Chapter 3: The System
The void. The endless nothing. The very definition of non-existence. Where space and time aren't even absent, because to be absent, they would need to exist in the first place. But they don't exist. Not in the void. Nothing does.
Except. Somewhere and sometime, or nowhere and never, if any of those concepts had any significance, a tiny 'something' flickered. An insignificant speck of slowly waning light drifted through the nothingness.
A speck of light formerly known as Avior Draconis.
-----------------------------------
"And this, Major Donkey-Ears, is how you take over the world with nothing but a paperclip, a vegan chihuahua, and five dozen 40-Megaton Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. … Yes, I admit, keeping those hidden until Stage 37 of the master plan may be a bit challenging. And yes, some of the finer details need a bit of ironing out. Like the part from buying a single Huawei share to taking over East Asia between steps 126 and 128. But all in all, it is a solid plan. … You know, if you don't want to acknowledge my genius, you'll be degraded to a simple foot soldier and I will take over the world with The Rainbow-colored Unicorn instead. I'll…"
Aviors mad rambling came to a sudden halt. For a good while, he said nothing as he put his damaged mind pulled itself back together.
"What the hell am I even doing?", he sighed, causing the little light body to flicker. He stared out into the void without being able to process and comprehend the absolute non-existence he found himself in.
"Normally I am quite fond of new experiences, but this one definitely overstayed its welcome. I mean, I've been bored before, but this… This is torture.
"Which gets me thinking… Is this hell? I mean, I've never been a religious – or even spiritual- person – or hell a good one, for that matter *huhu*– but I still think this is a bit too much. Then again, it doesn't really match ANY description of hell, sooo… probably not. … Could be Nirvana though. Whole lot of nothing. Except, wasn't the person supposed to vanish upon reaching nirvana? And not the world? Not to mention I wasn't Buddhist either. Never even meditated. Well, not in the way they would have liked it.
"But speaking of Nirvana…" Avior gathered whatever energy he had and cried out into the emptiness.
"CAN I GET AT LEAST SOME GOOD MUSIC?!"
He waited for a reply, but all he got was silence and no rocky Grunge.
"Ah, goddammit. Whatever. It was worth the try."
Having expended all his options, Avior made himself as comfortable as you can be when your body is nothing but a speck of dusty glow.
"I really wish my collections had traveled with me to this shitty afterlife. All those videogames, books, manga, movies… I finally have the time to properly work through them and now they're not here. Not even the fanservice ones. Not even off-brand. For a bit of entertainment, I would even put up with those obnoxious porn ads….
"Well, I'm going completely bonkers now. No wait, I already AM. I never had a tendency to monologue like this. At least not this much. I think."
He fell quiet again as he reflected on the things he did in his past life, fantasized about what he would have done differently, and, most importantly, what he could do now. And he came to a bleak conclusion.
"Well, I guess there isn't much to do for me, except waiting to slip into madness again. Yay. God, I just hope it won't be as whacky as the last fit."
[Suitable Host Soul detected]
"Oh! There we go. Already starting the sweet, sweet descent."
[Initializing Bonding]
[0% …15% …25% …]
"But voices? Seriously? Come on brain, be a bit more creative, will you?"
[40% …55% …60% …]
"But not TOO creative. You might have overdone it a bit last time. A good middle-ground would be nice …
*sigh*
"Whatever. Let's see where this is going."
Being too exhausted to just pointlessly ramble on, Avior decided to lean back and enjoy the ride.
[75% …90% …100%]
[Bonding successful!]
"Aah! Finally! Now let's see what this is all about."
[Booting and initializing Introduction Sequence …]
Avior clicked his tongue in annoyance until he remembered he didn't have one.
"Loading screens don't become more enjoyable after death. And like this, you learn new things every day."
Much to Aviors relief, he didn't have to wait too long. After a few moments, ethereal grey text appeared in his mind, narrated by a genderless, clearly artificial voice, that reminded him of those digital assistants like Cortana and Alexa, though more advanced.
[Congratulation! You have been identified as a suitable host for the Transmigration System. This introduction is intended to answer all questions the Host may have.]
"Uh, visual hallucinations. Stepping up your game there, brain. Nice. Though the scenario is a bit overused. I mean, what is this? Some shitty web novel from some wannabe writer who can barely tell a good story from a bad one. Throwing in an 'oh so funny' fourth wall break of self-realization. Please. Brain. Put a little more effort into it."
Just as Avior was getting in the mood for another incoherent blather, he was interrupted by the AI voice again.
[Host appears to be in a state of confusion. Initiating Mental Health Recovery Program.]
Avior felt as if someone had opened up his head and poured ice-cold water directly on his brain. Not a nice sensation, but it got rid of whatever fog was clouding his mind.
"Ah! Ah, haa, aaaaaaah- … F*CK! Haaaaaaah! Goddammit! Was that really necessary?"
[Yes.]
"F*ck you!"
After cursing and shuddering a while, Avior had to admit that his mind was much clearer now, with even the last bits of madness erased. His personal quirks still remained though.
"Alright, alright. I'll take this seriously then," he said as he regained his composure, "So, please, do tell, oh mysterious system, what is thy purpose?"
Being the overdramatic person he is, Avior put as much emphasis on his sarcasm as possible. With a body, he might have even taken a bit of a bow. Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears.
[The purpose of the Transmigration System is to stimulate change in the worlds of the multiverse and encourage the exchange of vital energies between them.]
