Arrival
Sleep took Rufus so quickly that it felt less like drifting off and more like falling through a trapdoor.
One moment, he lay comfortably in his bed with Tsuki curled against his arm.
The next—
There was no bed.
No room.
No ceiling.
No weight.
No body.
Only light.
Rufus floated within a vast, star-drenched expanse that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. His consciousness no longer possessed the familiar shape of a human being. Instead, he existed as a small sphere of luminous energy, suspended within an immeasurable cosmic ocean.
Warm silver light pulsed from his surface with every thought.
The sensation was strangely peaceful.
It was also completely unfamiliar.
What… is this?
His thoughts seemed to echo through the space around him.
Am I dreaming?
The darkness surrounding him shimmered.
Hexagonal patterns suddenly appeared in the distance, rippling outward in enormous concentric waves. They moved through the darkness with such perfect symmetry that it almost seemed as though reality itself were breathing.
A low vibration passed through Rufus.
It wasn’t sound.
It was resonance.
Something vast had noticed him.
Then—
A voice echoed from somewhere behind him.
“Arieus… Arieus Minazuki…”
Rufus’s consciousness jolted.
The luminous sphere that represented his soul immediately froze before slowly turning toward the source of the voice.
“You have arrived…”
Rufus stared into the darkness.
“Wh-whose voice is that? It doesn’t sound familiar…”
He paused.
Then realization struck him.
“Wait a minute…”
His silver aura flickered.
“I know that name!”
The realization came with enough force that Rufus almost forgot where he was.
“That’s the name I use when playing online games. Is he referring to me?”
The darkness ahead of him began to glow.
At first, there was only a single point of light.
Then another appeared beside it.
Then another.
Within moments, thousands of points of light had emerged from the darkness, swirling together until they formed an enormous column of radiance stretching from somewhere beyond the stars to somewhere beneath them.
Something began taking shape within that light.
Long white hair flowed like strands of starlight.
Dark skin glowed beneath intricate celestial markings.
Multiple arms adorned with golden ornaments moved with serene, almost effortless grace.
Behind the figure’s head hovered a massive halo-like ring, its surface shifting continuously as though an entire galaxy were trapped within it.
His eyes remained closed.
Yet Rufus could feel the weight of his presence.
It was as though the universe itself had turned to face him.
“W-who…?”
Rufus’s voice echoed from within his luminous form.
The mysterious figure smiled.
“Do not be alarmed, child.”
His voice carried an unusual warmth. Despite the overwhelming power radiating from him, there was no hostility in it.
“If anything, I should apologize for the rather dramatic entrance.”
The god’s smile widened.
“I am Silus, the Reincarnation God of the Between. I am the one who answers the resonance of souls… especially those who possess the peculiar habit of dreaming worlds into existence.”
Rufus stared at him.
Then, despite everything, his confusion won out.
“Yeah, uh… it’s kind of hard not to be alarmed when a mysterious old guy is talking directly into my mind.”
He hesitated.
“But anyway, why am I here? Did I die or something? And where exactly is here?!”
Rufus’s voice accelerated as the questions poured out.
“Ahem…”
His luminous form flickered awkwardly.
“Not to be rude or anything.”
Silus stared at him.
Then his smile widened.
Seeing how many questions were racing through Rufus’s mind, Silus approached the floating orb. Each step he took sent gentle ripples of light across the cosmic floor beneath them.
When he finally stopped directly in front of Rufus, he said nothing.
He simply stared.
Rufus stared back.
Neither moved.
The silence stretched across the cosmic realm.
Five seconds passed.
Then ten.
Then fifteen.
Eventually, Rufus couldn’t take it anymore.
“…Are you going to say something?”
Silus tilted his head.
“I was waiting for you to finish panicking.”
“I wasn’t panicking!”
“You absolutely were.”
“I was asking reasonable questions!”
“You asked where you were, whether you were dead, why you were here, and then immediately apologized for asking.”
Rufus paused.
His silver aura dimmed slightly.
“…Okay.”
Another pause.
“Maybe I was panicking a little.”
