I wasn't sure how long I'd been stuck in this Void. At some point, time just… stopped meaning anything. Days? Weeks? Months? Years? It had to be at least weeks, right? People don't lose track of time that badly unless it's been weeks.
I gave up trying to figure out what was happening or why a long time ago. There were too many possibilities, none of them making sense. So I just floated there, doing nothing, waiting for something anything to happen.
Finally, after what felt like forever, something did.
A voice echoed around me, sharp and strange.
"Interesting."
I tried to respond, to move, to even twitch, but I couldn't do anything. I just floated there, helpless.
[Congratulations. You've been chosen to become a player in the Games.]
Huh? The fuck?
[You have been selected for Round One of the Games.]
[You will each be sent to random worlds, inserted with random (but slightly customizable) backgrounds, and tasked with survival.]
[You are granted an initial balance of points to spend in the Multi-Store use them wisely.]
[— You have received 100 Multi-Coins.]
[— You have gained access to the Multi-Store.]
[— As a gift from the Admin, you will be sent to the world of Code Geass: R2.]
[— Multi-Coins can be used to alter your starting background to a limited degree.]
I knew that anime. Guess I got lucky. With that, I decided to open the multi-store, and immediately I was baffled by the items put in there.
But then something that I further noticed was that these items were being sold not by whatever was responsible for kidnapping us but by other players, from another reality at that.
They put up items from the mundane, such as guns, knives, and even swords, for as little as 1 MultiCoin for a gun and 3 for some mundane swords.
But when it came to the magical side, they started upping the prices, as I saw that an enchanted sword cost about 50 Multi-Coins.
'Damn...' I thought with a frown, seeing the prices, as I only had 100 coins and the things actually useful started in the low hundreds.
And while scrolling, I found an item for sale that left me flabbergasted.
[—Item: The Cooking System.
—Type: System Type.
—Description: A system that aids, guides and helps any who wishes to improve in cooking granting the user the needed skill to increase their cooking level.
—Functions: Basic Status, Limited Inventory, Cooking Quests, Planewalks To A Food Dimension.
—Cost: 85000]
"What the fuck??" I muttered under my breath, seeing the item, which was a system, something that would be considered one of the most coveted and wanted things in the entire fictional world by those who knew of its use.
'Well, I'm not getting that anytime soon...' I thought with a frown.
Reviewing the seller's notes, I also found out where he had gained the thing, and apparently he had slain a man on one of his worlds he visited, and apparently said man had been found by the "foundation" (which is the group of people that kidnapped them) to have been a self-insert reincarnator and was given this system.
And after paying a hefty price to extract the system, he is now selling it to make up for the costs.
'...so other reincarnators not in any way connected to the foundation that I now fall under exist, great, just great .' I sighed in amusement more than anything before I clicked on one of the item's tags, which made it easier to search for specific items.
The tag was 'System Type.'
And finding my items I frowned seeing the small amount of items that fell under that tag, being 63.
'So systems are rare even for those under the foundation.' I thought to myself but immediately thought differently.
'Nah...I'm sure some people find systems and use them for themselves instead.' I came up with the most likely conclusion before I started scrolling the items I had open for me but found none that I could afford besides 4 items.
[—Item: Status Screen System.
—Type: Broken/System Type.
—Description: A shard of what once used to be a system, able to allow its user the ability peer through their information in viewable statistical form.
—Functions: Extensive Status.
—Cost: 25]
[—Item: Sword Infuse System.
—Type: System Type.
—Description: A shard of what once used to be a system, infuse itself with a sword by an unknown entity, given the sword the ability to level up and gain skills it can also fuse with a host granting the host passive strength.
—Functions: Sword Status, Skill tap, XP distributor.
—Cost: 50]
[—Item: The Experience System.
—Type: System Type.
—Description: A experiment by the biblical god Elohim trying to mimic a system he had been able to observe after killing an outsider in his world.
—Functions: Status View, Warehouse Inventory, Skill Experience.
