"Prisoner 3012, today is your execution. Any last meal wish?" an officer asked.
The man in chains lifted his head slightly. His eyes were black hollows, without a flicker of light.
He said nothing — just turned away his head.
The time of execution finally arrived, two guards wearing a heavy Armor, mercilessly dragged him toward the electric chair.
"Today we all are gathered here to witness the execution of the nameless killer, who had cold bloodedly butchered more than seventy innocent lives," the announcer said, his voice trembling with both disgust and relief. "May he rot in hell.", he cursed.
The crowd roared for justice. Faces of the victim's families twisted with grief, rage, anticipation.
The killer was strapped in the chair, wrists and ankles shackled by cold iron cuffs. For the first time, he raised his head to look at the twisted faces of the crowd. No remorse at his eyes, Only a crooked smile.
A wet rag smothered his face, an iron circlet pressed against his skull.
As everythings turn dark. He thought. "Finally, I can be free of this rotten world".
The lever fells.
A storm of current ripped through him, searing nerves, boiling blood, melting the brain. His body convulsed violently, yet through the screams there was laughter, filling others with despair. And then… silence.
***
[Execution Complete]
[Memory Transfer… Successful]
[New Vessel Constructed]
"Huh…?"
[Identity Matched: The Executioner]
[Skill Acquired: Chains of Paralysis]
[Skill Acquired: Weaponization]
"What's this sound?"
[Trial Initiated: The Path of the Executioner]
***
The man who was just executed opened his eyes. He found himself staring at a vast sky while lying on a bed of flowers.
"What's all of this? I was executed… is this hell?" he thought.
He got up, feeling a little different. As he stood, stretching his legs fully, his eyes widened. In front of him, a little beyond the mountain, stood a massive red castle, its peak reaching the skies, surrounded by giant walls with a great gate at the front.
"A kingdom…" he murmured. Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to make sense of what was going on.
"All these sensations feel real... is this the afterlife? …No, it doesn't make sense." Suddenly, a fragment of memory from the past flashed in his mind.
The man was sitting atop a dead body, covered in blood, reading a fantasy novel belonging to the son of the man he had just killed.
"Oh just like the book… it's reincarnation… So this mean I'm inside a fantasy world now." He clicked his tongue. "And here I thought I was finally free." He sighed.
"The sun's going down. I should head to the kingdom. Staying in the forest at night isn't something I should risk."
As he walked through the dense, dark forest toward the kingdom walls, he noticed his hands, smaller, unscratched.
"I think I'm inside a different body… feels quite young and energetic."
Suddenly, a scream echoed—an old man yelling for help. He stopped and crouched, hiding in the bushes, peeking through the branches toward the sound.
"An old man… looks like a merchant. And those three thug-looking men… oh, they're bandits," he recalled the common thugs like figures from books he read.
"Just like Earth," he smirked. "I should turn around slowly, It is better not to get involved in this" he thought.
But as he prepared to leave, he stopped. His eyes looked tired. "That man seems like a regular of the kingdom. He could be useful."
"But three bandits… could be a little troublesome," he thought, scanning the area. Suddenly, a plan struck his mind.
***
"Give me all your belongings, merchant!" one of the bandits shouted, brandishing a knife at the merchant.
"Hey, you young folks—why don't you leave that old gentleman alone? That would be really good," a voice called from behind.
It was him, walking toward the bandits.
"A kid? What is a kid doing here… but Now that you've seen our faces.... kill the kid!" the leader ordered.
"A kid? This body must be young," he thought.
One of the bandits charged at him with a dagger in hand. "Just like a bull, attacking aimlessly," he sighed. He flung a handful of dirt into the bandit's eyes, then used the opening to grab his wrist and force the blade into his neck, slicing it with his own hand.
As blood splattered across his face, he showed no emotion.
The second bandit, shocked at the sudden kill, lunged at him. But before he could be grabbed, the man twisted, stabbing him in the stomach.
By the time he reached the last bandit, though, he was overpowered and pinned to the ground.
"You've done it now, kid!" the bandit shouted, pressing down hard.
"I overestimated this body… it's still not matured," he clicked his tongue. The bandit pulled out a large knife, ready to strike.
"Shit," he murmured, his eyes darting to the fallen dagger nearby. His hand stretched toward it—but it was too far to reach. "Looks like I'm dead."
[Skill Activated: Weaponizer]
Just as the bandit was about to stab him, the dagger flew through the air, slicing his throat.
"H-how…" the bandit muttered before collapsing.
"What just happened?" the man muttered, clueless. Suddenly, a blue screen popped up in front of him.
[Level Up]
[New Skill Acquired: Lie Detection]
"What is this… some sort of magic?" he muttered in confusion. "I should investigate it later, first that old man".
"Are you ok" he said with a gentle tone. "Thank you very very much, you have saved my life" the old man knelt down, showing his gratitude.
"You don't have to do it, can I ask something?, are you a merchant" he asked.
"Y-Yes, I am an wandering merchant.... may I first know the name of the hero who saved me" he asked smiling.
"My name..." He was stunned, his eyes lost in some thoughts, "Shin" he answered, "and I am not a hero" .
The old man laughed, he gets up, shaking his hand. "I am Hibert Gandolf" he said, "I have never seen someone like you here, are you a foreigner" he asked Shin.
"Y-Yes, I am a foreigner, a traveller- to be exact finding work" he answered after a brief pause.
"Then you must going to the Acilia Kingdom then" the old man said.
"So the kingdom's name is Acilia, Hibert might be a good asset for me to get some information about this world" he thought before answering "Yes".
"Then may I give you a ride to the Kingdom, on my carriage, please don't refuse it" the old man asked...
"Thanks, it will be a big help" he accepts.
The Carriage tooks off..
"As we are going, could you tell me a little about Acilia" Shin asked the old man, showing curiosity.
"Why not, let's see, if I recall, the kingdom was built after the execution of it's former king...