Primordial Soul's Rebirth

A low hum thrummed across the water's surface. The tension in the air shifted—not from rage, but precision.

The second wave had arrived.

From the bloody mist and corpse-strewn sea, five figures emerged, stepping across hardened platforms of water magic.

Each footstep caused ripples to dance, echoing their dominance across the battlefield.

Four of them were women, tall, regal, and cloaked in armor that shimmered with embedded sea crystals.

Each bore a distinct weapon: a chained anchor, a coral glaive, twin daggers pulsing with poison, and a staff carved from abyssal bone.

Their eyes burned not with vengeance, but resolve.

But it was the fifth who drew Alex's gaze.

He was calm.

A man.

Yet unlike any Alex had seen among the sea people.

His frame was lean but powerful, his long seafoam-green hair tied back in a warrior's knot.

In his hand rested a curved blade of tempered bluesteel, and around his neck, a pendant pulsed with protective enchantments.

His presence was not loud, but the mana rippling from him was deep—ancient, even.

His aura was quiet and noble, stronger than any of the women flanking him, despite being a rank lower than them.

The women were legendary, and he was only epic.

"A male?" Alex tilted his head with a curious smirk. "It feels like a protagonist template—"

His voice was cut short as a notification flashed before his eyes.

[Antagonist's Quest: -

Quest objective: A modern man who had reincarnated into a woman-dominated empire had deemed you an enemy to be eliminated; deal with him however you want.

Quest reward: Depends on your approach.

Additional information: He was a playboy before reincarnation, seeing women as nothing but playthings, but after reincarnating, he fell in love, not once but several times.

By sleeping with women, he increased his powers, and by showing them off, he turned himself into a hero blessed by god.

He made everyone believe that he was a man different from others, and the Empress, one of his women, supported his claim.

But one of his lovers was killed by you in the last wave, and now, he has come for revenge.

Time limit: No time limit.

Penalty: --]

The man frowned at his words but didn't respond.

He just slid into a stance—one leg forward, blade angled, breathing steady.

He had already decided to kill Alex; it didn't matter what he said.

'No one is interested in a dead man's talk,' he muttered inwardly.

His name was Elyar, and he was the Sea Hero.

Alex grinned wider. "Now this... this might actually be fun."

With a flick of his wrist, Verathian pulsed black, shifting in size, the air around it distorting from its raw pressure.

CLANG!

The first clash came not from Elyar but from the glaive-wielding warrior who darted forward in a spiral, her weapon dancing like a cyclone.

Alex spun Verathian lazily and blocked her with a one-handed parry, the force sending her flying backward like a ragdoll.

BOOM!

She crashed into a cliff wall, dislodging stone and dust.

The second woman came from the right, her poison daggers leaving trails of violet mist. She went low, slashing for his legs.

CLING! CLANG! SWISH!

In two swift moves, Alex dodged her, twisted behind her, and—

SPLAT!

—Kicked her square in the back with enough force to make her slam headfirst into the jagged cliffside.

She didn't rise again.

"You lot are legendary ranked?" Alex said casually, brushing dust from his shoulder. "Even Ex-ranked fighters are more fun."

"SHUT UP, YOU BASTARD!!!" The third, wielding the chain anchor, roared and hurled her weapon.

It spun with terrifying speed, wrapping toward Alex like a whip.

WHOOSH!

He sidestepped it, grabbed the chain mid-air, yanked her forward, and then smashed her face-first into the earth with her own weapon.

"What was that?" He asked, but she didn't reply.

She couldn't reply.

The fourth, the staff-wielder, summoned water serpents that lunged at him with fanged maws.

He raised a hand. "Cute."

BOOM!

A pulse of dark red energy erupted from his body, vaporizing the serpents and sending her tumbling through the air.

Before she hit the ground, he appeared behind her and whispered, "Boo."

SLASH!

Her staff split in half. So did she.

Blood misted the air.

Only one remained now.

Elyar.

Still unmoving.

His expression hadn't changed.

It seemed like he was sacrificing them to learn more about Alex.

But Alex noticed the faint twitch in his knuckles.

It wasn't because of the women who died, but because of the one who was barely alive.

'It seems she is of some value to him,' Alex concluded.

He could tell that the guy was desperately trying not to show his worry for the last woman, fearing Alex would use her as a hostage.

Alex knew that, yet he played along, pretending not to notice him secretly using his healing magic to heal the last woman.

