Death and a Mistaken Fate
**Chapter 1: Death and a Mistaken Fate**
It was pitch black.
No ground beneath his feet. No sky above. No warmth. No pain. Just… endless darkness.
Nothing could be seen. Nothing could be touched. Nothing existed—
Until a voice broke the silence.
“Hmm… Well, I’m sorry for the mistake, pal. Let’s fix this as soon as possible.”
Ziro blinked, stunned, and instinctively turned toward the voice. Slowly, the void around him began to peel away, fading like mist. In its place, a figure shrouded in a black veil stepped forward, their presence somehow both calm and chilling.
“What… is this?” Ziro asked, his voice barely audible. His eyes widened slightly, mouth parting in confusion.
And then it hit him—
Memories rushed back like a dam bursting.
---
*I was returning home from college when I saw a little boy wander into the middle of the road.
A truck was coming.
His mother screamed from the sidewalk.
I didn’t think—I just moved. I jumped in front of the truck and shielded the child with my body.
The last thing I remember was the boy crying in my arms, his mother running toward us...
> Then everything faded to black.*
---
Ziro inhaled sharply.
“Wait…” he whispered. “Did I… die?”
The man in the black veil paused, his face unreadable. “Well, sorry to say, pal—but yeah, you’re dead.”
He said it so casually, but something about his tone felt hollow… like the words had been repeated countless times.
“You don’t look that bad for someone who just died,” the man added, glancing at Ziro’s reaction.
Ziro exhaled softly and gave a small nod. “I guess it wouldn’t matter if I screamed or cried, right? Nothing changes.”
The veiled man tilted his head, slightly amused. “Exactly. That’s rare. Most souls I meet aren’t this calm.”
“What now?” Ziro asked. “And… who are you, really?”
The man raised one hand, and from thin air, a large black axe materialized. His veil shifted slightly as he spoke again.
“I manage death,” he said plainly. “You can call me the Reaper. You, Ziro, died due to a mishap on our end. Your time wasn’t supposed to come yet.”
Ziro’s brows furrowed. “So... you messed up.”
“Yes,” the Reaper said flatly. “And now we’re making it up to you.”
Ziro eyed the axe warily. “You’re not going to chop me into tiny pieces for forgiveness, right?”
The Reaper let out a faint chuckle. “No. We’re sending you somewhere else. To another world. And… as compensation, you get one wish. Any wish.”
Ziro’s mind raced. His first instinct was survival. Power. Control.
“I want the power to become the strongest in that world,” he said. “No matter where you send me, I want the strength to never lose again.”
*Because in the end, everything comes down to power. With power, I can protect, achieve, and survive.*
“As you wish.” The Reaper raised his axe.
The space around Ziro cracked. A glowing vortex opened behind him.
“Good luck,” the Reaper said. “This world is different—mana, magic, monsters, other races… Don’t die too early this time.”
Those were the last words Ziro heard before the darkness swallowed him once more.
---
...
"He's not going to make it," an old man’s voice echoed.
"I'm sorry. The poison has spread throughout his body. At most… two days left."
Ziro's consciousness stirred. He could hear the voices but couldn't open his eyes, couldn't move his limbs.
A different voice responded, frail but composed. “Thank you for everything. Please, take your leave.”
Footsteps faded. The room quieted. Ziro now lay alone, trapped in a body that wasn’t his.
*What’s going on…? Why can’t I move?*
Suddenly, a chime echoed in his mind.
[ System Binding... ]
[ Integration Progress: 1%... 5%... 20%... 60%... 100% ]
[ System Online! ]
Ziro’s heart raced.
*No way… is this what the Reaper gave me? A system?*
A glowing interface flickered into view. A small mailbox icon hovered beside it.
*I can’t move… how do I…*
He focused on the mail. It opened instantly, responding to his will.
[ Mail - “I hope you received what you wished for, pal. This will help you in every way. Don’t die too early.”
– Grim Reaper ☠️ ]
Ziro’s eye twitched.
*You want me not to die early? WHEN I’M ALREADY ON A DEATHBED?!*
He clenched his nonexistent teeth.
“Hey, System,” he called out. “Are you there?”
Silence.
Then—an energetic, feminine voice rang out in his mind.
“Host! I’m here! Ready and eager to serve!”
“Can you help me move? I can’t open my eyes.”
“Your current body is paralyzed, Host,” the System replied. “You were poisoned. But don’t worry—I’m extracting the cure now.”
---
[ Poison Detected – “Eternal Rot” ]
[ Extracting Cure: 10%... 40%... 100% ]
[ Cure Injected! Poison Neutralized! ]
---
A warm wave surged through Ziro’s body. His fingers twitched. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
A marble ceiling greeted him—white and gold, intricate carvings etched across the surface. The room was massive. Gold-framed windows. Royal furniture. A scent of incense in the air.
*Where am I?*
Another prompt appeared.
[ Would you like to access the host body's memories? ]
→ Yes
→ No
Ziro mentally selected “Yes.”
A flash. A sting. Then memories began to flood in—
---
*Name: Dian Skyster.
A young noble of the powerful Skyster Family.
His parents were killed in the recent war.
Poisoned by his own aunt forces. Left to die in bed.
And now… Ziro had inherited his identity.*
*So this is my new life… Dian Skyster, huh?*
---
