Disclaimer: Solo Leveling is not mine. This is all fanfiction, nothing is related to the original plot of the manhwa. Characters and concepts belong to solo leveling.

Anyways, Enjoy reading!

CHAPTER 1

In a far away land called Skia Kingdom, there was a realm where magic was freely possessed by the chosen ones. Mages were a blessing to their land and the commoners see those mages as the Heroes who will defeat the Dark Kingdoms. Mana and magic stones were used as their source of income in their daily life. Among the noble families and the imperial family, their magic is passed down and inherited for generations to generations now.

Skia Kingdom was only one among the 8 kingdoms that ruled the country. The royal family had possessed the most dangerous magic a mage can wield, it is called being a "Necromancer." The first king of Skia Kingdom was a great monarch known for his deadly abilities that no one can ever defeat. Sadly, he had passed away from an unknown sickness and up until the present, he had no one that inherited his deadly powers. The next kings were the son of the first king, but they only knew how to master the longsword and the ability to manipulate objects at their will.

In the present year 3020, princes and princesses from the eight kingdoms had gathered in the palace for the celebration of Emperor Sung's birthday. The guests were wearing expensive suits and gowns tailored for the purpose of this event. Every nobles present was trying hard to impress the royal family in hopes of marrying off to the crown prince, Sung Jinhyuk. The crown prince was well-known for his great skills in combat and politics. He also possessed a flawless and a handsome face, with blonde locks and pure black eyes.

Prince Jinhyuk walked across the hall, many guest had greeted him and tried to start a conversation with him which he gladly entertained.

"Oh look! Isn't that the prince coming from a mistress?"

"I heard that he rarely goes out of his palace because of a sickness."

"Compared to the handsome and smart crowned prince, he is just a piece of trash."

Gossiping between the nobles was a common occurrence in the society. Even though they are bathmouthing a prince by birth, the royal knights didn't scold them and just let them be. It was only the Cursed Prince after all.

"Oh? Since when did you have the courage to attend my father's fiest?" Jinhyuk stopped the second prince from walking away any further by initiating a conversation.

"This place is not where you belong. You might damage our beloved kingdom's reputation if you frequently show your ridiculous self to others. I suggest you go back to your shabby palace and stay alone in your room like the good boy you are."

"I don't understand, I am not doing anything wrong..."

A lean and average-height prince stood there, he had no intention to cause any shame in the family.

"You don't belong here, Jinwoo. Only invited nobles are permissible to be here."

"Am I not invited, brother?"

"I don't have the energy to talk to a incompetent person like you, just leave before I call the royal guards."

"But I am also the son of the Emperor, Jinhyuk..."

Jinwoo stood there, staring right to his half-brother's black eyes. He was tired of always being humiliated and treated like a piece of trash. He was also a prince... it's not his fault for having poor health and a weak body. Compared to the expensive garments his brother was wearing, he was only wearing a plain top and bottom which is obviously worn out for being used for the nth time.

Jinhyuk's eyes widened, since when did this loser learn to talk back to him!? Jinhyuk smirked, I finally have a reason to punish you, you bastard.

"Why don't we take this conversation outside?" Jinhyuk insisted.

Jinwoo frowned, but he had no choice but to listen, so he obediently followed his half-brother out of the party venue.

Prince Jinwoo can only stay quiet when Jinhyuk led him to one of the royal carriages.

"Please listen to me for once, this will be for the greater good. Didn't you hear them gossiping? What if it affects the reputation of the Emperor?"

"I-I will leave at once, Brother."

"Thankyou for understanding."

As the second prince stepped inside, he glanced at Jinhyuk's direction, "When will I be able to go back here?"

"Probably when the Emperor wishes to see you."

"Tell him I'll be waiting."

"Alright."

The carriage starts to move and leave the royal palace. Prince Jinhyuk looks at the retreating back of the carriage where his brother is at.

'You'll never be able to be alive tomorrow, anyway. This is our last meeting, brother.'

Jinhyuk smiled wickedly before turning around to go back and enjoy the party.

"Where have you gone, your Highness?"

"Just took out the trash."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." the Crown Prince chirped and took out a glass of wine the waiter was offering.

Earth Year 2020 - Present

"At midnight, the Russian Mafia would be exporting their illegal goods in the center capital. It would be a loss if we don't get this opporrtunity and get all the good stuff."

A big buff Korean man wearing thick glassess carefully explained the details and the exact locations on the map he sprawled out on the wooden table.

