BOOOOMM...!!
The air violently shuddered as the explosion split the night's silence, followed by a blast of cold aura sweeping across the ground. The temperature suddenly plummeted, transforming dew into ice crystals. Amid the panic, a man ran stumbling, his breath racing like hunted prey.
His face was as pale as a corpse. His usually well-groomed black hair now jutted in all directions. Cold sweat not only flowed—but froze along his temples. Upon closer inspection, his feet were turning blue, adorned with thin ice traces that crept upward like crystal roots. This horrifying phenomenon did not stop his increasingly desperate steps.
Behind him, sounds of battle and agonizing screams could be heard—his guards, who might now have become ice statues, trying to buy him time to escape.
"Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT ALL...!!" The man screamed in frustration, his voice trembling with fear. "WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME?!"
He was no ordinary person. In elite social circles, he was known as an honorable nobleman with an untarnished reputation. But behind that mask of politeness, he was the king of the largest illegal trade network in the kingdom. His noble status served as a perfect shield, making him untouchable by the suspicions of the imperial family or other nobles.
Thanks to his brilliance in playing roles, his wealth had surpassed even the highest Viscounts. If his underground business continued unhindered, it wouldn't be impossible for him to become the true ruler of the underworld—grasping power behind the scenes that even the emperor wouldn't realize.
However, fate had other plans...
Slash!!
"Ukh?! ARGGGHHHH...!!!"
An agonizing scream tore through the night when a glowing blue energy blade silently shot forward, slicing through his thigh like a hot knife through butter. Blood spurted out, but strangely—some of it instantly froze on its way to the ground.
The man collapsed, his trembling hands clutching the gaping wound. The sensation of burning heat mixed with freezing cold hammered his nerves mercilessly. He let out a roar of pure pain—the kind of pain he had never imagined in his luxurious life.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
The sound of regular, calm footsteps broke the silence. Not hurried steps. Not the steps of a hunter chasing prey. But the steps of someone who knew their prey wouldn't go anywhere.
Each second seemed to stretch. Each step sounded closer, more real, more terrifying.
With his remaining strength, the man looked up. His breath caught in his throat.
Before him stood a figure in a black cloak with chilling calmness. The figure wasn't tall—perhaps only as tall as a fourteen-year-old teenager. But the aura it emitted made the surrounding air feel heavy and oppressive.
Snow-white hair flowed beautifully beneath the hood of its cloak, shimmering like moonlight in the darkness of night. Its face was hidden behind a skull mask carved with frightening detail. But behind that mask, a pair of eyes peered out—a right eye of brilliant sapphire blue that looked so alive and contrasted with the death mask it wore.
The figure's left eye remained hidden behind its white hair. But it wasn't its appearance that made the man tremble with fear.
Rather, it was the hundreds—no, perhaps thousands—of ice swords floating and spinning around the figure. The swords gleamed with a deadly cold aura, rotating like a crystal galaxy ready to destroy anything that dared approach.
"You... You..." The man's voice trembled violently, his eyes widened in terror. "... 'Frost Assassin'?!"
The whisper of that name alone was enough to make blood freeze in one's veins. 'Frost Assassin'—the legendary killer who had been creating terror for the past three years. Each of his targets ended in death without exception, bodies freezing before shattering into crystal fragments.
It wasn't his services that made his name feared—there were many other assassins with similar records. What made 'Frost Assassin' different was the level of his targets.
Not just minor nobles or corrupt officials—'Frost Assassin' dared to take contracts to kill Rank S Hunters!
This sounded impossible to most people. Rank S Hunters were at the top of the food chain.
But 'Frost Assassin' shocked the world when he actually succeeded in killing a Rank S Hunter. Then two. Then three. Plus two more who survived but were permanently paralyzed.
This news shook the entire kingdom. The price for 'Frost Assassin's' head continued to skyrocket to fantastic figures that made the strongest 'Bounty Hunters' flock to find him.
But none of them returned with their lives intact. Most were slaughtered without a trace, while the fortunate ones escaped with permanently damaged bodies and deep trauma.
The existence of 'Frost Assassin' finally caught the attention of the Holy Spirit Empire's commanders themselves—including the living legend, 'Blue Flame Knight' Daniel Azura.
