“Do souls… exist?” Was a question asked by many people in the past, and was just a thing some believed to exist. But that question was just a question… until the day of the cataclysm. The time when fantasy became reality, when dreams came alive, and when the world turned upside down… quite literally.

Fiction, it's a type of story told in the form of lies, none of it is real or maybe some of it was, but it really never matters to those who hear those stories. A fiction’s goal was just to be entertainment, to pass the time for people, and to lift their spirits when needed.

But what happens when that fiction, that thing that fills something in the voided places of people… breaks. What if the world turned to fiction, a world in which nothing was possible? Well, that’s kind of interesting, right?

And why am I telling you this? Well, because there is something you need to understand. Souls are real, and living in another’s body is too.

So this is what it feels like to live in someone else’s body… I’m the one who thinks and moves, but the body’s mind and heart aren’t mine. Thought by Isaac. He is a man with the predicament of my previous statement. A soul living in another’s body.

A situation, that as I just explained, isn’t fiction. When the cataclysm happened, the word “fiction”, lost its meaning. Everything in the world became possible. The time when the entire world changed its course. The moment everything changed for humanity.

It was a time when even the most powerful being to be believed of “God” was changed. To the phrases of “Oh my God”, “Fucking God”, and “Jesus Christ”, we’re all changed to the thing that showed its real power to the world. The System.

I need to do something about this before I truly disappear. I need to do something… before… I die… Isaac was determined to find a solution. He stood up from the floor and started jumping around. Fuck it’s getting worse! It knows it now! It will definitely try to swallow me faster! Isaac thought. Whether what he believed was real or just a delusion, it wouldn’t change his determination.

Isaac gathered all the Carelan leaves on the floor and left the Alchemy room. Magic, I think I can swallow this body on my own… using magic. I’ve never learned magic but right now I need to use my limited knowledge to figure something out.

Isaac had learned many things in his life and magic was also one of them. But the thing about learning magic was that you can never ever understand the concept of magic without the ability to wield it in the first place. That was the reason Isaac doesn’t know how magic works. He knew the effect of every single spell there is known to the world, but he never learned how to activate such things.

Think, think, think! Being inside someone else body… is possible with dark magic but even that isn’t permanent unless the body is dead. But even if the body is dead, the body would still have the personality of the person who used to live in it… that’s the hard part…

Isaac was once captured by the Ruler of the Underworld also known as the Dark Lord, a being so powerful that no one would ever dare to go against him. Being the dog of such a powerful being, Isaac was still a “dog”. In name, it is a man’s best friend.

Isaac had access to many things the Dark Lord ruled… and one of them was the Laughing Death. An organization that was at the front of every evil act of humanity. Also known as the garbage can of the Dark Lord.

It was an organization made for the sole purpose of being thrown the blame for everything; hiding the Dark Lord’s involvement. But as it just disappeared one day, it was reported to have been wiped out by the government.

Isaac took the opportunity to read all the research on the Laughing Death, in the possession of the Dark Lord.

Isaac stood just a few steps outside of the Alchemy Room. Between two giant poles, Isaac sat in a crossed position and meditated. His mind scoured through numerous books, looking through anything related to body possession.

***

“Okay, listen here Isaac, do you know how I can be the most powerful being alive?” Said calmly the Dark Lord. Sat on a throne elevated from the ground, in a dimly lit room with the only source of light being a single chandelier in the middle of the chamber.

In front of the Dark Lord, upon a red carpet stretching to the door at the end of the room, Isaac kneeled with his head low. “I do not dare to question your power, my Lord,” Isaac said with a monotonic voice.

“Stop being formal, Isaac, I’m about to tell you a story… a story on how I became Immortal. So Stand up.” Ordered the Dark Lord.

***

That’s it! I just have to die! Isaac thought.

The Dark Lord, the most powerful being alive. You’re probably annoyed at hearing it so many times already, but Isaac knew the secret to this man’s power. It was unoriginal, but it was simple, his power came from his 300 years of experience. In short, the man was Immortal.

Isaac stretched his hands out and made a spear made solely of magic. Rid of any unnecessary elements. The point was placed right in front of Isaac’s chest. Another spear of magic formed at the back of his head. With Isaac’s eyes closed, he placed his everything on a single gamble.

Fire. The spears pierced through Isaac’s tiny body, leaving him once again unconscious and simply, dead.

***

[Reports… Going through reports… oh! Oh! Oh! Going through reports~]

A white figure sat in the middle of an endless white void on a wooden chair in front of an empty wooden desk. The System was singing as it sifted through screens.

[Well, 99% through conquering Earth.]

[I can start the invasion of the fantasy world in a year.]

[And speaking of fantasy worlds…]

The System flew off the chair and everything slowly shifted to the throne chamber made solely of dark marble.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[I wonder how-]

The System paused from shock. He looked closer to the empty body of a demon lying on the floor. The System moved its body frantically, waving its hands around and bobbing its head sidewards. It then snapped its fingers.

[Now where is that guy's soul?]

Souls of different monsters flew around the throne chamber. The System shifted through the souls, looking for something.

[This is why there should be an afterlife for monsters.]

