"Ichibei… ring ring ring… Ichibei… wake up and come forth…"
Ichibei opened his eyes to an unfamiliar white room, his senses overwhelmed by the stark emptiness that surrounded him. Two pieces of furniture occupied the space: a giant sound bowl in the center, a black throne with two dark longswords protruding from its sides, and the tall, imposing figure of a man sitting upon it.
The man had jet-black hair, the same shade as Ms. Hirose's. He looked no older than twenty-five, yet there was something ancient and powerful in his gaze. Ichibei, disoriented and confused, struggled to find his voice.
"Where… where am I?" he finally managed to ask, his voice trembling.
"You are in a place that exists beyond time," the man replied, his tone calm, almost soothing. But there was an underlying weight to his words that sent a chill down Ichibei's spine.
"You're joking, right?" Ichibei's voice was shaky, his mind refusing to accept the surreal reality before him.
The man's lips curled into a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Young Ichibei, you are dead. You died saving one of my daughters. Do you know what that means?"
Ichibei's heart sank at the confirmation of his death, but the man's words brought a flicker of hope. "Ms. Hirose… is she okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The dark-haired man's smile widened, a glimmer of approval in his gaze. "She is safe, thanks to your bravery. As a reward for your noble heart, I shall bestow upon you a gift—"
"Wait…" Ichibei interjected, his mind spinning with questions. But the man raised a hand to stop him, his expression turning serious.
"There is no time. I will bestow upon you the Dark God System tutorial, for the full system would kill you at birth. Along with this, you shall receive the title of Dark Apostle. You must never share this information with anyone," the man intoned, his voice echoing in the empty space.
Ichibei tried to process the information, but his thoughts were jumbled, the situation too overwhelming to comprehend. "But… What happens now?" he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.
"You will be sent to my homeworld, Eldoria, where you will be reincarnated into a prestigious family in the Celestial Peaks, where I met my first wife. Do you have any questions?" the man asked, his tone final.
Before Ichibei could respond, the man continued, "We are out of time, Ichibei. You will not remember this conversation, but if you ever see a black rose and speak to it, I will hear you."
Ichibei opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His body began to fade, the room blurring as he was drawn toward the giant sound bowl in the center. The sensation was like
As Ichibei's consciousness faded, the dark-haired god remained seated on his solitary throne, his expression contemplative. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, the weight of his daughter's choices pressing down on him. What did she see in that man? he wondered, frustration tinging his thoughts. Ichibei, in his eyes, was unremarkable—a man who could have lived his entire life without achieving anything of note.
The god's fingers drummed impatiently on the armrest of his throne. Why him? he mused, trying to make sense of his daughter's decision. Tsuki Astell, his firstborn in Eldoria, had always possessed a unique ability: the power to see into alternate realities while she slept. It was a gift that set her apart, even among the divine, allowing her to glimpse futures and possibilities beyond the grasp of ordinary mortals. This ability, however, often led her to make decisions that baffled even her father.
Clearvoices, the god thought, his mind turning to the title his daughter had earned through her gift. She had seen something in Ichibei, some potential or thread of fate that eluded him. Despite his doubts, he couldn't entirely dismiss Tsuki's judgment. She had never been wrong before.
Yet, as his thoughts drifted back to his own past, a sour expression marred his features. Memories of betrayal flooded his mind, the pain of being forsaken by those he once trusted, forcing him into this solitary throne. The bitterness of those events still lingered, making it difficult for him to place complete faith in anyone, even his own daughter.
On the other side of existence, Ichibei began to stir. He awoke with a start, his surroundings entirely different from the sterile white room he had just been in. The first thing he noticed was the unfamiliar sensation of a much smaller, weaker body. His limbs felt foreign, his movements clumsy and uncoordinated.
"Initializing Dark God System…" A cold, robotic voice echoed in his mind, startling him. Ichibei's heart raced as a translucent screen appeared before his eyes, filled with symbols and text that he couldn't quite decipher. The words were strange, incomprehensible, yet a deep part of him knew they held significance. The text shifted, displaying what seemed to be statistics and information about him:
Name: [???] Age: [0] Race: [Corrupted] Title: [???] Class: [???] Attributes:
Strength: [???]
Dexterity: [???]
Intelligence: [???]
Wisdom: [???]
Charisma: [???]
Luck: [???]
Ichibei's mind struggled to process the information, the screen overwhelming in its detail. He felt a strange disconnect, as though the information was meant for someone older, more experienced. Yet here it was, presented to him like a character sheet in a game.
"Dark Apostle Title detected… Warning: Title is unreadable to the user. System functions limited until further updates. Proceed with the tutorial?"
The voice was mechanical, devoid of emotion, and it sent a shiver down Ichibei's spine. The screen shifted again, this time showing a list of missions and objectives, most of which were cryptic and vague.
What… what is this? Ichibei thought, his confusion deepening. The last thing he remembered was the train, the blinding light, and then… nothing. Now, he was here, wherever here was, in a body that wasn't his own.
He struggled to sit up, his small hands gripping the soft fabric beneath him. As he looked around, his vision slowly adjusted to the dim light. He was in a cradle, surrounded by blankets and soft toys. The room was warm, filled with the gentle glow of candlelight.
I'm… a baby? The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He tried to make sense of it, but his thoughts were interrupted by the soft murmur of voices. Two figures approached the cradle, their faces filled with a mixture of awe and concern.
A tall man with emerald green eyes leaned over the cradle, his expression stern yet kind. Beside him was a woman with golden honey eyes, her face radiant with maternal warmth. Ichibei stared up at them, his own eyes wide with confusion and fear.
"His eyes…" the man murmured, his voice tinged with worry.
"Yes," the woman replied softly, reaching out to gently stroke Ichibei's silver hair. "They're jet black…"
Ichibei blinked, trying to understand what they were saying. The mention of his eyes seemed to carry weight, as if it was something significant, something unusual.
"He will be strong," the man said, though his tone was uncertain. "But we must be careful. The people of Eldoria will not easily accept a child with such eyes."
The woman nodded, her hand lingering on Ichibei's head. "We will protect him. He is our son, no matter what others may think."
As the couple exchanged worried glances, Ichibei felt a sinking sensation in his chest. The system's voice echoed in his mind, a constant reminder that he was no longer in the world he knew, and that he was carrying a burden far greater than he could comprehend.
"Welcome to Eldoria, Dark Apostle," the robotic voice intoned, as the screen flickered one last time before fading away, leaving Ichibei alone with the knowledge that his new life had only just begun.
But even as he lay there, helpless in his cradle, a sense of determination began to stir within him. He didn't understand the full extent of what was happening, but he knew one thing: whatever this new life held, he would face it head-on. I'll figure this out, he thought, his small hands clenching into tiny fists. I'll make sense of all of this… somehow.