1 Chapter 1 EDMUND
" " Dialogue
-- -- Internal thought
«» Written note or letter
*** Scene break
() Explanatory author's note
Have you ever felt your hot blood demanding adventure into the unknown, inaccessible to most of the population?
For example, as an amateur archaeologist and historian, I dreamed of discovering new cultures or unexplored ruins, walking through the jungle and finding lost treasures, having an adventure worthy of a video game.
At the age of 12, I remember walking with my metal detector around my grandparents' old house in the countryside, hoping to find the treasure that, according to my grandmother's stories, was buried during the conquest to never be found again, only to find scrap and aluminum.
Have you ever had the feeling of being born too late or too early,
For example, as a professional engineer, I was born too early for space travel, immersive virtual reality, or AI butlers, and too late for a simple advancement in production methods to be considered revolutionary for the world.
That feeling is what today, after 28 years of living on this earth, is the only thing I can feel, too young to have experienced half of what life had to offer, too young to have the acceptance that elders have of having lived a full life or having left a mark on the world.
Anger, rage, sadness, guilt, half for the plans, for the regrets of a wasted youth in self-isolation, the other half for the plans deliberately postponed and that I won't have time to fulfill.
How I ended up in this situation, although curious, nothing extraordinary, in the factory where I work repairing assembly machinery, simple work and a bad salary but overtime paid too well to look for another place.
And there I was, repairing the new machine that according to my boss was a bargain that would save us a lot of maintenance, the damn thing hadn't even been operational for two days and it broke down, saving us the damned Chinese machines.
And while I was kneeling trying to see what went wrong...
The damn thing falls apart, with the bad luck that a piece of metal shoots out cutting my neck.
And here I am Edmund, a rolling head that can only think how funny it is that the safety helmet is still in place, making sure that in my last moments it doesn't injure my skull.
Fucking Chinese machines.
267 AD Winterfell
In a secluded corner of the Godswood, digging at the foot of an oak tree, was a child no older than 5 years old, his eyes shining with determination and confidence that made his gray eyes sparkle, pausing for a moment he put his hand in the hole in front of him. The hole, quite deep to have been dug with his hands and a small branch, extended into the roots of the tree, and there, as if born from the root itself, was a silver glow.
"Look Tata, I told you it was around here, I knew it, I dreamed it."
A few meters behind where the child was sitting on a rock, an elderly woman meditated, her face, although betrayed by the passage of time by the obvious age lines, had an almost youthful smile.
"You're right, little wolf, from here I can see the glow, it seems that the hours under the snow will not be in vain. Now step aside so I can help you get it out of its root and ice prison."
"Don't worry, grandmother, I'll call Duncan to come and break the root."
"Hahaha, it's not necessary, little wolf."
Rising, the old woman walked slowly towards the hole. The child, stepping back somewhat incredulous at the woman who called herself grandmother, moved aside. For a moment, the only thing that could be observed on the child's face was his pure and true amazement at the change that was happening before his eyes, as the old woman seemed to regain all the strength that the decades had taken from her and with the help of her cane, with a single and resounding blow, she separated the silver prize from the root.
The old woman slowly took out a handkerchief, wrapped the loot in it, and placed it in the child's hands.
"Let's go, little wolf, it's time to go back, your mother should be looking for you to eat."
***
The child ran into a small garden covered by walls and roofs of yellow and greenish glass enclosed in wooden frames, through which a faint light entered. Inside the dome were a variety of crops from cabbages, carrots, as well as some fruit trees like apples and plums amidst all that vegetation, which was undoubtedly the most varied and impressive that you could find in all of Winterfell and several kilometers around, there was a table that served as a dining room surrounded by an infinity of winter roses as if embracing the space.
There, sitting already at the table, were three people, two adults: a man and a woman, and a child not much older than him. All with the characteristic
Trying to appear as calm as possible, he approached but before he could even greet, the man spoke with a tone of reprimand.
