C.C. observed me with an infuriatingly calm amusement, as if watching a lab rat figure out a new maze. "One accessible coordinate," she mused, her golden eyes reflecting the faint light from my system's interface. "It seems the first fragment has made its nest. Are you ready to begin your first hunt, contractor?"
"Hold on a second," I said, holding up a hand. The reality of the situation was finally crashing down on me, breaking through the awe and adrenaline. "Let's get the terms and conditions straight. You said 'Dimensional Traversal,' not 'one-way ticket.' Does this mean I'm stuck there? I can't come back?"
"Not until you've secured the fragment," she confirmed with a placid smile. "Think of it as motivation. The path back to this world, to your concerned sister and your sleeping knight, only opens once the objective is complete."
My gut clenched. I was being strong-armed, and we both knew it. This wasn't a partnership; it was a leash. As if reading my thoughts, my system chimed in with a new, unwelcome notification.
[Dimensional Binding Protocol Engaged]
➤ Return Condition: 1x Longinus Shard Secured in Infinity Realm Storage
➤ Travel Cooldown: N/A (Single-Exit World)
It was official. I was being railroaded by a transdimensional witch and my own semi-sentient power system. "And what about power? You said you'd grant me power. Am I going to get some kind of instant boost? A cheat code for this new world?"
A tooltip, helpfully unhelpful, popped up from the Omnitrix interface.
[System Note: Direct statistical augmentation requires either direct Artifact Fusion or Genetic Synchronization with a compatible power source. Localized environmental adaptation is automatic.]
C.C.'s smile widened. "The opportunity to gain power is not the same as a guarantee of power. Each world has its own rules, its own sources of strength. You have the tools to acquire it, but you must still do the work." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "However, if you perform well… if you manage to collect all the shards for me… I suppose I could offer a more personal reward."
Her gaze was heavy with implication, a silent promise that went far beyond mere system mechanics. My own system, however, had to have the last word.
[Secondary Reward Path Unlocked: Companion Bond – Witch C.C.]
➤ Bonus: Permanent Skill Link, Shared Inventory Space within Infinity Realm
➤ Unlock Condition: Collect all Shards of the Longinus Spear
So, it was both. A flirtatious promise from her, and a concrete, game-like incentive from the system. It was a perfect, maddening fusion of emotional manipulation and logical progression. I was a puppet, and they were both holding the strings.
"Fine," I sighed, the fight draining out of me. "What about when I get there? Do I just drop in like Saber did?"
"No, that would be messy. And likely get you killed," C.C. said. "The system is more elegant than that. It will weave you into the fabric of the target world. You will be assigned a role, an identity that already exists within its narrative threads, giving you a foothold. You will still be you—your memories, your personality, your powers—but to everyone else, you will have always been there."
My system immediately corroborated her statement.
[Role Assimilation Protocol: Active]
➤ Function: Assigns user a native identity relevant to local narrative anchor points.
➤ Integrity: Core consciousness, memories, and Omnitrix integration remain 100% intact.
➤ Stealth: Localized perception filters will be applied to all native entities.
It was a perfect infiltration system. I wouldn't be an outsider; I'd be a sleeper agent.
"So where am I going?" I asked, bracing myself. "Some post-apocalyptic wasteland? A high-tech cyberpunk city?"
"Neither." C.C. glanced at the Grail, which was now pulsing with a steady, rhythmic light. "Your Omnitrix has detected a resonance. The first shard has fallen into a world saturated with a unique form of energy. An energy derived from the inner self, the very cosmos within a person's soul. It is a place of gods and warriors, of sacred armors and titanic struggles."
A final system notification appeared, detailing the destination.
[Target World: Saint Seiya – Sanctuary Arc]
[Estimated Shard Location: Within High-Rank Cloth Armory or Gold Saint's Zodiac Hall]
[Primary Energy Source: Microcosm (Cosmo)]
My eyes widened. Saint Seiya? The legendary world of armored saints fighting for the goddess Athena? The potential for power there was astronomical. The Saint Cloths themselves were living entities, artifacts of incredible power. If I could get my hands on one…
"Get ready," C.C. warned, taking a step back.
The Grail on my nightstand flared violently. The golden cup lifted into the air, spinning faster and faster until it was a blur of light. A powerful suction force emanated from it, pulling at me, at the very air in the room. I saw swirling green and gold light patterns—the unmistakable signature of my Omnitrix—merge with the Grail's radiance, creating a vortex of controlled chaos. My system logged the event with cold precision.
[Dimensional Transfer Initiated]
[Transit Path: Holy Grail Conduit → Omnitrix Relay → Target World Anchor]
The pull became irresistible. My feet lifted off the floor. I saw Chloe's locked door, the sleeping form of Saber, and the calm, watching eyes of C.C. one last time before the vortex consumed me entirely.
The journey was a nauseating, kaleidoscopic nightmare of light and pressure. When it ended, I wasn't gently deposited; I was spat out, dumped onto hard, sun-baked stone. The world was blindingly bright, and a wave of agony washed over me. It felt like every cell in my body was being simultaneously crushed and set on fire. It was a raw, overwhelming energy flooding my system, an invasive force my body was desperately trying to adapt to.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Microcosm Overload. Physical body undergoing forced adaptation. Please remain still.]
[Local Power System Detected: Microcosm (Cosmo) Energy]
[Compatibility: 4% | Unlock Potential: Pending Active Training]
I lay there for what felt like an eternity, groaning, my vision swimming. Slowly, the agonizing pressure subsided, leaving behind a deep, throbbing ache. I pushed myself up, my new body—or rather, my old body in a new context—feeling sluggish and weak.
I was in a field of ruins. Broken marble columns, overgrown with weeds and wildflowers, lay scattered under a sky so blue it hurt to look at. In the distance, a majestic acropolis crowned a mountain, a series of twelve temples leading up to a grand palace. The Sanctuary.
I was here.
"Brother! Are you okay?"
The voice was young, filled with concern. A boy, no older than nine or ten, was running toward me. He had wild, spiky brown hair and fierce, determined eyes that held a fire far older than his years. He skidded to a halt beside me, his small hands grabbing my arm to help me up.
"I told you not to push yourself so hard in training," he scolded, though the worry in his voice softened the words. "You just collapsed. I was so scared."
My mind, still reeling from the transdimensional whiplash, struggled to place him. But the system was already a step ahead, the final piece of the puzzle clicking into place with chilling efficiency.
[Role Assimilation Complete]
[Assigned Role: Cassios Aiorion – Provisional Bronze Saint Trainee, Sanctuary Orphanage Ward]
[Relationship Map Updated: Aiolia – Younger Brother (Trust Level: 75%)]
I stared at the boy. Aiolia. The future Leo Gold Saint, one of the most powerful and respected warriors in the Sanctuary. And according to the irrefutable logic of my system, he was now my younger brother. I wasn't just a visitor anymore. I was family.