Beginning of the Ending

When I was born my parents died not so long after. Sadly enough I was never able to see them but my life wasn't so bad. I was sent to a small city called Fuyuki.

My childhood consisted of going to school and home. I didn't have friends that lasted for long. After all, I couldn't afford to go out like others which resulted in not connecting much. Having nothing else to do I studied and studied. I was not smart, not at all so the only way I could enter a college was to study and it paid off. It was not an exceptional college or anything but It was my way out of this city. This city was burnt down in the past after all

Later on I continued studying and working a part time job. I was lucky, my part time job was great paying and the work job was also good. Thanks to that I was able to live a good college life with not much problems and pass it.

Today, the year is now 2015. It's been a long time. I'm now 45 years old, how time passes… I still remember how I used to study like there is no tomorrow.

Currently I was sitting on my chair at home. It was a small home with nothing much inside but it was enough to satisfy me, after all I was single.

*Tick*

The clock was ticking. Soon this day would end too

*Tick*

And the day would begin. Should I get a dog?

*Tick*

It is quiet here. Maybe I should add color to my life

*Tick*

Let's see. I got up from where I was standing and took out a small notebook. It was a notebook I wrote all my spendings on and possible future spendings. I didn't always go according to it but it was nice to have a plan of shorts.

*Tick*

Anyways, it seems I have quite left over money I can spend freely.

*Tick*

I wonder how much a dog costs

*Tick*

Hmm my neighbor has a dog right, maybe I should ask her

*Tick*

What was the time again? 

I looked at the clock but weirdly enough I couldn't see it. I tried to look around but couldn't. My body was not responding. I couldn't see anything nor move, it was like I was in a deep sleep.

[User died]

Huh? What was this. I guess I'm dreaming but it's weird, something like this never happened.

Wait, is this my first time experiencing a lucid dream? Interesting

[Searching for another ending]

Suddenly a tree appeared.. well it kind of looked like a tree. It was an incredibly huge tree that I couldn't see the top of but the roots I could see and there were countless of them. Each had different colors, shine, thickness and length. Is this how a lucid dream is supposed to work?

I tried to move around but still couldn't do it. Instead the roots started to move around. It was weird, I didn't know how to explain it other than that. It seemed my imagination was running wild. It was clearly not a lucid dream so I scrapped that idea.

[Found]

Oh right, the voice

[Starting a new]

My vision went black after that

But before I woke up I managed to hear something again

[Mystery: 50]

I thought all of this was a simple dream

After all who would think something like that was real, I will tell you the answer. No normal human. Well apparently something is wrong with me.

How you may ask and to answer that question I would like to say that I didn't simply woke up.

No, the moment I woke up everything was different.

I looked younger

I was smaller and shorter

My home looked different

Simply I was back, back to my old school.

At first I was shocked and thought the dream was continuing, after all it was a dream. But with time I learned it.

This time was not so much different to my first life. I studied but not as much and still managed to enter a good college even way better than the first one. My lasting information was enough for me to have a good life once again.

It was almost exactly same life with little differences and once again it was year 2015

This time however I was not inside my home, no I was outside. I had completely forgotten about what was about to happen, it has been a long time.

Without even noticing it once again I returned back to see the same tree

The same tree that I did not know what to make of. Why was I here, why was this happening to me, was I in a simulation and so on. Countless questions but no answer.

[User died]

Same voice

[Searching for another ending]

Same things happening again

[Found]

And once again my vision went black before hearing the voice one last time

[Mystery: 100]

It had gone up

How?

Why?

I didn't know

This time I was back again but something was different, I was not in the same room as before. Weird, perhaps I remembered it wrong. Anyways, again I lived my life. This time I studied barely and it was just so I could remember some stuff I had forgotten. I realized I didn't have the best memory so it was good to skim through it. 

Time passed, I was now a successful man. I had money, a good home and more. Perhaps the third charm was indeed correct.

It wasn't

[User died]

This time I did not even die with no explanation. I was hit by a car and hit my head on concrete.

