[Elyusim - Vyrngard]
Today was a day like any other for the citizens of Ignivar. As a border city, it was a hub of travel and commerce. Beings of every race could be seen filling the streets, but a large majority of the population could be seen sporting horns of different varieties.
That's right, Ignivar was a city of dragons. Every inch of its domain smelled of wealth and power. Such is the natural habitat of the dragon race.
And even as a border city filled with only lesser dragons, Ignivar was the same.
Business on the streets was conducted as usual. The occasional brawl or killing commonplace in the market of the continent known for the phrase, "might equals right".
But within an opulent manor on the outskirts of the city, one of its rooms remained devoid of any life. The gold embroidered curtains were drawn tightly, only allowing the faintest wisps of light to breach through.
On the luxurious bed at the center of the room, a lump could be seen rustling underneath the silk covers.
"ARGHH!"
With a scream, a thin figure could be seen bursting out from the heavenly confides dripping in sweat as if he had taken a shower.
"Blarghh!"
Within seconds of sitting upright, the man scrambled to the side of the bed and emptied his stomach onto the marble floor below.
After a few more dry heaves, he collapsed onto his back on the cloud like bed. His hair matted to his forehead with sweat as strands of saliva clung to his sunken cheeks.
"What…the fuck?"
Saying that Caleum was disoriented was not even covering a cubic meter of what he was feeling.
His breathing was labored, coming in sharp, harsh rasps as he tried to control the phantom aching that tortured his very being.
"S-So that…is what…spaghettification…feels like? F-Fuck…that shit. Never…ever again."
Caleum let out a pale smile as he closed his eyes wearily. The memory of his experience in the black hole still a horrifically vivid sensation in his mind.
'That alien bitch! Fucking stabs me in the chest and then throws me into a black hole!? Now…NOW, it's personal.'
Finally gaining some control over his erratic breathing, Caleum began to notice the sensation of cloud-like wonder beneath his ass and fingers.
His head raised stiffly as he looked down at the most exquisite bed he had ever seen in his life.
"H-Holy shit. Where the fuck is this!?"
Just then, another point of peculiarity hit him.
"M-My voice?"
It was then that the hours of binge reading web novels began to reboot his brain.
He quickly brought his hands in front of his eyes and his eyes sparkled in wonder.
"Holy shit…I transmigrated…?"
The room fell into a beat of silence before Caleum jumped to his feet on top of the bed and began to scream and shout in uncontrollable glee.
"TRANSMIGRATED!? Holyshitholyshitholyshit, HOLY SHITTT!"
…
[Two minutes later…]
It took Caleum a while to calm down.
After his jumping fit, he now lay face down in his dream-like bed, seemingly content with suffocating in its luxurious embrace.
And while that was true, that was not the only reason he wasn't jumping around anymore.
'D-Dammnit…this body is so freaking weak!? What kind of overpowered badass can I be if I respawn as a debilitated weakling!'
With great effort, Caleum used his new body's withered arms to push his body upright. Finally managing to roll over to the edge of the bed, he swung his legs over the edge, grimacing at the disgraceful image of his legs.
"Jeez, does the concept of Leg Day not exist in this world?"
Sighing internally, he slowly pulled whatever strength he could muster from the chicken stilts attached to his torso and walked toward the mirror on the opposite side of the room.
"Well shit…hellooo, handsome!"
The face reflected in the mirror was a face so handsome Caelum almost started to drool. Every contour and curve the epitome of perfection. If he wasn't as straight as a goddamn board, even he would smash.
'Nope, still straight. Will always be straight! And let the records state, no homo!'
Looking back at the stranger in the mirror he let out a desolate sigh.
'Even with a face that shits on Adonis. What does it matter if I look like I'll collapse at the smallest gust of wind.'
The state of the body he now inhabits was anything but desirable. The soft silk robes he wore hung off his frame like he was a mannequin made out of sticks. And even with his chocolate colored skin, the paleness of his pallor could easily be seen.
While examining himself, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Of course, transmigrating into a new world and I get stuck in the body of a living corpse. That damn bastard, can't even give me a standard setup with even beginner stats?"
