Chapter 2: Regret
There was nothing.
No pain. No warmth. No breath in my lungs. No body beneath my awareness. Just absence.
I don't know how long I drifted in that void. Minutes? Hours? Years? Time didn't pass here. It didn't move or stretch or pull. It simply wasn't. I had no heartbeat, no breathing rhythm, no limbs to twitch or tension to hold. Just thought.
And even that started to blur after a while.
At first, I tried to remember where I was. I tried to anchor myself to something familiar. The last thing I could recall was light. Not just any light, but a kind of brilliance that pierced the world apart. Intense and searing hot. Then there was Chris. I remember shouting for him. Pushing him through the door. Throwing my phone to the seal.
I remember the locket in my hand. The sudden silence.
And then... this.
I tried to clutch my hand on the locket I died with, only to notice its absence. With nothing else to hold onto, my mind circled back to the only thing it could still feel. Regret.
It came slowly at first. A nudge. Then a steady weight. And then it consumed everything.
I kept thinking about my life. Going over every single moment that brought me here. Not the science, not the reactor, not the tests or equations. No, I kept reliving everything I didn't do. Everything I traded for "later." All the little pieces of myself I chipped away for something bigger. Something I told myself was more important.
I emptied my own desires and interests to work towards bettering the world. Helping everyone else. If I ever stopped moving forward in my career, I might have noticed the crushing loneliness and the systematic stripping of everything that made me, me.
Back in college, I had hobbies. I used to spend nights marathoning anime, grinding through RPGs, and reading fanfiction until sunrise because I couldn't sleep. I remember sitting in the dorm common room, laughing with friends and acquaintances over the dumbest things. Back when I still had people I could call friends. People I actually talked to.
But as I moved up, those things faded. One by one, they slipped through my fingers. I never noticed because I never looked down at my hands. I never recognized just what I was holding onto.
My final year at MIT, I started cutting sleep to chase publishing deadlines. I stopped gaming and other hobbies altogether. I told myself I'd earned a little fun once the research was done. Once the models were perfect. Once the simulation framework was stable. Once I graduated.
Then I graduated. And there was no break.
When I got the offer to work at Commonwealth Fusion Systems in Virginia, I took it without thinking twice. It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Director track. Advanced reactor access. Lead the most promising clean energy project on the planet with more government funding than any other project in history.
So I packed my things, left Boston behind, and moved into a condo with no one waiting for me. I thought I would miss the noise. Wouldn't miss the snores of a roommate that annoyed me regularly. And I didn't. Not at first.
But it was only a matter of time before the silence caught up.
I met Chris six months into the project. He was one of the few people who didn't treat me like a walking calculator. We ate lunch together in the breakroom. He kept trying to drag me out to bars. Sometimes I said yes. Usually I said no. I wasn't good at small talk, but he didn't seem to care. That was rare. Maybe that's why I liked having him around.
Then there was Monica. We talked in group settings. I didn't flirt. I wasn't sure I even remembered how. But sometimes I caught her looking at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention. I always told myself I'd say something eventually. Some day when I had time. After the next test. After the patent finalized. After…
My mom would've told me to stop waiting.
She was always better at living than I was. She knew how to appreciate the present, live in the moment. She often tried to drag me into it, but I always resisted. My brain could never shut off. My incessant need to solve things and learn more, was a burden. And I realized that this burden cost me my life.
Mom didn't even care about degrees or patents. She just wanted me to be happy. She called every Sunday. Always asked if I was eating enough. If I was sleeping. If I'd met anyone. I used to lie and say everything was fine, even when it wasn't. I could never find the heart to tell her how empty I felt. Sometimes I denied it even to myself.
When the diagnosis came, I told myself I'd visit as soon as the prototype was stable. That I just needed one more week. One more test.
I was still working when the hospital called.
By the time I landed, she was already gone. Terminal stage brain cancer. If I had been there, I would have noticed the signs. It wouldn't have gotten to that point.
I didn't even make the funeral. A storm grounded my connecting flight. Just my luck. Another excuse. Another failure disguised as inevitability.
The doctors said she went peacefully. I hope they weren't lying.
Everyone told me she would've been proud. I wonder if that matters. I wonder if she would've forgiven me for not being there. I wonder if I could ever forgive myself. Did she even blame me? I don't think she would've, and that makes it so much worse somehow.
I should've done things differently.
I should've said yes to dinner. I should've told Monica I liked her laugh. I should've called my mom more. I should've skipped one damn briefing and just gone home. I should have taken more moments to myself. I should have been more selfish. I should have lived.
Instead, I died in a blast room with no one around to say goodbye. After saving the world from the energy crisis, they'll probably build me a statue and forget what my voice sounded like. I know that the blown reactor was a setback, but that only required one component switch, and with my patented design, my star would have soared. I'll never get to see it. And I don't think I care.
I gave everything I had to something bigger, for the betterment of humanity.
And somehow, I still feel like I left everything behind.
I don't know how long I sat in that empty dark, repeating these thoughts like some sort of punishment. Maybe this was hell. Maybe this was just what I deserved, wallowing in the depths of regret.
But then... something changed.
I noticed the darkness wasn't complete anymore. The black started to soften at the edges, replaced by faint silver light. Shapes emerged. Gentle, transparent clouds, drifting like mist on an unseen breeze. I could feel something beneath me, not solid, but not falling either.
When I looked down, I stopped breathing. Well, I would have if I wasn't a floating cosmic entity without lungs.
There was a nebula.
No, something more than a nebula. It stretched forever in every direction, a swirling tapestry of violet, crimson, and flickering sapphire. It pulsed with motion and color, a living storm of stars and light suspended below the cloud layer I stood on. I never remembered ever seeing something so beautiful.
The clouds themselves were glassy and ethereal. I could see straight through them into the cosmic chasm below. But I didn't feel fear. Only awe.
I wasn't falling. I wasn't floating. I was just... here.
Somewhere between the stars and the silence.
And for the first time since I could remember, I felt like I was finally just living in the moment. No thoughts. Only appreciating what was in front of me. I could imagine the expression I would have had would be absolute awe, mouth agape. I don't know how long I looked below me to admire the beauty before me.
I was quickly brought out of my reverie by a sudden, feminine voice.
"Hello, Scotty."
I turned toward the voice, unsure what to expect.
What I saw nearly knocked the breath I didn't have straight out of me (I'm starting to think I'm channeling Brook or something. Just need a good 'Yohohoho!') I quickly focused back on the present.
She stood a few paces away, though "stood" was a loose term here. Her feet didn't quite touch the clouds, and her long, flowing gown shifted more like it was made of nebula gas than fabric.
Every strand of her hair shimmered with starlight, and her figure… well, let's just say if the afterlife was trying to distract me, it was doing a damn good job.
She was curvy in all the right ways, and her presence radiated something far beyond human. Not just beauty. Ethereal beauty. The kind that made you feel seen and unworthy at the same time.
Her eyes met mine, vast and vibrant, swirling with the same colors as the nebula beneath us. I couldn't tell if they were made of stars or just reflected them.
"I see you're appreciating the view," she said with a soft, amused lilt. A giggle followed. It wasn't mocking, just lighthearted. Like she'd seen this reaction a thousand times before and still found it entertaining. I honestly couldn't tell if she was talking about the nebula below us or herself. But I was certainly appreciating both.
"Yeah," I managed, rubbing the back of my head. "The afterlife is a little different from what I was expecting."
She smiled, warm and knowing. "You've been here a while, longer than most."
I didn't respond. What was I supposed to say? Sorry for brooding in the void?
"I've been watching," she continued, floating closer to just a few feet away, the glow of her form bending the air.
"You clung to every mistake like a chain. You punished yourself far more than I would have, if you even deserved it. That kind of regret… it leaves a mark, an impression. But it also reveals something."
I narrowed my eyes slightly. "What's that?"
She looked at me, those nebula eyes narrowing with something close to tenderness. "You want to live again. Not just exist. Not just succeed. You want to live. You don't want to live only for the sake of humanity but for yourself. Something you rarely did."