The execution team only curtly nodded.

"We will be using the vans to get there, Jinwoo-"

"Yes Leader-nim?"

"You'll be guiding Team A to get inside the back of their camp. I have high expectations from you."

"Yes Leader-nim, you chose the right guy." Jinwoo boyishly grinned.

Team A and Team B had started to head for their mission's location. They were assassins hired by the underground mafia. Although it was a dirty and bloody job, it had a decent pay enough to afford a luxurious lifestyle.

Jinwoo had guided his team expertly. He already created strategic plans their team could execute to finish the mission faster. The pay was 3 Billion Won, they should do anything to finish this job flawlessly.

Sung Jinwoo was known in the underground world as the Shadow Assassin. He was brilliant in killing people before his targets could even register they're already dead. Unlike others who used a typical gun, it was unusual to go only with a pair of shortswords.

Jinwoo got his weapon ready since the enemies were near.

"You'll only use that?" his co-worker questioned.

"Yep."

"I have an extra gun here." he offered suggestively.

"Save it."

The other guy could only gasp as Jinwoo decided to make the first move without informing them.

There were only two guards guarding the back gate, how careless of them. Jinwoo easily sliced his weapon against their fatal spots and instantly took out their life before they could shout for help.

His co-worker swore he will never question him again because of his choice of weapons.

The plan was going smoothly, they already got to the place where the smuggled goods are hiding.

"Get the best one of the boxes." Jinwoo ordered as their team proceeded to carry the best quality of firearms.

Suddenly, a loud explosion stopped their actions. The whole wall of the building was turned to crumbles in a minute. Stones and broken window panes scattered on the air, causing many different bruises on them.

"Fuck," Jinwoo cursed because his team mates were as good as "Wiped-Out" after the ceiling collapsed as well. His shoulder was hit by one of the broken glasses, it hurt like a bitch.

This was all not according to plan! Who had set up a bomb explosion in one of their safe places for their goods? Who would even expect this to happen?

'My 3 Billion Won...' Jinwoo can only cry in his head in disbelief. He wanted to murder everyone now for ruining his chance to get his reward.

He heard fast footsteps and gunshots from outside, he quickly picked up his weapon and ran out of the collapsed building.

The base of the enemy was just too vast in size, but he will find a way out somehow. He couldn't allow to die in this basic mission after all his years of experience in the underground mafia. Hell No.

He thought he'll escape but was mistaken when he heard gunshots just behind him.

"Stop right there!" He couldn't understand what they were saying since they were speaking Russian. Jinwoo fastens his pace and continued to think of ways to escape.

He was running out of breath for running too long, when will this chase end?

"This chase ends now."

Jinwoo grit his teeth upon seeing the Russian guys in front of him, he turned around to escape only to see the same thing.

"Shit."

He had no choice but to charge all of them alone. He tightened his grip on his weapon and flawlessly slashed the enemy's neck.

"Kill him! Hurry shoot!"

Jinwoo panics upon seeing them pulling out all of their guns and triggering them all at once. He hid behind the enemy's back causing some of the bullets to shoot their own allies.

"This sneaky little bastard!" the Russian gangster cursed, "Why did you idiots shoot me?! I said shoot him--"

Jinwoo took this opportunity to stab him on the back. He pulled out his sword dripping from crimson red.

Continuous rounds of bullets aimed at him but he ran and dodged it. Some of the bullets grazed against his skin but he was quick enough to dodge. He was thankful to have super fast reflexes or else he might be dead already.

In the corner, a Russian gangster used his cellphone to call the higher ups, "Boss, enemies had infiltrated our base where the goods are exported. We need back-up."

"Our remaining army in Korea are busy dooing another mission. While more reinforces are just being dispatched back in Russia... Just use the planted bombs in that area and retreat.

"But the goods Boss?"

"There's only a few of them there, some are fake. The real ones are at the ship aboard already."

"Alright, we'll do just as you say then."

Jinwoo had managed to kill half of them when suddenly they retreated.

He took this chance to escape.

'Why were they heading out? They could have gotten me if they just added more reinforcements... Lucky for me though.'

Jinwoo stopped on his tracks, he was hearing an odd and loud sound.

The sound of a ticking timer.

His eyes widened, he turned around quickly to escape but the container beside him suddenly exploded.

"Sleep tight, Motherfucker! This is what you get for messing up with my gang!"

