After the Dred was absorbed, the black hole continued pulling everything nearby, leaving Elion alone in the void as it finally shrank and closed.
"It's finally over." In the absolute darkness, Elion whispered, his eyes trembling as he hid the sorrow within them.
Elion was right. It was truly over, leaving nothing behind. Long ago, everyone had vanished, leaving him alone to survive in a world full of danger.
Now, that world was gone, and the only enemy that had kept him from feeling entirely alone was eliminated, once again leaving him utterly alone.
A void grew in his heart as he looked around, seeing only blackness, a darkness that made him feel isolated.
The past and present are no different.
He thought back to the past, where he was ostracized, bullied, and abused. No one had ever understood him, accepted him, or cared for him.
He had always felt alienated, with no place to call home or to find refuge.
Then, after all the people who tormented him disappeared, after he gained power and trained to become incredibly strong, and even after he defeated enemies that seemed invincible—had anything changed?
No.
Elion bit his lip, clenched his fists, his body trembling under the weight of loneliness growing in his heart.
What should I do now? Should I create the universe again? But what's the point if I'm the only one here?
He didn't know what to do. With the Dred gone, he no longer had a purpose, and his deepest fears became real.
But just before Elion sank further into despair, the system's message floated up, illuminating the dark space.
[Congratulations! You've earned 2 rewards for completing the first stage of your life!]
[1st Reward: A title (The Dred's Killer)] [Tap to see more details.]
[2nd Reward: A chance to be Reincarnated in another world.] [Tap to see more details.]
Quickly, he tapped the hovering screen, his attention caught by the words, and the screen expanded, showing further information about what he wanted to know.
[Reincarnation in another world: You will be reborn in a world in a different dimension of space and time, in a new family, where you can start a new life from scratch!]
[Choose: (Yes)/(No)?]
Elion's body tensed as he saw the message. His jaw clenched, his fists tightened, adrenaline coursing through his veins, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and a wide smile spread across his face.
"System, is this for real?"
He couldn't believe what he'd just read. The system message said he could be reborn in another world, which meant he'd have a new family and could meet new people who might fill the void in his heart.
[Of course, it's real. Why would the system lie to you? Just press 'yes,' and you'll be born in another world,] the system replied, chuckling with relief at Elion's enthusiasm.
Hearing the system's words and laughter made Elion suspicious. Why did the system often speak about itself from a third-person perspective? Wasn't that strange? And that laugh—it felt like there were emotions behind it.
He had always wondered if there was another entity behind that annoying robotic voice. Elion had asked the system countless times over the last thousand years, and once again, he decided to ask.
With a raised eyebrow, Elion asked, "Let me ask you one more time. Who are you?"
The system fell silent for what felt like the thousandth time. Each time Elion asked this question, it did one of three things: answered with a stupid joke, changed the subject, or just stayed silent.
But just as Elion thought his question would remain unanswered like always, the system chuckled.
"Heh… You're as sharp as ever, kid."
Hearing that familiar voice startled Elion; it wasn't just echoing in his mind anymore. Instead, it resonated across the vastness of space, so loud and clear it nearly burst his eardrums.
"W-What… the hell? How can I hear your voice outside my head?" Elion asked, covering his ears in confusion.
"Because..." the figure behind the voice paused before continuing, "You're right. I'm not the system, but the system is a part of my power."
The voice reverberated, shaking the dimensions of space and time, making Elion lose his balance as he processed the revelation he had long suspected.
"What? The system is a part of your power... What does that mean?" Elion asked in shock and confusion. This is a little different from what he thinks. "Then who are you? No, what are you?"
For a moment, silence engulfed the boundless, endless space until the voice returned.
"I… am you."
A huge question mark filled Elion's mind at those nonsensical words. He didn't believe it.
Is he mocking me right now?
But his mind quickly filled with new questions as his vision shifted from the darkness of space to a suddenly colorful, surreal realm. He was now in a mysterious space filled with strange, abstract objects appearing out of nothing and floating aimlessly all around him.
What kind of absurd place is this? Elion wondered.
[You've been invited to a certain God's Imagination Space.]
Wait, the system's messages are still popping up. Does that mean he really isn't the system? And a certain God's Imagination Space? A God… he's a God?
More questions filled Elion's mind as his gaze moved around the imagination space, which seemed packed with not just objects but also colors and concepts. Everything seemed chaotic yet orderly and coherent.
Elion couldn't explain what he was seeing and feeling. Before he could open his mouth to ask, that grand voice echoed again throughout the imagination space.
"I'm also a God."