I swallowed. Or imagined I did. I looked back down at the nebula. My fists would be clenched in fists if I had any.
"You're being offered a second chance."
My head snapped back up to her. That caught me off guard. "Like... reincarnation?"
"Reincarnation," she nodded. "Or transmigration. It's your choice. You can return to the Earth you knew and begin anew, perhaps with better judgment. Or... you can go somewhere else. A fictional multiverse. One drawn from Earth's memories."
The last words lit a spark in my chest I hadn't felt in years.
I thought of Kurama mode Naruto. Of Ichigo's true bankai. Of Luffy's smile as he shouted something ridiculous from the deck of the Going Merry. I thought of all the late nights I spent reading fanfiction, original characters interacting with these legendary figures, clicking chapter after chapter as rewritten and reimagined worlds unfolded on my screen. The excitement I used to feel. The insatiable hunger for more. Just one more chapter.
I somewhat flinched in surprise. That part of me wasn't gone.
It had just been buried under ambition and deadlines.
I grinned for the first time in a long time. A true grin that reached my eyes in joyous excitement.
"Fictional world. No question."
Her expression didn't change, but something about her shimmered brighter.
"I thought so," she said. "I will choose the universe that suits you best. It will challenge you. Tempt you. Offer you what you never gave yourself. I think you'll like it." Another giggle.
"Are you going to tell me where?" I asked.
She giggled again. "Well of course not. That would ruin the fun~."
An unfamiliar, yet nostalgic warmth bloomed in my chest. Anticipation. Like sitting at the character screen in a new game you'd waited years to play (looking at you Elder Scrolls 6).
And then, just like that, the cloudscape around us shifted.
Panels of glowing light formed in the air, rectangles, arcs, outlines. A semicircle of visual prompts hovered around me. No sliders, no text fields. Just intuitive visual representation. Character creation.
"Your name will be set once you enter your new world," she explained. "But you may create your appearance freely."
I looked up to find my form already half-shaped, a projected image standing in front of me. It was me… but not quite. It was like a half-finished mold of what I used to look like. I looked for those characteristic sliders but found none. I thought of a change, and the body changed. Imagination it is. Never been my strong suit.
Time passes as I make adjustments. A little taller. A little sharper. More defined, more confident. Like someone had taken every version of me that could have been and picked the best parts plus more.
I made the figure have somewhat short, straight black hair, with a fringe just heavy enough to shadow the top of my eyes. It looked good. Strong jawline, clear skin. My skin tone was light but even. No blemishes, no old acne scars. Just... clean.
I made the height 6'3", a little taller than my original self. My build was powerful but not oversized. Not bodybuilder-tier, but certainly athletic. Defined shoulders, wide chest, lean waist. The kind of strength that said I train because I want to feel strong, not because I'm compensating for something. It reminded me of Toji from JJK, which, honestly, wasn't a bad baseline.
Thank god-, goddess my face wasn't going to look like Toji's though. The face I crafted looked… good. Handsome, but believable. Not a supermodel, not flawless, just someone you might see in an anime and say, 'Damn. He's got that MC energy'. Surprisingly, it was only small adjustments from how I used to look. I actually felt a twinge of pride putting it together. It felt like me, the best me.
I wasn't sure if I'd end up younger, older, or just like this. The goddess wouldn't say, only that I was building what I would look like in my prime. But it didn't matter to me.
This was my starting point. Although, I wouldn't mind starting a bit younger so I can grow into it.
This time, I would live more for myself.
There wouldn't be another Monica situation. No more waiting for the right moment that never came. If I liked someone, I'd say it. If I wanted something, I'd reach for it. I wouldn't just be the guy sitting on the sideline of his own damn life anymore.
And, yeah, when it came time to design the... equipment, I may have indulged a bit. Just a little extra length. For confidence. Definitely confidence.
Hey, if I was going to be stuck in some fantasy universe with any kind of waifus, I wasn't about to not let myself be equipped to please them.
I winced at myself.
"God (or Goddess?), I'm pathetic," I muttered. And there I go again, thinking about others before myself. I sighed.
"Not at all," the goddess said with a smile I didn't quite trust. "I've seen far worse. You'd be surprised just how ridiculous some of these characters can be. I often have to, adjust, some things for realism." There was a momentary grimace on her face, but it faded quickly, returning her attention back to me.
I gave my projected self one final once-over, then nodded. "Alright. I'm good."
"You did well," she said, her tone warmer now, almost proud. "Now, let's move on to your abilities."
The moment I gave the go-ahead, the goddess raised her hand.
"Now then," she said. "You will receive three abilities before your new life begins."
Three glowing digital display boxes blinked into existence in front of me, each one floating with a soft hum. They looked like they belonged in a sci-fi game menu, gently rotating, translucent, with empty panels waiting to be filled.
"One will be chosen by me," she continued, "one by you, and one shall be left to fate. Consider it… balance."
"Let me guess," I said, crossing my arms, or thought I did. It was hard to tell if any gesture I 'made' actually happened. "You're going first."
She smiled. "Of course."
Her hand moved through the air, fingertips brushing across the first box. Symbols and text rippled through the display in languages I recognized and others I didn't. After a moment, the data stabilized, and the name of the ability flashed across the panel in glowing text:
[The Gamer System: Modified]
My eyebrows shot up.
She looked pleased with herself.
"The Gamer?" I asked. "Like… that Gamer?"
"In spirit," she said, voice lilting. "I've made some adjustments. You won't have access to every absurd exploit, and it won't protect you from everything. But yes, you will gain a system interface, a status screen, levels, skills, quests, and growth mechanics. It will help you visualize and enhance your progression in this new world."
I blinked. "You're kidding."
"You're familiar with the concept, yes?"
I laughed, actually laughed. "That's literally what I was going to pick."
"I know," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Which is why I picked it first."
I stared at her. "You peeked."
"I observed," she said with faux innocence. "There's a difference."
Of course there was. Also ironic considering that's one of the gamer's main abilities.
I sighed and turned my attention to the second display. My turn.
This… this was difficult. Having my first obvious option taken, left me somewhat stumped on what to choose.
It was like being handed the ability to break the universe and being told, "Go ahead, but only one."
I summoned a mental list. Then another. Then a backup list to evaluate both. I eventually narrowed the powers I thought of down to a solid list.
Beelzebub, from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, was the first one that came to mind. Powerful. Multifaceted. The ultimate consumption-based evolution engine. But... it felt wrong. Even if I could retool it for energy absorption or transmutation, the original power was too tied to devouring enemies. That wasn't me. I didn't want to kill people to grow. Not that I was opposed to it should the need arise, but the amount I'd have to do for Beelzebub to pay off… no thanks.
Tossed.
Next was Raphael, also from Slime. An analytical super-AI that basically evolved into omniscience. The power to simulate outcomes, manage sub-skills, and auto-optimize evolution paths.
I paused… and tossed it too.
It was too much like outsourcing my own intelligence. And frankly, I liked figuring things out. Solving problems, uncovering loopholes, and theory-crafting systems from scratch. Raphael would make me better, sure, but it would also make me less me.
I kept going through the list.
Heavenly Restriction, like Toji Fushiguro's in Jujutsu Kaisen. No cursed energy, but a body so strong it didn't need it. So strong that is competed with the strongest, Gojo. I liked the raw physicality of it, the discipline. But I also wanted to explore the magic or energy systems of wherever I was going. Limiting myself right out of the gate didn't sit right.
Tossed.
Then there was being born a Saiyan.
Now we're talking.
Incredible growth potential. Zenkai boosts. Transformation potential. Adaptive combat. I could literally punch my way into godhood if I trained hard enough. Plus the tail was optional, right?
I flagged it.
Next: Zanpakutō. The manifestation of one's soul. Personalized abilities. Shikai, Bankai. It was power with flavor. Growth tied to introspection. The idea of learning to communicate with a part of myself... yeah. That one resonated. A lot. This is an aspect I never explored in my previous life. So focused on one's self to grow stronger… certainly a primary contender.
Flagged.