The tree was once again in front of me

[Searching for another ending]

[Found]

The same things kept happening. Everything once again gone black

[Mystery: 120]

But this was different

It increased by only 20 this time, why? 

No matter what I thought there was only a single answer coming to my mind. How I died. In my first two lives I died to something unexplainable but now I died earlier in an accident.

Mystery… What did it mean? Why does it increase?

This time I did not pursue a good paying job. No, this time I wandered around the world. Thanks to my knowledge it was easy to get money anyways so that was not a problem. 

I went to many countries but weirdly enough I couldn't remember half of them. Was my memory that bad?

Still I continued on and on. There were a couple of things I could theorize about this tree now. The closest thing I could find to this tree was Yggdrasil but something was telling me that this was not it, no that tree was something more. I followed that instinct of mine but to avail I couldn't find anything more.

Even though I had nothing in my hand I continued on. I kept trying to find anything and in 1994 I turned back to Fuyuki but I was kidnapped as soon as I was back.

There were a few more people next to me, gagged like I was. They looked scared like they didn't want to die. Me? I was not scared. I don't know why as well, perhaps it is because I experienced it before. This was going to be new though. This time it was not going to be unexplainable stuff or an accident. It was going to be a straight murder.

How was I sure of it? Because my kidnapper was a psycho. He even made a totem that looked like it was to sacrifice people for a god. It even looked poorly made.

Before I was gone I failed to see my kidnappers face sadly as he slashed my throat first and used my blood to paint his little totem. He was even spewing some random stuff I couldn't really hear. I was losing my focus with the amount of blood I lost, it was a miracle I even lasted this long.

Afterwards though, I have seen something ridiculous. The totem did not change but the blood on the ground started to shine. Just what was happening?

I couldn't see the rest however, I was dead.

[User died]

Ah the tree again. But with this I learned something.

[Searching for another ending]

There was something in the world that wasn't known to normal humans. If it was me before I would just say the light was my mind making stuff up but after these recurring lives I don't think it's simply that.

[Found]

[Mystery: 254]

And the mystery count was agreeing with me. This was definitely because of that light, there was something about it.

This life was similar to the previous one but this time I studied more about the totems.

This life also showed me how wrong informed I was about totems. There was much more to it than I expected. They were not just some rituals for gods, they could mean many other things. So I concluded that it was not the totem I was going to search for. 

I started to search for rituals. Mainly the one that required blood. I went to India and did not find anything that resembled what I saw. They were mostly about remembering people. So I turned to the Aztecs.

Going around the ruins I was searching for things that could be useful to me but for the most part I couldn't find anything. That ritual was way too small compared to rituals I found on the ruins but perhaps there was more, more to find. I kept on searching and eventually I fell in a hole

I died there to something I couldn't understand

It was a fast but painful death. It felt like whatever killed me ripped my body parts with force of a thousand gorillas

[User died]

[Searching for another ending]

[Found]

[Mystery: 318]

It had gone up again

Anyways, I tried to search around for many times.

I died countless times

If I'm not wrong I approached thousands now

I didn't know whether to be proud of it or not. I was getting tired but this whole thing was not letting me go.

Just what kind of ending is it searching for?

—-

[Mystery: 49,520]

I was catching up to my mystery with my age. Currently I am around 40,938 years old. There were many lives I died without being able to gain much mystery at all so this was the result

A rock fell on my head while I was deep underground

[User died]

An unlucky dead. This time I couldn't find anything

[Mystery: 49,528]

8 point.. not bad

—-

[User died]

I saw it this time!

It was some sort of ghost that killed me. I learned what was wrong with this world. There was magic!

There were some sort of magician that could cast spells around the world but they kept it secret. How did I come to know this? It was all thanks to a death I experienced in one of my previous lives.