The System dragged a soul towards him.

[Oops, wrong one.]

[Okay, now this is right.]

The System teleported itself back onto the white void with a wooden desk and chair. It waved its hands and removed the desk. It then threw Isaac’s soul to the chair.

[Wake Up.]

It said in a serious tone. The System snapped its fingers and Isaac immediately woke up.

[Explain your shit!]

The System yelled. “What? Shit… I really died? Oh shit… now I remember.” Isaac groaned.

[What The Fuck Happened! Ah You Know What.]

The System reached onto Isaac’s forehead and shifted through his memories.

[Ohhh! Are You Stupid!]

The System yelled to Isaac with a huge mouth that exceeded his body and appeared on the white figure. Isaac was unfazed and replied. “It’s cause you put me in a baby’s body. And yes, I am stupid… cause of you!” He yelled in complain.

[Rrrrrrrr…]

The mouth disappeared and white veins popped out of the entire white body; including its head. The System groaned in frustration. It took a deep breath that made air appear as it went into a hole in the middle of his body. Then a sudden burst of wind released from its body; blowing Isaac away along with the wooden chair.

[Isaac, Who The Fuck Dies On The First Day They Are Transported Into Another World!]

The System vented.

[You Are The Worst Isekai Protagonist I’ve Ever Seen!]

It continued.

[And You Won’t Even Understand That Cause You Know Nothing About Culture!]

It continued more.

[You… Do! Not Know How Frustrating Ever Watching You Or Any Shit!]

[What Type Of Protagonist Dies At The First Fucking Day!]

[Ahhh!]

The System yelled, exploding its entire body, releasing lava all around. The lava passed through Isaac’s astral body and burned the wooden chair.

[Isaac… You Are The Worst Being I Have Ever Seen!]

[If You Can’t Make Any Valid Excuse That Justify…]

[Let Me Repeat It To You!]

[Dying On Your First Fucking Day In Another World!]

A huge mouth spat saliva through Isaac. “Well, now that you're done yelling. Like I would have guessed you already know. I do not like my intelligence dropping and becoming as stupid as a baby. So I had to kill myself to own the body, and the reason I’m dead is a sign of this stupidity. I would have never died if killing myself with magic instead of anything else hadn’t flown over my head.” Isaac said.

[Oh You Sound Like Shit.]

[I Hate You Now Isaac.]

[Worst Ever Protagonist.]

The System appeared once more in its white body. It shoved off everything and turned its back against Isaac. “Why do even keep calling me protagonist? Oh wait, it’s cause I’m just another plaything for you.” Isaac asked.

[Yeah, And So What?]

The System answered. Isaac was surprised, his body shook for the first time, and it was an astral body, it was the soul, it wasn’t something a soul could even do.

[Isaac, If You Think That You Can Defeat Me Like What You Thought About McMarell.]

[Think Otherwise.]

[Marell, Can Throw You Away Despite Your Importance To Him.]

[But Don’t You Realize That I Am Literally Talking To You While You're Dead?]

[I Am A God!]

[Don’t You Ever Dare Think Otherwise.]

The System declared as it stood still in front of Isaac. “Well, I don’t care, all I care is that I hate that body of a baby. It’s causing me to lose intelligence.” Isaac replied. He looked back on the System and showed no interest in it anymore.

[How Arrogant.]

[You’re Saying You're Smart, But Here’s The Thing.]

[The Baby Body I Gave You Isn’t Stupid.]

[Your Up And Down Intelligence Is Cause By Adapting To Your Body.]

[It’s Just Gonna Take Time.]

[And If You're This Impatient… I Don’t Really Think You’re Right For This Job.]

The System said. It tightened Isaac’s body and flew it back in front of the System. “I never said I wanted the job. So I think we’re done here, just do whatever that adapting is fast. You’re a God right? Oh, and give me a map of the tower too, I don’t care about the outside world, but the tower, yeah I need it.” Isaac said, full of carefree attitude towards the System.

[Isaac, This Is The First And Last Time.]

[If You Die On Me Again…]

[I’ll Make You Experience Something Worse Than Death.]

[It’s Cliche, But Remember It.]

[Now Get Out Of My Face.]

The System threw Isaac out of the white void and flew to the sky.

[Okay, I still did a cool outro.]

[My man died and ruined my cool transition from falling to the ground then entering the room.]

[Damn that was cool and cold!]

[But okay, on serious notes… is that man really the right one for this job?]

The System opened a few screens in front of it.

[I made the “Algorithm” to find me the best candidate, and it can’t fail.]

[This “Algorithm” can’t have errors.]

The System pulled up the “Algorithm” and opened Isaac’s set profile.

{Isaac Mardell}

{Compatibility: 100%}

{Race: Human}

{Traits: Adaptability and Cunningness Beyond Consciousness}

[I may be omnipotent… but I’m not omniscient…]

The Sytem stared at Isaac’s traits.

[No… it can’t be, right? It can’t be?]

***

Inside the throne room, behind the grand throne, Isaac stood in front of a wooden door. He spun his hand counter-clockwise and wind spun the door knob; opening the door. “So this is the heart of the tower… the Summoning room…”