The Hero Who Should Have Died

Red. All that could be seen was a deep, blood-red hue that seemed to draw in the soul itself. That crimson scene was all Han Ha-Sun could see as he knelt down at the lifeless forms of his friends, companions, and family.

Towering above those bodies stood a handsome man with a disarmingly kind face—the type everyone like and instinctively trusted. Yet despite those gentle features, his visage was steeped in blood and twisted into a smile so chilling it would send shivers down even the bravest spine.

This man spoke in a voice reminiscent of a demon tempting and provoking the soul.

"My little Han, you should have seen the looks on their faces. So confident you would arrive to save them. Yet when your son was taken from them before their eyes, you never came. With each death, their certainty turned to fear and despair. Even your beloved wife lost hope when she realized the truth—the reason you never arrived. Do you want me to show you the face she made when she saw..."

The man’s features began to ripple, shifting as though changing.

"Shut up, you damned demon," Han snarled.

The man’s smile only widened, his shifting face reverting back to its default form. Pointing to his own head, with a slight mischievousness, two jet-black horns pushed forth from under his skin, radiating a dreadful aura.

"Oh, these? Mere decorations," he said with mocking tone. "Your wife noticed them straight away… and when she realized what that meant, her hope broke." His eyes glittered with delight as Han’s face twisted with grief and fury.

“And when she saw you with another—drugged, manipulated, a puppet in my hands—the betrayal etched on her face was exquisite. The great hero Han Ha-Sun, undone not by strength, but by a simple deception.

So naïve, trusting one of my 'rejects' as if I’d ever let one go willingly. Do you really think I’d let one of my experiments just ‘walk’ away from me? Haha, you should have seen how excited she was when she got picked to play the damsel in distress role, it was a sight to behold."

On the ground, helpless to do anything but glare upward, Han screamed with rage. The demon seemed to revel in it, his grin stretching wider with every anguished cry.

But his fun was cut short as new cloaked figures appeared.
"Gabriel, finish up. We need to deal with that resistance group he gathered, ‘they’re’ getting impatient."

Clearly dissatisfied, Gabriel moved to loom over Han with his demonic horns casting a clear shadow.

"Well, it looks like we must end here, my little plaything. It was entertaining, but now we move on to your friends who dare resist us."

With those words bringing him to the extreme, Han tried to muster what little strength remained, desperate and with intense rage he lashed out, but Gabriel’s spear descended. A blinding light exploded outward, and the world fell silent.

Gabriel lifted his immaculate spear, not a single mark upon it. He fleetingly thought. "Though it’s sad to lose my plaything, I have a job to do...” His gaze lingering for a few moments before he turned around and looked into the distance. “I suppose I’ll need to find a new toy once this is over."

In an instant he vanished with his cloaked brethren in a golden flash. Far in the distance, a pillar of light erupted, and countless unseen souls dissolved into its radiance.

…

In a dark chamber one by one, shadowy silhouettes appeared until exactly fifty people stood unmoving like statues. Then for no reason, wooden torches lining the walls sparked to life, casting their warm glow across cracked stone.

The figures stirred, panic rising as voices filled the air. Confusion spread, then suddenly glowing blue text appeared, incorporeal yet real, hovering in the air.

[Welcome, participants, to the Centre World.]

[We understand this might be difficult for some of you since you were taken from your home world and brought here, but you must quickly come to terms with that as soon the trial will start, and you will have no choice but to survive or die.]

The words hung in the air in front of them, unshaken by the shouts of disbelief.

[Speak "Status" to view your information.]
[Select your class wisely—it will shape your path.]
[A five-minute countdown begins now. We wish you luck. May as many of you survive as possible.]

That final line weighed heavily on many of them. Some clung to each other; others fell silent in despair, and some dropped to the floor in fear.

Only one man sat apart, still and dazed. Before him floated a screen:

Name: Han Ha-Sun

Class: None

Titles: Time Traveler (+30 Luck), Worlds Chosen (Favor of the World. +100 Luck, Skill 'Eyes of the System (SS)'), Slaughterer of Gods (Skill 'God’s Bane (SSS)')

Level: 1

Vitality: 5 (average person = 5)
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 6
Agility: 5
Magic: 7 (average person = 0)
Luck: 150 (average person = -30 to 30)

Active Skills: None

Passive Skills: Eyes of the System (SS) , God’s Bane (SSS)

Eyes of the System (SS) – Permits direct viewing of another entity’s status information.

God’s Bane (SSS) – Colossal increase in damage dealt to targets bearing divine blessing or affiliations.

This man was Han Ha-Sun, who by all rights should have been dead.

'What is happening? Gabriel ended me. He always made certain—body and soul alike get destroyed. Yet I live. Why? This... all feels familiar... "the trial?"... my level... what... what’s going on!?'

His mind raced with thoughts and possibilities as his heart rate slowly increased. Suddenly a faint old memory arose: a golden ring etched with glowing red runes.

‘Could it have been that ring? But it broke after reviving me before… That was its only power—or so I thought. Could there have been more? Was this all foreseen when that fortune teller pressed it into my hand?

Too many questions, too much not known.’ Both heart and mind racing, his breathing quickly became uncontrollable. The immense emotional weight of what he just witnessed raced through his fresh body, having given him only a moment of clarity.

Dropping to his knees he took a few moments, closing his eyes desperately trying to organise himself. Eventually his breathing slowed, and his mind regained its sense of thoughtfulness, a rage and grief-stricken light flickered in his eyes.

‘I must not fail again. For her. For my son. I will not let that demon’s scheme be the end… I must do better.'

He pressed the plus icon, and a floating menu of text unfolded before him:

[Please select your basic class.]
[The numbers within () show stat increases with each level. Your class and achievements will shape future rank-ups.]

Warrior – Sword. (Strength +1, Vitality +1, Dexterity +1)
Heavy Warrior – Greatsword. (+2 Strength, +1 Dexterity)
Mage – Staff. (+3 Magic)
Shieldsman – Shield & Sword. (+2 Vitality, +1 Dexterity)
Rogue – Daggers. (+2 Agility, +1 Dexterity)
Archer – Bow & Knife. (+2 Dexterity, +1 Agility)

Without hesitation his finger hovered over the Warrior option. His status page, instantly changed, as a blue light materialised into a single long sword in his hand. Checking the other screen of text, a clear two minutes remained on the timer.

He scanned the room until he saw a tall, broad-shouldered man in a blue shirt, standing apart from the others—his imposing build keeping people away, yet a clear fright and sense of despair emanated from his eyes all the same.

Han clenched his fist and began walking toward him. 'If I am to succeed this time, I’ll need allies. And this one… might be the first step.'