scottm10

Reiji Tsukihara was an overworked game developer, but a sudden accident sent him to a world that eerily resembled his own MMORPG. Now reborn as Kael Ardent, the exiled third prince of a fallen empire, he quickly realizes he isn’t just a player—he’s part of the game itself.

Granted the [Fractured Sovereign System], Kael can wield overwhelming power, but at a steep cost. Every ability he gains causes fractures—glitches in reality, cracks in his mind, or irreversible consequences in the world around him. With war looming, treacherous factions vying for control, and whispers of an eldritch force watching him, he must:
	•	Master his system’s broken mechanics while avoiding its dangers.
	•	Assemble a harem of powerful allies, each tied to his past and future.
	•	Unravel the mystery of his reincarnation—and why he wasn’t the only one.
	•	Fight against fate itself, before the world collapses under the weight of his fractures.

But with every step forward, the line between hero and tyrant begins to blur. If he wants to survive, he must embrace the very thing that threatens to consume him—
Absolute Power.

The Fractured Sovereign: Awakening in the Shattered Empire

Wind howled in Kael's ears as he plummeted from the shattered throne room window. The moonlit city sprawled below him—twisting alleyways, crumbling rooftops, and burning towers still smoldering from the coup. He twisted his body midair, instinct overriding panic.

The cold bit through his torn cloak, the weightless sensation stretching into eternity before the ground rushed up to meet him. His mind screamed for something—anything—that could stop his descent.

A flickering blue prompt burned in his vision.

The moment the thought formed, shadows surged beneath him like liquid ink. Instead of slamming into the stone pavement, his body melted into the darkness, slipping through reality like a whisper. Then, suddenly—he was somewhere else.

Kael stumbled, landing on unsteady legs inside a deserted alleyway. His breath came in ragged gasps as his mind caught up to his body. He'd just teleported.

[Skill Used: Shadow Step. Cooldown: 10 minutes.]

A cost. Always a cost. His legs trembled, his stomach twisted in nausea. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to move. The throne room was no longer safe. Nowhere was safe.

His mind reeled. He had memories of this city—Kael Ardent's memories. The twists and turns of the capital streets, the hidden paths only nobles and assassins knew. It was all there, layered beneath his own consciousness.

And more than that—this world was familiar. Too familiar.

Or at least, it had been a game. The Ardent Empire, the Fractured Sovereign title, the Shadow Step ability—it was all from Blood & Ashes Online, the MMORPG he had helped develop before his death.

But something was wrong. The mechanics were twisted, the world more brutal, more real than any line of code should allow. He could feel the sweat on his skin, the distant cries of the dying, the taste of blood at the back of his throat.

This wasn't a game anymore. It was reality.

[Urgent Quest: Escape the Capital]

[Objective: Leave the city before dawn]

[Bonus: Reach the Southern Outskirts Without Detection]

Kael swallowed hard. He had no weapons. No allies. Only a fractured system that granted power at a cost he didn't yet understand. And every guard, mercenary, and bounty hunter in the city would be after his head.

His fingers curled into fists. Fine. Let them come.

But first—he had to get out of here alive.

The streets of the capital were unforgiving.

Kael stuck to the shadows, avoiding the open streets where patrols of armored soldiers marched with torches in hand. They were searching for him—he heard his name on their lips, spoken with venom.

"Prince Kael has betrayed the empire! A bounty of 500 gold for his head!"

Five hundred gold? Enough to turn the entire slums against him. He clenched his jaw. The world was closing in on him fast.

Ducking into an abandoned smithy, he scanned the racks of discarded weapons. Most were broken or rusted, but one caught his eye—a dagger with a blackened blade, the metal swirling as though dipped in shadow.

[Effect: Consumes a fragment of the wielder's life essence to deliver a cursed strike.]

Kael exhaled slowly. Of course, another cost. But right now, he didn't have the luxury to refuse power.

Wrapping his fingers around the hilt, he stepped back into the streets—just as a group of bounty hunters turned the corner.

Kael's heartbeat pounded in his ears. His fingers tightened around the dagger. The odds weren't in his favor—but if this system wanted to play games with him…

Chapter 2: Into the Abyss