I will become someone who matters…
The red light flares—violent, defiant. It cracks through the still air, halting the sword mid-swing with a thunderous pulse. A radiant crimson screen bursts to life in front of me, blazing like a flare in the darkness. My hands, raised instinctively to shield myself, tremble as I realize how futile they would've been. That blade was meant to end me.
But something—something—stopped it.
The world stutters.
Time slows.
The god, frozen mid-strike, fights against the invisible grip of the spell. Sparks freeze mid-air like stars suspended in place. Every flicker shows his struggle to break free—his divine will resisting the chains wrapping around him.
[System Notification]
One unread message.
Now playing…
"If you're hearing this… then I've fallen. I am—or was—the Tenth Master of the Tenth Ring. The god who fought beside me has been sealed. They've likely hidden this truth behind ruin, rewriting the world's laws with a fabricated construct—the 'System.' I can't say what era you've awakened in… this message was recorded during the genesis era.
But know this:You are now the Grand God of the Tenth Ring. The sanctuary you're in… it's an illusion. You've likely begun to see through it. The gods will come for you. You'll be marked.
Altia and I created a system designed to adapt to you, one that evolves with your struggle. Use it wisely. Remain hidden—until the moment you know you can strike. Everything the system gives has a price.
Choose carefully. Good luck."
[Message end]
The screen flickers.
Then, it glitches—veins of static tearing through the red glow.
Vitalis roars, shattering the paralysis, and the blade cleaves through the message panel with a deafening screech. The slash races toward me.
And then—A miracle.
An impossible force answers my plea to live. My need becomes my salvation.
But even as I'm whisked away, questions scream in my head.
The Genesis Era?
What was that? Why does it feel like I've been lied to since birth?
Before the thought can take form, a new prompt flickers into view:
[Do you accept this journey?]
{Yes / No}
I want vengeance. I want to live. I want truth.
"...Yes," I breathe, voice brittle but certain.
[System Accepted]
My body disintegrates—scarlet dust swirling in the wind. Vitalis's stunned eyes are the last thing I see.
It feels like eternity before I resurface.
My eyes flutter open.
A faint, cold hum echoes in my skull—mechanical and detached. The voice of the system. My vision blurs, strands of lashes clinging to sweat and blood. My nose fills with the sharp, sickening scent of iron. I choke on it, disoriented and reeling.
The system's voice echoes again—calm, cruel, clinical.
I look down.
And freeze.
These… limbs. They're mine—but not mine.
I tilt my head. Platinum-blonde strands spill into my face, shimmering like moonlight. My hands are thin, pale, shaking. My frame is emaciated, ribs stark against skin, my body bare and frail.
A whisper slips from my lips, unfamiliar and delicate: "…Where am I?"
A second ago, I was about to die. Now—this.
[System Notification]
Dungeon.
The word slices through me like ice.
Of course. A place where beasts crawl and horrors wait in silence.
I know the rules: You don't leave dungeons—you clear them. Or die trying.
Only if a catastrophe hits will the gate forcefully reopen.
[System Notification]
"…Why here?" I murmur, my voice on the verge of breaking.
Vitalis's blade still hangs over my thoughts like a guillotine. His eyes. His divine pressure. That feeling of complete helplessness—it lingers.
Can I really survive this?
Can I stand against beings like him? Can I kill a god?
The message's last words resurface in my mind. Everything comes at a price.
"…How do I kill a god?" I ask aloud.
[System Notification]
A price.
I hesitate—but only for a second.
Knowledge is power. And power is survival.
"I accept."
__________
[System Notification]
Only a god can kill another god.
To do so, you must surpass them.
__________
"I will. I have to."
Even if the words burn in my throat like poison. Even if I'm still unsure if it's revenge I seek—or something else.
Would I really become what I hate to destroy the divine?
No… not yet.
I shake my head, dispelling doubt like fog.
"…System. Replay that message."
As the words pour into me again, they root deeper this time.
The truth was buried. The gods rewrote reality. The past was hidden—rewritten, maybe even erased.
This system was a relic of rebellion long gone. A legacy from a fallen era.
And now… it's mine.
The enormity of it crushes me. I am nothing compared to them. And yet, the message declared me the successor—the next Grand God of the Tenth Ring.
The weight of it strangles me like a chain, heavy with fear and expectation.
But I hold on.
Tighter.
Stronger.
I will become more than I was. More than they expect.
I will not be a pawn. I will not be erased.
I will burn them down—and write my own truth.