At that moment, the abstract objects floating in the imagination space transformed into billions of figures, each with long black hair and bright golden eyes, surrounding Elion.
And they all looked exactly like him.
"They are... me? No. A clone?" Elion didn't understand what he was seeing. He racked his brain, trying to make sense of it. Am I dreaming?
Everything was too strange for him. The being he thought was the system was actually him?
"Cut the nonsense!" Elion snapped, deciding to stop overthinking it after his high intelligence stat couldn't make sense of the situation. "I accept that you're not the system but an actual God. But… I am you? That's ridiculous."
As he waited for a response, the billions of Elion clones opened their mouths and replied in unison, "But that's the truth."
The sound of billions of clones was like a nightmare in Elion's ears. His head throbbed as the waves of sound from his countless clones overwhelmed him, and the god spoke again.
"Because I am you from a very distant future."
Hearing that statement, Elion's body froze instantly. However, his mind raced, as if putting together the pieces of a puzzle, and all his suspicions and questions about the system were finally answered.
Why did the system speak as if it had human emotions? Why did it try to help him? Why did it keep talking to him, cracking silly jokes? And most importantly, why did Elion often feel like the system understood him?
Elion reached a conclusion that made him burst into laughter.
"Hahaha…"
As Elion laughed, the god turned the billions of Elion clones back into colorful energy, swirling chaotically yet beautifully around the imagination space.
"Why are you laughing?" asked the god, watching Elion's laughter that wouldn't stop.
Eventually, Elion stopped laughing, wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, and replied, "Because I find all of this funny. I used to imagine that if, in a distant future, I still couldn't find what I was looking for or get what I wanted, I'd wish for a way to go back in time and change my choices in life."
Elion smiled bitterly, hiding the sadness behind it. "And it seems my imagination had become your reality. That's why I believe you are me from a very distant future."
He accepted what his future self had said, but at the same time, it meant he now has to faces a terrifying possibility.
The possibility that even in the far future, as a god, he might still be unable to get what he desired.
The future Elion laughed, proudly looking at Elion from a higher dimension. "I can't say much about my own life. But at this point, your life has already diverged far from mine. Whether it'll be better or worse, you'll find out as time goes on."
"Wait… I feel like you won't be there after I reincarnate. You're going to leave me?" Elion asked anxiously.
"Relax, kid. I just have some personal matters as a god. So I'll be gone for a while," the future Elion replied quickly. "But don't worry; the imagination system will still be with you. Since the system itself is part of my power and consciousness, I can still watch over you while I'm gone."
Though this answer was meant to reassure him, Elion couldn't suppress the growing worry in his heart. It seemed he was too emotionally attached to his future self.
And if his future self was in a higher dimension, their concept of time might differ. A short time for a god could mean thousands of years for a human.
Noticing Elion's unease, his future self gave a small smile. "However, before you reincarnate, I've got some advice for you on how to live a more human life in your new world. So, write these down and make sure you follow them if you don't want to mess things up before I return."
This time Elion chuckled. He was curious to see just how good the advice would be from his future self, someone who had lived so long that he had become a god.
So, Elion listened carefully to the advice given to him and occasionally asked questions for clarification.
Finally, after everything was covered, as Elion stood in the imagination space filled with beautiful light, the system's message screen appeared before him once again.
[Reincarnation In Another World: You will be reborn in a new world in a different dimension of space and time, within a new family, allowing you to start your life anew from the beginning!]
[Choose: (Yes)/(No)?]
Elion took a deep breath, his heart racing with a mix of excitement and apprehension. He had always longed for a fresh start, a chance to experience the world differently, maybe even with people who would understand him. But a small part of him worried,
What if things don't change?
As he pondered, he heard the future him chuckle lightly, reading his thoughts as if they were spoken aloud.
"Don't overthink it, kid," future Elion said. "Just live. You'll figure things out along the way."
Elion nodded, a resolute gleam in his eye. "Thank you… for everything."
"Good luck," future Elion said softly, his voice echoing through the vast expanse. "And remember—no matter where you end up, you're not alone. I'll be watching."
As his future self's voice echoed through the imagination space, wishing him good luck, Elion pressed his choice on the system screen, and a new message appeared, bringing a joyful smile to his face.
[Initiating the host's reincarnation process…]
In that final moment, Elion's heart felt full for the first time. He was ready to face this new world with an open mind, hopeful for the first time in a long time.
As Elion's heartbeat slowed, his eyes gently closed, his muscles relaxed, and, finally, he exhaled his last breath in his first life.