《A JOURNEY BEYOND BETRAYAL [Transmigration/isekai/LitRPG]》 1. The end As long as Kai remembers, his life was an endless cycle of battles. Gate after gate, monster after monster. He fought. He killed. Not for himself, but for his adopted father. Kai gave him his loyalty, his strength, his everything. And in the end, how did he repay Kai? By throwing him in front of the gate boss¡ªTitan. ¡°To save the guild''s future, you must sacrifice yourself.¡± Those were his adoptive father''s final words to him. Spoken without hesitation, as if he was just a pawn. And his only friend, the one he considered family, looked in Kai''s eye and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kai, before turning away, leading the others to safety. The explosion at the cave¡¯s entrance sealed not only the Titan inside but Kai¡¯s fate as well. They had left him behind. Alone. "Sacrifice me? After everything I¡¯ve done? After I carried the weight of every mission on my back?" Kai''s lips curl into a bitter smile. Of course. He was just a tool. A weapon to be discarded. The ground shakes under Kai¡¯s boots as the boss Titan roars, its scales shining like some armor. The beast¡¯s jaws parted, revealing jagged teeth dripping with corrosive saliva that hissed as it splattered onto the stone floor. Every vibration of the Titan¡¯s growl echoed like a death. No hunter had ever faced an S-rank monster and survived. And yet, here Kai was¡ªalone, bleeding, and on the edge of death. He gripped his twin swords tightly, their worn handles warm in his shaking hands. He wants to surrender, but he held onto a single thought: I won¡¯t fall. Not yet. Not like this. The Titan lunged at him. Its black claws tore through the air like death itself. Kai¡¯s instincts screamed, and he rolled to the side, feeling the rush of air as the claws barely missed. But the Titan was too fast. A second swipe of Titan''s sword slashed through Kai''s armor, leaving a deep cut in his side. In a second, warm blood starts spilling out, and the pain hits him like a burning fire. Kai stumbled back, clutching his wound. His heart is pounding loudly, and he is barely catching his breath. The Titan snarls as its eyes gleam with twisted pleasure. It wasn¡¯t just fighting him¡ªit was enjoying his pain, savoring his struggle. ¡°Damn you,¡± Kai growled, his voice rough from both rage and pain. He pushed himself forward, raising his swords to strike at the Titan¡¯s neck. Sparks flew as his blades hit its hard scales and the force of the clash shaking his arms. But the Titan didn¡¯t even flinch. The Titan¡¯s tail whipped out like a whip, smashing into Kai¡¯s ribs and sending him crashing into the cave wall. The sickening crack of bones breaking echoed in the air. Kai crumpled to the ground, coughing up blood. Every breath felt like it was tearing him apart. His vision blurred and the edges of the world going dark. But his anger is burning brighter than the pain. Why am I fighting? The memory surged unbidden¡ªhis father¡¯s cold, calculating orders. His friend¡¯s apologetic silence as he turned his back. They had sent him here to die. A pawn sacrificed on the altar of their ambitions. ¡°Damn them,¡± Kai hissed, his voice a tremor of hatred. He pushed himself up, his swords shaking in his grip.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I won¡¯t die for them.¡± The Titan roared, its jaws opening wide to unleash a torrent of acid. Kai dove behind a boulder, the venom melting through stone in seconds. His pulse hammered in his ears. His vision blurred, but he refused to fall. If I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯ll take this bastard with me. His eyes flicked to the glowing status screen hovering faintly in his vision. Berserker¡¯s Will: An S-rank ability. Unleash unparalleled power at the cost of life force. ¡°Fine,¡± he muttered with a bitter smile on his lips. Let¡¯s see who goes down first. With a single thought, he activated the skill. Berserker¡¯s Will Activated. Life Force Depleting Rapidly. A familiar heat surged through Kai body. His innate skill, Berserker¡¯s Will was activated. His blood burned like fire, his muscles screamed in protest, and his twin swords glowed faintly as he forced his remaining mana into them. "Come on, you ugly bastard!" Kai roared, charging forward with everything he had left. The battle became a haze of blood and steel. Kai swords danced, carving into the Titan¡¯s thick scales. He ignored the pain, ignored the blood loss. Kai''s every strike grows faster and heavier, making Title bleed. Finally, he thought, his lips curling into a feral grin. You¡¯re not invincible after all. The Titan fought back with desperation, his claws and fire flailing wildly. But Kai was beyond reason, beyond pain. He moved like