My eyes flicked open, and the same set of stars lit up the night sky alongside the crescent moon. The crackling sound and warmth of the campfire didn't startle me anymore.
"I'm back here again," I mumbled, trying to piece things together.
The last thing I remembered was a sea of flames flooding the alley. But I knew that wouldn't be enough to kill the girl. She was strong. I could feel it.
"Those were her final moments… She could've won that fight if she fought back, but she couldn't bring herself to kill her father," came Death's voice from the side.
I didn't flinch. I already expected him.
I turned to look at him and noticed a few changes. He now had two pairs of angelic black wings flapping gently behind him—but they were bound by black chains, like shackles that wouldn't let him fly.
"Why did I see that?" I asked.
Death's expression was serious as he met my gaze.
"Death magic is powerful… and it carries traces of its past wielders. Be ready. These visions will become more common now that your power is awakening," he said as I slowly sat up.
I lifted my arm, and the clanking of metal made me freeze.
My left arm was bound by a similar black chain.
"What's going on?" I asked, surprised by how calm my voice still sounded.
I've heard a lot about magic, but I've never heard of one that turns its user into a slave.
Before I could complain any further, Death did something I didn't expect. He fell to his knees and lowered his head in a deep bow.
I blinked. Did Death just bow to me?
Was there some kind of royal bloodline in that pearl I ate?
"Forgive me for taking so long to introduce myself," he said. "Call me Lin, Guardian Spirit of Death—but most know me as the Angel of Death."
His voice was respectful—completely different from before.
I felt a shift, and it made me uncomfortable. Still, I got to my feet cautiously, and his eyes followed my every move.
"Now that you wield the power of Death, you are destined to become the God of Death. I've been tasked with guiding you on that journey," Lin explained before I could even ask.
It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. I didn't even know how to feel about any of it.
But honestly, my feelings didn't matter—not when I was still chained to the ground.
"Explain this first," I said, raising my chained arm.
"This power will be your strength… but also your cage," Lin said softly. "It's a path of hardship and suffering. But if you succeed, invincibility will be within reach—"
"Cut the bullshit," I frowned, cutting him off.
"What's actually going on? And why are you making a big deal out of just an element?" I asked, then suddenly remembered something. "More importantly—why the fuck did you give me magic that'll get me hunted like an animal?"
Lin shook his head, this time with a hint of guilt in his eyes.
"Even Guardian Spirits are bound by the world's laws. There are things I cannot say yet because you're not ready. But be patient. Everything will unravel in time," he said. "Still… I can tell you this: Death magic encompasses all forms of dark magic. You won't have any problem fitting in."
"I see…" I mumbled, then paused. "Did you just say spirits?"
Lin rose to his feet, towering over me—but still nodded respectfully.
"I am only one of four Guardian Spirits. In time, you'll meet the others. They are your only true allies in this world."
As soon as the words left his mouth, my vision went white… and then everything turned black.
---
My eyes fluttered open.
I was floating in a pool of black water beneath a massive window, sunlight streaming through and lighting the clear sky above.
More importantly… I still had my clothes on.
Well, rags.
"I almost didn't think you'd make it to the bathtub. Most people collapse on the spot during that process."
A familiar voice came from behind, and I frowned.
The pool wasn't deep, so I stood up and turned.
William.
But standing beside him was something else—something much harder to ignore.
A towering figure, nearly seven feet tall, cloaked entirely in century-black robes. A hood hung low over its face, and a black scythe hovered beside it. But its attention wasn't on me.
It was locked onto William.
"What's going on?" I asked, my eyes bouncing between William and the eerie figure.
This was the most emotion I'd shown since making my deal with the devil.
"What?" William asked, clearly confused by my reaction.
{The Angel of Death is never too far from anyone. He's seven steps away. Which means this man has seven years left.}
Lin's voice echoed in my mind.
I was stunned. Did this mean I could tell when people were going to die?
Forget magic—this skill alone could make me rich. Noble or not.
Everyone wants to know their fate.
{Remember, your only allies are other new God candidates like you. You cannot tell this man what you see.}
I rolled my eyes and sighed. Exhausted.
More rules. More warnings. All this power and all I've gotten so far is a bunch of laws and grim prophecies.
When would someone finally tell me something good about this cursed magic?
"It's nothing… my head's just playing tricks on me," I replied and stepped out of the pool.
Weirdly, my body felt lighter. Stronger.
I wasn't even hungry.
Wait—I hadn't felt hunger since I came back to life. Not even before Lord Blackwood rescued me.
I'd been too distracted to notice until now.
'I hate this magic,' I muttered in my mind.
I hadn't even used it, and it had already robbed me of my emotions… and now my appetite?
What was it going to take next?
"Are you hungry? Good, because I've had breakfast prepared," Lord Blackwood said, probably mistaking my frown for hunger.
I just nodded. Even if I didn't feel hungry… I should still be able to taste food, right?
---
I sat at the far end of the long dining table, watching Lord Blackwood.
On either side of him were two brown-haired girls—twins, maybe six years old at most. They stared at me with curious eyes.
Five maids entered, each carrying trays stacked with meats—turkey, lamb, chicken, steak, and more.
It was a full protein spread.
Coming from a house where we only got tiny bits of dried meat four times a year, I should've been excited.
But… nothing changed.
"This hole," I muttered.
"You okay? You keep clutching your chest," Lord Blackwood asked.
