"My name is Nishimura Shindō…"
I muttered under my breath.
"…Just your average otaku stuck living as a boring salaryman."
Another day.
Another routine.
Nothing new. Nothing exciting. Nothing different.
Work. Silence. Sleep.
Repeat.
I glanced at my watch and sighed.
"…I'm late."
At the Office
"Nishimura."
My manager's voice cut through the room immediately.
"You need to be more careful.
If this continues, you'll find yourself at a disadvantage."
I lowered my head.
"…I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."
It was the same response I always gave.
And the same result always followed.
No matter how many times I tried, nothing really changed.
This… was my life.
A Small Break from Routine
Later that evening, I found myself sitting inside a quiet bar.
One of my juniors had invited me.
"Senpai… thank you for coming."
The young man across from me looked slightly nervous, but he was smiling.
"So," I asked, "what exactly did you want to talk about, Kaido?"
He scratched the back of his head.
"Well… I'm getting married soon."
I blinked.
"…You're getting married?"
"Yes," he replied happily. "I wanted to invite you and share the details."
I paused for a moment… then smiled.
"Congratulations. You have my blessings."
And I meant it.
…but somewhere deep inside, a strange feeling lingered.
He was younger than me.
Yet he had already reached a milestone I hadn't even come close to.
Jealousy Hidden Behind a Smile
As Kaido continued drinking, his face slowly turned red.
He was going to get drunk soon.
I stood up.
"Hey, don't overdo it."
"Y-Yes, senpai…"
After that, I decided it was time to leave.
We parted ways, and I stepped out into the cool night air.
Something Strange
I walked toward the road, hands in my pockets, mind wandering.
Then—
"…Hm?"
A faint voice echoed in my ears.
Not loud.
Not clear.
But unmistakably there.
"…Skill… acquisition…"
I frowned.
"…What was that?"
I stopped walking.
"…Probably just my imagination."
But then—
Everything stopped.
Time Freezes
The world around me froze.
Cars halted mid-motion.
People stood perfectly still.
Even the wind had stopped moving.
But I… could still think.
My body, however, refused to respond.
"…What is this…?"
A strange pressure filled the air.
An unnatural silence.
Something was wrong.
The Impact
A cold sensation ran through my entire body.
Then—
A voice.
Calm. Emotionless.
"…System initialization complete."
Before I could process those words—
Impact.
My body was struck violently.
Pain exploded through every nerve at once.
A truck.
No… something had hit me.
Hard.
Too hard.
My vision blurred instantly.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't speak.
But my mind remained awake.
"…So this… is how it ends…"
System Messages
The voice returned.
"Confirmed."
"Pain nullification… successful."
"…Huh?"
"You have acquired the Rare Skill: Pain Nullification."
I let out a weak, almost disbelieving laugh in my mind.
"…Is someone messing with me…? I'm dying here…"
My consciousness began to fade.
Then another voice appeared.
"Senpai!!"
"…Kaido…?"
Why was he here?
"Senpai!! You forgot your phone! I came back to give it to you!"
Even now…
That idiot.
"…I already called an ambulance! Stay with me!"
I tried to respond.
But my body no longer listened.
My strength was gone.
Everything was slipping away.
Final Moments
"…Kaido…"
"Y-Yes?!"
"My room…"
"…?"
"…Everything in my room… destroy it."
Kaido froze.
"Don't let anyone see it. Burn it all."
"…Senpai…?"
"…And… make a happy family with your wife."
"Senpai!!"
His voice trembled.
But I could no longer answer.
Death
My vision faded.
My breathing stopped.
And Nishimura Shindō…
Died.
Beyond Death
But something continued.
"Confirmed."
"Body reconstruction initiated."
"Constructing durable physical vessel…"
"Rare Skill acquired: Divine Mind."
"Stabilizing consciousness…"
"Applying thermal resistance parameters…"
"…Insufficient."
A new voice interrupted.
"…Then take my blessing."
"Grant him my Supreme Skill."
"…Zhurong."
Silence.
Then—
"Skill integration complete."
Awakening
"…Ugh…"
Pain.
No—something heavier than pain.
A deep sense of weakness spread through my body.
My limbs felt unfamiliar… unresponsive.
"…Where… am I…?"
I slowly opened my eyes.
A ceiling came into view.
Not a hospital ceiling.
Something more refined… more elegant.
I was lying on a large bed.
In a room that didn't belong to the world I knew.
The door suddenly opened.
A maid entered carrying a bucket of water and a towel.
The moment she saw me—
"—!!"
She dropped the bucket.
Water spilled across the floor.
Her entire body began trembling.
"Z-Zarveth-sama…?!"
"…Zarveth…?"
I tried to sit up, but my body felt weak and heavy.
"…Are you talking about me?"
The maid's face turned pale.
"Y-You… you don't remember…?"
I paused.
Then gave a small, calm smile.
"…My memories are a bit blurry."
"…I-I see…!"
She quickly bowed.
"That explains everything…!"
But her voice was still shaking.
Not with confusion.
With fear.
"…Interesting."
I leaned back slightly.
"Then leave me for now. I need time to remember everything."
"Y-Yes, Zarveth-sama!"
She hurried out of the room.
A New Beginning
Alone again…
I stared at my hands.
"…This isn't my body."
Then a voice echoed inside my mind.
"Confirmed."
"Memory Recap Skill available."
"You may access stored memories."
"…Who are you?"
A calm response followed.
"I am your Divine Mind."
"…Divine Mind?"
"Yes."
"…Then tell me something."
I closed my eyes slightly.
"…Who am I?"
A pause.
Then—
"Accessing memory."
Flashes appeared in my mind.
Fragments of another life.
Another identity.
A truth I had never known.
At the center of it all…
A body that was dying.
A soul that was breaking.
And a system that merged with me…
To survive.