I was in a city close to Fuyuki because I was getting bored so I thought going around mindlessly would make me feel better. On a night with a full moon shining towards me I encountered a man on a black trenchcoat. His face didn't look so good so I asked if he was any good but the dude straight up attacked me. What a ugly thing to do, he didn't even immediately kill me. I guess he was expecting to see my face turn ugly but the only face he saw was disappointment. Anyways the important part was he muttered out something I had not expected

"Magus?"

I don't know what it is, only that they are closer to magicians but it was good to know there was something I missed. 

It was quite a spectacle to watch the guy turn into bits too. I don't know how but someone had killed him while he was talking with me. Poor me always missing the faces of important people.

[Mystery: 98,329]

—-

I found something!

[User died]

It did cause me to die though.

There was some sort of blade I found that gave off a weird feeling whenever I came close to it so I did move close to it. Well I died before even nearing five meters of it but it is still a great find.

[Mystery: 158,239]

—-

Families, these are important.

While I don't know my family most people are proud of it

[User died]

And apparently Magus are too proud of their families.

I simply asked a guy who raised such a fool tongued kid and he killed me saying "How dare you insult me, Daone Zhwarder the Third from the family of Zhwarder!"

I guess he was more proud about his bloodline

[Mystery: 238,239]

—-

I realized there was something wrong with my memory. No, I was not simply forgetful. Something was playing with my memories.

"You again"

"Kill him this time, it's the fifth time already." In a cave while I was searching around America I faced two people in suits.

"You know what Headmaster said, we are to remove their memories not kill them"

"If you are willing to remove this guy's memories every week then go for it. I say we kill him, one dead civilian won't cause much problem"

"..." He didn't say anything and turned to me. His mouth moved and he said something. Like it was a movie flame started to appear and move towards me. It didn't hurt much in the beginning but apparently

[User died]

I was dead. So, a great find anyways. Now the question is how will I suppress this mindwashing

[Mystery 250,038]

—-

Something changed.

I don't know what but this mindwashing spell they were using is no longer effective against me. Was it because I learned of their existence? I wasn't sure. In the end it was good news for me. I still couldn't remember my old memories but from now on at least I wouldn't forget them again.

"Hey. Are you the doctor?"

I turned around to face who asked me such a question and it was someone younger than me. He must be under so much stress though, look at his hair. It is already all white.

"No, I'm an Archaeologist"

It was true. After all this way it was easier to explain when somebody asked me what I do

"Oh.. but an Archaeologist, here of all places?"

Oh right. Well we were in Afghanistan. 

"And why couldn't I be here?"

He narrowed his eyes but did not question me any further and left

"Weird guy"

I too left the area after that. Anyways, I encountered some more Magus here but did not talk with them.

[User died]

Scratch that. There were apparently some monsters similar to vampires here.

[Mystery: 252,329]

—-

"Miss, what are you doing here at this hour? Before some rascals come here you should leave"

Some kid was standing in an alley staring at the sky. It was cold but she was only wearing a red jacket

She turned to look at me. Her eyes were cold.. ahh how did I miss the bodies and the knife

It looked like she was about to rush towards me but then she stopped. Her eyes which were cold was now impossible to see through

"Interesting… Sir, what do you think about endings?"

Weird question before killing me

"I'm not sure. I'm still yet to see one satisfying ending but my search continues. Perhaps when I find it I will be able to answer you"

It has been more than 200.000 tries already. Countless times he searched for different endings but no matter what the voice doesn't seem to accept them.

The girl's expression didn't change but she moved closer.

"Then I hope you can find yours. Complete the library, fill the empty bookshelf"

I didn't understand what she meant by that but the next second a knife was stabbed into me right on my heart

"I will open the limit"

[User died]

Confusing. What did she mean? She was way too fast as well. I once again saw the tree and the endless roots

[A new function has been forcefully opened]

[The range of search has been expanded to max capacity]

That girl.. who was she? The number of roots I could see increased.. I could see every root the tree had to offer. There were even more than I thought.

[Searching for another ending]

[Found]

[Mystery: 274,183]

—-

Hmm something is wrong

I looked around and indeed there was something wrong

"Where am I?"

