When Davin opened his eyes, he found himself in darkness.
A void—endless and disorienting—where there was no up or down, only the sensation of floating.
Thick golden chains stretched across the abyss, forming a loose web around him.
For a brief moment, he felt as though he were standing on something solid. But the instant he tried to crouch, an invisible force flipped him upside down.
"Fuck… where the hell am I? And where's my mother?!" he shouted, his voice swallowed by the darkness.
His thoughts scrambled, pulling together broken fragments of memory.
Black, serpent-like eyes with golden irises.
Golden scales.
Six angelic wings.
And then—
The System giving him warnings about her.
"…Was that her true form? And what was her real name again…?"
[Gaela Vy Light]
"Oh right. Wait—System?!"
[What is it, host?]
"What the hell did you do to me? And where the fuck did you dump me this time?!"
[Honestly, I was about to extract the Time Orb from you in order to escape your mother's curse.]
"What?! I would've died!"
[Unfortunately, yes. But my priority is to protect the Time Orb at all costs.]
"So I'm just a disposable pawn to you."
[You are not the first to possess the Time Orb. And I won't allow you to be the last.]
"..."Davin fell silent. The truth hit like a punch to the chest.
It wasn't the first time the System had made something painfully clear:
~ The second day after he was born... ~
'Alright… but can't I just remove the orb?'
[It's part of your heart. Remove it, and you'll surely die.]
'At least I know one way to commit suicide, then.'
[If that happens, the Time Orb will simply find another host.]
'Damn…'
~
That memory stung.
It reminded him how little control he really had.
"Then why didn't you go through with it?" Davin asked, voice flat and expression blank.
[I was rebooted. By the Admin.]
"…Haah." He exhaled, relief washing over him. "Can't believe I almost just died…"
[Next time I tell you to run, host, run.]
"Alright… but whoever that admin is… I'm grateful." His chest loosened, only by a bit.
"You're welcome," a calm, unfamiliar voice echoed through the void.
"Huh?!" Davin gasped, snapping his head around.
"Who's there?!"
"For someone standing in his own sea of consciousness, your sense of direction sucks," the voice chuckled.
Davin turned—floating upside down—to find a tall man standing upright in the void. His face was a blur and indistinct.
"Are you… the Admin?"
"I am."
"…" Davin said nothing, quietly adjusting himself to face the man properly.
And yet… something about him felt oppressive. Overwhelming. Even without a clear face, Davin felt inferior to him—a strange thing for someone who once lived as a human on Earth.
"Hmm? No questions?" the man asked.
"Why can't I see your face?"
"Because they'll kill you."
"…Who will?"
"The ones who killed me thousands of years ago."
"What?! So you're a ghost?!"
"No. I'm the lingering will of a once-great man."
"…How did you die?"
"I can't share that. Not yet. The ones who killed me can read memories involving them. If they learn that you know, they'll disintegrate you."
"Disintegrate?" Davin echoed, confused.
"Listen well, Earthling. Fate chose you to succeed me.
Not for some noble cause—no.
The heir to my power must walk the path of death, and become death itself."
"…What?"
"That's why you need Pulse Points to live. You earn them through staining your hands with blood.
You'll have to kill to survive.... There is no shortcut."
"…"
"That's just survival. Growth is another matter. You'll have to cultivate your power before you can inherit mine."
"That's why I gave you the System. To ensure my successor grows according to my will."
"Successor?"
"As of now, you're only a candidate. To become my true heir, the condition is simple: Don't die, reach Demigodhood."
"D-Demi what—?!"
"And here is a free a tip—keep your Intelligence stat high. That'll help you manage the Time Orb."
"…What if I don't want to be your heir?"
"Then I'll make you work for me. I literally hold your life in the palm of my hand you know."
"…Fuck… Fine. But… can you tell me more about the Demigod part?" Davin complied seeing there wasn't any other way out.
"That's the academy and sects' job. Not mine."
"Academy? You mean… like a place to learn?"
"Yes."
"But I dislike studying!"
"Just raise your Intelligence stat. It'll be like a cheat code."
"!!"
Davin stared at the calm, faceless man. For some reason, he didn't ask his name.
Something told him the answer would be: 'They'll kill you if you know.'
'This is too much… I'm glad I met the Admin, but this feels like some Area 58-level deep shit!
Who are these people who killed him? And why did those guys kill him in the first place?
Dammit… why did I even steal that fucking orb to begin with?
Now I have to be a murderer to survive and I'm hearing about Demigods?
Does that mean he was one… and the people who killed him too?
If they catch wind of me knowing him, they'll also kill me?
Some fucked up, kill or be killed fiasco, my second life turned out to be...
I actually miss being threatened by James...'
"You should leave now," the man said calmly.
"Wait—I have one more question!"
"What is it?"
"…What are those chains?"
Davin had been trying to ignore them—but the golden chains surrounding the void itched at his senses.
"Your mother's poison."
"What do you—?"
"Time's up. Best of luck in staying alive." The man waved at him before Davin's soul vanished from there.
A quiet sigh echoed after his departure.
'Only a few more years before I fade away… Will he make it by then?' The man thought, his gaze lingering on the golden chains.
"System."
[Yes, Master.]
"…Don't rush to extract the Time Orb from him. He might be the last candidate. Since the chance of finding an individual with a void as sea of consciousness, is getting slimmer."
[Understood.]
~Meanwhile, in the real world~
"Hey Richard… are we really taking him to Einswel?" asked a burly man with a rough beard and wild brown hair, as he eyed his companion.
"…"
"I mean, we could just sell the brat into slavery. Easy. We'd earn ten times what Eleanor offered, and no one would know," he added, glancing at the unconscious boy in the back of the one-horse carriage.
"…"
"Come on mate. Think this through and confirm to me if we're on the same page?" He smiled slyly.
Eleanor had paid them 50 silver coins to deliver Davin to her brother, the Baron of Einswel.
Why? They weren't sure.
Maybe the new mayor wanted to keep the boy away from his father. Maybe she wanted to use the boy as leverage over Ray.
Or maybe she simply wanted to give the boy to her brother as a slave.
Either way, one thing was clear:
Eleanor didn't give a damn about Davin.
She was only interested in the boy's father—Ray Bluemoon.
"That sounds like a fine deal… Especially since that bitch only wants the kid's father. We can just use the brat as we please."
The second man—Richard, short black hair and a permanent look of smug calculation—nodded in contentment.
"That's more like it! After we sell him, we'll split the money the good old-fashioned way—fifty-fifty."
"Hold your horses," Richard said, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you certain he'd even sell for five hundred silver?"
"Absolutely!" Jeremy, the one who'd first suggested selling Davin, leaned in with a glint in his eye.
"He's young, well-fed, and considering how he practically fell from the sky, he's definitely a mana user. Either an Elementalist or an Auralancer—mark my words."
"Oh, that's… a fairly strong point." Richard tapped his chin, then grinned. "In that case, let's bump the price up to a thousand silver!"
"Now we're talking!" Jeremy clapped his hands in satisfaction.
With plans set and coin in mind, Richard tugged on the reins, veering the wagon off the beaten path to Einswel.
A shortcut.
A darker road through uncharted forests.
Their goal: the nearest slave merchants in the Barony.
And in the back, tied up with ropes, the boy stirred.
Eyes slowly opening.
Breathes shallow.
But something in his eyes shimmered—
Like a pulse about to awaken...