Everything was black.
No… not just black. Emptiness. Silence.
Liam blinked. At least, he thought he did. It was hard to tell. There was no sensation—no gravity, no temperature, no interface. It was as if the very code of the game had paused existence itself.
He floated, or maybe stood—it was impossible to tell. Time felt irrelevant. Minutes. Hours. He had no clue.
Then, a whisper.
Not through the ears.
It echoed in his mind.
"Ah… the reborn one awakens."
Suddenly, a presence filled the void. Liam didn't see anyone approach. The being was just there, like it had always been.
A humanoid silhouette stood before him, cloaked in a cascade of roiling shadows. No features. No eyes. No aura that he could perceive. But Liam's instincts screamed.
This being was not a boss. Not a celestial. Not even an ancient.
It was something else entirely.
"…Who are you?" Liam asked, voice echoing unnaturally in the dark expanse.
The figure chuckled softly, as if the question amused him.
"You may call me the Dark One. It is not my name… merely a shadow of it."
Liam narrowed his eyes. "Are you… a developer? Some kind of GM?"
"No," the voice said with a sense of mystery. "I am… outside."
Outside?
"What do you want from me?" Liam asked cautiously. "Why was I brought here?"
"You ask many questions. That is good. It shows your mind remains sharp, even after death."
Liam froze. "You know about my… rebirth?"
A brief flicker shimmered around the Dark One. Not quite a nod. Not quite a smirk.
"Of course. I am the one who placed the seed of return within you."
Liam's thoughts raced. This wasn't just a system glitch. This was real—real in the most terrifying sense. "Why? Why me?"
"Fate. Chaos. Or perhaps… a test."
The figure tilted its head slightly.
"You were not the strongest in your past life. But you had something… curious. Something that I believe has resist the end."
Liam gritted his teeth. "Resist the end? What end? And what do I have?"
"You might be the first step in a chain long broken. Or maybe not.. I can't really tell. It is all onto you"
Again, more riddles.
Liam clenched his fists. "Can you at least tell me what you are? What's beyond the celestials? Are you a god?"
The void trembled slightly at the word.
"God… is a small word."
And then… silence again.
Seconds passed. Or centuries.
Finally, Liam asked, "So what now? You just brought me here to confuse the hell out of me?"
The Dark One's shadows rippled like oil on water. The air suddenly felt charged.
"I have something much more important to give you than the answers you seek"
He raised his hand, and between his fingers shimmered a small, spectral creature. It resembled a fox made of mist, with silver eyes and shifting shadows for fur. Tiny runes danced along its spine, and its presence made Liam's system interface flicker wildly.
"This is Umbravix—a Voidbound Companion."
The creature, which looked like a small wolf, drifted toward Liam, curling once around him to show his affection, before disappearing into his inventory with a silent ding.
"It is weak now. But it will grow. As you do."
Ding!
You have obtained: [Void Pet - Umbravix (Unawakened)]
Current Level: 30 (Increases with Player Liam)
HP - 20,000
MP - 3,000
Rank: ???
Status: Soulbound (Cannot be sold/traded)
Skills:
[Normal Attack] - 1000 Physical Damage
[Void Sense] (Passive): Detect hidden entities, traps, and treasures within 100 meters.
[Phantom's Embrace] (Active): Slips into the shadows, becoming invisible.
Liam, looking at the system interface, remained spellbound.
"I've never heard of anything like this," he muttered.
Detecting traps and treasures was simply insane! He would never have to worry about hidden dangers unless the dangers had a level which differed significantly from his own.
"What am I supposed to do? And can you do anything about this perk I have? It causes me to lose my strength permanently."
The Dark One gave no answer.
Liam scowled. "Is that it? You just dump this thing on me and expect me to figure everything out on my own?"
The silence continued.
But Liam had had enough.
"I'm done with cryptic riddles. Send me back. I have things to do. People to protect."
Liam took a step forward. "Do you hear me?! If you're some all-powerful god or whatever, then you should know—I don't give a damn about being your pawn. You gave me a second chance? Fine. But I'll use it my way."
The void trembled again, just faintly.
Then, for the first time, the figure seemed to move. A slow, strange bow—barely perceptible.
"Good. That is the answer I wanted."
And then everything exploded.
Light tore through the black. Not golden. Not white. But violet—a light Liam had never seen in any realm, virtual or real.
Then came the voice again, deep and resonant:
"Do you think you can get reborn and go against the heavens without any penalties? Remember, when the stars fall… you will have to be the one. Until then, walk your path, Reborn."
Ding!
Returning to physical realm…
The world twisted violently.
With a gasp, Liam jolted awake—flat on the ground, in the middle of Duskwind Forest.
His body was drenched in cold sweat. His heart thundered in his chest.
Everything felt so unreal, like a dream.
But Liam knew that it was not. Liam had indeed met a God who had apparently brought him back to life. Apparently he was trying to test Liam for something, but Liam had no idea what it was.
However, Liam did not care. He knew that he was powerless to confront a celestial, much less a god. He had no chance to oppose whatever he was planning.
But that did not mean that he was going to do his bidding. This time he was going to live for himself, no matter what.
Slowly, Liam noticed a small wolf pup nuzzling against his legs
Umbravix...
Slowly, Liam got up. He lifted Umbravix up with both of his hands, gazing into its innocent eyes.
"Umbravix eh? Why do you have such a big name? I will call you Vix from now on.."
"Aoooo.." The small pup gave a small happy howl, and licked Liam's face
"Ah you naughty brat, you must be hungry. Let's get you some food." Saying this, Liam placed the pup on the ground, nudging it to follow him and started heading back to Duskwind village.