"You're late again and looking like a beggar, are those the manners you're learning? You must understand that your position always implies a certain decorum," Said the man.
Lowering his gaze, the child sat next to the woman.
Placing her hand on her husband's shoulder, the woman smiled as she gently removed the leaves from the child's hair. His hair was deep and shiny black brown despite being covered in mud and snow.
"Alright, let's leave the lessons for later, now tell me, my little wolf, what fantastic adventure did you embark on today, did you go to see Mikken and his father work in the forge or maybe to the kennels to see the new puppies?"
"No, Mom, today I went to Godswood with Tata to look for a treasure," said the child, taking out a handkerchief from his pockets and showing it to his mother.
"Oh! And what did my little one find this time," said the woman, unwrapping the handkerchief only to be astonished by the figurine that was revealed.
The figurine in question was a fifteen-centimeter silver wolf, with strange engravings on its underside.
"Wow, what is that!" exclaimed the other child who had remained silent until now, devouring the meat in front of him.
Taking it in one hand while scratching his beard with the other, the man responded, "It's a silver wolf, quite ancient it seems. The engravings on the bottom seem to be ruins of the First Men. The strangest thing is that it hasn't turned greenish or darkened over time."
"It's a litter wolf, I saw it last time I checked the books on northern traditions in the library. The First Men of the region used to give pregnant women a figurine of a lying wolf as good wishes, believing it provided protection to both the mother and the child during childbirth. That's why I looked for it, so that both your sister and you stay healthy," replied the child as he retrieved his wolf from his father's hand.
"Oh, Ned, you don't have to worry about that. It's very sweet of you to care about the baby and me, but you know we'll be fine, Maester Walys will take care of us both," his mother hugged him tenderly, tears in her eyes.
"I'm sure the Old Gods will hear your good wishes, son, but how can you be sure the baby is a girl? Wouldn't you prefer a brother to play with?" said the father, looking at the child with a smile.
"No, no, a girl is better. If it turns out to be another boy like my brother Brandon, I don't think I have the strength or time to keep both of us out of trouble."
"Hey, I don't get into trouble!... much, well not on purpose," the other child finished the last part almost whispering.
"Hahaha." x 3
***
"Two years," murmured Edmund lying in his room within Winterfell, --Two years since I arrived in this world and assumed the role of a child Eddard Stark, two years to finally claim the rewards that the damned promised me. Although I must say they are better than I thought they were at first.--
Retrospective scene
Floating in space following a white path were countless souls, along the soft trail were many signs warning souls not to stray from the marked path and not to follow the flames on the horizon. In this march, Edmund's soul, still taciturn and shocked by his sudden decapitation, followed the procession. In an act of childish rebellion, he decided to follow one of the many flames on the horizon for a moment, nothing happened as he walked, or rather floated, towards the flame until the moment he touched it.
Suddenly he found himself in a gray room trapped in a tiny cage. In front of him, a man in a black suit looked at him with curiosity.
"So, little soul, I see that the warning signs didn't dissuade you from venturing into the darkness, your parents would be very disappointed in your behavior," Said the being with a macabre smile.
"Edmund, a pleasure, enthusiastic archaeologist, faithful and romantic until proven otherwise, engineer, for those who ask, high-performance athlete, second coming of Michael Jordan until an arrow hit my knee, and rolling head in my last moments of life. As for the signs, don't you know that those prohibition signs only encourage people to do exactly the opposite? Besides, I didn't have parents who taught me anything, my grandparents were more about encouraging adventures despite the risks."
"HAHAHA Datanaell, nice to meet you, second coming of Michael Jordan although we both know that with your 1.66 meters in height you wouldn't have even made it to high school... besides, you're right, ever since those damn signs were put up, there are more souls like you every time. If they served any purpose, there wouldn't be people falling into the Grand Canyon."
"Well, what's next? Am I going to hell, eternal torture, or maybe you'll devour me for breakfast?" "All are good valid options, maybe if you had followed another flame, there are very evil guys in other rooms. As for me, none of that appeals to me."
