I was Reborn as a God Candidate in a Dead World

The darkness that swallowed Noah after the teleport wasn't the usual kind. It wasn't unconsciousness. It wasn't sleep. It wasn't even death.

It was... something else.

He floated. Or maybe walked? He couldn't tell. The air around him shimmered faintly, like silk spun from moonlight, and when he blinked, the shadows shifted—never quite solid, never quite gone.

The space felt enormous and yet claustrophobic. Like a cathedral built inside his skull.

"What the fuck," he mumbled, voice echoing far too crisply for an unconscious mind.

The sky—if it could be called that—was an endless canvas of gray and silver threads, some taut and glowing, others frayed and loose, drifting gently in a nonexistent wind. Beneath his feet was glass. Or maybe water. Each step sent soft ripples of color outward—blue, gold, violet—like walking on liquid stained-glass.

It was beautiful. And terrifying.

"Am I dead again?" Noah asked aloud. "Because if this is the after-afterlife, I want a damn refund."

No answer. Just silence.

He walked forward, toward the only thing that looked like a structure—a massive, circular gate framed by weaving arcs of silver and black iron. When he passed through it, the world changed. The sky turned indigo. The threads above now pulsed like veins.

Then the voice came.

Not in his head. Not mechanical.

Not the usual, cold SYSTEM text that haunted his vision.

This time, it spoke.

"Welcome, Noah."

"Divinity Tier 2 confirmed."

"Processing stats..."

A ripple of light erupted before him, forming a window in the air—this one far more detailed than usual. And with it, a warmth in his chest. Like something clicked into place.

STATS UPDATED

— AGILITY: 48

— ENDURANCE: 32

— LUCK: 40

— STRENGTH: 10

— INTELLIGENCE: 40

— CHARISMA: 20

— WILLPOWER: 10

— HP: 100

— MP: 200

Passive Abilities Strengthened.

Card Casting Speed increased.

All Tarot Effects Improved.

Access to Tier 2 Divine Traits: Initiate of Fate

Noah blinked, then squinted at the display.

"…Okay, that's a lot of glow-up. But I'm guessing there's a catch?"

The SYSTEM laughed.

Yes. Laughed.

A soft, melodic chuckle. Feminine, maybe. Or not. It was hard to pin down.

"Welcome to your Domain, Noah."

"Though you may not access it by will until your third tier of divinity is unlocked, you are now able to remember fragments of this place... your thread-bound sanctuary. Your future throne."

Noah rubbed his face. "Great. Love a good existential dream sequence with bonus cryptic riddles."

The SYSTEM didn't seem offended.

"Would you like to understand more about your Tarot?"

Noah stared at the threads rippling above. "Yeah. Tell me everything."

The floating window faded, and in its place, the silver threads above him began to rearrange themselves—looping, curling, twisting into shapes. A single Tarot card descended, suspended in midair. Noah recognized it instantly.

The Fool. The first card in the Major Arcana.

But this wasn't like the others he'd drawn before. This one was… alive. It shimmered faintly, its painted figure moving as if breathing, standing at the edge of a cliff with a satchel over his shoulder and a glint of curiosity in his eye.

"Your deck is incomplete."

The voice returned, calmer now. Clear. Like it had settled into him.

"Twenty-two Major Arcana. Each bound to a thread of your potential."

"You may use cards you've unlocked. But their true power will only awaken when the full deck is reclaimed."

Noah frowned. "So I'm playing Fate Pokémon now. Gotta catch 'em all?"

"Each card must be earned through conflict, decision, or revelation."

"No shortcuts."

"Of course," Noah muttered. "God forbid I just get a nice thing."

Another card floated down beside the Fool—The Moon. He remembered using it to reveal the Black Puppet's illusions. But now, up close, he noticed faint golden writing along the card's border.

A language he couldn't read. Not yet.

"As your Divinity grows, so too will your comprehension. These are not simply tools—they are pieces of your godhood."

Noah nodded slowly, fingers twitching at his side. "Okay. That's… actually cool."

"You have reached Tier Two."

"You are now a true Candidate."

The words felt heavier than usual. Final. Fated.

