On a street in the city of Kasmburg, Yuta and Gowther walked with steady, measured strides—neither too slow nor too fast.
Yuta's expression remained as calm as ever, but Gowther could not stop doubt from creeping into his heart as he recalled the moment he first arrived in this world.
Nine years ago.
In a room styled after the European Middle Ages, a six-year-old boy with short, blonde hair lay asleep on a bed. As he opened his eyes, his expression shifted to one of shock; he found himself in a place he did not recognize.
"Where am I? Why is everything so ornate, and why is the furniture so old-fashioned?"
Gowther's tone was a mix of confusion and bewilderment—feelings that began to fade on their own as the memories of the body's original owner started to return.
He muttered something under his breath, though he did not know why.
He felt as if he were being watched, yet he felt no fear—only a strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"These are the memories of the original owner... Gowther MacTire, the third son of the House of MacTire—a family that specializes in assassination."
Gowther's expression flickered with mild shock as he pieced together the fragmented memories of his former life. He could not recall his own family or anything else about his past, yet he vividly remembered the face of someone he had met during his first year of high school. Although their meeting had come about due to a rather awkward situation—and despite the fact that they had known each other for only a short time—the young man had asked for permission to feature him as a character in a novel. Gother had agreed, assuming the request was merely a joke. Yet, he now found himself unable to recall the young man's name.
"There's no way I've ended up inside a novel written by that foolish, bastardly scoundrel... Bo... Bo... damn it, I've forgotten the wretch's name!"
Gother's tone was a mix of fury and panic—a reaction to the world in which he now found himself. Having read a portion of the novel, he knew all too well just how perilous this world truly was.
Gother muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the empty air before him:
"Status."
A few seconds later, several translucent blue system windows materialized, displaying a list of attributes and abilities.
Name: Gother
Surname: MacTire
Age: 6 years
Gender: Male
Race: Pure Human
Primary Aspect: Inactive
Secondary Aspect: The Blessing
Talent: ??????? Profession: Assassin
Rank: B+
Merit Points: 0
Statistics
- Strength: 6172
- Speed: 7574
- Endurance: 7465
- Durability: 5758
- Mana: 9089
- Aura: 8798
- Qi: 6th Stage — Transcendent Soul
- 2nd Tier: Union of Soul and Body — Early Stage
- Intelligence: S
- Charisma: S
- Luck: S
Skills
- [New Skill]
- [Space Manipulation — Intermediate Level]
- [New Skill]
- [Spacetime Concept Manipulation — Advanced Level]
- [New Skill]
- [Temporal Armament]
- [New Skill]
- [Ability Copying]
- [New Skill]
- [Ability Theft]
"Whoa! The owner of this body possesses terrifying talent. On top of that, I have five abilities: space and spacetime manipulation, temporal armament, and the power to copy and steal abilities. Wait a minute—aren't these the exact same abilities I chose back in my previous world? Something is definitely off here. Even the name, Gother McTire—it's the same name I gave my character in that trashy novel!"
Gother's tone was calm, yet laced with suspicion and wariness toward the unknown. While the reason for his arrival in this world remained a mystery, he felt no sense of alienation—not even for a moment since he had arrived. After several minutes of silence—spent trying to gather his scattered thoughts and memories of his former life—he found he could recall almost nothing; all he got for his efforts was a splitting headache.
"This headache is excruciating. Usually, characters in these stories try to recover the memories of the person whose body they've inherited—but in my case, it's the opposite: I'm trying to recover the memories of my own past life."
Gowther's voice was laced with pain; he had yet to grow accustomed to his new body.
A weary sigh escaped his lips as he stared up at the ceiling of his room.
"Boutaleb, Nobara, Yuta, Yuto... so many names, yet they all refer to the same person."
His voice remained calm. He closed his red eyes, finally surrendering to the sleep that was washing over him.
Nine years after the incident—
Gowther turned his thoughts back to Yuta, his tone filled with bewilderment and confusion:
"What if I had refused his request? What would have happened then? Would I have stayed in my own world, or would I have ended up here regardless? If I were still in my original world, I would have graduated from university by now—I'd be twenty-six years old. And yet, what puzzles me even more is that I met him when I was fifteen—a full year before I turned sixteen."
