As the last flicker of Kalki's consciousness began to fade, an unexpected change occurred. The suffocating darkness that enveloped him gave way to a radiant white light, illuminating his entire existence.
The brightness was overwhelming, yet strangely calming, as if a higher power was reaching out to him.
Then, without warning, fragments of memories that were not his own began flooding his mind.
The glimpses were brief but vivid.
They painted a picture of a young boy- a life filled with frailty and despair.
The boy was terminally ill, his days spent either confined to his bed or making rare, labored trips to school. His father, distant and disapproving, abandoned him entirely when his condition worsened at the tender age of eleven.
The memories were bleak, almost mundane, yet they carried a peculiar weight. It wasn't the boy's tragic life that caught Kalki's attention but the world in which these events unfolded.
"The world of Hero of Darkness?" Kalki muttered, a spark of recognition lighting in his mind.
As more memories surfaced, they confirmed his suspicion. The boy had dreamed of attending Artius Academy, the legendary school of phoenixes and dragons, a place where the novel's plot truly began.
This academy was the heart of the story, the stage where the protagonists met, grew, and ultimately reshaped the world.
For a moment, Kalki couldn't help but laugh at the irony.
"Even in death, I can't seem to escape novels," he said, shaking his head.
But as the laughter subsided, he became acutely aware of his surroundings.
The searing pain he had endured earlier was gone, replaced by an eerie calm. His eyes adjusted to the light, and he took a closer look at his body.
"What…?" Kalki whispered, disbelief coloring his tone.
Gone was his well-built, eighteen-year-old physique, forged through years of hard work. In its place was a frail, disease-ridden body marred with black spots.
His muscles were nonexistent, his skin pale and brittle, and even the slightest gust of wind seemed capable of injuring him.
"This can't be real," Kalki thought, pinching his cheek hard.
"Ouch! That… hurt!" he yelped, realization dawned on him.
This was no dream. It was his new reality.
"Of all the bodies to reincarnate into…" Kalki groaned, running a trembling hand through his disheveled hair.
He slumped to the ground, trying to process his situation. Despite his frustration, Kalki's mind raced.
"Isn't every isekai protagonist supposed to get some kind of cheat ability?" he wondered aloud, hope flickering in his chest.
"System? SYSTEM! … System?"
He called out repeatedly, waiting for some miraculous voice or notification to appear. Minutes passed, and his cries echoed into the empty space.
"Nothing… Not even a stupid menu screen," Kalki sighed in defeat.
Accepting the grim truth, Kalki resolved to rely on the only advantage he had: his knowledge of the novel.
He rummaged through the boy's belongings and found an old notebook. Gripping a blunt pencil, he began scribbling everything he could remember about the story's world, characters, and events.
Half an hour later, Kalki sat back, staring at the pages filled with hastily written notes. His chest tightened as he realized how incomplete his knowledge truly was.
He had only read up to volume six of the novel, intending to binge-read the rest once more chapters were released.
Worse, the author had never provided artwork for the characters, leaving their faces a blur in Kalki's mind. He recalled major events and arcs but struggled to remember the names of minor villains or specific details.
"Fuuuuu… All is well… All is well…" Kalki muttered, exhaling deeply to calm himself.
"At least I know the early plot. That has to count for something, right? Besides, does any isekai protagonist's journey ever go according to plan? I don't want to be a hero; I just want to survive," he reasoned, though doubt lingered in his heart.
With a clearer head, Kalki turned his attention to his immediate surroundings.
*
From the boy's memories, Kalki pieced together that he was in Rehanik City, a small, unassuming village-town located in the western region of the Naglonion Continent.
This region was far from the world's core, where Artius Academy and the World Hero Association resided.
However, Kalki's knowledge of the novel revealed that Rehanik City wouldn't remain insignificant for long.
In volume four of Hero of Darkness, a rare A-rank special dungeon would appear near Rehanik, turning the region into a bloody battleground.
Special dungeons, unlike regular ones, could only be closed once their challenges were fully completed. They were treasure troves of unparalleled rewards which are one of the type artifacts, skills, and items of immense power.
Yet, these rewards came with terrifying risks. The monsters within special dungeons were far stronger than their counterparts, and their bosses were particularly fearsome.
Kalki's eyes gleamed with determination.
"I know what's coming," he whispered.
He recalled the rare treasure hidden within the dungeon, a high-ranked mana art, one of the most coveted abilities in the novel. If he could obtain it, he might stand a chance in this brutal world.
"But how does a walking corpse like me survive long enough to even get there?" Kalki muttered, staring at his frail hands.
Despite his self-doubt, he clenched his fists.
"I'll find a way," he vowed.
And thus, Kalki's journey began, not as a hero destined for greatness, but as a survivor clinging to the fragments of a story he once loved.