The first thing he felt was the pounding in his head. It was as though someone had used his skull as a drum. Groaning, he opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. His body ached in ways that didn't make sense. He remembered dying—a cold, dark nothingness swallowing him whole—and now this?
"Where… am I?" The words escaped his lips in a hoarse whisper, his throat dry and aching.
The memories hit him like a freight train.
He forced his eyes to focus, blinking rapidly to clear the haze that clouded his vision. Slowly, the world around him took shape—white walls, soft lighting, and the faint smell of antiseptic. A hospital room. He was in a hospital.
Confusion flooded him as he tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his chest. The ache was enough to make him stop and groan, clutching the sheets beneath him.
His name… no, the name of the man, the body he now inhabited, was Kenji Takahashi. A Japanese man whose life had spiraled into a pit of selfishness and neglect.
But that wasn't who he was. He was… he was?… why couldn't he remember?
His name was… what was it again?
He could remember the life of Kenji, but not who he was before. He had snips of them but only vague memories.
Sigh…
He couldn't remember his name, just the echo of his past life—a life filled with longing for family, longing for excitement, a longing that had gone unfulfilled. In his previous life, he had been a man who worked himself to the bone, chasing success in a corporate world that never gave him anything in return. No family, no friends, just endless hours at a desk, staring at spreadsheets and reports. He had died alone, his body giving out after years of neglect. And now, by some strange twist of fate, he was in Kenji's body.
With all the baggage that came with it.
He could remember going out drinking with his friends—Kenji's friends—then a bright light, a lot of pain, and then nothing.
And the family Kenji had failed in ways that he didn't even know were possible to redeem himself.
The past soul of this body was scum, trash, the type of person he hated.
Irresponsible, lazy, annoying, and… sigh… He really needed to rest and figure out what he was going to do.
The sound of a door opening made him sit up. A tall, striking woman entered the room, her icy blue eyes narrowing as they met his. She was stunning, with pale skin and platinum blonde hair tied into a neat braid. Her posture screamed authority and frustration. This was Anastasia, Kenji's—his wife. A Russian beauty who had somehow endured and put up with years of neglect and stupidity from the previous Kenji.
"You're awake," Anastasia said coldly, her accent crisp but faintly softened by years in Japan. "The doctor said you'd recover, but I wasn't expecting you to be up so soon."
He swallowed hard. "I…" What could he say? That he wasn't the man she hated? That he was some other soul dropped into this mess. No, that would sound insane. "Thank you for… for coming."
Her eyes flashed in surprise then narrowed further, suspicion flashing across her face. "Don't misunderstand. I'm only here because of the children…" She trailed off, her expression softening briefly before the frost returned. "Don't expect anything from me, Kenji."
The name felt like a slap. He wasn't Kenji. Not really. But that didn't matter now. Anastasia turned on her heel and left without another word, leaving him alone with the silence and the weight of his new reality.
He glanced down at his hands, his fingers trembling slightly. His body felt unfamiliar. He had the memories, but it still felt foreign to him.
Then, a strange sensation flickered at the back of his mind. Like a whisper, a presence, an entity that wasn't quite there but was undeniably real. His eyes widened as a glowing blue interface materialized in front of him.
---
[System Notification]
Congratulations! You have activated the Gamer System.
Welcome, User.
---
The words blinked at him. He blinked back, unsure of what to make of them. Was this some sort of hallucination? His mind was still swimming in confusion, and the slight ache wasn't helping, but he could sense the faint excitement building within him.
The Gamer System? Was this real? Was he… really getting the chance for something like this?
Back in his past life, he had read a lot of fanfics, so he knew what this was. What it meant.
He couldn't stop the excitement from boiling up inside him.
---
[System Interface]
Name: Kenji Takahashi(?)
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
Level: 1
Free Stat Points: 3
Attributes:
- Strength: 42 (Tier-10)
- Speed: 41 (Tier-10)
- Endurance: 40 (Tier-10)
- Intelligence: 48 (Tier-10)
- Wisdom: 45 (Tier-10)
- Charisma: 38 (Tier-10)
- Luck: 95 (Tier-2)
Skills: None
Perks:
- Gamer's Body (Passive): Grants immunity to physical exhaustion, enhances recovery rate, and prevents permanent injury from non-fatal wounds.
- Gamer's Mind (Passive): Grants immunity to psychological effects such as fear, stress, and mental manipulation, while allowing calm, logical decision-making.
---
The sight of his stats was both humbling and oddly reassuring. He wasn't some overpowered protagonist. He was starting from scratch. Fine. He could work with that. But, was this using the standard tier class, and if so tier 2 luck?
But the perks—Gamer's Body and Gamer's Mind—caught his attention immediately. The basic gamer package. These were game-changers. No exhaustion? No fear? No stress? That meant he could train endlessly without breaking down, and his mind would always remain clear, no matter the situation. It was like having a cheat code for survival.
He glanced at his Free Stat Points. Three points to assign. He could use them now or save them for later. For now, he decided to hold off. He needed to understand his situation better before making any decisions.
---
[System Notification]
Multiversal Group Chat System Activated!
You have entered the Multiversal Group Chat.
---
At the words Multiversal Group Chat, his heart skipped a beat. What in the world was this?
He froze for a few seconds. Two Systems. His heart was beating fast.
Tier 2 luck indeed. He couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.
---
[System Notification]
Welcome to your new life. We hope you enjoy it.
---
The words hung in the air as the weight of his situation hit him. He was no longer the man he once was.
He had died and was now transmigrated.
He was someone else entirely—a father, a husband, something he had always dreamed of having: a family of his own.
Even given the circumstances.
Now, in a world that was most definitely not his original world, given the memories he now had.
It was crazy, something most would be freaking out over.
But.
To be honest with himself.
He was somewhat happy. He was alone in his old world. No family, hardly any friends. All he did was work and work.
But now, he had a chance to start anew, a second chance at life. And despite what the original soul of this body had done, he would clean up this mess and live his life to the fullest this time.
And now, with the systems helping and guiding him, his journey would truly begin.
———————————————————
Support me.
If you want to read ahead and access 5 advanced chapters, check the patreon
Link:patreon/Phantomking785