"But the real question isn't 'What if I had refused his request?'—it's 'What if I had never approached him or spoken to him in the first place?' What would have happened then? Would things have taken an entirely different turn?" "Does my existence have anything to do with all this? As far as I recall, he began writing his novel only after he met me. So, does my presence play a role in this world—a world I know nothing about?"
"I am like a blind man who helped build a road, yet has no idea what that road actually looks like. It is not death that I fear, but the unknown—the things I cannot fathom. And yet, I feel that my existence in this world carries weight; were it not for that, I wouldn't be here at all. I don't know why, but this feeling took hold after my memory began to recover some of its scattered fragments."
"Yuta, is there something you know that we don't? Are we truly ourselves, or are we merely parts of something far greater than some trivial story? What lies beyond this world? Though I am still weak, I will grow stronger—stronger than I am now—and I shall uncover the truth of this vast world."
A faint smile appeared on Yuta's face as he looked toward Gother, who sat beside him—a smile whose meaning remained inscrutable.
"Gother, in your opinion... are we inside a story—the kind that falls under the 'reincarnation' or 'isekai' genre?"
Yuta's tone was calm as he glanced at Gother from the corner of his eye.
Gother remained silent for several minutes, as he glanced at Yuta as they walked. He didn't quite grasp what Yuta was aiming for with his question, but one thing was clear: they had been reincarnated and transported to another world—a fate shared by Yuta, Rikudo Navi, Christian, Nicholas, Kazuhiro, and Leon.
"Yes, we are inside a 'reincarnation/isekai' style story. That is the situation we find ourselves in—but why do you ask?"
Gowther's tone was calm, tinged with a hint of surprise and bewilderment, as he looked toward Yuta, who wore a faint, cold smile.
"Nothing, really. But what if the truth is that we haven't actually traveled to another world at all? If that were the case, things would be far more shocking—and bizarre."
There was a touch of cold irony in Yuta's voice.
Before Gowther could respond, Yuta stopped and added, in a calm, steady tone:
"We've arrived at 'Ain al-Sultan.' It's a well-known Arab restaurant here in the city of Kasumburg, and one of the top ten dining establishments on the Central Continent."
Gowther let out a deep sigh, gazed at the entrance of Ain al-Sultan for a few moments, and then stepped inside.
Ain al-Sultan was designed in a traditional Damascene Arab style. It had been established by Muhammad ibn Abdullah and his brother, Yusuf ibn Abdullah—both of whom hailed from the Eastern Continent. The restaurant served as a primary gathering hub for Arabs across the five interconnected continents.
At one of the tables sat several individuals who appeared to be about sixteen years old. On the right, next to the wall, sat Leon (Fouad)—slender and well-proportioned, with golden hair and eyes to match. Beside him was his twin brother, Inuyasha (Osama), whose features remained calm as he sipped a glass of orange juice, waiting for Yuta and Gowther.
On the left side sat Christian (Yassin), accompanied by his younger brother, Nicholas (Mohammed). Nicholas had dark, crimson-tinged hair and deep red eyes; he wore practical attire that matched the style of his brother Christian's clothing.
Near Inuyasha sat Kazuhiro (Issa), who had dark, violet-black hair and deep black eyes, dressed in smart, practical, everyday wear.
Though each of them appeared slender, their physiques possessed immense, underlying strength.
Kazuhiro cast his gaze toward Gowther and Yuta, who were approaching with steady, purposeful strides—steps that radiated power and absolute authority. A cold, joyless smile spread across his face.
"Look who's here! Our guests of honor have finally arrived."
Kazuhiro's tone was laced with mockery as he took a sip from his cup of coffee.
Leon, Inuyasha, Nicholas, and Christian all turned their attention toward Yuta and Gowther, who were now about fifteen paces away.
"Apologies for the delay. You know how vast Versalkin Academy is..." "It's so large that it has become a city in its own right—it's called Ksembourg."
Yuta's tone was calm as he sat beside Nicholas, while Gother took a seat on a chair next to Kazuhiro.