Daniel Azura, the Second Commander of the Empire with power equivalent to Rank SS Hunter, was one of the strongest humans who had ever lived. When he finally confronted 'Frost Assassin' directly, a tremendous battle was inevitable.
The result of that battle was more than just terrifying—it was an apocalyptic disaster.
Major cities were devastated. Tall mountains leveled to the ground. Blue flames soared high into the sky, meeting with a terrible ice storm that froze everything it touched. The landscape changed like a canvas damaged by an angry god.
Fortunately for humanity, although 'Frost Assassin's' ice element was amazing, he was still not a match for the Second Commander. The battle ended with 'Frost Assassin' severely injured, while Daniel Azura was barely scratched.
Realizing the impossibility of victory, 'Frost Assassin' did something he had never done before—he fled. And more surprisingly, he managed to escape from the clutches of the 'Blue Flame Knight'.
From that battle, the world gained one important piece of information: although extraordinarily powerful, 'Frost Assassin's' strength was "only" equivalent to Rank S+ Hunter.
"Only" might not be the right word—because that level of power was still far beyond the reach of ordinary humans. Including the wealthy nobleman now cowering in fear before him...
"P-please let me live," the man's voice trembled, tears and mucus mixing on his paling face. "I-I will surrender all my wealth! All of it! Without reserve! Just let me live! I even... I'm even willing to be your dog!"
The man sobbed and crawled, reaching for the hem of 'Frost Assassin's' cloak. In vain. He knew he couldn't escape—not from a figure that even made Rank S Hunters tremble. With power equivalent to Rank C+ Hunter, he was nothing more than an insect before an apex predator.
Behind the skull mask, the 'Frost Assassin' showed no reaction. The offer of wealth didn't interest him—he already possessed the spoils from three Rank S Hunters he had killed, an amount that could even buy a small kingdom. And a dog? He preferred to work alone.
"...Don't worry," the voice from behind the mask sounded calm and cold like snow falling on a quiet night. "In fact, your death is very meaningful to me. So you won't die in vain."
"Huh?"
Confusion was evident on the man's face. But that confusion quickly turned to pure terror when 'Frost Assassin' brushed aside his white hair, revealing his hidden left eye.
"T-that eye..." The man's voice was now just a whisper of fear.
Unlike his right eye which was beautifully sapphire, 'Frost Assassin's' left eye had an unnatural and terrifying appearance. Its iris was silver with a black circle, while its pupil was like a black hole with a dark blue color—as if it were a portal to a void dimension ready to devour everything.
In the long history of magic and wonders, there was only one type of 'Mystic Eyes' with such an appearance. A type of eye that was even considered a myth by most people.
"Mystic Eyes... of Death Perception..." Those words came from the man's mouth like a final incantation before death.
Who would have thought that the legendary eyes—eyes that could allegedly kill even immortal beings and see the death of Gods—were right in front of him?
"You guessed it correctly," 'Frost Assassin's' voice sounded calm. "Unfortunately, there's no prize..."
In 'Frost Assassin's' view, the world transformed into a canvas filled with complex black lines. These lines intersected and connected on all objects—both visible and invisible. Each line represented the weak point of that existence itself, the path to absolute death.
With a graceful movement that was almost like a dance, 'Frost Assassin' raised one of his favorite ice swords. The sword gleamed with an amazing pale blue light—as beautiful as a starry night in winter.
Without hesitation, he slashed one of the death lines connected to the man.
No blood. No screams. Just a soft sound like a thread being cut.
Like a puppet that lost its control, the man's body immediately collapsed to the ground. His eyes still wide open in eternal shock. Then, slowly but surely, his body began to crack like thin glass, before finally crumbling into fine ash blown away by the night wind.
Behind the skull mask, 'Frost Assassin's' lips formed a thin, cold smile.
'Finally... All requirements fulfilled.'
A transparent blue light appeared before his eyes, displaying a message only he could see:
[ Ding! The condition 'Kill 150 Nobles' completed! ]
[ Ding! List of Conditions completed!
