[name: Ethan Sylvester]
[HP: 10]
[Aspect: ?????]
Ethan's eyes narrowed. His aspect was supposed to be Water—why was it blurred out? He had no time to think.
BANG!
A fireball exploded against his armor. Even if he dodged most of it, the blast rattled his insides. His Lightning Armor was cracking, fragments glowing, but still—it lasted far longer than he expected. His Starless Sword remained untouched, gleaming with stubborn defiance.
[Rank: Apex – Level 120]
[Attributes: Strength 275 | Agility 260 | Stamina 250 | Speed 280 | Mana 220 | Intelligence 150 | Charm 20]
He had stepped into Apex. This journey had been fruitful—but now, his rope had burned to its end. His HP was too low. One more hit, and he was finished.
Ethan leapt, sword arcing down, aiming for the beast's last head.
The Harbinger saw through it. Its maw opened—BOOOOM! Blue flames engulfed Ethan's back. His body slammed into the jade wall, carving a crater.
His HP hit 0.
He slumped, broken, malnourished, silver hair burned and lifeless. His eyes dulled. This… was death.
But then—
THUD!
The beast fell. The Chaos Harbinger was dead.
How?
Even as it breathed fire, Ethan's blade had buried deep into its skull in a last desperate strike. A sneak attack with his final breath.
[ congratulations! you have slain
[ recalculating your new reward… time remaining: 30 minutes ]
[ warning! HP has reached 0 – imminent death. Choose your next action. ]
"What…?" Ethan coughed blood. If I'm dying, what choice do I even have?
"Congratulations, Ethan," the voice finally returned, calm yet thunderous. "You passed my test. I expected no more than two days, yet you endured. The more I watched, the more I knew—you are the chosen."
It continued, "Now you will shoulder the responsibility of maintaining universal balance."
"Cough… what's the use? I'm already dying…" Ethan rasped, teeth stained red. His mind drifted to his mother, sister, comrades. All his effort—wasted.
"Nonsense. Who gave you permission to die before me? I am the Immortal Emperor. I chose you. You will inherit my legacy—and rewrite your path."
But Ethan's vision blurred. His hearing faded. His body went numb.
"Is this death…? Is this… the end?" His thoughts fell into darkness.
Before his mind snapped, the incorporeal starry figure appeared again—the one who had taught him the Star Sword Technique.
The world became void. Black as eternity. The ground beneath him rippled like liquid. Ethan's body floated, frail and naked.
He chuckled bitterly. "Hah… no matter how powerful you are, you'll die eventually. Even the Immortal Emperor did. And me? I'm just an ant. So this… this is it? Where are the angels, the heavens, the beauties? That old man scammed me… hahahaha."
He had accepted it.
Then the system rang:
[ congratulations! you have obtained the
[ unique dao: unlike skills, it may only be used once every 100 years ]
[ warning! imminent death. do you wish to use
Ethan froze. Dao… reincarnation?
He wanted to live. He wanted to see his family again. With trembling thought, he pressed YES.
[ congratulations!
[cooldown: 100 years]
[ due to short life span, host will be sent back 10 years in time ]
[ warning: all aspects and skills except
"…So what? Can I use skills and aspects in heaven?" Ethan scoffed weakly.
[ confirmed ]
"Then yes. Of course yes."
At once, 10,000 lightning hands tore through the void, seizing Ethan's soul. His lifeless body sank into the abyss, eyes shut.
BANG!
His soul was slapped into a wormhole, crushed by the wrath of Heaven and Earth as he tumbled through a kaleidoscope of colors. Space itself screamed, time bent, and his soul endured pressure no mortal should survive.
…After what felt like eternity, Ethan's eyes snapped open.