The man, his body riddled with wounds, spat out, "People are consumed by greed." Before him lay a dozen lifeless bodies.
He slumped back, placing a hand over his wounded left eye, "Is this the end?" He sighed, "If I had known they would betray me for a bigger reward, I wouldn't have trusted them."
"Damn it, I was a fool." He lamented, "If only I could go back and fix the choices I made... this wouldn't have happened."
Just as he was consumed by regret, he heard a footstep. "Damn it all. Why did you show up? You have the nerve to appear, my dear traitorous friend? Jaden?"
Jaden remained silent, his face etched with regret, but behind it, a flicker of amusement. He finally spoke, his voice cold, "It's true you're strong, Samuel... but you're no different from the fools you killed."
Samuel laughed, "You're the same, you bastard! Even if I die now-"
As Samuel spoke, Jaden drew a dagger. "I'll take you with me-"
"Ughh!"
Before Samuel could finish, Jaden plunged the dagger into his right eye. "Huff, huff, huff. I'll kill you, you bastard!-" Jaden struck again, ending Samuel's life.
...
Samuel's heart burned with a thirst for revenge. "Jaden, you bastard! No matter what, I'll kill you... I'll kill you!"
...
After Samuel's death, all he saw was darkness. "Damn it, where am I? I can't feel anything. My hands and feet, I don't know if they're still attached... my eyes don't hurt as much anymore. But where am I? Why did all the pain disappear?"
"Hell? No. They say hell is filled with demons and a chaotic environment... This isn't heaven either, there's only darkness. Damn it, where the hell am I?"
Confused and frustrated, he tried to turn, but saw nothing, only endless black.
Moments later, he saw red and purple. Purple above, red below. "Huh? What is that?"
Curious, he tried to approach the red, but couldn't move. "Damn it, why can't I even move a little?"
He tried to reach the purple, but like the red, he was stuck. "Sigh, who the hell made this?"
He scowled in anger, but then an idea struck him. "Could this be my spirit world?"
"It's possible. I heard those who awaken their talents have a spirit world."
The spirit world is where your hidden talents reside. It reveals your true potential.
Samuel, despite his strength, never managed to open his spirit world. He was ostracized by some despite his strength, though others admired him.
Even without powers, only relying on his physical strength, he fought and killed monsters that heroes with opened spirit worlds couldn't defeat. Those who opened their spirit worlds had the right to register as heroes.
"If I really opened my spirit world, damn it, why now that I'm dead?"
Amidst his frustration, he tried to calm down and recall his memories.
A woman with yellow and white hair appeared in his mind. "Samuel, when you open your spirit world, remember what I tell you."
"Ha, damn it, why do I have to listen to your nonsense? And even if I can't open my spirit world, I can still protect myself."
"Sigh, just listen... it's for your own good!"
Remembering the past, Samuel tried to recall what the woman said about the spirit world. "Calm your mind, feel the source of power, accept it fully, accept it without regret. When you feel the power, don't be overwhelmed by it. Maintain balance between yourself and the source. Treat the power from your spirit world as your life, body, heart, and soul."
As he tried to follow the woman's instructions, he gradually felt a connection to the power emanating from his spirit world. But he couldn't understand why there were two powers.
He put that aside and focused on what was happening now.
He realized the two colors he saw above and below were slowly approaching him.
Soon, they enveloped him.
When he tried to touch the purple above, the red below unleashed a powerful energy. "Ugh, damn it, what happened?"
He looked down at the source of the energy.
"Huh? Is it angry because I didn't try to touch it?"
He smiled and tried to tilt his head. "Huh? I can move? Is it because of the connection with these two colors? Whatever. I have more important things to try."
He tilted his head and tried to touch both colors simultaneously. The purple on his right, the red on his left. As he touched them, a powerful energy erupted.
"Uh, ughh!" Samuel screamed as the powerful energy surged from both colors. He felt like his soul was going to shatter.
"I have to endure this... no matter what." Despite the pain, he persevered.
"Even I... don't understand myself... why I have to endure all this... but I know... there's a reason behind it... so I have to endure it!" As Samuel screamed, a powerful energy surged with him.
Samuel's eyes were closed, the two energies gradually weakening. The reason for their weakening was that they were entering Samuel's body.
Once the two energies fully entered his body, he opened his eyes. As he did, he released a powerful purple and red energy. Two colors flowed through his entire body, as if coursing through his veins. Pure purple on the right, pure red on the left.
"Damn it, what kind of power is this?" Samuel wondered in awe.
But that wasn't what shocked him the most.
"But what are these two red and purple tables? Wait, there's writing. On the purple it says..."
[System: You have received the power of death.
Requirements: Experience death once with your soul.]
[Reward: Stone of Revival.
Revive yourself 20 years in the past.
Usable: 1
Used: 0/1
Do you want to use the Stone of Revival?
Yes/No]
"System? Wait, what is this? I've never heard of anything like this from other heroes?" Confused, he looked at the red system.
[System: You have received the power of a high-ranking demon.
Requirements: Possess or have the blood of a high-ranking demon.]
[Reward: Stone of Body Transfer.
Usable: 0
Used: 1/1
Because you have already used the Stone of Body Transfer, you can no longer use it.]
"Huh? Already used? But I haven't done anything. Damn it!"
As he raged, the two systems appeared.
[Due to the strong connection between the two powers, you can change your system.
Do you want to change your system?
Yes / No]
"I have no idea what's going on, but there's no harm in changing the system, so 'Yes'."
Samuel pressed 'Yes' on the system.
[System change rate: 1/100]
[System change rate: 41/100]
[System change rate: 79/100]
[System change rate: 99/100]
[System change rate: 100/100]
[System change successful]
[New System: Dark System
Details: Fusion of high-ranking powers of darkness.
Requirements:
Power of Death: 1/1
Power of Demon: 1/1.]
"Ha, so much happened, but at least I know why I had to endure the pain earlier. Haha." Samuel called up the system and checked his status panel.
[Status Panel:
Name: Jin Samuel Casas.
Age: 38
Sex: Male
Strength: 1,500
Agility: 1,400
Durability: 1,000
Perception: 1,000
Intelligence: 10
Vitality: 1,500
Stamina: 1,000]
"As expected, my intelligence is low. I know from games that intelligence is connected to magic powers. Since I don't have magic powers, my intelligence status is like that of a normal person."
After checking his status panel, he looked at the only item he had.
[Stone of Revival:
Details: Revive yourself 20 years in the past.
Usable: 1
Used: 0/1
Do you want to use the Stone of Revival?
Yes/No.]
Without hesitation, Samuel pressed 'Yes'.
As Samuel pressed "Yes" on the system, darkness enveloped him.
He let out a maniacal laugh, "Jaden, wait for me. I'll kill you! HAHAHAHA!" His laughter echoed through the darkness as it consumed him completely.