Shadow Monarch, from Solo Leveling, came next. I didn't even need to think too hard about that one. As cool as it was, I didn't want to be the king of the dead. The summons, the endless responsibilities, the dark aesthetic… too much like running a company again. I was here to live, not manage a shadow army. Not transcend beyond all of those I cared about. I didn't want to end up like Jinwoo.
Tossed.
Rinnegan, from Naruto. The potential was bonkers. Manipulate gravity, space-time, souls, chakra absorption… hell, I could technically create life. But... I didn't want my eyes to look like someone dropped a rock in a pond every time I activated them. Besides, that level of power brought way too much attention. The last thing I needed was to get mistaken for a final boss by the locals.
Tossed.
Finally, I landed on the Goro Goro no Mi. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Lightning. One of the most powerful logia-type Devil Fruits in One Piece. Near-invulnerability. Mobility. AoE devastation. Utility. Pure power and spectacle.
Flagged.
I stood in front of the three panels.
Saiyan. Zanpakutō. Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
All of them called to something different inside me. One was the long-haul growth route. One was introspective and expressive. One was pure, elemental dominance.
This... really isn't easy.
If only I had watched more anime, read more manga, played more videogames, I could have had more options to think of. It had been so long since I had consumed any recreational media that it was difficult to think of more than I had. I also wanted to stick with what I was familiar with.
"What to choose, what to choose…"
Chapter 3: Transmigration
Two of the glowing panels floated in front of me, each one softly humming with potential. The one on the left already shimmered faintly with the words "The Gamer System: Modified." The one on the right remained blank, waiting for fate's cruel or convenient sense of humor.
But the one in the center? That one was my responsibility. And I was somewhat stumped.
I stood there in silence, cycling through the three abilities I had narrowed it down to. Saiyan. Zanpakutō. Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
All three were powerhouses in their own right. The Saiyan bloodline practically guaranteed strength if I trained hard enough. Its growth curve was absurd. I could take beatings and get stronger from them. Transform. Ascend. Eventually fly and punch planets if I pushed far enough. But this did revolve on nothing but hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. Something about only fighting with my hands didn't really feel right. Not only that, it would be power for the sake of power. All it required was grit and determination. It felt, empty, somehow. Like it didn't fit my personality. Plus, if I went somewhere with magic, there was no guarantee I could resist it. Maybe wherever I went could have ki and I could just learn it there.
Then there was the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Logia-level elemental power, built-in mobility, devastating range, and electricity-based versatility. In most worlds, it would put me near the top right from the start. Untouchable, unless someone had specific counters. How ironic would it be to transmigrate to the One Piece world, the only world with a hard counter, Haki? My amused expression(?) shifted back to concentration.
And then there was the Zanpakutō.
It wasn't flashy. It wasn't overwhelming. It didn't promise instant supremacy or constant transformations. In fact, it started slow, maybe even weaker than the other two, both starting and towards the end game. The powers were abstract. Often symbolic. Sometimes limiting. Would I even have my own? Would it be something that already existed like Zangetsu? Zabimaru? Benihime? I couldn't know.
But still… something about it called to me.
I tried to logic my way around it. Saiyan had infinite growth. Rumble-Rumble had practical, near instant dominance. Zanpakutō? It was a mystery. It was dependent on introspection. On understanding myself. It required patience and communication and emotional vulnerability just to unlock its true potential. Provided it came from my own soul and not a replication of someone else's. I couldn't imagine getting Ikaku's, Hozukimaru. How underwhelming would that be?
But why did I keep coming back to it?
I stared at the middle panel. Still blank. Still waiting.
And somehow… it felt like it was waiting for me.
I wasn't sure what pushed me to decide. Maybe it was the idea of not just becoming strong, but the potential of becoming whole. Of my power being an expression of my soul, not just an upgrade. I spent so much of my life suppressing who I was, locking everything away behind logic and purpose. Maybe, just maybe, I needed a power that forced me to dig into that. To face it. To understand it.
"I choose the Zanpakutō," I said quietly.
The middle panel pulsed with soft, golden light.
There was a pause, then the goddess smiled. Not smugly. Not with surprise. Almost like she had been waiting for me to catch up with a decision she already knew I'd make.
"A good choice," she said, her voice gentle. "Not the easiest, but one with depth. Fitting." I looked at her with suspicion.
"Did you know I'd choose it?"
"I had a feeling," she said with a teasing glimmer in her eyes. "Your soul has always been more… expressive than your mouth." What did that even mean?
I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know you were a fan of poetic riddles."
"Oh, I've read plenty of your fanfiction comments. You're more dramatic than you let on."
If I had cheeks they might have been blushing. Can a soul blush? I rubbed my temples. Great. My celestial overseer reads comment sections.
"All of my comments?" I opened one eye to look at her, to see a very amused expression on her face.
"Maybe."
Before I could fire back, the right panel flashed.
Fate's choice.
I turned to it, expecting something overwhelming. Maybe something wild. Chronomancy. Gravity manipulation. Skill replication. Limitless. Reality warp. Whatever cosmic roulette was in play, I braced myself.
Then the words formed.
[Perfect Memory]
I blinked.
That was it?
At first, I didn't react. Then I laughed under my breath.
"Seriously?" I muttered. "That's what I get? I already have a near-eidetic memory. I've used memory palaces since high school. With my IQ, remembering things has never been a problem."
The goddess tilted her head, watching me quietly. Not saying anything. Not warning me. Just smiling in that way people do when they know something you don't.
I gave her a look. I noticed her expression. "You're not going to elaborate, are you?"
"Would it really be as satisfying if I did?"
I sighed. "Let me guess. I'll figure it out later."
She only nodded and giggled.
I turned back to the now glowing panel trio. My three abilities. One chosen with excitement. One with introspection. One with hesitation.
The Gamer System. Zanpakutō. Perfect Memory.
All very different. All very me.
"So this is what I'm working with," I said, glancing between the panels. "A system I sort of understand. A weapon I have to understand. And a memory ability I think I already have."
"You'll be surprised," she said, stepping closer. "About all three."
"I certainly hope so. Would hate to be disappointed on my second lease on life." I grinned wryly.
She held out her hand, palm up, glowing softly. She placed it on my chest, and I began to feel a warmth in my being.
"Are you ready?"
I nodded.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I braced myself.
The warmth began to turn into something hotter. The heat kept growing until it felt like my soul would be rendered into ashes. One final pulse, one final explosion of heat, like a detonation of a nuclear bomb.
I sucked in a sharp intake of air, rising up, my back rigid, eyes wide. I clutched my chest, slightly out of breath, still half expecting to feel that intense heat radiating from where the goddess had touched me. Once I settled down, I looked around and realized, "Wait, this is really happening?!
I looked around the room. No light. No clouds. No nebula swirling beneath my feet.
Just a plain ceiling above me. Beige walls without much decor. A little cracked in the corner. A soft hum of a fan running somewhere off to the side.
I was lying in a bed. Moderately nice mattress. Thin sheets that smelled freshly laundered.
I pushed myself upright and immediately noticed something else, my body.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stared down at myself. No clothes, save for a pair of dark boxer briefs. My legs were long and lean. Muscled but not bulky. Just enough tone to suggest I exercised regularly. I flexed an arm and saw the definition ripple just slightly. Okay. Not bad. Certainly a healthier body than what I had before.
Then I caught sight of the bulge in my underwear.
"Right," I muttered. "I did make some adjustments, didn't I?"
Curiosity got the better of me. I peeked.
Flaccid, I was still packing above-average size, and I didn't even want to imagine what it would look like in use. I felt an odd sense of pride… and maybe a bit of embarrassment. Still, I couldn't deny the small smile that tugged at my lips. "How childish and immature of me. Worth it."
Before I could enjoy the moment longer, it hit me.
A white-hot spike of pain slammed into my skull like a battering ram. My eyes widened as I clutched my head and fell to my knees. It wasn't just pain, it was disorientation. Like someone had just kicked open the door to my mind and started shouting from every direction.