1. First Condition: Become a respected Assassin with achievements (Completed)
2. Second Condition: Join an assassin organization (Completed)
3. Third Condition: Kill three Rank S Hunters (Completed)
4. Fourth Condition: Face an enemy far stronger than the Host without 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception' (Completed)
5. Fifth Condition: Penetrate Tier 8 within the specified time limit (Completed)
6. Sixth Condition: Form a mysterious and powerful image (Completed)
7. Seventh Condition: Kill 150 Nobles (Completed)
8. Eighth Condition...
...
...
... ]
[ Ding! All requirements have been met! With this, the Template System is now open! ]
[ Ding! Nice to meet you, Host. From now on, the System will accompany you on your journey ]
The forehead behind the skull mask furrowed in confusion. Initially, he was very enthusiastic, but when he heard the name of his System that didn't meet expectations, his brow furrowed questioningly.
'Template System?'
He wanted to ask more about this mysterious system, but his instinct as an assassin immediately warned that he had drawn too much attention with the chaos he had caused.
'I'll find out about this System later,' he thought. 'Now... I need to get out of here quickly.'
His sharp, trained senses caught the movement of powerful auras approaching—Tier 6, Tier 7, even some Tier 8 (highest level)—undoubtedly the Empire's elite forces.
'Frost Assassin' exhaled a cold breath that crystallized in the air. He was confident he could finish them all, but chose to avoid unnecessary battles. Exposing more of his abilities wasn't a wise action for a mercenary killer.
However, it seemed his wish was too ambitious to be fulfilled...
BLAARRR...!!!
The earth shook violently. Rocks floated into the air as if gravity had lost its power. Trees were uprooted. The entire area around him seemed to rebel against the existing laws of physics.
"You can't escape this time, Frost Assassin."
That feminine yet cold voice came from above. Immediately, 'Frost Assassin' felt his body become many times heavier—as if the entire weight of the world had been placed on his shoulders. His nervous system screamed in protest, but the face behind the skull mask remained calm.
Looking up with forced slow movements, 'Frost Assassin' saw the figure of a woman floating gracefully in the air—without the aid of wings or any device. Just pure power that defied natural law.
The woman possessed a beauty that was eternal and untouched by time. Her long silver hair gently billowed, in contrast to her facial expression which—truthfully—had no expression at all. Her silvery eyes stared coldly, like the moon looking down on the mortal world.
"...First Commander, Laura Silver," muttered 'Frost Assassin', his voice remaining calm even though his body felt like it was being crushed by mountains. "Or... should I call you Queen of Gravity?"
BLAAARRR...!!!
A wave of gravitational pressure hit the surrounding area, creating a giant crater with 'Frost Assassin' as its center.
The real battle was about to begin.
***
In the midst of the bustling city, a young boy walked calmly through streets filled with vehicles. His figure, nearly fifteen years old, stood out despite his best efforts to hide. With one graceful movement, he pulled his hoodie over his face that drew too much attention.
His steps halted when his eyes caught a large screen displaying breaking news. Not just him—dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on the same screen, captivated by news that shocked the entire place.
"The Frost Assassin has struck again," whispered a middle-aged man with a tone mixing awe and horror.
"And even the Undefeated Genius, Queen of Gravity, couldn't stop him at all," added another.
"Fool, watch your words!" a woman hissed sharply, her eyes warily scanning the surroundings. "If Imperial soldiers hear you, your life is at stake."
"What can I do?" replied the first man with a shrug. "They've deployed elite forces to kill or capture him, but all failed. Isn't that a fact?"
"We're lucky he's only Tier 8, equivalent to Hunter Rank S+," said a young man in a flat voice. "Imagine if there were Tier 9 Assassins roaming out there—none of us would sleep soundly."
A teenage girl sighed deeply. "But... I must admit, his mysterious figure is truly captivating."
"Kyaaa!" her friend squealed with sparkling eyes. "I so want to see the face behind that mask. He must be very handsome!"
The men who overheard the conversation could only shake their heads before ignoring it. How ironic—behind the Frost Assassin's terrifying reputation, his mysterious charm captivated the hearts of young girls. They competed to imagine the handsome face behind the cold mask of the mercenary, ignoring the fact that all assassins naturally concealed their identities.
Even more ironic—none of them realized that the person they were discussing was mingling among them.
'I underestimated her power too much...'
