Choose your beginning.

Levi’s shoulders recoiled as strange, blue words flashed into vision. He swiped at them, his hand moved through them. What the f– It was too early in the morning. He was dreaming, yeah, he had to be.

Ha, how good would that be, a new beginning. It felt almost too good to be true. But the words were still there, and they repeated, more words joining it.

Choose your beginning.

* Isekai.

* System Apocalypse.

* Time loop.

* Cultivation.

* …

It was early and the train was busy; full of tired people making their daily commute to work. Some were wearing suits, talking too loudly over the phone, eliciting begrudging tutting from other passengers who were trying to enjoy some semblance of silence before their long day. They looked surprised. Many of them waved in the air.

Levi sighed. it was just yet another symptom of working too much: hallucinations. It will go away, surely. Nothing that good ever happens to me anyway. He wiggled further into his chair, slumping down in an attempt to get comfortable. How did he get here? He knew how he got here. By taking the train, obviously. But here as in working a mind rotting office job. Staring at the screen, trying to act as if he was busy for the higher-ups that viewed the pointless acting of productivity above all else. He didn’t actually have to do any work. He just had to make it look like he was doing work.

It was all so exhausting.

He remembered a time when he was younger. A time where he fantasised that he could be something more. Maybe rich, so that he didn’t have to work all day every day, and he could do what he wanted, where he wanted to do it. Or like a superhero. He wanted to be strong, tall, and handsome.

Levi smirked through the wall of tiredness at the childish thoughts flitting in his mind. He knew it was naive. But as he gazed out the window, watching the rolling verdant hills pass-by, he found himself in a world of his own imagination. One where he could be who he wanted to be. Look how he wanted to look.

In his current story-line, he was a survivor in the apocalypse. He obtained a Legendary-rank power that no-one else had just for existing. He was the strongest on Earth. He was awesome. Life was good.

CHOOSE YOUR BEGINNING–

“Ah!” Levi slipped down from his carpeted seat, falling onto the floor.

Levi turned his attention to the words once more, and this time, it was made apparent it wasn’t just him being exhausted. Nor did he mistake it for his smartphone screen being ingrained into his mind like photo images. Damned social media addiction. No, it was real, and he wasn’t alone.

Others in the train were swiping at the words in front of them. Levi focused Okay, so what if I don’t make a decision? Will my chance of superpowers go with the wind? Levi frowned. He didn’t want that. This was a chance of a lifetime!

Screw work. Daddy’s going to become strong. But what beginning should he choose?

A time loop sounded promising, but time loop what? Re-do his school years, get better grades, go to a more prestigious university and acquire a good paying job? For what? To become a slave, another cog in a never-ending grinding wheel? Screw that.

Isekai was a good choice. But at the same time, was it really? For all he knew, he would awaken in the middle of a strange, eldritch occult ritual. Levi shivered just thinking about it.

System Apocalypse? He had read a lot of those stories, and there was no way in hell he was going to choose that. He was a regular office worker that refused to exercise. Forget being thrust into a battle against undead, or flesh eating goblins, he’d be dead in under 5 minutes from his lack of cardio. Scratch that, he’d probably just starve to death, or die to the elements.

Then there was Cultivation. Definitely not. He had read enough stories about arrogant young masters to decide against that one. That was even failing to mention power hungry sect masters. No thanks.

There were other choices further beyond that. But his eyes settled on Isekai. Out of all of them, it was the most promising one. One that didn’t promise instant near death, at the very least. Born into the bosom of a mother that actually cared about him. How nice would that be?

“Isekai!” He shouted excitedly, everyone ripped their vision from their own screen to look at him as if he was crazy.

Beginning – Isekai – has been chosen.

Per Birthright guidelines, your planet — Earth — has been chosen to become part of the Birthright System that governs the multiverse. Everyone, every living organism is required by Supreme Law to have a chance at higher life. Everyone deserves a chance to become great.

We, at Birthright, welcome you as a citizen. And good luck. You'll need it.

What the f–

A flash of blinding white light made Levi shut his eyes as fast as he could. Levi winced. Even with his eye-lids closed, all he could see was white.

The entire train jostled and jumped. Levi’s eyes shot open. They were still blinded, but he could vaguely see the entire train derail, only for it to smash into the side of a mountain.

Levi’s world turned black.

Entering nightmare planet – World of Ubez

----------------------------------------

Levi stared at the deep wound gouged into his palm. It hurt. Oh god, did it hurt. But his mind was preoccupied with other thoughts—like why he was kneeling in the middle of a Victorian-era house, at the centre of an occult ritual circle drawn in blood. His own blood.

What wasn’t his own, however, were his hands. They were smaller than he was used to. Too small. They were the hands of someone barely the age of 12. Despite that, his palm was lined with thick calluses, and the flesh all over was toughened as well. They bore the marks of hard physical labour.

