A grand chamber bathed in gold and silver. The air carried a faint scent of Rose, and the flickering glow of enchanted crystals cast soft shadows on the walls. The sheer luxury of it was overwhelming.
At the center of the room, on a massive bed that could fit ten people, lay a boy no older than twelve.
Then—
"AHHHHHH!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the silence.
BOOM!
The doors burst open.
"Young Master Alex! Are you alright?!"
A middle-aged woman in a maid's uniform rushed inside, her face pale with worry. She raised her hands, a warm green light flickering to life in her palms. "Please, lie down! I'll help you!" She used her magic to calm him.
The boy—Alex, now in an unfamiliar body—blinked, dazed. His breathing was ragged, his heart racing.
What... just happened?
Rebirth…Reincarnation? No. That was just a concept in fiction. This couldn't be real.
But everything that had happened so far pointed to one truth.
It was real.
"Where am I—?"
"Young Master?" The woman's voice trembled—not out of concern for him, but out of fear. Fear of what his father would do if she found his son unwell.
Alex's—gaze snapped to her.
He forced a weak nod. "I'm fine." His voice came out hoarse, unfamiliar.
Best to keep his words short to avoid suspicion.
The maid let out a breath of relief. "I'll leave you to rest, then." She practically fled the room, as if unwilling to stay with him more than necessary.
Alex watched her go, his mind spinning.
Then—
[Ding! You have been reborn in the world of Divine Hero.]
[Your new identity: Alex Starborn, sole heir of the Starborn Family.]
His blood ran cold.
Starborn.
The name struck him like a thunderbolt.
No. No way.
He knew that name.
How could he not?
This was the novel he had just started reading before his... unfortunate drowning incident.
"The world of Divine Hero's."
A medieval fantasy novel filled with magic, swords, dungeons, kingdoms, and powerful families. All the standard tropes.
But the worst part?
The protagonist.
Noah Head was hurting.
"John Lightheart."
A walking cliché. The bastard son of one of the Four Great Families—the Lighthearts. Born from a prostitute, scorned, ignored, treated like Nothing. Until his Awakening Day.
Where he unlocked an SSS-rank talent, got blessed by the Gods, and was handed a broken system that showered him with overpowered rewards after each completed quest.
Just like that, he went from the lowest of the low... to the most coveted person in the kingdom in a single day.
And what did that mean for Alex Starborn?
His downfall.
Alex exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm.
In the novel, Alex dies within the first 30 Chapters.
Why?
Because at an event hosted by the Royal Family—meant to introduce John as the God's Chosen and announce his engagement to the eldest princess—Alex, the spoiled heir, couldn't handle the humiliation.
He had always loved the princess secretly. They were childhood friends. Their families had promised to engage them when they were older.
And now, just because some random guy got blessed by the Gods, they changed their minds?
Okay, that's actually logical to be honest. But,
He couldn't stand it.
So he acted like a spoiled brat. He insulted John's mother.
Called her a slut in front of everyone.
John killed him on the spot.
And that was only the beginning.
His father, Alexander Starborn—Lord of the Starborn Family— went berserk trying to avenge him. He fought against three of the Four Great Families' heads... and went missing.
Almost died for him.
Because that's who Alexander starborn was.
A father whose entire world revolved around his son.
His greatest strength.
His greatest weakness.
And because of his reckless retaliation, the entire Starborn Family was wiped out.
Just like that.
Alex ran a hand through his hair, exhaling shakily.
"...I'm doomed."
His body in this life was trash. On his Awakening Day, he would unlock a E-rank talent—the lowest possible. A disgrace to his lineage.
And the worst part?
He had no idea what happened after Chapter 100.
Because he never continued the novel.
Why?
Because the rest of the Chapters were locked.
And he didn't have the money to unlock them.
Because he had been saving for that goddamn Phone.
Alex closed his eyes, forcing himself not to curse both the bloodline tree of that cheating ex and his own past stupidity.
He took a deep breath.
"System." His voice was steady despite the turmoil inside. "Why did you reincarnate me here? Out of all the novels I've read?"
[Host, it was a random choice .]
His eyes twitched. A deep sigh left his lips. "Fantastic. Just my luck."
What the hell was he supposed to do now? He didn't even know how the plot unfolded past his own death.
Alex slumped back against the absurdly soft pillows, rubbing his temples.
Everything was against him.
His talent.
His fate.
[Host, you have me.]
Noah frowned. "Yeah. That's the only reason I'm not throwing myself out the window right now. So... what are you? What can you do? Will you give me quests like John's system?"
[I am the Supreme Bond System.]
"And your abilities?"
[As my name suggests, Host.]
[The Binding System allows the host to bind himself to one character, and as they grow stronger and achieve a milestone in their progress, the host will receive ten times the result.]
Alex's eyes widened in shock. He immediately sat up, his back straight.
...What ?
What the fuck!? This is so insane!' He was shocked beyond words; the system was extremely powerful.
But the next moment, he calmed down and focused on the words 'milestone' and 'progress'.
'Hey, system...? Can you elaborate further on what this means?' He wanted to learn about the basic details; the words felt ambiguous.
However, even after waiting a minute, he received no response and became aware that the system was not sentient.
'Well, this is also good. I don't like those, anyways…'
From what he could understand, the system would allow him to bind himself to a character, and as they trained and became stronger, he would receive ten times the benefits of their training and rewards.
It was undoubtedly a cheat. But considering he could only bind himself to one person at a time, then his rate of growth would be limited to that person's talent and hard work...
'Well... that wouldn't be too big of a problem.'
He remembered that there were many geniuses among geniuses in the novel; they were excellent talents despite being young and worked tirelessly daily to achieve greater heights.
Of course, his goal was different.
'There is no better candidate for binding than the protagonist.'
Alex exhaled, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. His hands, which had been trembling moments ago, steadied.
So this was it, huh? His new reality.
A world where power belonged to the Heros.
Where talent dictated your worth.
Where he was meant to die as nothing more than a stepping stone.
...Screw that.
I am going to leave my own life. My life is mine, no one can control me.
Not even Gods.
I am not going to play some games with some Gods.I have decided I am not going to the Royal party anymore. who wants to risk his life and his family life for a woman.
Let me show you how to truly cheat destiny.
—End of Chapter 2—