The truck's headlights were the last thing John saw before he died.
No, wait. That's not right.
The last thing he saw was his phone screen, he was reading "The Crimson Empire Chronicles" with its ending where Damien Farley—the only interesting character—died like a chump.
Then the truck hit him.
---
Event before the death.
[Chapter 347 - The Fall of the Void Assassin]
Comments (2,847)
@EdgeLord99: "WHAT THE FUCK AUTHOR?! 347 chapters of buildup just to kill Damien?! Dropping this trash"
@NovelAddict: "I'm calling it now - author's gonna bring him back. No way they kill the only character carrying this story"
@CasualReader: "Damien dies to save the princess? Since when does he care about anyone? Character assassination before actual assassination smh"
@PowerScaler: "Bullshit. Damien at full power could solo the entire Imperial Guard. Plot nerf much?"
@JohnDoe95: "If I wrote this, Damien would consume everyone and become god. This ending is cope"
[Last online: 3 hours ago]
---
John stumbled out of the convenience store at 2 AM, plastic bag in one hand, phone in the other. Still scrolling through the comments, still pissed about Damien's death.
"Should've eaten the princess for power," he muttered, not noticing the light had changed. "Would've been in character—"
HONK!
The truck driver slammed the brakes. Too late.
John's last thought wasn't about his family or his life flashing before his eyes. It was: 'At least I don't have to read the shitty epilogue.'
Then darkness. Complete, absolute, and surprisingly comfortable.
Until it wasn't.
---
Pain.
Not the 'hit by a truck' kind of pain. This was different. Deeper.
John tried to open his eyes. Everything blurred. A ceiling? Wood beams. Definitely not a hospital.
The smell hit him next—herbs, blood, and something else. Death. He knew that smell, though he couldn't say how.
"—ster Damien is awake!" A voice. Young, scared.
Wait. What?
Footsteps. Quick, purposeful.
Then she entered, and John's brain short-circuited.
Astrid Valemont. Described in the novel as 'beautiful enough to topple kingdoms.' The description didn't do her justice. Silver hair, eyes like frozen lakes, and—
Oh, right. She was supposed to kill Damien in Chapter 348.
Fuck.
"Damien," Astrid said, studying him with those cold eyes. "How do you feel?"
Like I got hit by a truck, he almost said. Instead, his mouth moved on its own: "Like shit."
Her lips twitched. Almost a smile. "Your core is shattered. You nearly died. Do you remember what happened?"
Core? Right, the magic system. Everyone had a core that stored power. Damien's was supposedly the strongest in the Empire until—
"The fight with General Darth," she continued when he didn't answer. "You lost."
Memories rushed into John's mind. Not his memories—Damien's. The clash of steel, lightning, and...Darth's final technique tearing through his defenses. The feeling of his core cracking.
"I remember," John said. But the voice was different. Deeper, colder.
Astrid turned to the maid hovering by the door. "Bring the herbal medicine. The strong one."
After the maid scurried away, Astrid moved closer. John could see the knife hidden in her sleeve.
"Tell me," she said softly. "Why shouldn't I finish what Darth started?"
John's mind raced. In the novel, Astrid was secretly in love with Damien. She was supposed to fake his death and help him escape. But the look in her eyes right now wasn't love. It was calculation.
"Because you already decided not to," he said, gambling on the plot.
She studied him for a long moment. "You're different."
Shit. "Getting your core shattered does that."
"No." She leaned closer, and John fought not to lean back. "Your eyes. They're... hungry."
Before he could respond, the maid returned with a tray. The medicine smelled horrible. John forced it down.
"Rest," Astrid commanded. "You're in my mansion, under my protection. Even the Order will think twice before moving against a Valemont estate."
"The Order—" John started, then stopped. Damien's memories supplied the rest. The Order of Death. His former employers. Who had very strict rules about failure.
"Yes," Astrid said, reading his expression. "They've already sent assassins. Three teams so far. I've dealt with them, but more will come."
She stood, adjusting her dress. "I leave for the capital tomorrow to report your death. Until then, stay quiet. Hidden. And alive."
At the door, she paused. "And Damien? Whatever happened in that fight, whatever changed you... keep it to yourself.
The door closed.
John lay back, mind reeling. He was in the novel. He was Damien Farley. He was fucked.
Then it appeared.
Not a blue screen like in those Korean novels. This was different. Black text on darker black, like wounds in reality itself.
[VOID CONSUMPTION SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
[Host: Damien Farley]
[Status: Critical - Core Shattered]
[Level: 1]
[Stats]
STR: 5 (-15 from injury)
AGI: 8 (-12 from injury)
VIT: 3 (-17 from injury)
INT: 12 (+2 from soul merger)
VOID: 1 (Awakening)
[Warning: Host body critically damaged]
[Warning: Multiple hostiles detected within 5km]
[Warning: Death probability - 97.3%]
[Tutorial Quest: Survive 7 Days]
[Reward: Basic Void Touch]
[Failure: Death]
John stared at the warnings. 97.3% death probability?
He laughed. Dark, bitter. The sound surprised him—it was Damien's laugh.
"Only 97.3%? Those are better odds than Damien had in the novel."
He forced himself to stand. Everything hurt.
But Damien's muscle memory was there, buried under the pain. The body knew how to move, how to compensate for weakness.
A weapon. He needed a weapon. Even a kitchen knife would—
[Skill Discovered: Assassin's Instinct (Passive)]
[Effect: Detect weapons within 10 meters]
[Weapon Detected: Under the bed]
Under Astrid's bed? John knelt, reached under, and pulled out a simple steel dagger. Nothing special, but—
[Weapon Equipped: Iron Dagger]
[Damage: 5-7]
[Special: None]
[Note: Better than your fists]
"Sarcastic system. Great." John tested the weight. Light. Balanced. His hands moved on their own, spinning it expertly.
Damien's skills. He still had them.
A smile crept across his face. Not John's nervous smile.
"97.3% death probability?" He looked at his reflection in the mirror around the corner.
Damien's face stared back—sharp cheekbones, black hair, eyes like chips of obsidian. But the eyes are different, he thought.
Hunger.
[Murderous Intent Detected!]
[Distance: 500 meters and closing]
[Enemies: 3]
[Affiliation: Order of Death]
[Estimated Arrival: 3 minutes]
The smile widened.
"Looks like the tutorial's starting early."
John—nah, Damien now—moved to the window. Three figures in black, moving through the garden like shadows. Professional. Lethal. Coming to finish what Darth started.
In the novel, Damien would have run. Hidden. Waited for Astrid to save him.
But John had read enough webnovels to know the truth: the best defense was offense, just like football matches.
[System Notice: First kill grants bonus experience]
[System Notice: Void Touch available upon tutorial completion]
[System Notice: Or... earlier, if you're creative]
"Creative?" Damien whispered, grip tightening on the dagger. "I can do creative."
Time to introduce the Order of Death to the new Damien Farley.
The one who knew how their story was supposed to end.