—Cost: 80]
[—Item: The Leveling Spell System.
—Type: System Type.
—Description: A system created by voldemort using a system fragment, he stole from a system user he killed before the second wizard war and implanting a piece of his soul in the system slowly corrupting the user.
—Functions: Status, 60 slots Inventory, Skill Experience, Skill Tree.
—Cost: 45]
The best one was The Experience System, but it was the most expensive one and will cost most of his budget. The other ones were shittier in comparison but were much cheaper. The Leveling Spell System is the second best, but the most dangerous one, since I could get my body taken over by a disgusting snake freak. The two cheap ones would help me with a good amount of my coins, but both of them combined don't compare to the two other ones.
In the end I went with The Experience System just because the others are shitty in comparison. Unfortunately, now I only have 20 coins.
Now I decided to use my last 20 coins to buy something useful; unfortunately, the most useful things were around 50 or 100. So now I could only buy less useful stuff.
In the end, I settle for these two things.
[—Item: Devouring Man God Technique.
—Type: Knowledge Type.
—Description: A technique that allows its user to absorb his defeated enemies energies, inheriting every single last energy from the enemy; however, constant use makes it so eventually the user of the technique will become an abomination that is unable to fully feed the large hunger developed by this technique.
—Cost: 10]
[—Item: Minor Awakening Serum.
—Type: Serum Type.
—Description: A serum created in the ruins of a fallen world capable of inducing potential awakening, body strengthening, and talent awakening in the form of a supernatural ability unique to the user.
Cost: 10]
'Oh well...on to the world.' I thought with a sigh, clicking off the multi-store.
Then I suddenly found myself within a white room with nothing inside before again a screen appeared before me.
[Character Background
—Name: Leon Ainsworth.
—Identity: A Britannian noble who was presumed dead during the Black Rebellion, now secretly revived through experimental means.
—Age: 17.
—Mission: Influence the outcome of the conflict between Britannia and the Black Knights to ensure the survival of humanity beyond the war.]
"Oh...well then, I guess this will be my identity then," I thought with a sigh, trying to suppress the nerves bubbling inside me.
[Beginning World Assimilation.....]
And just like that, I passed out.
-later-
When consciousness returned, it wasn't the endless Void that greeted me but pain.
A sharp, throbbing ache pulsed behind my eyes as foreign memories flooded in, merging with my own.
Leon Ainsworth.
A Britannian noble. A dead one, technically.
I groaned, forcing my eyes open. The sterile white ceiling of a medical facility stared back at me. Tubes snaked from my arms, and the faint hum of machinery filled the air.
Right. I was "revived."
The last thing I remembered was the Multi-Store, the System purchase, and then….
[The Experience System has been successfully integrated.]
A translucent blue screen flickered into existence before me, displaying lines of text.
[Welcome, User: Leon Ainsworth.]
[Current Level: 1]
[Experience: 0/100]
[Skills: None]
[Inventory: Empty]
So it worked.
I exhaled slowly, flexing my fingers. The body felt… different. Younger. Stronger. But also unfamiliar.
A voice cut through the silence.
"Ah. You're finally awake."
I turned my head too fast, a spike of dizziness hitting me and saw a man in a white lab coat observing me with cold, analytical eyes. Behind him stood two armed guards, their rifles held loosely but ready.
"Subject A-7 has successfully stabilized," the man muttered, jotting something on a clipboard. "Memory assimilation appears intact."
*Subject A-7?*
The implanted memories supplied the answer: Experimental Revival Project.
After the Black Rebellion, Britannian scientists had been working on a way to bring back fallen soldiers and nobles especially those with valuable intel or bloodlines. I had been one of the "lucky" test subjects.
The scientist Dr. Kessler, my memories supplied stepped closer. "Do you remember your name?"
I played along. "Leon. Leon Ainsworth."
"Good." He nodded, satisfied. "And your last memory before… this?"
I hesitated. The real answer was floating in a Void after dying, but the implanted background provided a cover story.
