Kurotsuchi Makoto, just a year out of the Shinigami Academy, loved the Human World.
It wasn't just the architecture, the food, or the sheer density of strange, wonderful technology he'd spent the last century—on and off—studying.
It was the solidity of it.
As a low-ranking Shinigami on patrol in a quiet district of late-night Tokyo, he felt more alive here than he ever did in the antiseptic, rigid structure of Soul Society.
He adjusted his patrol sash, a hand reflexively smoothing over the rough fabric of his shihakusho.
He was running diagnostics in his head, mentally cross-referencing this specific street's historical spiritual saturation against the Academy's theoretical decay models, when a sudden, jarring chime sliced through the spiritual silence.
It sounded like shattered glass and a triumphant fanfare all at once. Makoto froze, scanning the street for the source.
Was it a high-level Hollow? An unseen anomaly?
Then, a clean, luminous blue screen materialized directly in his field of vision.
It was transparent, non-obstructive, yet absolutely solid in his perception.
[DING! Congratulations! The Shinigami Gamer System has been successfully installed!]
Makoto stopped dead. A slow, incredulous grin stretched across his face.
"No way,"
He whispered, a giddy tremor running through his spiritual body.
He knew this!
All those ancient, obscure Human World web novels he'd smuggled and consumed over the decades—the tropes, the mechanics, the wish fulfillment—it was real!
A Gamer System!
This wasn't just strength; this was a roadmap to power. Captain-level?
No, this meant he could surpass even the Royal Guard!
He quickly dismissed the basic [Status] and [Skill] tabs popping up. That could wait.
The system was now presenting a brightly-flashing notification box.
[QUEST ALERT!]
Makoto eagerly leaned in. This was it—the start of his journey! What was the first great task? Defeat a Menos Grande? Find a legendary artifact?
[QUEST: THE GREAT ESCAPE]
Objective: Flee the jurisdiction of Soul Society immediately and permanently.
Time Limit: 72 Hours.
Failure Condition: Death by forced Hollowfication (A 'Dog's Death').
Reward: Survival. Access to Tier 1 System Functions.
Penalty for Failure: Extinction.
Makoto's triumphant grin vanished, replaced by a deep, cold dread that rooted him to the spot.
"WHAT?"
A new window, marked [URGENT CLARIFICATION], appeared above the Quest.
User Makoto Kurotsuchi has been subjected to a highly advanced spiritual manipulation technique by an unknown entity within Soul Society.
This manipulation will result in forced and irreversible Hollowfication within approximately 3-5 months, resulting in the User's immediate execution by the Gotei 13.
The only viable solution is to sever all spiritual links and physical ties to the contaminated area.
Makoto felt his breath hitch, his spiritual pressure spiking erratically.
Hollowfication? Someone did this to him? Why? He was nothing!
A low-ranking cog in a massive machine!
His mind, usually so analytical, reeled.
But the knowledge from the Human World returned just as quickly.
The System was life, and the System didn't lie about existential threats.
Someone wanted him dead, and had given him a deadline.
He looked around the quiet street—the blinking red lights of a distant taxi, the warm glow of a closed ramen shop—and made his choice.
Soul Society could wait. Survival was the priority.
"Seventy-two hours,"
He muttered, pulling down his shihakusho collar and pressing a mental button on the screen. [ACCEPT QUEST].
The System responded instantly with a new set of instructions, the countdown clock already ticking down in the corner of his vision.
[071:59:58]
…
The digital timer was an aggressive, constant reminder.
Makoto didn't hesitate.
He mentally pulled up his [Status] screen while using his long-cultivated Stealth skill (LVL 15) to melt back into the shadows of the nearest alleyway.
His senses were on high alert, scanning the sky for any spiritual disturbance that might indicate a Shinigami patrol, though their presence was rare here.
He prioritized the information he needed most: raw stats and new passive skills.
The screen refreshed, presenting his data in the familiar, game-like format he'd only read about until now.
===Status===
Name Kurotsuchi Makoto
Title System Bearer
Level 1 (First awakening)
HP 100 / 100
Reiatsu 350 / 350
EXP 0 / 100 (Toward Level 2)
Pow 10
End 12
Dex 18
AGI 15
MAG 5
INT 20
Makoto blinked. His physical stats were abysmal—far lower than the average Shinigami initiate, a fact he'd always known and compensated for with technique.
However, his INT (Intelligence) was a high 20. That was his greatest asset: his knowledge, his academic mind, and his ability to process information.
System Note: The User's Reiatsu is currently capped at 350 due to low Level and Endurance. This value will increase exponentially with growth.
He swiped to the [Skill] tab, heart pounding. The system didn't just give him a new interface; it gave him the fundamentals.
===Skill===
1. Gamer's Mind MAX (Passive) Provides complete mental fortitude. Effect: Immunity to fear, psychological stress, and high-pressure spiritual assaults.
2. Gamer's Body MAX (Passive) Converts the body into a stable avatar. Effect: Renders the User immune to sickness and biological toxins.
3. Observe (New!) LVL 1 (Active) Allows the User to gather basic information on targets (objects, people, phenomena). MP Cost: 1 per use.
4. Spiritual Perception LVL 5 (Passive) Base Shinigami skill. Allows detection and tracking of spiritual signatures (Reiatsu).
5. Flash Step (Shunpo) LVL 3 (Active) Standard Shinigami movement technique. Reiatsu Cost: 10 per activation.
6. Zanpakutō (Shikai)
The Gamer's Mind was the game-changer. His low stats meant he would need every scrap of concentration and mental resilience to survive this.
With that, he could think clearly, even under the pressure of immediate death.
With his mental state secured, Makoto focused on his environment. His intellectual training kicked in.
A temporary sanctuary was needed—a place easily accessible but nearly impossible for Shinigami to locate without direct, high-level orders.
He remembered his studies of Tokyo's infrastructure:
* Rule 1: Avoid high spiritual concentration. No temples, cemeteries, or areas with frequent Hollow appearances.
* Rule 2: Maximize structural density. A place with too many Reishi (spiritual particles) would make him stand out, but too many mundane, physical structures (concrete, steel) would mask his faint presence.
Makoto's eyes landed on a massive, abandoned subterranean structure nearby—an unfinished section of the complex Tokyo metro system, sealed off decades ago due to construction flaws and forgotten by the municipal memory.
It was perfect. Deep underground, surrounded by meters of reinforced earth and concrete, spiritually inert, and far from any central spiritual nexus.
He activated his Flash Step (Shunpo), a flicker of movement—not graceful, but fast—moving him swiftly toward an access tunnel he knew only from historical municipal blueprints.
The next step was clear: He had 72 hours to leave Soul Society's jurisdiction. But how? He needed to get far away.