I was not in my room. I was in the middle of woods

That was my first time having a different start. Until now it was always my room on Fuyuki, it changed from time to time but it was always a room on Fuyuki. Now however.. I had no idea where I was.

Some time passed, and I was able to see most of the woods thanks to that. More importantly I was able to leave it and I found an answer to my question

"I have no idea where this is"

While I was out of the woods there was nothing that told me where I was exactly. No tall buildings, no planes, nothing. It was like I was not even on earth anymore but the moon begged differently. Perhaps another timeline.. So did I go far back or into the future? I bet it's back since after 2015 it always ended, no matter what.

"Shit shit shit"

Currently I was trying to keep a flame alive as it was close to dying. Night was coming and let me tell you it is really cold outside. Thankfully I managed to find a cave and managed to close its entrance so cold air wouldn't enter inside but the fire was still essential for my survival

"Please don't die!"

I didn't want to die because of the cold.. Well, I died from the cold before but still!

"Huh, there is someone here?"

A sound… a sound! Someone is here!

I looked around to see who was talking and I did manage to find the owner.. it's just that the owner was a child

"What is a human like you doing here alone?"

The child asked me. I guess he was not human, surprisingly he did not immediately kill me then.

"I'm trying to stay alive as you can see. What about you, you seem quite young to be out here?"

"You? Hmm I will forgive you this once since you don't know me. So let me enlighten you foolish human, you are in the presence of Gilgamesh!"

He proudly introduced himself but..

"Really? You don't look like Gilgamesh I know. Perhaps the same name…"

The kid got angry after that. I did not know why he even did

"Another Gilgamesh? Tell me about that Gilgamesh"

But more than that he seemed curious.

"Well then, sit and listen. I will tell you about Gilgamesh, King of Uruk."

The kid, weirdly enough, sat down next to me. So he really is going to listen huh

"The first and oldest Hero, known as the Wedge of Heaven. His story begins on Mesotopania.."

I told him everything I could remember, to every detail. It was honestly fun, someone listening to me with open ears. I was still struggling with the fire and in the end faulted to keep it alive but I kept on telling the kid the story. After all his name is the same as the one of the best heroes known to humankind, it was understandable for him to know about who once carried his name.

I was dying of the cold but in the end I was able to finish my story. Not having any more energy I collapsed.

The kid was looking at me with an expression I did not expect, he looked like he was worried.. for what? For me? Hahaha

He also seemed like he was not totally believing me, well I will leave it to him. I don't have any more time anyways.

The kid left.. he was flying. Hah, knew it.

[User died]

[Mystery: 290,239]

He died, this was the end of his story in this timeline but someone else continued and carried his story.

Gilgamesh in this timeline was different, it was a change that was obvious when he returned back to Uruk. His head was filled with the story that was told to him, his achievements, his feats, his future.. The man that listed these were clearly oblivious to the fact that he was the same Gilgamesh he was talking about but even then with the short time he lived he changed Gilgamesh.

He was kinder to his people, not as arrogant as he was before. Nobody knew what changed their King but nobody questioned it either. Later on he went against gods, watched his friend die and fail to obtain immortality.. like the man had told him. Still Gilgamesh was happy, he believed that he didn't have to change much, his tale was a good one.

—-

Well I died a few more times because my start was horrendous. I woke up in the middle of a monster then died and it repeated for a couple hundred times.

Anyways now I was in a room. I was a child again though

I went out and the palace looked like a town. It seems like I was in medieval times.

It did not take much to learn where I was, it was even easier to find what time I was on.

I was in France, at the time? When saint's death

There was news everywhere that Saint was going to be executed for burning here.. I had to see it.

Thankfully with my little size I was able to come close to the front and see her face. She looked way more beautiful than I remember, the images were definitely misleading. Her hair was way longer than how she was portrayed and she was blond.. if I remember correctly she was portrayed with black hair.

Anyways even when she was dying she looked beautiful.. till her flesh burned then it turned into a disgusting sight. It was quite a spectacle that even when she was being burned alive she forgave the people of France. That's what makes her a saint I guess.

