"Where… am I?" Naoya blinked hard, trying to adjust his sight, but saw nothing, just pitch-black darkness pressing in on all sides.
The air was stale, and his limbs were cramped. He couldn't move much. His knees were bent up awkwardly, elbows jammed at his sides. Like he was squeezed into a box too small for a grown man.
He couldn't turn, couldn't sit, couldn't stretch. Panic started to bubble under his skin. Just where the hell am I?
That damn god better not be playing tricks. With a scowl, Naoya raised his hands and pressed upward. His fingers met a solid surface above him. It was smooth, cold and unmoving.
A ceiling? A door? Who knew. He banged his fists against it.
Nothing. The thing didn't even budge. "Tch, damn it."
The air was getting thinner. His chest started to burn. If he didn't get out soon, he'd pass out from lack of oxygen again.
Grinding his teeth, he slammed the surface again, harder, using every bit of strength in his new body. After what felt like minutes, something cracked. The surface above him shifted with a groan. The ceiling, or lid, or whatever it was, gave in. With one final shove, it gave way completely, crashing open with a loud metallic clatter.
Naoya sat up instantly, gasping for breath. "Haaah… damn," he muttered, dragging his hand across his forehead. His head throbbed from the pressure. As he caught his breath, he finally looked around.
He was in a place that looked like a vast cave. It was dark and silent. The stone walls shimmered with silver sparkles embedded deep within, like stars scattered across a night sky. The place didn't feel like a crypt. It felt… sacred. Not to mention, even if it was a cave, the walls were sculpted into intricate designs.
Then his eyes dropped to the thing he had just crawled out of. Then he saw it.
It was…A casket.
"…What?" he whispered, unable to believe it. He turned slowly and saw more caskets lined up neatly across the chamber, each one grander than the last, gilded in gold, inlaid with gemstones, each resting on its own raised platform. Whatever this place was, it wasn't ordinary. It screamed wealth..
"Ah, god damn it!" Naoya yelled, trying to scramble out of the coffin, only to misjudge his step and fall face-first onto the cold stone floor. "Aw, ow…" he groaned, holding his nose.
This was definitely a grave, but there was no stink of rot or decay. No creepy death vibe either. It felt more like some ancient treasure vault. And speaking of treasure, when Naoya looked back into the casket, his jaw dropped.
Gold coins. Mountains of them, glittering under the faint cave light. "Was I… was I sleeping on that?" he muttered. His hands trembled slightly as he touched the coins. They were real.
He glanced down at himself. His hands were soft, delicate even. No calluses, no signs of hard work. His body felt light, flexible, and dressed in luxurious robes stitched with intricate golden threads. "Am I in Egypt or what?" he muttered, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair.
Then, right in front of his face, a glowing dialogue box appeared out of thin air.
[Welcome back to life, Mr. Naoya Kisaragi.]
A smooth, mechanical voice echoed those words, repeating them calmly.
"Huh?" Naoya blinked, stunned. "What the hell is this…"
Ah right, That crybaby god… he mentioned a gift.
A system? Just like in all those web novels he used to skim during boardroom breaks? (Well, just only two of them. Like he had time to waste on reading some idiotic fantasy.)
A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Heh. Not bad after all."
"G-GHOST!!!"
The sudden scream shattered the quiet triumph Naoya had been enjoying.
Even he, the so-called ghost, jumped in shock, startled by the sheer volume of that terrified voice.
Whipping his head around, he saw someone standing frozen in front of a set of massive double doors carved into the stone at the far end of the chamber.
A young man, probably in his early twenties, trembled violently, eyes wide with horror as if he'd just seen a vengeful spirit crawl out of its grave.
"The emperor is back! A ghost! Emperor is back as a ghost!!" the guy wailed, voice cracking as he collapsed to his knees. His legs clearly gave up on running, so he settled for screaming instead.
Naoya blinked, "Is he… the gravekeeper?" he muttered under his breath. Tilting his head, he offered a smile and gave a small wave. "Hello."
It was a bad idea.
"PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, YOUR MAJESTY THE EMPEROR!!" The poor guy instantly bowed until his forehead hit the cold stone floor, shaking like a wet leaf in a hurricane.
"…Your Majesty the Emperor?" Naoya repeated in a confused murmur, eyes narrowing slightly. "What kind of place still has an emperor?" As far as he knew, most nations had already moved on to presidents, prime ministers, or dictators pretending to be elected officials.
And wait, the language that guy was speaking wasn't familiar, but somehow Naoya understood it, and he felt like he could even speak it.
Just then, a chime echoed in his ears.
[Would you like to check your new identity?]
Naoya, still staring at the trembling wreck of a man, slowly nodded.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
[Welcome, User.]
[Soul Signature: Detected.]
[Vessel: Zevrius Aurellion – Deceased.]
[Abnormal Synchronization Detected. Initiating Emergency Reboot…]
[Reboot Completed.]
[Name: Zevrius Aurellion
> Age: 23
> Title: Trash Emperor
> Power: Normal human level
> Mana Core: Sealed
> Recognition: Negative 42 (lol he's infamous)]
"Huh…" Naoya muttered, reading the screen like someone slowly realizing they'd been scammed.
[BASIC ATTRIBUTES:
-Stat points - 0
>Strength: 4/100 (Can barely swing a sword; malnourished noble body.)
>Dexterity: 6/100 (Light on his feet... because he's been running from responsibilities.)
>Endurance: 3/100 (Gets tired after climbing stairs or yelling)
>Intelligence: 93/100 (Only used to idiotic things)
>Charisma: 12/100 (Once charming, but reputation is garbage now)
>Perception: 30/100 (Sharp mind, but unused to war or magic-based cues.)
>Luck: ??? (Refuses to be evaluated.)]
[SYSTEM LOCKED SKILLS:
>Empire Builder Suite [LOCKED]
>Strategic Insight Engine [LOCKED]
>Monster Integration [LOCKED]
>Lore Archive [LOCKED] ]
[ Public Reputation:
You are considered a national shame.
All loyal subjects: -70% Morale toward you.
All political opponents: +90% motivation to dethrone you.
Public: Throws cabbages at your statue.]
[IMMEDIATE GOALS:
>Unlock Mana Core → [0% Progress]
>Clear Name → [No one believes in you yet]
>Gain a follower who voluntarily pledges loyalty → [0/1]
>Survive the next 3 political meetings → [0/3] ]
[SYSTEM MESSAGES:
[✓] Von, the God of Second Chances is watching
[✓] Complaint Option: Temporarily Suspended
[✓] Divine Inbox: 1 new reply, "Don't be mad!! I sent cookies"]
Naoya's eye twitched. He forced a smile, but it was the kind of smile that came with murder in the heart. Second chance? This wasn't a second chance. This was being shoved into the reputation of a flaming garbage fire. He knew exactly who Zevrius Aurellion was.
Of course he knew. That name was unforgettable.
Because Zevrius was the trash antagonist from his famous webnovelist sister's debut romance novel. A disgrace of an emperor. The guy whose dumb decisions made the female lead's life hell. (And his sister once said she wrote Zevrius with Naoya on her mind, just what the hell?)
Naoya grit his teeth. "Just stuff those damn cookies up your divine ass, you crybaby god!!" he screamed into the cavernous tomb.
The poor gravekeeper flinched again. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, YOUR MAJESTY!!"
Naoya sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You gotta be kidding me…"