The last thing Charles remembered...
...was the engagement ring in his pocket.
He had spent months searching for the perfect one.
Tonight was supposed to be special.
A quiet dinner.
A walk beneath the city lights.
A simple question.
Will you marry me?
He never got the chance.
Blinding headlights.
The deafening screech of tires.
A violent impact.
Then...
Darkness.
When consciousness returned, Charles found himself surrounded by endless white.
There was no sky.
No earth.
No wind.
No sound.
Only an infinite sea of light stretching in every direction.
He instinctively tried to stand.
Nothing happened.
Looking down, he realized why.
His body was gone.
Where flesh and bone should have been, only a faint sphere of golden light remained.
He couldn't feel his heartbeat.
He couldn't breathe.
Yet somehow...
He was alive.
"...Where am I?"
His words made no sound.
Even stranger...
He had no mouth.
For several moments, silence reigned.
Then a calm voice echoed across the endless white world.
"Charles."
It came from everywhere.
And nowhere.
The voice carried neither warmth nor hostility.
It simply existed.
Charles turned instinctively.
"Who's there?"
No answer.
Only endless white.
Then the voice spoke again.
"You have died."
The words struck him harder than the accident itself.
His memories returned all at once.
The intersection.
The truck.
The impact.
The unbearable pain.
Then...
Nothing.
He remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he let out a bitter laugh.
"So..."
"I actually died."
"Yes."
The answer was surprisingly casual.
Charles closed his eyes.
He had imagined many things after death.
Heaven.
Hell.
Nothingness.
This...
Had never crossed his mind.
After taking several moments to gather his thoughts, he asked quietly,
"Who are you?"
A faint chuckle echoed through the white void.
"You may call me the God of Death."
Charles blinked.
"...Seriously?"
"That is the closest title your world would understand."
For several seconds...
Neither spoke.
Then curiosity won over disbelief.
"If you're really the God of Death..."
"...do you greet everyone personally?"
Another chuckle.
"No."
The answer came so quickly that Charles almost laughed.
"Do you know how many people die every second?"
"If I welcomed every soul myself..."
"I would never finish my work."
Charles rubbed the back of his nonexistent head out of habit.
"Fair enough."
Then another question surfaced.
"If you don't normally appear..."
"...why are you here?"
This time...
The God of Death didn't answer immediately.
Finally, he said,
"Because someone asked me to."
Charles frowned.
"...Someone?"
"Yes."
"They requested that I personally guide your soul."
His confusion deepened.
"I'm just an ordinary man."
"You were."
The voice corrected him.
"But someone disagreed."
Charles remained silent.
His life replayed inside his mind.
Losing his parents at eleven.
Being raised by his grandfather.
Long nights spent studying while other children played outside.
Graduating from Oxford.
Entering politics.
Working his way into Parliament.
None of it seemed extraordinary enough to attract the attention of someone capable of asking the God of Death for a favor.
"...Who was it?"
"I cannot answer."
"Why?"
"Because the one who made the request wished for you to discover the truth yourself."
The answer only created more questions.
Before Charles could speak again, the endless white world rippled.
Three enormous golden screens materialized before him.
Each radiated an ancient aura.
The God of Death spoke once more.
"You have been granted a choice."
The first screen glowed.
Option One
Be born into a powerful family.
Random cultivation talent.
The second followed.
Option Two
Random birthplace.
High cultivation talent.
Finally...
The third screen appeared.
Unlike the others...
It was black.
Ancient golden letters slowly emerged upon its surface.
Option Three
Random birthplace.
Random cultivation talent.
Supreme Emperor System.
Charles stared.
The first two options were straightforward.
The third...
Wasn't.
"The Supreme Emperor System..."
"What exactly is it?"
The God of Death answered honestly.
"I don't know."
Charles blinked.
"...You don't?"
"I know only one thing."
"It was left behind for you."
"...By the same person who arranged your reincarnation."
Silence.
Charles slowly looked at each option again.
A powerful family.
Great talent.
Or...
A complete unknown.
He thought about everything his grandfather had taught him.
Power given freely.
Or power earned.
If someone had gone through so much effort to prepare this opportunity...
There had to be a reason.
Several long minutes passed.
Finally...
Charles smiled.
"I've spent my entire life choosing the safer path."
"Maybe it's time to try something different."
He looked toward the third screen.
"I choose..."
"...Option Three."
For the first time...
The God of Death laughed openly.
"A bold decision."
Golden light immediately erupted from the black screen.
The other two choices disappeared.
The Supreme Emperor System slowly dissolved into countless streams of light before flowing into Charles's soul.
Even the endless white world trembled.
The God of Death watched quietly.
Then his voice became unusually serious.
"Remember this."
"Talent can be surpassed."
"Birth can be overcome."
"But a weak heart..."
"...can never become emperor."
Charles slowly nodded.
"I'll remember."
The golden light surrounding him became brighter.
His consciousness gradually faded.
Just before everything disappeared...
The God of Death spoke one final sentence.
"Your memories..."
"...and your system..."
"...will remain sealed until your twelfth birthday."
Charles's eyes widened.
"What?"
But it was too late.
The light swallowed him completely.
His consciousness vanished.
Silence returned.
Then—
The endless white world shattered like fragile glass.
The illusion disappeared.
In its place stood a magnificent garden floating among endless stars.
Ancient trees stretched toward the heavens.
Golden rivers flowed through the sky.
Three figures sat quietly around a jade table.
A woman dressed in white.
An elderly man.
And a young man wearing blue robes.
The God of Death appeared respectfully before them.
"The reincarnation is complete."
The old man slowly placed his teacup upon the table.
"And his choice?"
"The third."
A faint smile appeared on the old man's face.
The woman quietly closed her eyes.
The young man in blue looked toward a distant world.
His gaze seemed to pierce countless realms.
"So..."
"He chose the path I hoped he would."
The God of Death hesitated.
"My lord..."
"...may I ask one question?"
The blue-robed man nodded.
"You could have arranged for him to be born into the strongest family."
"The greatest talent."
"The easiest future."
"Why didn't you?"
For a long time...
No one answered.
Then the blue-robed man smiled.
"Because..."
"...emperors are not created by comfort."
"They are forged by hardship."
The old man slowly looked toward the countless stars.
"The first piece has moved."
The woman whispered softly,
"I hope..."
"...he can forgive us someday."
Silence.
Only the sound of flowing starlight remained.
Far below...
In a world called Euphoria...
A child took his first breath.
And destiny quietly began to move