Silus smiled.
“A little?”
Rufus’s entire luminous form flickered.
“Okay! Fine! I’m freaking out!”
Silus burst into laughter.
The sound echoed throughout the cosmic expanse like a thousand crystal bells ringing simultaneously.
“Good. I was beginning to worry you’d be boring.”
Rufus stared at him.
“…What?”
Silus casually folded several of his arms behind his back.
“Relax. You’re not dead.”
Rufus froze.
The words took a moment to register.
Not dead?
His luminous form flickered anxiously as another thought immediately followed.
“Wait… if I’m not dead, then what exactly happened to me?”
Silus’s expression softened.
He seemed almost amused by how quickly Rufus’s thoughts had moved from existential panic to practical concerns.
“Nothing has happened to you in the way you’re imagining,” he assured him. “Your body is still lying peacefully in your bed. Your little companion is still curled up beside you, and your life in Tokyo continues as though you were simply sleeping through an ordinary night.”
Rufus’s aura relaxed.
“Tsuki’s okay?”
“Perfectly fine.”
“And my condo?”
“Still there.”
“My job?”
“Still there.”
Rufus hesitated.
His next question came much more cautiously.
“…My bank account?”
Silus’s expression went completely blank.
For several seconds, the Reincarnation God simply stared at him.
“Of all the things you could possibly be concerned about while floating between dimensions…”
“I have bills,” Rufus replied defensively.
Silus suddenly broke into laughter again.
“You really are something.”
Rufus folded what passed for his arms across his glowing form.
“I’m serious. I worked hard for that money.”
“And, fortunately for you, your money has survived your little metaphysical detour.”
“Good.”
Rufus visibly relaxed.
Silus shook his head, still smiling.
“I’ve spoken with warriors who faced armies, kings who lost kingdoms, and souls who stood before me with nothing left to their names. Yet somehow, you are the first person I’ve met who needed confirmation that his checking account was still intact.”
“Priorities.”
“Apparently.”
Silus’s amused smile lingered.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Rufus simply floated there, trying to process everything that had happened since he fell asleep.
The strange cosmic space.
The god standing before him.
The fact that his physical body was apparently still asleep in his condo.
And, somehow, the fact that he had just discussed his bank account with an actual deity.
It was a lot.
Yet strangely enough, Rufus no longer felt afraid.
Confused?
Absolutely.
Suspicious?
Very.
But afraid?
Not really.
Perhaps it was Silus.
Despite the overwhelming presence surrounding him, the god didn’t carry himself like some distant, untouchable deity seated upon a celestial throne. He joked. He teased. He laughed.
There was something almost familiar about him.
Rufus could almost imagine sitting across from Silus in a coffee shop and having an ordinary conversation.
Assuming, of course, that the person sitting across from him happened to be an ancient god capable of manipulating the cosmos.
Eventually, Rufus’s curiosity returned to the strange images that had begun forming around them.
“So… where exactly are we?”
Silus’s smile immediately widened.
“There it is.”
Rufus tilted his glowing form.
“There what is?”
“The question I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”
Rufus stared at him.
“You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“I’ve been doing this for a very, very long time,” Silus replied casually. “You learn to appreciate the interesting ones.”
“The interesting ones?”
“Yes.”
Silus raised one hand.
The space beneath them shimmered.
A faint ripple spread across the darkness, expanding farther and farther until the surrounding stars appeared to bend around it.
Rufus watched in fascination.
“What are you doing?”
“Showing you something.”
The ripple expanded.
Then the darkness beneath them transformed.
It was as though the endless cosmos had become the surface of an enormous celestial ocean. Images began forming across it, emerging from beneath the shimmering surface one after another.
A forest.
Then a sprawling city.
A mountain range.
A quiet village surrounded by fields.
An enormous stone fortress.
A lake reflecting the light of two moons.
Rufus slowly drifted closer.
His curiosity immediately overtook his confusion.
“Whoa…”
The forest expanded.
Individual trees came into view, along with winding trails, patches of flowers, streams, and sunlight filtering between enormous branches.
