Chapter 5: A Fresh Start

Selena blinked—or, well, thought she did. Floating above her own damn body in the hospital room, she watched as the doctor marked her time of death on a clipboard with a solemn expression.

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she muttered, glaring down at her lifeless form. “That’s it? All that time, and I get checked out like this?”

Taking a breath—or something like it—she pulled herself together. “Alright, Selena. Time to ditch this place and get back to work.”

She gathered energy around her, weaving it into a new form. She was ready to start fresh, but as she finally touched solid ground and opened her eyes, she caught her reflection in the hospital window and nearly choked.

“What the actual fuck?” she blurted, staring at herself.

Her new form was undeniably beautiful, but it was also intense as hell. Her hair was jet black, fading to electric purple at the tips, glowing with a soft, almost otherworldly light. Her skin looked flawless and smooth, with an ethereal glow that made her look like some kind of ghostly queen. Her eyes—now a piercing violet—practically lit up, making her gaze sharp enough to cut through steel.

Then there was her outfit. She wore a dark, flowing coat lined in crimson, layered over intricate black armor that hugged her figure in all the right ways. Black and violet metal plates wrapped around her legs and torso, sleek and lethal-looking. In the center of her chest plate was a glowing purple gem, pulsing with the same eerie light as her eyes.

And the wings. Massive, dark wings stretched out behind her, laced with shimmering purple veins that seemed to hum with power. She looked like a goddamn dark queen, powerful and terrifying.

“Azrial!” she shouted, fury bubbling up as she took in the whole look. “What the fuck did you do to me?”

Right on cue, a dark chuckle echoed in the room, and Azrial appeared beside her, looking way too pleased with himself. “Ah, Architect,” he greeted her, that infuriating smirk plastered across his face. “I see you’ve noticed my... improvements.”

“Improvements?” she spat, throwing her arms out. “I look like your twisted demon queen sidekick! What the hell is this?”

Azrial shrugged, clearly enjoying her reaction. “You left your body behind. I thought I’d give you something a bit more... fitting. And, if I may say so, it suits you.”

“Suits me?” she snapped, crossing her arms and glaring. “I look like I’m about to host a midnight cult meeting. Next time, maybe ask before turning me into your twisted goth fantasy.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

His smirk only grew. “But where’s the fun in that?”

She rolled her eyes, biting back the urge to slap that smug grin off his face—though, considering her current state, she’d probably just phase right through him. “You know what? Fuck it. I’ve got bigger shit to worry about than looking like I just crawled out of your nightmares.”

Ignoring his laughter, she focused on the glowing screen that appeared before her, accessing the system interface. The translucent display hummed with energy, showing all the components she and Azrial had crafted together.

“Alright, let’s get this shit rolling.”

She started by activating the Attributes section, making sure each stat was good to go: strength, agility, intelligence, charisma, endurance, and wisdom. Each attribute pulsed to life, ready to guide and shape those who entered her system.

“These are the basics,” she muttered, double-checking the ranking system.

F Rank (0) - Regular folks, nothing special.

E Rank (1-20) - Barely a step up, beginner level.

D Rank (21-50) - Intermediate; better than average, but not impressive.

C Rank (51-70) - Skilled; actually starting to get somewhere.

B Rank (71-90) - Elite; these guys know what they’re doing.

A Rank (91-100) - Near the top; legit, powerful.

S Rank (101-150) - Superhuman; these are the heavy hitters.

SS Rank (151-200) - Legendary; people who are feared or revered.

SSS Rank (201-300) - Practically mythic; people remember these folks.

EX Rank (300+) - Good luck even scratching them; borderline gods.

She smirked, satisfied. “Alright. Attributes are good. Now for Skills.”

With a flick, she activated the main skill categories—combat, magic, crafting, support—watching the skill trees expand, each filled with potential. “Good luck, you poor bastards,” she muttered with a smirk. “You’re gonna need it.”

With attributes and skills ready, she moved to the Quests section, setting up an initial batch of tasks to give people a taste of the system without overwhelming them. Enough to get them started, but challenging enough to keep them on their toes.

And then, she reached her favorite part: Dungeons.

These weren’t just dungeons—they were massive, foreboding towers, each one with infinite floors and bosses on every level. She’d planted one tower on each continent, and each was visible from any point in the world. No one would be able to ignore them.

“Alright,” she said, grinning as she adjusted the settings. “Each floor gets harder, bosses at every level. You want to climb? You’d better earn it.”

With a flick of her hand, she activated the towers, and they glowed to life, casting an eerie light across the world. Each one would be a relentless, endless test, waiting for those brave enough to face it.

“Well, well,” Azrial’s voice slid through her thoughts, dark and smug. “Setting up little playgrounds for your heroes, are we?”

She rolled her eyes, barely sparing him a glance. “Unlike you, I actually give a damn about giving people a fighting chance, Azrial. These dungeons are tough, but at least they won’t turn the world into a bloodbath if left alone.”

He chuckled, his tone infuriatingly condescending. “Oh, I know. That’s what makes it so... quaint.”

She clenched her fists, doing her best to ignore him. Her dungeons might be controlled, but his gates were a whole different beast. They were chaotic, volatile, and if left unchecked, would spill monsters into the world like a plague.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Selena,” he taunted, his voice low and almost mocking. “Your little towers may keep them busy, but eventually, they’ll have to face my gates.”

She shot him a glare over her shoulder. “You know what, Azrial? Bring it on. I’ll make sure they tear through your gates like they’re made of goddamn tissue paper.”

His smirk only widened, his eyes glinting with dark amusement. “I look forward to it, Architect.”

With a dismissive flick of her wrist, she turned back to her system, focusing on her work. The room buzzed with energy as the first tower activated, casting a soft, eerie glow over the land. Her dungeons were live, her system was ready, and whatever chaos Azrial had planned, she’d be there to counter him every step of the way.

“Alright, world,” she muttered, smirking at her reflection—even if she did look like Azrial’s twisted masterpiece. “Let’s see what you’re made of.”

And somewhere, she could feel Azrial’s laughter lingering in the shadows, dark and ominous. But she shrugged it off. She might look like his idea of a dark queen, but she was still the Architect. And if he thought he’d get the last laugh, he had another thing coming.