Do you know the term "past life"?
It refers to the life you lived before being reborn, before this current existence.
Setting aside things like past-life experiences or whatever, people often tell stories like that.
They used to say that everyone has seven lives—in the past, many believed that.
What even is a past life you can't remember? In the end, you just die and that's it.
It's nothing more than a hopeful tale for those enduring a harsh life, clinging to the idea that another one awaits afterward.
That's probably how they thought about it. No one could have known.
Just how important that damn past life would turn out to be.
[Another explosion has rocked the heart of the city. Investigations confirm this was also a deliberate terrorist attack...]
[In the midst of this sudden crisis, it was none other than Eugene (19) who stepped in to resolve it...]
[The government will hold an emergency press conference regarding this incident...]
I listened to the voices while my eyes stayed glued to my phone screen. These were articles posted today.
[Youngest SS-Grade Superhuman, Eugene. Who exactly is he?]
[Eugene's past life hails from a martial arts dimension...]
"..."
Hoo...
The season where a sigh turns into visible breath.
Feeling the wind cut across my cheeks like a blade, I turned off my phone screen.
I had a feeling looking at more wouldn't do me any good.
In the dark night, under the soft glow of streetlights lining the familiar path I always took home.
-Jin-woo, I understand what dreams you're chasing, but... some things just aren't possible.
As I walked, the teacher's words from earlier still echoed in my ears.
-If you really can't let it go, I can reach out to some guilds and check for related jobs.
-But give up on becoming a Knight, like you dreamed. For the sake of your future.
I could understand why the teacher said that to me.
She must have felt sorry for a student wasting his life on something impossible.
That's why she told me to give up now.
That it was enough.
Thinking back on it made me scratch my head without realizing.
"Ah, what a shitty life."
A hollow laugh escaped me. I wanted to become a Knight.
I'd poured the last few years into it, but now the chance was slipping away with less than a day left.
Me.
I was cursed with not remembering my past life.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
To become a Knight in our lineage, you first had to go through Awakening.
From age ten to nineteen, over a decade, a tiny fraction of people experience Awakening by sheer luck.
Those who do gain special powers and become Superhumans.
One key point here.
During Awakening, the person recalls their past life. Sounds random, right?
But most who become Superhumans go through that process.
Past life.
Ridiculous and far-fetched as it sounds, it was real.
The special power a Superhuman gains matches the one they had in their past life.
For example, the world's number one—America's Superhuman and Knight, Hail Irene—claims she was a Great Mage in another world.
And indeed, the power Irene wields is magic.
As you can see, past lives aren't limited to this world.
Fantasy realms.
Martial arts worlds.
Every kind of world imaginable.
Humans who Awaken recall the past life they lived in one of those dimensions.
Ironically, while there are fantasy or martial arts worlds out there,
some people have past lives from this world or ordinary ones.
Those folks might Awaken but end up with no special powers.
In other words, if your past self was a nobody, Awakening changes nothing.
And amid all that, a Knight is...
The title given to those among the Awakened whose powers stand out.
Knight.
The qualification to enter Gates that appear every five days, crossing dimensions—the reason our era enjoys any peace at all.
And yet.
I, who dreamed of becoming one, would lose even that hope tomorrow.
Awakening happens between ten and nineteen.
If you hit twenty without it, you never recall your past life.
Statistics prove it.
In over a decade, not a single case of Awakening at twenty or older.
Click.
I unlocked the door and stepped into the empty house that greeted me.
"I'm home."
No reply, of course, but I said it anyway.
These little things made me feel a bit better.
I didn't turn on the lights.
"I'm home."
In the pitch-black room, I greeted the portraits of my parents in the corner.
A habit formed over time.
'Tomorrow... I need to stop by school, then head to Seoul.'
I knew it was hopeless, but I couldn't dwell in despair forever.
I had to live.
And knowing it was impossible meant finding another way now.
'What if I don't pass? Should I look into the military?'
'Do they even take civilians these days? I heard no Awakening means no service.'
'How much money's left?'
'Ah, rent's due tomorrow.'
'If the interview flops, time to hunt for more part-time gigs.'
What now?
My head was stuffed with those thoughts, suffocating and exhausting.
There was one thing to do in times like this.
'...Just sleep it off.'
Even thinking was tiring.
Best to fall asleep quick.
Like always.
Creeeak.
I opened my bedroom door.
"Ugh... cold."
Why so chilly? The window was open.
Huh? Did I leave it like that?
My memory was fuzzy.
Mornings were always rushed.
Could happen.
Then.
Shhh...
A presence behind me.
Before I could identify or react, I snatched the mood light from my desk and swung it backward.
Whoosh!
The light sliced through empty air swiftly.