Rufus knew the landscape.
Or at least…
It looked familiar.
Very familiar.
His luminous form tilted slightly.
“Wait…”
The image changed.
Now there was a city.
Towering structures rose above cobblestone streets. Crystal lamps illuminated the roads, while bridges connected different sections of the city. Shops lined the streets, and people moved through crowded marketplaces.
Rufus stared.
“I know that place.”
Silus chuckled softly.
“I suspected you might.”
Another image appeared.
This time, it was a massive cavern.
Ancient stone pillars stretched toward the ceiling. Broken ruins were scattered throughout the enormous chamber, while faint blue light illuminated the walls.
Rufus’s eyes widened.
“Ruinspire Cavern.”
Silus gave a small nod.
Rufus immediately turned toward him.
“How do you know about that?”
Silus merely smiled.
“I know quite a lot of things.”
“That is such a suspicious answer.”
“It is also a truthful one.”
Rufus looked back toward the images.
More locations appeared.
A massive imperial district.
A forest bordering a small settlement.
A crystal-clear lake surrounded by strange flowers.
A mountain range stretching beneath a night sky.
Then the sky itself came into view.
Rufus froze.
Two moons hung above the landscape.
One full.
One crescent.
His luminous form became completely still.
“…The twin moons.”
Silus watched him carefully.
Rufus couldn’t look away.
He knew those moons.
He had designed them.
He remembered sitting in front of his monitors and experimenting with different celestial configurations, trying to create a night sky that would immediately distinguish Xasea from every other fantasy world.
One moon had felt too ordinary.
Two identical moons had looked unnatural.
So he had created something different.
A full moon.
A crescent.
Two celestial bodies sharing the same sky.
And now that same sky was floating in front of him.
Rufus slowly raised his hand.
“I made that.”
Silus smiled.
“You certainly designed something remarkably similar.”
Rufus stopped.
He slowly turned toward the god.
“Similar?”
“Yes.”
Rufus looked back at the images.
“The forest is similar.”
“Yes.”
“The city is similar.”
“Yes.”
“Ruinspire Cavern is similar.”
“Very.”
“The twin moons are similar.”
Silus nodded.
Rufus stared at him.
“Okay…”
His eyes narrowed.
“But if you’re telling me this is Xasea, why are you saying they’re similar?”
Silus’s grin returned.
“Because, my dear Rufus…”
He casually placed several hands behind his back.
“This isn’t Xasea.”
Rufus blinked.
“…What?”
Silus gestured toward the world below them.
“This is a different world.”
Rufus stared at the images.
For the first time since seeing them, he began looking at them differently.
The city wasn’t exactly the same.
The architecture was familiar, but different.
The forest resembled one of his designs, but its layout wasn’t identical.
Even the dungeon he had recognized wasn’t quite the same.
It was close.
Very close.
But it wasn’t his.
Rufus drifted closer to one of the images.
“So this isn’t my game?”
“No.”
“Then why does it look so much like it?”
Silus shrugged.
“That, I’m afraid, is one of those questions for which even I don’t have a simple answer.”
Rufus looked at him suspiciously.
“You don’t know?”
Silus laughed.
“Oh, I know plenty. But knowing something and knowing why something happened are two very different things.”
Rufus considered that.
Then he looked back toward the world.
“So…”
A smile slowly formed across his face.
“If it’s not Xasea…”
He turned toward Silus.
“…what is it?”
Silus’s expression softened.
“A world.”
Rufus waited.
Silus continued.
“A real one.”
The words carried a different weight than everything he had said before.
“This world has its own history. Its own kingdoms. Its own people. Its own conflicts and mysteries. The people living there weren’t created by you, Rufus. Their lives existed long before you ever imagined Xasea.”
Rufus stared down at the world.
“So they’re real?”
“Yes.”
“The people?”
“Yes.”
“The cities?”
“Yes.”
“The monsters?”
Silus smiled.
“Especially the monsters.”
Rufus’s eyes immediately brightened.
Silus noticed.
“Oh, don’t give me that look.”
