His Name

With a sensation of falling and the appearance of a golden phantom in his memory—

The dream ended.

As sunlight streamed through the window, the boy lying in bed reluctantly got up. After all, he'd promised to at least show up at school on the first day. Though he had a pessimistic view of so-called "youth," a promise was a promise, just like the "trust" in his name, "Ping Xin" (平信).

Sitting up, the young man ruffled his messy hair and pushed his bangs aside to get a clear view of his room—a desk, a wardrobe, a storage cabinet, and a bed. If not for the oversized furniture, it would look like any ordinary high schooler's room.

After rolling around in bed for a bit, he reached up and fumbled for his phone, which he'd left there before falling asleep. Ping Xin wasn't a heavy phone user, neither in his previous life nor this one. Besides, smartphones in this world were still in their early stages, having only appeared a few years ago. For someone who had experienced the full glory of the internet era in his past life, they were still lacking.

Oh, right—he, Asukama Ping Xin, was a transmigrator.

Or more accurately, a reincarnator. Unlike many of his predecessors, he hadn't been reborn into the body of a handsome high school student with perfect looks. Instead, he'd been "reforged" from scratch, starting over from birth.

The reason he didn't consider the possibility of sneaking across the Naihe Bridge or developing immunity to Meng Po's soup was that this world's development trajectory was different from his previous one. Aside from the subtle differences, like famous painters, scientists, kings, and knights all being women—as if a dating sim's world had become reality—there were also the ubiquitous anime-style hair and eye colors. People here were generally more attractive, and the gender ratio seemed skewed, with women making up the majority of the young people he knew. It was baffling.

Their flashy, meticulously designed appearances made the ordinary black-haired, dark-eyed boy envious. Why was he still so average even after transmigrating?!

Aside from these "details," the biggest difference between this life and his previous one—at least in Ping Xin's eyes—was that Yan Country and Dong Country had formed an alliance to face external threats, especially against a certain democratic superpower. This was both a surprise and a shock!

Explain to me what the hell this surprise is supposed to be.jpg

Back in 2000, the two countries had been at odds, each struggling with their own economic issues. How had they suddenly reconciled? Not only reconciled but also entered into a comprehensive strategic partnership? It was as if their leaders had been collectively hypnotized in the 1990s.

Now, the two nations were closer than close, a relationship so unthinkable in his previous life that anyone proposing such an "if" scenario would have been laughed out of the room.

Even sci-fi writers wouldn't dare use this setting.jpg

But all of this had happened before he was born, and over time, he'd grown used to it. After all, his father was from Yan Country, and his mother was a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko from Dong Country. The two had eloped and married abroad, a story so romantic it could have been a movie. As their only son, Ping Xin couldn't very well reject the parents he'd longed for in his previous life.

Moreover, perhaps due to the butterfly effect of the alliance, the "mold" that had infested every corner of the world in his previous life was nowhere to be seen here. The world was peaceful, focused on development. From this perspective alone, Ping Xin couldn't dismiss the alliance.

Long live peace!

As a child in this life, he'd fantasized about having a cheat system, a golden finger, or a beautiful girl or old man living in a ring (?) like in the novels he'd read or the anime he'd watched. But as time passed, those thoughts faded. The care and love he'd only received from the orphanage director in his previous life were now abundant, coming from many different people. That was enough for Ping Xin.

After all, he was the type who preferred to rely on his own efforts rather than some mysterious external power. Cheat abilities could vanish at any moment or come with deadly tasks. In the end, he trusted himself the most.

Fortunately, aside from the gender-swapped historical figures and the Yan-Dong alliance, the world's history largely mirrored his previous one. The technology here was more advanced, but the entertainment industry lagged behind. The existence of a certain Stark Industries and a familiar family of three across the ocean did make him a bit uneasy...

But overall, Ping Xin was satisfied with his life. Using the knowledge, skills, and foresight from his previous life, he'd achieved some success. He was content—so content that he wouldn't mind if his life continued this peacefully.

