Free Web NovelChapter 1: Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning
Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning
Alex had never considered himself normal.
Not because he believed he was exceptional, nor because he looked down on everyone around him. It was simply a conclusion he had reached after years of quiet observation.
There was something fundamentally different about the way his mind worked.
From the outside, however, no one would have noticed.
He attended college, earned respectable grades without much effort, worked part-time whenever he wanted extra money, and exchanged just enough words to avoid seeming antisocial. Professors considered him a diligent student. Classmates described him as quiet but polite.
Forgettable.
Ordinary.
Exactly the way he preferred it.
People rarely paid close attention to someone who blended into the background.
That suited him perfectly.
The truth was far less ordinary.
Alex couldn’t feel empathy.
He understood emotions with remarkable clarity. A slight twitch at the corner of someone’s mouth, a hesitation before speaking, the rhythm of a person’s breathing—tiny details revealed far more than words ever could. He could often predict what someone would say before they spoke or how they would react before they realized it themselves.
But understanding an emotion and sharing it were two completely different things.
He could watch someone break down in tears and recognize genuine grief without feeling even the faintest sadness.
He could hear devastating news and know exactly why others were horrified while remaining perfectly indifferent himself.
It wasn’t cruelty.
It wasn’t hatred.
It was simply... absence.
Remorse was no different.
Alex understood morality. He knew the rules society expected people to follow and the consequences of breaking them.
But guilt had always been a foreign concept.
No sleepless nights.
No lingering regret.
No invisible weight pressing against his conscience.
Years earlier, curiosity had driven him to research the condition that best described him.
The answer had been surprisingly straightforward.
Psychopathy.
Reality, however, was nothing like the movies.
Most psychopaths weren’t serial killers or violent criminals. They held jobs, attended school, started families, and lived lives so ordinary that no one ever suspected anything was different.
Alex was one of them.
He never hated what he was.
Nor did he waste time wishing he could become someone else.
People often talked about becoming better versions of themselves.
He had never understood the appeal.
Why chase a different identity when the current one functioned perfectly well?
If a machine worked exactly as intended, there was no reason to replace it.
That philosophy shaped every aspect of his life.
He avoided unnecessary risks.
He observed before acting.
He preferred logic over emotion.
Simple.
Efficient.
Reliable.
Most evenings, after finishing work or classes, he immersed himself in novels.
Reality was chaotic.
People acted irrationally. Luck often outweighed effort. Justice was inconsistent.
Stories were different.
Everything followed rules.
Actions produced consequences.
Talent created opportunity.
Strength determined destiny.
Heroes rose.
Villains fell.
Every story had a beginning.
Every story had an end.
Among the countless novels he had read, one remained particularly fresh in his mind.
Rise of the Sword Hero.
It wasn’t revolutionary.
A powerless young man awakened extraordinary talent, survived impossible trials, defeated increasingly powerful enemies, and eventually united the continent beneath his banner.
Predictable.
But entertaining.
Ironically, the protagonist had never been Alex’s favorite character.
His attention had always drifted toward someone else.
Andras Darkmoor.
The young heir of House Darkmoor, one of the Empire’s most prestigious noble families.
Handsome.
Gifted.
Born with every advantage imaginable.
And utterly incapable of recognizing his own limitations.
He bullied those beneath him, underestimated those above him, and mistook inherited status for personal strength.
His fate had been decided long before the story began.
He existed for one purpose alone.
To lose.
To become another stepping stone on the protagonist’s path toward greatness.
Alex had always found that amusing.
Not because Andras deserved his fate.
Because he never saw it coming.
---
That evening, Alex left his apartment with his phone in one hand.
The city had already settled into silence.
Streetlights cast pale pools of yellow across empty sidewalks, while a cool breeze drifted between rows of sleeping buildings. Somewhere in the distance, a train rumbled faintly before disappearing into the night.
His attention remained fixed on the glowing screen in his hand.