In the midst of his complaints, Caleum noticed a familiar object on the wood table beside the mirror.
When he managed to hobble his way over to it, he finally remembered where he had seen it before.
"This is.." with a gaze full of suspicion, he realized that the strange artifact was the black cube that was seated on the cane of his most gracious benefactor/murderer.
Next to the cube was a small note written in a familiar, elderly tone.
'My child, how was your trip? Fun right!? It isn't everyday you get to experience traveling through dimensions via black holes. Make sure to cherish the experience!'
The veins on Caleum's forehead bulged as he used every ounce of willpower within him not to tear the note to shreds.
'And sorry for killing you like that. If I had any other choice I would have used other methods, but the rules and regulations in place around reincarnation and transmigration are very heavily enforced. So unless you wanted the two of us to be annihilated in body and soul, I am sure you can find it within yourself to forgive me.
Caleum's brow twitched. Even after waking up in this new reality, everything still felt like a dream. If not for the visceral pain he had felt when he went through that black hole, he would have thought the old man in the bodega had laced his coffee with some new form of LSD.
'Still,' he couldn't help but internally complain, 'A kitchen knife to the chest!? You couldn't just snap your fingers or something and make me lose consciousness?'
But as he finished his mentally grumbling, the next sentence stunned him into speechlessness.
'I'm sure you're complaining about the knife to the chest, and I could give you a really good reason for it…but honestly, I always wanted to do it! I mean, don't humans do it all the time in those television shows. It was more of morbid curiosity if anything, and I have to say it was very satisfying! Thanks for the assist!'
"..."
'*cough, cough* in anycase…'
"Did he really write out cough,cough?"
'...Welcome to Elysium, your new home for the foreseeable future! I know you still have a lot of questions, but they will all be answered with the help of this special little surprise I left for you. Remember Cal, this is a new start. A new world. A new life. Make the most of it and live how you want. Don't waste those wishes my boy. Be true to who you are. I'll be watching - A friend.'
Placing the note down, a complex rush of emotions filled Caleum. It would be a lie to say that he didn't slightly regret his impulsiveness.
His life may not have been all sunshine and roses, but he had decent adopted parents, true lifelong friends, and a girl he was beginning to fall in love with. He didn't even get a chance to say anything to anyone he just…disappeared.
He was filled with a sense of melancholy and helplessness at the thought of Minerva.
"Sorry V, I hope that coffee stayed warm at least."
Pushing down his inner turmoil, Caleum shifted his gaze toward the ominous black cube on the center of the table. For some reason he felt as if things weren't as simple as just picking it up and gaining super powers.
"Well, here goes nothing. Don't screw me over again, alien bastard."
Sucking in a sharp breath, Caleum braced himself and grabbed the cube without a shred of hesitation, waiting for the inevitable pain of assimilation.
One second passed, then two. Still no reaction or explosion of magical extravagance.
Caleum stared at the cube in confusion and scratched his temples. He turned the note over, searching for any instructions or hints.
"Stupid thing doesn't even come with an instruction manual. Where's my power-up? What the hell am I supposed to do with this!" frustrated, Caleum slammed the cube back down on the desk with a bang. A decision he quickly came to regret.
"Ouch! Son of a–huh?"
Though the force he had used could barely be comparable with a child, it was too much for his brittle skin to handle. As a small bead of blood fell from his finger and landed on the cube, something finally happened.
Seeing the strange line of text hovering before his eyes, Caleum's eyes widened.
<...Authority authorized by Designation: Alpha & Omega…beginning integration of Core Eidos Codex…>
Caleum took a nervous step back, 'T-That doesn't sound too nice.'
As if unaware of his fear, the floating text appeared again.
"W-Wait, soul fusion? H-Hold up, let's take it easy and explain-"
"SOUL MATERIALS!? HEY, SERIOUSLY SAY SOME-"
Before he could respond, Caleum felt a pain that made his experience in the black hole feel like a relaxing sauna. His mouth tore open in a silent, agonizing scream.
But no sound came out. Instead, his vision went white as he sunk into unconsciousness.