Chapter One: Prologue


    The nine layers of the Astral Veil descended a hundred years ago, wreaking havoc on the world. It consumed Planet Valeria piece by piece until only a single city remained untouched by its dreadful advance.


    With the veil''s arrival, humanity began unlocking traits, magic, and classes—but not without a unique cost.


    The awakening of talents and summoning of classes gave humans the power to resist the horrors unleashed by the veil, yet the advance of its malevolent entities was too swift to halt.


    Spectrals emerged from the veil, and under the threat of extinction, human civilization developed rapidly.


    Despite their progress, they failed to slay the warden of the ninth layer in time, and the warden escaped its eternal prison, leading hordes of Spectrals in a catastrophic war for supremacy and bringing the entire world to its knees.


    Faced with annihilation, many humans fled when they discovered there was no hope left. They sought refuge under Astral Veil''s overlords and betrayed their motherland.


    However, one man refused to surrender, no matter the cost.


    In the heart of Starlight City, the last bastion of Planet Valeria, a desolate wasteland bore witness to the final battle.


    Twilight darted to the right with incredible speed, the soles of his black boots scraping the cracked ground, kicking up dust in his wake.


    A dark arrow oozing purple smoke streaked past his previous location and struck a crumbled building in the distance.


    The stench of decay and scorched earth filled his nostrils as he launched himself backwards, maintaining distance from his powerful opponent.


    Hovering above the battlefield was a tall figure, his sharp blue eyes and long black hair surfaced a memory Twilight wished he could forget.


    As if reading his thoughts, his opponent''s lips curled upward as he laughed mockingly:


    “You are just a mere lord and you think you can defeat me - an Overlord? Your world has now become part of the veil, so you either surrender or die.”


    The purple sky rumbled as chaotic winds howled. The black-haired man pointed his sword at Twilight, waiting for a reply.


    Twilight coldly scoffed, his long silver hair dancing behind him in the tempest. He gripped the hilt of his Sacred-tier sword with unwavering resolve but said nothing.


    The Overlord sneered, shaking his head.


    “Foolish. I gave you a chance, and you rejected it. You’re as stubborn as ever, even after countless failures. But I’ll grant you this—you’ve earned my respect. Your death will be quick just like your father''s.”


    With that, the Overlord plummeted from the sky, unleashing a barrage of dark arrows from his black rapier.


    White specks of light danced around Twilight’s sword as he swung it with precision. A wave of radiant energy surged forward, colliding with the arrows in mid-air. The resulting explosion nullified both attacks.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    From the shadows of the ruined buildings in the surroundings, inky figures began to writhe and take shape into humanoid warriors clad in black armour formed of pure shadow.


    The Overlord landed gracefully a few metres away, his rapier exuding dark smoke as he pointed it at Twilight.


    The shadow warriors charged from all directions, but Twilight stood his ground, focusing on saving up spirit essence while choosing to use his energy for attacks.


    White sparks suddenly illuminated the area as they swirled around him, forming ethereal butterflies that detonated upon impact, disintegrating the advancing shadows.


    But the Overlord’s laughter thundered through the battlefield as thousands of shadows reformed.


    “This is what you lack. You fight alone, while I command a legion.”


    The shadows closed in, forming a black dome around Twilight. Gritting his teeth, he activated a forbidden technique, forcibly uniting his talent and class into a single trait.


    A glowing screen immediately appeared before him:


    [Energy Status: Critical]


    [Energy Level: 1000]


    [WARNING: Energy depleted.]


    [Talent and Class successfully unified.]


    [You have transcended your power.]


    [You have created a trait.]


    [Spiritual Overlord Trait: Rank SSS.]


    [Energy insufficient. Life span draining.]


    A surge of power coursed through Twilight, though it came at the cost of his vitality. He felt his mind grow sluggish but he bit his lower lip to remain conscious, and with a deafening roar, he lunged at the overlord.


    In an instant, the darkness was vanquished as a blinding sea of white light drowned everything in its unforgiving heat.


    When the light subsided, a massive crater stretched across the battlefield. Twilight stood bloodied and frail, ethereal wings flickering weakly on his back. Opposite him, the Overlord knelt, black blood spilling from his mouth.


    “Impossible,” the Overlord rasped. “What power could bridge the gap between Lord and Overlord?”


    Twilight, now aged and weary, remained silent. Under his cold gaze, the Overlord disintegrated into black particles, scattered by the wind.


    [You have slain Draglei, the overlord of shadows.]


    [Your spirit purifies further.]


    Some of the wrinkles on Twilight’s face immediately vanished, yet he felt no triumph because he knew that he had failed in the end.


    Above him, the purple sky darkened as the veil expanded, consuming what little remained of the city.


    Twilight stared down, feeling nothing but emptiness. In the end, he hadn''t been able to kill all the overlords who made him the monster he now was.


    In the end, he couldn''t fulfil his promise and save his world… and now, it had completely become one with the Astral Veil. Now, it had become part of the forbidden game.


    Twilight’s lips cracked into a faint, dark smile as he muttered under his breath:


    “This is not the end,”


    He clenched his fists tightly and added in certainty:


    “I shall… reincarnate.”


    A black book slowly materialised in his hand, and Twilight poured the spirit essence he had saved up into its pages.


    [Skill Book: Dimensional Descent activated.]


    As the veil crashed down, Twilight felt his body crumble under its immense pressure. His consciousness faded, but a cold voice brought him back:


    [Spiritual self detected in an alternate universe.]


    [It has been discovered that the Astral Veil would descend there.]


    [Spiritual Self is on a planet called Earth.]


    [Bonding initiated… Side effects: All power and memories will be lost.]


    Pain tore through Twilight’s soul, but he did not waver as a white light branded his soul with a mark.


    [You have sacrificed your spirit foundation.]


    [Your strength has plummeted.]


    [Skill: Spiritual Intervention activated.]


    [Memories and abilities will recover as you grow stronger.]


    [Do you wish to continue transmigration?]


    ‘Yes,’ Twilight answered silently, conviction burning within him.


    [Transmigration is in process…]


    Before Twilight knew what was happening, the void before him rippled, revealing a massive black eye, veined and menacing. Twilight’s soul shook as he couldn’t recognise who this was.


    “Human!” A grating voice shook the entire void, causing reality to nearly shatter. “If you think you can escape from me so easily, dream on!”


    Suddenly, an immense pressure - greater than that of the overlord rank - descended upon Twilight''s fragile soul, obliterating half of it in an instant.


    Yet, a pale white barrier emerged, shielding the remnants from complete annihilation. The protective force lingered, preventing the soul from dispersing entirely.


    However, the strain was too much. Twilight''s consciousness dimmed, and he was plunging into a deep slumber.


    The last words he heard echoed faintly in his mind:


    [Transmigration… succeeded.]