The last thing I remembered was the faces of my uncaring allies—
friends, or so-called friends—watching without emotion as I was dragged across the cold floor of the military court.
Dragged like a dog to be executed for the "war crimes" I committed for them.
Ungrateful fools.
I did everything they ordered.
I served like a good little soldier.
And this was my reward.
I felt the bullets piercing my fragile body, the cold sensation settling into my bones, blood splattering across the wall as my vision dimmed. The world went silent. And in that silence, I heard the mocking laughter of that bastard Being X.
Then nothing.
A void.
I don't know how long I drifted, unconscious or perhaps asleep—if souls even can sleep. But when I awoke, I was in the arms of a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Reborn. Again.
But where was Being X? Why was he silent?
The woman—my new mother—spoke German.
"Tanya von Degurechaff," she said.
How convenient.
Another girl. I sighed internally, already annoyed with the cosmic joke of it all.
But the room caught my attention—more modern than my previous world, even more advanced than my original Earth.
Her name was Clare von Degurechaff. She brought me to her home—huge, luxurious, complete with maids. The exact opposite of my second life.
I waited for Being X to reveal his punchline.
But thirteen years passed, and nothing happened.
I grew into a genius again.
My mother adored me.
My father? Dead before I was born. No impact either way.
Everything was perfect… until the countdown appeared.
Blue screens all over the world.
Five days remaining.
I was reading in bed when mine appeared. Cold dread filled my bones. I shouldn't have let myself get comfortable. A safe life was never meant for me.
And so I found myself sitting in the living room with my mother as the timer ticked down. She clung to me, trembling and crying. Terrified.
I should have felt sympathy.
But after two lifetimes of cruelty and war, that part of me was long dead.
I appreciated her care… but I didn't love her.
Ten minutes left.
I'd tried touching the screen before—my fingers passed right through it.
I'd read every article about it: mana, games, speculation.
Not that any of it helped. I had no gaming experience—just wars and study.
The countdown reached its final seconds.
10… 9… 8… 3… 2… 1.
The world shook.
My vision went white.
And then I was standing in a white room with a faceless man in a suit.
"H-Hello… where am I?" I asked cautiously.
"You are in the System Integration Room," he said in a cold, emotionless voice. "Your planet is being integrated with the System."
"The System? Integration?"
"The System is everything—a being older than existence. Integration is when mana floods a world and changes it. Animals, plants… everything. Your world will grow larger. There will be monsters."
"Monsters… like in stories?"
"Yes."
"Is this like a game?"
"In human terms, yes. But this is real. If you die, you stay dead. No second chances."
My mind raced—strategies, probabilities, survival. Before I could sort my thoughts, a screen appeared.
Name: Tanya von Degurechaff
Race: Human
Class: None
Abilities: None
Achievements: None
Titles: None
"You must choose a race and class to proceed," the faceless man said.
A hologram of my body appeared, labeled Race: Human.
I tapped it. A massive list of races opened—some familiar, many unreadable, others downright absurd.
"Can I filter these?"
"Yes."
"High agility and high magic," I requested.
The list shrank to maybe fifty options.
I scanned them, remembering my past life as a mage—but without my rifle, magic alone was unreliable.
My finger hovered over Light Elf.
Too fragile.
I settled on Half High Elf—agility and mana without being as breakable as a full elf. Elves would be hostile toward me, but so what? I'd handled worse.
I confirmed the choice.
My features softened instantly. My ears lengthened to points. My body felt lighter.
A new screen appeared: Class.
As many options as there were races, but one stood out immediately:
Assassin.
High agility. Magic synergy. Precision.
Perfect.
I confirmed.
"This is the beginning of your new life," the faceless man said. "It may be long and rewarding… or short and disappointing."