After a sudden death, Kaede awakens in a fantastical world as Xalor, a notorious villain feared by heroes. Misunderstood and underestimated, he must navigate treacherous alliances and deadly encounters while hiding his true self. As Kaede learns the rules of this new game, he realizes that survival means playing the part of the villain—strategically outsmarting those who seek to destroy him. But in a world where appearances can be deceiving, can he find a way to rewrite his fate and prove that not all villains are what they seem?
Life was an unpredictable mess—something Sakuto Renji had accepted long ago. With his perpetual deadpan expression and a wit sharper than most, he had spent his eighteen years observing the absurdities of human behavior. But what he hadn't accounted for was getting hit by a goddamn truck on his way home from school.
It had been one of those freak accidents—one moment, he was walking across the street, earphones in, drowning out the world's nonsense. The next, there was a blaring horn, a flash of metal, and then… darkness.
But death was apparently too boring for him.
[Initializing System…]
[Scanning Host…]
[Compatibility 97%… Binding Process Complete.]
When Sakuto's eyes snapped open, he wasn't lying on bloodstained pavement or in a hospital. No—he was in a vast, golden-hued landscape, floating above an endless abyss of stars. A translucent blue screen hovered in front of him, glowing faintly.
"Welcome, Collector."
Sakuto blinked. "Great. A hallucination. Or maybe I got isekai'd. Wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's happened today."
The screen flickered, as if amused.
"This is no hallucination. You have been chosen as the new Collector."
"Your purpose: To gather and master the world's strongest artifacts, skills, and knowledge."
"As compensation, you are granted the ability to 'Store' anything you touch—physical objects, abilities, even knowledge itself."
"You may retrieve and use anything you collect at will."
Sakuto exhaled slowly. "So, let me get this straight. I get thrown into another world, and instead of getting some 'Hero of Light' crap, I'm a glorified hoarder?"
"Incorrect. You are not a hoarder. You are a Collector."
"...Right. Huge difference."
The system ignored his sarcasm and continued.
"Do you accept your role?"
There was no option to decline—not that Sakuto cared. This was interesting, and that was more than he could say for his past life.
With a half-smirk, he extended his hand toward the screen.
"Fine. Let's see where this goes."
The moment he agreed, the golden space shattered like glass.
And then—he was falling.
Welcome to Orbis
Sakuto's eyes snapped open as he landed face-first into a bed of soft, overgrown grass. A towering forest surrounded him, filled with colossal trees that looked like something straight out of a fantasy RPG.
A crisp notification appeared in his vision.
[New World: Orbis]
[System Synchronization: 100%]
Sakuto sat up, rubbing his head. "No guide, no welcome party… What kind of cheap isekai is this?"
He dusted himself off and took stock of his surroundings. No monsters, no immediate danger—so far, so good. But then, his gaze caught something unusual.
A gigantic black-scaled wyvern lay collapsed in the clearing ahead, its massive body covered in deep gashes. Despite its wounds, the creature's burning golden eyes locked onto Sakuto.
[Wyvern Lord – 72% Vitality Remaining]
The system's text flickered, displaying a warning.
"A dying wyvern has been detected. Absorption Possible."
Sakuto stared at the notification, then at the wyvern. "Hold up… I can store living things?"
The system responded immediately.
"Yes. However, only creatures in a weakened or unconscious state can be collected."
A slow grin spread across Sakuto's face. This was interesting.
Walking toward the beast, he placed a hand on its bloodstained scales. The moment he did, the wyvern's body disappeared into a pulse of blue light.
[Wyvern Lord Stored.]
[Stored Creatures: 1]
Sakuto exhaled, flexing his fingers. "Okay… That was cool."
Before he could process what had just happened, another notification appeared.
[Stored Creatures can be Summoned or Integrated.]
[Would you like to integrate the Wyvern Lord's abilities?]
Sakuto's mind reeled. "Wait—I can absorb abilities too?"
[Affirmative.]
This was broken.
With a sharp breath, he confirmed the integration. His body shuddered as a rush of energy surged through him. His muscles tightened, his vision sharpened, and his instincts flared to life.
[Integration Complete.]
[New Traits Acquired:]
Wyvern's Endurance (Enhanced stamina and durability)
Draconic Perception (Improved senses and danger detection)
Infernal Roar (A destructive sound-based attack)
Sakuto clenched his fists. The power felt real—raw and exhilarating.
"Well… This is going to be fun."
With a smirk, he glanced toward the horizon. If this world was full of things to collect, he was going to own it.
And so, the Collector's journey began.