"The Black Knights… an explosion. I thought I died."
"You did," Kessler said bluntly. "But your family's influence secured your place in this program. Consider this a second chance."
I forced my breathing to steady, letting the tension ease from my shoulders. "How long was I… gone?"
Dr. Kessler adjusted his glasses. "Six months. The damage was extensive, but your family's contributions ensured priority reconstruction."
Six months. That put me right in the early stages of R2. Lelouch was still under Charles' Geass, the Black Knights were scattered, and Britannia was tightening its grip.
"And my family?" I asked, testing how deep the background went.
"Your uncle has assumed control of House Ainsworth in your absence," Kessler said dismissively. "But now that you're functional, you'll be reinstated after evaluation, of course."
Ah. So I've got a usurper to deal with. Lovely.
While Kessler prattled on about my condition I focused inward, prodding at the blue screens only I could see.
[Name: Leon Ainsworth
Level: 1 (0/100 XP)
Race: Human.
—[Stats]—
Body: 9
Mind: 8
Soul: 4
[Warehouse Inventory]
A separate storage space, accessible mentally. Currently empty.
[Skill Experience]
A sub-menu showed potential skills I could learn, all grayed out.
Swordsmanship (0%)
Marksmanship (0%)
Hand-to-Hand Combat (0%)
Tactics (0%)
Knightmare Pilot (0%)
But the most interesting part was the [Devouring Man God Technique] I'd bought. It wasn't listed under Skills it was a separate entry, almost like a hidden trait.
[Devouring Man God Technique (Dormant)]
Effect: Upon defeating a foe, absorb a portion of their energy/skills.
Warning: Overuse accelerates physical and mental degradation.
Thank everything that none of these fuckers could discover I have this if they did, they would be treating me much worse.
-later-
I played the dutiful test subject, answering questions, performing basic physical tests. All while observing.
The base was probably near Pendragon just for the actions that I recognize since this whole previous body lived in Pendragon but have left for area 11 during the first black rebellion says the formal host of the body father was a full supporter of princess euphie.
The people here that were tested that came out positively like me, which were a few they were immediately sent for military redeployment.
[Skill Experience Update: Observation +5%]
After three days of tests, Kessler finally deemed me "stable enough" for limited external contact.
"Your uncle has arranged for your transfer to a private estate for recovery," he said. "Consider it a probationary period."
As I was escorted to a transport, I mentally prepared.
-later-
The Ainsworth Estate loomed before me, a sprawling monument to Britannian excess gleaming white walls, manicured gardens, and the ever-present emblem of the imperial eagle glaring down from the gates. The transport rolled to a stop, and the guards motioned for me to step out.
A gloved hand rose to shield my eyes from the sun, as if the light pained me.
A man in a finely tailored coat stood at the entrance, his expression a mask of polite concern.
"Leon. Welcome home."
Uncle Dietrich.
My implanted memories supplied the details: a shrewd politician, a man who had seized control of my family's assets the moment I was declared dead. His smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Uncle," I murmured, dipping my head in a show of deference. "I appreciate your… hospitality."
His gaze flickered over me, assessing. "The doctors say you need rest. We've prepared your old chambers."
Of course. Keep me where you can watch me.
I forced a grateful smile. "Thank you."
As I entered my old room I fell on the bed as the door behind me close. In that moment from my inventory, I pulled out the Minor Awakening Serum and I decided to inject it.
I just felt a sharp pain, but I ignored it.
[Telekinetic - level 1 (0%)]
You have tapped into a new spectrum of reality allowing you the ability to telekineticaly control and manipulate objects with your mind
I exhaled, flexing my fingers. A candlestick on the desk trembled then lifted, hovering in the air. Cool I thought, as I decided to experiment with my new ability.
-later-
Convincing my dear uncle and the estate staff that I needed physical therapy hadn't been hard. After all, who could argue with a freshly revived noble needing to regain strength after months in a coma?
What they didn't know was that I had my own version of therapy in mind.
