Orphaned, left with a home and a decent sum of money… honestly, it fits my current predicament perfectly.

As someone who recently crossed over into a different reality, I should have been the subject of admiration. However, compared to others from my original world who had similar experiences, my situation could only be described as downright miserable.

"This is absurd. Eighteen years have gone by, yet where’s my special ability?"

The name’s Arthur, and right now, my emotions are a tangled mess, with frustration and unease swirling together.

The reason? I’m well aware that I’ve ended up in a universe known as "DxD." Based on my memories from my past life, this place isn’t just home to Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels, but also boasts a pantheon of deities and even Dragons. It’s a world where divine beings constantly clash for dominance, which means I’m perpetually teetering on the edge of danger.

To make matters worse, I happen to be at the heart of this chaos—Kuoh Town—and more specifically, Kuoh Academy.

As if that wasn’t enough, I even share a classroom with one of the central heroines of this world—Rias Gremory.

Dealing with all of that might still have been manageable with some luck.

But after conducting my own investigation, I uncovered something even more troubling—the original story’s protagonist, the host of the Red Dragon Emperor, Hyoudou Issei, is missing.

And it’s not just him. Even Saji Genshirou, a future member of Sona Sitri’s peerage, hasn’t undergone his transformation into a Devil yet.

Saji is at least still a normal student attending Kuoh Academy, but as for that infamous pervert Hyoudou Issei? There’s not a single trace of his existence, almost as if he was never born.

At first, I considered the possibility that my arrival caused a ripple effect, leading to his absence. Wanting confirmation, I sought out the woman who was supposed to be Hyoudou Issei’s mother. But no matter how many times I asked, she firmly insisted that she had no son by that name.

His disappearance unsettled me—it threw my initial plans into complete disarray. But no matter how much I dwelled on it, nothing would change the fact that he simply wasn’t here.

And that was terrifying.

Even though this world originates from an anime, Kuoh Town serves as a major Devil stronghold. Two of the Underworld’s Maou have their younger sisters residing here.

Not only that, but Fallen Angels are incredibly active in this area.

Before long, high-ranking Fallen Angels will descend upon Kuoh Town with the intent to annihilate it. Then, there’s the White Dragon Emperor, the Khaos Brigade, and an entire host of incoming threats. And to top it all off, this world is also in danger of being invaded by malevolent gods.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

When I first arrived in this universe that should have been an anime-lover’s dream, I vowed that I would stand at its peak.

But now? That goal feels utterly unattainable.

At the end of the day, I’m nothing more than a regular student. I don’t have the strength to chase after grand ambitions. DxD may be full of breathtaking women, but all I can do is watch from the sidelines. The only thing I truly wish for is to give them a peaceful, safe place to call home. Is that too much to ask? The helplessness of my situation is maddening.

For over a decade since arriving here, I have devoted myself to training, hoping to awaken my potential. But despite all my efforts, I remain nothing more than a mere human.

In this world, without strength, you’re forced to live cautiously, constantly at the mercy of those who wield power. Any moment, I could be slaughtered by a rogue Devil or a Fallen Angel.

For someone like me—someone who reincarnated into this world—this reality is suffocatingly bleak.

"The new academic year is about to start. That means the main storyline should be kicking off soon. I briefly considered joining Rias or Sona’s peerage, but let’s be honest—I’m just an ordinary student with decent grades. They wouldn’t even bother looking my way."

At this rate, my only choice is to take things one step at a time.

[Ding! System initializing… 20%… 50%… 80%… 100%.]

Just as I was wallowing in despair, a robotic voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

I froze for a solid ten seconds before the realization hit me. A rush of excitement coursed through me—if it weren’t for the fact that it was late at night, I might have yelled out loud.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down. Then, I turned my attention to the system, narrowing my eyes.

"Why the hell did it take you so long to activate?"

[This system only becomes operational once the primary story begins.]

…Eighteen years.

Eighteen years of living in constant fear, always on edge, terrified that at any moment, I’d become a casualty in someone else’s battle. And now, after all that time, the system finally wakes up?

"You worthless system! Do you have even the slightest idea what I’ve been through all these years? Huh?! Do you?! I’ve been spending every single day terrified that some stray Devil would pop up and kill me on the spot!"

But ultimately, I suppressed my irritation and refocused.

"Alright… ‘System,’ was it? Explain your functions."

[As the name implies, this system rewards users through tasks. By checking in at designated locations or completing assigned tasks, the host can earn various prizes. Rewards are categorized by tiers: White, Green, Red, Black, Purple, Gold, Violet-Gold, and Rainbow.]

"Straightforward and to the point. I like it."

My mood had shifted entirely from what it was just an hour ago.

"Hey, System, I can’t possibly remember every single location worth signing in at. Is there some kind of interface that marks these spots for me?"

If I had to blindly wander around searching for places to activate sign-ins, it would be way too inefficient. I couldn’t afford to waste time like that.

The system didn’t verbally respond. Instead, a holographic screen materialized before my eyes—visible only to me.

Displayed on the screen were countless sign-in points scattered across different realms—including Heaven, Hell, and even the Dimensional Gap. Of course, I lacked the power to visit most of those places for now.

I zoomed in and focused on Kuoh Town. Instantly, numerous sign-in locations appeared, each marked with a question mark.

Not surprising. Given that this place is where many of the main heroines reside, it would be odd if there weren’t tons of sign-in points here.

After examining the map for a moment, I dismissed the screen.

Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I smirked.

"Hey, System… you made me wait eighteen years. Don’t tell me you don’t have some kind of newbie gift pack to make up for it? Every decent system should have one, right?"

[...]

The system remained silent.