Chapter 1:

Darkness.

Endless, suffocating darkness.

There was no sound, no warmth, and surprisingly, no pain. Rayden floated aimlessly within the abyss like a forgotten soul drifting through the currents of eternity.

He could not feel his limbs or hear the steady rhythm of his own breathing. It felt as though existence itself had simply moved on without him.

Only his thoughts remained, flickering like a dying candle.

"So... I actually died."

The realization didn’t bring terror. There was no sudden spike of panic or a heavy weight of regret—aside from the crushing disappointment of missing his weekly episode. There was only emptiness.

Silence stretched around him until time lost all meaning. Seconds and centuries felt identical in the void. Rayden tried to move an arm, but nothing responded. He tried to speak, but no voice emerged.

"...This is depressing."

The thought echoed pointlessly into the nothingness. He had expected death to be dramatic.

He expected angels, a grand judgment, or perhaps a mysterious afterlife with some fine print. Instead, he was trapped inside a black screen with no exit button.

What kind of garbage user experience is this?

No answer came. Rayden sighed internally, resigned to the void.

" This Really Sucks."

Then, the world shattered.

**BOOM!**

A blinding radiance tore through the darkness like a hammer through glass. Rayden instinctively shut his eyes as an overwhelming pressure descended from every direction, crushing the silence. The empty void vanished.

When he opened his eyes, his breath hitched. He was standing on an enormous circular platform floating within an endless cosmic sky.

Countless stars drifted around him like rivers of liquid light, while massive fragments of shattered worlds hung suspended in the distance. Colossal chains stretched across the heavens, seemingly binding the fabric of reality together.

Ancient pillars towered around the platform. Even "towering" felt like a pathetic understatement; these pillars were large enough to pierce through entire galaxies. Rayden slowly lifted his head, and his blood turned to ice.

Two gigantic thrones floated above the platform. Seated upon them were beings so immense that their very presence distorted the space around them.

One throne radiated a pure, blinding white and gold. The other pulsed with a rhythmic, menacing black and crimson.

The figure on the golden throne wore flowing robes that shimmered like living sunlight. Their face remained hidden beneath swirling divine radiance, framed by countless golden halos rotating slowly in the background.

Warmth. Peace. Authority. Their existence felt like the embodiment of creation.

The second figure sat lazily upon a throne forged from shadow and hellfire. Black mist coiled around their body while crimson lightning cracked violently through the vacuum.

Shifting shadows obscured their face, resembling a sea of screaming souls. Destruction. Chaos. Madness.

Rayden stared at the two cosmic titans for several seconds before nodding thoughtfully.

"...Either I’ve finally lost my mind, or this is the highest budget hallucination ever created."

The dark figure leaned forward slightly, the movement causing the stars to tremble. "Oh? This mortal can still joke in our presence?"

The voice thundered across the heavens like an exploding sun. Rayden immediately covered his ears, flinching from the vibration. "Okay, wow. lower the volume, please."

The golden figure chuckled softly, a sound like chiming bells. "Interesting."

Rayden blinked. *Wait. They replied. Oh no.*

The dark figure suddenly slammed a hand against the arm of its throne. "Let us skip the pointless formalities and send him to the Abyss."

Rayden stiffened instantly. "The what now?"

"The Abyss," the dark figure repeated casually. "An endless realm of torment, suffering, despair, carnivorous beasts, immortal demons, flesh-eating parasites, and eternal agony."

Rayden stared blankly at the god of destruction. "...That sounds slightly unpleasant."

The golden figure sighed. "You exaggerate."

"I do not."

"You absolutely do." The golden monarch turned back to Rayden, though the dark one crossed its arms in a huff.

"The parasites only consume your soul for the first few centuries," the dark figure muttered. "After that, it becomes tolerable."

Rayden raised a hand slowly, as if in a classroom. "Excuse me. I would personally prefer not getting spiritually eaten if possible."

The dark figure ignored him completely. "This mortal is clearly unstable. Did you see his final thoughts before death?"

The golden figure coughed awkwardly, the light around its head flickering. "...I did."

