The forest grew quieter.
Too quiet.
Valerius—Prince in his former world—stood in the shifting mist, the blue glow of the Eternal Sovereign System hovering before him like a celestial decree. His heartbeat steadied as he stared at the floating symbols, each one pulsing with an ancient, god-defying rhythm.
This was real.
His rebirth was real.
The vow he made before death was now shaping his destiny.
He inhaled, the cold air burning against his lungs as he tried to gather his thoughts.
"System," he said slowly, "what exactly… are you?"
The light trembled, as if amused.
[I am the Eternal Sovereign System.]
[A construct born from the shattered laws of existence.]
[Forged in the moment your dying soul rejected weakness.]
[My purpose: to guide you to supremacy.]
Supremacy.
The word resonated like thunder in his chest.
On Earth, Prince had never used such a word for himself. He was humble. Quiet. Too kind. People took advantage of him because they knew he wouldn't fight back. They used his goodness like a shield for their own cruelty.
But here…
In this dark forest…
In this body filled with dormant power…
He felt something else rising inside him.
Not arrogance.
Possibility.
He straightened, tightening his fists. "Show me my status."
The blue screen shifted instantly.
[Status Panel — Eternal Sovereign System]
Name: Valerius Nightstar (Reborn Soul)
Cultivation Realm: None (Unawakened)
Strength: 28
Agility: 31
Vitality: 34
Soul Power: 100 (Locked)
Potential: ∞ (Infinite)
Fate: Unbound
Heaven's Will: Rejected
Unique Constitution: Abyssal Sovereign Body (Dormant)
Valerius's eyes widened. "These stats… are they normal?"
The system answered without hesitation.
[No.]
[Even without cultivation, your physical body surpasses many low-rank warriors of this world. Your soul power is immense, but sealed… for now.]
A shiver ran down his spine.
This body…
This system…
This second chance…
It was overwhelming.
He closed the status screen with a thought. The glowing panel dissolved like mist in moonlight.
"Alright," he breathed out, "if I'm going to survive in this place, I need to learn how things work."
Almost as if responding to his intention, the forest shifted. The mist thickened, the trees creaked, and a low hum echoed through the air. Something ancient was moving.
[Host.]
"Yeah?"
[Your vow created me. Your will shapes me. But your power—your true power—can only be revealed through trials.]
Valerius frowned. "Trials…?"
Before he could ask more, a deep growl rumbled across the forest floor.
He turned sharply.
The mist parted.
Glowing eyes appeared in the darkness… one pair… two… four…
Eight.
Then the creatures stepped into view.
Gigantic wolf-like beasts, twice the size of earthly lions, their fur composed of shifting shadows, their claws etched with faint purple runes. Their breath came out in chilling, icy plumes.
Shadowborne Wolves.
He didn't know how he knew the name…
But Valerius's inherited memories whispered it with certainty.
The wolves circled him slowly, careful, predatory, intelligent.
One stepped forward, growling low. The forest seemed to bend around them, as if these creatures commanded the night itself.
Valerius swallowed hard.
His heart pounded, but he didn't panic. Fear was there, but so was determination. In his past life, fear had paralyzed him. Now, it sharpened him.
He exhaled, gaze steady. "So… this is my first test."
[Correct.]
The system's voice deepened.
[Your first trial begins now.]
A notification appeared:
[Trial: Survive the Shadowborne Pack]
Objective: Endure, defeat, or escape the pack.
Reward: Awakening of Abyssal Sovereign Body (Stage 1)
Failure: Death.
Valerius's stomach tightened. "Failure is… death. Great."
The wolves advanced.
The air chilled.
Valerius took a step back.
He wasn't a trained fighter. Not yet. He didn't know any techniques. No spells. No cultivation.
But he had one thing:
A body overflowing with dormant, terrifying potential.
And the Eternal Sovereign System.
The lead wolf lunged.
Valerius moved without thinking.
