Darkness.
A suffocating, sealed darkness.
[Host life signs detected: stable. Breathing normally. Muscular activity normal. Nervous system normal…]
[Initiating activation of brain cells, motor system, nervous system, respiratory system, endocrine system…]
[Preparation complete. Activating host…]
[One]
[Two]
[Three]
[Rise.]
Bzzz—!!
Cael's eyes snapped open.
In the next instant, his entire body went numb, a violent tingling sensation surging through his limbs as if he had just been electrocuted. He instinctively tried to sit up—
Bang!
His head slammed hard into something wooden.
Thud.
A solid hit. A very solid hit.
"Ow—! Holy shit!!" Cael cried out, clutching his head as pain exploded across his scalp. A lump instantly formed where he'd hit it.
"W-What the hell just happened…?" He rubbed his head, his thoughts sluggish and unfocused.
The last thing he remembered was preparing to pull for Hu Tao's constellations—
Then someone broke into his house and stabbed him cleanly.
If he remembered right, it was one of his readers… someone he'd been following updates from.
"Damn it… I know my book flopped for half a year, but killing me over it is a bit much, isn't it…?" Cael muttered, eyes dull as despair washed over him.
"…I didn't even delete my study materials yet."
But compared to that—
Where was he?
Pitch-black. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face. The space was cramped, narrow, so tight he couldn't even stretch properly.
[Host has successfully awakened. System officially activated.]
"System?" Cael froze, then it finally clicked a moment later.
So… he died and transmigrated?
Huh. When you put it that way, it didn't sound too bad.
But seriously—where the hell was he?
The system ignored his confusion and continued on its own.
[Opening personal status panel.]
Host: Cael
Age: 20 (?)
Vision: None
Element: None
Inventory: Dull Blade
Assets: Penniless
…
A glowing panel suddenly materialized in front of his eyes.
It startled him badly—and nearly blinded him.
After all, once your eyes adjusted to darkness, sudden light like this was brutal.
After a moment, he finally managed to see it clearly.
"So this is my status panel?" Cael muttered. "Pretty… underwhelming."
But when he saw the words Vision, his mind immediately jumped to the game he loved—Genshin Impact.
Did that mean he'd transmigrated to Teyvat?
Then his gaze dropped to the inventory section.
Dull Blade.
"…Wait. Where did that come from?"
He hadn't brought anything with him.
Before he could ask, the system continued.
[Congratulations, Host. You are the Fifth Descender.]
[Additionally, you have received the system-exclusive modification: 'Fifty-Fifty.']
[As the name suggests, the Host now possesses the ability to fight any opponent at an even fifty–fifty chance.]
[Whether demon gods or divine entities, the Host can fight them on equal footing—no more, no less.]
Cael's eyes widened.
"That sounds… insanely powerful," he said. "So if I fight Morax, it's still fifty–fifty?"
[Correct.]
"…That's basically invincible, isn't it?" He rubbed his chin, then suddenly frowned.
"But what if I fight an ant?" he asked seriously. "Would that still be fifty–fifty?"
If he went fifty–fifty with everything, wouldn't that mean he couldn't even beat an ant?
[…]
[If the opponent's actual strength is below the Host's true baseline, the Host can still kill them normally.]
"Oh. That's a relief."
He paused, then asked, "So that Dull Blade—you gave it to me?"
[Yes. The Dull Blade can be upgraded.]
[By completing achievements, the Host may increase its attack power.]
[The Dull Blade's strength is not affected by the 'Fifty-Fifty' rule.]
"…So as long as the sword is strong enough, I can still beat enemies outright?"
[Correct.]
"Got it."
[Any other questions?]
"Yes."
"Where exactly am I right now?" Cael asked. "It's dark as hell—and really narrow."
[Answer: Inside a coffin.]
"..."
Cael went silent.
"…Say that again?" he asked slowly. "I might've misheard you."
[Answer: Repeating—Host is currently inside a coffin belonging to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.]
...
...
Outside the coffin.
A young girl stood there, her skin pale, her eyes a reddish-brown hue with flower-shaped pupils.
Her long dark-brown hair faded into deep crimson at the tips, tied into twin tails. She wore a traditional red top with a qipao-style collar, black shorts, white socks adorned with red plum blossoms, and low-heeled formal shoes.
She was Hu Tao, the seventy-seventh Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
At this moment, she looked delighted.
One hand on her hip, she cheerfully patted the tall man beside her, who wore attire similar in style to her own.
"Hehehe~ Zhongli, you actually did something useful for once!" Hu Tao said with a grin.
"Who would've thought? Just taking a walk and you find someone who fell to their death. That guy's lucky—picked up by our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and sent off properly."
She hefted a heavy pouch of Mora in her hand.
The Millelith had paid the funeral costs themselves, seeing that the "deceased" had no known relatives.
Zhongli, however, had been staring at the coffin the entire time.
After a moment, he said calmly, "Director… is it truly appropriate to define a person's death so casually?"
Hu Tao blinked, then looked up at him.
"Huh? What do you mean?" she said. "You think this poor kid—with his neck snapped out of alignment—is still alive?"
"No way, no way. I checked personally. Even though there's no yin energy yet, his breathing and heartbeat have completely stopped. There's no chance he's alive."
Zhongli turned to her, his voice slow and measured.
"Your reasoning is sound, Director. However—"
"Oh, come on, Zhongli!" Hu Tao interrupted, lifting her chin like a sage. "After working with me for so many years, how are you still this cautious?"
"I swear on my title—this young man is definitely dead…"
—
BANG!!!
Suddenly—
The coffin lid was blown open from within.
Zhongli showed no surprise at all. He merely sighed.
Hu Tao, however, jumped despite her professionalism.
"AHH—!! A corpse revival!!"
Without thinking, she grabbed the Staff of Homa beside her and swung it straight down at the coffin.
The strike halted midair.
"Huh?" Hu Tao froze.
An invisible force had seized the Staff of Homa. No matter how hard she pushed, it wouldn't come down.
She was a Vision bearer.
Even among normal people, very few could stop an attack from her.
Even if this thing… wasn't human.
Hu Tao reacted instantly, yanking the weapon back and retreating in a flash to Zhongli's side.
The person who had burst from the coffin—
Was Cael.
He stood there, gripping the Dull Blade, eyes blazing with fury.
"WHO THE HELL TRIED TO BURY ME ALIVE?!"
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