Rayden frowned. "Wait. You can see those?"

The dark monarch’s voice boomed with mocking laughter. "You died saving children from a collapsing inferno, and your final regret was missing an episode release."

Rayden looked away, his expression carefully neutral. "It was a very important episode."

The two cosmic beings fell silent. Even the stars seemed to stop their celestial dance. Finally, the dark monarch pointed an accusing finger. "See? Completely insane."

The golden monarch rubbed its forehead. "And yet, he still sacrificed his life to save others despite having no obligation to do so."

"A moment of stupidity."

"A moment of compassion."

"A fatal lack of self-preservation."

"A noble heart."

"A starving fool."

"A selfless soul."

Rayden watched the argument play out like a tennis match. Then, he slowly sat down cross-legged on the platform.

The dark monarch paused. "...What is he doing?"

Rayden shrugged. "You two look like this might take a while. Might as well get comfortable."

The golden monarch laughed softly, but the dark monarch sounded genuinely offended. "You dare treat the judgment of existence like entertainment?"

Rayden glanced around at the giant floating planets and the chains of the universe. "I mean... if I’m already dead, I might as well enjoy the scenery. It’s better than the black screen."

The dark monarch stared in silence for several seconds before muttering, "...I kind of like him."

"I heard that," the golden monarch replied immediately.

Rayden raised another hand. "So... am I dead-dead, or just temporarily dead?"

The golden monarch answered calmly. "Your mortal body has perished."

"Damn."

"However," the monarch continued, "your actions have earned you an unusual opportunity."

The dark monarch groaned dramatically. "Why do we even reward mortals like this? He jumped into fire willingly. That is not intelligence. That is the peak of known stupidity ."

Rayden opened his mouth to protest closed it, then opened it again and then closed it, he nodded thoughtfully. "Honestly, that’s a fair argument."

The golden monarch pointed toward him triumphantly. "Yet even now, he does not regret saving them."

The dark monarch paused, its shifting shadow-face narrowing. "...Do you?"

Rayden leaned back slightly, staring at the endless stars. "Actually No."

The answer came instantly, without a hint of hesitation. The cosmic winds fell silent. Rayden continued quietly, "My life wasn’t worth much anyway. Not trying to sound edgy, just being honest. Those kids probably had more waiting for them than I did."

A genuine, heavy silence filled the heavenly platform. The golden monarch finally spoke, its voice tinged with something like wonder. "You humans are strange creatures."

The dark monarch snorted. "They are idiots."

Then, both monarchs looked directly at Rayden. Their combined pressure descended simultaneously, making reality tremble.

"Rayden."

Hearing his name from beings beyond comprehension sent a violent chill down his spine. The golden monarch spoke first. "You shall be granted a second life." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Rayden blinked, his heart—or whatever he had now—racing. "...Seriously?"

The dark monarch raised a finger. "Do not celebrate yet. You will not reincarnate into peace. You shall enter a world ruled by strength, a realm where weakness is trampled beneath stronger beings every single day."

The golden monarch continued. "A boundless plane exists beyond countless realities."

Massive gates materialized across the stars, millions of them. Each one radiated an ancient, terrifying power.

"The Universal Gates," the golden monarch said. "Every gate leads to a different world, civilization, or dimension."

"You," the dark monarch added with visible amusement, "will enter whichever gate your fate choose."

Rayden stared upward. "So basically... a random spawn point?"

The dark monarch blinked. "...That is an extremely disrespectful simplification."

"But accurate?"

"...Unfortunately, yes."

Rayden nodded. "I can work with that."

The golden monarch smiled faintly. "Before your reincarnation, you may request a single wish."

Rayden froze. "A wish?"

"Correct."

His brain immediately exploded with possibilities. Immortality? Infinite wealth? Absolute strength? Control over time? The ability to never need sleep again? No. He had to think bigger. Much bigger. Far much bigger. Far far much more bigger.

"Hurry up, mortal," the dark monarch grumbled. "I have worlds to destroy and souls to torment."