I stood in the estate's training courtyard, the midday sun beating down on me as two estate guards stepped forward, armored and cautious. They weren't knights or anything fancy just well-trained private security. Good enough for what I needed.
"This is stupid," one of them muttered under his breath, thinking I wouldn't hear. "Sparring with a kid fresh out of the medbay?"
I smiled thinly. "Don't hold back," I said, rolling my shoulders, feeling my muscles tighten, unfamiliar but eager to move.
The guards hesitated, glancing at each other.
"It's for my therapy," I added smoothly, almost mockingly sweet. "Doctor's orders. How am I supposed to get better if nobody tests me properly?"
That shut them up.
The first guard came at me half-heartedly, aiming a slow, obvious jab. I sidestepped easily, feeling the rush of movement, the way my body responded faster than I expected.
[Skill Experience Update: Hand-to-Hand Combat +2%]
Not bad. But not enough.
I decided to bait them. I exaggerated a stumble, making it look like my legs weren't fully under me. The second guard bought it immediately, lunging in harder this time.
There we go.
I ducked under his swing, stepping in close, and jabbed my elbow into his ribs. He grunted, doubling over, and I yanked his arm, twisting him onto the ground with a satisfying thud.
The first guard cursed and actually committed to the fight now, throwing a punch that was faster, sharper.
Good. I needed real pressure to improve.
I blocked it sloppily I still wasn't used to this body's full strength but it was enough to open him up for a knee to the gut. He staggered back, gasping.
[Skill Experience Update: Hand-to-Hand Combat +4%]
When both guards called for a break, sweating and bruised, I just smiled and nodded, playing the gracious patient.
"Thank you for your help," I said innocently, wiping imaginary sweat from my brow. "Same time tomorrow?"
The looks they gave me said everything.
I was going to enjoy this.
-Dietrich Ainsworth-
I stood in the study, staring at the report in front of me. The words blurred together as I tried to focus, but the frustration gnawing at the pit of my stomach wouldn't let up. It had been weeks since the boy's waking up, and yet I still couldn't shake the feeling of something slipping through my fingers.
The child of my late brother. The one I'd managed to keep out of the picture for years, with his mother conveniently passing away and the boy's disappearance well timed. He had been presumed dead, as expected. But fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor. I thought I had got rid of him.
I had tried. Oh, how I had tried to erase him make him disappear in the shadows like his mother, but they'd never found his body. His name had been registered as missing, not dead, and that was my undoing. I couldn't bury him. I couldn't forget him. I couldn't dispose of him without drawing attention, and the more I considered my options, the more desperate my thoughts grew.
I could feel it. He would take everything from me, piece by piece.
But I wasn't ready to give up power just yet.
I set the report aside, hands shaking with anxiety. I had control over this family over this estate. But what good was power if I couldn't keep it?
No… I couldn't allow it. He was mine to command, mine to deal with.
But how? The usual methods weren't an option. He wasn't a fool. I needed a way that wouldn't bring unwanted eyes. I needed a plan that would work, one that could rid me of him without risking my reputation. Something subtle, something that didn't lead back to me.
As I kept looking through some of my old paperwork, trying to get my mind off this topic I found one that made me open my eyes and surprise, as I remembered the certain letter.
My grip tightened on the letter as I read it again, the proposal echoing in my mind: "Ward Proposal for Princess Guinevere." my brother threw it away and pretended that he didn't receive it.
For one simple reason. Princess Guinevere had always been interested in young men, and from what I had observed, she found Leon, well... appealing. Why not capitalize on it? I wasn't foolish enough to ignore the political gain that could come from this.
It was an opportunity a dangerous one, but one I couldn't afford to ignore. If he managed to get on her bed and potentially become a favorite lover of her he might be able to gain a large amount of influence over her court if she became empress.
I exhaled slowly, the weight of the decision settling over me. It was time to reach out to Princess Guinevere and to see if she was still interested.
XxX
An old version of my the world traveler: gluttony but a shitty more shitty version.