"Great, so it's my lucky day then, if you don't count the fact that I've just been decapitated." "Luck, yes, maybe not as lucky as you should be if you had followed the path to the end. Anyway, first I must inform you that the path you were following led to one of the most anticipated offices by most mortals, the Reincarnation and Wishes Office," he said with a smile, waiting for Edmund's reaction.
"Damn, my OP isekai with an elf harem."
"Sad, yes, absolutely cliché, as half of those who go in that office ask for the same wishes that break the world. For you, something a little different awaits, you see, I used to work in that office until I mistakenly sent a guy to the wrong universe as the protagonist of an NTR world.
"Damn poor bastard, may luck be with him."
"Yes, well, it happens a lot, low pay and too many overtime hours, but not as bad as the guy who was sent to the Warhemmer Universe and ended up as a test slave. By the way, yes, it was me who did it but it's not my fault that his wish was genetic resistance and not being able to die except in glorious battle, the adeptus captured him and the rest is history."
"..."
"But well, the profession is not forgotten, right? You can take the boy out of the field but not the field out of the boy. So what I offer you are two options: I can reincarnate you into a random world with 3 specific traits. Of course, the world I'll send you to exists so take it seriously, no created or fictional world, I don't have that power, basically a soul swap with another being who died in a real existing world. Compared to the office above, which basically creates a new world according to the user's requests and which disappears when the soul returns here... or I could recommend you to work in the Company, you know your history of accepting a low salary and continuous overtime hours make you an excellent asset for this Office, you'll see the benefits..."
"Reincarnate me, I won't go back to working in an office, let alone in customer service. I tried, I swear, the worst years of my life." Edmund replied before the man could even finish.
"Well, I see there's no way to change your mind. Anyway, hiring is a matter of human resources. So, reincarnation and wishes, since I don't have much authorization due to my banishment, the wishes you can acquire are limited, only those that have already been requested by other souls. Also, they have an inconvenience and lack description. Normally, I would have to explain them to you and adjust them so that you don't end up killing yourself before even knowing how, but you know, too much paperwork, so think carefully. Besides, you won't receive the usual corrections, so think carefully. I ordered them according to the most requested ones," He said as he presented three lists to Edmund with names of wishes separated into three sections.
Body Trait
Mental Trait
Special Power
In the first list referring to the body, Edmund found thousands of names referring to wishes that had been granted before.
Super strength.
Super speed.
Enhanced vision.
Night vision.
X-ray vision.
Healing factor.
Poisonous body.
Ethereal beauty.
Advanced metabolism.
...
..
.
-- ¡¡¡What the hell, who asks for a big double penis and why is it so high on the list?!!! Relax, let's leave that, most of these wishes sound great, but his look when he mentioned inconveniences is annoying, like fitness sellers or something like that.
Well, I could choose super strength with the risk that my bones won't hold up or something like that.
Super speed without dynamic vision would be like not seeing anything while you move or worse, I remember a novel where I altered perception and I don't want to live in slow motion for the rest of my life.
The vision improvements are more of the same, inconveniences if I can't turn them off.
As for beauty, it's a no-no until I know what world they'll send me to, I don't want to end up being an irresistible slut for someone's collection or something like that.
Decisions, decisions... for now, let's move on to the next one.--
Mental Trait
Photographic memory.
Superior intelligence.
Improved reflexes.
Parallel thinking.
Bullet time.
...
..
.
--The first one is a total no, at least not without knowing its scope. I still remember Borges and his story of Funes the Memorious, so no.
In the others on the list, I still see inconveniences, but I think I could choose bullet time. Wait a second, why did he say I wouldn't receive any correction? I'll transmigrate just as I was on Earth, damn it! If only I had known, I would have taken better care of my body. Damn it!
But it could also mean that I won't be able to communicate or my race won't adapt to the fiction, damn it x2!