The room was plunged in darkness. The only respite was the lantern sitting on his bedside table. A blazing little purple fire flickered within.

His head throbbed. Levi grabbed hold of his skull in a desperate attempt to alleviate the pain blossoming within. And then there were the strange memories flickering through his mind. They were like pieces of a puzzle, but some of them were shattered and broken. They told of a past life—this life.

All the information at the tip of his fingers led him to believe that this was a cruel nightmare. But the smell of blood and dust; the sensation of pain and touch… This was obviously no dream.

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Where am I? He thought, plagued with confusion.

It was then that Levi remembered the words that had appeared before him just before his daily train commute was derailed. The so-called Birthright System had offered him a new beginning, one inside a Nightmare difficulty world. Whatever the hell that meant.

Levi had come to a realisation. He had chosen to be isekai'd.

So this is all my fault, Levi thought with a bitter chuckle, his lips curling into a wry smile. Note to self: never click on pop-ups.

Finally fumbling to his feet, he took in his surroundings. Glass lay shattered on the floor. Cutlery was littered all over the place, and the nearby table and chairs had been tossed onto their sides. It was like someone had robbed the place.

It wasn't just waking up in a new body or discovering the place had been burgled that unsettled him. It was the peculiarities of the room itself, shrouded in mystery. Cryptic words, scribbled in red on the wall, sent a shiver down his spine.

‘I, Kane Bedivere, call upon you, O’ Great Ruler of the Round Table above the heavens, to gift me one single wish.’

Levi stumbled backwards until his back struck a stone pillar that had smashed through the wooden floorboard of the house. It was strange, but his entire attention was stuck to the wall like glue. For black, gorgeous words were being written visible to the eye. They were like words of a god, so perfect, so infallible.

‘Those desperate for answers, have them answered by the will of thy decree. You have one wish. But first, you must awaken to your Birthright.’

“W-what the hell?” Levi stammered, instinctively he took refuge behind the pillar at his back. He crouched down, peering at the words. Then, his eyes focused on what was perched upon the pillar: a seed. It looked exactly like a horse chestnut

Tightening his fist, he winced in pain. The wound on his palm was still fresh, still bleeding. And then the puzzled memory fell into place.

He was now in the body of a young teen named Kane Bedivere, someone who was born in a remote village named Beron. Beron was a place just below a set of enormous mountain ranges, next to a vast place called the Nothing. But one day, his mother and father disappeared, along with all the other townsfolk.

That’s when it happened. Eternal darkness arrived. It was so dark, that no light could pierce its unstoppable veil. The only thing that could combat the night, was–

Levi glanced over at his bedside table. Atop the wooden platform was an old lantern. Set in the middle of the metal and glass construction was a strange purple gem that spat purple fire.

The rest was all a blur; as if the pieces of the puzzle had completely broken, making it impossible to fit them into the jigsaw. His realm of understanding was turned on its head. He played games, read stories. Lots of them. But this was a whole different kettle of fish. What should he do?

Calm down, Levi. Get your head together. Think. Just like you always do, Levi thought, taking a deep breath.

First, he had to cover his wound. He looked at his clothes. They were dirty, and honestly, they stank. If he could smell how bad they were, he didn’t dare imagine what others would think. That meant that it was a no go for dressing his wound. Who knows what germs had infested the fabric. Turning up his nose, he approached his bed. He grabbed the sheets that were no longer white, tore it into strips, and tightened them around his palm. It would do for now.

Right now, he had to understand the situation he was in. Take in all the details, then go from there. First of all was the writing on the wall, and the blood circle underneath him that spanned almost the entirety of the room.

Although he couldn’t remember exactly what had happened to his previous body, it was clear that the young teen named Kane had completed a blood ritual of some sorts. He called someone from heaven… Hell? And they answered.

Levi wasn’t certain if the body died from blood loss, or if it was because of the ritual itself. Maybe it had taken his life as payment for calling upon the god, demon, or whatever the hell it was. Did Kane wish for someone to take over his body? No, that wouldn’t make sense. So it was because of those other two reasons. He most likely hadn’t gotten to make his wish.

The immediate threat was the darkness, Levi knew that, but he had to understand what was the meaning behind the gods words. He must awaken to his Birthright? What did that mean?

His vision settled upon the seed. Hands trembling from the nerves wracking his body, he reached out for the seed. It was smoothe to the touch. But how did it work? This was the source of power in this world?

The seed sparked to life. The outer shell cracked and split and peeled open, revealing a light as bright as the north star. Levi squinted, barely watched the seed move. It moved straight at him.

Only managing to raise his arms in a guard, the seed directly entered his chest. Oh god. Oh shit. What’s happening?! Panicking, Levi ripped open his shirt made of coarse, grey threads. Right in the centre of his chest, a dim light shone. And then it vanished.

You have obtained your first Birthright Seed: 1/9.

You are now a Tier 0. Reach Tier 1 to fully Awaken.

