Multiverse: Starting with Mushoku Tensei

Jiang Feng felt as though his consciousness was being pulled and kneaded, as if someone were tossing him around like dough.

When he finally came to and struggled to open his eyes, he was startled by a face suddenly looming close to his.

On instinct, Jiang Feng struck out, landing a solid hit on the handsome face in front of him.

The blond man let out a yelp of pain, clutching his eye as he stumbled backward onto the floor.

Clearly, this guy wasn't taking the blow lightly.

Jiang Feng took a closer look at the young man writhing on the ground.

He was tall and well-built, with striking golden hair and deep blue eyes. His toned physique was evident but not overly muscular. He wore simple yet clean and neat clothes: a white shirt and black pants.

However, it seemed he had made one small mistake—getting too close.

Blinking innocently, Jiang Feng thought to himself: It's your fault for leaning in, not mine.

"Paul, are you okay?" a gentle female voice called out.

Paul, still covering his eye, waved his hand weakly and replied, "I'm fine, I'm fine. It looks like our child is full of energy!"

Getting up, Paul forced a slightly awkward smile despite his swollen, reddened eye.

Jiang Feng studied the man's features again. Finally, it hit him—this was Paul Greyrat.

Turning his gaze to the young blonde woman lying in bed, he saw her soft, flowing golden hair cascading down her back. Her features were elegant and refined, her emerald-green eyes slightly fatigued but brimming with warmth. She had a tall, graceful figure exuding noble charm. This could only be Zenith Greyrat.

Raising his chubby little hands and sensing his frail baby body, Jiang Feng quickly pieced things together: I've been reincarnated.

But into who?

Had he somehow become Rudeus?

His train of thought was interrupted by Paul's voice.

"Let's name you Roah Greyrat!" Paul declared with enthusiasm.

Jiang Feng—no, Roah now—blinked at the youthful Paul. His face still carried traces of immaturity, his green eyes sharp and prideful, with his lips slightly curled into the confident smile of someone who hadn't yet experienced many setbacks.

Roah scanned his surroundings and spotted a red-haired girl wearing glasses nearby.

It was Lilia, Paul's former comrade and now the Greyrat family's maid.

Lilia was observing the baby in the swaddle—Roah—with a curious but cautious expression. His round, chubby cheeks and faint yellowish hair gave him an adorably soft appearance. However, what set him apart were his golden eyes. Unlike Paul and Zenith's green ones, Roah's eyes were pure and clear, resembling a pristine spring.

But something about them unsettled her.

Almost instinctively, she felt that this child was different.

Their gazes met.

Roah's golden eyes seemed to penetrate her soul, emanating warmth and comfort. Lilia blinked, her initial discomfort fading into reluctant acceptance.

She didn't know why, but she couldn't muster even a shred of dislike for this peculiar baby.

Roah turned his attention elsewhere. Scanning the room, he saw no other figures. For now, it was just the four of them in this household.

'So I haven't reincarnated into Rudeus after all…'

And judging by the current situation, he seemed to have arrived before Rudeus was born.

What a strange twist of fate, he thought.

---

Paul carefully picked up Roah and carried him over to Zenith, who smiled warmly as she cradled the baby in her arms.

Her refined features radiated a soft glow of maternal love, captivating even Roah for a moment.

Truly, a goddess of a woman, Roah thought. How unfortunate that such a fine woman ended up with someone like Paul.

Paul grinned and poked Roah's chubby cheek. "Come on, say 'Mommy'!"

Caught off guard, Roah hesitated before babbling a few incoherent baby sounds.

Paul and Zenith exchanged delighted smiles, clearly pleased with the response.

'Fine, have it your way,' Roah thought, resigning himself to the situation. He silently stared at the ceiling, muttering inwardly:

'Forgive me. This is beyond my control.'

---

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

A two-year-old boy with golden hair and golden eyes lay in his room, reflecting on his situation.

For some reason, his hair had grown unusually fast. At just two years old, it was already waist-length.

Roah stared at his reflection in the mirror, sighing.

The mirror showed a delicate, doll-like face with soft, angelic features. His golden eyes sparkled with clarity, and his long hair draped gracefully over his shoulders.

'I'm a guy, right?'

Though his young age and underdeveloped features made it hard to tell, his appearance was undoubtedly leaning toward the feminine.

He quietly checked his "equipment" for reassurance, letting out a relieved sigh.

But still, is this really okay?

His room wasn't large but had everything he needed. A thick magic book lay on the table—a gift he'd pestered Zenith for.

Paul and Zenith had been quite attentive when he was first born, but soon enough, they became preoccupied with… other activities.

Love aside, children really are just accessories to some people, Roah thought, shaking his head.

Lying on the soft bedding, he felt its warmth but couldn't shake the chill in his heart.

'Today, I may look like a girl, but I have the heart of a man!'

---

Opening the floating interface in the bottom-right corner of his vision, a transparent panel appeared before him.

The system interface was simple, with only three functions:

[1. Character Attributes

2. World Capture

3. System Store]

Unfortunately, every item in the System Store was grayed out, locked from purchase.

It was clear that the Main God was still very angry, denying him shopping privileges altogether.

The only consolation was the incredible stroke of luck he'd had during reincarnation.

Scrolling through the store, Roah saw his Fool talent on the first page, third row. Its price was astronomical: 100 million points and three S-rank purchase permissions.

His Greed talent wasn't any cheaper, requiring 1 million points and two A-rank purchase permissions.

Though he had no concept of what points or permissions actually represented, Roah guessed these were unattainable numbers for most system users.

'Looks like I hit the jackpot—fleeced the system so hard it probably bled.'