“What look?”
“That look.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re already thinking about fighting them.”
Rufus’s glowing form seemed to brighten.
“I mean…”
He paused.
“…maybe.”
Silus laughed.
“I knew it.”
Rufus couldn’t help smiling.
He looked down again.
The world below seemed enormous.
There were forests he had never explored.
Cities he had never visited.
Mountains whose peaks disappeared into clouds.
Dungeons whose interiors he couldn’t even imagine.
Villages he had never heard of.
People whose names he didn’t know.
And somewhere down there were monsters.
Actual monsters.
Rufus slowly turned back toward Silus.
“So… I’m actually allowed to explore?”
Silus’s smile became almost mischievous.
“Why wouldn’t you be?”
Rufus blinked.
“I don’t know. Usually when a god summons someone, there’s some giant prophecy involved.”
Silus waved dismissively.
“Oh, there may be one.”
Rufus’s expression immediately dropped.
“There may be?”
Silus laughed.
“But that’s not your concern right now.”
“What?”
“You’ve spent most of your life creating worlds.”
Silus extended his hand toward the enormous image below them.
“Perhaps it’s time you experienced one.”
Rufus became quiet.
Silus’s voice remained warm.
“No grand assignment. No need to save the universe on your first day. No mysterious checklist that says you must defeat some ancient evil before breakfast.”
Rufus stared at him.
“…Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“So I can just…”
Rufus looked toward the endless world.
“…go?”
“Yes.”
“Explore?”
“Yes.”
“Become an adventurer?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“Visit different cities?”
“Of course.”
“Go into dungeons?”
Silus smiled.
“If you’re brave enough.”
Rufus’s eyes seemed to sparkle.
“And fight monsters?”
Silus sighed dramatically.
“I knew we’d get there eventually.”
Rufus laughed.
Silus shook his head, though his own smile never disappeared.
“You’re free to experience this world however you choose.”
Rufus slowly looked down again.
For years, he had built worlds so that other people could experience them.
He had created characters so other people could meet them.
He had designed forests so other people could walk through them.
He had built cities so other people could become adventurers within them.
He had spent countless nights staring at screens, wondering what it would actually feel like to step inside one of those worlds himself.
And now…
He had been given that opportunity.
Not inside a game.
Not through a headset.
Not through a simulation.
But in a real world.
A world that wasn’t his creation.
A world that had somehow grown alongside the dream he had once built.
Rufus smiled.
A genuine, almost boyish excitement filled his voice.
“So I really can just enjoy myself?”
Silus looked at him.
Then he smiled.
“Yes, Rufus.”
His voice carried a warmth that seemed to reach beyond the stars themselves.
“For once…”
Silus gestured toward the world.
“…you don’t have to be the one who creates the adventure.”
Rufus’s silver light brightened.
“You get to live it.”
For several seconds, Rufus said nothing.
Then his grin slowly widened.
“…I think I’m going to like this world.”
Silus laughed.
“Oh, my dear Rufus…”
The god’s eyes gleamed mischievously.
“You have absolutely no idea.”
Silus’s words lingered in the cosmic expanse.
Rufus stared at the world below him for another few seconds, his mind racing with possibilities.
There were so many things he wanted to see.
So many things he wanted to experience.
And for the first time in his life, he wouldn’t be observing them through a monitor.
He would actually be there.
Rufus’s silver aura flickered with excitement.
“So when do I go?”
Silus chuckled.
“Impatient already?”
“I’ve been standing around in space talking to a god. I think I’ve earned the right to be a little impatient.”
“Fair enough.”
Silus turned toward him, his long white hair drifting gently despite the complete absence of wind.
“Then perhaps we should prepare you properly.”
Rufus tilted his glowing head.
“Prepare me?”
Silus nodded.
“You can’t enter a physical world as a ball of consciousness.”
Rufus looked down at himself.
“…Yeah. I suppose that might attract attention.”
“Just a little.”
Silus lifted one of his hands.
A small circle of golden light appeared above his palm.
Rufus watched it spin.
“What is that?”
