Reborn As The Immortal Ice Tyrant

The Man Who Died Twice

Ethan could no longer feel the ground beneath him. He could not hear the screams of the players who had fought beside him. Even the pain that had filled his body was gone.

For a moment, he thought he had finally found peace.

Then he heard a voice.

“Ethan.”

He opened his eyes.

There was no sky above him. No trees. No forest. Nothing surrounded him except endless darkness. He stood on a black surface that stretched in every direction, but his feet made no sound when he moved.

He looked down at his body.

The wounds Victor’s men had given him were gone. His clothes were clean, and his hands were steady. He touched his chest, expecting to feel the hole left by Victor’s final attack.

There was nothing.

“Am I dead again?” he whispered.

A strange sound answered him.

It was like thousands of people whispering at the same time.

“Dead.”

“Help me.”

“Please, someone help me.”

“Why is this happening?”

Ethan turned around.

He could hear them clearly now. Men, women, and children were crying for help. Some screamed in pain. Others begged for someone to save their families.

Their voices came from every direction.

He tried to open his system.

“Status.”

Nothing happened.

“System window!”

The darkness remained unchanged.

Ethan’s expression tightened.

He had died before, but his system had always been present. Even when Darius stabbed him, the system had continued displaying his health and the strange energy that had entered his body.

Now there was nothing.

No status window, health points.

No talent information. Not even a message confirming his death.

He raised his hand and tried again.

“Eternal Vitality.”

A faint silver light appeared beneath his skin before disappearing.

Ethan stared at his hand.

“What happened to my talent?”

“You are asking the wrong question again.”

The voice came from behind him.

Ethan spun around.

A tall figure stood several steps away. It wore a long black robe, and its face was hidden behind a smooth silver mask. Strange symbols covered its clothes, shifting whenever Ethan tried to study them.

Ethan immediately stepped backward.

“Who are you?”

The figure tilted its head.

“I am the one who watches what remains after everything else has ended.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“You have always been impatient when the answers matter most.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

“You know me?”

“I know the man who died after ten years of failure. I know the man who returned to the beginning. I know the man who believed that changing a few events would be enough to change the future.”

Ethan’s expression changed.

“How do you know about my previous life?”

The figure did not answer immediately.

Instead, it raised one hand.

A small screen appeared in the darkness.

Ethan saw himself lying on the ground in the Silent Forest. His body was covered in blood. Victor stood nearby while his men surrounded Lucas and the remaining players.

He watched Lucas crawl toward him.

“Ethan! Please, wake up!”

Lucas’s voice broke.

Victor grabbed him by the back of his clothes and dragged him away.

“Stop wasting your time. He’s dead.”

Lucas struggled against him.

“You killed him!”

Victor struck him across the face.

“And I will kill anyone who tries to avenge him.”

The scene changed.

The forest shook. A terrible crack appeared across the sky.

Then another.

Ethan watched in horror as the sky split apart like broken glass. Beyond the cracks was not the peaceful blue sky he remembered. It was a strange darkness filled with burning red light.

A building collapsed in the distance.

Another followed.

People ran through the streets, screaming as enormous creatures emerged from glowing openings in the air.

A monster with six legs landed on a crowded road. Its claws tore through vehicles as people scattered in terror.

A woman reached for a child trapped beneath a fallen wall.

Before she could reach him, a creature dropped from the sky.

The scene ended in blood.

Ethan’s breathing became unsteady.

“No.”

The screen showed another city.

Then another.

The disaster was spreading everywhere.

The game was no longer a game.

It had begun destroying the real world.

Ethan stepped toward the screen.

“Stop showing me this!”

The masked figure lowered its hand.

The images disappeared.

“You wanted another chance,” it said. “You received one. Yet the world has begun to collapse sooner than it did in your previous life.”

Ethan clenched his fists.

“I know what is happening.”

“Do you?”

“I have seen this disaster before.”

“No. You saw its beginning in another life. You never saw what waited at the end.”

Ethan fell silent.

The figure moved closer.

“Your first death was caused by the collapse of a world you could not save. Your second death came because you tried to change that world’s fate without understanding the force controlling it.”

Ethan remembered Victor’s cold smile.

He remembered Ryan.

He remembered the moment his health reached zero.

Most of all, he remembered the feeling of failing again.

“Can I return?” he asked.

The masked figure remained silent.

Ethan stepped forward.

“Tell me how to return!”

“You have already returned twice.”

“Then let me do it again!”

“Your talent was never supposed to end with your physical body.”

Ethan froze.

“What does that mean?”

The figure raised its hand, and silver symbols appeared around them.

“Your Infinite Health Talent was not created to make your body impossible to kill. It was designed to preserve something far more important.”

“What?”

“Your ability to continue.”

Ethan stared at the symbols.

His talent had always increased his maximum health through normal attacks. It had allowed him to deal true damage based on his growing health. Later, it had helped him survive wounds that should have killed him.

But none of those abilities explained why he was standing in this strange place.

“Why can’t I see my system?”

“Because your consciousness is no longer connected to your body.”