The hooded teenager—the Frost Assassin—narrowed his eyes at the destruction displayed on the screen. His memory replayed the deadly battle with the Queen of Gravity. If not for his Mystic Eyes, he might not be standing here now.
'This world is truly filled with unexpected dangers.'
Lux Frost—the Frost Assassin's real name—looked up at the gray sky, letting out a long sigh while reflecting on his fourteen years in this world. A world that was his second life.
In his first life, Lux was just an ordinary office worker living monotonous days. A simple life snatched away in an instant when an unknown person stabbed him from behind on his way home. Without time to understand what happened, he was reborn in a completely different world.
Initially, Lux thought he had reincarnated into a peaceful world similar to Earth. A world with modern technology, skyscrapers, and motor vehicles. But his belief shattered to pieces when he realized the truth—this world was a blend of modern, medieval, and fantasy!
In this world, magic, swords with magical powers, dungeons, and monsters weren't mere fantasies—but terrifying daily realities. Cursing his cruel fate, Lux felt the Gods were toying with him. Tragically murdered in his first life only to be reborn in a world full of danger!
Yet behind that misfortune, a glimmer of hope slipped in. Lux awakened a very rare Talent—a valuable asset for survival in this cruel world.
Talent, in essence, was a special ability possessed by almost all living beings in this world. Through Talent, magic and superhuman powers beyond human comprehension could be manifested. People with powerful Talents were extremely rare—as rare as those born with useless Talents.
More surprisingly, Lux was blessed with two Talents at once! To avoid unwanted attention, he only announced one Talent related to ice. His second Talent would remain a secret until he was strong enough to face the entire world.
His first Talent was "Divine Ice Emperor"—an ability that abnormally transformed his body, giving him high affinity with ice, extraordinary resistance to magical attacks, and temptingly handsome features. His second Talent, far more deadly—"Mystic Eyes of Death Perception." Eyes capable of seeing the lines of death on all existence. Once scratched along these lines, death was certain.
His only weakness—there were beings immune to this Talent. Beings without the Concept of Death. And unfortunately, this world was filled with such creatures.
Lux's initial plan was simple—hide while increasing his power for years, then emerge with invincible strength. But three years ago, he discovered the existence of his third "Cheat"—a System!
Lux's excitement instantly evaporated when he learned the System would only unlock after certain requirements were met. The most impossible requirement—becoming an accomplished Assassin and killing a Hunter Rank S Tier 8.
Thanks to his Mystic Eyes of Death and iron determination, he finally managed to fulfill all requirements and unlock the System.
***
"I'm home..."
A cold voice broke the silence of the apartment as Lux entered the living room. With practiced movements, he turned on the lights, switched on the AC, then tossed his bag carelessly before meticulously treating his wounds.
Gaping wounds adorned his body—a horrific sight inappropriate for someone his age. But his face remained expressionless, without a wince of pain.
Since awakening the "Divine Ice Emperor" Talent, Lux lost the ability to express himself normally. His Talent transformed his body into something not entirely human, and the side effect—his brain became numb to emotions.
Even when he wanted to smile, his facial muscles refused to move.
Lux didn't mind too much. For him, there were no gains without sacrifice. Though he had to lose the ability to express himself, he gained extraordinary power in return. Besides, perhaps the new System could help overcome this side effect.
"Template System?" Lux furrowed his brows slightly. "This is the first time I've heard of it." His limited experience with novels and games made this concept feel unfamiliar.
[Template System Character. Basically, the System will determine a character from certain anime, comics, games, or fiction before giving it to the Host]
[Then the Host will use that character's powers to gain Achievement Points that can be used to purchase various items in the 'Mall']
[Meanwhile, the Host can also increase Character Progress, and upon reaching certain Progress, the Host can randomize the next Character Template]
Lux remained silent for a moment, processing this information. His System indeed sounded powerful—the ability to utilize fictional characters' powers, even god-level characters. However, a fundamental problem emerged.
"You're joking? I've never even watched anime, played games, or read comics," he grumbled irritably. "How could I possibly use a character's powers according to the original?"
This was a serious problem. Throughout years of struggling to survive, Lux never had leisure time to enjoy such entertainment. His knowledge was limited to popular titles like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, One Piece, and Detective Conan—and even those were vague.