a force of nature. With one final, guttural cry, he drove both swords into the base of the Titan¡¯s skull. The beast howled, its death throes shaking the cavern. Its massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves through the ground. Kai staggered as his sword slipped from his bloodied hands. He fell to his knees beside the titan corpse. His body starts trembling with his vision as the last embers of Berserker¡¯s Will faded. ¡°At least¡­ I won,¡± he whispered in his barely audible voice. But the victory felt hollow. The betrayal is more vicious than any wound. His father¡¯s indifference, his best friend¡¯s cowardice, the lies that had brought him here¡ªthey all swirled in his mind like a storm. ¡°Why¡­?¡± His voice cracked. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I enough?¡± Kai¡¯s bitter laugh echoed in the silence. His vision blurred, and just as his consciousness began to fade away, a chime rang out in his mind, sharp and clear. Ding! Level Up. His eyes snapped open. Congratulations! You have defeated the gate boss - Titan. Level Up! Rank: S to SS New Skills Acquired: ~ Gluttony ~ Devourer''s Regeneration ~ Corruption Shield ~ Wraith¡¯s Dread Kai¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. "Who the hell levels up while dying?" And with the end of the thought, the power of the Gluttony and regeneration skill surged within him. He can feel the power of Titan being absorbed in his body, and his wounds start healing with his broken bones back together. But it didn¡¯t matter. His body may have been healing, but his life force was almost entirely depleted. He could feel his life slipping away. No matter how strong he became, it couldn¡¯t stop the inevitable. His breath came shallow and ragged, his vision blurring. The world around him felt distant, a haze of fading colors and sounds. Then, as if mocking him, the mechanical voice echoed again in his mind. Immortality¡¯s Threshold: Cheat death¡­ once. With that voice, darkness swallowed him whole. And then¡­ everything went silent. 2. The Beginning of the Unknown In the final moments, Kai thought this was his end. But he didn¡¯t know that this end was the beginning. The beginning of a journey that will take him beyond the betrayal. Beyond the weight of his past. A journey to meet new faces, to forge unexpected bonds, and to live a life he had never imagined. Kai¡¯s eyes shot open once more, and his body convulsed as air rushed into his lungs violently. The sudden onslaught of breath is too much to handle. He coughs hard, his entire body convulsing with the force of it, as though his lungs are fighting to remember how to breathe. Each cough felt like it tore through his fragile body, raw and brutal, until he barely managed to draw another breath. His fingers twitched, scraping against something cold and unyielding. Stone¡ªrough and slick with moisture. He pressed his palms against it, trying to push himself upright, but his muscles felt weak, foreign, as though they weren¡¯t his own. His heart hammering in his chest, each beat erratic and wild, filling his ears with its desperate rhythm. The warmth coursing through his veins is undeniable, but it is wrong. It shouldn¡¯t be there. I died. The memory surged through Kai, the sharp pain that had torn through his body, the suffocating darkness, the numbing finality of death. He had felt it, experienced every agonizing second of his end. Then why am I breathing? Kai''s thoughts tangled in disbelief and desperation, raging in his mind, until his gaze fell to his hands. What the hell? The hands that met his eyes are small, delicate, and pale. The skin is smooth, unmarked by the scars and calluses he had carried through a lifetime of struggle. His hands shook as he raised them closer, turning them over and flexing the unfamiliar fingers. ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± He whispered in a high-pitched and unfamiliar voice. A wave of cold dread swept over him, freezing him in place. He scanned the rest of his body, his eyes widening at the sight of his thin arms and frail frame, clad in simple and tattered cloth. Everything about this body screams fragility. Is this¡­ me? His thoughts scramble for an explanation. His trembling hands brush against his face, feeling unfamiliar contours. Smaller. Softer. This wasn¡¯t him.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. It couldn¡¯t be him. No¡­ no, this can¡¯t be real. He stared at the small hands again, his breaths coming in shallow, panicked gasps. The truth was undeniable, no matter how much he wanted to fight it. This wasn¡¯t his body. What is this? Kai¡¯s breath hitched as the realization of this unfamiliar body weighed on him like an anchor. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. He turned his head slowly. As his vision adjusted, the figures in front of him became clearer. Children. They sat still on the cold, damp floor. Their faces are ghostly pale, and their frozen lips are blue as if life had been drained from them. Their empty eyes stare into nothingness, and their pupils are so dull like they belonged to the dead. "What is this place?" He forced himself to look down, his breath quickening when he noticed the rusted shackles around his ankles¡ªcold metal, binding him in place, the same as those shackling the other children. This isn¡¯t real. He clenched his fists. I died. I know I died. Memories of his death are sharp, clear, too real to ignore. The pain. The suffocation. The cold, unrelenting darkness. But this¡ª is this afterlife? His mind couldn¡¯t make sense of anything anymore. Or some punishment? Suddenly, a sharp ding buzzed in his mind. The sound was so familiar that his heart skipped a beat, and the next second a translucent screen materialized in front of him, glowing faintly in the dim light. "Status?" Kai stared at the air, his brow furrowing in confusion. It is unmistakably his status screen¡ªthe layout, the faint shimmer, and even the font¡ªbut something was off. The words are crumbling and distorted, as though the screen itself is glitching. Letters blur and reassemble into gibberish before dissolving again. ¡°What the¡­?¡± he mutters in his voice hoarse. As he kept staring, the disjointed text began to shift, the words reorganizing themselves with a slow, deliberate movement. Finally, a message solidified, each word hitting him like a punch to the gut: Ding Immortality¡¯s Threshold: Success. Ding Congratulations. You succeeded in cheating death and reborn in a new body. Kai¡¯s breath caught in his throat. He reread the message, but his mind was unable to process the implications. Cheating death? Reborn? Lightning seemed to strike his thoughts all at once. His chest tightened as he grappled with the impossible. "Reborn? How is this real?" Before he could fully comprehend the notification, another ding echoed in his mind. Ding. Another line of text appeared: Reseating status due to the effect of the "Immortality''s Threshold" skill. "What?" Kai shouted. Ding. Reset start. The moment he read those words, the status screen blinked twice, its glow intensifying for a split second before dimming. No. No¡­ stop,¡± Kai shouted again as panic rises in his chest. Then, with a sharp, definitive flicker, his rank was revealed. SS ¡ú F Kai¡¯s eyes widened as his stats flashed before him, all drastically lower than before. Skills he had painstakingly earned and honed over the years were now grayed out, locked, and inaccessible. The reality hit him like a hammer: he had fallen from the peak of power to the bottom of the abyss. ¡°No¡­ no, no, no.¡± He reached out instinctively, his fingers swiping at the screen as if he could undo the changes. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. My rank¡­ my skills¡­ give them back!¡± 3. New World but old Chains Kai¡¯s gaze was fixed on the translucent screen floating before him. His eyes burned as he stared at the stat reset, still reeling from the shock of his rebirth. My skills¡­ my stats¡­ He couldn¡¯t stop his thoughts from spiraling.
Status Name: Kai (chosen name) Class: Dual Blades Specialist Race: Human Rank: F Attributes: ~ Strength: E+ ~ Agility: E- ~ Endurance: F ~ Vitality: D ~ Mana: F- ~ Intelligence: C ~ Charisma: F- Skills Twin Blade Mastery (Rank F) Blade Dance (Rank F) Twin Strike (Rank F) Blade Flash (Rank E) Special skills: Phantom Requiem (Rank B): Locked Crimson Torrent (Rank B): Locked Eclipse Slash (Rank A): Locked Twin Seraphim''s Wrath (Rank A): Locked Starfall Strike (Rank S): Locked Void Dance (Rank S): Locked Tempest Fury (Rank S+): Locked Devourer''s Regeneration (Rank SS): Locked Corruption Shield (Rank SS): Locked Wraith¡¯s Dread (Rank SS): Locked
Kai¡¯s hands trembled as he reached out, fingers brushing against the screen. He had earned them over the years of fighting, surviving, and pushing through impossible odds. And now, they were nothing more than faded memories. Locked, inaccessible, and fallen to F ranks. Why? He couldn¡¯t understand.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Why is everything gone? A long sigh left his lips as he lowered his eyes. He glanced around the room, eyes drifting over the pale, lifeless faces of the children sitting in the damp, cold corners. Their faces were gaunt, their eyes empty, staring into nothing. The atmosphere in the room was suffocating. Kai¡¯s thoughts began to clear, the panic slowly fading as he tried to make sense of his situation. Okay, I¡¯m reborn¡­ But why here? Why these kids? Turning his head, he glanced at the girl beside him who was staring blankly at the wall. ¡°Hey,¡± Kai whispered, keeping his voice low to avoid drawing attention. ¡°Where are we? Why are we shackled?