If you ever want to know how overpowered you are, try carrying a fully loaded vegetable cart like it's a slightly heavy backpack.
"Y-You can put it down now!" Lena yelped for the third time as we approached Havenford's gate.
"It's fine," I said, balancing the front of the cart in one hand while Garron pushed from behind. "Think of this as… resistance training. For the cabbages."
Tom trotted alongside us, eyes sparkling.
"Dad, can we hire him? Just for cabbage emergencies?"
"You can't afford me," I said.
"You literally refused payment," MMA muttered in the back of my skull."Details," I muttered back.The town of Havenford rose ahead: wooden palisade, watchtowers, a wide gate currently open. Flags bearing a simple emblem—a river and a wheat sheaf—fluttered in the breeze. Beyond the wall, rooftops and chimneys crowded together in cozy disarray.Two guards lounged by the gate, spears in hand, trying very hard to look alert and failing. One spotted us and straightened."Ah, Garron!" he called. "Back from the farms already? …Why is a stranger carrying your cart?"Garron chuckled."Because the gods finally decided I deserved a break," he said. "This is Kai. He's strong.""Suspiciously strong," I added.The guard squinted at me."New adventurer?""I prefer the term 'concerned tourist.'"He snorted."Well, as long as you're not another weirdo cultist. Go on, then." He stepped aside. "And Garron, the mayor wants your opinion on the festival layout later.""I'll swing by," Garron said.We rolled into the town proper, the road shifting from packed dirt to cobblestone. Noise rose around us: chatter, haggling, kids yelling, a dog barking at something only it could see.Havenford was… lively.Colorful awnings shaded stalls. A baker shouted about freshly baked bread. A blacksmith's hammer rang in steady rhythm from somewhere deeper in. The air smelled like smoke, spices, and the faint, persistent tang of too many humans in one place.It felt… normal.If you ignored the hairline crack stretching faintly across the sky overhead.[Ambient stability reading: slightly higher inside town boundaries.] MMA's voice was thoughtful. [Some locations act as anchor points. This may be one.]"Anchor points, huh," I thought. "Like pins holding the world together?"[Approximate.]We reached the market square. Garron guided the cart to a familiar corner spot between a stall selling cheap trinkets and another stacked with pottery. He clapped his hands."Alright," he said. "Tom, start arranging. Lena, do a quick count. Kai, you—""Am drafting for dinner," I cut in. "That was the deal, right?""Deal stands." Garron grinned. "You staying at an inn?""Don't have one yet.""You'll want The Copper Acorn," he said. "Two streets down, left at the well with the cracked lion, you can't miss it. Good rooms, decent stew."I nodded."Then I'll let you all handle the great cabbage reorganization. I'll check in at the inn and come back to be paid in food like a responsible, hungry demigod of manual labor."Lena glanced up from the crate she was counting."Um," she said. "Kai?""Yeah?"She fidgeted with a strand of hair."Thank you. Again. For fixing the cart. I… we really would've been in trouble if the caravan came by and saw us blocking the road."I shrugged, trying to keep it casual."Hey, what are multiverse-grade cheat powers for, if not saving innocent cabbages?"Her mouth twitched into a smile."I'll… make something special for dinner," she blurted, then immediately flushed red. "I mean, not special-special, just not-burned special, I mean—""Looking forward to the not-burned special," I said. "See you later."As I walked away, MMA piped up.[Harem probability for Subject: Lena Roen has increased from 63% to 78%.]I pinched the bridge of my nose."Stop quantifying people's crush potential like it's a gacha banner."