The final Chapter of Rise of the Sword Hero.
The protagonist had won.
The Demon Emperor was dead.
The surviving kingdoms had united.
Peace had finally returned to the continent.
Exactly as expected.
Alex’s eyes moved across the final paragraphs while his feet carried him almost automatically down the familiar route.
The ending wasn’t surprising.
Most stories rewarded the hero.
Most villains died.
Justice prevailed.
Readers closed the book feeling satisfied.
He stepped off the curb without looking up.
A sharp blast of a horn shattered the quiet night.
Alex lifted his eyes.
A truck.
Less than ten meters away.
Its headlights flooded his vision.
Too close.
His mind calculated the distance almost instinctively.
Speed.
Reaction time.
Escape routes.
None.
That single thought crossed his mind before the collision.
The impact came like an explosion.
His body left the ground, weightless for an instant before crashing violently onto the cold asphalt several meters away.
His phone slid across the road, its cracked screen still displaying the final page of the novel.
Voices erupted around him.
"Oh my God!"
"Call an ambulance!"
"Someone help him!"
Footsteps pounded against the pavement as strangers rushed toward him.
The sounds felt strangely distant, as though he were listening from beneath deep water.
His vision blurred.
Warm blood spread beneath him.
Above, dark clouds drifted slowly across the night sky, swallowing and revealing the moon with quiet indifference.
Beautiful.
For the first time in his life, Alex found himself observing death from the inside.
His own.
There was no panic.
No desperate wish for another chance.
No regret over dreams left unfinished.
Death was simply another conclusion.
Every story ended eventually.
His had arrived sooner than expected.
His heartbeat slowed.
Once.
Twice.
The voices faded completely.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And then...
Nothing.
Alex’s pov :
I opened my eyes.
The first thing I noticed was that I could breathe.
Slowly.
Steadily.
There was no pain.
No broken bones.
No crushing weight pressing against my chest.
By every reasonable standard, I should have been dead.
I remembered the truck.
The impact.
The sound of twisting metal.
The cold pavement beneath my body.
There was no possibility that I had survived.
Yet I was alive.
Panic would accomplish nothing.
Questions without evidence were meaningless.
First, gather information.
Then draw conclusions.
I remained seated, allowing my breathing to settle before examining my surroundings.
The room was enormous.
Far larger than any bedroom I had ever entered.
Smooth stone walls rose toward a vaulted ceiling supported by intricately carved pillars. Golden light from antique lamps bathed polished furniture in a warm glow, while countless books lined shelves that stretched nearly to the ceiling. The faint scent of aged parchment mingled with polished wood, and somewhere beyond the walls, I could hear the muffled crackle of a fireplace.
Every detail suggested immense wealth.
Not modern wealth.
Old wealth.
The kind accumulated over generations.
This wasn’t an apartment.
It wasn’t a hospital.
It wasn’t anywhere on Earth.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed.
The moment my feet touched the floor, something felt wrong.
Or perhaps...
Different.
My body moved with surprising ease.
Lighter.
More balanced.
I raised my hands.
Smooth skin.
Long fingers.
No old scars.
No calluses from years of ordinary life.
Definitely not my body.
Without hesitation, I searched the room until I found a full-length mirror standing near the wall.
Its dark wooden frame was carved with elegant vines and unfamiliar heraldic symbols.
I walked toward it.
Each step confirmed the same conclusion.
The body I occupied belonged to someone else.
I stopped before the mirror.
A young man stared back.
Eighteen, perhaps.
Snow-white hair framed an almost unnaturally handsome face. Pale skin contrasted sharply with calm violet eyes that carried an air of quiet nobility. Even standing motionless, he projected effortless confidence—the kind possessed only by someone raised with unquestioned authority from birth.
I studied the stranger for several silent seconds.
There was no confusion.
Only observation.
Then...
A name surfaced naturally within my mind.
Andras Darkmoor.
The heir of House Darkmoor.