It felt like my memory palace, carefully constructed, ordered, controlled, had been breached by a SWAT team. Every door blasted open. Every room ransacked.
And then the flood of memories came.
Images. Emotions. Snapshots of a life that wasn't mine, but was now.
Parents. Dead. Plane crash from an oversees trip. The insurance payout had kept me in a modest home, small and well-kept, but lonely.
No siblings. No guardians. Just a restricted bank account and a routine.
School. Grocery shopping. Work outs. Lonely evenings.
A quiet, seemingly meaningless existence.
A soft sigh escaped me as I sat there, breathing through the last ripples of the mental surge. Of course he was an orphan. That felt… painfully cliche. How many transmigrators get this same setup? It felt lazy. Like fate was copy-pasting my backstory from a bad light novel. Like an author that can be bothered to be creative for once.
What really got to me, though, wasn't the loneliness.
It was the lost opportunity.
I had failed my mom in my last life. She died while I was too busy chasing perfection in my career to be there. And now I didn't even get the chance to do better in this one.
No second chance to be a good son. No birthday calls. No late-night talks. No chance to show her I had changed. No chance to take care of her in her time of need, sick or otherwise.
I clenched my fists. That chance was stolen from me. Again. And this time it wasn't my fault. The first… I was the thief that stole my own life.
I raised my gaze to the ceiling, letting the silence settle around me. "I'm sorry, Mom," I whispered. "But I swear, I'll live this life for you. I'll do it right this time. Not for success. Not for glory. But for the life you would've wanted me to have. A full life. A happy life. A meaningful life."
I felt something trail down my cheek.
A tear.
I touched it without thinking, fingers brushing wetness I hadn't felt in years (and however long my time in the void was).
It shocked me more than the pain did.
The old me had been emotionally numb for so long that crying had become theoretical. A reaction people had, but one I watched from the outside. This body, this new vessel, me… it felt different.
It could cry.
It could feel. At least a little. Which was much more than where I left off.
And for the first time since I could remember, that thought made me genuinely happy.
Eyes closed, I exhaled slowly, letting the weight of that realization settle before pulling myself back onto the bed.
Alright. Time to see what I was working with.
I sat cross-legged, elbows on my knees, and opened my eyes.
"Status," I said out loud.
A crisp digital ding echoed in my mind, followed by a glowing semi-transparent interface snapping into view. A flat blue window hovered in front of me, pulsing faintly.
{Status
Name: Toshio Amano
Title: —
Race: Human
Age: 15
Level: 11 (0/1100)
Health: 100/100
Reiryoku: 10/10
Physique: E
Zanjutsu: F
Hoho: F
Hakuda: F
Spiritual Potential: D
Soul Resonance: 5%}
I stared.
"...What."
Where were the numbers? Where was the actual math? The stat ranges? The growth curves? Where were the equations that told me how close I was to leveling up or which stat would hit the next threshold?
What kind of gamer system didn't use numbers?
I clicked my tongue, clearly annoyed.
Instead of numerical values, I was staring at a letter system.
"System, can you explain this letter system?" A screen popped up overlaying my current display.
{Hello Toshio and welcome to the Fusion Gamer System!}
Another chime.
{To answer your question, the letter system is a weighted scale based on race, ranks going from F to SSS class. After a sufficient amount of progress is made in a particular stat, the letter grade will increase. Once you advance from C, it will move to B-, then B, B+, A-, and so on. Each stat is progressively more difficult to reach than the last. These letters are weighted by race. A human at S rank, may only be a D rank to another more powerful race. Other skills obtained later are on a numerical scale, 1-10. After obtaining a certain proficiency, understanding, and comfortability, a skill rank will advance to the next number. Skills (both active and passive), at rank 10 are considered mastered and cannot be advanced further.}
F through SSS, like some kind of overdesigned ranking chart. It felt arbitrary and imprecise. Definitely irritating. I couldn't help but grumble.
I was a number cruncher. Give me a spreadsheet and I would dismantle the universe. But this? This was going to take getting used to.
"What kind of gamer system doesn't even use numbers?" I muttered, my face full of irritation.
"That goddess obviously knew me better than I know myself, so there has to be reason for such an, arbitrary, system. I suppose I think about it later." I thought to click "OKAY" at the bottom of the panel, and it vanished. Well that's at least convenient, I don't have to physically tap on the screens.
Physique at E wasn't terrible. It meant I had a baseline above a normal human, maybe a casual athlete level. Everything else was rock bottom.
Zanjutsu. Hoho. Hakuda. All F. I recognized those as Bleach terms. Swordsmanship, speed and agility, and hand-to-hand combat. Standard Shinigami stats. Wait I have reiryoku? How would that work in this world? Well, assuming I'm not in Bleach. I'll get to it later.
Then there was Spiritual Potential. A staggering D. Why did that register so much higher than the others? Maybe because I have what I'm assuming is a dormant Zanpakutō?
Guess I had nowhere to go but up.
I noticed my name next. Toshio? I guess it's fitting, the name meaning 'brilliant man'. Wait, what was my name before? I sat and wracked my brain for my name, any name of any people I had come to know. I couldn't remember. I sighed.
"Well I guess it doesn't matter, that was that life. Let's focus on this one."
Lastly, soul resonance. I hadn't the faintest clue what that meant.
"System, what is soul resonance?"
{It is the space between breath and silence. A reflection half-formed in still water. As your soul learns to attune to itself clearly, the distance between you and your Zanpakutō shortens. When your truths are no longer hidden, when your burdens are no longer denied, your resonance will rise. Some awaken through peace. Others through pain. All must eventually face the voice they've buried deepest.}
"..."
"What is this poetic garbage? Goddess knows I loathed poetry and English classes back in college. I slightly regret not choosing Raphael. Wait, no! No more regrets! I'll just figure it out later. Maybe once I do something to progress it, it'll make more sense."
I let out a sigh as I leaned back, still shirtless, still cross-legged, and let the system screen hover in front of me. I smiled despite myself.
This was real.
I was here.
And this time, I was going to do it right.
I then remembered something the system said, that dialogue box said this was a "Fusion system" right? The parallels to my old life were hilarious. I didn't laugh.
"System, what does 'Fusion System' mean?"
{The Fusion System is a one of a kind system that displays your stats and attributes, skills, and milestones. Eligible skills that have been learned can be fused to make something new, especially in regards to your Zanpakutō abilities. The more skills that are fused together and into your Zanpakutō, the more powerful you will become. There are other functions, but they have not been unlocked yet.}
Well that's interesting. Just like a Fusion reactor combining atoms for energy output, I fuse skills together for greater energy. I see that goddess has a great sense of humor. Again, I didn't laugh. But I couldn't help the small smile that found its way to my face.
"Okay, let's try skills."
A chime sounded, followed by a new window materializing in front of me. Unlike the status screen, this one had a sleeker, more segmented layout. At the top were two simple tabs:
[Base Skills] [Fused Skills]
The simple organization of tabs was satisfying. My Excel senses were tingling.
A small box popped up just above the window, like a tutorial prompt in an old-school RPG.
{To access a topic, simply think about selecting it. Your intent is the interface. Thinking about menu interfaces will reveal an explanation.}
I blinked.
"Well that's convenient," I muttered. "Can't say I miss touchscreens."
I focused on the left tab, searching for more information.
{Base Skills: These are basic skills that can be obtained through rewards, repetitive actions, or given abilities. Skills eligible for Fusion will glow.}
"Nice and simple." I focused on the tab to view its contents.
The panel shifted immediately, expanding with a soft glow to reveal four entries under Base Skills:
{Gamer's Altered Mind (Rank X)
Gamer's Altered Body (Rank X)
Perfect Memory (Rank X)
Observe (Rank 1)}
I hovered on the first entry. A description appeared instantly.
{Gamer's Altered Mind (Rank X)
Your mind is immune to all forms of mental interference, illusions, domination, possession, and fear-based control. Emotional manipulation is suppressed unless you choose to experience it. Your cognitive function is unaffected by fatigue. You may continue thinking, analyzing, and reasoning at full capacity even in the face of unconsciousness or imminent death.}
I raised my eyebrows.