Rayden ignored the jab. A dangerous thought slowly formed in his mind, gathering speed. His eyes widened gradually. "...Can I ask for something absurd?"

The dark monarch laughed. "All mortal wishes are absurd."

"State your desire," the golden monarch urged.

Rayden inhaled deeply, then pointed upward dramatically. "I want every power imagination has ever created."

Silence.

Complete, absolute silence. The universe itself seemed stunned. The stars stopped moving. Even the cosmic winds vanished. The dark monarch slowly turned toward the golden monarch.

"...Did he just attempt to rob existence itself?"

The golden monarch looked equally speechless. Rayden raised both hands defensively. "Look, you said ’wish.’ Nobody mentioned limits or a budget."

The dark monarch suddenly burst into a laughter so violent that entire galaxies shook.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The sound thundered endlessly across reality. "I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID! THIS MORTAL IS INCREDIBLE!"

The golden monarch sighed deeply. "You truly possess limitless greed."

Rayden nodded, his gaze calm and composed. "Go big or go home."

"You already died though."

"...Right. Point taken."

The dark monarch wiped imaginary tears of shadow. "Every power imagination has ever created? Do you even comprehend how ridiculous that request is?"

Rayden shrugged. "Worth a shot."

"If we granted that wish, you would surpass creation itself before even reincarnating," the dark figure said, leaning forward.

Rayden thought for a moment. "...Still sounds pretty good to me."

The golden monarch covered its face with a radiant hand. The dark monarch laughed even harder. "This one is shameless beyond reason!"

Rayden pointed accusingly. "You literally introduced yourself by trying to throw me into hell!"

"A fair opening."

"It was not."

The monarchs suddenly began discussing among themselves through strange cosmic whispers.

Rayden could not hear the words, but he could see reality warping around them as concepts bent under the weight of their conversation. After what seems to be several minutes, they turned back toward him.

"We cannot grant your wish directly," the golden monarch spoke first.

Rayden sighed dramatically. "I knew it. Life disappoints me even after death."

"However..." the dark monarch interrupted, a predatory grin forming beneath its shadows. "We have devised something far more entertaining. There may be another way."

The endless stars above dimmed. A strange, heavy pressure descended across the platform. Then, behind Rayden, something appeared. He slowly turned around and froze.

Countless figures stood silently within the darkness. Every single one had his face. Some radiated terrifying intent. Some burned with crimson flames.

Some wore ancient scholar robes, while others looked cold, emotionless, or monstrous. Millions of different versions of himself stared back from the void.

Rayden felt the hair on his neck stand up.

The Monarch of Darkness spoke slowly. "You wished for limitless possibilities."

The Monarch of Light continued, "Then we shall grant you an existence capable of pursuing limitless paths."

A strange symbol formed beneath Rayden’s feet. Mirror-like cracks spread across the platform as blinding light erupted around him.

The countless reflections behind him began dissolving into streams of light, rushing toward his body.

Pain exploded through his soul instantly. Rayden’s eyes widened as it felt like something ancient and forbidden was being carved directly into his very being.

DING!

A cold, mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.

[Infinite Reflection System Activated.]

[Host Soul Bound Successfully.]

The Monarch of Darkness grinned . "Survive long enough, and perhaps one day even the heavens themselves will fear you."

The Monarch of Light raised its hand toward the sky.

Countless massive gates appeared, each radiating a different aura... holy, demonic, or ancient beyond comprehension. One of the gates slowly creaked open, and a violent pulling force wrapped around Rayden’s soul.

His body began breaking apart into particles of light. "So this is reincarnation..." he muttered, the pain beginning to numb.

The Monarch of Light spoke one final time. "Beyond that gate lies a world ruled by cultivation, power, and endless conflict."

The Monarch of Darkness laughed. "Try not to die immediately, mortal."

Rayden grinned faintly despite the sensation of his soul being stretched. "No promises."

The pulling force intensified. The stars disappeared. The platform shattered. The two monarchs faded into the distance.

[Beginning Transmigration.]

[Universal Gate Selected.]

[Destination Confirmed.]

Darkness swallowed Rayden once more.