I found myself completely isolated from the real world. My eyes darted around, trying to analyze my surroundings and understand the situation, but all I saw was a hazy, blurred expanse of gradient black and gray.
"This is to be expected..." I muttered. My eyesight hadn't developed yet, so everything outside my narrow field of vision appeared translucent.
"What can I do? I'm just a newborn baby."
I brushed the thought aside, focusing on more important matters. That's not worth thinking about.
"Anyway... repercussions."
The word lingered in my mind.
"Repercussions are the result of taking a specific action..."
I murmured, gently rubbing my chin with my small, cold finger.
"I'm aware that nothing in this world comes for free—everything has a price. But I can't figure out what it is; something about this doesn't add up."
"Am I not allowed to choose an overpowered character template?"
I wondered, then quickly shook my head.
"No. That's unlikely. Maybe I accidentally triggered a bug—that's the only explanation..."
After considering possible outcomes, I dismissed the thought with a weary sigh.
"Whatever... Regardless of the reason, it's already happened. Overthinking it will only stress me out."
Accepting my fate, I began to contemplate my next steps. Just then, an ear-piercing alert tone rang in my head, drawing my attention.
[The synchronization is complete…]
"Synchronization?" I murmured.
Suddenly, a torrent of data impaled my brain at the speed of light. Within five minutes, I found myself marked as the target.
"This is..."
Shockingly, despite the massive influx of data, the transfer wasn't painful—just overwhelming. It felt as though my brain had reached a state of enlightenment.
Staring into the void, I let my eyes rest as I tried to comprehend the information.
"I see... So that's what's going on... I barely got lucky, huh?"
What exactly is happening?
Originally, I had no magic—and I never would have awakened it. But everything changed when I received the system's blessing. Not only did I unlock my magic, but my potential soared to the peak of human capacity. However, my body isn't compatible...
The magic in Earth Land is potent; countless Ethernano particles are scattered everywhere. Meanwhile, the container system inside me has no openings. I can't absorb magic—instead, it builds pressure. Like an egg in a microwave, my body will explode in less than a minute, or maybe even a second, after receiving even a small amount of magic power.
On the other hand, once I awaken, I'm supposed to develop gradually until I reach the appropriate age—around nine years old. Well, age doesn't really matter, but it'll take at least nine years for my body to fully develop.
By sheer coincidence, I chose space magic. As a result, I was transported to my own dimension before I could even leave my mother's womb.
"I called it lucky because I chose spatial magic... If I hadn't, I'd probably be trapped in here forever."
Or worse...
"If I hadn't chosen it, I would've exploded inside my mother's womb."
"That would be a double kill?"
Just thinking about it gave me chills.
"Anyway, this place is my new womb now, huh?"
I said jokingly.
Still, I don't know how long I'll be staying here. I let my body drift aimlessly, lost in thought.
"So until my body is developed and my magic power is sufficient to wield space magic, I'll be stuck here?"
At first, I worried about dying of old age or starvation. But I soon discovered that time in this dimension is asynchronous with Earth Land. It's like a hyperbolic time chamber—time will automatically adjust once I turn nine, syncing with Earth Land.
Assuming I'm capable of using spatial magic...
Repercussions?
Far from harmful—they're beneficial. I thought. I originally planned to delay my growth to better control my magic and strengthen my body. But my magic keeps advancing no matter what.
Regardless of what I do, I'll probably get kicked out of this place over time. But if I didn't have space magic...
To avoid wasting this opportunity, I decided to train—improving my magic control and deepening my understanding of my abilities.
"That reminds me..."
I had chosen the Sōsuke Aizen template, but I haven't fully inherited his abilities. My compatibility must be to blame—I can't use Hado, Kido, or Bakudo. So, if the chosen magic isn't compatible, does the system adjust it?
Despite that, I'm not discouraged or disappointed. I got what I truly wanted—his zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu.
I also received some basic knowledge on how to activate its abilities—though the process is complex—as well as fundamental swordsmanship skills. But the greatest gain is the Hogyoku.
"Compatibility is essential. After all, you can't mix water and oil."
I reminded myself.
By a stroke of luck, the version of Aizen I received had merged with the Hogyoku. As a result, I will become immortal and possess infinite magic. However, I can only unlock this (infinite magic and immortality) once I reach the limits of human capability.
Ten stars' worth of magic power.