Well when I was turning back I was kidnapped, shocker. For one year I was kept alive in some random dungeon. Right… Gilles de Rais started his kidnapping after her death. Well not long after he killed me as well but I did not give him the satisfaction. I managed to rip one of his fingers off. I don't even know how I managed to do it with my child teeth but I did and I'm proud of it. I'm not so proud about the fact that he tortured me for so long. I died in the end didn't I

Ah, is that François?

[User died]

[Mystery: 380,269]

—-

Ah finally I was back

I kneeled and was about to kiss the wooden floor but stopped when I remembered it was still a wooden floor. I was back in modern times!

Nice to know. Well this time I decided to stay around Fuyuki city for the most part and went for 10 years. Now I am 24 years old and proud.

Don't ask how old I'm in reality, I lost count long ago. Haha, if I remember correctly there was a serial killer around this time. Let's go find him again! I went out the door with high expectations.

I died.

I didn't even progress how it happened at first, it was like a bomb hit my home the moment I was out. How unlucky I was? Well I found that the 'bomb' was some magic. I couldn't see much tho, just some dude flying in the air.

[User died]

[Mystery: 412,842]

—--

I died in a battle

I died in a castle

I died in a farm house

I died falling from the sky

I died on space. I don't even know why or how it happened. I found myself on the moon of all places and died instantly.

I died on a carriage as a baby

I died being sacrificed to some god

These were some of my last deaths. Honestly, not so bad! Having experienced being killed by the same animal 5 times in a row this was fine

Now then where was I this time?

A normal modern world, again! It's weird that I'm now thankful that I start here.. how time passes.

Anyways this time I should continue going around. I don't want to die to some magical bomb again

I followed it, this time was going pretty great. At least to a degree..

To explain everything I was on a plane as usual because I go around the world quite a lot. This time was different though, this time in the middle of flight something happened

"Where is everyone?"

I looked around the plane but weirdly enough I was now alone.. the plane was not going down either but the pilot was not riding it.

I looked out the window to see two things. The first time was stopped, that is fine however. The cause is more important. Second thing I saw was

"What the fuck, why are there two guys punching each other?"

Yeah.. I wonder if I'm going to end like them eventually. It's not hard to see I'm losing my mind little by little. But to fight someone on top of a plane while it's on the air?

"Holy shit they are coming this way!"

I quickly ran sideways and it proved to be the correct choice. The dudes broke the plane and continued their fight inside. Well now the question was that how am I going to get out of this situation

Ah right I forgot to tell that part. I fell down the plane. I think they didn't even notice me.. I guess I'm dead.

I turned around to see the ground

"Shit"

*SPLAT*

[User died]

[Mystery: 489,234]

—-

You know what, fuck this.

I was currently swinging a sword as training. Someone may ask, train for what? It's really easy. To become a knight!

I can smell it, this is Arthurian time. I did not definitely find this out after learning the king's name, definitely not. 

Anyways, currently I was young trainee

"Swing wider!"

While someone was screaming at my ear I kept swinging

"Use your whole arm to swing!"

Perhaps I made a wrong choice

"Relax!"

Finally!

I dropped the sword and threw myself to the ground. I was panting heavily.

Such a monstrous training. Were people really like this back then?

"Trainee, just because you're young you can't rest for longer. 5 more minutes then run 5 time around the castle"

WHAAA-

–

*Pant*

*Pant*

"Such.. bullshit"

Who makes a kid run around the castle 5 times?

It doesn't matter. Just few more steps and I will finish it

I can see the beautiful time I will have afterwards

It's right in font of me

Just

Just one more step

One

*pat*

I was down. My legs gave up just in front of the finish. 

"That was impressive"

Someone?

I with every force I could mutter out turned my head to see a goldie

"Commander thought you would give up after two laps but you almost finished it"

"*hah* th *hah* anks"

"You must be tired. Commander said you are free for today"

Thank god

She looked at me for a bit more but then I fell asleep so I don't know if she did anything else.

