Birth of New Hope

“What the hell is happening…?”His eyes opened and he stood up. His body was gone, yet he found himself standing in a vast, empty void-an endless darkness stretching in all directions. No sound, no light... nothing but silence.
Then-tap, tap, tap-the sound of footsteps echoed across the void. Someone was there, yet no figure appeared. A voice, calm and unsettling, greeted him.”Hello, my friend.”
His voice trembled as he said, “Who... who are you?”
The voice gave a quiet laugh. “That is meaningless.That matters is -you are dead.”
He accepted reality but was also confused and said. “Hah! Dead, Then why am I here, in this empty place?”
The presence laughed again and said . "After death, every human soul either returns to the old world or is reborn into another. But you... your case is different.”
He was worried. “Different...? What do you mean?”
The voice became deeper and sharp. “Do you not remember? In that fight, the girl stabbed you with a mysterious dagger. That blade holds a cruel power-it destroys the soul or erases existence from reality. That is why you are here... trapped in the void.”He looked into the darkness while tightening his fists. “If my soul was erased from reality... then why do I still exist here, in this void?”
The presence said. “Because you were stabbed by that dagger, your soul was cooked ,but I uncooked you. Technically, you should have been gone forever. That blade was specially crafted to erase existence from all of reality. But..." the voice softened, almost playful, “ but...I bent the laws. I changed the rules of reality to keep you here.”
He was confused . “That's... complicated. But... What do you want from me?”
The presence said, “Do you really think I'm asking something from you!. I altered reality for my own entertainment. You Consider me your... 'plot armor. So , that's why I've given you a second chance to prove who you really are.”
His eyes glowed and said. “Fine then. I'll prove myself. I'll show you who I am.” He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “But at least... Tell me your name.”
The presence was quiet before answering. "In reality, I have no name. But in different universes, some call me... 'Glitch.' They have their reasons. But tell me what will you call me?"
He thought for a moment and said , “You've changed the laws of reality like they're toys. You saved me when I should have been erased. God? No... I'll call you Supreme God. Yeah – that suits you .”
There was a little whisper of laughter in the silence. “ Supreme God... hmm. Powerful, isn't it? I like it.”
“Of course!” he said confidently. “You're beyond gods themselves. You twist the rules of existence. You're... honestly really Overpowered.”
The presence said, “Then show me. Show me what you can do with this chance I've given you.”
Suddenly, the ground beneath him vanished. His body dropped as if the void had opened beneath his feet. He screamed, "Ahhh! Wait! I still have more questions!"
The voice, calm and playful, replied one last time, “That's why I'm sending you early…”
As he continued to fall, everything turned into white.
The scene shifted to a dense forest where heavy rain poured down, drumming on the leaves and turning the ground into thick mud. A few horse riders raced through the storm, pushing forward as if chasing something—or desperately trying to reach somewhere.
Among them, one rider stood out—a blond-haired man with a serious, desperate look on his face. He pushed his horse harder than the others, racing through the rain with fiercedetermination. No matter how much the rest tried, they couldn’t keep up with him. It felt like something unseen was driving him forward, something only he could sense deep inside.
In a quiet village, inside a modest wooden house, the air was thick with tension. A woman with long black hair lay on a bed, her body trembling as she struggled through the pain of childbirth.
Two women stayed close at her side, working urgently to help. One of them pressed firmly on her shoulder and urged, “Push! Push harder! You're almost there!”
The blond-haired man and his teammates finally reached the village, their horses slowing as they neared safety. One of his companions called out cheerfully, "After your wife gives birth, we're throwing a proper celebration!"
The man nodded, a tired but happy smile on his face. "Thanks," he said quietly, then urged his horse toward his home.
Finally he reached the house and pushed the door open. Inside, he saw his wife, exhausted but smiling, holding their newborn baby. The two helpers stepped aside, smiling and said congratulations before leaving the room.
He approached slowly, his eyes softening as he knelt beside his wife. Gently, he looked at the baby and whispered, "That's my son…”
His wife smiled faintly, her voice weak but full of pride. “He'll grow up to be a fine warrior, just like you, Karl.”
Karl laughed softly, brushing a finger against the baby's tiny hand. “ Look closely, Rose. His face, his hair-it's like you. He carries your beauty.”
Rose laughed softly and said , “"Then... let's give him a name together.”
Karl and Rose exchanged a glance, then said together with warm smiles, "His name will be Ark.”
The newborn moved faintly at the sound, as if accepting the name.
‘Ark, huh...?’ the boy thought from within his tiny body. ‘Sounds like a pretty cool name. Hah, so that presence really did give me a new life. A fresh start, in a normal family…’
The next night, the villagers gathered in the ground, lanterns glowing warmly against the dark sky. Music filled the air as people clapped, laughed, and danced in celebration and one person said . “Tonight was special-it was the birth celebration of Karl's child.”
Karl and Rose stood together at the center, smiling as the middle-aged village leader approached with his wife. "Congratulations, Karl, Rose. You've become parents," he said with a warm smile.
Thank you for coming, Leader," Karl and Rose replied together, bowing slightly. Moments later, a few villagers pulled Karl and even the leader into the dancing crowd. The square roared with cheer, and laughter carried under the stars.
Meanwhile, Ark lay quietly in Rose's arms, watching everything. He thought, "Everyone's celebrating, dancing, smiling... But me? I was just born yesterday! I can't even move, much less dance. What a disappointment… to watch people celebrating my party.”
Rose, who had no idea what was going through those baby minds, laughed softly as his little face twisted in frustration.
His eyes continued to wander around among the villagers. Faint colors, some sharp and vibrant, others weak, pulsed around each person like flames in the rain. Ark examined them closely, as though he were using a scholar's eye to analyze the flow.
“So that's their mana level. Low, but stable. That old man has decent control... the younger ones, too raw. Interesting.” He said. “This world really is full of surprises. At least one thing's good-I can measure mana level from birth.”
Ark smiled and thought. “ Let's see what I can do in the future.”
The villagers celebrated all night with music, dance, and laughter. Karl and Rose smiled proudly, while baby Ark quietly observed, thinking of magic and future possibilities