"Alright, that's… different from what I remember."
Me being immune to mind altering effects or control is great, but it seems like my own thoughts and emotions are free to run rampant, should I let them. I better learn meditation soon. My mind always running at full throttle no matter what my body was doing? No matter how tired I was? I could feel a quiet wave of satisfaction roll through me. That alone could make me a strategic nightmare. Rank X must mean the skill is special or constant.
I moved to the next.
{Gamer's Altered Body (Rank X)
Your body possesses limitless physical and spiritual growth potential, provided you follow paths that cultivate it. You may grow without restriction so long as your choices are consistent with that growth. Sleeping for at least eight hours will completely restore your health, stamina, and reiryoku.}
I paused.
"Limitless sounds nice, but what are the 'paths' it's talking about? Does that mean I can achieve that as a human? Or do I have to elevate my race, soul, or Chinese cultivation level? Did I need to ascend to the "Heavenly Sage Realm" or whatever? I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.
Still, a guaranteed full restore with good sleep? I never had that in my last life. Eight hours usually left me feeling like a corpse in a lab coat.
I did notice the absence of my body being treated like a game character. That means I can bleed, I can die from regular wounds. That sounds, lethal. I guess I'll have to be extra careful. Unfortunate. I'm starting to dislike this whole altered thing.
I looked to the third entry, already guessing what it would say.
{Perfect Memory (Rank X)
Every sight you witness, every word you read, every conversation you overhear, and every problem you solve is stored permanently. You may recall any of it at will, with perfect clarity. Emotional or sensory memories may also be summoned as vividly as when they occurred. You may not access information sealed by divine authority or outside your system's current clearance level.}
"Huh."
That was more than just a party trick. This was better than a memory palace. I could remember everything. Not just concepts or summaries. Exact words. Exact faces. Emotions. The tone of a conversation. The ingredients list on a label I glanced at once. Every single frame of every anime I've watched. Every manga panel.
So long as the goddess wasn't hiding it, I had it.
I gave a low whistle. "Okay, I take it back. This one's way better than I thought." And what's nice, I only remember what I want to remember. It's not intrusive like what Thane Krios had to deal with.
I leaned toward the last entry.
{Observe (Rank 1)
Allows you to gather basic information about a person, creature, or object you focus on. At Rank 1, displays only name, classification, and general threat level. Threat levels are on the same letter scale as above, and is relative to your current power and abilities. Further information may unlock with repeated use or higher proficiency.}
Okay, solid four, basic skills. Better than nothing at least. That perfect memory was going to come in clutch if the universe I was in was something I had read or watched.
Alright, inventory next.
The moment I thought it, another soft ding rang out. A new window shimmered into existence in front of me.
My eyes lit up.
Now this was an intriguing menu.
The screen split into three distinct sections. On the left was a translucent outline of a person, humanoid, blank-faced, gender-neutral. Around it were equipment slots, arranged cleanly: head, chest, arms, legs, feet, accessory slots, and even a cloak or cape option. It looked exactly like the kind of loadout screen from every MMO I'd ever played. Straight forward enough, although I really hope the items disappear like they do in Solo Leveling. I would hate to sacrifice aesthetics for utility. I did that enough in my old life. I'm grateful the goddess didn't bring up my wardrobe.
The next rectangular box to the right of the equipment panel, revealed a simple unadorned katana, its sheath right next to the blade.
Above it, a nameplate:
[Asauchi (pending)]
I tilted my head.
"Asauchi?"
It clicked a second later.
"Ah. It hasn't formed yet."
Of course. A Zanpakutō wasn't given, it was earned. Discovered. Shaped through identity and introspection. This was the blank slate. The sword without a name. The reflection of a soul still too fractured to take form.
I leaned forward and studied it for a second longer.
Black sheath. Simple guard. No markings. Just a clean edge waiting to become something more.
"…Soon," I whispered under my breath, more to myself than anything else. I had a lot to figure out first.
Shifting my attention, I looked over to the right panel. Larger. Grid-based. Clean 4x5 layout, twenty boxes in total.
My brow furrowed.
"Only twenty slots?" I asked the air. "Seriously?"
No answer came, of course. Hopefully certain items could stack, like potions and the like. No size or weight restrictions would be great too. If I was limited on slots, the least the system could do it not limit the utility of the 20 slots.
"Okay… so not unlimited, but semi-useful. Guess I can't shove an entire army's worth of gear in here, but as long as item stacks exist and size matters, I'll make it work."
It made sense. Sort of. Carrying around hundreds of weapons and supplies in some bottomless bag would be overkill. This forced me to have inventory management. Almost reminded me of Diablo, but not as harsh.
Not my favorite, but I could adapt.
I focused my thoughts on the word Inventory floating above the panel, just to test the system's limits. As expected, another box appeared, a tooltip window hovering above the grid.
{The Inventory stores material objects that can be spatially stabilized and preserved. Items will remain in stasis until removed. Certain items can stack up to x99. There are no weight restrictions. Size restrictions apply to items larger than a 10'x10'x10' cube. Maximum slot capacity is determined by System Tier. Additional slots, compression upgrades, or personalized loadouts may be unlocked through quests, skills, or item fusion. Sentient beings cannot be stored.}
I gave a slow nod.
"Fair enough. No kidnapping NPCs and stashing them in my pocket dimension. Got it. Also nice that it verified my hopes. The size thing makes sense. 1000 cubic feet. It would be weird if I could store an entire house.
I took one last glance at the [Asauchi (pending)] box. It pulsed faintly. Waiting.
No rush. I'd get there. When I was ready.
When we were ready.
I backed out of the Inventory panel with a final glance at the [Asauchi (pending)]. The window folded in on itself, disappearing with a soft flicker.
And then — ding.
A new box blinked into existence front and center, edged in dark gold with a faint shimmer.
{[Secret Quest Completed!]
Tutorial Integration Complete
You have explored the foundational systems of the Fusion Gamer Interface. Basic orientation verified.
Reward: +100 XP}
The window pulsed once, then dissolved into glittering fragments.
Another chime followed as a thin progress bar appeared across the bottom of my vision. XP tracker, just like a traditional RPG HUD.
[XP: 100 / 1100]
I blinked. "Okay… secret quest for just looking around. That seems, awfully generous."
I studied the numbers for a moment.
"Wait. So… leveling up is a thing. But if I can't allocate stats manually, what's the point?"
I focused on the bar. "System, what does leveling up actually do?"
Another soft chime answered me, followed by a prompt that scrolled into view:
{Level Progression Explanation
Leveling up increases total system integration and soul-body synchronization. At specific milestone levels, users will receive:
- Stat Upgrade Runes: Instantly boost a chosen stat by a certain amount
- Skill Upgrade Runes: Increase a learned skill's rank by a certain amount
- Reiryoku Upgrade Runes: Expand base spiritual power reserves by a certain amount
Additional milestone rewards may include perk unlocks, new interface access, or hidden functions. Advancement is holistic and nonlinear.}
"Okay…" I muttered. "So leveling doesn't directly boost anything, but it unlocks things that do."
It wasn't the raw stat dumping I was used to, but I could work with that. Runes, huh? That meant I'd get to choose what to upgrade, just not when or how often. Right? That actually made optimization more important, not less. The vague "by a certain amount" was again, irritating. My previous life was ruled by number and calculations. It's almost like the goddess deliberately did this.
Anyway. Noted.
I closed the panel with a thought. The system HUD minimized back into its small, dim icon in the corner of my vision.
Silence returned.
I looked around the room again.
Looking back to this body's, Toshio's, memories, I remembered that I'm currently living in Kuoh, Japan. I'm scheduled to enroll in Kuoh Academy after this Winter, starting in April.
"I'm…in…Kuoh..., DxD?" Shock could be seen on my face. Once recovered, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.
