In truth, Ashen Karin, once known as Ethan, did not belong to this world.
He had once been a citizen of America, the son of loving parents who owned a small restaurant. However, tragedy struck early in his life; at the age of fifteen, he lost both of his parents in a terrible accident. Afterward, his uncle took him in and also took over the management of the restaurant.
Despite the hardships, Ethan found solace in cooking. At the age of twenty-one, he achieved the impossible: he won the prestigious Bocuse d'Or international cooking competition held in France. But fate was cruel. Soon after his victory, he was diagnosed with cancer.
During his hospital stay, to escape the endless boredom and pain, Ethan immersed himself in movies, anime, and web novels. These stories became his escape from reality.
After struggling bravely for four long years, he passed away at the age of twenty-five.
"I remember... I was reading a novel (Rise of the Demon Emperor) before my final surgery. I guess... it didn't go well, and I died, huh," Ashen muttered in a quiet voice.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar world in the body of a lowly servant named Ashen Karin, someone who served Lauren.
As memories of this new body flooded his mind, he quickly realized the shocking truth.
He had been reborn inside a novel [ Rise of the Demon Emperor ] not as a protagonist or a powerful side character, but as an extra. A servant. A background character tied to Lauren, who was a close ally of the main character, Raven, during the early arcs. Together, Raven and Lauren were supposed to fight against the first major villain, Kaal Kilvis.
It took him two months to fully accept his situation. Though it was overwhelming at first, he was ultimately grateful for a second chance at life. This time, he just wanted peace.
But there was a problem.
The original Ashen Karin, whose body he now inhabited, was completely incapable of cultivating Qi. In the world of cultivation, that meant one thing: trash. Destined to remain a mortal in a world ruled by strength.
"I couldn't stay weak in a world like this," he muttered to himself. "In this world, weakness is a sin."
That's when he made a choice that would change everything.
He stole the inheritance of the Kilvis Clan's founder, a powerful legacy meant to be obtained by Raven later in the story. According to the novel, Raven was fated to acquire this inheritance and use it to grow stronger before his battle against Kaal.
To delay that outcome to buy himself time, he made a dangerous move.
"I leaked false information to one of Kaal's minions… I told them Raven might be hiding a treasure," he admitted. "That way, Raven would be forced into hiding… and I could take the inheritance for myself."
With the power of the Kilvis founder's inheritance, he transformed his body, changed his fate, and became capable of cultivating Qi.
He believed Elder Alvin, Raven's grandfather, would protect him long enough until Raven was strong enough to fight back.
But then… the unexpected happened.
"I never imagined Lauren would betray Raven... This never happened in the novel."
The story was already beginning to spiral out of control, and it was all because of the one who shouldn't have been here:
Me, Ashen Karin.
---------( Kaal pov )---------------
When Kaal reached the 130th step, the pressure from the statue intensified to a terrifying degree. It was no longer just weight; it was like invisible chains latching onto his soul, dragging it downward. His Qi circulation faltered, stuttering like a flame in a storm, and his bones creaked under the crushing force.
Despite the burden, a savage glint flashed in Kaal's eyes.
"Is this it?" he muttered, forcing a grin through gritted teeth. "Then I'll just get stronger."
The Myriad Thousand Demon Body inside him began to stir restlessly. Each cell in his body drank the pain, transforming it into raw strength. His muscles bulged subtly, and the veins under his skin pulsed like coiled serpents.
Suddenly, a muffled sound came from his left.
He turned his gaze slightly, and there she was again. Divya had not only caught up but also stepped in parallel with him. Her blue hair shimmered like water under moonlight, and though her breathing was calm, faint symbols glowed across her forehead like ancient seals quietly unraveling.
Kaal narrowed his eyes.
"Who exactly are you?" he thought. "Even with the Origin Core and Demon Body, I'm still being matched?"
As they reached the 135th step, a sharp ringing echoed inside Kaal's head. His spiritual sea trembled, and visions flickered at the edge of his awareness, fragmented memories, or perhaps illusions planted by the pressure of the statue.
But his Thousand Myriad Demon body trembling with each increasing pressure and becoming strong with hidden excitement Kaal begin to climb stairs with pace.
****{ Outside of Nirvana Tower}****
A man with silver-white hair that shimmered with strands of electric blue, crackling with the energy of lightning, stood tall. His eyes gleamed with the same intense hue, glowing with raw, contained power. Behind him, a group of teenagers stood silently. He was Elder Adaeze of the Storm Clan, one of the Ten Heavenly Dragons a title granted to only ten cultivators across the four continents of the Elysian Cultivation Planet.
"Oh, these stairs are meant to test the will of the participants. The higher they climb, the more the pressure increases on both their body and soul. Under such immense pressure, they begin to hallucinate. On top of that, their Qi starts leaking. Without Qi, they cannot protect either their body or soul. Only those with perfect control over their Qi can pass this test," said Elder Adaeze with a smirk.
"And those top four participants can match you, Kevin. It seems the Kilvis Clan is truly the home of a hidden dragon," he added, glancing at the youth with silver-white hair and piercing blue eyes.
Kevin was known as the Young Storm Dragon of the Storm Clan, which meant he was the next heir and the strongest member of the younger generation within the clan.
"Elder Adaeze, you must be joking. If you're talking about the Twin Shadow Dragons, then maybe I'd agree," Kevin replied with unwavering confidence. "But that girl... or that boy with the scar? They're no match for me."
"Hahahaha! Now that's the spirit a Young Storm Dragon should have," Elder Adaeze said, laughing heartily. "But still, you'd be wise to pay attention to all of them."
Kevin simply nodded and turned his eyes to the floating screen in front of him where Kaal had just taken the lead for the first time.