It was impossible to tell if the system was not able to recognize sarcasm or if it simply chose to ignore it. When he realized there was no fun to be had, Avior decided to shelve the sarcasm, for now.
���Yes, change, very nice. But why? And where do I come into play?"
[Most worlds have a natural disposition away from foreign influence and towards isolationism. This prevents the diverse array of powers and energies that keep to multiverse running from properly interacting with these worlds. But since these powers and energies are also a fundamental part of the creation and maintenance of all worlds, these disruptions to their proper flow lead to staleness and decay in the world's internal systems. Such worlds will inevitably rot and die.]
Avior listened intently. He was intrigued, but still skeptical. He never was one to trust easily, and he certainly wouldn't start now with a completely unknown entity.
"Ok, isolation, powers not working, staleness, death. I get that. But that still doesn't quite explain my supposed role in all of this."
[With the help of the system, Host will be sent to and travel between different worlds. As a foreign element unaccounted for in the world's internal systems, you will force those systems to change, weakening their defenses and act as an anchor point the multiverses powers can use as leverage to reintegrate those worlds.]
"Yeah, that wasn't hard to guess and it's not the part that I'm interested in," Avior said in a mixture of annoyance and suspicion. He narrowed his non-existing eyes as he pried deeper. "What I am interested in is what exactly you expect me to do."
The system appeared unfazed by the open distrust.
[Host is not required to actively try and change the world. Your existence will naturally evoke the change necessary. However, if Host wishes to take an active role, the system is equipped with various options to support you in your endeavors. But please-]
Becoming curious, Avior interrupted the always neutral voice of the system and asked, "Wait, what options are we talking about?"
[The system is equipped with a shop function which stocks various items, which Host may find helpful during his travels. Those include but are not limited to: bloodlines, magics, martial arts, enchanted equipment, and more. If desired, the system also possesses the ability to offer suggestions on where to focus your efforts in the form of quests.]
Avior was stunned. "This really is like a f*cking cheap isekai."
He took a moment to refocus his attention.
"What about- oh no, wait, you wanted to say something?"
[Yes. Please note that the system constantly tracks the rate of change in the worlds, Host currently inhabits. The rate of change will be measured in points, which will be awarded to the Host to use as you see fit. To be able to advance from one world to the next, Host must first earn 10,000 points in total. Depending on the specific circumstances, the passive accumulation rate of points may be vastly different between worlds. As such, without active intervention, Host may find himself stuck in a world for years.]
"Alright, that answered my next question of what points are. You said I need 10,000 points in total. What if I spend the points I get?"
[The points in Hosts account and the points required to progress are counted separately. Spending points or saving points from previously visited worlds will not influence the count of progress.]
"Hm, easy enough to understand. Then the only major question left would be…" Aviors voice became firm and cold, "What if I refuse?"
The system answered this question with the same swiftness and in the same neutral and informatory manner as all his previous questions.
[If Host wishes to reject the system and its mission, the system will undo the bonding and search for another suitable candidate. It should be noted that to guarantee frictionless operation during all times, especially travel, the system bonds and integrates with the host's soul. As such, there is a very low chance of approximately 0.0023% that undoing the bonding may damage the host's soul.]
This response surprised Avior a bit. "That's it? You'd just go and search for the next guy?" He thought about it and couldn't help but ask again. "So as long as I am willing to take a minuscule risk to damage my soul, you would just bugger off and everything would continue as if we never met?"
[Yes.]
"Well, this is convenient."
While he was thinking about how to proceed, the system presented him with another piece of information.
[It is probably in Host's best interest to take note of the fact that in case of rejection, the system is not authorized to intervene in Host's current situation.]
This set all his alarms off and he immediately paid close attention. He managed to keep the worry out of his voice.
"And what situation am I in that would need intervention?"
Again, a neutral, non-confrontational answer.
[Host is currently in what is mostly referred to as 'The Pit'. The Pit is the region outside the boundaries of the multiverse. It is commonly accepted to be the antithesis of the forces of creation and existence that formed the multiverse. Said forces have little to no power here. Sooner or later everything associated with creation gets annihilated, having any trace of it eradicated.
Host is already in a state of decline. It is advised to come to a decision quickly.]
Avior just stared blankly into the void. He hadn't realized it at first, but now that the system pointed it out to him, he was indeed feeling less… substantial than a while ago.
"In other words, I either take the deal or die the ultimate death. Not really a tough decision then, is it?"
Avior heaved a sigh of resignation.
"So tell me, how is this going to work?"
[Due to Host's current state, possible destinations for the first transmigration will be limited to worlds similar to Hosts homeworld, as to provide a suitable body. Once Hosts condition is more stable, the introduction can proceed.]
"Right, if you say so. Then do your thing, I guess."
Once he realized there was only one reasonable course of action, Avior's laid-back, go-with-the-flow attitude resurfaced.
[Initializing Transmigration Protocol…]
[Does Host wish to transmigrate?
[YES/NO]
"Sure, go for it."
[Initializing transmigration process…]
[Warning! Host might feel discomfort and nausea during the process.]
"Wait, what?"
Avior was caught off guard. But this time, the system apparently didn't want to stop and explain in detail. It simply rushed through the process so fast, Avior had barely any time to brace himself.
[Randomly selecting target world. Applying filters. Target world selected.]
"I asked wha-"
[Beginning transmigration.]
*HURGH*
[Destination: Wizarding World]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone