[Ding! Congratulations on drawing the S-rank Skill "Grandmaster-Level: My Style Swordsmanship from master Busujima" from the SSS-rank Divine Prize Pool.]
So the guarantee really did trigger after all.
Still, an S-rank swordsmanship skill was an absurdly good reward.
Under normal circumstances, even reaching Master-level swordsmanship required outstanding talent, starting training from a young age, and decades of relentless practice.
As for the Grandmaster level?
That was something few ever reached, where one's techniques became refined to the extreme, efficient and uniquely their own.
With this skill, Arthur no longer needed to worry about his ability to protect himself—at least for now.
However, compared to this, the other draw was what truly made his heart race.
[Ding! Congratulations on successfully drawing — Exclusive World Authority (World-Limited: Highschool of the Dead)!]
"…What the hell is this?"
[Respected Reincarnator "Blank", Exclusive World Authority grants you ownership of this Reincarnation World dungeon. You now possess full ownership rights over this world.]
[Until you completely conquer the Reincarnation Tower, this world will be temporarily hosted by the Reincarnation Space. During this period, the Central System will no longer interfere with the world's internal development.]
[You will lose certain dungeon-related permissions: within the Highschool of the Dead World, you will no longer trigger Reincarnation Missions, nor will you obtain Reincarnation Points through any means.]
[Additionally, entering this world will require a daily cost of Reincarnation Points equal to the floor level on which the dungeon is located.]
[You have obtained partial "World Owner" permissions:]
[1. You may close the dungeon entrance, preventing other Reincarnators from entering this world.]
[2. Within your world, you may designate any character to form a Companion Contract, allowing them to leave their original world and enter the Real World as your Companion Reincarnator.]
[Note: Contracts cannot be forced upon unwilling beings. A Reincarnation Point cost is required based on the character's importance and strength; however, as the World Owner, you receive a 50% discount.]
[3. Additional permissions can be viewed via the "Exclusive World" system interface.]
Arthur stopped listening after that.
The system could keep rambling all it wanted.
Only one word echoed in his mind.
Contract.
He had the authority to form a contract with a character from his world.
To turn them into a Reincarnator.
To bring them into the Real World.
And no, Arthur didn't believe these worlds were virtual.
The multiverse had countless theories.
And now, one of those worlds…
'Belonged' to him.
The reason those worlds felt so real was likely not because they were created by the Reincarnation Space, but because they were genuinely existing worlds, worlds that had been captured and transformed into dungeons.
And now…
Arthur had suddenly obtained ownership of one of them.
In a sense, his authority over that world's fate had even surpassed that of the Reincarnation Space itself.
Why would the Reincarnation Space do something so short-sighted?
Arthur didn't know.
And he didn't care to investigate.
Because right now, there was only one thing that mattered.
"I want to—"
Wait.
Arthur suddenly snapped back to his senses.
He glanced around, then silently chose to log off.
When he returned to his familiar yet strangely distant home, he didn't waste a single second. He spoke:
"I want to issue a Contract Invitation to Saeko Busujima from the world—Highschool of the Dead."
[To transfer the main character Saeko Busujima to your world, the total cost is 20,000 Reincarnation Points.]
[As the World Owner, you receive a 50% discount.]
[Final cost: 10,000 Reincarnation Points.]
[Do you accept?]
"…Yes."
Arthur answered without hesitation.
This time, his voice was calm.
Not because Saeko mattered less, quite the opposite.
He was calm because he knew he could bring her back.
As for the 10,000 points?
That was nothing.
She was worth far more than that.
[Notice: This contract cannot override the will of the other party.]
Which meant...
The other party would only know that this was an invitation issued by Blank to leave her world.
No one would explain what the Reincarnation Space was, nor where he lived.
The only thing Arthur could rely on was the trust between the two of them.
Of course, Arthur could return to the Highschool of the Dead world right now and explain everything to Saeko.
After all, that world now 'belonged' to him and even if he revealed the existence of the Reincarnation Space to everyone there, the System wouldn't interfere.