"The path ahead will be difficult. Each Tier of Divinity requires a sacrifice, a trial—something only you can endure."

Noah narrowed his eyes. "So what was the first one? Using 'Draw One' on a whim?"

"Correct."

"Tier One → Tier Two: The Consequence of Belief."

"You risked everything without proof. Belief in chaos. In luck. In yourself."

Noah laughed, but it sounded bitter. "Great. So what's next? Pain? Love? Death?"

"Tier Two → Tier Three: The Burden of the Mark."

"To ascend, you must willingly take on another's fate. A curse. A punishment. A thread not yours."

Noah's expression froze.

A thread not his?

"This burden will leave a scar. Perhaps physical. Perhaps… something deeper."

The cards began to disappear, one by one, fading back into the woven ceiling above.

"You are not human anymore, Noah."

"Not entirely."

"And the world will know."

Noah stood still, surrounded by silence.

It wasn't cold here. It wasn't warm either. It just… was.

Threads began to shimmer around him again, forming a doorway of glimmering light.

"Time to wake up."

Noah blinked, panic rising in his chest. "Wait, no—wait, you didn't tell me how to get the next card, or how to reach Tier Three, or—"

The light swallowed him whole.

Noah gasped.

The first thing he felt was pain.

Blinding, raw, bone-deep pain radiated from his limbs as if his entire body had been dipped in fire and then frozen solid. His fingers twitched. His eyes opened.

He was back.

The servant's room. The one Abel had found earlier. Cold stone walls, a simple bed, shadows dancing from the candlelight nearby. His throat was dry. His skin slick with sweat.

And he wasn't alone.

"Noah."

Abel's voice. Low. Worried.

Noah turned his head slightly and groaned. "You're still shirtless, aren't you?"

"I am not shirtless," Abel snapped. "You've been unconscious for two days."

"…Two?" Noah blinked. "I was out for two days?"

"You stopped breathing for a moment." Abel crossed his arms. "I thought you were dead."

Noah let out a long, shaking breath. "Well, thanks to my deep-rooted fear of commitment, even death decided to wait on me."

He sat up slowly, his body stiff, but—

Wait.

Something was… different.

He felt lighter. Stronger. The air shimmered faintly around his fingers. His muscles didn't ache like before—at least not entirely. And then—

SYSTEM NOTICE

You have fully awakened as a Divine Candidate.

Tier: 2 – The Consequence of Belief

HP: 100 / 100

Current Level: 30

Stats:

• Agility: 48

• Endurance: 32

• Luck: 40

• Strength: 10

• Intelligence: 40

• Charisma: 20

• Will: 10

Noah's jaw dropped.

"…Holy shit."

His stats. They weren't just higher—they were doubled. Everything. His HP had an even bigger increase. He almost didn't believe it. With all those floating things and magic space, he didn't register the real blessing that occurred.

Almost.

Abel frowned. "What is it?"

"I leveled up," Noah said weakly, grinning like an idiot. "Or… evolved. Whatever the hell it was. My stats doubled. I think—I think I really am a god now."

Abel raised an eyebrow. "You were before?"

Noah gave him a look. "Okay, rude. But fair."

He leaned back against the wall, staring at his hands. "Something changed. I went somewhere. It felt like a dream, but too sharp, too vivid. It wasn't a memory. It was a place."

"A place?"

"Yeah. Threads everywhere. Floating cards. The system actually talked to me like it had a soul." He laughed under his breath. "Told me I'm not fully human anymore."

Abel was quiet for a while.

"…Do you feel different?"

Noah nodded slowly. "Yeah. Like everything hurts less but also more. Like I'm still me… but also something else underneath. Something heavier."

He looked over. Abel was watching him closely. Not with fear. Just… something thoughtful in his eyes.

"I guess this means we're not totally screwed against your dad," Noah offered, trying to lighten the mood.

Abel's expression darkened slightly. "Not totally. But we'll still need a plan. A real one."

Noah forced himself up fully and grunted. "Yeah. Step one—get food. Step two—figure out how to kill a cursed, immortal Death Knight King."

Abel looked down. "And step three?"

Noah gave him a tired smile. "Try not to die. Again."