Reborn As Noble

The guards didnʼt speak, but they all felt it. The air was getting heavier, and something—deep, ancient, and very much awake—was waiting at the end of the path.

After a long descent through the winding corridors and ancient stone halls, the group finally emerged into a vast underground chamber. The sheer scale of it made even the elite guards shift uncomfortably—it was immense, like a forgotten cathedral hidden beneath the earth.

The ceiling stretched high above, lost in darkness, and the air was thick with old magic and the scent of dried blood.

At the center of the chamber stood two seals carved into the stone floor—large, circular glyphs etched with runes long since lost to human knowledge. One seal was cracked and dark, its power already claimed; the other still glowed faintly, pulsing with a sinister golden-red light.

All around the seals, the ground was stained dark—dried blood, soaked into the stone, forming faded shapes of ancient rituals long past.

Duke Ibzlesʼs eyes lit up with greedy excitement as he stepped forward, ignoring the ominous aura that clung to the place.

”Is that for me?” he asked, practically drooling as he pointed at the glowing seal.

The mysterious man gave a slight bow, his eyes glinting in the dim light. ”Yes, my lord. That one is yours. Now go… claim the power you desire.”

”Ahhh!! I canʼt wait!” Ibzles cried out, already storming forward, his cloak whipping behind him as he marched toward the glowing seal.

He reached the edge, pausing only briefly. ”How do I claim it?”

”Just touch it, my lord,” the man replied calmly.

Without hesitation, Duke Ibzles slammed his hand down onto the seal.

The moment his fingers made contact—

A blinding surge of golden-red light exploded from the seal. The entire chamber trembled, ancient runes across the walls flaring to life. Wind howled from nowhere, and a wave of heat pulsed outward, knocking dust and pebbles into the air.

Dark tendrils of magic erupted from the seal, wrapping around Ibzlesʼs body, spiraling up his arms and seeping into his skin. His veins glowed beneath his flesh, his eyes widening in shock and ecstasy.

”AHHHH!! THIS IS IT!!” he screamed. ”THIS IS MY POWER!!!”

His laughter echoed violently through the chamber, mingling with the groaning of the earth and the wild, pulsing energy that surrounded him.

The mysterious man simply watched, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Only he noticed that the first seal, the one cracked and cold, had faint traces of recent magic—already claimed by someone long before Ibzles ever arrived.

As the power surged fully into him, Duke Ibzles threw his head back and roared—a booming, guttural cry that echoed through the vast chamber.

”YEAH!! This is my—!”

His voice cut off abruptly.

Suddenly… he felt something.

His eyes snapped down to his chest.

A hand—an unfamiliar, cold hand—was piercing straight through his heart.

”Wha—!” Ibzles choked, his legs trembling.

He slowly turned his head to see who it was.

( End of Chapter )