Jinwoo closed his eyes, the burns and damage blinding his sight. This was probably the end.

Darkness then swallowed his whole consciousness.

All he can see was the un-ending depths of darkness. It seemed like he was on his way to meet the devil. He had murdered hundreds of people after all.

"Your Highness!"

What was that sound?

knock knock knock*

"Prince Jinwoo! Please wake up! The Empress is requesting your audience!"

Jinwoo opened his eyes and took heavy breathes. He was sweating all over and he felt sticky. His eyes took a while to adjust to his surroundings. Why was everything so dark? He searched around carefully.

He's inside a bedroom on a large soft bed. Just where is he? He gasped, "Shouldn't I be on a hospital or something!?"

He survived that explosion after all. Thank the heavens for giving him a second chance to prove himself. But wait a second, shouldn't he have third-degree burns? He searched everywhere on his body but there wasn't a single bruise nor burns. Is this all magic? or maybe he's still in a dream?

"Your Highness!"

He was getting annoyed, just who is calling him? Maybe he could get this opportunity to ask where he is and when he is going to get out of this unknown place. Did some old rich dude saved him back then?

The door opens and he saw a female maid with an odd happy expression, "I told you he's not responding for a while, maybe he's dead--"

The maid stopped and shrieked when he saw Jinwoo sitting up straight with a confused expression.

"H-How did you--?!" The maid yelped in surprise. She was sure she added the deadliest poison in the Prince's medicine yesterday. He should be lying down and rotting away after one day.

Before Jinwoo could ask her questions, his head was hit by something hard. No, nobody had hit him physically. Tons of memories that are surely not his came flashing in his brain for a while.

He was in another world! What scared him the most is because it was confirmed that he died on the explosion from Earth. Being resurrected all of a sudden, was this even possible? This strange events could only happen from movies and books, but he was experiencing it. This was all his present reality.

He looked over his right and saw a pale-faced maid. He knew that the maid had poisoned the real prince, the true reason of death this body experienced before he took over.

"Get out of my sight! You think I wouldn't know? That you planned to kill me with that shitty drink?" Jinwoo said with menace. If looks could kill, that maid could have been dead seconds ago.

"I-It wasn't me.. I swear!"

The real Prince Sung Jinwoo needs to be avenged. He was treated like garbage despite having royal blood. Everyone mistreated this poor prince until the day of his death bed. Everyone just deserved to suffer.

Jinwoo sighed mentally, too bad he lost his shortswords. He could have resolved everything by killing this maid first.

"But I'll let you go, just tell me who ordered you to do this."

"It was Prince Jinhyuk, your highness. He gave me a lot of jewels to do this... I was blinded by money I'm sorry." the maid never looked up to meet his eyes. She was trembling while lying on the ground.

"Leave my room. Don't every fucking show up in front of me again, do you understand?"

"Thankyou... Thankyou, Thankyou your Highness!"

Jinwoo can only stare as he watches the retreating figure of his murderer. He stood up, but his head hurts so much. His body is in pain too. Just what kind of poison did they kill the previous prince with?

He limply walks towards the mirror, he stares in shock.

"I still look like the real me! Although this guy is so thin, weak and..." He lifts his shirt only to see a flat and white stomach, "I have no abs, damn it. I have to work hard to get it again."

So... Jinhyuk was the name of the guy he suspects as his mortal enemy?

So they are half-brothers, but he still wanted to kill him in a pathetic way. Jinwoo doesn't recall any memory of the past owner doing anything bad to that guy. What was his problem? He even went all the way to kill him.

Jinwoo scrunches his nose, "I stink."

He looked around the room. It was big alright. But the furniture was torn and old, including the painting of the walls. It was obvious how neglected the real Jinwoo was.

He took a bath in the bathroom and tried hard to find decent clothes.

"These are all crap." he mutters, he needed stylish combat clothes. Just like his past life, he loved wearing ordinary but stylish clothes.

He chose a good outfit for training in the closet. Time to work out and get this weak body stronger than ever before.

He walked out of his bedroom and heed no mind to all of the few maids who saw him. It was a miracle that there were even maids working for him. They all must have been working for the Empress to observe and kill him when defenseless.

It's day one for his preparation to avenge the real Jinwoo.

He saw a good place to train outside of the palace. It was like a forest filled with trees. The grass were unattended for a long time so it grew up until his knees.

In the open field, he started his way to jog. Cardio was a good start for this weak body.

