"Is this what death feels like? Strange... comfortable even, is this the first thing I've done right?"
The pain I felt, the screams of rage and agony that once filled me. The weight of it all had vanished. I couldn't see anything, I only felt that I was drifting through eternal black.
If I had ever felt my mother's embrace,
Perhaps it would feel like this, warm, endless, yet cruelly late.
My body, or what remained of it, felt as if I had dissolved into particles within a vast, dark ocean.
Yet a uneasy sensation lingered, a cold reminder that soemthing was amiss throughout this false peace. As if it felt borrowed yet as it continued, my memories sank like stones in water. As if I was becoming one with blackness.
"Do you have any regrets?"
The voice was gentle and unknown to me, it was neither male nor female.
'Regrets?'
The question echoed throughout my mind. I could not give an answer. I couldn't remember what regrets I had.
"Think carefully."
The voice came closer, softer this time, sending a chill down my spine.
Then the realisation hit me.
"I wanted another chance. 'If I gave you another, would you make the most of it?' The word tasted bittersweet, yet my pulse quickened. 'Yes… give it to me,' I whispered."
The void around shuddered as it spoke once more. Light and darkness collided, and my senses fractured into chaos."
"Very well. As you wish."
And everything shattered.
-----------
"Finally awake." A casual voice said.
I squinted and saw a figure standing before me, tall, with an uneasy calmness.
The man's short white hair stuck out in a way that made his face look almost too perfect. His skin was glowing faintly, and the smile masked on his face felt like a mirror, my gut tightening. I felt he knew more about me than I did myself.
"Where am I–no, the better question is, who are you?" My head throbbed as I spoke.
Each step he took sent a ripple through the clear white beneath me.
"Weaver," he said with a smile.
The sky stretched endlessly around them. There was no wind, just stillness.
"A laugh slipped out, hoarse and hollow. "What a dream this is," I whispered, pressing my forehead to the cold ground."
Thud.
Pain shot through me, reminding me that this was real, and that I was still… here. Alive.
Are you some kind of god?" Vergil rasped.
"Something along those lines." His grin slanted. "You're quite calm, if I must say so," Weaver stated.
"To your first question, this is the land beyond heaven and earth," he said, waving vaguely upward. "But that's none of your concern just yet."
He stepped forward, arms spreading like a performer on stage., entertaining his guests.
"You wished for another chance and I will give—along with one gift. Choose wisely, for the world you will enter is full of monsters, angels, and demons."
My knees wobbled as I stood. Was I calm or just too empty to care at this point? It felt like exhaling the last of my humanity, but I had to make a choice.
The idea of another chance still felt like a dream. 'Like I hadn't wasted the first one.'
'What ability would be most useful to me?' Vergil questioned himself.
Something began to whisper inside my soul as I began thinking.
Predation.
I thought of it silently and I saw it smile within me.
Meeting Weaver's eyes once more, I spoke.
"I've decided. Predation."
Once more, he widened his smile in delight.
"Ah, an interesting choice."
"Can you make it grow?" I asked, curious.
"It can," he said, eyes unreadable. "But not without a cost. One day, you'll understand."
He chuckled pleasantly, but it felt off.
He lifted a hand. "When you arrive, speak: Status window."
Light surged, swallowing my body.
I glanced back, hesitant as to whether this was true, was I really getting a second chance? Yet Weaver only gave a smile.
Then there was nothing but blinding white.
Weaver's lips moved as the light consumed me. I couldn't hear what he said. Maybe I was never meant to.
Then he turned away, already done with me.
The pull tugged at me, dragging me from darkness into a world impossibly alive. Crooked houses leaned into the sky, smoke twisting above. The air smelled strange but clean as I took a deep, unsteady breath.
"…Status window," I whispered. A panel blinked into existence, cold and impersonal. Each number weighed on me like a reminder that I was still nothing.
Name: Vergil
Tier: 0
Level: 1
Title: Commoner
Lifespan: 65 years
Race: Human
Equipment: Basic Clothing (+2 Defence)
Active Skill: Authority of Predation (???)
Confidants: None
[Welcome, user. I am the system sent to guide you.]
My stats blinked in: Strength 6, Constitution 8, Dexterity 7, Intuition 6, Magic Power 3. 'Only measuring worth differently. Seems like the world hasn't changed a single bit.'
[Other energy types exist—Yuan Qi, Demonic Energy, Divine Energy. Obtain them yourself.]
"Slow down," I muttered, trying to keep up.
[You have one active skill. No passives. Confidants unlock effects, skills, and more. False relationships give nothing.]
My lifespan is 65 years. Could I extend it?'
[Yes. Cultivation extends life via Yuan Qi or rare treasures.]
"How do I get it?" I asked.
[Two ways: diligent cultivation, or consuming Yuan Qi via Predation—the latter is painful. With progression, your lifespan can reach hundreds or even thousands of years.]
I swallowed. I could even live for centuries if I cultivated enough.
[Skills are ranked from F– to EX. Your Authority exceeds normal standards. It can evolve under special conditions.]
"And what are these conditions?" I asked.
[Unknown. You will be notified when eligible.]
[Arts define technique and your mastery determines effectiveness. Absorbed stats depend on the target when using predation.]
"Makes sense… no weaklings," I muttered. I would never feel powerless again.
[To analyse others, say "Analysis."]
[Good luck. May the blessing of Eternia, the most loved world, be with you.]
"The most loved world, huh? I wonder what that really means."