After meeting the developer Ishizaki face to face, Ethan finally found the resolve to step into the nightmare once more—to conquer the game that had broken every soul who dared attempt its end.
He closed his eyes, waiting to be transported by some mystical force into his new world .. just like in the countless fantasy novels he had devoured throughout his life.
Rebirth.
A new body. A new life.
He felt excitement and fear in equal measure.
At first, he was tense.
But despite keeping his eyes shut for what felt like a long while... nothing happened.
"...What exactly are you doing?" Ishizaki asked innocently.
Ethan opened one eye, confused.
"I swear you’re doing this on purpose, you damned developer. Aren’t you supposed to send me into the game world now?!"
"Oh... so that’s why you closed your eyes like that. How embarrassing."
The strange developer never missed an opportunity to mock him.
Ethan had no desire to remain even a second longer in this unsettling void—
a space occupied only by the two of them and that grotesque entity looming above.
"How long do you plan to keep me here? Are you that desperate not to be left alone with that disgusting lump of flesh?" Ethan muttered irritably.
Ishizaki didn’t take the jab seriously.
"Believe me, I’d love to send you immediately as well. But I can’t. In your current state, forget conquering the game—you wouldn’t even survive the first boss."
That struck a nerve.
Ethan paused, realization dawning.
"I thought I’d start the same way I did when I played the game..."
"Of course not. Reality and the game may resemble each other—but they are entirely separate."
Ishizaki waved his hand.
A rectangular screen materialized before them, displaying vivid scenes like a living projection.
"Unlike the previous heroes—who each possessed unique abilities before entering Ordeal—you are nothing more than an ordinary human. A painfully fragile one at that. Your failure rate, as you are now, would be... astronomical."
"Sorry for being born human," Ethan replied dryly as he watched the images unfold.
Each hero before him had wielded distinct Blessings—powers that gave them undeniable advantages.
In the world of Ordeal, where mana flowed and the balance of power shifted constantly, there existed extraordinary gifts known as Blessings—and their opposite, the dreaded Curses.
"Blessings are powerful, innate abilities," Ethan said, reciting what he knew. "Inherited by blood or granted after great achievements. They come without drawback."
"Correct," Ishizaki nodded.
"And Curses," Ethan continued, "are disasters that devour those they afflict. They turn lives into torment—but sometimes grant forbidden strength at a cost."
Ishizaki smiled approvingly.
"Exactly. Every hero before you possessed some form of advantage—abilities that functioned as Blessings in their journey. You, however, possess nothing."
The truth landed heavily.
Even here—
even beyond death—
he was still the lowest of the low.
He was used to that role.
Ishizaki waved dismissively.
"No need for such gloom. I wouldn’t send you into that world without a genuine chance at survival—though what I can offer is... limited."
He gestured toward the images.
"At the very least, you will inherit the Player System, identical to the one you used in the game. Many of the former heroes, despite their failure, left descendants behind. Their bloodlines carried fragments of that System."
"Over the centuries, those descendants formed a distinct clan—known as the Ashen-Hearts."
New images surfaced.
A striking family: pale skin like ash, hair and eyes burning crimson like living embers.
"You will be reborn among them," Ishizaki explained. "This grants you compatibility with the System—allowing you to absorb souls and convert them into levels. Just as you once did."
Ethan stared at the clan’s insignia.
"They were in the game... Several key NPCs came from that lineage."
"Their surname... was Heart."
He remembered them—but their origins had always been vague.
"I told you already," Ishizaki said calmly. "Ordeal is a real world. Those you called NPCs are living beings. Remember that."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"The Player System helps. But... is that all?"
He wasn’t convinced that being born a Hart would make enough difference.
Fortunately ..
it wasn’t all.
Ishizaki’s smile widened.
He clapped his hands once.
"It’s time for my final gift."
"A gift?"
"A chance."
"...A chance?"
"To strike a bargain."
Ethan felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine.
"What kind of bargain?"
Ishizaki’s grin grew wider than ever.
"A bargain... with a devil."
He raised his arms toward the monstrous entity above.
"By the authority granted to me by my great Lord—
I summon the Baron of Night!"
The entity above unleashed a thunderous sonic wave .. far stronger than before.
Ethan’s heart felt as though it plunged into his chest.
A suffocating pressure flooded the entire Transit Realm.
