Chapter 00 - The Curtains of Destiny Open

[You are dead.]

A very subtle way of saying that I am dead... thanks for letting me know...

Adam thought as he looked at the slightly transparent blue square floating in front of him. His lips tightened with the direct manner of whoever was behind the message. He didn't need them to say he was dead to know that he was dead; you typically don't survive when your body is crushed by a truck to the point of turning into a liquid meat paste, decorating the wall with a sickly and foul-smelling crimson.

[You will reincarnate in another world.]

Good news, though still concerning.

"May I ask which world?" Adam inquired, his voice carrying a hint of caution.

[A parallel reality in the universe of Harry Potter.]

"I just hope it's not too worrisome..." Adam said with a slightly nervous laugh. He felt that things wouldn't be as simple as a universe slightly different from what he watched and read in his past life.

[Please create your character!]

[Select Your Name.]

Adam pondered for a moment and then moved; he typed on the holographic keyboard that appeared in front of him.

[Name: Asterion]

Adam, or Asterion, admitted to loving the stars in the night sky a bit too much.

[Select Your Heritage.]

[Muggle-Born.]

[Half-Blood.]

[Pure-Blood.]

Asterion didn't hesitate to choose the third option.

Would anyone choose other options?

Asterion didn't know, but he was a pragmatic individual. Being a Pure-Blood would bring him many benefits in his next life, whether through inheritance, wealth, or knowledge accumulated over hundreds or thousands of years, depending on the family in question. 

Did being a Pure-Blood come with disadvantages? Yes, it had its drawbacks, but life had always been that way – you gain something and lose something in return. The wheel of fate has always turned like that.

Asterion wasn't a child who had never seen the world; society had dealt him many blows. This made him realize that the world wasn't a rainbow; it was cold and cruel, especially for an orphan like him.

[Pure-Blood Selected!]

[Choose Your Parents' Lineage.]

Asterion looked at the long list in front of him in surprise; there were thousands of Houses! Some he recognized, such as Malfoy, Greengrass, Black, Abbot, Every, Bulstrode, Yaxley, and so on.

Asterion ignored the Weasley House; there was no way he would choose such an option; being poor was out of the question in his next life; he had already suffered enough. He wasn't masochistic enough to choose the Oldest and Poorest House in the Wizarding World.

There were also noble Houses from other countries, such as Delacour, Flamel, Solomon, Romanov, Rasputin, and so on. 

After much deliberation, Asterion chose [The Most Ancient and Noblest House of Black] as his paternal lineage, and on his mother's side, he chose [The Most Ancient and Noblest House of Slytherin].

His choices were not based on mere momentary decisions. Being a member of the House of Black would bring him knowledge accumulated over millennia by the Black family, prestige, and political power in Great-Britain as one of the most powerful Houses in the country. Being a Slytherin only reinforced the aforementioned advantages, making him even wealthier and politically powerful. Both choices complemented each other, overlaying all the qualities of both Houses.

[Choices Completed!]

[Name: Asterion Black-Slytherin.]

[Age: 0 (14).]

[Gender: Male.]

[Family: Black (Deceased Father), Slytherin (Deceased Mother).]

Asterion couldn't help but feel pleased with his status, although the part about his deceased parents left a lasting bitter taste in his mouth. He would be lying if he said he didn't want a family.

Suddenly, while his gaze remained focused on the main status screen, his attention was diverted to another screen that read:

[Generating Inherent Cursed Technique...]

 "???"

Asterion was surprised and couldn't help but want to swear out loud! The world he was being reborn into was a mix of Harry Potter and Jujutsu Kaisen? 

Taking a deep breath to calm his undead heart, Asterion looked at the experience bar growing gradually with a growing sense of anticipation in his chest.

[0%... 5%... 15%...]

"Now, this practically changes everything. While before the world of Harry Potter was based on heritage and a bit of talent, there was still hope for Muggle-born wizards to rise in the wizarding society. But now, with this change, having hope would be a challenging thing to achieve in this world where negative emotions turn into man-devouring monsters."

Asterion couldn't help but be thankful for choosing to be a pure-blood in this cursed world. At least he would inherit one of the inherent cursed techniques from one of the houses he chose, be it Black or Slytherin—he didn't mind.

[57%... 62%... 87%...]

He supposed that to endure for millennia in this world full of madness, killing, and horror, a family must be strong, or it would be destroyed over the centuries, let alone survive for millennia.

[90%... 95%... 96%...]

[97%... 98%... 99%... 100%!]

[Inherent Technique Successfully Generated!]

[Creation and Manipulation of Cursed Spirits]

[Description: As the name suggests, the technique allows for the creation and control of cursed spirits. The curses created or mastered are absorbed into small black orbs that the host must orally ingest to use. If the grade difference is more than two levels, the host can absorb a curse without consequences.]

Asterion couldn't help but release a tired sigh; his body relaxed completely, and he let out a low laugh—a technique that suited the Black House quite well. Although he couldn't help but notice similarities with Suguru Getou's innate technique, there were obvious differences between the two techniques. 

[Name: Asterion Black-Slytherin.]

[Age: 0 (14).]

[Gender: Male.]

[Family: Black (Deceased Father), Slytherin (Deceased Mother).]

[Inherent Technique: Creation and Manipulation of Cursed Spirits]

[Character Creation Successfully Completed!]

[Initiating Rebirth Process!]

[May your journey begin, Asterion Black-Slytherin.]

Before Asterion could say or do anything, darkness fell over his eyes.

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Author's Thoughts:

In this book, cursed energy will be referred to as Magic Energy. The only reason for this is that I don't like mixing different types of energy in the same world; it becomes confusing, strange, and a bit unreal even for a fanfic. That being said, I hope you enjoy it because I'll be doing some very interesting things with this fanfic.

Translated by IA.