Chapter 1 – Prologue – All That Remains is Silence
The sound of the air conditioning hummed softly, muffled by the constant murmur of soulless conversations. The white lights of the company flickered from time to time, as if reflecting the exhaustion of those who worked there — and among them was him.
A man between 26 and 30 years old, dressed in simple office attire, stared at the screen of his computer with a vacant look. His name didn't matter yet, for he didn't even feel part of his own world. He worked at a corporation like so many others, where effort was rarely rewarded, and promotions seemed to smile only at those who knew how to flatter with mastery.
His parents lived far apart, each in a different place, rebuilding their lives with new families. He was never mistreated, never in need — but he was also never the center of anything. Just... another piece.
No hobbies. No passions. No vices. Everything the real world offered him was tasteless. Go to an amusement park? A roller coaster? He already knew what to expect before even sitting on the ride. Nothing surprised him. Not even people.
Social interactions, for him, were like a script already rehearsed. A cycle that began with a "hi, how are you?" and always ended the same way. As an outsider, he watched people put on their masks, say what was expected, and hide their real intentions behind polite smiles. He knew, of course, that not everyone was like this. But enough were.
Games, once his refuge, also lost their color. Even The Master Dragon Quest, a single-player RPG in virtual reality that challenged logic with advanced artificial intelligence, no longer charmed him. He began to notice the moral dilemmas hidden between the lines. Whenever he spared an enemy, he was punished for it later. How far does goodness go, when the world responds with cruelty?
And then, one day, pressured by the insistence of his colleagues, he accepted an invitation he would normally decline: drinking at a bar.
At the bar, laughter echoed. Glasses clinked, empty stories were told between sips. He barely touched his drink. He watched everything with that same distant, almost bored look. Until, in the middle of the night, one of his colleagues — Markus — approached.
— Dude… I need a favor. I'm kind of broke. It's just until next week, I'll pay you back with interest if you want…
Without thinking much, he grabbed his phone and made the transfer. It was just money. He knew it wouldn't make a difference. And, in a way, it was easier than prolonging the conversation.
What he didn't know was that this gesture would change everything.
The next night, when he got home, he threw his bag into the corner and turned on the computer. He scoured websites, trying to find anything to at least distract him. That's when a banner popped up at the top of the screen:
"Fed up with the real world? How about changing your life? Find out how with this game!"
He laughed. A dry, almost cynical laugh.
— How convenient… — he murmured, still staring at the ad with disdain.
But the sound of shattered wood made him turn his head.
The front door had been kicked in. Before he could get up, he felt a violent impact in his chest. A dry sound echoed. A gunshot. The loan shark, deceived by Markus, his supposed friend, had mixed up the names. And now, it was too late.
His body fell, and his vision began to darken. But he didn't feel fear. Nor pain. Just a familiar exhaustion.
"Shouldn't I be sad?" he thought.
"I guess not. I have nothing left here. Nothing I really love. My parents… well, they have their lives, their families. They'll probably be sad for a while, but then it'll pass. When was the last time I saw them? A year and a half ago? Actually, I think two. Yeah. And even then… they traveled during the holidays and didn't even think to call me."
He smiled. For the first time in a long time, he felt something. Not joy, not sadness. Just… relief.
"I think this is it. I can rest."
But rest didn't come.
Between Plans and Deceptions
When he opened his eyes — or what he thought were his eyes — he saw a vivid sky, colored like space but with light, vibrant tones. The ground glowed with a soft, yellowish white, and he realized he had no body. He was… energy. A translucent, living sphere, floating in the void.
The light of the celestial space vibrated in colors that could never exist in the human spectrum. The young man — now reduced to a translucent sphere of energy — floated in absolute silence. No pain, no peace. Just… nothing.
A figure approached, draped in a cloak of white light but with eyes marked by fatigue and curiosity. It was a divinity — one among thousands — responsible for the transition between planes.
— Oh… — murmured the divine being, furrowing its brow. — A human soul? From Earth, no less? How long has it been since I've seen one of these around here…
The floating sphere didn't respond. It just emitted a faint glow… indifferent.
— Hello? — the divinity tried. — Can you hear me? Are you conscious?
— I'm here — the soul responded with a bored tone. — You can send me to whatever comes next. Or erase me completely. Either works.
The divine being, somewhat taken aback by the apathy, raised its hands and began the transition process. But nothing happened. It tried again. And again.