At 13, an unexplained illness left him bedridden for a year and a half, stunting his growth and leaving his body weak. To this day, he was deeply self-conscious about his height, which had become a taboo topic among certain groups.

Just as he was recovering, another blow struck, further damaging his mental state. The series of misfortunes transformed him from a soft man indulging in the comforts of this life back into the relentless fighter he'd been in his previous one. The more life tried to weigh him down, the harder he fought back!

But this time, he wasn't alone. He had to think carefully before acting, avoiding the self-destructive tactics of "burning myself to light the way" or "trading one for one, or one for many."

This was Ping Xin—a transmigrator without cheats, a pitiful man who had found happiness only to lose it, a warrior determined to protect his family at all costs!

But today, he decided to take it easy...

The man who had just been praised for his resilience immediately chose to slack off. After all, what was the point of fighting when lazing around was so much more comfortable? He'd barely touched the inheritance left by his parents, as the dividends from projects he'd spearheaded using his foresight and the royalties from songs he'd copied or composed himself on YouTube were enough to support him and his sister for life.

I worked hard my whole previous life. Can't I enjoy myself in this one?

Let the music play, let the dance continue!

Ahem. In any case, Ping Xin was strict with himself but surprisingly easy to satisfy. Right now, he was more interested in seeing how the dream would continue than going to school.

I want to get close to a beautiful girl in my dreams. School is such a nuisance.jpg

Dream, take two!

"...I'd better set an alarm. I promised 'Xiao Shi' I'd at least show up at school today. But... as long as I go, that's enough, right?"

Using the dirty excuse of an adult, Ping Xin's credibility immediately dropped by 50%. Groggy, he struggled in bed for a while, but his movements were less effective than a Magikarp's Splash. Finally, he rolled over and grabbed his phone from the nightstand.

No particular reason—his hand was just numb. As everyone knows, holding a position for a long time is exhausting, especially when your arm is raised. For someone as physically weak as him, it was even worse.

After unlocking his phone and pushing his bangs aside, he checked the time—

Huh, it's only 30 minutes past. I can sleep a bit more...

Three seconds later, the boy attempted a carp leap but ended up rolling out of bed. Thankfully, the carpet cushioned his fall, and aside from the ungraceful landing, everything was fine... or so he told himself.

Why was it 10:30? He'd set the alarm for 7:30!

For a physically weak (and lazy) boy like him, the first criterion for choosing a school was that it had to be close to home. Dong Country's schools started at 8 a.m., and it took less than 10 minutes to walk to Seijo Middle School. He could even eat, play with cats, and walk dogs along the way. Compared to his previous life, where he had to be at school by 6 a.m. for morning reading, this was practically a vacation.

But since he was already late... maybe he should just skip?

The dark side of his mind urged him to give up entirely. It wasn't surprising, given that Ping Xin's memories of school in both lives were far from pleasant. The psychological scars from his childhood in his previous life had left him with an avoidant personality, perfectly encapsulating the saying, "A happy childhood heals a lifetime, while an unhappy one requires a lifetime to heal."

Poor Ping Xin, who had "transferred his fortune" to this life, was still paying off the debts of his past. Whether it was a true transfer or a scam, he didn't even know how he'd "left" his previous life or how he'd arrived in this one. It was like buying a shoddy, counterfeit product.

Although he was grumbling internally, it didn't stop Pingxin from moving quickly. It wasn't that he was afraid of his sister—it was more about not wanting to break a promise. After all, during lunch break, his sister Asukama Toki would likely show up in his classroom to check on him. Better to deal with things now than face her pointed comments later tonight.

Pingxin, the man of his word, was now on the move!

That said... compared to her current poker face, which betrayed no emotion, he actually preferred the fiery, scolding version of her from when they first met. At least that felt more alive. Could their sibling relationship be considered... warm? At the very least, they didn't react awkwardly to physical contact. Oblivious to how thoroughly he'd been conditioned, Pingxin spat out the toothpaste foam in front of the mirror and splashed water on his face.

