The first thing I felt… was cold.
Not the kind of cold that bites your skin, but the kind that sinks into your bones. The kind that tells you that wherever you are… this isn't home.
My eyes opened slowly.
A wooden ceiling. Rough. Old. Cracked in several places. I stared at it for a long moment, mind blank.
…Where am I?
I tried to remember what I was doing before this.
There had been… darkness. Pain. A flashing memory of a world that wasn't this one. A world with cars, cities, noise.
And then… silence.
I sat up.
The bed creaked under my weight. It was hard, more like a wooden plank with a thin layer of straw. The room was small, with only a single chair and a table with a chipped edge. No decorations. A cheap, patched blanket covered me.
This body felt… smaller. Lighter.
My heart started to beat faster.
Something was wrong.
I stood up and looked around the tiny house. The wooden floor was uneven. The air smelled like damp earth and smoke. Outside the single dusty window, I saw worn-down fences, muddy paths, and crooked buildings.
A village. Poor. Remote.
Not modern.
Not Earth.
I stepped outside the house.
The cold morning air hit my face. The sky was pale, the sun weak and hidden behind thin clouds. I could see a few villagers already awake—women carrying buckets of water, children chasing each other barefoot, men chopping firewood.
And then I heard it.
"Oi! Use your magic to lift that log!"
Magic.
My breath caught.
The man who was chopping wood waved his hand. A dull glow of mana flickered around his arm as he lifted the heavy log with telekinesis.
Magic.
Magic.
BLACK CLOVER.
A chill ran down my spine, but not from the wind.
I was in the Black Clover world.
…HOW?
…WHY?
Before I could process it—
DING.
A sound echoed inside my head.
A blue panel appeared in front of me.
Like a hologram. Like a game screen. But real.
[Template Grimoire System Activated]
My eyes widened.
It was real. This wasn't a dream.
Another line appeared.
Current Host: Renji
Soul Synchronization: 100%
Time until Grimoire Ceremony: 1 year, 18 days
1 year… before the Grimoire Ceremony?
So this body… Renji… was 14.
Which meant…
Asta.
Yuno.
The beginning of the story…
…was only one year away.
Primary Template: Minato Namikaze (0% Unlocked)
System Functionality: Limited until Grimoire acquisition.
Starter Package Available. Claim now?
My breathing slowed.
Minato.
My template.
My build.
My path.
This was it.
This was the beginning of everything.
A lump formed in my throat. Not fear… but something heavier. Responsibility.
I wasn't just watching the story.
I was IN it.
And I had one year before the story truly began.
One year before the world started to move.
One year until destiny collided with fate.
I clenched my fist.
"I'm really here…"
I closed my eyes.
Then spoke, quietly but firmly:
"System. Claim Starter Package."
The panel lit up.
Starter Package: Minato Template – Academy Level (10%)
Processing…
My heartbeat surged.
Heat spread through my body.
Memories. Instincts. Muscle memory. Reflexes.
Not images—understanding.
The way to move efficiently.
The way to read body language.
The way to react faster than thought.
The calmness in chaos.
The intelligence to break situations down instantly.
The gentleness of Minato.
The determination of Minato.
I gasped sharply.
It felt like a second soul merged with mine.
Not controlling me.
Enhancing me.
Template Synchronization Complete: 10%
You have inherited:
• Minato's foundational combat experience (academy level)
• Enhanced reaction speed (minor)
• Enhanced strategic thinking (minor)
• Basic sealing/marking knowledge (concept level)
• Early spatial awareness aptitude
• Perfect mastery of unlocked abilities
My eyes snapped open.
The world felt… slower.
Clearer.
The wind brushing past my skin, the sound of villagers' footsteps, the faint fluctuation of mana in the air.
I could sense it all.
I looked at my hand.
This wasn't normal.
I wasn't OP.
But I was no longer just an average kid either.
I flexed my fingers.
This… was power with depth.
Not flashy.
But perfect.
New Mission Unlocked:
"Walk Forward"
- Explore the village
- Learn about Renji's life
- Set one personal goal
Reward: Status Window Unlock + System Function Expansion
A small smile formed on my face.
"So that's how it is…"
The system wouldn't give me everything. It would make me move. Make me live. Make me grow.
Good.
That's how it should be.
I stepped forward.
My journey had begun.
---
And that was when the villagers noticed me standing outside the orphanage.
A few looked at me with mild surprise. Some with indifference.
And one of them… with pity.
"Renji? You're up early again," an older woman said. Her face was wrinkled, her clothes patched. She was holding a basket of laundry. "You should eat something. You're growing, you know."
Her tone was gentle… but tired.
Renji must have known her.
My mind sorted through the residual memories in this body.
She was… Mira. The caretaker of the orphanage.
She wasn't family.
But she was the closest thing I had.
"I'm fine," I said softly.
My own voice sounded different—calm, steady.
Mira sighed. "Always acting strong… even though you're just a child."
She gave a small smile and walked away.
I watched her go.
This village was poor. People struggled. But they cared about each other.
It was… peaceful.
Too peaceful.
I knew what this world would become.
Wars. Devils. Kingdom conflicts.
The Spade invasion. The Elf reincarnation. The Dark Triad.
This peace… wouldn't last forever.
And if I wanted to protect this place when the storm came…
I would need strength.
Real strength.
I took a deep breath.
"First… I need to understand who I am in this world."
I turned and looked at the orphanage.
Time to complete the first mission.
And truly begin the journey of Renji.