That morning was supposed to be just another ordinary day for Kael Arden.
His phone alarm rang at 6:00 AM, same as always.
He sat up slowly, hair messy, and stared at his exhausted reflection in the bathroom mirror.
"Work again… overtime again," he muttered while brushing his teeth.
Breakfast was nothing special—burnt toast and instant coffee.
He put on a white shirt, grabbed his bag, and walked toward the bus stop.
Everything was painfully normal.
Until the long screech of brakes tore through the air.
CRAAAAAASSSHH!!
A truck came speeding toward him.
Kael didn't even have time to turn around.
His body was thrown.
His vision went black.
---
AWAKENING IN MURIM
When he opened his eyes, he wasn't on the street.
There was no ambulance.
No voices.
No city sounds.
Only an ancient forest, drifting mist, and the cries of beasts he had never heard before.
Kael slowly sat up.
"Where… am I?"
As if answering him, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[SYSTEM CONNECTED]
[INITIAL STATUS CREATED]
Kael froze.
[STR: 5]
[AGI: 5]
[VIT: 5]
[MIND: 5]
[SKILLS: —]
[TITLE: —]
Pathetic stats.
"What is this? An RPG?" Kael panicked. "This has to be a dream."
Before he could process anything, a wolf—twice the size of a man—burst out of the bushes.
GRAAAWR!!
Kael ran.
He had never run that fast in his life.
The beast chased him relentlessly.
In the end—CRUNCH!
Fangs pierced his body.
Darkness swallowed him.
---
THE FIRST DEATH
But instead of dying, he heard that voice again.
[USER HAS DIED]
[PASSIVE ACTIVATED]
[REWIND DEATH: RETURNING 24 HOURS BEFORE DEATH]
Kael jolted awake.
He was back to one day before his death.
Same place.
Same body.
But this time he knew the wolf was coming.
So he ran the opposite direction.
Day after day, week after week, month after month… Kael died again and again.
Killed by monsters.
By bandits.
By poison.
By falling off cliffs.
By storms.
By starvation.
Each time he died—he returned 24 hours earlier.
Each time he returned—he learned.
He fought.
He hunted.
He survived.
His stats grew.
[STR: 11]
[AGI: 14]
[VIT: 12]
[MIND: 10]
The system didn't give instant strength—
it gave unlimited chances to correct his failures.
Years passed.
Kael mastered martial arts.
Learned to manipulate internal energy.
Clashed with sects.
Died thousands of times.
Until one day…
[ALL STATS HAVE REACHED MAXIMUM]
[STR: 99 | AGI: 99 | VIT: 99 | MIND: 99]
[SKILL UNLOCKED: DARKBREAKER]
[TITLE ACQUIRED: HEAVENLY DEMON]
Kael stood at the peak of Murim.
Leader of the Heavenly Demon sect.
Unchallenged.
But the price of power—
his emotions faded away.
No fear.
No anger.
No joy.
Only emptiness.
He became a legend.
A ruler.
A demon whose name shook the world.
But Kael only felt hollow… and longed for home.
---
THE SECOND AWAKENING
One night, after a great war that ended three major sects, Kael fell asleep on his throne.
When he opened his eyes…
He was staring at the ceiling of a hospital room.
"—the patient woke up! Call the doctor!"
Kael blinked.
The beeping monitor.
The antiseptic smell.
Footsteps.
This was Earth.
A human hospital.
"…I'm home?" he whispered.
The system responded:
[ALL ABILITIES ACTIVE]
[WORLD: EARTH]
Kael exhaled deeply.
After centuries in Murim, after becoming an unstoppable monster…
he was back in his old body, in his old world.
"…I want a peaceful life."
For the first time, his heart stirred with a faint emotion—relief.
---
HOME, AND A GIRL
After being discharged, Kael returned to his apartment.
He stepped inside and took a long breath.
No assassins.
No poison.
No sects trying to kill him.
"Live normally… Kael."
He was just about to open his door when he noticed someone standing there.
A 15-year-old girl with short black hair and a large suitcase.
"Um… is this Uncle Kael's apartment?" she asked shyly.
"…Yes," Kael replied expressionlessly.
She lowered her head.
"I—I'm Nara. Aunt Mira's daughter."
Kael froze.
His older sister?
The one he hadn't contacted in years?
Nara bit her lip, holding back emotion.
"Mom… doesn't want to take care of me anymore. She said I can stay here."
Kael remained silent.
His sharp eyes showed no emotion—
but something faint stirred within him.
Nara bowed deeper.
"If you want… we can sign a family contract. So it's clear that I'll be your adopted daughter."
Kael looked straight into her eyes.
He, who had slain sects.
He, who had died and revived thousands of times.
He, who no longer had human emotions.
Yet facing this lonely girl…
Things felt complicated.
After a long silence, he sighed.
"…Yes. You can stay. But there will be rules you must follow."
Nara's eyes lit up with tears.
"Really? Thank you, Uncle!"
Kael unlocked the door, still expressionless.
Inside, he knew:
His peaceful life had just begun…
and it might be destroyed very soon.
---
→ Next Chapter 2: The Family Contract