After years of countless battles and broken bonds, after bloodshed and survival—Sebastian sat atop the still-warm corpse of the obsidian dragon.
Black blood steamed beneath him. Its scales, once impervious, shimmered like shattered glass beneath the noon sun. A low breeze swept across the charred battlefield, but nothing stirred.
Not a single casualty.
The Melidyia Kingdom had sent a full battalion and a five-man adventuring team—but in the end, Sebastian alone had slain the beast.
A faint, glowing blue screen flickered before his eyes.
[System Update]
You have slain a Dragon.
[Status]
Name: Sebastian
Title: Dragon Executioner
Race: Human
Class: Magic Swordsman
Level: 62
Skills:
Abyssal Edge (Lv. 75): Deliver devastating dark-elemental slashes.
Blood Pact (Lv. 65): Absorb half of HP from fallen foes.
Temporal Sight (Lv. Max): Briefly perceive one minute into the future.
Obsidian Armor (Lv. 1): Temporarily harden skin to dragon-scale durability. [New Skill]
Undying Will (Lv. Max): Survive a fatal blow with 1 HP once per day.
Eyes of the Dragon (Lv. 1): Perceive beyond normal human limits.
(more)
He scoffed. "Tch. See? I can kill monsters like this with my eyes closed," he said arrogantly to a nearby soldier. "You lot just watched."
His teammates approached—three men and one woman. Halric, the burly captain, clapped him on the shoulder.
"You showboating bastard," he said with a grin. They laughed—but Sebastian didn't.
He stepped down from the dragon's corpse and walked away, alone.
---
Far from the bloodied plains, deep within the golden halls of the Melidyia Palace, a soldier knelt before the throne.
"The dragon has been slain," he announced breathlessly. "No casualties. The adventuring party you commissioned… but the final blow came from one man."
"Who?" asked King Tim, eyes narrowing.
"Sebastian. Advanced Rank Four. But… he ignored all orders. Fought alone. The rest of the party barely moved."
Gasps echoed through the court.
"A mere Advanced Four?" a minister hissed. "Impossible."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty," another said, stepping forward, "but this is dangerous. A man like that… with no leash? He's a threat."
"Worse," a gray-bearded minister muttered. "He's a freeloader. Takes from the kingdom. Gives nothing."
"What if he drew his power from somewhere else?" someone whispered.
The room fell silent.
"Demonic interference," a voice finally said.
"No one slays a dragon alone," another snapped. "Not without forbidden means."
"Your Majesty," said a younger minister, "some even say the dragon served him."
"Or worse…" an elder muttered. "That he was blessed by devils."
King Tim's expression hardened. "We feared he might become dangerous. Now we know."
"It must be done."
The king stood. "He is to be executed. Quietly. Efficiently."
"And what of the public?" someone asked.
"We'll say he turned to abyssal power. That he broke the laws of magic and made a pact."
That night, Sebastian lay restless in his inn.
He stared at the ceiling. Wooden beams above. A dull ache in his chest.
From the next room, voices leaked through thin walls.
"Ohhh, gods… yes…!"
A man's voice: "What happened to your fiancé? What was his name again?"
His fiancée answered: "Sebastian. I only stayed with him for the money. He's just a sword to be used."
Laughter.
"I want your child, not his."
Silence.
Then—his mirror glowed. A call from Halric.
> "Sebastian. Meet us in the Akhori Demon District. There's a raid."
"…Yeah. I'll come," Sebastian said quietly.
He stepped outside, numb. And there they were—his fiancée and Halric—just leaving their room.
Her eyes widened. "Se—Sebas—"
He smiled, hollow. "It's off."
A deep mist veiled the demon district's forest. Trees stretched like arms into fog, choking out the stars. Sebastian stopped near the cliff's edge. No monsters. No enemies.
"What kind of raid is this?"
He turned.
His team stood behind him.
And behind them—King Tim.
Sebastian's breath caught. He bowed his head. "Your Majesty. Why are you here?"
"You're a threat, Sebastian," the king said coldly.
"For being strong?" Sebastian asked, voice tightening.
"For being too strong," the king replied. "You slew a dragon alone. That's not human."
"You think I made a pact?"
"We know you did," said a minister.
Sebastian turned to his team. "Halric? Mina? Say something. You know me."
They remained silent.
"Say something!"
Nothing. They didn't even blink.
"You think I killed that dragon with demonic power?"
"You are the weapon that turned on its masters," the king said.
"No. No, this is wrong. I—"
"Execute him."
Steel flashed.
His head fell from his shoulders.
Blood sprayed the rocks like a crimson fountain.
Gasp.
Sebastian jolted upright. Back in his inn bed. Same room. Same beams overhead.
Same moans from the next room.
The mirror flickered. Halric again.
"Sebastian. Meet us in the Akhori Demon District. There's a raid."
Terror surged through him.
He ran. But every escape ended the same.
In the forest—a monster drained his blood, leaving him a shriveled husk.
In the river—a monstrous eel tore him limb from limb.
In the town—poisoned wine made him vomit black blood till his heart stopped.
In the mountains—fire insects burrowed into his flesh, cooking him alive from the inside.
Each death worse than the last.
He even tried ending his own life—piercing his heart with his blade.
But this time… he woke somewhere else.
Darkness.
Endless, suffocating dark.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why me?"
A voice answered from the void—familiar. Mocking. Deep.
"Because you are an interesting piece."
Sebastian's heart froze.
"You… You again."
"I'm not your tormentor, Sebastian."
"I'm not your toy."
"This life… isn't bound by fate anymore."
"I'm in a loop of hell!"
"No. The question is—what will you become?"
Tears rolled down Sebastian's face.
"But nothing changed… I did everything right. I killed the dragon. I protected them. And yet… again, again… betrayal."
"You don't see what you were meant to become… or the role you still must play."
"You gave me this second chance for what? To suffer again?"
"To rewrite your fate."
"You don't understand!"
"No. You don't."
The voice echoed, colder now.
"You don't understand what this life is meant to be... what you are meant to be."
"This is your second life. The pen is in your hand now. Make your own story… or keep reliving your pain."
A sudden sting in his chest.
Eyes snapped open.
Same bed. Same ceiling. Same voices next door.
The nightmare had not ended.