Ingredients needed to feed your Birthright and evolve into Tier 1 - Novice: 1.

| Level requirement: 0

Levi touched his chest. So that’s what that seed was? I have to feed the seed an ingredient and it evolves to the next tier? Levi thought to himself, stroking his chin with his non-injured hand. He delved deeper in thought. If, depending on what he fed it, would it give him a sort of class? If he fed it a sword, would it give him a warrior class based around swords? Levi stopped speculating.

You can now see your status screen.

You have gained the title – Otherworlder: Summoned from another world, that makes you otherworldly.

| Reward: All Stats +2

You have gained the title – Caller of the Round Table: The Great Ruler of the Round Table above the Heavens has answered your desperate plea.

| Reward: Upon awakening, you have an invitation to the Round Table to make one single wish.

Levi’s eyes glanced over the second title. So, he had to feed his seed an ingredient to fully awaken? What even was the Round Table? He had heard of the knights of the round table from Arthurian legend–was it something like that? Whatever it was, he had questions to ask, and he hoped that this Ruler had some answers.

You have gained the (Legendary) Trait – Talent of an Arch Magus: You have made a wish to become the most powerful mage that has ever walked the universe. The Ruler of the Round Table can’t complete that wish. Instead, you have been granted the talent of an Arch Magus. Your mana control and container has vastly increased. Any magic attack has its potency greatly increased.

| Added Nightmare System Enhancement: Any Magic Ingredient you consume has its tier risen by 1.

Now that’s what I’m talking about, Levi thought, licking his lips. So Kale already had his wish answered. His wish? The Isekai starter package.

With his curiosity assuaged, Levi followed along with the flow of supernatural events, and continued on, thinking of his Status. A new screen popped up in front of him.

Levi Caddel

| Titles: Otherworlder, Caller of the Round Table

| Birthright Tier: 0

| Class: N/A

| Path: N/A

| Job: N/A

| Level: N/A

| Traits: Talent of an Arch Magus

Attributes:

| Strength: 4

| Vitality: 5

| Dexterity: 6

| Magic: 2

| Mana: 2

Levi’s shoulders deflated at the low stats–especially in magic. There goes his dream of slinging fireballs and summoning the sky’s fury. He wasn’t sure if his current Stats were any good or not, but if he only had 4 strength because of his age. Then that could only mean that 10 was the baseline for humans in this… world. If it wasn’t, then damn, he was even weaker than he’d thought.

He did feel a little stronger than back on Earth, which was honestly a little depressing considering he was in the body of someone younger than him. By quite a few years, going by his current appearance; long hair, not a grey to be seen. No wrinkles, either. Small hands… Yeah, this was depressing.

I’ll just have to do a bit of solo levelling, Levi thought.

With everything in the room inspected, it was time to get a lay of the land. First, he arrived in the kitchen and grabbed hold of the biggest knife he could get his small hands on–a cleaver. Then, he returned to his room and picked up the lantern, and only then did he approach the main door. It was made of dense wood, and it was locked by three latches above the handle.

It was a lot of security. For what? Was there a lot of crime in this place?

Levi took a breath. Sure, what he was doing was crazy considering the sparse memories he had. The townsfolk had all mysteriously disappeared. It could be some sort of ritual that had caused it, just like the one that had summoned him here. But the chances that it was some sort of monster was also high.

Whatever. I’ll kill it, get some levels. Then, I’ll find an ingredient, feed it to my seed, and awaken. Bob’s your uncle. Easy peasy. I’ll be the strongest 12 year old that ever walked.

Finding his courage, Levi removed each one with a ‘clink’. Then he twisted the doorknob and cracked open the door. Peering out, all he could see was an all consuming darkness. That was a lie. He could see something. Two little orbs hovered not far from the building.

Strange. What is that? Someone else with a lightsource? Levi thought.

Spurred on by the notion he wasn’t entirely alone, Levi opened the door a little more and raised the lantern.

Snarling yellowed, glistening teeth, tentacle-like tendrils hanging from its face, curling horns that ended in a savage point, white, orb-like eyes.

Levi’s heart pounded against his chest.

Thump. Thump, thump.

His mind turned numb. His hands twitched, toes curled.

He always thought it was ridiculous seeing people freeze upon witnessing death’s scythe hanging over their neck. But Levi was experiencing it right now. His legs didn’t–couldn’t–listen to his commands. They were like a soldier cut off from their commander.

Thankfully, upon seeing the dim purple light, the creature screamed and dashed into the dark.

Levi slammed the door shut and tried to lock the door as fast as he could. His fingers fumbled with the top lock. Lock it! His fingers finally listened. He swiftly locked the door, and not feeling like it was enough, pulled over the wardrobe with great effort. The floorboards groaned and creaked.

He retreated to his bed, huddling in the corner, knife pointed towards the door.

And then he waited.

Waited to see if that terrifying monster came back.