One of the Empire’s most powerful noble families.
Almost simultaneously, unfamiliar memories flooded my consciousness.
A vast estate.
Endless training grounds.
Private tutors.
Swordsmanship lessons.
Mana manipulation.
Lavish banquets.
Political gatherings.
Faces.
Names.
Places.
They came in scattered fragments before rapidly fitting together like pieces of an enormous puzzle.
None of those memories belonged to Alex.
They belonged to Andras.
And somehow...
They belonged to me now.
I rested one hand lightly against the mirror.
"So..."
The word escaped almost unconsciously.
"I really transmigrated."
The conclusion felt absurd.
Yet every piece of evidence supported it.
Rejecting reality simply because it seemed impossible was irrational.
Facts remained facts regardless of whether I liked them.
I looked into the mirror once more.
And another realization followed.
Not just Andras Darkmoor.
The Andras Darkmoor from Rise of the Sword Hero.
The arrogant young noble destined to be defeated by the protagonist.
A third-rate villain.
A disposable stepping stone.
For the first time since opening my eyes...
The corners of my lips curved into a faint smile.
Small.
Controlled.
Almost imperceptible.
Fortunately...
I wasn’t the original Andras.
The smile lingered for only a moment before fading.
A pleasant surprise did not change reality.
I was no longer Alex.
Nor was I merely a spectator reading someone else’s story.
I had become Andras Darkmoor.
The original owner of this body had been born with everything most people could only dream of.
An ancient noble lineage.
Immense wealth.
Exceptional talent.
A handsome face.
Powerful parents.
The admiration—and fear—of countless people.
Yet none of it had mattered.
Because the story had already decided his ending.
He existed for a single purpose.
To become another stepping stone beneath the protagonist’s feet.
I closed my eyes and organized the memories that now belonged to me.
Unlike a flood overwhelming my mind, they settled with surprising clarity. Years of etiquette lessons, swordsmanship practice, political gatherings, and noble education arranged themselves neatly beside my own memories from Earth, as though they had always belonged together.
Useful.
Very useful.
Andras wasn’t an idiot.
He was simply arrogant.
Raised in privilege, he had mistaken inherited authority for personal strength. Every victory had been handed to him before he ever earned it. Every failure had been hidden by his family’s influence.
Eventually, reality caught up with him.
Then the protagonist arrived.
The result had been inevitable.
I opened my eyes.
"I won’t make the same mistake."
The words were calm.
Matter-of-fact.
Not a declaration.
Simply a conclusion.
I already knew how this world worked.
I knew where hidden inheritances would appear.
I knew which ancient ruins concealed priceless treasures.
I knew which seemingly insignificant individuals would one day shake the continent.
More importantly...
I knew exactly who would become my enemies.
Knowledge was power.
But only if it was used before everyone else discovered it.
That alone gave me an advantage no one else possessed.
I walked toward the nearest window and pushed it open.
Cool night air rushed into the room, carrying the scent of damp earth, trimmed hedges, and blooming flowers. Somewhere below, steel rang against steel as knights continued their late-night training. Torches flickered along towering stone walls, while patrols moved with disciplined precision through the sprawling estate.
The Darkmoor Estate.
It was even grander than I had imagined while reading the novel.
Moonlight washed over marble courtyards, elegant fountains, and perfectly maintained gardens. Beyond them stood barracks, stables, libraries, and countless buildings connected by paved roads.
An entire city existed within these walls.
The original Andras had viewed all of this as something he naturally deserved.
I didn’t.
Every advantage could be taken away.
Every fortress could fall.
Every noble house could collapse.
History had proven that countless times.
I rested both hands against the windowsill.
This world fascinated me.
On Earth, people spent their lives chasing money, influence, or empty recognition.
Here...
A single individual could split mountains with one sword strike.
Archmages commanded storms.
Dragons soared above kingdoms.
Mana wasn’t fiction.
It was reality.
Strength wasn’t symbolic.