"Of all worlds, I get the borderline hentai one huh. Think I'll enjoy it my ass, Goddess. I suppose it's a good thing I have a system and time to prepare. The year is, 2010. The first season of DxD takes place in 2012. That would put me in Rias's grade. Huh. I only watched the first 2 seasons of DxD. I couldn't for the life of me watch more due to Issei. I loved the world building and characters, but hot damn Issei ruins it. Well, this should be interesting at the very least. I already know no matter how much I try, I'm going to get sucked into the plot. I wouldn't resist it anyway. Where's the fun in avoiding the main plot? Plus...
"I've never had a girlfriend, but now that I'm here though, that's probably going to change whether I want it to or not." Considering who'll I'll be around, I'm more than a little hopeful.
Chapter 4: Unlocked
Kuoh looked ordinary. Too ordinary, like it was trying to lull me into forgetting what it was. Rows of modest houses, vending machines with half-faded labels, a sleepy little station that had seen better decades. But I wasn't here to admire the scenery.
I walked slowly, hands in my pockets, gaze flicking across buildings and street signs. Every detail, every crack in the sidewalk and every rusting bicycle, was being filed away perfectly. That was the advantage of Perfect Memory. By the time I finished, I wouldn't just remember Kuoh. I would completely memorize it, down to the last street sign. It's obviously too big for me to walk all in one day, but I'd get to the main landmarks.
I moved east through the business district, scanning everything I could with Observe. Trash cans, shopfronts, an idle crow on a lamp post—nothing was too minor. The skill needed experience, and I was going to squeeze it out of the mundane until it gave me something worthwhile. Each activation brought a faint flicker in the corner of my vision.
{Object: Wooden bench.
Condition: Weather-worn.
Threat Level: N/A.}
Riveting.
Still, the data streamed in, feeding the system. Glacial progress was still progress.
As I walked, my mind drifted. Not aimlessly, deliberately, back toward canon. The original plot, the one Issei lived. I went over it again, cross-checking it with the physical places I passed. It still felt surreal. That all of it was real now.
It all started with Issei's death. Gutted by a pretty girl with black wings, a fallen angel. Then resurrected as a pawn by Rias Gremory as her servant devil. That's where the whole world began to unravel. The Peerage system, the introduction of Sacred Gears, Rating Games… everything spiraled outward from that moment. Then came the major conflicts.
Riser Phoenix. The hero factions. The Excalibur theft. Vali's sudden appearance, throwing the balance into chaos. Issei unlocking Balance Breaker for the Boosted Gear. The peace talks between Heaven, Hell, and the Fallen. Azazel arriving to play the long game. Kokabiel's attack, the brief alliance with the Church. Even Gasper had been revealed by then, hidden away with his chronostasis power.
And through it all, the ever-present hum of harem tension, emotional undercurrents, and just enough fanservice to camouflage how fast the stakes escalated. And don't even get me started on Issei's plot armor.
I knew the timeline up to the end of season two down to the last word spoken. The problem was… this world didn't have seasons. It had cause and effect. It had weight. If I wanted to get ahead of anything, I needed more than just memory. I needed power and strength. Hopefully I'd enjoy my new life along the way.
"Observe."
{A red brick wall.
Condition: Recently built. Like new.
Threat Level: N/A}
I crossed an intersection and found myself at the edge of Kuoh Academy's perimeter. The front gate looked unassuming, just a decorative arch over wrought iron. As soon as I got within five feet, I felt it. A subtle spark. Magic? I cast observe on the iron gate.
{Kuoh Academy Gate.
Condition: Perfect condition with a magical surveillance ward.
Threat Level: N/A}
Passive surveillance woven into the metal to detect any supernaturals that crossed the threshold. Hopefully, I didn't count right now.
But I found myself thinking about it.
That wasn't mentioned in canon. Then again, why would it have been? From a viewer's perspective, the world had always revolved around Issei. Details like the edge of a magical boundary wouldn't get screentime unless someone was bleeding on it. But I wasn't a viewer anymore. I was a participant. And every overlooked detail might be the one that saved my life.
I pressed my fingers against the metal just to confirm the presence of the ward. A ripple passed over the surface, barely perceptible. My lips curled into the ghost of a smile. Nice that I could sense stuff like this at least a little.
Kuoh Academy. The nexus. The place where everything started and everything eventually fractured.
I didn't go in. Not yet. Instead, I moved around the perimeter, taking in the structure. Counting windows. Memorizing blind spots. The cameras were real, but not magical, likely for mundane security. A ghost wouldn't be caught on one, but I would. Noted. I scanned the building, top to bottom. My internal map pieced itself together like a growing schematic. Every classroom, the gym, the old building where the Occult Research Club held court. I could visualize it all.
When I finally sat down on a bench behind the tennis courts, Observe dinged with a notification:
{Observe Level Up: Rank 2.
New Features Unlocked:
Level (if applicable, and within 10 levels of you)}
That it? I guess level 2 is still only level 2.
I leaned back, eyes half-closed, and let the sound of the summer wind and distant cicadas fill the silence. I hadn't met Rias. Or Akeno. Or anyone from the Club. But they were all here, living out the days they didn't even realize were scripted. For now.
I'd arrive on stage soon enough. But when I did, I'd be the only one holding the full script. At least for Canon. I studied time manipulation a bit in college, part of an advanced physics class. As soon as I interacted with any of the main cast, it could completely throw off canon. The main plots of certain entities would likely remain unchanged though, like Phenex and Rias's engagement, the Khaos Brigade shenanigans, even the fallen angels killing sacred gear users.
All nice to know, but it'll be the changes, my presence, that could derail everything. Eh. One step at a time. Not like I even feel fear or anxiety to begin with. Just move forward.
I scratched my head.
"Well, I still need to try to live in the present, the moment. But how can you not think about what's coming next?" I ruffled my hair with both hands. "Man this is going to take some practice.
Having explored enough for the day, I start my walk back home.
Once I got back to my small residence, I got on my computer to check out my money situation. A weekly stipend. I guess since I'm a minor, the bank controls how much I get. It's more than enough to pay bills and buy food. But if I ever wanted to upgrade my abode or buy other cool stuff, I'm going to need money. Being a minor, it'll be difficult to sell anything or buy anything, like a house, in my name. I'll probably need an adult proxy. Maybe once I get involved with Rias and her other peerage members, they can help me out on down the line with that.
I lean back in my desk chair.
"Status."
{Status
Name: Toshio Amano
Title: —
Race: Human
Age: 15
Level: 11 (100/1100)
Health: 100/100
Reiryoku: 10/10
Physique: E
Zanjutsu: F
Hoho: F
Hakuda: F
Spiritual Potential: D
Soul Resonance: 5%}
I'm not sure how to improve hoho other than basic agility drills. Physique, Zanjutsu, and Hakuda seem straight forward enough. I pull up my inventory screen again and stare at my Zanpakutō. Let's try it. I lifted my hand to the screen as if to pull the hilt out. Sparks started to generate around my hand. Something solid forming in my hand.
"It worked!" I gripped the hilt, and pulled out my sword from the screen, sparks and small wisps of lightning trailing off of it. As I slowly pulled it out, a sound akin to a dull, distant scream accompanied the sparks. Almost too distant to hear. I chalked it up to the system just including theatrics.
Standing up now, I held my sword in my hand, gazing at it. It seemed fairly bland, but that's to be expected. To my surprise however, it did differ slightly from when I first saw it. The tsuba was a dark crimson color. The blade seemed a bit darker than before as well.
I gave it a few experimental swings, making sure I wasn't going to chop my desk or chair in half.
I looked back at the screen in my inventory. The sword reflected the changes I observed, the outline slightly grayed out, likely because it was "equipped." I pulled the sheath out next. It was just a standard, black sheath.
After inspecting it, I put the sheath back in my inventory. Attention refocused on my blade, I reached with my other hand to feel the metal spine. Sliding my hand just an inch across the cool metal, I felt a sudden intense heat.
"AHH!" I dropped the sword in surprise.
"What in the world was that?!" I looked down at my fingers to see I had a pretty severe burn across my fingers. After going to rinse my fingers under cool water for a bit, I came back into my room, the sword still on the ground.