[If this were gacha, your rates would finally be good for once.]"Low blow."The directions Garron gave were accurate. I passed a stone well with a particularly ugly lion carved on top, its stone lower jaw missing, making the whole thing look like it had seen things and regretted them. A left turn later, a hanging sign depicting a copper-colored acorn came into view.The Copper Acorn was a two-story building with whitewashed walls and sturdy beams, windows thrown open to let in the breeze. Laughter drifted out along with the smell of stew and ale.Inside, the common room was half-full. A few adventurer types—armor, cloaks, suspiciously large swords—occupied one corner. A trio of older women played some kind of card game near the hearth. Behind the counter, a broad-shouldered woman with graying hair wiped a mug with professional aggression.She looked up as I approached."If you're here to sell me discount miracle potions again," she said, "I will personally throw you back out the door.""Then it's good that I'm just here for a room," I said. "Name's Kai."Her expression softened a fraction."Mm. You look too clean to be a potion hawker anyway. I'm Merra. How long you staying?""Not sure yet," I said honestly. "Let's start with… a week?"Her eyebrows rose slightly at that."Paying daily or upfront?"Upfront sounded like the kind of thing responsible adults did. I checked my pockets more out of habit than expectation.To my mild surprise, my fingers brushed coin.I pulled out a small pouch.[Mild starter funds included in reincarnation package.] MMA said. [You're welcome.]"How generous of you," I thought.[You're the one who wrote 'no broke protagonists' in your old drafts.]Merra eyed the coins as I tipped them into my palm—simple copper and a few silver pieces stamped with unfamiliar symbols."That'll cover a week with meals and a bath every other day," she said. "Room on the second floor, third door on the right. If you break the furniture, you fix it. If you bleed on the floor, you mop it.""Reasonable policies," I said. "I'll try not to depress your floor."She snorted."You're alright, kid. Name goes in the ledger." She scribbled something. "Kai, right? Any family?"I hesitated."Not here," I said."Mm." She didn't pry. "Key's on the hook by the stairs. Make yourself at home. Dinner's at sundown."My room was small but clean: bed, desk, chair, small chest, window overlooking the street. A washbasin in the corner. Sunlight angled in, dust motes floating lazily.I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a second."Okay," I murmured. "Step one: base of operations obtained."[Step two: self-assessment.] MMA said. [Now that you're not actively preventing vegetable-based tragedies, it's a good time to explore your interface.]"Fine." I sat on the bed. "Status."The familiar panel appeared again. My stats remained absurd. A new line flickered at the bottom.——————————
WORLD AFFINITY – F-01 (Eldoria: Havenford Region): 1%
NOTES: Locals are starting to accept your presence as 'normal, but weirdly competent.'
——————————"You track how much a world likes me?" I asked.[In crude terms, yes. Higher affinity means smoother synchronization with local rules. It also tends to correlate with how inclined reality is to not drop an anvil on your head.]"Anvils are on the table?"[You are a reality bug and a magnet for narrative karma. Anvils are always on the table.]Another tab blinked into existence at the top of the interface.[BLOODLINE]I focused on it. A new screen unfolded.——————————
PRIMORDIAL MULTIVERSE BLOODLINE – 6.1% AWAKENEDBRANCHES:
– Self-Synchronization: 3.0%Passive intuition bleed from alternate KaisRare spontaneous skill unlocks– Worldline Access: 1.0%Locked travel to other worldsAccess to Multiverse Lobby: 0% (under construction)– Priority Authority: 2.1%Natural override of local probabilityIncreased event density around Host
——————————"Under construction," I read aloud. "Fantastic. Even my cosmic cheat is early access."[You are the first Host of this bloodline. Some features require… building.]"So I'm not just a player, I'm also beta-testing."[Look on the bright side: you get exclusive bugs.]"Those usually involve crashes."Before MMA could argue, there was a knock on my door.I blinked."Uh. Come in?"The door opened a crack, and a young man with messy blond hair peeked in. He wore light leather armor with an emblem on his chest I didn't recognize."Sorry," he said quickly. "Merra said the new lodger was up here. You Kai?""That's me," I said. "If this is about extended warranties, I have traumatic memories."He blinked."I… what?""Never mind. Can I help you?"He pushed the door open properly, stepping in. Up close, he had the faintly frazzled look of someone constantly cleaning up other people's messes."Name's Rel," he said. "I'm part of the local Adventurers' Guild. Merra mentioned a newcomer carried Garron's entire cart through town like it weighed nothing. So the Guildmaster sent me to… investigate.""Ah," I said. "Rumors travel fast.""In Havenford? They move faster than horses." Rel leaned against the doorframe. "You an adventurer?""Not officially.""Looking to register?"I considered it.On the one hand, Guilds meant quests, money, structure. On the other, they also meant bureaucracy and expectations.