NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: Chapter 1: A Date with Death
"You're dead," said the lady in front of Ezra.
A young boy and a lady sat across from a table filled with various dishes, their dresses matching. It might have looked like a date if not for the darkness pooling around them, with only a dimly shining levitating crystal illuminating the scene.
Ezra stared at her for a moment before snapping, "What?! Are you high or something?"
"You know it, but you don't want to believe it. What was the last thing you remembered?" she questioned with an entrancing smile, helping herself to the steak on the table and chewing slowly.
Ezra gulped, tension tightening in his stomach as memories flooded back. A group of Elites had kidnapped him, forcing him to scout a ruin site. To cut a long story short, he entered a dark room where a stinging pain erupted from his heart, and he never saw the light of day.
That was how he found himself here, 'on the date.'
He shivered as the realization struck him like a cold wave, and a chill ran down his spine at the smiling lady.
'This isn't an illusion?'
"Now you know you're dead. I can offer you a deal—a second life with a powerful legacy, making you an Elite," she said.
Ezra squinted, heart pounding, trying to calm his racing thoughts as he studied the lady. He noticed her crimson hair and matching eyes, her enchanting figure clad in a gothic black dress.
"How do you know I'm dead?"
"Because this is the first gate of the underworld. What is in front of me is your temporary body housing your soul."
"What happens if I reject your offer?"
"Oh!" She arched an eyebrow and snapped her hand. A black flame abruptly consumed Ezra, making him scream from the unbearable, inhuman pain. But she snapped her hand again, ending the flame and the pain.
He panted, staring at the red-haired lady, the rims of his eyes trembling in fear.
Her voice turned solemn, her expression stern. "Those who drank the cursed wine of resurrection shall never rest in the underworld for eternity—only eternal torment. Mind you, you've already drunk that cursed wine the moment you met me. Your choice is to refuse to resurrect and suffer eternal damnation, or revive and survive. If you die again… I don't need to explain what will happen. In short, there is no rest for you."
Ezra shivered, swallowing hard. The beauty in front of him now resembled a demoness.
"Fine."
What more could he say? He still felt a deep dread toward her, knowing she might as well be a god.
"Good! I was just showing you what happens when you die again. Try not to die, or else…"
Ezra's body began to fade, turning incorporeal.
Gathering his courage, Ezra asked, "Why me?"
She smiled at his wary expression. "Because I like your character. Oh! I nearly forgot…"
Her expression hardened, making Ezra shiver.
"Run if you ever meet the Blood Magus. Your world is not as simple as you think, especially the Cataclysm."
A rush of questions flooded his mind, but the urgency of the moment squeezed them out. He wanted to ask more, but his vision blackened, hovering texts occupying his sight:
[Accepting the Soul Warlock legacy…]
[Error… Legacy is meant for souls without a physical body… incompatible legacy…]
"Are you sure he is going to survive?" a voice questioned the lady with red hair. "You know that legacy is not suitable for any race with a physical body."
The lady chuckled and reclined in her chair. "He should… right?"
***
Suddenly, Ezra's eyes fluttered open, his vision still blurry and his head pounding. He groaned slightly.
[Awakening the Soul Warlock Class!]
[Flawed Legacy Acquired!]
[Legacy Synchronization: 10%...]
Memories of that lady flooded his mind, and he shivered at the thought of the searing black flames. But he quickly forgot as excitement surged at the prospect of awakening.
However, the excitement waned as he remembered he was in the room where he died.
Ezra quickly looked around, finding himself lying in the middle of a long hall with fire torches adorning the corners, bathing the room in a warm orange glow. The walls were marred with ancient scribblings.
He stood up and moved to the door, eager to escape the room cluttered with bones.
Pulling the door as hard as he could, it bucked slightly without opening. He tried pushing it, but the result was the same.
Noticing a similar door on the opposite side, he walked up to it and pulled. Surprisingly, it opened slightly.
Ezra quickly slipped through the crack and found himself before a carved statue of a lady sitting on a stone throne. Behind her stood seven intricately carved statues, each wielding a different weapon. The lady wore an expressionless face, radiating an oppressive atmosphere.
'I must get this sculpture. The sculptor infused life into it; the price must be very high. Even I, who don't recognize art, can feel the greatness in this work. She must be worth tens of millions.'
His heart raced with desire. He turned to study the dark room for treasures. Now that he had awakened, he would need money. Suddenly, he felt all his pores constrict, and the hair on his nape stood erect.
Turning around, Ezra saw the eyes of the lady statue glowing red, and the pressure surrounding her skyrocketed.
He bolted toward the door without hesitation, but just as he was about to escape, a red ray shot out from the lady's glowing eyes and merged with his body.
His eyes glowed red for a moment. However, Ezra was too scared and focused on escaping to notice.
…
"Even the 'Soul Warlock' legacy has appeared. I thought he destroyed the legacy. Who had it in the end? And why give it to this kid? Is everything coming to an end? As for the Arcane that sent that little guy, I'm sorry, for he is mine. Hahaha! Just when I thought I would be stuck here, an Arcane sent me the perfect body," a female voice resounded softly in the silence of the dark room.