I had nothing left to live for.
No family. No friends. No future.
Just a shattered soul wandering through a world that had already taken everything.

Then I died.
And that’s when everything changed.

I woke in a world of light. A void between realms. A place where gods whisper and broken souls wait to be judged. There, I met Ashen Crimson—a man who had once been worshipped, then feared, and finally cursed by the very gods he had defied. A tyrant who had destroyed his own world.

But now, he’s offering me something terrifying:
His life. His past. His power. His chance to make things right.

The catch?
The world of Zerawell is fractured.
Ashen’s name is soaked in blood.
His fate is sealed—exile, ruin, and eternal hatred.

And now, it’s my name.
Because I’ve been reborn as Ashen Crimson, heir to a house that both reveres and reviles me. A noble with dormant shadow magic, a shattered reputation, and a cursed destiny I never asked for.

But I’ve lived a life of pain. I’ve walked alone through hell already.
And I won’t follow his footsteps into madness.

With a divine system familiar in my soul, a second chance burning in my chest, and the memories of a monster as my burden—
I will rewrite this fate.

Let them call me villain, disgrace, or traitor.
I didn’t choose this story.

But I’ll finish it.

Even if it kills me.

The doorbell chimed at precisely 11:03 PM. I glanced up from the mountain of silk pillows on my king-sized bed, irritation flickering across my face.


The door creaked open to reveal a trembling maid with chestnut hair tied too tight. "G-Good evening, Master Crimson! I'm Masha, your personal attendant!" She thrust forward a silver tray bearing three items: a platinum wristwatch, folded black uniforms, and a blood-red "#1" badge.


I arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly does a 'personal attendant' do?"


Masha's cheeks flushed. "A-Appropriate services! Laundry, meals, message delivery—"


"So you'll be washing my underwear then?" I smirked as she nearly dropped the tray. "Excellent. I hate doing laundry."


She fled before I could tease her further.


[System: You're a special kind of terrible.]


I arrived precisely ten minutes late. The guard who'd stopped me yesterday merely bowed.


"Good boy," I murmured, patting his helmet.


Before entering, I checked the rankings board:


[System: She placed 21st. Barely made Class 1B.]


Professor Vael adjusted his spectacles. "Problem #3, Mr. Crimson. Since you're so... exceptional."


The blackboard displayed a Tier-4 runic array - a "Bastion Shield" even seniors struggled with.


My shadow morphed into an inky stylus. Where the original had:


The explosion vaporized only the blackboard, leaving the wall untouched behind it. Perfect energy redirection.


I dusted off my hands. "Next question?"


Masha delivered dinner while avoiding eye contact. My watch chimed:


The "#1" badge gleamed on my nightstand.


Chapter 23 - The King's Welcome