The Divine Fate Dynasty.
Ninth Prince's Mansion.
A towering palace stood quietly at the edge of the royal capital. Though majestic in its architecture, its silence whispered of abandonment.
At the grand gates, two guards stood lazily, spears in hand, their eyes dull with boredom as they whispered to each other.
...
"Did you hear? The Crown Prince is going to be crowned Emperor today."
"Haa, I know," the second one replied with a half-hearted nod.
"Tsk. Once he ascends, the other Princes are as good as dead."
"I don't even know if any of the other eight can stop him now."
"Ever since the Emperor died, this empire has been on the brink of war. Nine Princes, one throne… It's a battle waiting to happen."
"Yeah, but let's be real—whoever wins, it won't be the Ninth Prince."
"Heh. Useless."
..
They snickered, their words soaked in mockery and disdain, aimed at the one Prince no one took seriously—the Ninth.
As they continued their idle chatter, the view drifted past the gates, slipping silently into the heart of the mansion.
It was vast. Lavish gardens lay untouched, the maid and eunuch quarters silent, their doors long closed. The once-bustling palace now stood hollow, a forgotten echo of royalty.
Only two eunuchs remained in the entire estate. Aside from the guards at the entrance, it was as if the mansion had been deserted—left to rot like the dreams of the Prince who lived within.
Deep inside, behind tall golden doors, was a bedroom fit for nobility. The walls shimmered with white and gold. At its center lay a grand bed, upon which a young man slept.
He appeared around eighteen or nineteen, his face handsome yet frail, marked with traces of sickness and weakness.
Then, pain flickered across his face.
His body tensed. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks as if he were trapped in a nightmare—no, something far more profound.
Memories.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
"Huff… Huff… Huff…"
He gasped for air, chest rising and falling rapidly, as if he'd just surfaced from drowning.
Wide-eyed, he looked around, disoriented. The golden room, the heavy silence, the luxurious bed—it all felt unfamiliar, yet somehow known.
Minutes passed before his breath steadied.
Then came the whisper, low and shaky:
"Reborn…? Or transmigrated?"
He frowned, gripping his head.
"No… this isn't a dream. These are my memories… from a past life?"
He fell into silence.
"But… how the hell was this loser me? Then again… I was kind of a loser back then too, so… fair enough."
He chuckled bitterly and leaned back, a deep sigh escaping his lips.
This was Kang—the Ninth Prince of the Divine Fate Dynasty.
Born with a crippled body, unable to cultivate. In a world where strength decided fate, he was as good as dead weight.
His mother, a commoner, possessed a beauty that rivaled immortals. The late Emperor—his father—had fallen for her at first sight and made her his concubine.
But five years ago, she died.
And just last night… the Emperor himself passed away.
Now, the empire trembled on the verge of war. The Princes were ready to tear each other apart for the throne.
All eight of them.
Yes—eight.
Because Kang, the Ninth Prince, was already considered out of the picture. Useless. Powerless. Alone.
He had no supporters, no soldiers, no allies.
He couldn't even cultivate.
"If a war breaks out… I'll be the first one to die," he whispered, eyes darkening.
"Damn it… what do I do?"
"I don't want to die. Not again."
---
[DING!]
A crisp mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Condition met. Suitable host for system found.]
[Scanning host…]
[Scanning world… universe… origin… multiverse…]
[Scan complete.]
[Based on the collected data, three templates have been generated.
Please select carefully.]
{ > Option 1: Protagonist Template
Reward: Unknown
> Option 2: Villain Template
Reward: ???
> Option 3: Hidden Template
Reward: !!!!! }
Kang stared at the options.
Stunned.
Confused.
"What… is this?"
" SYSTEM "