“Your new vessel.”
“My…”
Rufus’s voice trailed off.
“Wait.”
He suddenly looked toward Silus.
“You mean you’re actually going to give me a body?”
Silus smiled.
“Of course.”
Rufus’s excitement immediately returned.
“A real body?”
“A real body.”
“With hands?”
“Yes.”
“Feet?”
“Yes.”
“Eyes?”
Silus raised an eyebrow.
“Unless you’d prefer to wander around blind.”
“No! Eyes are good!”
Silus laughed.
Rufus floated closer to him.
“Okay, wait. What am I going to look like?”
Silus’s grin became mischievous.
“That’s the interesting part.”
A faint tremor passed through the cosmic realm.
The stars above them seemed to draw farther away as enormous rings of light began forming beneath Rufus.
One.
Then two.
Then three.
Each ring rotated in a different direction, covered in strange symbols that Rufus couldn’t recognize.
Rufus looked down.
“Uh…”
Silus raised his hand.
“Then let us begin.”
The moment his fingers moved—
WHOOM.
Light erupted beneath Rufus.
It wasn’t an explosion.
It was something far more beautiful.
Brilliant silver radiance spiraled upward around his consciousness, forming a massive cocoon that enclosed his entire existence.
Rufus felt himself being pulled downward.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
His consciousness began changing.
The small sphere that represented his soul stretched outward.
A faint outline appeared within the light.
First, a torso.
Then shoulders.
Arms extended from either side.
Hands slowly formed at the ends of his arms, each finger taking shape one by one.
Rufus watched in stunned silence.
“This is…”
His voice echoed faintly from within the cocoon.
“I can actually feel it.”
Silus smiled.
“You should.”
The transformation continued.
A waist formed.
Then hips.
Legs extended downward.
Feet emerged.
Every part of the new body developed with remarkable precision, as though an invisible sculptor were carefully shaping every detail.
Rufus suddenly felt something he hadn’t experienced since entering the cosmic realm.
Weight.
His consciousness was no longer floating.
His body had gravity.
His body had balance.
His body had warmth.
Then—
A heartbeat.
Thump.
Rufus froze.
Another beat followed.
Thump.
His eyes widened.
He could feel his heart beating inside his chest.
For a moment, he simply listened.
He had never realized how much he had taken something as simple as a heartbeat for granted.
Then the cocoon brightened.
Smooth, dark-brown skin spread across his newly formed body, warm and vibrant beneath the silver radiance.
His physique settled into place—a slim, athletic frame with balanced proportions. There was strength in his muscles without excessive bulk, giving him the appearance of someone built for speed, agility, endurance, and precise movement rather than brute force.
Rufus flexed his fingers.
They responded immediately.
He curled them into a fist.
Opened them.
Moved each finger individually.
His body followed every thought perfectly.
“This feels…”
He searched for the right word.
“Natural.”
Silus nodded.
“It should.”
The light moved upward.
Rufus felt something forming around his head.
His hair formed next.
Bright blue segmented locks appeared in clean, cylindrical strands, sleek and stylized as they cascaded naturally around his head and neck.
The vibrant blue caught the surrounding starlight.
Then his face began to take shape.
His jaw.
His nose.
His lips.
His ears.
His eyes remained closed.
Until—
The final wave of light passed across his face.
His eyes opened.
Vivid purple irises immediately reflected the cosmic realm.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then he looked down at his hands.
His heart was still beating.
His lungs were breathing.
His fingers were warm.
He could feel the faint movement of air against his skin.
Slowly, he lifted one hand and touched his face.
His fingertips brushed against his cheek.
“This…”
His voice stopped.
Something was different.
He looked toward Silus.
“Did my voice change?”
Silus smiled.
“It did.”
He spoke again.
“Whoa.”
His new voice was younger.
Calmer.
Smoother.
The personality behind it was unmistakably his own, but the deep masculine tone he had known throughout his life had been replaced by something lighter and more youthful.
He listened to himself for another moment before laughing softly.
“That is going to take some getting used to.”
“You’ll adapt.”
