Sora's vision blurred as the light consumed him. For a brief moment, the overwhelming brightness made it impossible to focus on anything else. Then, as quickly as it began, the light receded, and he was no longer floating in the void.

But before he could take in his new surroundings, a name appeared in his mind—Rachel.

The memory of her betrayal surged forward, vivid and raw. Her eyes, cold and calculating, as she struck him down without hesitation. The memory stung in ways that cut deeper than any blade. Being betrayed by anyone else would not have hurt as much. Rachel wasn't just anyone; she was Nathan's widow, his brother’s wife. The woman Sora had sworn to protect after his brother's death.

A surge of conflicting emotions gripped him. Anger washed over him first. 'How could she? How could the woman who had mourned beside me, who had shared the weight of Nathan's loss, turn on me so ruthlessly?'

'Every shared glance, every conversation—had it all been a lie? Since when had she been planning this betrayal from ?' His fists clenched at the thought of her smile, 'The way she had seemed so vulnerable at his brother's funeral.Had it all been a facade, a mask hiding the true Rachel ?'.

'Why? Why would she do it?' He had only ever wanted to protect her, to honor Nathan's memory. He had fought for her, bled for her, thinking that they were bound by their shared grief. They were both broken by the same loss, weren’t they? They had both loved Nathan. And yet, she had betrayed him so easily..

The confusion twisted into grief. He had trusted her—more than anyone. 'She was family. We were friends for since kindergarten. And I was the one to introduce her to Nathan... They got married and I was so happy for them... Why did I bring that snake into the family ? Did I get my brother killed?'

The grief was suffocating. He thought about Nathan, how proud he had been of Rachel, how much he had loved her. Sora had sworn to protect her after his brother's death, to keep her safe as Nathan would have wanted.

But under the grief, something darker stirred—resolve. Slowly, the sorrow and confusion began to harden into something sharper. He wouldn’t let this betrayal break him. No, it would make him stronger. 'You might have thought that this is the end for me, but you have underestimated me. You are quite unlucky, even I wasn't aware of this innate skill. And I'll make you regret this. This is my promise to you."

Sora's jaw clenched as his thoughts cleared. He wouldn't just survive—he would thrive. He was stabbed in the back, yes, but this was not the end. It was only the beginning of his next life, one where he would leave behind the person he had been. Rachel wouldn’t recognize him when they crossed paths again. She wouldn’t know who he was until it was too late.

As the mist around him began to shift, a voice echoed through the emptiness, soft and melodic. "Welcome, Sora."

He took a cautious step backward, worried about encountering danger. However, nothing unexpected happened, and he started looking for the voice around him.

Sora spun around, his hand instinctively reaching for a sword that was no longer at his side. The voice had pulled him from his thoughts, but the anger and hurt still simmered beneath the surface.

There was no one in sight—only mist swirling faster now, as if responding to some unseen force.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice trembling but laced with a fighting spirit.

From the mist, a figure emerged. It was a young woman, her form hazy and indistinct at first, but becoming clearer with each passing second. Her hair floated around her as if suspended in water, and her eyes glowed with an ethereal light. She didn't look real.

"I am the Overseer," she said, her voice carrying a weight of authority. "Here to explain your next steps."

Sora narrowed his eyes, his pulse still racing. "Next steps? Where am I?"

"You are in the Transition Space," the woman explained, her hands clasped in front of her, her voice calm, almost soothing. "A place between death and rebirth. This is where you decide your next course. Your [Prestige]skill has brought you here."

Sora’s jaw tightened. The [Prestige] skill—the very thing that had allowed him this second chance, this escape from Rachel’s betrayal. But it came with its own set of consequences. He had known that before activating it.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Everything you were, everything you built," the woman continued, her gaze unwavering. "It’s gone. You will return to the world, but you will start anew. You may choose your new form—your new identity. But be warned, Sora Hashino, this is a true rebirth. No one except for the system will be aware of your identity unless you reveal it. You can choose to be anyone you want."

Sora looked down at his hands, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. His body, though familiar, felt distant. Everything he had once been—his skills, his strength, —all of it had been stripped away, leaving him raw and vulnerable. But this was also an opportunity.

