The Strongest

(this novel is same universe with Dark slit: he who Defies)

The city was in flames. Once towering

skyscrapers crumbled, their glass and steel shattered across the bloodstained streets. Corpses both innocent and heroic littered the ground, their sacrifices meaningless in the face of sheer devastation. Smoke and the scent of charred flesh filled the air as screams of the dying echoed through the battlefield.

At the center of it all, a massive, muscular man stood, his breathing heavy, his hands adorned with glowing rings pulsing with raw energy. He exhaled, his breath like a storm rolling through the battlefield.

"HO!!" He roared. "You're the strongest hero I've fought without some special world that connects to your abilities!"

He smirked, wiping blood from his lips. "I can't believe I have to use that secret move I've been saving… against you."

A few meters away, a man slouched against a cracked wall, a cigarette glowing faintly between his fingers. His upper body costume had been ripped to shreds, revealing a deep stab wound in his left side, where a metal shard was still embedded.

"It doesn't matter." The hero took a slow drag, his expression unreadable. "You're dead soon anyway. Once I get up… it's over. Because I'm the strongest."

He grinned, reaching down and ripping the shard from his side with a wet, sickening sound.

"Grrh…!" Blood poured from the wound, but he barely flinched. Instead, he took a deep breath and stood tall.

"Lock."

"Guh—!"

The muscular man froze. His arms, legs his entire body refused to move. His veins bulged as he struggled. "I can't… move?!"

A realization dawned on him. His lips curled into a smirk, despite his predicament. "I let my guard down… You used your shadow to lock me while you were sitting, didn't you?"

The hero Lockerum smirked. "Yeah. Can't believe you're actually smart. I thought you were just a meathead." He let out a low chuckle.

The hero laughed crazily. "You were a formidable opponent, sycholar"

Sycholar grinned. "You're fucking crazy. The news was right about you you really are a fucking troublemaker."

The trapped warrior struggled, muscles straining against the lock. "Any last words?"

Sycholar tilted his head. "Hm. Not really. I've achieved my dream to fight someone strong. I'm happy to die in your hands." He crossed his arms. "A shame, though. My martial arts and Aetheris will die with me. My master must be disappointed."

Lockerum smirked, stepping forward. "Don't worry. I'll lock them in hell with you."

He took another step

Then stopped.

From the smoke, five S-rank heroes appeared, their presence like a death sentence.

Lockerum turned his head slightly. "Backup?"

The one in the center spoke coldly. "No, sir."

"Then what the fuck are you all doing here?" His voice was cocky, but there was an edge beneath it.

They remained silent.

Lockerum clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Go help the heroes and the injured. We have a damn war here."

One of the heroes, standing at the front, took a slow step forward. His gaze was chilling. "SSS-ranked hero… Lockerum."

Lockerum frowned. "Huh?"

The hero's voice was calm too calm. "You no longer exist."

In an instant

They moved.

The five S-rank heroes blurred into motion, a storm of blades, magic, and chains. Spells wrapped around Lockerum's arms and legs, pinning him. A sword plunged deep into his chest, piercing through his heart.

"Grghk!" Blood spewed from his lips as he fell to his knees, eyes wide in shock.

"What the hell?!" Sycholar's voice broke with rage. "What the fuck are you guys doing?!"

They didn't answer.

The leader of the execution squad placed his hand on Lockerum's head. The hero coughed violently, his body trembling, blood pooling beneath him.

"What the fuck… D-Do you think the government will allow this?! If they find out!" He tried to sound confident, but there was fear creeping in.

The leader tilted his head. "Still as cocky as ever… even in the face of death." His voice was a whisper.

He exhaled. "Sleep."

Lockerum's body collapsed.

A lifeless corpse.

The lock on Sycholar vanished instantly.

He staggered, his breathing ragged. "Fuck…" His instincts screamed at him he wouldn't survive a fight against them. Not now.

Without another word, he turned and ran.

He moved with insane speed, ignoring the pain ripping through his body, ignoring the blood still pouring from his wound.

"I'll get my revenge…" His vision blurred, the world around him fading.

His entire life flashed before his eyes.

[SSS-Ranked Hero: Lockerum]

Status: Deceased.

As Lockerum's body lay lifeless, he felt something strange a pull, a weightless sensation as if he were being lifted from himself.

His vision blurred. The battlefield, the blood, the betrayal it all seemed to fade.

"Shit… my soul is leaving my body."

A deep rage burned inside him. He could feel it—his life slipping away, his very existence unraveling.

"I spent my whole life serving the Hero Government… yet they betrayed me?" His teeth clenched, though he no longer had a physical body to grit them with. "Fuck that. I won't let this be the end."

His soul trembled, resisting the inevitable.