While warming up, a maid appears out of no where, "Your Highness? Didn't you get the message?"

"Uh, what is it? I'm busy."

"But the empress wants to see you."

"I rather not go. Tell her I'm sick or something."

"I..."

"Just do it or else." Jinwoo gave her a murderous gaze. The maid shrieked and ran away after that.

"Am I that scary?"

The maids were in a crisis. Prince Jinwoo was supposed to be quiet and weak. Why did he suddenly changed? It was still giving them quite a shock. He was like another person inside the same body.

Jinwoo was doing some laps and push-ups for a while, he was groaning because his muscles were starting to ache.

He lies on the grass field and looks up to the blue sky.

"I need a plan... I need to show that Jinhyuk who he is dealing with."

"Greetings, Prince."

He gasped upon seeing a random stranger staring right above him. The stranger was wearing all black clothes, alike to a commoner. What's unique about him is his silver mask that only shows his pitch-black eyes. Jinwoo was sure he was alone, where did he came from then?

"Who are you?!"

"I'm the first emperor of this kingdom."

"Wait... Aren't you dead already?!"

Jinwoo laughed, "Nice joke."

"It appears you don't believe me yet."

"Ofcourse. I don't know you after all." Jinwoo sat up and observed the stranger.

"I'm Ashborn and you are Jinwoo. Now that we know each other's names, we are considered as acquaintances."

"Wait, how did you get in here? Doesn't this place have guards?"

"I'm already dead a long, long time ago. You'll be surprised of where I came from."

"What?"

"I'm your shadow."

"Shadow?"

"Yes. No one but you can see me."

"That doesn't make any sense." Jinwoo laughed, "I must be hallucinating."

"Then how about this, I know that you are not the real Prince Jinwoo, you came from another dimension."

"What, how did you...?" Was this guy serious?

"I have been watching over the real Prince Jinwoo since he was born. He was always a kind and intelligent child, but everyone always mistreated him that's why he preferred being locked up in his room. He had no good memories with family and he always believed that he was weak and stupid."

Jinwoo nodded, he had those memories in his head as well. He felt anger for those people who looked down upon the prince

"I really don't know anything about this world, but since I am now the previous Prince, I must do what he can't do."

"There is something else to worry about." Ashborn sat beside him and looked upon the sky. Jinwoo looks at him in curiosity.

"Jinwoo is just 18 right now. But in two years time, there would be a war that could annihilate the whole kingdom. Only you could stop this impending crisis from happening."

"Me? But I'm just a weak guy, look at my body."

"That's why I'm going to give you something to help you and my kingdom."

"Give me something?"

"I'm going to gift you the power over the dead. The power of a Shadow Monarch."

"What? Isn't that magic?"

"Magic is abundant but only chosen ones are gifted with these powers. Yet my power is a forbidden magic that no one else can possess unless I give it to them."

"You're giving it to me? but I'm not even someone you are familiar with. I may look like Prince Jinwoo but I'm not him."

"I already predicted that you'll come to this world. So I decided to come and welcome you here."

"Wait. Magic is something that comes only from fantasy books in my dimension. Is this all really possible?"

Ashborn smiles, "Ofcourse. Do you wish to save my kingdom and take the throne?"

"Taking the throne? But the kingdom already has the crown prince, my so called half-brother. How can I possibly overthrow all of them?"

"You will rise above all of them." Ashborn said seriously, "You are the true heir, Prince Jinwoo."

"They say I'm a mistress's child. How funny it is to be called a 'true heir.'"

Suddenly, darkness enveloped Jinwoo. He stepped back and looked over his surroundings. Everything was potch-black, not even a ray of light is present.

"Wh-What!?"

"This is my gift to you. I know you will use this power the way you believe in justice. See you later... Jinwoo." The late emperor's mask broke but only the bottom half of it was revealed. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"Wait, I still have many questions to ask you!" Jinwoo ran to the late Emperor. He was about to reach out to him but his hand passed through his astral body. It was impossible to touch a ghost, after all.

"Don't worry, we'll meet again when the time is right. Take care, I believe in you."

Ashborn totally vanished after that, shadows devouring his body before he was swallowed whole by it. Jinwoo can't believe his eye, this must be a bad dream.

He was surprised to see his own arm being swallowed by the shadows.

"Shit, no!" He tries to struggle free but it was all futile. He was becoming one with the darkness. He lost consciousness, unable to break free from the madness.