[Don't worry, Host. Except for life experiences, the Host will be given memories of using the character's powers when using that Template]
"In that case... can you start randomizing a character?"
[Ding! Understood...]
[Current random chance is 'one time'...]
[Starting Character Template randomization...]
While waiting for the result, Lux felt quite calm. Even if he got a weak character, it wouldn't matter as long as the power was useful. Besides, the weaker the character, the more points he would gain if he managed to accomplish extraordinary feats.
'Like protagonists in Chinese novels who pretend to be weak, then slap their enemies' faces when showing their true power,' he thought. 'An annoying method, but... a small sacrifice for great gain.'
Though secretly hoping to get a powerful character.
[Ding! Host has successfully obtained Character Template
[Does Host want to Install 'Raiden Shogun / Ei' Template now?]
Confusion flashed in Lux's eyes. 'From the name, this is a female character... but Genshin Impact?'
He had heard of that popular game but never played it.
'As a character from a famous game... she must be quite powerful, right?'
"Install," he decided without hesitation.
[Installation beginning...]
Lux frowned as he felt something alien begin to merge with his soul. Memories that weren't his seeped into his mind.
In those memories, a woman stood gracefully with full dignity. Her long dark purple hair flowed beautifully, her pale white skin like porcelain, her purple eyes gleamed with light blue pupils that were mesmerizing. The luxurious kimono she wore did nothing to diminish the intimidating aura emanating from every inch of her body.
In her hand, she gripped a blade resembling a katana, shrouded in deadly purple lightning. With just a glance, anyone would know she wasn't someone to be trifled with—unless they wanted to end up headless.
She was the most beautiful woman Lux had ever seen, yet behind that beauty lay a profound aura of loneliness.
"Only Eternity... can bring us closer to Heavenly principles."
A melodious yet cold voice echoed before the woman slowly unsheathed her sword. Her movement was so fast, even Lux had no time to react.
A gentle whisper slipped into Lux's ear...
"<
SLASSHH...!!!!
Time and space seemed to freeze, then... everything was split in two!
***
"Wha-!"
Lux awoke with gasping breaths, his body that had begun to 'change' bathed in cold sweat. His hands trembled as they clutched his head, a foreign sensation coursing through every cell of his body.
'Powerful... that power was immense...'
The battle memories of Raiden Shogun—or more precisely Raiden Ei—left Lux in awe. The Electro Archon, ruler of the lightning element, with power beyond comprehension.
Though perhaps still inferior compared to Monsters that had lived millions of years in this world, Raiden Ei's sword technique was on an entirely different level. A sword technique capable of splitting space and time—something Lux had never heard of throughout his life in this world.
'Raiden Shogun and Raiden Ei... two different consciousnesses in one body?'
Lux began to understand the subtle difference between them. Raiden Ei was the original Electro Archon, while Raiden Shogun was a created puppet that served as a vessel for Ei's consciousness.
Though merely a puppet, Raiden Shogun had her own consciousness and ability to act according to her will. Within Shogun's body was Ei's artificial consciousness dimension called the 'Plane of Euthymia'—where Ei meditated and inspected Eternity.
As the creator, Ei could take control of Shogun's body whenever she wanted. Basically, they were two souls in one body—when one consciousness controlled the body, the other remained in the 'Plane of Euthymia' dimension.
However, there was a great risk—Shogun might rebel against Ei someday. Like artificial intelligence defying its creator, it was impossible for Shogun to remain obedient forever.
Fortunately, both the body and both consciousnesses were now under Lux's control, so—
Wait. His body?
With slow movements, Lux examined his own body. He raised both hands, then his eyes widened in disbelief.
'What the—'
His words cut off as he caught his reflection in the mirror. His calm expression slowly transformed into pure horror.
What reflected back wasn't the handsome teenage boy with snow-white hair and heterochromatic eyes. What stared back from the mirror was an adult woman with the face of a goddess—beautiful long purple hair flowing, wearing an exquisite kimono that perfectly hugged her slender yet strong body. A small black beauty mark near her right eye added to her indescribable charm.
Lux's hand—now more slender and feminine—touched the mirror's surface. The woman in the mirror did the same. Purple eyes flashed coldly as her crimson lips moved.
"...Return me to my original form..."
A melodious yet cold voice echoed from the woman's lips.