“Then reconnect me!”

“Your body has stopped functioning. The connection between your consciousness and the world has also been damaged.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened.

“So I really am dead.”

“For now.”

The words gave him a small amount of hope.

Then the figure continued.

“But your resurrection is incomplete. If you remain here, your consciousness will disappear. If you return without restoring the ancient energy inside you, your body will reject you.”

“How do I restore it?”

“By facing what you have spent your entire life running from.”

The darkness trembled.

A long road appeared in front of Ethan. It stretched toward a distant silver light.

At the other end stood a familiar figure.

Ryan Carter.

His armor was covered in blood. His face was pale, and a deep wound crossed his chest.

Ethan stopped breathing.

“Ryan?”

Ryan lifted his head.

For a moment, he looked exactly as Ethan remembered him. Friendly eyes. A small smile. The same man who had believed that working together could help them survive.

Then Ryan’s expression changed.

“Why didn’t you save me?”

Ethan’s throat tightened.

“Ryan, I tried.”

“You told us we could survive if we stayed together.”

“I know.”

“You said we had a chance.”

Ethan looked down.

Ryan stepped forward.

“But when Victor attacked, you couldn’t do anything.”

Ethan felt as if someone had driven a knife into his chest.

“I am sorry.”

Ryan shook his head.

“Sorry won’t bring me back.”

The road cracked beneath Ryan’s feet.

Ethan rushed forward.

“Wait!”

Ryan’s body began to break apart into silver dust.

“Ethan!”

He reached out, but the road collapsed between them.

Ryan disappeared.

Ethan fell to his knees.

For several seconds, he could not move.

He had known Ryan for only a short time, but the young warrior had trusted him. Ryan had believed that Ethan knew what he was doing. He had followed him into danger because he believed they could protect each other.

Now Ryan was dead.

And Ethan had been unable to stop it.

A notification suddenly appeared in the darkness.

[Hidden Quest Activated: Return From the End.]

[Objective One: Recover the lost connection.]

[Objective Two: Defeat the shadows of your previous life.]

[Final Condition:)

[Warning: The final condition is protected by an unknown authority.]

Ethan stared at the last message.

An unknown authority?

Even here, something was hiding information from him.

Before he could examine it, the ground shook.

Black figures emerged from the darkness.

There were dozens of them.

One carried a sword. Another held a bow. A third wore the armor of a warrior Ethan remembered from his first life.

Ethan recognized their faces.

They were people he had known.

Players who had died during dangerous quests. Companions he had abandoned when survival became more important than loyalty. Fighters who had begged him for help when he was too weak to protect them.

Their faces were twisted by anger and pain.

One of them stepped forward.

“You left us behind.” Another raised his sword.

“You survived while we died.”

A third pointed at Ethan.

“And now you want another chance?”

Ethan slowly stood.

“I didn’t want any of you to die.”

“But we did!” The shadows attacked.

Ethan moved aside as a sword swept toward his head. He caught the attack with his bare hand, but the impact forced him backward.

He looked at his fingers.

There was no bow in his hands. No weapon. No system to tell him how much damage he had taken.

He was fighting without the abilities he had depended on.

The first shadow attacked again. Ethan ducked and struck its stomach.

His fist passed through its body.

The shadow laughed.

“You cannot hurt us here.”

A blade struck Ethan’s back. Pain exploded through him.

He fell to one knee.

The shadows surrounded him.

“You are weak.”

“You always were.”

“You will fail again.”

Ethan gritted his teeth and forced himself up.

He could not fight them with strength. That was what he had learned in the shrine.

An archer needed distance, position, and timing.

But this was not a normal battle.

These enemies were made from his memories.

He looked around.

The darkness had changed. Broken roads stretched across the ground. Ruined buildings stood in the distance. The air was filled with the screams he had heard earlier.

He could see people trapped beneath fallen stones.

He could hear children crying for their parents.

Everywhere he looked, someone needed help.

His enemies wanted him to believe he could save everyone.

But he knew the truth.

He could not save everyone.Not with the strength he had now.

Not by repeating the same mistakes.

Ethan closed his eyes.

“I cannot change what happened to you,” he said quietly. “I cannot bring you back.”

The shadows stopped moving.

“But I will not allow your deaths to become meaningless.”

He opened his eyes.

“I will not run from the truth. I was weak. I made mistakes. I failed people who trusted me.”

His voice grew stronger.

“But I am still here.”

“I will carry what happened to me. I will remember every person I failed. And when I return, I will fight to make sure this world has a future.”

The shadows screamed.Their bodies began to shake.

One by one, they rushed toward him.

Ethan did not retreat.

He faced them directly.

The first shadow struck him. He endured the pain and pushed forward.

The second attacked from behind. He turned and blocked it.

The third tried to pull him down. He grabbed its arm and threw it aside.

He could not overpower them, but he refused to surrender.

Then a familiar voice came from the darkness.

“Ethan.”

He turned. Ryan stood on the broken road again.

This time, he was not covered in blood.

His armor was clean, and his expression was calm.