“Honestly…”
A smile appeared across his face.
“I kind of like it.”
Silus chuckled.
“I suspected you might.”
The last layer of light swept across his body.
Clothing began forming around him.
A dark-gray tunic wrapped naturally around his torso, its neckline crossing in an elegant crisscross pattern. Lighter cuffs framed his sleeves, while a black sash formed securely around his waist.
Black fitted pants followed.
Finally, sturdy black boots materialized around his feet.
The silver cocoon slowly began to disappear.
Rufus stood within the cosmic realm.
Not as a sphere of light.
Not as a disembodied consciousness.
But as a young man.
He looked down at himself.
Then slowly turned his hands over.
He took a step.
The sound of his boot touching the cosmic floor echoed softly through the realm.
Another step.
He rolled his shoulders.
Twisted his torso.
Lifted one leg.
Everything moved naturally.
Perfectly.
Then he noticed his reflection beneath his feet.
The cosmic floor had become perfectly clear.
A young man stared back at him.
Dark-brown skin.
Brilliant blue segmented hair.
Vivid purple eyes.
A slim athletic physique.
Dark-gray tunic.
Black sash.
Black pants.
Sturdy boots.
He stared at the reflection for several seconds.
Then the realization settled into place.
“This is me…”
He touched his chest.
His heartbeat answered beneath his palm.
“No.”
His eyes widened slightly.
“This is…”
A smile slowly spread across his face.
“Arieus.”
From this moment forward, there was no reason to call him Rufus.
The name belonged to the man asleep on Earth.
The person standing within this realm was the identity he had once designed, refined, and imagined countless times.
But this time, Arieus wasn’t an avatar being controlled from outside the world.
He was alive.
He was breathing.
He could feel his heartbeat.
He could feel the ground beneath his boots.
And soon, he would experience the world with senses that belonged entirely to him.
Silus stepped beside him.
“Your vessel is complete.”
Arieus looked toward the god.
“Arieus Minazuki.”
Silus nodded.
“Your name shall remain with you.”
Arieus looked down at his reflection one last time.
A strange feeling settled inside his chest.
Arieus had always been a name he used when entering a game.
A character.
An identity.
Something he could put on and take off whenever he wanted.
But this time…
He wouldn’t be logging out.
At least not immediately.
He was about to live as Arieus.
Arieus smiled.
“This is perfect.”
Silus folded several of his arms behind his back.
“I thought you might say that.”
Arieus turned toward him.
“So what’s next?”
Silus’s smile became noticeably more mischievous.
“Oh, we’re not finished.”
Arieus blinked.
“Not finished?”
“No.”
Silus raised one hand.
A small metallic shimmer appeared beside him.
The object was almost too small to notice at first, but as it drifted closer, its shape became clear.
A sleek watch.
Its dark metallic frame gleamed beneath the cosmic light, while a thin silver ring surrounded its display. Faint blue symbols pulsed beneath the surface like dormant circuitry.
The device floated toward Arieus.
Then, as though recognizing its owner, it gently wrapped itself around his wrist.
Click.
The Dimensional Watch locked into place.
Arieus immediately looked down at it.
The display awakened.
A soft blue interface appeared above the surface.
Ping
〔Dimensional Watch acquired.〕
〔Soul Binding: Complete〕
〔Owner: Arieus Minazuki〕
〔Dimensional Link: Earth〕
〔Dimensional Link: Parallel World〕
Arieus’s eyes widened.
“Ah…”
He rotated his wrist.
The interface shifted with his movement.
“So this is the Dimensional Watch.”
“Indeed,” Silus replied.
Arieus touched the display.
The interface responded instantly.
A series of options appeared before him.
〔『RETURN TO EARTH』〕
〔『SYNC TIMEFLOW』〕
〔『PASSIVE MODE』〕
〔『INVENTORY STORAGE』〕
〔『STATUS』〕
Arieus stared at the menu.
“This thing is basically a private system interface.”
“Among other things.”
He swiped across the display.
Another panel appeared.
Then another.
His curiosity grew with every new function he uncovered.
