Rebirth in Blood

“What now? This body’s a valuable one, you know!”

The silence in the room was shattered by the hoarse voice of a man in his fifties.

“It’s a success, Doctor. It’s good that you managed to convince the owner of this body to accept the experiment.”

Zoah—the protagonist—lay there, hazy and unaware of what those around him were saying. His eyes were still closed; he didn’t even know who was speaking. All he could feel was an overwhelming fatigue, heavy breaths, and a sleepiness that threatened to drown him completely. He just wanted to close his eyes and never wake up again—to escape the endless exhaustion that clung to him for reasons he couldn’t even comprehend. It was as if he’d been crushed under the weight of stress for so long that his mind simply wanted to give up.

As he drifted closer to sleep, a shrill voice suddenly rang out, yanking his consciousness back to reality.

“Hey! Wake the hell up, you damn brat!”

His body was yanked out of the sleep chamber—a cold steel pod resembling a cocoon. Dim light flickered from nearby computer screens, and surrounding him were people dressed in white lab coats. Dragged out with his body still limp, Zoah gasped for breath, trying to focus through the blurry haze of vision that hadn’t yet recovered.

“Hey, Urt, he was only just confirmed as a success! What the hell are you doing? That could endanger the kid’s life!”

The man named Urt—one of the researchers—shouted back in fury:

“Shut the hell up, all of you!”

Silence fell over the room after the outburst. Even so, everyone looked displeased, clearly unhappy with Urt’s behavior.

At that moment, Zoah began regaining awareness. In a faint voice, he asked:

“Where... am I?”

Upon hearing the question, Urt turned around, staring intently to confirm. When he saw that Zoah was truly speaking, his face instantly went pale. Without another word, Urt placed Zoah back into the sleep chamber and began hurriedly packing up his belongings.

“Hey, Urt! What the hell do you think you’re doing? If something goes wrong with the experiment, you’re the one who’ll be held responsible!”

“Shut up! Don’t you get it? After this experiment, do you really think any of us will make it back alive? This is an inhumane experiment!”

Few took Urt’s warning seriously. Most just thought he was being paranoid or overreacting.

A female doctor approached. Noticing Urt’s strange behavior as he left, she moved closer to Zoah, gently tending to him as he lay motionless in the cold, metallic cocoon.

World Overview:

This world had undergone an apocalypse a thousand years ago, triggered by a bizarre human experiment. Humanity had successfully awakened a "second consciousness" within the human body—a super-consciousness possessing supernatural power. Once awakened, this second consciousness often took control, erasing the original one.

However, not everyone succeeded in awakening. Those who did, but were completely overtaken, transformed into a new species known as NG. These NG possessed superhuman abilities and a heightened sense of self-awareness, leading them to rebel against humanity. Initially created as living weapons for national use, they eventually turned and became an independent species.

Since NG looked just like humans, they could blend into society. In contrast, if a person succeeded in controlling their second consciousness, they remained human—albeit with supernatural powers.

The difference between NG and humans lay in their abnormal physical traits or inhuman features—long ears, beast-like characteristics, and so on. Because of this, NG were gradually identified and discriminated against, leading to conflict. Eventually, war broke out, and humanity fell. Today, seventy percent of the Earth is under NG control, with the remaining territory held by humans.

To prevent the spread of NG, a ritual called “Purification” is performed when humans turn sixteen. If the second consciousness takes over, the subject is immediately eliminated.

Outside the zones protected by the Peace Alliance—composed of five major civilizations—are the free lands, unprotected and lawless. Here roam creatures called Contaminated Aberrations, born when people fail to control their awakening and are consumed by negative emotions.

Meanwhile, the NG have established their own kingdoms, led by a Queen and ten powerful lieutenants known as the Ten Thrones—each ruling over a kingdom with its own distinct culture. For example, the Crimson Throne reflects Japanese-style architecture, while the White Throne is a grand, white castle modeled after ancient England.

Back in the present—while the female doctor cared for him—Zoah suddenly jolted. A memory surged into his mind:

“I’ll never lose my family again. Be happy, little brother.”

As the memory ended, the power inside Zoah burst forth. Terrified screams echoed from outside the lab. The door slammed open, and the fifty-something-year-old doctor—Zeke—slowly stepped in.

What met his eyes was a horrific sight: bodies strewn across the room, blood splattered all over the floor. Zoah sat trembling in the center, clutching the edge of a metal table, his eyes filled with panic. He collapsed into a chair, holding his head and muttering:

“Who am I...? Why did they die?”

Zeke calmly replied:

“You are Zoah. A newly born being. This body once belonged to a boy in a vegetative state, nearly dead, who agreed to give it to you.”

“I... was born? But why save me?”

“Because while in that vegetative state, you activated a powerful ability. Transferring your consciousness and power into this new body was a high-risk experiment—but we succeeded. You should be grateful, if you can keep your mind intact.”

“Then... what I truly want is...”

“To restore humanity to the rightful place it once held.”

Zoah remained silent. Again, the memory echoed in his mind:

“Be happy, little brother.”

“No!!”

“What?” Zeke tilted his head.

Zoah looked up, his gaze resolute:

“What I truly want... is to ensure that the younger brother of this body lives a happy life.”