Even with infinite magic, I can't surpass that limit. After all, I'm not a dragon.
"Still, I'll be unstoppable in the late game, yeah!"
I nodded to myself with satisfaction. It's good to have insurance for the long run.
My gains aren't limited to Aizen. I also have access to time magic and another type. Aside from space magic—where I have 100% affinity—both time and this additional magic have limitations.
They require an enormous amount of magic power, and my capabilities are restricted. The additional magic only enhances my physique—useful for swordsmanship and martial arts. Meanwhile, time magic is limited to fast-forwarding and reversing time. In exchange, I won't be affected by time-stop.
Still, it's overpowered. I can use it on both living and non-living things without penalty. Theoretically, I could even return Irene to her human form by constantly draining my magic. Reversing time, even for a second, demands massive power—and risks rapid aging—but thanks to the system's protection and omnipotence magic, I seem to bypass it. Though it's not universal, it's still a great asset.
When the time comes, I'll master close-, mid-range, and long-range combat, becoming extremely versatile.
Speeding up time + muzzle + teleportation + gun-fu + swordsmanship?
A terrifying combo... Let's see who's the fastest gun in the West, the slipperiest, and the deadliest.
I could imagine myself sniping someone from a distance, my target never realizing I fired. And if they close the distance, I won't be worried. But that's just my imagination running wild. I dropped the finger-gun gesture and dismissed the thought.
Given the limitations, this will likely burn through my magic. With so many unknowns, why am I counting my chickens before they hatch?
Before receiving this gift, I had zero magic. Now, I have 50,000 magic power—half a star's worth—but I can only access about 1,500 of it, roughly 3%. To wield space magic and escape this place, I need half a million (five stars). To reach human limits and unlock infinite magic and immortality, I need one million (ten stars).
"That's a long time... perhaps a cosmic eternity—but I'm not in a rush," I mused.
Setting aside those thoughts, I turned to training. I could increase my magic by meditating or expanding it. However, magic here is scarce—almost depleted—so recovery might be slow.
While I was deep in thought, I suddenly felt a powerful jolt—like a hammer slamming into a nail.
"Wait a minute—this surrounding magic... it's mine!"
I realized quickly as I probed my surroundings. I could release it, then reclaim it. That way, I could both grow my magic and sharpen my control.
I smirked, excitement welling up inside me. I tried to release it, but it was harder than expected—like trying to defy gravity.
It took thousands of attempts just to open the holes. And even then, I hadn't trained myself to reclaim the magic. After another thousand tries, I finally succeeded.
Now I can release and absorb magic. It's time to begin official training.
I clenched my fist in determination. And this isn't limited to magic—I'll hone my swordsmanship and physique too.
[Fairy Tail Year X775]
Buzz!
A rift tore open in space near the entrance of [Red Blossom] Village, stretching wide like a yawning mouth. A figure emerged from its depths—a child no older than nine.
"Ahhh, finally, freedom after a million years!"
My voice rang out, filled with an almost delirious joy. I took a look around.
"The world has changed so much," I muttered. Then I reminisced, marveling at the simplicity of the environment: the sights, the sounds, and the sensations. This was a common experience—a part of daily life for most—but it was all new to me.
Before venturing further, I paused for a moment to stretch my still-immature body, relishing the sensation of movement after such a long time.
A subtle ripple of magic coursed through me, prompting me to gauge my current strength. It's still the same—about 5 stars.
To be specific, my total magic power is 543,210. That means exhaust exactly 366,197 magic power in using teleportation. This leaves me with a reserve of 177,013.
T = (TMP - RMP) ÷ R
So, it should be:
366,197 ÷ 210 ≈ 1,743.79
Now, converting that to hours:
1,743.79 ÷ 60 ≈ 29.06 hours.
Time of my recovery. Although it feels like my calculations might be off—the consumption could be based on both usage and capacity. Perhaps the reason it's so demanding is due to distance? I can't say for sure, since I'm still recovering my magic, but I'll figure it out later.
I wave my hand dismissively at the solution I had written in the air.
"Anyway, even without unlocking a secondary source, this is a decent foundation."
I murmured to myself with a satisfied nod.
"My magic power is at least comparable to that of an ordinary S-rank mage—not spectacular, but solid, considering I'm only nine years old."
Lost in thought, I suddenly felt a prickling sensation at the back of my neck.