The first thing I felt was nothing.
No warmth. No cold. Just—an echo. My own heartbeat, stretched thin across an endless black.
Then, like someone flipping a switch inside my skull:
> "...Wake up."
"....ake up, Mortal."
"I said, WAKE UP!"
I shot upright—or at least, I think I did. Hard to tell when there's no ground, no body, and no gravity, just darkness thick enough to choke on.
Then I saw him.
A man—if you could even call him that—stood above me, looking like a sculptor's dream of divinity and rage mixed into one. His skin shimmered with silver undertones, his eyes glowed molten crimson, and his expression said he'd seen eternity and found it boring.
"Finally," he sighed, his voice echoing like thunder through glass. "You're awake. Do you remember what happened?"
I blinked—or tried to. The motion felt off, delayed. I couldn't feel my eyelids. I glanced down... and saw nothing but shifting darkness in the shape of me.
"Do I remember?" I muttered, my voice sounding far too calm for someone who was apparently dead. "Yeah… I remember an entitled prick, a gun, and a very bad decision."
His eyebrow arched slightly. "Go on."
So I did.
---
"Hey Jax, you feeling okay there, buddy? Comfortable?"
The voice made my stomach twist. Markus Jenkins. Son of my boss, part-time heir, full-time asshole.
"Not really," I groaned, tugging against the ropes. "Why the hell am I tied to a chair, Jenkins?"
He sighed like I'd just ruined his favorite song. "If only you'd minded your business, ignored those little missing funds…"
Ah. There it was. The embezzlement. The investigation. The fact that his father—my real boss—asked me to audit the ledgers. I finally connected the dots.
"You stole from your old man?" I asked, incredulous. "Damn, even for you that's low."
He smirked. "Oh well. Guess this is where the story of Raze Antares Jaxon the Third ends."
Bang.
A flash. A burning pain. Then nothing.
Just the darkness I woke up to.
---
"Holy shit," I breathed, rubbing the back of my head even though I wasn't sure I had one anymore.
I looked down. The "ground" beneath me was a mirror of stars—liquid, infinite, and softly glowing. Every step rippled like I was walking on starlight trapped in oil.
"I guess I really did die," I said, mostly to myself. "Figures. And here I thought beta testing a game would be the weirdest part of my week."
The stranger smiled faintly. "Good. You remember. Saves me some exposition."
He snapped his fingers. Light exploded outward like a sun sneezing.
The darkness shifted into a surreal forest. Trees with silver bark and bioluminescent fruit shimmered in every color imaginable—golden apples, blue strawberries, and bananas so purple they looked like something out of Willy Wonka's fever dream.
And high above? A single, titanic eye blinked open in the sky. A beast's eye. Watching. Waiting.
I pointed upward. "Uh, that normal?"
"Don't mind him," the stranger said, tone casual as if a cosmic eyeball wasn't hovering in the heavens. "That's my true body. I use this form for... conversations. Now, where were we? Ah—yes. Orientation."
He clasped his hands. "First, introductions. My true name is—"
A noise like nails scraping on glass and static lightning filled the air.
I winced, clutching my head. "Stop! STOP! My brain's melting!"
He chuckled. "Right. You can't process that yet. Just call me Nono."
"Yeah, that sounds... less like a migraine," I muttered.
Nono's smile sharpened. "You adapt quickly. That's good. You'll need it."
He gestured, and a glowing [SYSTEM SCREEN] appeared before me, gold and crimson like a living interface.
> [Initialization: Complete]
Welcome, User Raze A. Jaxon.
Cause of Death: Homicide.
Soul Integrity: 97%. Eligible for Transfer.
Would you like to begin orientation?
[YES] / [NO]
I stared at it. "A system screen. Like... in a game?"
Nono nodded. "You were a beta tester, weren't you? Consider this... the full release."
"Cool. So what's the DLC? My dignity?"
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Sarcasm. You mortals use humor to cope. Fine. Let me explain before you glitch yourself into panic."
He raised his hand, and suddenly holographic windows floated around me—fractal, spinning, alive.
"This is Cambium. Think of it as an interdimensional development program. We take... interesting souls. Resourceful ones. People with the potential to adapt and evolve. Then, we test them in alternate worlds to see if they're worth recruiting."
"Recruiting? For what? Cosmic HR?"
He ignored me. "Your task is to survive, adapt, and grow stronger. Your decisions will determine your tier, your influence, and ultimately—your ascension."
"So I'm in a job interview... after dying?"
"Precisely."
He looked almost amused. "You see, Raze Jaxon, there are infinite worlds—each ranked by their level of power and stability. Tier One worlds are mundane—like your Earth. Tier Five might feature magic or gods. Tier Nine... well, those worlds rewrite reality for breakfast."
"Let me guess," I said dryly, "I'm not starting at Tier One."
"Of course not. That'd be boring."
He snapped his fingers again. The stars around us shifted into a massive roulette wheel, the kind you'd see in a casino designed by Lovecraft and Tesla. Symbols burned across the rim—flames, waves, lightning bolts, eyes, blades.
