The last thing Kaelen remembered was the smell of overcooked popcorn and the screech of a city bus that definitely wasn't staying in its lane. Then, there was a brief moment of intense, white-hot embarrassment—mostly because he'd tripped over a stray pug while trying to look cool—and then... nothing.
Now, "nothing" was proving to be surprisingly loud. It wasn't a sound, per se, but the absence of sound ringing in his ears. Kaelen opened his eyes, or at least the conceptual idea of eyes, and found himself floating in a space that looked like a cross between a high-end minimalist art gallery and the inside of a giant, glowing pearl.
"Oh, good. You're awake. I was starting to think the pug-trip had caused some permanent spiritual ego-damage," a voice echoed.
Kaelen spun around—which is harder than it sounds when you lack a physical inner ear—and saw a figure sitting in a lawn chair made of woven starlight. The being looked like a man in his late thirties, wearing a "World's Okayest Dad" t-shirt and sipping from a mug that read I survived the Big Bang and all I got was this lousy universe.
"Am I dead?" Kaelen asked, the realization hitting him with the weight of a freight train. "And more importantly, did anyone film that fall? Because that was a record-breaking faceplant."
The being chuckled, a sound like wind chimes in a gale. "Yes, you are incredibly dead. And yes, it was recorded. It's currently trending in the Fourth Dimension's 'Bloopers of the Multiverse.' But don't worry, you're special."
"Special as in 'destined for greatness' or special as in 'the universe felt sorry for me'?"
The Grand Prize
The Being stood up, the lawn chair vanishing into a cloud of glitter. "A bit of both. You see, Kaelen, you died at exactly 11:11:11 PM on a leap year, while wearing mismatched socks, saving a fake holographic cat, and being struck by a rogue bolt of lightning from a clear sky. The odds of that happening are 1 \text{ in } 10^{24}."
Kaelen blinked. "So, I'm the statistical equivalent of a unicorn winning the lottery?"
"Precisely. In the Great Bureaucracy of the Beyond, we call this the 'Darwinian Sympathy Clause.' Because your death was so statistically improbable and—let's be honest—hilarious, you've won the Grand Reincarnation Prize."
Kaelen crossed his non-existent arms. "Okay, I'm listening. What's the catch? Do I have to haunt a Victorian mansion for eternity?"
"No catches. You get a fresh start in a world of your choosing, plus two 'boons' of your own design, within reason. Think of it as a New Game Plus, but you actually get to pick the difficulty and the character skin."
Choosing the Destination
Kaelen didn't even have to think. He'd spent enough hours reading webnovels to know exactly where he wanted to go. If he was going to be reborn, he wanted a world with high stakes, incredible magic, and a plot he could actually sink his teeth into.
"I want to go to the world of The Beginning After The End," Kaelen said firmly.
The Being raised an eyebrow, taking a slow sip of his celestial coffee. "TBATE, huh? You realize that place is a bit of a mess, right? You've got mana cores, asuras playing god, and a war that basically turns the continent into a giant chessboard. You're not picking the 'cozy farm life' option."
"I never liked farming simulators," Kaelen retorted. "I want the magic, the swords, and the chance to actually matter."
"Fair enough," the Being sighed. "It's your funeral. Well, your post-funeral. Now, for the fun part. What are your two boons? And try not to ask for 'omnipotence.' It creates a lot of paperwork and the universe starts lagging."
The Gamer and The Hybrid
Kaelen grinned. He had been preparing for this hypothetical question his entire life.
"First," Kaelen started, "I want The Gamer System. Specifically the one from the Han Jee-Han manhwa. Levels, skill books, stat points, 'Gamer's Mind,' 'Gamer's Body'—the whole nine yards."
The Being whistled. "The Gamer? You want to turn a world of intricate mana cultivation into a grind-fest? That's... actually very clever. It bypasses the traditional limitations of mana cores if you play your cards right. Granted, I'll have to tweak it so you don't break the local physics immediately. I'll link your 'Mana' stat to the world's mana environment. Deal?"
"Deal," Kaelen agreed. "And for my second boon... I don't want to be just a human or an elf. I want to be born as a Titan-Vampire Hybrid."
The Being choked on his coffee. "A what? A Titan-Vampire? Kaelen, those don't even exist in TBATE. You're mixing your mythologies like a toddler at a soda fountain."
"Think about it," Kaelen leaned in, getting excited. "Titans for the raw physical power, the size, and the durability. Vampires for the speed, the regeneration, and the sensory perks. In the context of TBATE, you could make it a unique ancient bloodline—maybe an offshoot of the Asura that went extinct or stayed hidden. It gives me a biological edge that matches the power of the Great Eight without actually being one of their political pawns."
The Being paced around, rubbing his chin. "A Titan-Vampire... You'd have the 'Heart of the Titan' for ridiculous stamina and the 'Sanguine Grace' for agility. In TBATE terms, your body would essentially be a high-tier mana vessel from birth. It's... bold. It's flashy. It's slightly edgy."
"It's perfect," Kaelen said.
The Fine Print
"Alright," the Being said, clapping his hands. "I can make this work. But listen, 'within reason' means you start at Level 1. You won't be punching Vritra in the face the moment you crawl out of the womb. You'll have the potential for godhood, but you'll have to earn it. The Gamer System will help you manage that growth, but it won't do the push-ups for you."
"I can live with that. Better to be a Level 1 Titan than a Level 100 peasant with a pitchfork."
The Being laughed and began to glow with a blinding, golden light. The void around them started to dissolve into fragments of data and stardust.
"One last thing, Kaelen," the Being shouted over the rising roar of reincarnation. "I'm going to give you a little 'luck' stat bonus because I really liked that pug-trip video. Try not to die in a way that's funnier than the first time. It would be embarrassing for both of us!"
Kaelen felt his consciousness stretching, pulling thin like taffy. The white void was replaced by a rushing sensation of heat and light.
"See you on the other side, God!" Kaelen yelled, though he wasn't sure if he had a mouth anymore.
"It's actually 'The Arbitrator,' but 'God' works for the resume!" the voice faded.
Suddenly, the chaos stopped.
Kaelen felt heavy. Incredibly heavy. He felt the sensation of a heartbeat—strong, slow, and powerful, like the drumming of a mountain. There was a strange interface flickering behind his closed eyelids, glowing with a soft blue light.
[System Initializing...]
[Welcome, Gamer.]
[Race: Titan-Vampire Hybrid (Unique)]
[Condition: Newborn (Drowsy)]
[New Quest: Survival of the Cutest]
Objective: Don't cry too loud or you'll wake the neighbors. Or do. You're a Titan, you've got lungs like bellows.
Kaelen tried to open his eyes, but his lids felt like lead. He felt warm arms wrapping around him and heard the muffled sound of voices—one soft and melodic, the other deep and proud.
He wasn't in the void anymore. He was somewhere new. And he had a lot of leveling up to do.