I don't think it's like in the movies where all aliens speak English or Spanish. By my luck or probability, I'll end up in some Eastern story, worst case scenario, I'll end up in something interstellar and I don't want to end up in a world of reptiles where I can't communicate or know if they're upset by my appearance, maybe happy for dinner... I think I have no choice, well, decided.--
"Now, what do we have on the last sheet-"
Special Power
System
Sharingan
World Map
Infinite Money
Mind Control
Mecha
Fire Control
Great Sage
Infinite Storage Space
Unlimited Mana
...
..
.
Wealth Vision
..
"Hahaha." Edmund laughed as he paused on an option right in the middle of the list.
--Who wants an eye with conjunctivitis or something similar, this is the best special power of all, nothing more useful.--
(Warning: the point of view is Edmund's and is totally biased due to his own desires; it does not imply that there are better options, it's just a person fulfilling a childhood fantasy.)
--Well, that just leaves the option of a demonic body trait again. Let's finish reading the list and decide later; in any case, I can choose some minor passive ability to mitigate risks.--
A few hours later,
"What the hell! Sorry, Datanaell, why the hell is this ability so low on the list? I agree it's a bit vague, but isn't it basically a TRAMP card?"
"Hmm, it seems the reason is more complicated than you think. Normally, the people who choose this ability are terminally ill or elderly, but that makes it complicated. You know, to get here, the soul needs a certain degree of regret or unwillingness to die, or exceptional cases of people with too much good karma. Most of the first type of people who come to the office are young like you, angry enough or strangely happy for the second chance. Tell me the truth, if it weren't for the limitations, would you have considered this wish?"
"You're right; I can think of a thousand things I'd wish for more."
"Now, the second type of people are those elderly or terminally ill ones whom karma gives the chance, and as incredible as it may seem, most of them decide not to reincarnate or ask for blessings for others before going to paradise. In fact, I only remember one peculiar case of a young man who wished for this desire and ended up becoming the mayor of one of the most powerful nations in his world, you know, slaying dragons with his multi-tool to plant corn the next second."
"Wow, isn't that a big secret you shouldn't be telling or something?"
"Nah, nothing that some people in your world haven't guessed already."
"Okay, then it seems I've decided on my three traits."
"Very well, before you embark on the adventure of your life, I have to give you some generalities. The body you'll possess will have to have some causal event that connects you both. Appearance, name, values, or a shared present or future moment, something that connects you. You won't have the host's memories, and when you cash in your wishes, I hope you're alone because you'll shine like Madonna at the Super Bowl. After that little warning, all that's left to say is have a good trip; a long journey awaits you. With these last words, a dark vortex opened up and began to swallow Edmund's soul. "Oh, something before I disappear, could you tell me which world you'll send me to?"
"Of course, why not? I have some friends who agreed to your transfer to their world, although I warn you that only the gods of a few factions, out of the many that control the world, accepted it, but don't worry, they'll hide you from the others. The world is a book that was quite well known before your death, medieval fantasy without elves, unfortunately. It was called, I believe, A Song of Ice and Fire or Game of Thrones for series lovers. By the way, something for the journey, nothing exact, but maybe it can help you a little; it will burn with time, so don't try to keep it," Datanaell said as he tossed a book to him."
With that, the soul was completely swallowed.
Sailing through space at inconceivable speeds, a soul found itself reading a book.
--Damnation from all places, I'm sent to a fiction that never finishes writing itself, the only thing I have is what seems to be an inaccurate account of the world I'm heading to, well, that's better than my fragmented memories of the series, please let it be more like the book than the series, don't forget that, the series at least ended even though nobody is as handsome as in the series, it would be better if all this magic and strange things were in the book. I just hope not to reincarnate into an NPC that matches my name, hopefully I possess someone important or at least not a slave.--
Returning to his book to read it for the tenth time, the soul continued its journey.
End of the flashback
It's only been a month since I finally got an individual room necessary for the privacy required for a person or a reincarnated soul used to living alone since the age of 15, mainly because I finally got my gifts and shined for a night like Beyoncé or was it Madonna, I don't know, I got them anyway.