¡± The girl¡¯s head jerked toward him. For a moment, she said nothing, her lips trembling as though she were afraid to speak. Then, her gaze dropped to her knees, and she hugged them tightly. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she stammered, her voice cracking. ¡°I was at the market with my mother. She bought me sweets. I was eating them, and then¡­ then my head started hurting. Everything went dark.¡± Her voice grew quieter. ¡°When I woke up¡­ I was here. I don¡¯t know why¡­ I just want to go home. My mother must be looking for me¡­¡± Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking as she began to sob. ¡°She¡¯s probably so scared¡­ She¡¯s crying right now¡­ looking for me¡­¡± A scoff cut through the heavy silence like a knife. Kai¡¯s eyes darted across the room to a boy sitting in the shadows. He was thin, his dusty golden hair falling messily over his pale face. ¡°Crying for you?¡± the boy said. ¡°You really think that?¡± The girl lifted her tear-streaked face to glare at the boy. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re here, it¡¯s because someone sold you. Probably your mother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± the girl cried, her voice shaking with anger and desperation. ¡°My mother would never do that! She loves me!¡± ¡°Love doesn¡¯t pay debts. Love doesn¡¯t buy food. People sell what they can to survive. And guess what? That includes you.¡± The boy shot back. The girl shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face. ¡°No¡­ no¡­ you¡¯re lying¡­¡± The boy¡¯s eyes flicked to Kai. ¡°You¡¯re new, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kai met his gaze, trying to remain calm despite the unease clawing at him. ¡°Where are we?¡± The boy leaned back against the wall, letting out a bitter laugh. ¡°We¡¯re in an auction house. Waiting to be sold.¡± Kai¡¯s voice rose in anger. ¡°Sold?!¡± The boy¡¯s eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly motioned for Kai to lower his voice. ¡°Shhh,¡± he hissed as his eyes flicked nervously toward the door. ¡°Do you want us to be beaten to death?¡± Kai clenched his jaw, the rising panic still twisting in his chest. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®sold¡¯?¡± The boy gave Kai a long stare. After a moment, he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice even more. ¡°We¡¯re either sold or kidnapped by slave traders. And soon¡­ soon we¡¯ll be auctioned off, sold as slaves.¡± The words hit Kai like a physical blow. ¡°Slaves?!¡± he repeated in disbelief. ¡°What are you talking about? Slavery was banned centuries ago!¡± The boy¡¯s expression stiffened, his eyes narrowing as if he couldn¡¯t quite comprehend the concept. He tilted his head as though Kai was the one speaking nonsense. ¡°Did you lose your mind or something?¡± ¡°Slavery is still common in the Velmora Kingdom.¡± Kai¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the chaos unraveling before him. Slavery? Selling children? The words were a foreign concept to him, too far removed from what he remembered. Velmora Kingdom? The thought hit him like a bolt of lightning. Am I not on Earth? His pulse quickened as he turned toward the boy again. ¡°Wait, wait... What¡¯s the planet called? Where am I?¡± The boy raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Kai¡¯s. ¡°The planet¡¯s name is Astraea.¡± A chill ran through Kai¡¯s spine. Astraea. Not Earth. Kai¡¯s chest tightened as the truth began to settle in. His rebirth hadn¡¯t just thrown him into a nightmare. It had thrown him into an entirely different planet. As Kai sat there, his eyes fixed on the cold stone floor, his mind raced with memories of his past life. Even though he hadn¡¯t been branded a slave in the traditional sense, he had been no different from one. He was a puppet whose action, choice, and even survival was decided by others. But not anymore. Not in this new life. This second chance, this rebirth, was his opportunity. A chance to make his own decisions. To live for himself, to take control of his own fate. He wouldn¡¯t accept it. He refused to be someone¡¯s tool again. I need to run. I have to escape from here. As Kai is planning to break free, the boy sitting across from Kai watched him with an intensity. His gaze flickered from Kai to the other captives in the room, observing the reactions of those around him. The boy studied him closely, trying to make sense of the newcomer. This one¡¯s different, he thought. A plan began to form in the boy¡¯s mind. If he agrees, maybe we can escape... His gaze shifted back to Kai, and he decided to observing Kai in silence.