Darkness. Silence.
Then—a flash of blue.
YOU DIED
The words floated in mid-air, glowing cold and sterile. A man in his thirties stared at them, pale and frozen in disbelief.
"...What?"
More text appeared beneath the first line, mechanical and unfeeling:
Years Lived: 36Lovers: 0Children: 0Achievements: 0Friends: 0Novels Published: 47Novels Finished: 0
He blinked.
"Wow... I really sucked, huh?"
The screen pulsed.
Calculating Soul Score...
+36 points for Years Alive+47 points for Novels Published–470 points for Unfinished Works+10,000 points for Enemies Made (Reader Hatred Multiplier Applied)Total: 9,613 Soul Points
He let out a low whistle. "Guess pissing off readers does have perks."
The display shimmered again.
Initiating Next Life...Enter Character Creation Mode
The blue screen warped, twisting into a familiar RPG-style menu—sliders, stats, traits, perks. Just like the games he'd wasted years playing.
His grin widened. "No way…"
Without hesitation, he started spending.
[Traits Purchased]
Mana Fiend (2,500): Massive mana pool with high regeneration.Magic Prodigy (2,000): Increases magical aptitude, halves mana cost, boosts learning speed.Eidetic Memory (800): Perfect recall of spells, visuals, and rituals.Scion of the Necroline (500): Undead minions gain +100% damage and durability.
Soul Points Remaining: 3,813
"Alright, let's go—"
He stopped mid-celebration.
At the bottom of the menu, one trait glowed dark red. Locked. Untouchable.
Necroforge – 8,000 Soul PointsForge custom undead. Modular. Evolutionary. You are not a summoner — you are a creator.
His breath caught. That. That was it. Everything he wanted.
He clicked.
Insufficient Soul Points
"Dammit!" He slammed the air. Useless.
The screen blinked.
Would you like to view Negative Traits to balance the cost?
He paused. Then smiled.
"Yeah. Show me what I've got to give up."
[Negative Traits Taken]
Bound to the Chair (+1,000): Paralyzed from the waist down. Requires mobility assistance.Glass Body (+1,500): Fragile health. Reduced physical resistance. Cannot wear heavy armor.Cursed Bloodline (+2,000): Cannot be healed by natural or divine means. Feared by holy factions.
Bonus Soul Points Gained: 4,500New Total: 3,813 + 4,500 = 8,313
With renewed excitement, he confirmed the purchase.
Necroforge (8,000): ConfirmedSoul Points Remaining: 313
"Might as well spend the last bits," he muttered.
[Additional Traits]
Darkness Affinity (250): Enhanced control and resistance to dark-based magic.Blood Manipulation (50): Grants limited control over blood within and around targets.
Final Soul Points Remaining: 13
Unused Soul Points will be randomly distributed to base stats...
[Magic Prodigy] detected. Intelligent optimization applied.➤ +13 INT
Character Creation CompleteInitializing Soul Transfer...
A pulse of arcane light surged through the void.
Thus was born: Lucien Vaelthorn, Scion of Death.