They struck when the war ended.
Jin Park stood alone atop the shattered cliffs of Veyrun, watching the ash of a thousand dead kingdoms drift on the wind. His enemies were defeated. The Demon Courts scattered. The Seven Warlords slain.
He had done it.
He had ended the greatest war of the age.
He had brought peace.
And that terrified them.
Kings and archmages, holy seers and warlords—all those who once called him "ally" now saw something else:
A threat.
A man who had learned too much, killed too efficiently, commanded too much loyalty.
A common-born soldier who rose too high.
So they invited him to the Summit of Peace.
They offered wine. Praise. A crown.
And when he turned his back, they buried thirteen blades into it.
He didn't scream.
Even as his blood poured down the marble steps of the Celestial Hall, he only looked back and said:
"I should have burned you all when I had the chance."
The world dimmed.
And Jin Park died—not as a martyr, not as a villain, but as a man too powerful for the world he had saved.
---
He awoke to warmth.
Blankets too soft. Air too fragrant. Light that danced across colored glass windows. The scent of sandalwood and healing herbs.
And the soft sobs of a woman beside him.
"My Alaric… oh stars, you're awake…"
She was regal. Graceful. Terrifying in beauty and poise.
Her eyes shimmered gold. Her robes bore the crest of House Thorneveil.
And her hand trembled as she touched his face.
Empress Lysandra Thorneveil.
Duchess of the Western Dominion.
Born of Imperial Blood.
And she was his mother.
Alaric Thorneveil. That was his new name.
The memories came in floods. Not just Jin Park's life—his battles, disciplines, scars—but this life too.
Sword lessons in moonlit courtyards. Poison hidden in breakfast wine. A hawk gifted by a half-sister and later found strangled in its cage.
He remembered dying. And now he remembered being born again.
Not by chance.
By design.
---
[SYSTEM AWAKENED: SOUL REINTEGRATION COMPLETE]
Designation: Jin Park → Alaric Thorneveil
Unique Trait: 100x Return System
— Skills, spells, and bonds can be bound
— Power returns are multiplied based on cost, effort, and context
— System enforces Trial Conditions
— Failure carries permanent penalties
Note: First Binding grants a 500x multiplier — but requires life-risking initiation.
---
He stared at the translucent script hovering in the air.
He was only ten years old in this body.
Too small. Too soft. Too sheltered.
But not for long.
This was the Empire of Ash and Flame, a realm of ancient families, living gods, cursed swords, and bloodlines touched by dragons.
Children in this generation—his generation—were called the Era of Monoliths.
Monsters in the making.
Chosen by fate.
Forged by ambition.
And Alaric… was seen as the softest among them.
The pampered heir.
The delicate boy in silk.
The protected son of the Western Empress.
Perfect.
They would never see the storm coming.
Because Jin Park had not been reincarnated for peace.
He had been reborn in a world where monsters ruled.
And he would become the worst of them.
---
System Prompt: Initiate First Binding Trial?
Warning: Life risk required. Failure may result in injury, curse, or death.
[500x Bonus Available—One Attempt Only]
Alaric exhaled slowly, letting his fingers tighten into fists beneath the sheets.
"…Begin."
And somewhere in the depths of the world, an ancient trial awakened.