The light faded, and the pain that gripped him in his final moments seemed to dissolve into nothing. "Am I... dead?"
Qamar Nadir, one of the most feared and respected hunters in his previous life, had finally met his end in a battle too fierce even for him. He had fought his way through the "Tower", slaying countless monsters, uncovering ancient secrets, and becoming a living legend. Yet, even a legend could fall.
But something felt different now. He opened his eyes and was greeted not by darkness or the endless void, but by warm, golden sunlight streaming through a window. The bed he lay in was soft, too soft. His body, which had been broken and battered for years, now felt... smaller. Weaker. Fragile.
He sat up abruptly, heart racing. His surroundings were foreign: tapestries of rich colors adorned the walls, and ornate furniture surrounded him. He looked down at his hands — small, delicate, childlike. He tried to speak but felt his voice catch in his throat.
A woman entered the room, her presence calm and nurturing. She looked down at him with gentle eyes. "Lucius, my little one," she said, a soft smile spreading across her face. "How are you feeling today?"
Lucius? That wasn't his name. He was 'Qamar Nadir', the moon of the battlefield, the one who had slain dragons and defied death countless times. But here he was, in the body of a child, being called by another name. He felt a surge of panic, but a strange calm settled over him as well. The name Lucius felt... natural, as if it belonged to him in this world.
---
Over the next few days, Lucius began to piece things together. He had been "reborn" in another world, a completely different existence. His family in this new life was noble, the "Ekhard" family, who ruled the northern territories of a kingdom called "Eldoria". He had memories of his childhood as Lucius, but they felt hazy, as if they belonged to someone else. His old life, his past as Qamar, was far more vivid.
He was five years old in this world, the eldest son of Count "Ekhard" and Lady "Isla". His younger brother, "Idris", was barely three. It was a strange sensation, knowing he had lived another life filled with battle and pain, only to wake up as a child in a family that knew nothing of the horrors he had faced.
But there was something else. Deep inside him, Lucius could feel an unfamiliar power stirring. It was unlike anything he had known in his past life, even as a hunter. This power felt... dark, limitless, yet soothing — like a shadow that could consume everything, a force he couldn't yet control.
And with that power came a "system".
System Activated.
Welcome, Lucius Ekhard. You are now bound to the Hunter's System.
Your past abilities are locked. Complete challenges to unlock them and regain your former strength.