The first power is the one that allowed me to get the wolf I gave to my mother.
Wealth Vision:
Allows the bearer to identify by colors any source of wealth they designate as such, as well as see the people who will bring them wealth under their employment, the light will change if that thing or person affects or will affect the fortune and wealth of the bearer.
Existing colors and their changes.
Reach: 500 km.
Modified Wealth Vision:
The bearer can only see lights where treasures worth more than 5 maximum units in their world are located, the colors vary according to their rarity or historical or monetary value.
Current World: Plateros.
Minimum Measurement Unit: 5 Golden Dragons.
Colors: blue-common, green-rare, gold-epic, red-mythic, black-???
Reach: 500 Meters.
--Okay, maybe I didn't think too much about this choice but as an amateur archaeologist who wouldn't want a pointer that points to where the lost treasures are. Come on, if I had this ability, I would just have to walk through my grandparents' field to be sure where the damn treasure was.-
To my surprise, there are few blue and green points around the Godswood of Winterfell.
Today was my first exploration with great success, it seems that from tomorrow I will return there to see what other objects it hides, what better way to spend my time discovering treasures around Winterfell before everything goes to hell in the coming years.
Suddenly, just as I was about to go to sleep thinking about which blue or green point I would rescue tomorrow, I started shining again for a few seconds.
Out of nowhere, a note fell on my head.
«Hello Edmund or should I say Eddard Stark now, First congratulations you adapted very well to your new life that journey through the abyss really fixed some of your insecurities and ticks from your past life, or would it be more accurate to say it erased those parts of you so again congratulations on your new life you know a clean slate.
Don't tell me you hadn't noticed hahaha but seriously what person from the 21st century would adapt so quickly to the medieval era I mean come on toilets video games all those attachments you didn't know you had until you were away from them.
Although well not everyone I believe with time you will realize.
By the way, one of your hosts changed your arrival destination a bit to correct some unforeseen inconveniences that's why you arrived so far North of your original destination but they will contact you and explain it to you.
Finally, apparently not sending you to hell for straying from the path made me get sent a fruit basket and from the Charons, and a check from their boss, apparently hell whatever it is has been saturated since Twitter was created so they appreciate not sending more work to their already saturated system. That's why I decided to give you a gift, nothing significant really not as impressive as it sounds, so here you have a fourth gift... Observe and level baby.»
-oh my !-
«Don't get excited, nothing spectacular you can't see others' abilities or attributes at most a description of the target and the total level.
You can't cheat or level up like a Gamer or get abilities by walking, but it allows you to see your own growth nothing tedious, I promise, there are no thousands of levels I just thought that for someone as unmotivated as you seeing growth in numbers or on a panel could motivate you you know, like spending hours making rings in Skyrim just to see that damn smithing at 100 even though the dragon armor is less impressive than the daedric one. As for the levels and stuff discover it the medieval world is very slow so you'll have time. See you later Eddard good luck with the shit that's coming your way.»
(Author's note... With this, I think we can say goodbye to Datanaell god of reincarnation for now, they will not interfere in the protagonist's world, only, maybe we'll see a point of view reacting to Ed's journey you know something like demons the guy you sent is wreaking havoc or your guy is wonderful. On the other hand, as Datanaell mentions the levels will not influence the story they only serve for both me and you to have an idea of Ed's growth I'll try to make it as least OP as possible to avoid having to nerf it later)
__________________________
I'm a free man due to a work accident and finally have time to put this idea I have in my head on paper. I usually read a lot of fanfics and I detest those that remain unfinished when the plot is developing.
I read on various novel platforms and wanted to publish it here since what I enjoy most are the reactions and memes from the comments so welcome
What to expect this is a novel of kingdom building, war, and archaeological adventure how will I fit them into one story... I have a plan I promise for the purpose of achieving it I will make small modifications to the timeline. Nothing IMPORTANT if there is a change that I make and is not clear I will try to put it in this part.
As a great author says PEACE AND CHEESE.
