skill.
I swallowed hard, forcing the tension from my throat. After what felt like an eternity, I finally muttered the word.
"Status."
As the word left my lips, a wave of memories I desperately wanted to forget crashed over me.
.
.
.
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Name: Alaric Darnell Valkrond
Class: Puppetry
Rank: Warrior
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Bloodline: Locked
Blessing: None
Element: Wind
Arts: ...
Skills: ...
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Strength: 11.5
Stamina: 11.6
Agility: 11.8
Intelligence: 25
Charm: 30.1
Mana: 250
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My intelligence and charm stood out—higher than most—but for combat? Useless. Every other stat was pathetically below average for my rank.
A bitter laugh escaped me as I slumped onto the bed.
"Still upset about your stats?"
I froze at the sound of her voice.
Turning slowly, I saw her—my fiancée—leaning casually against the doorway. Her warm smile felt like a balm on my frayed nerves.
"Come on, Alaric," she teased, stepping into the room. "Your intelligence is ridiculously high! Do you know how hard it is to improve that stat?"
Her playful tone chipped away at the bitterness gnawing inside me. Before I could respond, she sat beside me, her presence a comfort I didn't deserve.
"And anyway," she added, resting her head gently on my shoulder, "you don't need to be strong. I'll protect you."
Her words wrapped around me like a shield, muffling the doubts and despair clawing at my mind.
For a moment, I believed her.
For a moment, I let myself hope.
But even as her warmth enveloped me, something deep inside twisted painfully. A quiet, unshakable instinct whispered what my heart refused to acknowledge.
The woman who was my light would one day plunge me into the abyss.
.
.
.
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Name: Alaric Valkrond
Class: Puppetry
Rank: Warrior
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Bloodline: Locked (Sealed)
Blessing: None
Element: wind, fire
Arts: None
Skills: Perfect control, mana threads
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Strength: 11.5
Stamina: 11.6
Agility: 11.8
Intelligence: 39.9
Charm: 30.1
Mana: 250
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Status: Cursed(+)
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