"Okay, note to self, don't touch the blade." Wanting to experiment, I lifted the sword, not touching the metal at all, and placed the spine on my desk to see if it burned the desk. I held the blade there for 54 seconds. Nothing happened. I lifted the blade up to my face in confusion.
"It's almost like it was a reaction to me… Maybe my Zanpakutō spirit? But this is my sword, why would it burn me?" Obviously I received no answer. I shrugged. I put the sword back into my inventory for now.
I sat back at my desk. I never really worked out in my previous life. Let's look up some routines.
XXX
One Week Later
The weights clanged softly as I lowered the final set of dumbbells to the floor, sweat dripping steadily down my back. My shirt clung to me like shrink wrap, and my arms trembled slightly from fatigue. I dropped down onto the yoga mat and let myself fall back, breathing heavy, chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm.
One week.
It had already been a full week since I arrived in this world, and so far… absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
No peerage invitations. No accidental meetings with crimson-haired beauties. No flashes of wings, no sudden sacred gear activation. If it weren't for the magic-embedded school gate, I'd have almost started to convince myself I'd been dropped into a normal, peaceful Japanese town. But I knew where I was. Kuoh Academy. Home base of the Occult Research Club. Ground zero of High School DxD. The calm before the storm.
I exhaled slowly and sat up, stretching my sore arms behind my back. The equipment I bought with my stipend money had already proven itself invaluable; adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, a fold-out bench, even a used squat rack I found on a local listing. If I was going to grind and improve my Physique, I wasn't about to do it in some public gym. Imagine later when my physique was B rank and I'm casually outlifting everyone. I don't want that kind of attention.
The workout routine was simple, but effective. Push-pull splits, with core and agility thrown in every other day. No magic tricks. Just sets, reps, sweat, and protein. I ran laps every morning, did bodyweight circuits when I wasn't lifting, and kept a strict routine. Three meals a day, tracked down to the calorie. My perfect memory skill is so helpful. I take back everything I said about it before.
I stood and wiped myself down with a towel before pulling up my status screen.
"Status."
{Status
Name: Toshio Amano
Title: —
Race: Human
Age: 15
Level: 11 (250/1100)
Health: 100/100
Reiryoku: 10/10
Physique: E
Zanjutsu: F
Hoho: F
Hakuda: F
Spiritual Potential: D
Soul Resonance: 5%}
"Still no change," I muttered, frowning slightly. I had half-expected at least Physique to nudge upward by now. My XP bar moved up a little. I got 150 XP for mapping the town, but the stats remained unmoved. Static letters staring back at me like they were mocking my effort.
I could tell my body was getting stronger though, and a lot faster than what would be considered normal. For example, I started being able to curl 35lbs dumbbells [AN: I'm using freedom units instead of metric since I'm from the US]. Now I can comfortably curl 70's. So at least there's some trackable progress?
Whatever. I wasn't doing this for immediate gratification. I was building a foundation. Still… a little feedback from the system wouldn't hurt.
"Base Skills," I prompted.
{Base Skills
Gamer's Altered Mind – Rank X
Gamer's Altered Body – Rank X
Perfect Memory – Rank X
Observe – Rank 2
Cooking – Rank 1
Exercise – Rank 2
Running – Rank 1}
I gazed at my three new skills.
Cooking had appeared a few days ago, after I finally got tired of instant noodles and looked up a few basic Japanese meals. Just a passive efficiency booster, apparently—it helped me prep meals quicker, made them more nutritious, less prone to error. Nothing game-breaking, but useful.
Running and Exercise though... those were the real gems.
Their descriptions were brief and blunt:
Exercise (Rank 2): Improves understanding and effectiveness of physical training. Boosts short-term and long-term stat gain potential when engaging in physical routines.
Running (Rank 1): Increases cardiovascular stamina, acceleration, and reaction time through consistent use. Boosts the impact of agility-based training.
When the Exercise skill unlocked on day two, it was like a switch flipped in my brain. Suddenly I understood my own body better. Micro-adjustments in form, posture, breathing patterns, optimal rest windows. I wasn't just following a routine anymore—I was optimizing it. It was like going from lifting blind to lifting with perfect instruction.
I had a feeling that getting Exercise to Rank 3 or higher would start to show real gains in my physical stats. Probably a few plateaus ahead, but I could feel the groundwork being laid. That was enough for now.
I rolled my shoulders, still catching my breath, and walked to my desk where I kept a printed flier pinned to the wall. A simple black-and-white advertisement for a small kendo dojo just a few blocks from here. Local. Unassuming. And exactly what I needed. Although, I didn't need the flier, memory and all. But it was nice to look at for something to look forward to.
Tomorrow will be my first visit.
"I'm looking forward to it," I murmured. "Swordsmanship in the real world."
I wouldn't be learning from fanfiction, videos, or wiki pages. I could copy forms I've seen in my past life, but it also wouldn't compare. This would be firsthand practice. Real stances and blade control. A perfect way to build Zanjutsu from the ground up. I had my Zanpakutō, but swinging it in my bedroom like a LARPer wasn't exactly helping me master anything. Real instruction would help.
After a moment, I walked back to the window and leaned against the sill, letting the breeze cool my sweat-slicked hair. My gaze drifted up toward the sky—blue, calm, unassuming.
And yet… I couldn't stop thinking about Reiryoku.
The stat sat there on my screen, taunting me. Just a number. Ten out of ten. Never moved. I hadn't felt a single pull from it, no warmth, no flow. So far, it had been completely inert. But I knew it wouldn't stay that way. It couldn't. I was in a world full of devils, angels, dragons, and gods. Spiritual energy was everywhere.
Mana. Senjutsu. That's what they'd call it here. But mine wasn't just mana or ki. Mine was—
A new window suddenly blinked into view.
{System Notice:
Reiryoku is the label used within your interface.
Others will perceive it as mana or magic energy.
However, your Reiryoku can be channeled into Reiatsu,
a spiritual pressure that can physically suppress or intimidate others.
Warning: Uncontrolled Reiatsu may cause unintended emotional or physical effects in low-level beings.}
My eyes widened slightly. That… was more than I expected. I'm kind of irritated that I didn't ask the system sooner.
So I could suppress people? With spiritual pressure alone?
It made sense. I'd chosen the Zanpakutō. I wasn't just channeling magic—I was shaping spiritual power, raw and personal. In the right context, Reiatsu wasn't just power—it was presence that could command or instill fear. A certain spiky haired, eye patch wearing Captain came to mind.
This wasn't about tossing fireballs or chanting spells. My main strength wouldn't come from flashy nonsense. It would come from pressure. From weight. From the sheer force of will. Although tossing fireballs would still be pretty cool…
"Reiatsu, huh?" I smirked, stepping away from the window. One more thing to add to the training queue.
Tomorrow, kendo.
Tonight? Ice bath, food, and maybe another crack at meditating.
I walked into my room after dinner and nightly rituals. Dinner had been great. Grilled salmon, miso soup, brown rice, and lightly sautéed greens. I didn't think I'd ever give a damn about macros in my old life, but now? Every bite felt like a stat investment.
The ice bath helped kill the lingering soreness. The heat from the shower afterward flushed everything else out. I could feel the fibers in my muscles tightening back into place, like my body was slowly learning how to carry power instead of just strain. Every time I woke up, due to Gamer's altered body, my muscles would recover perfectly, ready for more abuse.
By the time I was dry and dressed again, the sun had dipped behind the trees. My little apartment was bathed in that gentle orange twilight, silent except for the low hum of the fan I use to fall asleep to. I stood in the center of my bedroom stretching my arms behind my head.
I wasn't ready for bed.
Not physically. Mentally.
I pulled out the yoga mat and rolled it across the floor, then sat cross-legged in the center. Back straight. Hands resting on my thighs.
Meditation.
I'd been thinking about it all week. It wasn't just a spiritual thing, it was canon. Reiryoku wasn't some arbitrary number on a screen. It was soul power. Meditation was the only way to begin tapping into it in a meaningful way. I knew that. Every Zanpakutō user had to walk their inner world eventually. And meditation and Reiryoku built the bridge.