— Hm. This is… embarrassing — murmured the being, looking around as if clicking frantically on the wrong button in a important presentation.
Then another presence manifested in the plane. A second divine being, with a more relaxed air and a mocking smile, appeared floating sideways, as if casually joining a conversation between childhood friends.
— What's going on now, Leron? — said the second, with a playful tone. — Why are you walking in circles like a glitched NPC?
— I can't reincarnate this guy — answered the first, nodding towards the energy sphere.
— Really? — the second tried himself… nothing. — Oh. A classic.
They exchanged glances, almost nostalgic.
— It's been a while since we've seen one of these.
— A soul that didn't live what it needed to. Needs to reincarnate but got stuck here. Old protocol, remember?
— Yes. But… we need his permission, or it stays stuck. And guess what? — Leron looked at the sphere. — He doesn't want to.
— Ready to go back to Earth, champ?
— Not a chance — the soul answered, now more firm. — I just want to rest.
The divinities looked at each other and began whispering like colleagues on shift trying to solve a problem that came up on their watch.
— If he doesn't agree, he'll stay here stuck. And then the whole department will investigate what went wrong. And guess who's going to be blamed?
— Exactly. So… what if we… convinced him?
— With an isekai?
— With an isekai.
They turned to the soul.
— What if we send you to a fantasy world? Magic, monsters, swords, kingdoms, that combo humans love. And you can even choose a power!
— No. Next.
— Wait, what?
— No. I'm telling you I don't want that. Maybe five years ago I would have been excited. Today? I just want to disappear. Turn off.
More whispers. One of them sighed.
— Ok, plan B. Let's intimidate him.
— You need to reincarnate. Staying here unbalances the planes!
— I don't care.
— You're making things complicated. Please — said the other, now almost pleading.
— Only if I reincarnate with the powers of… I don't know… "The Strongest." — The soul emitted an ironic glow, making an absurd request. — Like that guy with the blue eyes who makes everything look easy. Infinite Void, whatever.
Both stopped, staring.
— Who? — the divinity whispered to the other.
— Let me check… — One of the beings opened a floating window with Earth's data. — Ah, I see. A character with ocular techniques, absolute control of perception, unlimited space-time manipulation. Very overpowered. Even in the fake stories, the author couldn't deal with him, in the end, ruined the story just to remove him. It's Impossible…
The other divinity looked at the soul, trying to find a solution. After a few seconds, it returned its gaze to the other divinity.
— Easy — it said while whispering back. — We'll adapt it to what exists. Put limitations. And send him to a universe with constant catastrophes. The powers won't unbalance things too much. And any normal body will collapse. He just said "with powers," didn't specify details.
— I know exactly where we'll send him.
— The universe… Veritas Prime.
— It's perfect. Years before the main events. If something goes wrong, no one will track it, and there's enough time for him to burn out from not handling the powers before altering anything in the timeline. Let's go.
They looked at the soul with yellow smiles.
— Good thing you agreed!
— What do you mean "agreed"?!
A floating hologram appeared showing the replay:
"Only if I reincarnate with the powers of 'The Strongest'…"
— This isn't agreeing!
— Of course it is. It counts as a verbal contract — said one of the divinities with bureaucratic casualness.
A magical circle began to form around the soul.
— HEY! Where are you sending me?!
— We're sorry to do this to you — said Leron, with a vaguely sincere tone. — But you got cool powers. And we'll give you a blessing of luck. Two years of bonus. After that, it's on you.
— Magic world? — said the soul, trying to come to terms.
— Oh, about that. You're going to a world with superpowers, heroes, villains. There's a race called Viltrumite. Very powerful. Strength, speed, flight, regeneration… They dominate galaxies, just stay out of their way and don't mess with a guy named Mark saving the world, and everything will be fine.
— That's it, all set — murmured the other, activating the circle.
— But don't worry! Despite the inevitable tragedies, there's always room for redemption. Maybe you can change the outcomes. With luck — and power — who knows?
The soul disappeared in the light.
Interlude – Casualties
— Where did you send him?
— Anywhere. I just adjusted the time a few years back and shot him into the universe. Wanted to get rid of this quickly.
— You… didn't specify a body?
— Nah. With those powers? The body will disintegrate right away. The blessing of luck only covers the first two years.
— What if he reincarnates into something resistant enough?
— Like a Viltrumite?
— Impossible. There were only a few alive at that time with a chance of having kids. Relax.
Both laughed, floating away.