The hall was full of people.
Soldiers in ordered lines, armor polished as if today were a festival. Nobles seated behind carved rails, whispering behind sleeves. At the far end, upon the raised seat of authority, the king watched with a face carved into something solemn and distant.
And beside the soldiers, just behind him, stood Eli's party.
All of them were here.
So this mattered.
Eli stood alone at the center of the floor, hands bound, shoulders straight out of habit. He had stood in worse places. Battlefields choked with corpses. Cities on the verge of collapse. He had stood while curses were screamed at him and while praise rained down like flower petals.
This place felt colder.
"Hero Eli White," the accusation rang out, carried by a voice trained for judgment, "you are charged with secretly siding with the Demon Kingdoms. With betrayal of humanity. With endangering the realm."
Eli blinked once.
Then he laughed.
It was quiet. More breath than sound. Enough to draw a few frowns from the officials seated above him.
He looked back at his party.
The warrior who had sworn brotherhood would not meet his eyes.
The archer stared ahead, expression carefully empty.
The healer's hands trembled inside her sleeves, not with guilt though.
None of them spoke.
"For the last time you bastards. I didn't do it," Eli said.
The soldiers shifted. Some of them had followed him before. They remembered his back, always in front. They remembered how often he was the one left standing when retreat was called.
No one stepped forward.
The king rose.
"For the sake of the realm," he said, "this matter has been decided."
That was it.
Eli had enough long ago. He had suffered for these people. He had taken blame when plans failed. Had been sent where others refused to go. Had made enemies simply by surviving, by being inconvenient, by being useful where others were not.
He had been treated poorly. Betrayed more than once. Used as a shield, a weapon, a warning.
And still, foolishly, all he had ever wanted was to be loved.
He looked around the hall again.
Not one face showed shock.
That was the answer.
The accusations were not the truth. They were the cover.
The truth was far simpler, and far uglier.
After the demon king reached Obsidian Core. Everyone was in fear. With that as leverage, the demons sent an ultimatum. If they sacrificed one of the four heroes, they'd offer temporary peace.
The kingdom chose Eli.
Because he stood alone. Because he had no great clan behind him. Or simply because of how naive he was.
If the people knew the truth, they might ask questions. So a cover story was needed. A traitor fit nicely. Hence here we are today.
Eli exhaled.
So this was all he had ever been.
A tool.
When the execution decree was read, he did not interrupt. When he was forced to his knees, he did not resist. His heart felt hollow, scraped clean, but beneath that emptiness something darker began to coil.
*Is this it? I'd sacrifice my life for these people yet...they wouldn't do the same? I was never needed. I was simply something to help everyone else. Only to be discarded when the need arises.* He thought.
He lifted his head one last time.
"I gave you everything," he said quietly. "And you couldn't give me even this."
[I apologise Hero Eli.]
[You gave everything to humanity. Yet everyone betrayed you.]
[I will make it up to you.]
*System.*
During his life, the only thing that stood by him was this mysterious power known as the hero system. All heroes possessed it, however, his was more alive.
No one answered.
Eli sighed. "IN MY NEXT LIFE I'LL GET YOU ALL!!"
The blade fell.
Hero Eli died. His body was sealed, bound, and prepared like cargo. By nightfall, it was sent beyond the borders, delivered to the Demon Kingdoms as payment.
...
..
.
I jumped from the bed. Panting.
"Was that a dream?" I asked myself. Of course it wasn't. It felt too real. Then if it was a dream what am I doing here?
I was in my bed. The room looked familiar. Two beds, a closet the mirror. Instantly I knew where I was. "This is Rose Blue Academy. This is my room, I'm a first year."
My thoughts Instantly thought about what the system said. Is this how it makes everything up for me? By giving me another chance at life? I cannot deny that.
I got out of the bed and went to the mirror, indeed it is me. I'm Eli and in my previous life....
A smirk crossed my face, "Yes, my previous life. Hahaha. This. This is an opportunity! Those bastards, I told them I will get them in my next life!"
I couldn't help but laugh some more. To think, my wish would Instantly come true. This time I won't be a naive hero, I'll do things my way. Clearly, being the good person did not work out.
"System?"
"System?" I called out. Of course, by this time I hadn't yet become a hero. I only do during my time as a soldier.
Well, even if I don't have my system, I can still use my knowledge to become strong before the demon king reaches Obsidian Core, if he does not a soul can stop him.
I clenched my teeth so hard they made a sound. Tears welled up in my eyes, "Thank you system. I will not waste this chance."
Everyone betrayed me, I turned my head and looked at the other bed. It belonged to Keleb, my first friend at the academy and the first person I can remember to actually betray me.
"Oh my sweet Keleb. What to do with you?" My mind raced with the many ways I could kill Keleb right now. Luckily for him he was out, probably on one of his morning walks if I remember well.
I started walking to the bed when I suddenly stopped. A familiar yet unfamiliar set of text appeared before me:
[Intergrating...]
[KARMA SYSTEM]
Name: Eli White
Mana Heart: [Iron Core — Grade 4「50%」]
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 14
Agility: 14
Endurance: 13
Perception: 18
[KARMA CAPACITY]
Current Spite: 0 Karma Points
[SHOP– LOCKED]
I was momentarily taken aback. This was not my hero system. This was a Karma System? Never in my previous life was there such. These mysterious system were only unique to heroes and they were called 'Hero System' .
Could this be...a gift from my system?
"Hahaha. What does it do then?"
Like the hero system by simply clicking the name it tells you what it does:
[Karma System]
[A unique system born from the anger and disappointment of betrayal, rewarding those who are betrayed ]
"So... the more I am betrayed, the stronger I become?"
A slow, jagged smile stretched across my face. It was a terrifying expression for a first-year student to wear.
"Good. In this life, I won't run from the knives in my back. I'll welcome them."
I looked at Keleb's empty pillow.
"I'll start with you, 'friend'."