Body Switched.

Star GAIA / Year 4025~

In a dimly lit apartment in Manhattan, a lifeless body lay sprawled across the bed. The faint glow of neon lights from outside flickered against the walls, casting eerie shadows. Foam trickled from the corner of the young man's mouth, a clear sign of poisoning.

Then, without warning, his body jerked violently. His chest heaved, and in an instant, he bolted upright as if yanked back to life.

A sharp pain shot through his skull, and nausea overwhelmed him. He stumbled out of bed, barely making it to the washbasin before he vomited uncontrollably. His body trembled as he clutched the sink, gasping for air.

For several moments, he remained still, letting the nausea subside. Then, like a dam breaking, unfamiliar memories surged into his mind.

He took a deep breath and lifted his head, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"Damn…" he muttered, his voice hoarse. "By human standards, I'm ridiculously handsome." This was the first thought that came to his mind.

His striking features were unlike anything he remembered. His previous life… no, his previous body… was gone. This face, these memories, this world- they all belonged to someone else.

Clearing his throat, he steadied himself. "Alright, let's piece everything together."

As he sorted through his memories, the truth unraveled. "I died on Earth in an accident and somehow got transferred to this new world."

This world was eerily similar to Earth same countries, same continents, but civilization had advanced at an unprecedented rate. Technology was leagues ahead, resembling a sci-fi utopia. People had long lifespans, enhanced physiques, and—most importantly—powers.

And his new identity? Ethan Storme.

The original Ethan had once been a Lord, a youthful figure with control over a personal Lord territory in the Battle Dimensions. But his downfall had been brutal. A battle against Chaos Deviants had left him critically injured. His realm had crumbled, his Lord qualifications stripped away, and his once flourishing territory destroyed.

Powerless and disgraced, Ethan had been forced to live like an ordinary citizen. He had taken a mundane job as a clerk at a Battle Dimension outpost, watching others fight and grow stronger while he remained stagnant.

The humiliation had been unbearable.

Unable to cope, he had chosen the coward's way out suicide by poison. Well not even poison exactly; it was a toilet cleaning agent of sorts.

And that had led to this.

The new Ethan me sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.

"So let me get this straight," he muttered, exhaling sharply. "I transmigrated… into the body of a fallen Lord… with the exact same name?"

He scoffed. "What kind of universal joke is this? It is a Nightmare level difficultly from the beginning."

Sighing deeply I thought "Anyway, let's rest and get back to work tomorrow. I don't want to loose the only job I managed to get after I fell."

With this I went back to sleep unexcitedly as I was worried about my future from tomorrow.

The next morning, Ethan woke up to the soft hum of the city. The neon glow filtering through the blinds had dimmed, replaced by the steady light of an artificial sunrise. His head still ached slightly, but the nausea had faded.

With a deep sigh, he dragged himself out of bed. "Right… it wasn't a dream. Okay...Let's face the first day as the new me."

The apartment was small, barely furnished, but functional. A digital assistant chimed to life as he stepped into the bathroom.

"Good morning, Ethan. Your vitals are stable. Recommended breakfast: nutrient shake and high-protein meal."

"Skip breakfast," Ethan muttered. He wasn't in the mood to eat. Instead, he changed into a standard black uniform with a blue emblem-his work attire for the Lord's Association.

A quick scan of his ID activated the smart mirror, displaying basic details:

Name: Ethan Storme

Occupation: Clerk, Lord's Association – Battle Dimension Outpost #23

Status: Ordinary Citizen

Previous Titles: [REVOKED]

That last part stung a little. Shaking off the bitterness, Ethan grabbed his wrist communicator and headed out.

I took a Sky Cab to the Battle Dimension where I worked.

The streets of Manhattan were vastly different from the Earth he remembered. Sleek, hovering vehicles zipped through the air, towering metallic skyscrapers gleamed with neon signs, and AI-guided drones patrolled the city.

Ethan stepped onto a floating platform, hailing a Sky Cab- a small, automated shuttle that resembled a sleek pod. The door slid open with a soft hiss, and he stepped inside.

"Destination?" the AI voice asked.

"Battle Dimension Outpost #23."

The cab rose smoothly into the air, merging into the busy traffic above. Ethan glanced at the city below endless streams of pedestrians, holographic billboards flashing advertisements, and elite Lords soaring through the sky with their own energy.

"I used to be one of them." I thought.

His fingers tightened slightly. That was a past host. Right now, he was just a clerk.

The ride lasted only a few minutes before the cab descended onto a massive, luxurious complex. The Battle Dimension Outpost loomed ahead, a futuristic fortress lined with docking bays and glowing energy shields. Lords of various ranks arrived and departed, some carrying rare spoils from their expeditions.

Ethan stepped out, swiping his ID on the automated door to enter.

Entering the Lord's Association

As soon as he entered the office, the familiar scent of synthetic air and energy fields greeted him. Rows of counters stretched across the hall, each managed by clerks in identical uniforms. Ethan spotted a few familiar faces, colleagues from the previous Ethan's memories.

"Yo, Ethan! You're early today," a tall, blonde man called out. Reed Reiner, one of the senior clerks.

Ethan smirked. "Figured I'd try to make a good impression. Don't want to lose the only job I've got."

Reed laughed. "Good call. Lords aren't the most patient customers."

Ethan made his way to his designated counter, settling in. His job was simple, handling transactions for Lords who wanted to sell their spoils from the Battle Dimension to the Lord's Association and monitoring the Battle Dimension challenges in real time. He had to verify the items, appraised their value, and processed the credits.

It was routine work. But it gave him access to one of the most valuable resources that is information.

As he powered up his workstation, he exhaled. "Let's start this world's utube," I chuckled as I started the monitoring screen after locking my cabin waiting for any Lord to start his battle.

Soon enough a Lord with Elite realm level appeared and entered the battle dimension. The opponent he faced was a Kingdom with Elite level ruler. As soon as the lord entered something surprising happened with me making me excited.