Crash!
It shattered against the wall.
"...Huh?"
Nothing there when I turned.
Weird? I definitely felt it.
'Tired hallucination?'
Maybe.
I checked the mood light in my hand.
"Ah, this... it was a gift."
Ruined... one of the few luxuries in this house.
Gotta sweep up the shards and crash.
Glancing at the clock then.
11:59.
One minute until the day ended—and until my hope died.
"Haha."
So damn tough.
As I thought that and reached for the broom.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ■ Reincarnation Roulette commencing.
"Hm?"
A strange sound rang in my ears.
What was that?
Huh?
"Wait, this is..."
My eyes widened.
They say when you Awaken, you hear a weird alarm like this.
"Wha..."
My heart pounded. The moment that hopeful thought hit.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ■ Reincarnation Roulette commencing.
"...!"
A notification window I'd never seen popped up before my eyes.
That was it.
'Reincarnation Roulette...!'
The thing you see if you Awaken.
You pick one of your past lives from it.
My breath trembled. Awakening with less than a minute left.
How to describe this feeling?
Clutching my racing heart, I focused on the window.
Rrrumble!
The window spun, revealing several cards.
Cards numbered 1 through 7.
"...Pick one?"
With trembling fingertips hovering, I stared at them.
Which one? What if my past life sucks? Then it's all pointless.
'Please.'
Let it be a good one.
After agonizing, I picked one. Number 5.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ■ You have selected a past life.■ Knight Lord (S)■ Your chosen past life is Knight Lord.
"Guh..."
I clamped my hand over my mouth.
S-Grade.
Only eleven in Korea, fewer than three hundred worldwide. Insane rank.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ■ Confirm selection?
'...Finally...'
I'm saved.
My life turned around. I could almost taste freedom.
Reaching out without hesitation.
No doubts. Had to confirm now.
But.
Pok. Pok.
"Huh?"
For some reason, pressing the button did nothing.
What?
"It should work..."
They said confirming injects the memories and powers right away.
"What's wrong?"
No response.
Something's off. Did it glitch? Anxiety surged—
Crackle—
Crackle-crackle—!!
"Wha...?"
Cracks spiderwebbed across the Knight Lord window.
What the hell?
Panicking, gasping—
-No good.
A voice from somewhere.
-Can't settle for trash like that.
Who? Where?
Sudden chaos—I wanted to check—
'...Body...'
Suddenly, I couldn't move.
A Superhuman?
Esper type?
Magic type?
If real, what's their goal...? Thoughts raced.
The voice continued.
-Finally found you after all those chances.
A raspy, gravelly tone.
Thick and aged—man, old.
My frozen body and downward gaze hid him.
A withered, wrinkled hand reached out.
Toward the Knight Lord window in front of me.
Clutching it like an embrace. What now?
Krunch!
"...!!!"
Eyes bulged, veins throbbing in my neck.
The hand crumpled the window like paper.
My chance—gone.
S-Grade past life, vanished.
"No... way..."
Forcing my sealed lips open, groaning—
-That's not the path for you. Pathetic.
The old man discarded the crumpled window.
Then snatched the seventh of the six remaining cards floating in the air.
Screeech—!!!
The card spun. No light.
Unlike the orange Knight Lord.
Pure white card darkened to black.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ■ You have selected a past life.■ Beep... Beeb...
The window glitched erratically.
Then showed me the past life's name.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ■ Martial God (??)
'...Martial God?'
Simple name. Rank hidden.
-Expand that rat-shit vessel yourself.
The old man's voice drilled in.
-Power too much for you? Handle it yourself.
-Can't? End it now.
That instant.
Something sucked into my body—below the navel.
"Hngh...!"
Like thousands of needles stabbing at once. Impossible agony.
Eyes bulged.
Veins ready to burst.
Couldn't think.
That much pain.
Yet.
-Open your ears, worthless descendant.
The voice cut clear.
Clear, but words muffled here and there.
He ignored it, pressing on.
-All I've built flows to you.
-Live small after this? I'll crush your heart myself.
Body hit limit, unable to endure.
Consciousness faded.
'Don't wanna die...!'
Still so much left to do.
Revenge.
Glancing down. Newspapers and photos piled on the floor. Gritting teeth.
Couldn't die like this after clinging so hard.
In blackening vision, the voice flowed in.
-Martial God.
Etched into my mind.
-Remember. You are Martial God now.
-Whatever your life's name, become Martial God.
With that, my mind snapped.
As I lost consciousness, before me.
Beep.
Beeb.
A notification rose.
⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING ⚠️
■ Grade adjusted for dimensional stability.
■ Martial God (???) > Martial God (EX)
■ Dimensional attention required.
An unprecedented warning in the world.
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