But knowing it and doing it were different things. I had attempted it a few days ago, but couldn't get my mind to shut off, and I got restless, so I gave up. I wanted to try again. I had to.
I closed my eyes and breathed in through my nose. Held it. Exhaled. Tried to focus on the feeling of air entering and leaving my lungs.
It lasted maybe thirty seconds before my mind started spinning.
Did I lock the door?
What time is the kendo class tomorrow?
I need to check my protein intake.
Wait, did Reiryoku grow proportionally in Bleach with meditation, or only after—
I groaned and leaned forward, pressing my palms into my face.
"God, shut up," I muttered. Oh wait, isn't he dead in this world? Another slap. "BRAIN, STOP IT."
This wasn't going to be easy. My brain had been wired for performance since college; analyze, strategize, optimize. Meditation required the opposite. Stillness. Emptiness.
I reset.
Again.
Then again.
Again.
The sky turned dark. The cicadas quieted. The street outside grew silent.
And sometime after the first hour…
Ding.
My eyes snapped open. A box hovered in the center of my vision.
{New Skill Unlocked: Meditation (Rank 1)
A skill that allows the user to gradually restore Reiryoku over time while in a meditative state. As the rank of this skill increases, it multiplies the user's total Reiryoku by the current rank; at Rank 2, Reiryoku is doubled; at Rank 3, it is tripled; and so on. At higher ranks, Meditation can also serve as a substitute for sleep, maintaining mental clarity and stamina without the need for rest. However, it does not restore injuries or physical damage the way true sleep does. This skill enhances spiritual awareness and control, serving as a foundational method for growth in Reiryoku-based abilities.}
"…Holy shit."
I sat there, blinking, rereading the message at least three times, not quite trusting perfect memory.
This wasn't just powerful. It was insane.
It meant I could potentially double, triple, quadruple my spiritual energy just by improving this one skill. No dangerous dungeon dives, no rare items. Just time, effort, and a quiet room.
Even Rank 1 could regenerate reiryoku. It would be nice if I could feel it.
And the kicker? Substituting for sleep.
Rather than sleep, I can actively improve a skill that would improve my reiryoku.
I let out a slow exhale, smiling faintly.
"Okay, yeah. This is nice."
I settled in again, this time with less frustration, more purpose. I closed my eyes. Breathed deep. Let the thoughts pass like clouds instead of grabbing them. It was vastly easier this time. Sometime a few minutes later, I started to feel a churning sensation within my veins, almost like waves crashing against a beach. I focused on this feeling, and attempted to harness it. I began to deliberately circulate it. I'm not sure how long I did this, but I eventually opened my eyes to see I unlocked a new skill.
{New Skill Unlocked: Reiryoku manipulation (Rank 1)
The user has become aware of their inner Reiryoku and can now guide its movement through deliberate will.
This skill allows the shaping, channeling, and controlled release of spiritual power, serving as a foundation for all Reiryoku-based techniques.
At higher levels, this skill enables external projection of Reiatsu, fine-tuned control of spiritual abilities, and increased synergy with spiritual weapons or tools.}
"Oh that's so satisfying." It was difficult to describe how it felt. Like another sense and heartbeat combined into one. I close the prompt and pulled up the base skill screen.
Meditation and Reiryoku Manipulation now pulsed softly at the center of the window. A thin glowing bracket formed between them, like a circuit being completed. A new prompt appeared beneath it.
{Compatible Skills Detected.
Fusion Available: [Meditation] + [Reiryoku Manipulation]
Would you like to fuse these skills into a new ability: Cultivation?
Warning: This will replace the original skills. Proceed?
[Y/N]}
I didn't even hesitate. "Yes."
The moment I spoke, both skills shimmered, then dissolved into motes of light that reformed into a skill on under the fusion tab.
{New Fused Skill Created: Cultivation (Rank 1)
A core spiritual discipline that combines internal stillness with active energy manipulation.
While in a meditative state, the user regenerates Reiryoku at an enhanced rate and learns to refine and expand their spiritual core.
Each rank of this skill multiplies the user's total Reiryoku by the rank value.
Cultivation also increases Reiryoku control, improves Reiatsu projection, and passively accelerates growth of other spiritual abilities.
At higher ranks, this skill allows the user to substitute sleep, suppress spiritual signatures, and achieve breakthroughs in soul-based power.
This skill increases your base reiryoku by 500}
The glow from the Cultivation skill hadn't even faded before the next box appeared.
Ding.
{Secret Quest Completed: "Awaken the Flow"
You have successfully unlocked your Reiryoku through meditation.
Reward: 500 XP}
Okay, nice. I didn't even know that was a quest. Well I guess it does say secret. Still, free XP is free XP.
Another box blinked into view almost immediately.
{Secret Quest Completed: "One Becomes Two, Two Become One"
You have fused two fundamental skills to create a core spiritual technique. Your first skill fusion!
Reward: 500 XP}
Before I could even process that—
Ding!
{Level Up!
Toshio Amano – Level 12
XP: 150/1200}
Three prompts in three seconds. I blinked, trying to catch up. But the system wasn't done yet.
Another reward window opened.
{Level-Up Reward Unlocked:
Physique Runestone (Common)
A dense fragment of raw body-enhancing energy. Crushing this stone will permanently increase your Physique stat by one letter grade up to Rank D.
Use with caution—instant adaptation may cause mild disorientation.}
I stared at it as the rune materialized into my hand like smoke condensing into stone. About the size of a golf ball, etched with glowing lines that pulsed faintly with heat. It vibrated slightly in my palm, like it was alive.
And still—still—the system wasn't done.
One final message appeared.
{Fusion Bonus Applied:
The successful fusion of Meditation and Reiryoku Manipulation has refined your spiritual core.
Base Reiryoku increased by +100.
Current Reiryoku: 610/610}
I just sat there, slack-jawed. My eye twitched.
"…Is that it?" I asked the air. "Can I breathe again now?"
No response.
"Damn." I ran a hand through my hair, exhaled hard, then looked back down at the runestone in my hand.
Might as well.
I crushed it.
The stone cracked and exploded into a burst of golden particles, which surged into my arm like a warm current. The change was immediate.
My muscles didn't just grow, they condensed. Every fiber pulled tighter. Denser. Heavier. My arms felt like they weighed more but moved cleaner. My chest expanded slightly, and my back tensed like I'd just finished a perfect deadlift. Even my skin felt tougher, like it wasn't just flesh anymore, but something refined. Hardened. Durable.
"Whoa…"
I flexed my fingers. The strength was subtle, but present. I wasn't a bodybuilder overnight, but I felt like I could throw a punch now and actually make it hurt a supernatural being. Maybe kill a human. Though maybe not. Hard to judge. My stamina had improved too. I could feel the tension and release more efficiently, like my body was responding with less wasted motion.
I opened my status screen again.
{Physique: D}
Seeing that letter shift felt better than it should have. Like a flag planted on the first hill of a long war.
I stared at my hands, then closed them into fists.
"Alright," I muttered. "Now we're finally getting somewhere. I can't believe I gave up last time. Guess I can still do stupid things despite my intelligence and memory." At that moment, my inventory screen popped up out of nowhere, and I noticed the Zanpakutō outline pulsed once, like it agreed with what I just said. My eyebrow twitched.
I closed out all the screens. That progress felt good. And tomorrow, swordsmanship. I slipped back into my meditative position, activating cultivation again. No sleep for me.
Hours passed. The streetlights outside flickered. My back ached a little, but I didn't care. I could feel the cultivation skill slowly grinding forward. I imagined it like water carving through rock; patient, relentless, inevitable.
By the time morning light began to creep over the rooftops, I hadn't moved. My alarm went off, and I opened my eyes.
"Almost 11 hours? I didn't even notice! I need to be careful with this skill," I stated, scratching the back of my head. I stood up, expecting to feel stiff. Surprisingly, I felt very loose, like I just did a 1 hour stretching session.
"I love this skill."