In a lush, verdant forest bathed in soft golden sunlight, a young man lay sprawled on the moss-covered ground. His jet-black hair was messy, strands falling over his closed eyes. He wore entirely black clothing—simple black shirt, black pants, black boots—and a long black scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. A small silver earring glinted on each ear, catching the light filtering through the leaves.
A gentle breeze passed through the trees, rustling the foliage.
The young man's eyelids twitched.
Slowly, they opened.
"…Where… Where am I?" His voice came out hoarse, confused.
He blinked several times, staring up at the canopy of green and blue sky. Birds chirped somewhere distant. The air smelled fresh, alive—nothing like the scorched, blood-soaked wasteland he remembered.
"And what the hell am I doing here?" He pushed himself up on one elbow, wincing slightly. "Wait… shouldn't I be dead?"
The last image burned into his mind was Nox's arm buried in his chest, black flames roaring, his body split in two. The pain. The blood. The final, bitter thought of failing his sister, his comrades.
Yet here he was. Breathing. Heart beating.
He looked down at his hands.
They were… smaller. Younger. No scars. No calluses from decades of gripping a sword. Smooth, unmarred skin.
"What the—?"
Suddenly, a calm, slightly ethereal voice echoed directly inside his skull.
**[Welcome, Player Yami.]**
Yami shot to his feet in an instant, sword-hand instinctively reaching for a blade that wasn't there.
"Who the hell just spoke?!"
**[I am your Divine Evolution System.]**
He froze.
"My… what?"
**[Yes. I was implanted into you by my Creator. My sole purpose is to make you far more powerful than you have ever been.]**
Yami's red eyes narrowed. He scanned the empty forest around him, heart pounding—not from fear, but from a strange, rising excitement mixed with disbelief.
"So… I really died. And someone—or something—brought me back. In a new body."
He clenched his fists, feeling the unfamiliar lightness of this form.
"Fine. Show me what I've got."
A golden holographic panel shimmered into existence in front of his eyes, visible only to him.
**Status**
**Name:** Haruto Sasaki (Yami)
**Age:** 17
**Level:** 1
**HP:** 5000 / 5000
**MP (Aether Pool):** 1000 / 1000
**EXP:** 0 / 100
**Statistics:**
- **Strength:** 18
- **Speed:** 22
- **Agility:** 25
- **Dexterity:** 20
- **Endurance:** 19
- **Vitality:** 21
- **Intelligence (IQ):** 148
Yami stared at the numbers.
"Haruto Sasaki… So that's the name of this body's original owner."
He felt something strange then—a faint pressure behind his eyes, like memories not his own slowly seeping in. Flashes: a high-school uniform, crowded Shibuya streets, neon lights, laughter with friends, the sudden blare of a Gate siren, panic, running, then… darkness. A brutal death inside a Red Gate. The soul had been crushed, devoured—leaving an empty vessel.
And now Yami's soul occupied it.
The memories weren't forced; they flowed naturally, like water filling cracks. He understood Japanese perfectly now. He knew the streets of Shibuya, the train lines, the names of convenience stores. He even remembered Haruto's favorite ramen shop near the scramble crossing.
But the personality, the fears, the dreams—they were gone. Only echoes remained.
Yami smirked faintly.
"Good. Less baggage."
He focused on the skills section.
**Skills:**
- **Judgment Blade** [Lv.1]
- **Black Chain Curse** [Lv.1]
- **Crimson Flames** [Lv.1]
- **Aura Fear** [Lv.1]
- **Tenebrae** [Lv.1]
- **Instant Analyze** [Lv.1]
- **Dragon Variant** [Lv.1]
· Azura Dragon
· Crushing Sky Dragon
· Crimson Dragon
**Inventory:** (Empty)
**Active Quests:** (None)
Yami exhaled slowly.
"Everything… carried over. Even the dragon forms."
He remembered the pain of unlocking those during the Purge—devouring dragon hearts, bathing in their blood. Now they were here, sealed at level 1, waiting to be fed again.
The System spoke once more.
**[Your soul has overwritten the previous occupant. The body's memories have been integrated for seamless adaptation. You are currently located in a forested area approximately 12 kilometers northwest of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. This world operates under the Aether System. Gates appear. Hunters awaken. Monsters emerge. You are unregistered and currently classified as an unawakened civilian.]**
Yami raised an eyebrow.
"Unawakened? With 5000 HP and my skills?"
**[The native Aether System has not yet detected your presence. Your Divine Evolution System operates independently and is invisible to external scans. You may choose when—or if—to register as a hunter.]**
He chuckled darkly.
"So I can walk around like a normal high-school kid… until I decide to show them what real power looks like."
He cracked his neck.
First things first: figure out where exactly he was, get to Shibuya, and see what this world had to offer.
As he started walking toward what felt like the direction of the city (Haruto's memories helped), another notification appeared.
**[New Quest Generated]**
**Quest: First Steps in a New World**
**Objective:** Reach Shibuya Scramble Crossing and observe the current state of hunter society.
**Reward:** 200 EXP, Basic Identification Card (unawakened), 5000 Yen
**Optional:** Do not reveal your true nature to anyone.
**Bonus Reward (if optional completed):** +1 Level, Skill Point x1
Yami's lips curled.
"Already trying to control me, huh?"
He accepted without hesitation.
"Fine. Let's play along… for now."
The forest path opened up ahead. Sunlight danced on the leaves. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the faint roar of traffic.
Shibuya.
A new world.
A new body.
But the same soul.
The same rage.
The same unquenchable thirst for power.
Yami—Haruto Sasaki now—stepped forward, red eyes gleaming under the peaceful blue sky.
"I died once."
He murmured to himself.
"But this time… I won't just survive."
He clenched his fist, feeling the faint pulse of **Tenebrae** stirring deep inside.
"I'll become the apocalypse they fear."