Ryan Blake—a modern young man of the 21st century, age twenty-two.
He had graduated from university not long ago. During his time in college, he was known for his dedication and diligence, earning scholarships nearly every year. His major? Anime design. And now, he was actively looking for a job.
His friends described him like this: "He's super straightforward, but honestly, a bit too stubborn. Once he makes up his mind, not even eight oxen could drag him back!"
He didn't have a girlfriend. The prettier girls tended to look down on his family background, and the ones he wasn't attracted to… well, he didn't want to settle. And so, he had made it through college without once falling in love.
Looks-wise, he was what you'd call pleasant to the eye—not a showstopper, but certainly better than average. He stood about 175 cm tall, an average height that didn't stand out either way.
His parents had once been senior employees at a major company. A few years ago, they had taken a vacation to Sichuan, only to be caught in a devastating earthquake. A collapsing building buried them both, taking their lives and leaving behind a teenage Ryan, then just a second-year high school student. Since then, he'd had no close relatives to rely on.
Fortunately, his parents had left behind about 100,000 yuan in savings, as well as a modest three-bedroom apartment. With that money, he managed to finish high school and graduate from a local university.
It was his passion for anime that led him to choose a major in anime design. Naturally, he became extremely knowledgeable about all kinds of anime. Given Japan's advanced animation industry, he even went the extra mile to self-study Japanese so he could better analyze and appreciate their work.
Now, with only a little over 10,000 yuan left in his account, a sense of urgency had begun to creep in.
It wasn't that he couldn't find a job. He'd simply made a firm decision: unless he truly had no other choice, he wouldn't take a job that had nothing to do with his field—waiting tables or retail gigs just weren't for him. Not because he looked down on those jobs, but because he felt taking them would dishonor the blood, sweat, and tears he poured into his four years of study.
Looking down at the folder in his hands, which held his resume, Ryan gave a wry smile and shook his head. Another day, another interview. But truthfully, he wasn't very hopeful this time either.
He'd heard that most of the applicants were from top-tier universities. If this job were based purely on skill in anime design, he'd have been confident—he had worked hard and honed his craft. But in the real world, companies often cared more about your diploma than your actual abilities.
And breaking through that kind of environment? Just one word: tough.
"Well, I've still got to give it a shot. If I don't even try, then I've already given up on myself…" He clenched the resume tightly, gazing at the busy street ahead as a glint of determination flashed through his eyes.
"Sweetie, don't run too far, okay?" a soft voice nearby pulled him out of his thoughts.
He turned toward the sound.
A woman in her late twenties was laughing gently as she followed a little girl—maybe three or four years old—who was waddling unsteadily ahead of her. They were about five or six meters away.
"Hurry up, Mommy!" the little girl giggled as she ran, turning back to grin at her mother. Her speech was still a little slurred from her age, but her joy was unmistakable.
Ryan's mood instantly lightened at the sight. The girl was as delicate as a porcelain doll—so sweet and innocent. A soft smile appeared on his lips as she passed by just a meter or two away from him.
Then—
"Watch out!" the mother suddenly screamed, eyes wide with horror.
Ryan snapped his head upward—and his breath caught.
A dark, heavy chopping board—at least two or three stories above them—was plummeting straight toward the little girl.
The child had stopped in place, startled by her mother's scream, and stood frozen with confusion.
"Look out!" Ryan didn't even think. He dashed forward, scooping the girl up into his arms and rushing ahead.
He made it a single step.
Then—the board struck.
It slammed into his head with a sickening crack, and everything went black.
"Call an ambulance! Someone help!" he vaguely heard the mother's anguished cries, the girl's sobbing… and then nothing.
He felt himself drifting upward, as if he were nothing more than a wisp of a soul rising from his own broken body. Something shaped like a stamp suddenly wrapped around him, enclosing him completely, and then—
Whoosh—
He was flying. Fast. Far.
And as he flew, he heard a strange, shattering sound—like glass breaking, echoing through endless space.
"Hmm? This candidate's soul is too fragile… I'll have to find a body for him fast. Alright, that nearby dimension should do."
The voice was faint, distant—like that of a little girl. But behind its innocence was something ancient, something… timeless.
CRACK!
CRACK!!
Far from the hustle of the city, deep in the quiet outskirts of a forgotten village, the very fabric of space began to split. If anyone had been there, they might've thought the world itself was breaking.
About three meters above the ground, reality fractured like glass—jagged lines tearing across the air with screeching intensity. Then, with a sudden bang, space shattered.
A swirling, black hole opened in midair. From within it emerged a strange object—no bigger than a child's hand. A square-shaped entity, bizarre and ancient in design.
As the black hole faded and the air returned to normal—as if nothing had ever happened—the object remained. Upon closer inspection, it resembled an old, bronze-green cube, engraved with mysterious symbols. It looked like a beast, yet not a beast… like a flower, yet not a flower. Overall, it resembled an ancient jade seal.
"Whew… First, I need to find a host body…"
That eerie little-girl voice echoed from within the seal. In an instant, the cube shrank to the size of a die and vanished with a sharp swish, hurtling toward some unseen destination.
Not long after, in a decrepit old building deep within the village, the seal arrived.
It was a firewood shed. Dusty, filthy, and packed to the brim with chopped logs. The air was heavy and still. But in the far-left corner, something unusual stood out—a mat of dry straw, unevenly spread across the floor.
And lying on that straw… was a boy.
His clothes were ragged. His skin pale. He didn't move, didn't breathe—clearly, his life had ended.
"This one will do. Just died recently—perfect for the host to merge with."
Chapter 002 - The Dimensional Seal (Preview)
Pain.
Ryan's entire body throbbed, as if a strange energy was coursing wildly through his limbs. He felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside.
He wanted to open his eyes—but his eyelids were like lead.
Over and over he tried, fighting against the weight dragging him down. But every attempt failed.
In that darkness—endless and isolating—waves of searing pain surged through him. Time became meaningless.
Just when he thought he couldn't take any more…
His eyes snapped open.
"Hngh—!" A stab of agony shot through him. His mouth tried to cry out, but he couldn't open it—only a muffled grunt escaped his throat.
That alone startled him.
The world around him was dim, the ceiling above him cracked and broken. Still, in that moment, he found a strange calm.
Wait… wasn't I hit by that falling board while saving that little girl? Why am I still alive? And this definitely isn't a hospital… Don't tell me someone just dumped me in a place like this?!
Questions flooded his mind.
But no matter what had happened—at least the little girl was safe.
And that, to him, was enough.
-----------------------------------------
T/N:
Access 30 chapters in advance on my
P@treon: p@treon.com/Naruz