"If a god, a devil, or any fucking higher being can hear me if there's even a chance I swear…

If I'm reborn, let it be in this world again. I will have my revenge."

His consciousness flickered. Darkness swallowed him.

Then

A light.

A tunnel of blinding radiance stretched before him, pulling him in.

Then he woke up.

But something was wrong.

Lockerum opened his eyes or at least, he thought he did. His body felt… weightless.

He looked down.

"What the hell?!"

His hands transparent. His entire body, barely visible.

He tried to move, and instead of stepping forward, he floated.

"No… No, no, no, don't fucking tell me-"

He rushed downward, trying to plant his feet on the ground, but instead, he passed right through.

"FUCK! DID I BECOME A FUCKING SPIRIT?!"

His voice echoed into nothingness.

Lockerum turned his gaze toward the city.

It was… beautiful.

The ruins, the fires, the corpses they were all gone. Instead, towering skyscrapers stood tall, streets lined with people going about their peaceful lives. The battlefield where he was betrayed and executed was now a bustling metropolis.

"How long has it been…?"

He soared through the air, scanning the streets. Then, he spotted it a massive digital billboard with a date.

February 5, 2025.

He froze.

"It's been… three years."

A long silence followed.

Then

"FUUUUUCK!!"

His voice ripped through the sky, unheard by the people below.

"THEN WHY AM I STILL HERE?!

He gritted his ghostly teeth.

"Don't fucking tell me… Heaven didn't accept me?"

For the first time, a chill ran through him.

Then, he remembered.

"Oh… right. I asked to be reborn."

His frustration exploded again.

"THEN WHY THE HELL AM I A SPIRIT WHO CAN'T DO SHIT?!"

His anger simmered as he floated there, fists clenched despite having no physical body. Then, an idea sparked in his mind.

"Maybe… I can possess someone?"

A sinister grin crept onto his translucent face.

Then he paused.

"Wait… that idea is so fucking stupid. I'm the only SSS-ranked hero in this country. Every hero who got transmigrated has spiritual awareness or some other bullshit."

He groaned.

"If I take over some weak bastard, I'll get exorcised before I can even start my revenge."

He sighed deeply, floating above the city he once swore to protect.

"Tch. No body, no power, no allies… Looks like I'm gonna have to get creative."

A storm brewed within him.

He wasn't done. Not yet.

A transparent UI appeared in front of him.

[Soul System]

[Vengeance Spirit]

[Connecting...]

"Huh? A system?" He muttered, his voice calm. "Just like the one the government provided back then."

[Joining the server...]

He crossed his arms, waiting.

"I'm waiting..." His tone carried a clear sense of boredom.

[Welcome.]

[Registering user...]

[SSS-Ranked Hero: Lockerum]

[Zero Eurom]

[Balance: 0 soul pp]

His face twisted in annoyance. "Tch... That name brings back shitty memories."

[Registered.]

A menu popped up before him.

"Quest list... So, it works just like my old system," he noted, clicking the quest button.

[Please come back later...]

He let out a sigh. "Guess I'll just explore the city."

With a slight motion, he took to the skies, flying above the city that had once been in ruins. Now, it looked beautiful restored, thriving. As he soared higher, something caught his eye. A massive statue stood in the city's center.

He floated closer, narrowing his eyes.

"...Oh? At least they made me a statue," he mused sarcastically. "Though it doesn't look like I'm getting nearly enough praise. Bastards."

He ascended even higher, trying to get a better view.

[Area still unavailable.]

"Fuck..."

Before he could complain further, another notification appeared.

[Quest: Rethink Your Life.]

[Reward: 50 Soul PP]

He frowned. "Huh?"

A sigh escaped his lips. "Fine..."

Zero closed his eyes, letting his mind drift into memories. He had been a student, never excelling in studies, always causing trouble. No good relationships with his parents. No real friends. No lover.

A single tear rolled down his cheek, but his cocky expression remained.

"...Fuck. My life wasn't that bad, though. I became the first SSS-Ranked Hero in the country." He smirked, though a hint of bitterness lingered in his eyes.

[Please rethink more.]

"Tch..."

His smirk faded slightly.

"...I lived a shitty life," he admitted. "Maybe no one even bothered visiting my grave."

A complex, sorrowful expression crossed his face.

[Quest Completed.]

[Gained: 50 Soul PP]

He clicked his tongue. "And you're not even gonna explain what the hell Soul PP is?"

Lazily, he lay back in midair, floating like he was resting on an invisible bed.

"So, what now?"

Another notification popped up.

[Quest: Save a Half-Elf Boy.]

[Punishment Upon Failure: Eternal Spirit Form.]

A glowing arrow appeared, pointing toward a dark alley.

"...Shit. I can't even touch anything, but sure."

With a resigned sigh, Zero flew toward the alley, wondering what kind of mess he was about to dive into next.