"I am?" I looked down. I didn't even notice.
I picked up a knife, carved out a large piece of steak, and shoved it into my mouth.
The twins watched me, their innocent faces twisting in mild horror and disgust as I chewed with my mouth open.
Halfway through chewing, I made enough room in my mouth to talk.
"I just feel a bit different," I shrugged. "At least the food still tastes good," I added.
Lord Blackwood didn't seem fazed. He just shrugged and downed his wine in one gulp.
"Let's test out your magic after breakfast," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
In the world of magic, a magic core was the difference between a mage and a normal human.
Accumulate → Channel → Release.
Once mana is accumulated, it can be channeled through the body, using the core as its base. Then, through a mage's elemental affinity, the mana reacts—and magic is unleashed.
The difference between high-rank mages and low-rank ones lies in mana accumulation speed. Once someone reaches a certain level, they can accumulate mana so quickly they rarely need to tap into reserves. Lower-ranked mages, on the other hand, recover so slowly it can take a full day just to fill back up—let alone cast spells on demand.
That's where magic cores come in.
Core refinement was vital for growth. Every core starts out black, and the color lightens as one climbs the ladder:
Mortal Realm → Black
Earth Realm → Brown
Sky Realm → Orange
Spirit Realm → Yellow
Saint Realm → Blue
Divine Realm → White
William walked ahead and led me into a room. It was empty—no windows, no curtains, no furniture. Just a stone podium with a crystal orb resting on it.
"Go ahead, give it a try," he said, and I nodded.
I approached and placed my hand over the orb, feeling the warmth radiate from it. The moment my palm made contact, a strong wind burst from my body, and a tongue of fire engulfed both my hand and the orb.
Then my shadow thickened, expanding until it completely swallowed the room. There was a stench rising from the darkness—one I recognized.
Death…
I glanced beneath my bare feet—and there it was. A colossal eye that covered the entire room. Its eerie, dark-green gaze locked onto me.
Maybe I would've flinched—if the Angel of Death wasn't standing seven steps from William.
"Darkness, fire, and wind! Hahaha, nice one, lad!"
William's words came with resounding claps, like I'd just accomplished something amazing. But it left me wondering if he hadn't seen the eye.
"Now we know your strength. Come down to the fields; let's practice," William said and exited the room, leaving me alone with the eyeball.
At this point, I just shrugged and followed behind. I can't keep complaining about every new thing that happens.
On our way downstairs, we talked about a few things, and it turned out that having three elements was a big deal. In this world, people were born with two.
What William believed to be the shadow element was actually a subtle manifestation of my death magic, which gives me access to all forms of dark magic: blood, shadow, curse, and necromancy.
But from what I understood from Lin's explanation, death magic is an element of its own—meaning I had seven elements.
If I told William that, he might die of a heart attack.
Behind the grand estate, an open field stretched wide and far. I couldn't see the end of it and wondered why such a vast space was untouched.
"I could turn this into a massive farm," I muttered—and heard a light giggle echo in my skull.
Death was laughing at its small-minded host.
"Go fuck yourself," I muttered before turning my attention to William's distant figure.
"Let's begin," he called.
He opened his palm, and a tongue of fire flared to life in his hand.
"Magic is nature. Nature flows. Magic must flow to work—and the only way to achieve that is through controlled emotion," William explained. "Each element is tied to an emotion. Rage for fire. Loneliness for shadow. Find the emotion that draws out your power—and learn to control it."
I nodded, remembering the shadow tendrils I'd conjured unintentionally when I first met him—the same kind I saw in the vision.
That girl felt alone. Just like me.
I looked at the hands that had carried Lucy and remembered: she still had to be buried.
Doesn't that mean… I'll never see her face again?
The more I thought about it, the more I felt myself falling into despair.
Reality struck me—I'm all alone now.
Buzz!
"Incredible…" William's gasp snapped me back.
Only then did I notice—my shadow had expanded to a ten-meter radius, with tendrils slithering around me like serpents. It felt like what I experienced in the alley—but the connection was stronger.
"How do you cast spells?" I asked, running my hand over one of the tendrils.
"Imagination!"
That was his answer.
My shadow shrank, the tendrils fading into the ground, and I approached him with a frown.
That couldn't be it. I was expecting something more complicated—but he only nodded and spread his hands.
"Your core and mana allow you to manifest magic. But shaping that magic, giving it form—that's the job of your mind."
He explained more, but I was already confused.
{Visualizing the spell is key,} Lin added.
Before I could reply, William summoned another flame, this time shaping it into a spear.
"If I can just make something appear at will, what's the point of incantations and grimoires?" I asked, shaking my head.
I might not know much about magic, but grimoires and incantations weren't exactly secret knowledge.
{I feel a bit embarrassed now,} Lin admitted.
I rolled my eyes and waited for William's response.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he snuffed out the fire spear with ease. Then his eyes began to glow with a faint amber light.
"From ember's breath to blazing wrath, I shape the spear of burning death.
Flames coil, heat bends—pierce through all, until nothing stands.
Ignite—Infernal Lance!"
Buzz!
I stepped back instinctively as flames burst forth, forming a spear twice the size of the one before.
"Incantations help paint a stronger picture in your mind," William said. "The clearer the image, the stronger the spell."
He smirked and lowered his arm.
"You've got a lot to learn—not just about magic, but about this world. That ends our practical test. Time to hit the books."