[Guild registration will provide structured access to crises.] MMA pointed out. [Crisis access accelerates both world stabilization and your harem trait.]"You really don't have to tie everything back to a harem."[You're the one who thought 'multiple worlds, multiple girls, this will be hilarious' in your drafts.]Rel cleared his throat."You okay? You spaced out for a second.""Just arguing with my… inner voice.""Ah." He nodded like that was normal. "We've got a discount at the Guild if you sign up before doing anything stupid outside our supervision.""Emphasis on before, huh?""Trust me," Rel said. "We have enough unofficial heroes already."I hesitated only a moment longer."Alright," I said. "Sign me up.""Great." He pushed off the frame. "Guildhall's not far. You can grab your card, do the basic test, then go back to… whatever it is you do.""Try not to tear the fabric of reality," I muttered."What?""Nothing. Lead on."The Havenford Adventurers' Guild was a two-story building with a wide, open front and a large sign depicting crossed swords and a mug of ale. Inside, the air buzzed with energy: adventurers of all shapes and sizes, a massive quest board covered in papers, a counter staffed by a surprisingly stern-looking old man with spectacles.Rel brought me to the counter."Guildmaster," he said. "This is Kai. The one I mentioned."The old man peered over his specs at me.He had white hair pulled back into a short tail, a lined face, and the kind of gaze that made you feel like you'd just been graded and found slightly above average."So," he said. "You can carry carts.""I can do other tricks, too," I said. "But I figured that's a good start."He snorted."Name's Harven. I run this circus." He slid a wooden form across the counter. "Fill this out."The form was simple: name, age (I wrote 18, which was technically true if you ignored the "died once" part), place of origin (I put "Out of Town" and hoped no one looked too closely at the world border), special skills (I hesitated, then wrote "magic, lifting things, sarcasm").Harven raised an eyebrow at the last one but said nothing."Normally," he said, "we do a short combat evaluation in the yard. But Rel tells me you might break my dummies.""I'd like to avoid accidental property damage," I agreed."We'll start you at Bronze rank anyway," he said. "You can rise if you don't die.""How motivational."He slid a small, metal card across the counter. It glinted bronze.——————————
ADVENTURER CARD ACQUIRED:
NAME: Kai Arden
RANK: BRONZE
——————————[World Affinity (F-01) increased: 1% → 2%.]"Any questions?" Harven asked."Just one," I said. "Has there been anything… weird happening around here lately? Aside from exploding cart wheels."The Guildmaster's expression tightened, just a fraction."Weird how?" he asked slowly."Cracks in things," I said. "Sudden flashes. Places that feel… wrong."Rel shifted uncomfortably."…We've had a few reports," he admitted. "Animals spooked by nothing. Patches of land where magic goes haywire. The priest at the local shrine says the 'veins of the world' are strained."Harven studied me."You ask like you know something about it," he said.I forced a smile."Let's just say I'm interested in world maintenance."He didn't laugh."Bronze rank or not," he said finally, "if you see anything that looks like it wants to eat the sky, you come tell me. Or the Shrine. Or both.""Deal."We left the counter. Rel gave me a sideways glance."You're weird," he said. "But in a… hopefully useful way.""High praise."[Note: local power structures are already primed for impending crisis.] MMA commented. [That will make your job easier. Or harder. Or both.]On the way back to the inn, I took a detour, curiosity tugging at me. At the edge of town, slightly uphill, a small shrine stood under an ancient tree. Stone steps led up to a simple building with a tiled roof and wooden beams, wind chimes tinkling in the breeze.As I approached, a faint sensation prickled at my skin.Not danger.Recognition.[Anchor point detected.] MMA's tone sharpened. [This shrine is connected to one of Eldoria's primary stability lines.]"Like a… plug keeping the world from draining out," I thought.