Cross sat on the bed, toweling off his hair, staring at the reflection in the mirror with an intensity that could have burned a hole through glass. His mind was swirling with a whirlwind of thoughts, but one thing stood out above all else—what kind of person did he want to become in this new world?

He grinned to himself, remembering all the countless fantasy books, isekai novels, and anime he had devoured over the years. Every guy who’s read those kinds of stories had thought about it. What would they do if they were the protagonist? How would they rise to power? For Cross, the answer had always been clear. He didn’t just want to be strong. He wanted to be the strongest.

No, more than that. He wanted to be cool.

Power was one thing, but looking cool while wielding that power? That was the dream. Like a shadowy mastermind who never gets caught in the fray unless it’s absolutely necessary, pulling the strings from behind the scenes like some omnipotent god. A bit like The Eminence in Shadow, but better. Cross chuckled at the thought. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he wanted to be cooler than anyone else who ever took that route. And stronger. Much, much stronger.

But then the real world—this new world—came crashing back down on him. How was he going to achieve that level of power? Sure, he had the Heavenly Eyes, his special Talent, and that gave him a huge edge over the average person in this world. But being overpowered didn’t happen overnight. He had to train. He had to strategize. And more importantly, he had to find a way to level up fast.

"How do I get stronger?" Cross muttered, his towel draped over his shoulders as he paced back and forth in the room.

The most straightforward answer, of course, was to become a Ranker. Climb the Towers, kill Fiends, and specialize in one of the six classes associated with Source energy. That was the path everyone took in this world. It was the standard progression.

But Cross wasn’t interested in just becoming another Ranker. That path, while functional, was too slow, too ordinary. If he took the same route as everyone else, he’d end up just like them—mediocre at best, struggling to make it in the middle of the pack. No, he needed to become someone extraordinary, someone far above the rest. Someone who’d never end up in a boring 9-to-5 job like his previous life.

“This is my second chance,” Cross said, his fists clenched at his sides. One had already given him a cheat—the Heavenly Eyes. It was up to him to exploit that advantage to its fullest. He smirked, feeling a surge of excitement. His mind was racing now, ideas flooding in from all the fantasy fiction he had read over the years.

What had all those stories taught him? It wasn’t just about power—it was about how you used it. Cross had more knowledge of the typical fantasy world than most people ever would. And now he had a Talent, something special, something only certain people in this world possessed.

But there was one caveat—he couldn’t lose his sight. Using the Heavenly Eyes for too long or overloading them would blind him permanently. And he had to admit, as thrilling as it was to imagine abusing his eye powers, the thought of going blind wasn’t exactly appealing.

So, he needed to grind. Fiend Cores. The way to upgrade his eyes, the way to make his Heavenly Eyes even stronger, was through Fiend Cores. The cores from these chaotic monsters would allow him to purify their power and absorb it, boosting his abilities. But killing Fiends wasn’t exactly a cakewalk. If he wasn’t careful, they could kill him—or worse, corrupt him.

“Well, that just means I need to get stronger. Fast.”

His body—this new sixteen-year-old body—wasn’t exactly prime material for fighting. Untrained, untested, and probably weaker than the average Ranker. If he wanted to survive, let alone dominate, he needed to train his Body first and foremost.

Cross plopped down onto the bed, towel forgotten, and stared up at the ceiling, replaying what he knew about the six classes of Source energy: Body, Mind, Will, Soul, Domain, and Unknown. Most people would pick one class and stick with it. That was the conventional route. Trying to master multiple classes would take way too long, and even the best Rankers rarely did more than dabble in a second class.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

But Cross wasn’t most people. He had an edge that no one else did—the Heavenly Eyes. If he could figure out how to train all six classes at once, well… let’s just say the potential was limitless. Still, he had to be practical. He needed to prioritize. His body was weak right now, so his first goal was to strengthen his Body. And then, there was Domain—the class that felt most compatible with his eyes.

The Heavenly Eyes could see more than just the physical world. With them, he could perceive energy, particles, and maybe even the fabric of reality itself. Domain was the manipulation of space, territory, and influence. It made sense to pair that with his unique ocular abilities.

“Body first. Then Domain,” Cross muttered. "Start with what I can control."

After the shower, he stepped out into the room, his reflection staring back at him in the mirror. His body wasn’t much right now, but he saw the potential. He had untapped power waiting to be honed, waiting to be shaped into something that could shake this world.

He chuckled to himself as he ran a hand through his buzz-cut hair. “Gotta get over this haircut though,” he muttered. It didn’t fit the image he had in mind, but it would have to do for now.

Dressed in joggers and a simple T-shirt, Cross sat down at the desk in his room and pulled out a notebook. The clock on the wall read 20:10. Plenty of time to plan.

Grabbing a pen, he began scribbling down a rough outline. First, he needed a solid training routine. Something simple but effective. He could probably take a few ideas from that certain bald-headed hero whose training regimen was infamous for creating absolute monsters. Basic exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and long-distance running. It wasn’t fancy, but it would work. Strengthening his body from the ground up was essential if he wanted to survive the coming battles.

He wrote:

[Training: Body]

* Push-ups (100 per day)

* Sit-ups (100 per day)

* Squats (100 per day)

* 10 km running (daily)

* No air conditioning (okay, maybe air conditioning is fine)

He snickered at the last part. No way was he going full Saitama and giving up modern comforts.

Next, Domain. This was trickier. He didn’t have any solid references for how to train in Domain manipulation, especially since it was a class so closely tied to perception and spatial awareness. He’d have to experiment. Maybe by activating his Heavenly Eyes during training sessions, he could start tapping into the energy and territory around him. It was still a theory, but one he intended to test.

[Training: Domain]

* Experiment with perception using Heavenly Eyes

* Test interactions with Source particles

* Begin controlling space around self (small objects?)

He frowned at the last point. That was something he’d need to figure out on the fly. There wasn’t much to go on, but he’d have to start somewhere.

Then came the bucket list. He chuckled to himself as he flipped the page and began jotting down ideas for how to make himself as overpowered as possible. But this list wasn’t just about power—it was about style. If he was going to be the strongest, he needed to look the part.

[Bucket List: Look Cool While Being Overpowered]

1. Shadowy, mysterious persona (optional cloak?)

2. Always stay calm in battle (no screaming like an idiot)

3. Never show full power unless absolutely necessary

4. Secret techniques. Gotta have secret techniques.

5. Choose one-liners carefully (don’t force them)

He was giggling to himself as he wrote, almost creepily, the ideas flowing like a flood. Sure, it sounded ridiculous, but Cross was determined to make it happen. He wasn’t just going to be strong—he was going to be legendary.

He paused, tapping the pen against the notebook, and scribbled one final point at the top of the page.

[Rule #1: Be Kind to Those Who Are Kind to Me]

[Rule #2: Be Ruthless to Those Who Try to Hurt Me]

By the time he was done, the clock read 22:20. Cross leaned back in his chair, a satisfied grin on his face. He checked over his notes one last time, especially the part that read "Not Absolute Yet" above the outline. There was always room for improvement, after all.