Ethan stared at him.

“Ryan?”

Ryan smiled sadly.

“You cannot save the dead by dying with them.”

Ethan’s eyes filled with tears.

“I should have been stronger.”

“Then become stronger.”

Ryan stepped closer.

“But don’t forget why you wanted to survive.”

Ethan swallowed hard.

“I won’t.”

Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Then stop looking backward.”

The silver light grew brighter.

Ryan’s body began to fade.

“Wait,” Ethan whispered. “I have so many things I want to tell you.”

“You can tell me when you see me again.”

Ethan’s eyes widened.

“Does that mean you’re alive?”

Ryan’s smile disappeared.

Before Ethan could ask another question, the road shattered.

Ryan vanished.

The remaining shadows screamed as the silver light swallowed them.

[Trial of the Previous Life completed.]

[Memory shadows defeated.]

[Ancient energy connection restored.]

[Infinite Health Talent has evolved.]

[New Ability Unlocked: Death’s Refusal.]

[Effect: When the user’s consciousness is separated from the body, the talent may preserve it for a limited time.]

[Warning: Resurrection is incomplete.]

[Warning: Future death is not guaranteed to trigger revival.]

Ethan stared at the messages.

His talent had evolved, but it was not enough to make him immortal.

He could still die.

And next time, there might be no second chance.

The masked figure appeared before him again.

“You have passed the trial.”

“Then send me back.”

The figure raised its hand.

“Understand this, Ethan Blackwood. Your return will not stop the collapse. The boundary between the game and reality has already broken.”

Ethan’s face hardened.

“Then I will stop it after I return.”

“You may not have enough time.”

“I will make time.”

“You still believe that determination can change fate.”

“No,” Ethan replied. “I believe my choices can change what happens next.”

The figure remained silent.

Then it reached toward Ethan’s chest.

A small silver flame appeared between its fingers.

“This is the remaining ancient energy that entered you when you first encountered Shadow Mountain. It is the only thing keeping your consciousness connected to your body.”

The flame moved toward Ethan.

“Once it returns to you, your resurrection will begin. But the energy has been damaged. Your body may not survive the process.”

Ethan looked at the flame.

He thought of Ryan.

He thought of Clara and Lucas, who had fought beside him even when the odds were against them.

He thought of the people dying in the real world.

“I am ready.”

The flame entered his chest. Pain tore through him.

The sky above the real world had split open.

Massive cracks stretched across the clouds, revealing a dark space filled with strange lights. Buildings collapsed as the ground shook. Monsters poured through openings in the air, attacking people who had never entered World of Legends.

Military vehicles burned in the streets.

Soldiers fired at creatures that ignored their bullets.

People ran through shattered roads, carrying their wounded family members.

A news broadcast appeared on a broken screen.

The reporter was crying.

“We have lost contact with several major cities. The creatures are appearing everywhere. We cannot contain them. Please, if anyone can hear this, find shelter and stay away from the glowing openings!”

The screen went black.

Another image appeared.

A city Ethan recognized was collapsing beneath a storm of monsters.

He watched a tower fall.

Then an entire street disappeared into a massive crack in the ground.

The game and reality were no longer separate.

They were becoming one broken world.

Ethan felt the pain of every image as if he were standing among the people.

He understood now.

The disaster had arrived much earlier than it had in his previous life.

And this time, it was worse.

The masked figure spoke one final time.

“Return, Ethan Blackwood. But remember that the world you knew no longer exists.”

The silver light swallowed him.

Ethan felt himself falling.

He heard Lucas shouting his name.

He heard Victor ordering his men to search the forest.

He heard the cries of people trapped beneath collapsing buildings.

Then he felt pain.

Real pain.

His chest burned as if someone had driven a blade through it. His lungs struggled to draw air.

His fingers moved.

Ethan opened his eyes.

The Silent Forest appeared above him, but the trees were shaking violently. The ground split apart nearby, and black smoke rose into the sky.

His system flickered.

[Consciousness restored.]

[Body connection reestablished.]

[Resurrection successful.]

[Current HP: 1.]

[Warning: Critical condition.]

Ethan tried to move, but his body refused to respond.

He was alive.

Barely.

A terrible roar shook the forest.

Ethan turned his head.

A gigantic creature stood beyond the trees. Its body was covered in dark scales, and its eyes burned like two red suns.

It was not a creature from the beginner zones.

It was not even a monster he remembered from his previous life.

A new message appeared.

[World Emergency Event activated.]

[The Boundary Collapse has begun.]

[Warning: The real world and World of Legends are merging.]

[Warning: All safe zones are losing protection.]

Ethan’s blood ran cold.

The final message appeared slowly, one line at a time.

[Unknown entity has entered the merged world.]

[Target designation: World Ender.]

[Its first objective has been identified.]

Ethan tried to lift his head.

The enormous creature turned toward him.

Then a final notification appeared.

[Target confirmed.]

[World Ender has found the one who returned from death.]

The creature opened its mouth.

A black light gathered between its teeth.

Ethan’s health remained at one.

He had survived death itself.