[Sure. Let's go with that plumbing analogy.]A lone figure swept the stone courtyard: a young woman in simple white and blue robes, long black hair tied back with a cord. She moved calmly, focused, each motion precise.When she noticed me, she paused, resting on her broom."Hello," she said. "The shrine's open, if you've come to pray. Or complain. Most people come to complain.""I'm more in the 'trying to understand why the sky looks like cracked glass' category," I said.Her eyes sharpened."You see the fractures?""Hard to miss," I said, glancing up. The cracks laced faintly across the blue, more noticeable here, like this place amplified them.She followed my gaze."…Most people don't," she said quietly. "Only those with strong mana, or… special circumstances.""Let's say I'm a special circumstance."She studied me carefully now, like Merra and Harven had, but deeper, like she was trying to see past my skin."My name is Aria," she said at last. "Caretaker of this shrine. The priests left for the capital months ago and haven't returned, so I'm filling in.""Kai," I said. "New in town. Possibly an undocumented natural disaster in human form."Her mouth twitched."That would explain the feeling.""Oh, good. I'm very comforting."She gestured toward the offering box."Whether you believe in the spirits or not, you should at least say hello," she said. "This shrine is… tired. It likes to know someone still cares."I stepped up to the box. Coins weren't exactly precious to me now, but habit made me treat them like they were. I dropped a single copper in, pressed my hands together, and closed my eyes for a moment."I'm Kai," I thought, feeling ridiculous. "I hear you're holding things together. Sorry you're tired. I'll… try to help. So, uh… hang in there?"The breeze shifted.For a heartbeat, the air thickened. A low hum vibrated in my bones, like a tuning fork had been struck somewhere far below. The cracks in the sky seemed to pulse.Then it was gone.Aria let out a slow breath."…It responded to you," she said. "The land, I mean. That doesn't happen often.""Is that a good thing?""It is a thing," she said. "Good or bad depends on what you do next."[World Affinity (F-01 – Havenford Region) increased: 2% → 4%.]A new notification flickered at the edge of my vision.——————————
SIDE QUEST UNLOCKED:
"Whispers at the Shrine"OBJECTIVE:
– Investigate the strain on Havenford's shrine line.REWARD:
– Increased understanding of Eldoria's core
– Aria's favor (???), Emotional Growth (probably)
——————————I dismissed it for now.Aria leaned on her broom."You feel like… everything and nothing," she said, more to herself than to me. "Like someone took a little piece of everywhere and stuffed it into one body.""That's… not inaccurate," I admitted.She tilted her head."If you're lying about being just a normal traveler, it's a very big lie. But the spirits didn't scream when you prayed, so that's something.""I count 'no screaming spirits' as a win."She smiled faintly."If you intend to stay here a while, come back," she said. "This shrine will probably have more to say to you.""Is that a threat or an invitation?""Yes."As I walked back down the steps, MMA spoke up.[You've contacted two key nodes already: market and shrine.]"I also got a room and joined a guild," I said. "Not bad for day one."[And triggered at least three future romantic flags.]"Lena, Merra, Aria," I guessed.[You catch on fast.]"I'm not dating the innkeeper. She'd kill me if I broke her furniture."[Some people are into that.]"Stop."Even as I argued with my unhelpfully honest system, a part of me felt… lighter. Like puzzle pieces I hadn't known existed were starting to slide into place.Classic fantasy town.Shrine humming with tired power.Guild already bracing for weirdness.And me, a walking multiverse glitch, slotted neatly into the middle of it.The sky above was still cracked.But, for the first time since waking up here, I felt something stubborn push back against the looming weight of it.Determination.Or maybe just the knowledge that getting crushed by cosmic problems wouldn't make a very funny story."Hey, MMA," I thought.[Yes, Host?]"Let's try not to break this world."[Ambitious goal.]"Yeah," I said. "But if I'm supposed to have the Number One Multiverse Bloodline, I might as well act like it means something."[That is the first sensible thing you've said today.]"Don't get used to it."Sundown painted the town in gold as I headed back to The Copper Acorn, stomach rumbling at the thought of "not-burned special" dinner.Day one in Eldoria: survived, mostly without collateral damage.Tomorrow?Tomorrow, I'd start poking the fractures.Gently.Probably.