Damn it. I really died… in the bathroom. Naked. Slipped on the damn tile and smashed my head on the floor. Of all the ways to go, this had to be it. I could feel my life flashing by—well, it wasn't much of a life to begin with. Parentless, broke, working for scraps of food, barely making it day by day… and I die like an idiot on my bathroom floor.
"Seriously? Naked?" I muttered to myself in what felt like my last conscious thought. But apparently, the universe had a twisted sense of humor because the next thing I knew, the world went dark… and then bright. Too bright.
I tried to enter another body first. Anything. Someone strong, someone cool… maybe a wizard or a knight. But nope. Nothing. It was like the world was saying, "Nope, you're not taking shortcuts, loser."
Then, finally, I found it. A body. A proper one. Not weak. Not dying. Alive. And… surprisingly young. Ten years old.
I blinked. "Wait… I'm ten?" My thoughts raced. My body felt tiny, but… stable. Solid. I touched my face, my arms. Yup. This is real. I'm in somebody else's body. A noble body, from the looks of it. The smell of expensive soap in the air, the velvet on the bed, the heavy curtains… yep, this was a noble kid.
The family name? Ardent. One of the oldest noble families in the kingdom. And this body… belonged to Ardent Kael, the sixth son of the family patriarch, Lord Ardent Theron. Ten children in total, all fighting for power, all ready to claim the throne one day. Except me.
At first, everything seemed perfect. A noble family, a warm bed, food whenever I wanted. But after a few days… reality hit me like a blade. Pain, weakness, and the harsh truth—I would never become a knight. In a knight's household, in a family that valued strength and lineage… that was a death sentence for reputation.
And the world noticed. The court laughed. Nobles snickered. Even my younger siblings, who should have been innocent, mocked me relentlessly. My mother was already dead. The maid who genuinely cared for me became my only comfort in this cruel household, silently watching over me while everyone else despised me. My father's mistake—a non-noble mother—made me the target of almost everyone's hatred.
For ten years, I endured their laughter, their cruelty, and the constant reminder that I was the family's shame. Every day, I swallowed insults, trained endlessly only to fail, and stared at the sword I would never wield with hollow hope.
And now… twenty years old. Two decades of life, one decade in this body, ten years of enduring mockery. Every day the same. Every day, a reminder that I was weak, unwanted, and laughed at by the world I now called home.
Then, suddenly—a panel appeared in front of him. A countdown: ["Teleporting in 3… 2… 1…"]
Before Ardent Kael could react, before he could even comprehend what was happening, a blinding white light swallowed him.
When he opened his eyes… he was standing on top of a building, the city sprawling below like ants.
" what the hell happened?" he thought, eyes narrowing.
The panel appeared again. This time, words glowed:
[Kill zombies, earn points, and get stronger.]
Ardent Kael's lips curled into a grin, sharp and slightly unhinged. His eyes sparkled with a dangerous fire—the kind that only years of hatred and humiliation could forge. "Finally… finally, my time has come. Ha… ha ha! Everyone who made me suffer… I'll make them pay."
The panel blinked again:
[Choose Knight, Magician, or Both]
He tapped his chin, smirking as a dark thought passed through his mind. Knight or Magician… why not both? Without hesitation, he chose both.
A warning flashed [It will take more points to level up both. Are you sure?]
Ardent Kael's grin widened. His eyes glimmered with madness and anticipation, like a predator sensing the perfect hunt. "I don't care," he muttered, voice low and cold, dripping with anti-hero intensity. "Bring it on."
[Level up to Bronze 1 (initial) – Cost: 100 points]
"100 points…" he muttered, eyeing the cost. Then, he noticed another option in the corner of the panel: Shop. Curiosity flickered in his gaze as he tried to open it.
[Requires 1,000,000 points to unlock]
Ardent Kael laughed, a low, almost menacing sound. "Looks like I'll have to wait for that one."
He looked down from the building. Below, zombies roamed in hordes, their levels glowing above their heads. Hundreds of them… mostly level 1, a few level 2, 3, 4, even 5. His eyes glimmered with anticipation and something darker—a calculated hunger for power.
"This… this is just the beginning. Every level, every kill… every point will make me unstoppable. And when I'm done… everyone who laughed at me will beg for mercy."
Ardent Kael clenched his fists, the real person in him fully awakened. "Ha… ha ha… let the game begin."