“And nobody else can see this?”
“Not unless you allow them to.”
Arieus nodded.
Silus continued explaining.
“The watch is bound directly to your soul. It will allow you to communicate with me when necessary, monitor your condition, access your dimensional functions, manage your inventory, and return to your original world.”
Arieus’s attention immediately returned to the first option.
〔『RETURN TO EARTH』〕
He stared at it for a moment.
“So I can actually go home whenever I want?”
“Indeed.”
That answer seemed to relax something inside him.
His friends.
His job.
His condo.
Tsuki.
Everything he had left behind was still waiting for him.
Arieus smiled.
“Good.”
He lowered his wrist.
Then another option caught his attention.
〔『SYNC TIMEFLOW』〕
“What does this one do?”
Silus’s expression became amused.
“It synchronizes the flow of time between dimensions.”
Arieus looked toward him.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that the passage of time between Earth and this world will not necessarily affect you in the same manner.”
Arieus considered that.
“So I won’t have to worry about coming home and discovering everyone I know has aged while I’ve been away?”
“Correct.”
Arieus smiled.
“That’ll definitely be useful.”
Silus watched him explore the remaining functions.
After a moment, the god added, “Of course, I should warn you about something.”
Arieus looked up.
“What?”
“The world you’re entering contains magic.”
Arieus’s eyes immediately brightened.
“Actual magic?”
“Yes.”
Arieus’s grin widened.
Silus continued.
“Monsters.”
“Even better.”
“Demons.”
“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Powerful entities.”
“Fantastic.”
“Ancient ruins.”
“Awesome.”
“Dungeons.”
Arieus’s eyes practically sparkled.
Silus sighed.
“I knew that one would get you.”
Arieus laughed.
“But wait.”
He raised a finger.
“You’re not about to give me a thirty-minute explanation about every magical system, monster classification, political faction, and dungeon hierarchy, are you?”
Silus paused.
“…I was considering it.”
“Please don’t.”
Silus laughed.
Arieus smiled.
“I appreciate the warning, Silus. Really. But if I’m actually going to experience this world, I’d rather discover some of it myself.”
He looked toward the gateway beginning to form in the distance.
“What’s the fun in having you tell me everything before I even get there?”
Silus became quiet.
His eyes rested upon Arieus for several seconds.
Then his smile returned.
“You continue to surprise me.”
Arieus shrugged.
“I just want the adventure.”
Silus nodded.
“Then an adventure you shall have.”
The god’s expression became slightly more serious.
“Just remember that this world is real.”
Arieus listened.
“Magic is real. Monsters are real. Pain is real. And so are the people you’ll meet.”
Arieus nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
“Good.”
Silus smiled again.
“Because I have one final gift for you.”
Arieus tilted his head.
“Another one?”
“Consider it a blessing.”
Silus lifted his hand.
The cosmic realm suddenly changed.
The light beneath Arieus’s feet disappeared.
Darkness spread across the cosmic floor.
Not ordinary darkness.
Shadow.
It crawled outward in every direction, flowing like liquid ink across the celestial surface.
Arieus took a cautious step backward.
The shadows rose.
One tendril.
Then another.
Then dozens.
They twisted around him without touching his body.
Yet Arieus could feel them.
They weren’t cold.
They weren’t hot.
They felt—
Alive.
His heartbeat suddenly synchronized with them.
Thump.
The shadows pulsed.
Thump.
They pulsed again.
Something deep inside his soul answered.
Silus’s voice became calm.
“From the depths of your soul…”
The shadows rose higher.
“…from the darkness that answers only to you…”
The entire cosmic realm seemed to tremble.
Silus extended his hand toward Arieus.
“…I bestow upon you…”
The shadows exploded outward.
Then collapsed inward.
Every strand of darkness surged directly into Arieus’s body.
His purple eyes flashed.
For a brief instant, his entire body was outlined in black radiance.
Then the darkness disappeared.
Silence returned to the cosmic realm.
Arieus stood motionless.
For several seconds, he couldn’t explain what he was feeling.
