Soul Forging System Novel

Stephen King, a forgotten graphic designer with no future, dies in a tunnel and awakens in hell. There, he encounters Lucidas, a half-skeletal Death God, who offers him a second chance at life. The condition: he must compete in the Death God King Tournament, a deadly competition among 100 humans chosen by different Death Gods, with the ultimate prize being godhood and the throne of Death itself. Returned to the living world with the Soul-Reaper System and a spectral weapon, Stephen must complete missions reaping the dead while battling corrupted spirits, rival Reaper Candidates, and his own fading humanity. Once invisible and overlooked, he is now Death's chosen one, destined for the world to know his name. This dark fantasy blends system power-ups, spirit battles, and tournament PvP with a protagonist's transformation from nothing to godhood. Featuring gore, slow early world-building chapters, and gradual power growth, it appeals to fans of Solo Leveling and reaper-based narratives. A potential harem may develop.