I looked at the statues slowly creeping closer from all sides and sighed.
"So… the time has finally come. Either I get the System… or I die."
The stone blades rose around me.
"Just come at me, you f*cking statues!" I shouted, trying to lower my stress and strengthen my resolve.
But instead of the pain I was expecting from their swords and spears, a mechanical voice echoed inside my mind.
The statues froze completely.
[Requirements for the 'Secret Quest: Courage of the Weak' have been met.]
"Huh…?"
The System.
Did I really complete it? And wasn't this a bit anticlimactic? I had been dreading this moment ever since my rebirth.
As I was thinking, a blue panel appeared before my eyes.
[You have acquired the rights to become a Player.Will you accept? Y/N]
"Yes," I muttered quickly, pressing Y without hesitation.
The moment I accepted, the world went completely still.
Then everything vanished.
I found myself standing in a pitch-black void. In front of me stood a tall, imposing figure clad in shadowed armor that flickered faintly with dark light. Jagged horns rose from his helm, and beneath it, two ember-like eyes glowed in the darkness.
"Ashborn…" I muttered without thinking.
I immediately stiffened.
Why am I here with him? This wasn't supposed to happen. If he brought me here, then he might already know I'm not the original Jinwoo.
Ashborn looked at me, his voice deep and heavy.
"So, you truly know who I am. My guess was not wrong. Judging from the way you performed in the dungeon — and taking other factors into account — you know more than you should. In some ways… perhaps even more than I do."
His gaze felt suffocating.
"There is no need to be on guard. Even if I wished to do something to you, you possess no ability to stop me."
My expression tightened.
"You looked through my memories… didn't you? And I know I don't have the power to stop you."
"I did," Ashborn replied indifferently. "The moment you entered this dungeon. My authority over death allows me to interact with souls and memories with ease."
A faint pause.
"Your memories are quite interesting. What was it called… 'Solo Leveling'?"
He continued calmly, "Quite an intriguing story. It seems my choice in selecting Jinwoo as my inheritor was not wrong."
My heart skipped a beat.
"So… are you going to kill me now? Since you know I'm not your original inheritor, but a reincarnator?"
I hesitated before adding,
"And you already suspected something before I even entered the dungeon, didn't you? That's why you searched me the moment I stepped in."
"I did," Ashborn answered. "I have had my eyes on Jinwoo since the last use of the Cup of Reincarnation. Your behavior in this timeline was… unusual."
His tone remained calm.
"I could not search you earlier. To probe your soul outside the dungeon would have risked leaking my power and alerting the other Monarchs."
The void around us seemed to grow heavier.
"Do not be overly concerned. I swear upon my name — after this conversation, you will leave with the System. Unharmed."
I let out a slow breath.
"If you're swearing on your name… then I'll believe you. But if you already suspected something, I entered many dungeons before this. You could have empowered me earlier, couldn't you?"
"Be grateful for what you have," Ashborn replied evenly. "Now is the perfect time. A little earlier, and the other Monarchs would have noticed and eliminated you. A little later, and you would not have had enough time to grow strong enough."
A subtle shift passed through his shadowed armor.
"And as your memories suggest… I am tired of endless war. I no longer seek a mere vessel. I seek a successor."
I swallowed.
"So… do you know anything about my reincarnation?"
"After the death of the Absolute Being, the barrier of this world has been weakening. The repeated use of the Cup of Reincarnation has strained it further. I strongly suspect your soul entered through a temporary gap."
His glowing eyes sharpened.
"Such gaps are repaired by the world itself within moments. Either you were extremely fortunate… or someone sent you here."
A chill ran down my spine.
"So you truly don't mind me being a reincarnator?"
"I do not," he replied. "Though I do not fully trust your memories, your soul shows no signs of tampering. And we do not have the luxury of searching for another candidate. You are the best choice."
A faint hint of approval entered his voice.
"You also begin from a slightly stronger foundation than the original Jinwoo."
As he finished speaking, sinister shadow energy flowed from him and entered my body.
It settled deep within my heart.
"See you later," Ashborn said.
The void began to collapse.
As I was being pulled away, I quickly asked,
"Wait! The one who kept rambling in my mind about fate… was that you?"
For the first time, Ashborn seemed confused.
"No. But it may be—"
His final words were distorted.
Or perhaps something interfered.
My vision turned black.
[A/N: is it good please comment and tell me your thought's on this]