"You let them all die," Alex said, stepping over a corpse. "Are you even a hero? Or maybe you will pretend to care about them now, maybe scream something about justice and friendship?"

Elyar gritted his teeth hard enough to cause a rattle in the air before he launched at Alex without a word, sword whistling through the air.

CLASH! CLASH! CLANG!

Their blades danced faster than lightning, their figures vanishing and reappearing mid-clash.

Alex grinned as sparks flew.

Elyar's swordsmanship was clean, honed, and refined over decades of sea combat.

He didn't rely on brute strength. He used angles, terrain, and rhythm.

He forced Alex into actual footwork.

"You're not bad," Alex admitted, eyes gleaming. "But you're not better."

A roundhouse kick sent Elyar sliding back.

CRACK!

He dug his blade into the ground to halt himself, panting. Blood leaked from a split lip.

Still, he rose.

Charged again.

CLASH!

Again.

CLANG!

Again.

SLASH!

And again.

And each time, Alex grew more bored. His blade wasn't nicked. His breathing hadn't changed. The smile never left.

Elyar was noble.

He was brave.

But it wasn't enough.

Finally, as Alex drove a knee into his gut, Elyar coughed blood and dropped to one knee.

Behind him, the last woman, still barely alive, reached out.

"Elyar… run…"

'Damn,' Alex shivered as he saw this scene.

It was disgusting.

If the guy really cared for her, he wouldn't have used her to access his power.

Despite that, the girl still cared for him.

'Is this the level of mind manipulation this world does?' Alex couldn't help but wonder.

Then he moved.

He was done.

He was too bored to continue this.

This would be the first time he would kill a hero so soon, but it couldn't be helped.

He raised Verathian, and in a single stroke, he cut the woman down.

Her head fell beside her hand.

Elyar froze.

The scream that left him tore through the sky.

"NOOO!!"

He rose, magic surging through his frame, his blade bursting into radiant light.

The sea surged with him, waves reared, and water spirits roared. He had entered a state Alex had seen before.

The Hero's Desperation.

Alex cracked his neck.

"Here it comes... the last stand. The classic protagonist power-up. I almost feel bad."

BOOOOM!!

Elyar became a blur, his speed way faster than before.

He had just advanced to the legendary realm.

His sword, now glowing with the ocean's fury, sliced through space. Each strike sent shockwaves into the cliff. He moved faster than before, beyond speed and logic.

For the first time, Alex had to block seriously.

He had to activate his supreme human bloodline and celestial incubus bloodline, boosting his powers.

CLANG! CLANG! KAAANG!!

Their blades screamed as they collided.

But then, Alex vanished mid-strike.

Before Elyar could even guess where he was, he appeared behind him.

And with a simple move, he caught his arm mid-swing.

CRACK!

The sword fell.

Alex's hand was now wrapped around Elyar's neck, lifting him from the ground like a broken puppet.

Blood ran from Elyar's mouth. His aura, once blinding, now flickered like a dying flame.

Alex's eyes glowed with merciless calm.

"You know," he said, twisting his grip slightly, "I've always wanted to say this."

He leaned closer, a grin spreading across his face.

"You fought well, hero. But you brought a sword to a godfight."

He had wanted to say that since he had read it in a book.

It felt cool.

And now that he had finally said it, he felt satisfied.

'That's one thing off the bucket list.'

Cough-Cough!

Elyar's cough brought Alex back to reality as he exclaimed. "I almost forgot to finish you!"

Then, his fingers clenched.

Snap!

Like a twig crushed under the weight of an elephant, Elyar's neck snapped, and his eyes dulled.

As Alex let go of his body, it fell into the ocean like a puppet with broken strings.

"Phew..."

Alex breathed, thinking of relaxing, only to see the sea glowing green right where Elyar was supposed to be.

"Of course, the cheat skill or artifact that gives him another life."

Alex rolled his eyes and made a grabbing gesture as he used wind control to grab Elyar, whose body hadn't sunk deep enough to be out of his reach.

"Just die, man."

But before he could clench his fists, a voice was heard.

"Stop!"

Alex, who had heard this voice recently, squinted his eyes, a flash going past them.

He turned toward the voice, only to see Neris riding the wave, moving toward him with Lunaris beside her.

Alex's eyes turned cold as a thought flashed past his head.

'Are they the plot armor this world made for him?'