A few seconds later, a man dressed in traditional Damascene attire appeared, carrying a notebook and a menu. Neither Yuta nor Gother opened the menu.
"I'll have a cup of coffee and two *zalabiya* pastries. For Gother, bring an avocado juice and a small chocolate cake."
Yuta spoke in a calm, steady voice, watching as the waiter deftly jotted down their orders.
"Very well. Your order will be ready in just a few minutes."
The waiter's tone was composed and respectful before he walked away with a light, measured step.
A faint smile touched Yuta's lips as he turned his gaze toward Christian.
"Did you bring what I asked for?"
Yuta's voice remained calm as he looked at Christian, who was currently enjoying some traditional Damascene sweets.
Christian shifted his gaze toward Yuta—who was watching him with a smile that held no discernible intent.
"You mean the Mana Core, the Sacred Aether, the Datian roots, and the final 'Gu'?"
Christian's tone was calm as he produced four items: two gems—one sky-blue and the other a cold, steely gray—a golden-hued refinement pill, and a *Gu* shaped like a strand of DNA, its color a blend of bleached gold and deep crimson. They all glowed with a crystalline blue radiance in the palm of his hand.
A faint smile appeared on Yuta's face as he gazed at the items. Though few in number, they were exceptionally rare and difficult to obtain; the dragon from which they were acquired held a rank higher than that of a "Sovereign Master" and had lived for billions of years—possessing, in fact, the power to effortlessly obliterate the ordinary world they currently inhabited.
Yet, as the rightful heir to the Ruler of the Fantasy Crypt, Christian was naturally more powerful than any entity within the Fantasy Realm itself—though he was not the strongest being within the specific "Fantasy Crypt No. 1" where they now found themselves.
"Yes, this is exactly what I needed. Thank you, my friend Christian."
Yuta's tone was calm as he took the forging materials; the moment they touched his hand, he began the refining process.
Christian offered a slight smile as he watched Yuta, though his focus was elsewhere.
"Yuto, I have to ask: why didn't Rikudo Navi come with us?"
Christian's voice remained composed as he helped himself to a piece of candy.
"..."
Yuta remained silent for several seconds before shifting his gaze toward a waiter standing a few paces away from the table where he and his companions were seated.
"Here you go, sir." The waiter's tone was calm and full of respect as he placed a cup of coffee and two *zalabia* pastries before Yuta, and an avocado juice and a small chocolate cake before Gowther. "Have a pleasant day, valued customers."
Maintaining that same calm, respectful tone, the waiter took his leave, holding the tray close to his chest.
Yuta took a sip of his coffee, then turned his gaze toward Christian, who was looking at him as if expecting a somewhat logical explanation.
A cold smile appeared on Yuta's face; he then set his coffee cup down on the table with an air of refinement. "Ricudo Navi's absence is due to two main reasons. The first is that he has accompanied the Wing of Pride, Aristotle, on a mission in particular; and secondly, he has numerous commitments and won't be available until next year."
Yuta's tone remained calm, though he fixed Christian with a sharp, piercing gaze—effectively shutting down any further questions on the matter.
Christian's expression shifted slightly, and he let out a deep, heavy sigh.
"You lot are such a nuisance—and it looks like another one is heading our way."
Christian's tone was laced with profound indifference.
A few seconds later, a man—standing three meters tall with a massive, powerful physique—strode in. His upper body was entirely bare, covered in a network of wounds and scars. An M-shaped scar marred his left cheek, lending him a truly fearsome appearance.
Yet, neither Yuta nor his companions so much as flickered, a reaction that only fueled the newcomer's rage.
"Do you have any idea who I am? I am Weihao Shinyi, master of the Path of Strength—known to all as the 'Unyielding Fist'!"
Weihao Shinyi's voice dripped with arrogance and conceit, but the group remained unmoved, utterly indifferent to his presence. This left both him and the surrounding onlookers in a state of shock and disbelief.
"Isn't that the 'Unyielding Fist,' Weihao Shinyi? A master from the Demonic Path—a peak Rank 7 Gu Master, isn't he? And beyond that, he's at the intermediate stage of Rank 8, capable of easily battling—and killing—opponents two minor realms above his own!" "It seems those kids have gotten themselves into serious trouble. They shouldn't have shown off such rare smelting resources in a place like this. What fools! They're about to learn that the hard way."
