The rain had started to fall softly, each drop tapping gently against the earth. Some landed on Aren's body, slowly soaking through his clothes until he was drenched. He stood still, unmoving, his eyes fixed on the gray skies above, the rain rolling down his face like silent tears as a single thought circled in his mind:
"Why me?"
The body he now inhabited was that of an average human. A normal, painfully ordinary person in a vast and merciless universe. He was like a single grain of sand on a beach full of endless, unknowable things. His presence? Insignificant. His power? Pathetically non-existent. People like him were the kind you'd call leeches—the weak ones who clung to the strong in hopes of survival.
But here?There were no superheroes.Only survival, transcendence… or suffering.
Memories of this body's life began to unravel in his head—dreams, ambitions, relationships, love… all playing on a loop. They spun through his mind like a desperate replay, as though the soul of this body didn't want to let go of its past.
Aren watched each one glide past like faded photographs. Though vivid, they weren't his. They belonged to someone long dead. A stranger.
Sighing, he forced the memories to stop as he looked around, raindrops dripping off his chin.
"To think I would be transmigrated into the body of a debtor. A person buried in massive debt. What the hell was the heavens thinking?"
Aren didn't believe in gods, or the supernatural. Never had. But the moment he woke up in this unfamiliar world, inside someone else's skin, all his beliefs had shattered like glass.
This body—this normal, unremarkable human—was called Jason.Nineteen years old.Five foot eleven.Black hair. Brown eyes.Average in every conceivable way.
Born into a household where his parents were constantly fighting, the chaos had quietly damaged him. He'd learned early on how to be silent. How to shrink into the background. How to take punches—both emotional and physical. That silence became a habit, and that habit made him a target.
People used him like a punching bag—literally. Beating him until he bled, injuring him without consequence. And Jason? He never fought back.
He couldn't.
Because his grandfather's words always echoed in his head:
"If you were to attack or injure another living person, what makes you any different from them? Humans are conflicted creatures. Even if they hurt you, don't hate them. Don't harm them. Don't seek revenge. Instead, talk. Always talk. In this broken world, the truly strong are those who still choose kindness."
Those words echoed now in Aren's new mind, burning deep into his consciousness. He furrowed his brows, his face tightening with emotion. Instinctively, he shook his head, pushing the thought away, forcing himself to confront the present.
"This body is a debtor," he muttered. "And because of his unbelievably painful, depressing life, he gave up."
Jason had borrowed money in a desperate bid to awaken his soul line, to escape his own worthlessness. It failed. After that, he had no choice but to work as a slave miner for a human gang. His life had been set to hell mode. And now, that debt? Almost impossible to repay. Especially for someone like him.
Recounting these memories, Aren took a deep breath, the cold rain still pouring down his back. He stood there frozen, not knowing what to do, when suddenly—
"Hey you! What are you doing there? Get back to work!"
A loud, deep voice shattered the air.
Aren's head snapped to the side, eyes locking onto a man in a brown uniform and scarf stomping toward him.
The man was massive. Built like a literal bulldozer. Huge arms, thick thighs, veins popping through his neck. Each step he took seemed to crush the ground beneath him.
Aren's heart immediately jumped into his throat as he instinctively whispered, "Hulk…!"
As if on cue, the man's face appeared in Jason's memory. Flashbacks and information surged through Aren's head. The more he saw, the more his fear multiplied.
This guy was dangerous. Very dangerous.
Without thinking, Aren took a step back. His instincts screamed run! And he was about to do just that—
When it happened.
Fwoosh!
Drrnn!
[Host has been found. Activating the Beyond Shifting System in 3… 2… 1…]
Ding!
[The Beyond Shifting System has been activated.]
[Transferring host: Aren Theron to the Bio Array!]
"What…?"
Before Aren could even blink, the world around him collapsed into darkness.
And then—Suddenly—He was somewhere else.
Gone was the rain. Gone was the muddy earth, the giant bulldozer of a man, and the weight of debt. Now, Aren stood in a strange, foreign place. Everything was silent. Everything was alien.
And in front of him…
A glowing panel hovered silently, waiting.