"I've read about the options," he said slowly, recalling the lines of text he had seen before activating Prestige. "I can change my appearance. My identity."

The guide nodded. "Yes. You can leave behind everything that ties you to your past. No one will recognize you—not your enemies, nor your friends."

Sora’s mind flashed to Rachel again, to the coldness in her eyes as she betrayed him. No, he couldn’t risk her finding him again. He couldn’t trust anyone, not even those he once called allies. Changing his identity meant severing every tie to the person he had been, but it was the only way to ensure his survival—and his revenge.

"I have always played it safe, satisfied by my progress, ignoring the news of players becoming God on Earth. But to fulfill the promise I made to myself, I need to be stronger," Sora muttered to himself, more determined than ever. "Stronger than anyone who will dare to protect her."

The guide watched him closely, her expression unreadable. "You have chosen to change your identity Sora, so I'll give you a moment to choose who you'll be."

Sora current appearance was that of a 1.73 m tall man. He was born in Japan in 2020 during the pandemic. He had black hair, had dark brown eyes, and weighed 62 kgs.

The guide raised a hand, and a translucent screen materialized in front of him, displaying a variety of features—face shapes, hair colors, eye colors, body types. It was like designing a character from scratch in a game. He could choose to become anyone.

For a moment, Sora hesitated. The possibilities stretched out before him, endless and tempting. He could become a completely different person—so different that even he would have trouble looking at himself in the mirror. But in the end, no matter what face he chose, no matter what body he inhabited, deep down, he would always be Sora.

With quick, decisive movements, he made his selections. His new face was sharper, with a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes. His hair was blond, completely different from the black hair he had before. His body was still lean but had more muscles, seemingly streamlined for agility and precision, even a few centimeters taller than in the past.

When he was done, the guide nodded, her gaze approving. "It is done. You will awaken in one month’s time, as if no time had passed for you. Your journey will begin anew."

Sora felt a strange sense of relief as the mist began to swirl around him once more, faster and faster. But this time, he wasn’t afraid. He had made his choice, and he would live with the consequences.

Before the mist consumed him completely, the guide’s voice echoed through the air one last time. "Be careful, Sora. The path ahead is fraught with danger, and being overconfident will not serve you but your enemies. You have a great innate ability, but you are not alone. There are others who have power, but you merely have potential."

And with that, everything vanished.

Sora's consciousness faded, and for the first time in what felt like ages, he slept.

When he awoke, his body felt… different. As he pushed himself up from the cold stone floor, his movements were smoother, quicker, more controlled. His hair, now blond, fell in front of his eyes, a stark reminder of the changes he had chosen. He glanced down at his hands, his fingers leaner and more agile than before.

He turned, catching his reflection in a dusty mirror. Sharp blue eyes stared back at him, and he felt an unfamiliar sense of detachment. The man in the mirror was a stranger—and yet, he was also Sora.

His lips curved into a grin. 'I am really back'.

You have been reborn

"Status," Sora muttered, and the familiar panel blinked to life in front of his eyes.

Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hashino)

Status: Alive (Prestige 1)

Class: None (Level 1)

Title: Innocent

Power Level: 10

Energy Level: F

Body Level: F

Talent Level: 2

Growth Level: 2

Skills:

• Sword Mastery (Level 1)

• Shield Block (Level 1)

• Critical Strike (Level 1)

• Dodge (Level 1)

• Mana Regeneration (Locked)

Innate Skill:

• Prestige

Sora studied the numbers, his grin widening. Despite being reset to level 1, his stats were already double that of an average beginner. Strength, agility, endurance—each stat translated into raw power.

His talent level was now 2. And that meant he would be twice stronger than someone who had the same abilities but a talent level 1.

His growth level was equally doubled. 'This means leveling up will be a piece of cake compared to before. This is doubling every time ?? This innate skill is incredible'

This time, there would be no hesitation. He would become the hunter, not the hunted.

Death wasn’t the end. It was a new beginning, and Sora had every intention of taking full advantage of it.