It was 5000 years before the current day when that miraculous occurrence took place.
In a nameless corner of the Brilliant Flame Empire, a boy was born against all odds.
In that moment when he came out of the womb, he had no breath of life. His body was cold, and his parents cried as they realized the tragic fate they'd been forced to experience.
They prayed to any god. They prayed to any being that could possibly save their child, with no other hope in their hearts but the work of a miracle.
And to nobody's expectations, a miracle truly appeared.
That boy's blueish body regained its rosy hue. As warmth filled his body and a soul inhabited his body, the cries of a new life resounded through the space.
That day was their blessing. They vowed to raise that child into a proper man, no matter what happened from that moment forth.
The boy was named Alexander, a name that represented the miracle of his birth, and his parents' desire to protect.
The years passed blissfully for them as they lived their mundane lives.
That boy grew up, passing through the years of infancy and childhood like a spring breeze.
He had bright red hair like the purest of flames and eyes of the same color. Whenever he graced their small village with his presence, the atmosphere lit up, filling everyone with joy.
He was a blessed child, and though their village had no real contact with the Brilliant Flame Empire they were a part of, they didn't encounter much difficulty at all.
They were far separated from areas bandits frequented, and they made most of their money through trading.
The village bordered a forest, and just like most of the other men who grew up there, the boy became a hunter.
By the age of ten, he could hunt grown hogs and boars with his own strength. By the time he turned fifteen, even bears couldn't withstand his blows.
The system seemed to support his growth more than most. The adults in the village usually couldn't make it past 3rd class. They rarely even reached the middle stages of that rank.
However, he was able to become a 3rd class existence before the age of 18 based on nothing but his physical strength.
In reality, there was nothing special about his story.
He was a boy with talent, but he was rooted in his village and had no plans to leave.
His family didn't have enough money to send him to the academy in the capital, and he himself didn't have much thirst for power.
Or at least, that was the way he lived for the first eighteen years of his life.
On the day he reached adulthood, everything changed.
That boy closed his eyes, and his mind was filled with dreams of another life.
A life where he grew up on a world called Earth, where he acquired a thirst for power through countless years of torturous survival, where he rose higher and higher until he became an existence the entire universe couldn't ignore.
In that dream, he was a completely different man. He wasn't resigned to living such a small life, and as he reached a point beyond the boy's every imagination, he found himself in a strange situation.
When that boy opened his eyes again…
"...wow."
He exclaimed in wonder.
He looked down at his hands and clenched his fists curiously.
He had mana in his body. It wasn't much, since he focused on physical strength until this point, but it was mana nonetheless.
"I somewhat expected this, but it feels completely different."
He was no longer the same boy he once was.
As he looked at the world through new eyes, he called out in his head.
'Status'
"Hmm…"
There was no status.
After all, the system only partially had an influence on his existence.
His soul wasn't unique. His soul was just a piece of another, far greater, soul.
Therefore, he did not have his own personal record in the system.
He was a part of someone else's record.
"Or well, I guess it's my record."
Damien, or rather, Alexander smiled to himself.
"A completely new life, huh…"
It was interesting.
He couldn't feel the presence of his main body at all.
Since he was in the Void, his existence in Spacetime was convoluted, and though he technically did exist in this time, he also didn't.
That left this piece of his soul as a unique existence in its own way, a scenario that the universe had never seen before.
'I should establish a memory relay between the two bodies.'
His main body was definitely seeing how he lived, but he couldn't see what his main body saw, which was a bit inhibiting.
And as they were connected, his desire was naturally reproduced instantly.
He was the same person as the one standing in the Void.
'I see, so my status as Alexander is baked into my status as Damien. Whenever I grow here, it'll influence my main body's Legend rather than this one, but I'll also feel the effects of that growth since it's technically my own.'
It was extremely confusing, but it also made perfect sense.
'Since I'm living as Alexander now, I should do it properly. Let's find out more about this world.'
The sealed piece of his soul had lived its life thus far in a simple manner, but its talent was a reflection of his main body, so such a life was truly a waste of his talent.
Unfortunately, Alexander didn't live in a place where he could learn much. His family and friends were rural folk who didn't concern themselves with the affairs of the greater world.
'They probably don't even realize how wide the universe is…it really must be nice.'
Damien smiled as he looked back on the memories of this body before his own memories awakened.
It was a nice and quiet life, a peaceful one that wouldn't be disturbed.
These people would live and die in a peaceful era before the Nox returned to the universe. They were fated to escape the true tragedy that the universe faced in his time.
'This kind of life…'
'...this is what I want to protect.'
He felt a connection to his second family, he felt a connection to these villagers, and he felt a connection to this world.
He wasn't just a wandering soul possessing another body and overwriting its ego. He was truly Alexander. He was born a commoner and had no family name, but he was in touch with his roots and wouldn't ignore them just because he became aware of his true identity.
"Huu…"
'It took a bit to center myself, but I think I'm relatively accustomed now.'
From this point forth, he wouldn't be Damien Void, but Alexander.
He would live this life to its fullest, so when the time came for him to execute the duty he was meant for, he would be able to do so without fail.
He stood up from his bed and walked to the door, opening it and taking in the fresh air outside.
'The only unfortunate part is what comes next.'
He had lived his entire life in this village, but he had to leave.
Because if he wanted to grow, he couldn't remain stationary.
He sighed to himself.
'A stable family situation isn't something I'm used to…'
He could imagine the expression on his parents' faces when he told them his plans.
'Haa, I just hope I don't get beat up.'