"Now," Nono said, "we begin your selection process."
---
The Selection
A bell chimed as the first screen flared open.
> [Question 1: Select Gender]
☐ Male
☐ Female
"Yeah, we're not messing with that," I said, tapping Male. "Already went through puberty once. Not doing it again."
Nono smirked. "Practical."
---
> [Question 2: Select Three Elements]
⚙ Earth / 🌊 Water / 🔥 Fire / 🌪 Air / ⚡ Lightning / ⏳ Time / ☀ Light / 🌑 Darkness / 🎵 Sound / ❄ Ice / 🕳 Void
The wheel spun. I watched, the colors blending until it stopped on Void, Fire, and Time.
> [Selected Elements: Void ★ | Fire + | Time ★]
Nono's brow arched. "Interesting. Void and Time rarely coexist without implosion. You must have impressive luck... or terrible karma."
"Story of my life," I muttered.
---
> [Question 3: Select Three Starter Skills]
Swordsmanship / Politics / Sensory / CQC / Leadership / Reflexes / Polyglot / Focus / Speed / Perception
I focused. "Let's go with Swordsmanship, CQC, and Speed."
> [Selected Skills: Swordsmanship ★ | CQC ★ | Speed ★]
"Efficient," Nono said. "A fighter who can think fast and hit faster."
"Gotta have something to fall back on if magic fails," I shrugged.
---
> [Question 4: Choose Background]
Text unfurled like a tapestry of destinies. I skimmed them, smirking at each absurd backstory—orphan, adopted heir, displaced noble...
Then one caught my eye.
> (F) Unknown Heir — Born of two rival families, hidden and trained by the maternal side. Unknown to father's world. Loved but secret. Power split between lineages.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "That one feels right."
> [Selected Background: Unknown Heir]
---
> [Question 5: Choose Companions (5)]
A miniature bestiary appeared.
I saw names that made my gamer instincts itch.
Kirin. Zinogre. Seregios. Liger. And then—
Hellhound – Riddick.
"That one," I said immediately.
> [Selected Companion #1: Hellhound (Infant) – Origin: Riddick Universe | Status: Egg]
"I like dogs," I said simply.
"Noted," Nono replied. "Though this one will likely eat souls before bones."
---
> [Question 6: Primary Weapon & Trained Weapons]
Roulette again. I watched the wheel spin like fate laughing.
It stopped on:
> Primary: Pole Axe
Trained Weapons: Hunting Knives, Glaive, Rapier, Sansetsukon, Pole Axe
"Pole Axe? Really?"
"Adaptability test," Nono said smugly. "If you can fight with that, you can fight with anything."
---
> [Question 7: Ranged Weapons]
Dual Pistols and Throwing Knives
I grinned. "Perfect. Style and precision."
---
> [Question 8: Fighting Styles]
Jiujitsu / Tai Chi – Hitoshi no Shita / Kyotouryuu – Katanagatari
> [Selected: Jiujitsu | Tai Chi | Kyotouryuu]
"Hybrid combat. Grace and violence in balance," Nono murmured. "You're shaping up nicely."
"Yeah, well, I always did like efficiency with flair."
---
> [Question 9: World and Age]
World: Grimm (Mixed Canon)
Age: 15
---
> [Question 10: Backstory]
(Abridged Summary): Born to Marie Aurora Kessler-Jaxon and Prince Anton R. Chambord, royal of the Mauves Dentes. Hidden from both realms to protect you from persecution. Raised by your mother, a Grimm, alongside your cousin Nick Burkhart.
As I read, flashes filled my mind—memories that weren't mine yet were. A woman's calm, commanding voice. A boy my age laughing. A silver-eyed man fading into mist.
My heartbeat echoed again—steady, louder now.
> [All selections confirmed.]
Initializing host body...
Estimated age: 15.
Soul compression commencing...
Pain tore through me like my existence was being folded into origami.
"Wait—WAIT, Nono, you didn't explain what—!"
He raised a hand, silencing me. "You'll adapt, Raze Jaxon. You always do."
His crimson eyes glowed brighter, softer. "Before you go, one final gift."
He reached into the void and pulled something out—a small, glowing coin etched with impossible runes.
> [Gift: Cambium Credit – 2,000 Points Granted.]
"Starter funds," he said. "Consider it... an investment."
"Investment?" I asked weakly.
"Yes. You're either going to be a prodigy... or a problem."
He smiled, the cosmic eye above us narrowing as if amused.
"Let's find out which."
He snapped his fingers.
---
[TRANSFER COMPLETE]
[HOST: RAZE ANTARES JAXON III]
[STATUS: ACTIVE]
[SYSTEM ONLINE IN 3... 2... 1...]
---
The world folded inward, and everything turned white.
Somewhere deep inside that brightness, I felt the faintest whisper—soft, mechanical, almost human.
> "...Connection established. Welcome, User."
> "Designation: NOVA."
> "I will assist you... until you are ready."
And then—nothing but warmth.
For the first time since death, I felt alive.
---
End of Chapter 1: The Beginning of Everything