Power gathered around Ishizaki.
The air thickened.
Something vast—
ancient—
and malevolent—
was coming.
And Ethan could only stand there,
watching in dread,
as the next phase of his fate began to unfold.
The entire process took only a handful of seconds before Ishizaki lowered his hands.
"Welcome... O Devil of Balance !"
"Hah—?" Ethan gasped, his features twisting the moment he heard that name.
A name... far from unfamiliar.
But before he could react further, his body froze.
Something stood behind him.
Something foul.
Something malignant.
A presence so vile that it crawled along his spine and forced him to turn—slowly.
And then ..
he saw it.
Its face—hidden.
Its form—concealed.
The being was entirely cloaked in a long black robe that swallowed its shape whole.
Yet even through the covering, Ethan could tell it was not human.
Its proportions were wrong.
Its silhouette beneath the cloth was grotesque—unnatural in both scale and structure.
Only one part of it was visible:
A pale arm.
Deathly white.
Thin .. little more than bone wrapped in stretched skin.
In its skeletal hand, it held a set of scales.
Golden.
Perfectly balanced.
The sight alone made Ethan’s fist tighten as he unconsciously stepped back.
Not from fear.
But recognition.
"...Oi, Ishizaki. Are you messing with me?"
The developer tilted his head, as always.
"Not at all. I am perfectly serious."
"You want me to make a deal with that thing?"
Ishizaki nodded.
"That’s correct."
"As I thought... you’re messing with me."
Ethan couldn’t tear his eyes away from the cloaked figure.
"I’m sure you are. Because that thing... is one of Ordeal’s bosses."
"And not just any boss," he continued, his voice hardening. "One of the advanced ones."
"That bastard appeared every time I progressed through the game—offering me different deals each time. At first, they looked tempting."
"But every single deal came with a price. A loss perfectly balanced against the gain."
His jaw tightened.
"But that wasn’t the worst part."
For once, Ethan revealed something rare—
hatred.
"The more deals I made with the Devil of Balance... the stronger that damned thing became when it finally appeared as a late-game boss."
"I got completely tricked the first time I played. I had to restart the entire game because I made too many bargains. Beating him became impossible."
The memory was still sharp.
Because it had cost him nearly a year of progress.
That was one of the moments he had almost given up entirely.
Turning toward Ishizaki, anger burned in Ethan’s eyes.
"I’d rather try finishing Ordeal with a wooden stick than make a deal with that bastard."
He meant it.
Ishizaki, surprisingly, looked almost sympathetic.
"I remember that moment well. I was watching you, as you know."
"To be honest... I was impressed you didn’t quit. I think that was the day you earned a measure of my respect."
He stepped closer to the Devil of Balance, dismissing Ethan’s unease.
"There is no need to worry. What happens here in the Transit Realm will not alter the events within Ordeal."
Ishizaki stood beside the towering demon, utterly unfazed by its monstrous stature.
"The deals made here will not increase the Devil’s power."
"You may choose whatever you wish."
At least Ethan didn’t have to fear strengthening it again.
"But—" Ishizaki’s tone shifted, becoming serious.
"Though the Devil’s strength will not grow, the law of bargains remains unchanged."
"For every benefit you gain... you will lose something equal in value."
"So choose carefully."
He stepped back, clearing the space between them.
"You may make as many deals as you desire... so long as you can bear the consequences."
Ethan remained where he stood, eyes shifting between Ishizaki and the Devil he had long despised.
Seconds passed.
Then—
with renewed resolve—
he stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
He entered the Devil’s range.
And the ritual began.
The demon raised its golden scales high.
A radiant magic circle flared into existence around them, sealing Ethan and the Devil within.
Then, for the first time ..
the Devil of Balance spoke.
"MAKE YOUR CHOICE."
The voice was viscous.
Filthy.
Like the hiss of serpents slithering through rot.
Ethan felt his skin crawl.
But the incantation marked the beginning.
From the void, a three-dimensional list materialized before his eyes.
The offers presented to him.
Ethan swallowed.
And read.
—
• I wish to be in touch with the arcane
• I want the power of a demon.
• I want one of the highest forms of Insight.
• I wish for eventual greatness.
• I want an ability that allows me to challenge the Titans.
• I want power worthy of a God.
• I desire darkness deeper than the night itself.
• I want power beyond time and space.
...