It determined everything.
Kings ruled because they were powerful.
Empires endured because they possessed stronger warriors than their rivals.
Even fate itself favored those with overwhelming power.
A slow smile spread across my face.
This world made sense.
Strength decided destiny.
Simple.
Logical.
Beautiful.
The original Andras had relied on his family’s reputation.
I would rely on my own ability.
He underestimated his enemies.
I would study them.
He allowed problems to grow until they threatened him.
I would erase them before they became problems.
Heroes survived because villains behaved like fools.
Arrogant speeches.
Needless mercy.
Explaining elaborate plans instead of finishing the job.
How many fictional villains had died because they couldn’t stop talking?
An absurd number.
I had no intention of joining them.
If someone became a threat...
They would disappear before realizing they had been targeted.
No dramatic confrontations.
No unnecessary risks.
No second chances.
A villain didn’t need to be reckless.
He needed to be efficient.
A quiet chuckle escaped my lips.
It echoed softly through the spacious chamber.
Perhaps this life would be far more entertaining than the one I had left behind.
Then—
Ding.
The clear sound cut through the silence.
I froze.
The noise hadn’t come from outside.
Nor from anywhere inside the room.
It had echoed directly inside my mind.
A second notification followed almost immediately.
Ding.
Before I could analyze it further, translucent blue light shimmered into existence before my eyes.
A rectangular screen floated silently in the air.
Its surface rippled like calm water beneath moonlight.
Unlike everything else that had happened tonight...
This wasn’t part of the original novel.
For the first time since awakening, genuine curiosity stirred within me.
Words slowly appeared across the glowing screen.
[Compatible Host Detected.]
A moment later, the text changed.
[Beginning Synchronization...]
A progress bar materialized beneath it.
[Synchronization: 12%]
The number climbed steadily.
27%
46%
68%
81%
97%
Finally—
[Synchronization Complete.]
The screen flickered once before new lines appeared.
[Unique System Successfully Bound.]
[Welcome, Host.]
Silence filled the room again.
Then the final notification emerged.
[Devouring System Activated.]
Another line appeared beneath it.
[Primary Authority: Devour the talents of others.]
I read the sentence once.
Then again.
My expression remained calm, but my thoughts accelerated.
A system.
Not merely reincarnation.
Something entirely separate from the novel.
If this interface spoke the truth...
Then I possessed an ability no one else in this world should have.
Talents.
In Rise of the Sword Hero, talent determined nearly everything.
A higher talent meant faster cultivation.
Greater mana affinity.
Superior swordsmanship.
Better comprehension.
People spent entire lifetimes trapped by the limits of the talent they were born with.
It was an unchangeable law.
Or at least...
It had been.
My eyes remained fixed on the final line.
Devour the talents of others.
The implications were almost limitless.
Heroes.
Villains.
Saints.
Prodigies.
Chosen Ones.
The titles no longer mattered.
If their gifts could become mine...
Then eventually, no one would surpass me.
A faint smile returned to my face.
Not one of excitement.
One of quiet satisfaction.
The pieces fit together perfectly.
I already possessed knowledge of the future.
Now I possessed a power capable of rewriting it.
Outside, the moon hung high above the Darkmoor Estate, bathing the ancient manor in silver light.
The countless geniuses destined to shake the continent were living ordinary lives.
Ancient inheritances remained undiscovered.
Legendary treasures slept beneath forgotten ruins.
None of them knew what was coming.
Neither did fate.
I looked at my reflection in the dark window.
White hair.
Violet eyes.
The face of Andras Darkmoor stared back at me.
A third-rate villain.
A disposable character.
A stepping stone.
I smiled.
"No..."
My quiet voice disappeared into the stillness of the room.
"That story belongs to someone else."
I turned away from the window and looked toward the endless darkness stretching beyond the estate.
The original Rise of the Sword Hero had ended.
My story had only just begun.
And this time...
Every page would belong to me.
