Chapter 01 — The Dead Can Rise?

The apartment door clicked shut behind him. Zak sighed, the sound echoing in the small, empty space.
​「I’m back... Oh, yah.」
​A small beep drew his attention—a message alert on his phone. He glanced at the screen.
​【Hmm, seems like they're having fun... Lucky.】
​He stifled a yawn, the mundane fatigue of his old life settling over him.
​「...But I’m off to bed.」
​Zak dragged himself to his room, the familiar weight of solitude a blanket.
​Goodnight, Zak.

​ A King’s Summons

​The soft light of a strange sun filtered through a massive window.
​A persistent, hushed voice invaded the silence.
​「Wake up... Please, wake up.」
​Zak's eyes fluttered open, his consciousness rising slowly like a diver from the deep.
​「Hmm... my room is bigger...」 He blinked, the opulent canopy and silken sheets of a royal bed coming into focus.
​「Wait... this ain't my room.」
​His gaze drifted to his hands. They were smooth, unblemished, and utterly foreign.
​「What, what the hell is this!」
​He scrambled out of the bed, his bare feet hitting a plush, thick rug, and darted to the nearest reflective surface—a massive, gold-framed mirror.
​【No way... I'm a teen again.】
​In the mirror's reflection, a regal, middle-aged man with a worried expression stood behind him.
​「Who are you?」 Zak spun around, facing the stranger.
​The man bowed, a gesture of deep respect that seemed oddly placed.
​「I am Alberto Loscraf... Thirteenth King of the Loscraf Kingdom.」
​Zak felt the sudden pressure of an unknown destiny, but his voice remained flat.
​「Okay, Alberto. Why am I here?」
​King Alberto straightened, his gaze grave.
​「We used a complex magic spell to summon you here... to our world.」
​Zak's composure shattered. His eyes widened, his mind reeling from the impossible declaration.
​「What?! No way! It can't be! Tell me everything, and don't try to lie to me.」
​King Alberto simply nodded.
​「...Alright.」

​ The Doppelgänger’s Conditions

​10 Minutes Later...

​The air in the grand chamber was thick with unspoken truth.
​「...And that, young man, is the whole truth.」 Alberto concluded.
​Zak sat on the edge of the bed, absorbing the impossible reality.
​「Okay, I see. So, I’m your late son’s doppelgänger, and he died because his body couldn’t handle the constantly increasing mana.」
​「Yes. It is.」
​【If I had to guess, the poor guy didn't know how to keep it stable. That's why he died.】
​Zak pressed on, his voice laced with suspicion.
​「And you say the kingdom needed his power because he was blessed by the gods or something?」
​「Yes, that's true.」
​【I can't reveal the real reason why my son was taken from me... Sorry, young man.】
​Zak stood, the young body he now inhabited radiating a controlled intensity.
​「Okay, then look. I’ll play along. But I have some conditions.」
​Alberto’s relief was palpable beneath his composed exterior.
​「I will make sure to follow them.」
​Zak held up five fingers, ticking off each demand with cold precision.
​「One. I choose my own wife/wives. Two. I have all rights over myself—I’m no one’s puppet. Three. I have a say when it comes to using my powers for your kingdom. Four. I'll only help when the threat can't be dealt with by your strongest knights. And five. If you use me as a weapon for any type of means, then I walk out on you. Got it?」
​Alberto gave a small, genuine smile.
​「Yes, I do.」
​【I thought they were going to be more absurd, but it's fine like this.】
​「So, what do I address you as in front of people?」
​「Well, Father. Or Your Majesty.」
​Zak ran a hand through the unfamiliar hair.
​「(...Sighs...) Okay. Your son... what was his name?」
​「It was Zackry.」
​【Hmm... The same as mine, huh. Guess I really was his doppelgänger, or he was mine.】
​「So, how old am I?」
​「In four days, you’ll turn nineteen. A ball will be held so you can choose your wife-to-be—it’s tradition in the royal family.」
​「Oh, okay, I see. So, your son's powers, what were they?」
​「He had an affinity for all the elements, including Light and Dark magic. He also possessed the magic of Alchemy and Blacksmithing.」
​【Hmm... That's quite an arsenal.】
​Zak checked the Status interface that only he could perceive.
​【But here, Alchemy and Blacksmithing are Skills... Err... Creation Magic, now that's interesting, but it must be limited if he died.】
​「Okay. Now, what's the news we'll feed the people? Because if I had to guess, they think I'm dead, ain't it?」