But he didn't need everyone.
He only needed Saeko.
And he only intended to bring her over.
Arthur believed that a connection forged in life and death could never be broken. Wherever he went, she would find her way to him... and that she would choose him without a second thought.
A soft light slowly bloomed before him, gradually forming a halo-shaped portal.
Then, a silhouette emerged from the light.
The moment her figure became clear, she ran forward without pause, arms wide open, throwing herself straight into him.
"...Saeko"
Arthur held her tightly, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair as if afraid she might vanish.
"I'm here… Blank-kun. I was a little worried, i didn't see you when i wake up..." (Once the world was handed over to Arthur, there was no pause yet and no turning back. Along with that, her memories of him were not "erased", in fact, she also remembered Ellen once again.)
Her voice trembled slightly as she whispered into his ear, filled with relief, warmth, and certainty.
Arthur let out a soft laugh and replied gently,"Sorry about that…"
Then, after a brief pause, he added in a quieter voice,
"…but I promised you, didn't I? Forever."
For a brief second, Saeko froze.
Then her expression softened completely, her eyes shimmering as a radiant smile bloomed across her face.
"Mmm…"
She wrapped her arms around him even tighter.
"I love you."
Arthur didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
His arms closed around her with all the strength he had, holding her close, as if this single embrace was his answer to every fear and every doubt, she felt.
At this moment, Arthur did not yet know.
The ripples caused by his actions were already spreading across the entire world.
Inside the conference room, discussions had gone on for a long time.
Yet not a single person present had ever heard of a Reincarnator named "Blank."
It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
There were no records of him, no previous dungeon data, so clean that it almost suggested he might not have challenged a dungeon even once before.
To the point that nothing could be investigated.
"Director," one of the staff members suddenly spoke, breaking the tension.
"We've received some information related to 'Blank.' According to a young man who also participated in the Highschool of the Dead dungeon… he claims to have met Blank once."
The director's gaze sharpened.
"What did he say?"
"He said Blank appears to be male, very young with a black hair and blue eyes. Possibly still a college student… or someone who has only just graduated."
The entire room erupted into murmurs of disbelief.
That information was simply too absurd.
"Is there any other intel?" the director asked coldly.
"Yes. He also mentioned that there was a younger-looking female Reincarnator who teamed up with Blank inside the dungeon. The witness believes that the girl likely cleared the dungeon as well."
The murmurs grew louder.
"Furthermore," the staff member continued carefully,"Blank didn't appear withdrawn or antisocial as we think. On the contrary, he seemed calm and composed. However, the witness believes his mind is extremely deep… and that he is likely a genius."
The director narrowed his eyes.
"He even suspects…" the staff member hesitated.
"Suspects what?" the director snapped. "Say everything."
The staff member swallowed.
"He suspects… that Blank may have entered the Highschool of the Dead dungeon for the first time."
Silence fell over the room.
"According to him, Blank once mentioned that he was still under newbie protection. And based on his behavior at the time, the witness felt… that Blank wasn't lying."
"What?"
The room exploded into chaos.
They understood all too clearly what this intelligence meant.
These people, true elites—had spent nearly a full year studying the Highschool of the Dead dungeon in exhaustive detail. Every known clearance method was derived from accumulated data, simulations, and repeated failures.
Yet this man called Blank, who had appeared out of nowhere, had carved out an entirely new path.
And not just any path, an SSS-rank clearance, something no one else had ever achieved.
If he had entered the dungeon multiple times, failed repeatedly, stumbled upon a crucial hidden clue, and then returned fully prepared to achieve this result…
That would still fall within the bounds of logic.
But if he truly entered the dungeon for the very first time...
Then this was no longer merely the level of a genius.
It was something far beyond that.
"Who the fuck are you... Blank?
The words slipped from the general's lips in a low whisper, thick with doubt, as his gaze lingered on the blank document before him, one that contained only a single name.
Blank.
For a brief moment, he completely lost his composure.
And that same question echoed silently in the minds of everyone seated around the table.
…Who are you?