I had nothing left to live for.
No family. No friends. No future.
Just a shattered soul wandering through a world that had already taken everything.

Then I died.
And that’s when everything changed.

I woke in a world of light. A void between realms. A place where gods whisper and broken souls wait to be judged. There, I met Ashen Crimson—a man who had once been worshipped, then feared, and finally cursed by the very gods he had defied. A tyrant who had destroyed his own world.

But now, he’s offering me something terrifying:
His life. His past. His power. His chance to make things right.

The catch?
The world of Zerawell is fractured.
Ashen’s name is soaked in blood.
His fate is sealed—exile, ruin, and eternal hatred.

And now, it’s my name.
Because I’ve been reborn as Ashen Crimson, heir to a house that both reveres and reviles me. A noble with dormant shadow magic, a shattered reputation, and a cursed destiny I never asked for.

But I’ve lived a life of pain. I’ve walked alone through hell already.
And I won’t follow his footsteps into madness.

With a divine system familiar in my soul, a second chance burning in my chest, and the memories of a monster as my burden—
I will rewrite this fate.

Let them call me villain, disgrace, or traitor.
I didn’t choose this story.

But I’ll finish it.

Even if it kills me.

If I had rented that mana-beast carriage, I would've reached Hally Forest in five days. But no—genius me chose to walk. Fifteen days later, I finally stood at the edge of the dark green abyss they called a forest.


In those fifteen days, I trained like a lunatic. Turns out, this body had monstrous mana but zero compatibility with the shadow element at first. And yet… thanks to the System's earlier reward, the synchronization began. My core started merging with the shadow element.


I can cast spells like a proper mid-boss villain.


▸ Shadow Bind – Binds a target using shadow chains. Effective for immobilization.


▸ Shadow Bomb – Creates a volatile orb of shadow mana that explodes on impact.


▸ Shadow Creation – Materializes basic weapons or tools using shadows (e.g., sword, spear, shield).


➤ System Note: Mana-Core Compatibility at 23%


'SS mana and I still puke like a dying frog every time I cast two spells. Why's that, huh?'


[ Because your mana core is like a high-capacity battery… but your body is like a paper straw. It can store and generate mana, but can't regulate it. Look at your physical stats, you walking glass noodle. ]


Honestly, if I didn't have cheat-tier mana and villain-grade memories, I'd be curled up in a corner somewhere doubting my life choices.


The Ashborn Academy entrance exam was in three months. Written? Easy—my predecessor's memories were practically a walking test bank. But the physical trial… a damn battle royale in a monster-infested zone?


I'd be dead before even saying, "I'm not Ashen, I swear."


Lost in thought, I stepped into the forest—branches creaking, shadows dancing like whispers.


A goblin and a kobold locked in a sloppy death match.


Both injured. Both bleeding. Both completely ignoring the third party who just entered the chat: Me.


I raised my hand. The shadow under my feet twisted unnaturally.


From the dark puddle beneath me, a black spear emerged—sleek, jagged, and humming with lethal intent.


I aimed and hurled it like I was born for this.


You have defeated your first enemy. Ranking System Unlocked!


──────────────────────


Kill Progress: ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1/10


'Oh? A leveling system too? Don't mind if I do.'


Maybe walking here was the best choice. Because if this forest is filled with low-level XP dispensers like that, then your boy is about to level up faster than a main character on triple XP weekend.


Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Level 1 Trash With SS Mana