His instincts—new instincts—kicked in, sharpening his reflexes beyond anything he ever had on Earth. He sidestepped, the motion smooth, almost natural. The wolf crashed into a tree, the impact shaking the ground.
Valerius blinked in shock. "I… dodged that?"
Another wolf leapt at him.
He raised his arm to block.
Claws raked across his forearm—yet instead of tearing through flesh, they skidded off as if scraping hardened stone. Pain flashed through him, but it was dull, distant.
"What—?!"
[Your body is far stronger than before. Use it.]
The wolf landed behind him, stunned that its attack failed.
Valerius clenched his fist.
"This is insane…"
Another wolf charged.
This time, he didn't dodge.
He punched.
His fist collided with the creature's jaw with a sickening crack. The wolf flew back six meters, crashing into the roots of a massive tree. It didn't move again.
Valerius stared at his hand in disbelief.
"I… did that?" he whispered.
The remaining wolves growled, circling him again, more cautious now.
He smirked slightly, an expression he never wore in his past life.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's see how much stronger I can get."
Before the wolves could attack again, the system chimed.
[Skill Unlocked: Sovereign Instinct Lv. 1]
[Your body now reacts to danger before your mind does.]
Valerius felt a jolt of power spread from his spine to his fingertips. The forest sharpened. Colors deepened. Sounds became crisp.
He could hear the heartbeat of every wolf.
"I can work with this."
The largest wolf howled, signaling the group.
They all attacked at once.
Valerius didn't retreat.
He ran straight toward them.
He ducked under a set of jaws, feeling the wind of the attack brush his cheek. He slammed his elbow into the creature's ribs, hearing bones crack.
Another wolf pounced from behind.
He twisted, grabbed its fur, and used its momentum to flip it over, smashing it into the ground.
His movements were sharp, fluid, almost feral.
Like he was born to fight.
Born to dominate.
As another wolf lunged, he caught it mid-air by the throat, slamming it down and driving his knee into its skull.
The last two wolves hesitated.
For the first time… they felt fear.
Valerius stepped forward, eyes cold.
"No," he said quietly. "Don't run."
They didn't understand his words.
But they understood his presence.
They understood the killing intent radiating from him.
And for a moment… Valerius felt powerful.
Dangerously powerful.
One wolf turned to flee—
Valerius was already in front of it.
He moved too fast for even himself to comprehend. His hand tightened around its neck, and with one swift twist—
It fell.
The final wolf charged blindly, desperate.
Valerius exhaled, focused…
And punched the air.
A ripple—dark and violent—shot outward, slamming into the wolf and crushing it against a tree trunk.
Silence.
The forest stilled.
The mist trembled.
The trees bowed in the wind.
Valerius stood among the fallen wolves, chest rising slowly, breath steady.
His first real battle.
His first true victory.
The system chimed.
[Trial Complete.]
Reward Unlocked: Abyssal Sovereign Body — Stage 1 Awakening
Stats Increasing…
Strength +50
Agility +40
Vitality +60
Soul Power +??? (Pending Secondary Awakening)
Valerius inhaled sharply as warmth surged through his veins. His body vibrated with new power, his senses expanding, his muscles tightening as if reforged by lightning.
He doubled over, gasping, as a tidal wave of energy flooded him.
His veins glowed faintly with dark light.
The ground beneath him cracked.
The air around him twisted.
Then—
BOOM.
A shockwave burst from his body.
The mist blew away for thirty meters.
Trees bent backward.
The earth rumbled.
When the light subsided, Valerius stood straighter than before—eyes sharper, aura heavier, presence overwhelming.
He clenched his fist.
"This…" he whispered, voice trembling with awe, "is only Stage One?"
The system hummed.
[Host.]
"Yes?"
[This is only the beginning.]
Valerius looked at the fallen beasts. Looked at the trembling forest. Looked at his own hands.
A slow, dangerous smile grew on his lips.
"Good."
He faced the deeper parts of the forest, where darker things lurked.
"Then let the world tremble."
He took his first step forward.
"The Sovereign has awakened."