Then he realized it.
Power.
Not merely energy.
Something deeper.
Something that felt connected directly to the core of his soul.
Arieus slowly raised his hand.
A tiny black flame appeared above his palm.
It danced gently.
Twisted.
Then stretched into a miniature blade.
Arieus stared at it.
His expression slowly changed.
A grin spread across his face.
“Oh…”
The shadow dissolved.
Arieus raised his hand again.
This time, a thin tendril of darkness emerged from beneath his palm. It curled around his wrist like a living ribbon before sinking back into his skin.
Arieus laughed.
“This is incredible!”
Silus smiled.
“I knew you would appreciate it.”
“You gave me shadow powers!”
“I did.”
“Actual shadow powers!”
“Indeed.”
Arieus looked at his hands.
“This isn’t just some ordinary skill, is it?”
“No.”
Silus’s voice became more deliberate.
“《Shadow God》 is an affinity bound directly to your soul. As you grow, so too will the power you have been given. What you can accomplish with it now is merely the beginning.”
Arieus looked toward his reflection.
Then at his hand.
Then back at Silus.
“So I’m really the protagonist of my own isekai.”
Silus chuckled.
“Please don’t let that sentence go to your head.”
Arieus grinned.
“No promises.”
Silus shook his head.
“You really are something.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It was.”
The gateway behind Arieus suddenly expanded.
A rush of fresh air swept across the cosmic realm.
Arieus turned.
His expression immediately changed.
Beyond the gateway was a forest.
Not an image.
Not a simulation.
Not a game environment.
A real forest.
Leaves moved gently beneath the breeze.
Birds called somewhere in the distance.
The scent of grass and earth drifted through the gateway.
And above the trees—
Two moons.
One full.
One crescent.
Arieus slowly walked toward the opening.
His heart began beating faster.
For years, Rufus Minazuki had created worlds.
Now—
Arieus Minazuki was about to enter one.
He stopped at the threshold.
Silus spoke behind him.
“Go now.”
Arieus looked back.
Silus smiled.
“Your story begins here.”
Arieus turned toward the forest again.
His fingers tightened slightly at his sides.
Then a confident smile appeared across his face.
“Then let’s see what kind of story this world has waiting for me.”
He stepped forward.
Silver light swallowed his body.
For a brief instant, the cosmic realm disappeared.
Then—
Everything changed.
The sensation of the space between worlds vanished.
Cool night air brushed against Arieus’s skin.
The scent of grass and earth filled his lungs.
The soft pressure of the ground settled beneath his boots.
He opened his eyes.
He was standing in a meadow surrounded by towering trees.
Above the forest, the twin moons illuminated the landscape in pale silver light.
There were no cosmic rings.
No celestial floor.
No god standing beside him.
Only the forest.
The night.
And an unfamiliar world stretching beyond the horizon.
Arieus slowly turned in place.
His purple eyes reflected the moonlight.
A quiet smile spread across his face.
He was really here.
Not inside a game.
Not behind a screen.
Not wearing a headset.
He was standing inside a living world.
And somewhere far beyond the trees, something moved.
Arieus’s expression sharpened.
His instincts reacted before his thoughts could catch up.
A faint rustling came from somewhere within the darkness.
He turned toward it.
The sound stopped.
Arieus remained still for another moment before relaxing.
A small smile returned.
“Guess I should probably start exploring.”
He adjusted the black sash around his waist and looked toward the distant forest.
There was no quest marker waiting above his head.
No predetermined path telling him where to go.
No developer standing outside the world deciding what he should experience next.
For the first time, Arieus was simply a person standing at the beginning of an adventure.
And that realization made his smile grow.
“After all…”
He took his first step forward.
“…I’ve got a whole world to discover.”
Beneath the light of the full moon and its crescent companion, Arieus Minazuki began walking into a world that had existed long before Rufus Minazuki ever dreamed of creating one.
A world of magic.
A world of monsters.
A world of kingdoms, adventurers, mysteries, and countless lives.
A world that was not Xasea.
Yet somehow…
looked remarkably like it.