"High school... huh—"

When it came to high schoolers in Eastern Country, aside from the various depictions in ACG (anime, comics, and games) media, the most common image was the globally stereotypical JK (female high school student) and the so-called "rose-colored life"—the timeless theme of "boy meets girl," a staple in human storytelling: romance.

"But... that has nothing to do with me."

After casually setting up a flag for himself, Pingxin dampened his hands and tried to tame his unruly, sticking-up hair. He stared at his reflection in the mirror—a "traditional" East Asian face with black hair and dark eyes. Despite the unkempt, overgrown hair and dark circles under his eyes from staying indoors for too long, his inherited good genes still shone through. If he put in the effort, he could easily score a 9 or even a 10 out of 10 in the looks department. But right now, his sickly and gloomy demeanor dragged him down to a 6 or 7. To the untrained eye, he might as well be a poorly cooked steak.

"But forget it. A平凡 life is fine. Even平凡 happiness is still happiness... And if I make too much of a fuss, what if they come back someday..."

A heavy silence followed. In the end, he chose to let his bangs fall loosely, covering half his face, just like when he was bedridden. And with that, he walked out.

"...I'm off."

Standing at the end of the hallway, near the staircase, Pingxin muttered to himself.

Naturally, there was no response.

As he descended the stairs, Pingxin found himself lost in thought, staring at a certain account name on his phone: "PhoeniX."

The account had been active since 2008, with its earliest works being two requiems dedicated to the victims of the earthquakes in Yan Country and Eastern Country in 2008 and 2011, respectively. As an international figure of unknown nationality and identity, PhoeniX had garnered some attention, with all their works being music-related.

After sporadic and inconsistent updates, the account began steady activity in mid-2013, skyrocketing in popularity. PhoeniX earned nicknames like "Prodigious Producer," "Terminator PX," "Lonely Rocker," "X (Unknown)," "One-Man Band," and "A Thousand Faces," leaving fans in awe.

With a diverse range of musical styles, a keen sense for music, and lyrics that were both relatable and accessible, PhoeniX had amassed over 10 million followers, making them a bona fide YouTube sensation. They were particularly popular among young people in Yan Country, Eastern Country, and English-speaking regions, even serving as a go-to conversation starter, second only to the classic "weather" topic.

But the good times didn't last. Perhaps due to overexertion, the account owner's health deteriorated, and in late November 2015, they tweeted about "indefinitely suspending activities." Since then, there had been no updates. As of April 3, 2016, it had been nearly half a year.

Speculations ran wild—some fans believed the owner had been arrested for plagiarism, while others claimed they had "gone underground" or even contracted a fatal illness. But no matter how many theories were thrown around, the owner seemed to have truly vanished.

Closing the profile, Pingxin slowly made his way down the stairs. He absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair with his finger, a habit that surfaced when he was deep in thought or feeling uneasy.

But time was running out. Just as he mustered the courage to send a message, his foot slipped, and his phone went flying. In that moment, Pingxin's expression turned calm yet intense, like a seasoned hunter surviving alone in a dark forest—

The stairs between the first and second floors were short and densely spaced. Even if he fell, with the right technique, he'd likely just roll around like a defeated knight, maybe breaking a few bones. There was also a large landing halfway down, so as long as he didn't land face-first, he'd escape with minor injuries.

The thought of not becoming the first isekai protagonist to die from a clumsy fall in his own home brought him some relief. If he died here, his hard drives and browser history would undoubtedly be scrutinized. Death would be a clean escape, but surviving would mean facing social annihilation.

As for his phone, given its current trajectory and speed, it was destined to shatter into pieces upon impact with the marble floor below.

If only time could stop, he thought, so he could easily retrieve his brand-new phone—

As if answering his wish, the world suddenly turned monochrome. The birds outside, the passing pedestrians, and the drifting clouds all came to a standstill. The world was now under his control, and all living beings bowed to his will.

Pingxin called out the name of the golden humanoid figure before him—a name from a manga he had loved in his previous life. It was the Stand of the ruler of evil, one of the superpowers he had once dreamed of possessing, and something that shouldn't exist in this world.

"『The World』?!"