That Time I Got Reincarnated as a King (Old Version)

The stars above Emberleaf burned bright and cold, far from the fires and flickering mana lights of the village below. Inside a small tent tucked near the heart of the camp, Kael Drayke sat upright on his sleeping mat, staring at the cracked sigil shard resting on the wooden crate beside him. It pulsed faintly—red, then dim—like a heartbeat in stone.

Rimuru was curled in the corner, glowing soft blue, her form rising and falling with steady, slumbering rhythm. Her body briefly pulsed warmer when Kael shifted. She didn't wake.

Kael reached for the shard, turned it between his fingers, and whispered into the dim silence.

"You ever just feel like the whole forest's holding its breath?"

Great Sage:
"The mana density around you has increased by 11.6% since sunset."

Kael rolled his eyes. "So that's a yes."

He let out a breath. The day had been long. The scouting mission had unearthed ancient sigils, cracked memories, and a frozen threat watching from beyond the trees. Too much had been left unsaid for too long. And now, with the air so still he could hear Rimuru's faint bubbling snores, the pressure settled.

"Hey, Great Sage." Kael leaned back, staring at the canvas above. "You've been dodging questions. For years, honestly."

Great Sage:
"Incorrect. I have delayed revelations based on your psychological development and risk exposure thresholds."

Kael narrowed his eyes. "So you were waiting until I had fewer brain cells to resist?"

Great Sage:
A pause. "Partially."

He sat up straighter. "No more stalling. Where are we really? What are we standing on? What does all of this—me, the Mirror, Rimuru, the throne sigils—what does it mean?"

The mana shard in his hand glowed brighter.

And in that moment, something shifted.

The tent dimmed. The fire outside no longer crackled in his ears. Kael blinked—and found himself surrounded by stars.

He stood on nothing. A void of weightless space. Above him: a sky made of swirling constellations. Seven massive stars blinked in sequence, each one carved with a different rune. At their center, a ring of fire.

Great Sage:
"Welcome to the cognitive projection space. Manual override has been accepted. World context briefing: initialized."

The stars shifted. One flared—a burning red mass.

Great Sage:
"Continent One: Ira — The land of Wrath."

The red star projected a vision: volcanoes, war banners, ash-choked skies. Armored soldiers clashing across lava rivers. Cities built on molten cliffs.

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Great Sage:
"Birthplace of Kael Drayke. Key traits: strength, passion, justice. Ruled by fractured kingdoms constantly on the edge of war."

Kael crossed his arms. "So… I'm from fantasy Florida. With swords."

Another star lit up—green and silver mist.

Great Sage:
"Continent Two: Invidia — The land of Envy. Mist forests, silent assassins, illusion cults. Operates through espionage, sabotage, and political shadowplay."

Images swirled: fog-wrapped palaces, diplomats with false faces, knives glinting in candlelight.

Kael muttered, "Sounds like a place where even your shadow backstabs you."

System: Continental Overview
Superbia (Pride) — Floating palaces. Skyships. Duelists casting spells shaped like galaxies.
Luxuria (Lust) — Temples of perfume and sound. Dream-powered cities. Hypnotic rulers.
Avaritia (Greed) — Auction houses that sell years of life. Armies paid in souls. Desert kings with vaults of secrets.
Gula (Gluttony) — Jungle realms where beasts evolve nightly. Sacred cuisine used as battle magic.
Acedia (Sloth) — Frozen cities caught in time loops. Scholars sealed in dreaming stasis. Prophets who whisper from tomorrow.

Kael turned slowly as each world unfolded before him.

"So… we're living on a giant seven-nation alignment chart."

Great Sage:
"Accurate."

Kael scratched his neck. "Ira, huh? Of course I'm from the volcano one. That's just perfect."

Great Sage:
"You were born in Emberhollow. The gentlest fragment of Wrath's continent. A statistical outlier."

Kael looked at the stars again. "And you're saying all this… because I'm tied to this?"

Great Sage:
"Because you are more than one piece of this world, Kael. You are connected to all of it."

Seven thrones flickered into existence—flame, ice, gold, stone, mist, bone, and crystal.

Great Sage:
"Scourges. Beings of extraordinary alignment to their Sin. Born once every few centuries. World-changers."

Kael saw the Wrath throne blaze. Then Gluttony throbbed. Pride flickered. Sloth shimmered subtly.

"Wait," Kael said. "Are you saying—?"

Great Sage:
"You are not one Scourge, Kael. You are multiple."

Kael's stomach twisted. "Is that even possible?"

Great Sage:
"Until now, no."

• Elemental Mastery (Ultimate Skill)
• Mana Manipulation (Ultimate Skill)
• Accelerated Thought (Extra Skill)
• Predator → Mutilation (Extra Skill)
• Future Sight (Ultimate Skill — Sloth)
• Infinite Regeneration (Ultimate Skill — Pride)

Kael blinked. "This isn't a power list. This is what happens when an author gets carried away."

Great Sage:
"Statistical probability of your configuration occurring naturally: 1 in 12.3 billion."

Kael: "Guess I hit the lottery. And the bomb jackpot."

"The Flame Mirror," Kael said. "What is it?"

Great Sage:
"It is the artifact used during the Ritual of Ascendancy. If it shatters—"
"—then a Scourge has been born."

Kael saw flashes: mirror shards, fire, chaos, children glowing with impossible magic.

Visions rippled through the void:

• In Invidia: a masked child murmured, "He's moving."
• In Avaritia: a merchant-prince added Kael's name to a war ledger.
• In Acedia: an oracle whispered, "Flame returns."

Great Sage:
"The world stirs, Kael. Because you no longer walk quietly."

Kael: "So what do I do with all this?"

Great Sage:
"That is not my decision. Only yours."

Kael exhaled. "Then I'll build something worth remembering. And if fate comes for me—"

He smirked. "—it better bring backup."

Behind him, the Wrath shard glowed. Whole. No longer cracked.

Great Sage:
"The shard has accepted you. It evolves with you."

Kael: "Then let's both keep evolving."