Since I woke up in the same place with nothing around I guess she didn't. Though there was a woman sitting, she was also wearing clothes a noble would wear…

I hurriedly got up and bent over

"My lady"

Inwardly I was beyond embarrassed. Why was a noble watching me sleep

"Hehe kid, no need for that. Just come near me"

I bringed my head upwards and faced her. She was beautiful, indeed a noble.. but she looked familiar.

"Come kid"

As a knight I had to follow her. I moved closer to her and she prompted me to sat next to her.

"Lady, I-"

"Now, are you not listening?"

I couldn't argue anymore and did as she wanted me to do.

"Kid, you were sleeping so soundly I didn't wake you up but do you know where you were sleeping?"

"Uh.. no?"

I seriously had no idea

"Hehe, well then. When you turn back ask your Commander. Want one bite?"

She bringed out an apple. I was going to refuse but her face looked didn't seem to want me to do so

"N..yes. Thank you"

"No problem. Eat well, grow well"

What was this, is she going to eat me? I'm probably being paranoid

I kept on eating the apple till she asked another question

"Kid, do you know why I called you?"

"..no"

"That is fine. It is normal to not know. But kid, ever felt you were special?"

Hmm not really. I never felt it, I experienced and learned it.

"No"

"Then let me tell you kid. You are special. You are not like others, you have something inside you"

Lady thank you for the flattery but what time is it right now again

"Thank you lady but I should go back to training now"

I tried to get up but I got chills all over my body afterwards. I was familiar with it, it was death. I immediately sat down

"Good boy. Now-"

She bringed her hand upwards a fire appeared

"Would you like to learn magic?"

Lady, ah lady… why didn't you say so in the first place?

—-

Haha now I was a magus!

That was a lie, currently my blood was being extracted. Ah foolish me, you should have connected the dots. A noble, a magician or magus, Arthurian times, who fits this bill? Morgan of course. Counter argument, she seemed really nice and she was. Something happened to her later on though, I don't know. It was like watching a nice magician turn into an evil witch in real time. Also I learned that the existence called Morgan is fucked up! There are some side stories but it's like she is a combination of everything, it really is confusing.

She is currently pregnant and in front of me. Hmm Mordred? Seems accurate when you think about the time. Let's see. She is clearly a combination of Morgause as well so Gawaine, Agravaine, Gaheris, Ywain is out of question. To my knowledge that leaves Gareth and Mordred but since she seems happy I guess it's Mordred.

"Ah little knight. Thank you for your blood, it was useful. But now I don't need it any longer" She was getting rid of me. That little charming face of hers…

[User died]

[Mystery: 648,532]

—-

After a few more deaths I was back once again!

Man.. I'm not sure what to do actually. At least I know some magecraft now! Heh, my own magic.

I'm thankful she at least taught me before killing me. Now, let's see.. let's start easy

"Ansuz"

With the imagination of Janus I inscribed the rune on my door.

"To my ending"

The rune lightened up and the door shines for a second before turning dim again.

As expected it didn't work. Morgan did say my magic was indeed unique and far more powerful but also not stable at all.I was even able to use Ansuz a little bit differently compared to its general usage because of this but keeping it active was hard.

Still I failed, it was but an imagination after all.

"To my toilet"

This time the light shone again and it stayed like that for two seconds meaning it was successful. Opening the door I found myself in my bathroom, a success indeed. Imagining Janus I can change the beginning and ending of the door but not to some absurd level like to the future. I can open a door in the sky though! 

The space on the door was bending.. it seems the timer has run out. Just over a few seconds later the door now showed the correct entrance point.

I tried some other gods as well but I'm not so good at it. At least teleportation is cool, right?

Still now I'm armed and ready. Let's explore more of this god forsaken city around 10 years later! I was currently 14, too young for stuff like that. I had to build some muscles first, I did not learn swordsmanship for nothing, halfbaked or not.