Rain pounded against the cracked asphalt, a relentless rhythm that drowned out the honking cars and distant screams. The city was chaos—sirens wailed, neon signs flickered like dying stars, and Kael Ardyn staggered down the alley with blood soaking his shirt.
He couldn't breathe. Every inhale scraped his lungs like glass shards. Every step left a dark trail behind him.
"Damn it…" Kael coughed, spitting red onto the wet pavement. His vision blurred, the world a whirl of color and shadow. "So this… is how it ends?"
He pressed his back to the wall, sliding down until he hit the cold concrete. A dull pain spread across his chest, where the knife had gone in. It was ironic—after surviving fights, debt collectors, and back-alley brawls, it was a petty gang fight that finished him.
The rain grew colder. The sounds of the city dimmed, as if someone had turned down the volume of the world.
Kael closed his eyes. If there's a God out there… don't let my death be meaningless.
And then—silence.
---
When Kael opened his eyes, he was no longer in the alley.
He was standing in a forest. A real forest.
The smell hit him first: wet soil, pine, and the sharp scent of something alive. Birds cawed overhead, sunlight bled through the canopy, and a cool breeze brushed against his skin. He staggered forward, touching the rough bark of a massive tree.
"What… the hell?" he whispered. His wound was gone. His shirt was clean. Not even a scar remained.
A faint chime echoed in his ears.
> [System Activated]
Welcome, Kael Ardyn.
Death has chosen you. Rebirth is your curse… and your gift.
Words appeared in the air, glowing pale blue. Kael froze, his hand hovering inches from the floating screen.
No way… a system? Like those games I used to play?
More text flickered into view:
> [Rebirth System – Level 1]
Condition: Each time the host dies, attributes increase by +10%.
Warning: Humanity degrades with repeated deaths.
Kael's stomach sank. Each time I die? Attributes increase?
He didn't have time to process it. A low growl vibrated through the forest.
From the bushes, a creature crawled out—its body twisted, covered in scales, with too many teeth crammed into its dripping maw. It was the size of a wolf, but its eyes glowed a sickly yellow.
Kael stumbled back. "You've gotta be kidding me…"
The beast lunged.
Instinct screamed. Kael swung a broken branch he had grabbed, but the creature's weight slammed into him. Its teeth sank into his arm, tearing flesh. Kael screamed, shoving the beast away, but it was fast—too fast.
Pain exploded in his chest as claws ripped across him. Warm blood poured. His knees buckled.
No… not again…
The monster's jaw clamped around his throat. His vision dimmed. The world went black.
---
Chime.
> [Death Recorded]
Attributes increased: +10%.
Warning: Soul strain 1%.
Kael gasped awake.
He was lying on the same patch of grass where the monster had killed him. His shirt was whole again. His wounds—gone.
But he remembered everything. The pain, the teeth, the death. It hadn't been a dream.
"No way…" His hands trembled as he touched his neck. Smooth skin. No blood. "I… I came back?"
The bush rustled again. The same monster. Same glowing eyes. Same hungry snarl.
But this time, something was different. Kael could feel it—his body was faster, his grip stronger, his senses sharper. He didn't hesitate.
When the beast lunged, Kael rolled aside, grabbed a jagged rock, and smashed it into the creature's skull. Once, twice, three times until bone cracked and blood spilled across the grass. The monster collapsed, twitching before going still.
Kael staggered back, chest heaving, rock slipping from his bloody hands.
"I killed it… I actually…" His voice cracked. "But I died first. I had to die."
The chime returned.
> [First Kill Recorded]
+50 Experience
Skill Unlocked: Pain Tolerance (Lv.1)
Kael laughed, a broken sound that echoed through the silent forest.
"This… this isn't just survival," he whispered. His gaze lingered on the fading notification, then on the monster's corpse. "It's a curse. Every time I die… I change."
He dropped to his knees, clutching his head. His pulse hammered.
"How many times do I have to die… before I stop being human?"
The forest offered no answer. Only the sound of the wind, carrying the scent of blood and rain.
And somewhere in the distance, something else moved—something bigger. Watching. Waiting.