"Weihao Shini looks absolutely furious; he's clearly planning to kill them and take everything they have."
"Not even the heir to the MacTire family could stand against him—nor could that rising star they call the 'Cold Sky Star,' Yuta Caseral."
An arrogant smirk spread across Weihao Shini's lips as he stared at them.
"Well, well! It looks like we have a couple of elite students from the Versalkin Academy here! How lucky for me! There's going to be a hefty reward for your heads!"
Weihao Shini's voice brimmed with gleeful excitement as he unleashed a wave of killing intent. Yet, not a single one of them showed any change in expression.
Kazuhiro turned his gaze toward Weihao Shini—whose face was now a volatile mix of astonishment and rage at being so thoroughly ignored.
"You—Weihao Shini, or whatever your name is—try being a good little boy and get out of my sight. Your face is an eyesore, and it's ruining my meal."
Kazuhiro's tone was thick with disgust and utter contempt for Weihao Shini.
Weihao Shini's expression shifted from shock to pure fury, his face flushing a deep, intense red.
As for the onlookers, they were so stunned that they couldn't even believe what they had just heard. Weihao Xinyi was a rank eight intermediate Gu Master—possessing a core strength equivalent to that of a rank nine early-stage Gu Master—making him a formidable figure, a force to be reckoned with across the Five Continents.
Yet, the fact that a mere sixteen-year-old youth would dare to insult him so brazenly was simply unbelievable.
"It seems that young man is desperate for death. Weihao Xinyi is one of the most wicked and cruel masters of the Demonic Path; his end will surely be tragic."
"That youth is courting death with such reckless behavior."
"Weihao Xinyi will show no mercy; he'll tear him limb from limb before turning him into a pile of minced meat."
"After saying that, it's clear the boy has no desire to live. His fate will be truly miserable."
A deep sigh escaped Kazuhiro's lips as he looked toward Weihao Xinyi. He then flicked his finger through the air in Weihao's direction, sending the man flying several meters away.
Although Kazuhiro did not make physical contact, the force generated by the flick was enough to send Weihao hurtling several meters—flinging him right out of the restaurant—leaving him with such severe fractures that he was rendered completely unable to fight.
Weihao Xinyi let out a few groans, attempting to activate a rank five, peak-stage healing Gu known as "Self-Effort." But he never even had the chance to treat his injuries.
A cold, gray light erupted from Weihao Xinyi's abdomen, and his body exploded, reduced to a scattered mess of bone, flesh, and blood strewn across the street. Inside the restaurant, Yuta held six Gu in his hand:
- An Asura Gu, above Rank 7, shaped like an Asura statue.
- A Soul-Effort Gu, above Rank 5.
- A Pure-Strength Gu, above Rank 5.
- A Sky-Crossing Gu (a movement-type Gu), Rank 5.
- An Upper-Space Gu (a storage-type Gu), Rank 5.
- A Diamond-Blue Gu (a refinement-type Gu), Rank 8.
A cold smile appeared on Yuta's face as he gazed at the spoils he had collected. He then murmured in a tone that was cold and calm, yet loud enough for everyone to hear:
"The plan succeeded. The hunt for Weihao Shini was a success. Thank you, Kazuhiro."
"W-w-what?! They intended to kill Weihao Shini from the very beginning! They are truly monsters. It seems the 'Cold Star of the Heavens,' Yuta Casiral, truly lives up to his title—as cold and ruthless as the unforgiving will of Heaven itself."
"Then again, Weihao Shini brought this upon himself. Had he not succumbed to his own greed, he would still be alive; greed is, indeed, the ruin of those who harbor it."
"Still, that young man, Kazuhiro, is incredibly dangerous. He defeated Weihao Shini with such ease—as if he were nothing more than an insect in his path."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, with people casting occasional glances toward the table where Yuta and his companions sat. Yet, no one dared to do anything beyond engaging in pointless chatter—much like dogs that bark, doing nothing but barking.
Humans are the same; they chatter, yet they do nothing but engage in futile talk.