A Coin and Awakening!

The rain continued to patter rhythmically against the window, each drop adding to the sense of chaos outside. Inside the room, however, a profound stillness enveloped everything. A large bed dominated the space, where a young boy lay motionless, his face pale and drawn.

Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, a stark contrast to the quiet. Suddenly, the boy's eyes fluttered open, revealing a spark of awareness. "Finally, I can wake up," he murmured, his voice strained, as if emerging from a long, deep sleep.

This was Harry, or rather, he was now Harrison Clarkson, a dimension traveler who had inexplicably inhabited this young boy's body. Days had slipped away in a haze of unconsciousness, and now, gasping for breath, he felt a flutter of fear tighten in his chest. The merging of his soul with this boy's had taken time, leaving him trapped in an uncomfortable limbo, akin to being locked in a small, dark room. Unlike total darkness, though, he could still sense the world around him, albeit helplessly.

As the storm outside intensified, he focused inward instead of checking his surroundings. He concentrated, searching for a sense of self amidst the disorientation. Gradually, a vision of a purplish gold Coin with intricate carvings formed in his mind, the very object that had facilitated his arrival in this world.

In his previous life, just before death claimed him, this Coin which had been in his family for generations had summoned him here, and now it felt like an extension of his being. He could sense its powers surging within him, ready to be tapped into. The Coin allowed travel between worlds, it had been won by his grandfather as a war trophy in the world war 2 in Germany, he thought the Coin was just a dull coin with some random roman numerals, seemingly a ancient coin which could be quit valuable so he kept it after his grandfather's passing, but now it seen, it was something extraordinary as the numbers have changed and it was pulsing with energy he named it Simulation Coin.

Harry examined his newfound energy, surprised to find a reading of one hundred units. "It's not zero?" he whispered to himself, astonished. He had anticipated starting from scratch in this new world, but it seemed fate had other plans. Yet, questions bubbled up; where had this energy come from? The mystery of it weighed heavily on him as the storm raged on outside.

As doubts swirled in Harry's mind, a sudden surge of energy pulsed from the Simulation Coin, illuminating his thoughts with clarity.

He gasped, realization dawning. "So, these one hundred units of world energy... they're linked to my new identity as Harry," he muttered to himself, piecing together the puzzle. This body was no ordinary vessel; it belonged to the son of a baron, a knight who commanded respect and power.

Images from Harry's new memories flooded his mind: the baron's sprawling estate, the lives of the people within his territory, and the weight of responsibility that came with it. "With a father like that, it makes sense. The influence of my predecessor must be why I inherited this energy," he mused, a mix of awe and trepidation filling him.

But another thought crept in, unsettling him. "What if taking over this life harms others? Or worse; what if it costs lives?" He frowned, contemplating the moral implications. "Could I also draw energy from them? That seems... possible." The idea lingered in his mind.

Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Master Harry!"

He turned to see a girl standing in the doorway, her expression a mixture of surprise and relief. She looked about fourteen or fifteen, her freckled face lighting up with curiosity.

"What is it?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Master Ethan has taken his guards to the Black Stone Forest, and there's been no word from him yet," she explained, stepping closer. "But while you were asleep, Master Alfie and Master Reggie had a huge fight."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "A fight? What happened?"

Mariah, the young maid, fidgeted slightly, her gaze shifting. "I'm not sure about the details, but it sounded serious. Everyone is on edge."

"Thank you for telling me," he said, a smile breaking through his concern. "You did well."

Mariah's cheeks flushed at his praise. She had been one of the few people with whom Harry's predecessor had shared a genuine bond. "You should go rest," he added, his tone warm and encouraging. "Oh, and could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone that I've woken up, alright?"

Her eyes widened slightly, a mix of confusion and trust swirling within them. "I... I can do that," she stammered, glancing down. It was clear she understood the unspoken boundaries of their social roles with her being just a lowly maid.

"Good," Harry replied, a gentle smile still playing on his lips. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, intricately carved wooden figure that caught Mariah's eye.

"What's that?" she asked, her curiosity overtaking her confusion.

"Just a little something," he said with a playful grin, holding it out to her. "A token of my gratitude."

Mariah's eyes widened in surprise as she reached for the figure, her earlier unease replaced by excitement. In that moment, a spark of connection ignited between them, bridging the gap between master and servant, bringing a flicker of warmth to the rainy chaos outside.

Inside his palm rested a small purse, its contents clinking softly; a handful of copper coins.

"I heard your mother was ill recently," Harry said gently, his expression a mix of sincerity and regret. "This is just a small token of my appreciation for everything you do."

He glanced down, his brow furrowing slightly. "I wish I could give you more, but under the circumstances, this is all I can manage. I hope you understand." With that, he pressed the purse into Mariah's hand, his grip firm yet reassuring.

"Master Harry, I… I can't accept this," she stammered, shock written across her freckled face.

The purse wasn't thick; it contained only about a dozen copper coins. To a noble, it might seem trivial, but for Mariah, it was a small fortune. She knew well the state of his finances, and the gesture touched her deeply. Overwhelmed, she simply stood there, speechless.

"Please, take it," Harry urged, a warm smile breaking through her hesitation. "And you should hurry back before anyone notices you're gone. We wouldn't want to give anyone reason to gossip."

As he reached out to gently wipe a tear from her cheek, a flicker of realization sparked within him. His heart raced as he sensed a subtle shift in the number of energy displayed on the Coin to : '101 units'.

Could it be? he thought, momentarily lost in contemplation. 'Did my small act of kindness actually increase my world energy?'

He had merely wanted to test a theory, but now he was struck by the reality of it. Yet, the addition felt so minimal for the effort expended. 'Could such a small gesture really be worth so little?' It seemed the true value of actions in this world was far more complex than he had anticipated.

"Guess I'll need to delve deeper into this later," he mused to himself as he watched Mariah exit, a mix of gratitude and confusion lingering in her eyes.

As night fell, Harry found himself alone in the dimly lit room, the weight of his thoughts heavy in the silence. He closed his eyes, allowing the world around him to fade, and soon, a vision of the purple Simulation Coin appeared in his mind, glowing softly as he concentrated.

This was why he had asked Mariah to keep his awakening a secret; he wanted time to experiment with the newfound powers he had acquired. But when he focused on the Simulation Coin, its activation didn't behave as he had anticipated.

A message appeared, clear in his thoughts: '"Please enter the search criteria."'

"Search criteria?" Harry echoed quietly, puzzled. "What exactly does that mean?" He felt a rush of excitement mixed with uncertainty; the possibilities stretched before him like a vast, unexplored landscape.

Harry stood frozen for a moment, the realization crashing over him like a wave. "A world where I can practice the Knight's Aura Technique!" he exclaimed, excitement bubbling within him.

As if responding to his thoughts, the energy requirement for the Simulation Coin surged from the base level of ten points to an astounding fifty points. He blinked in disbelief. "Wait, fifty points? That's half of my total energy!"

He had hoped to explore his options further, but the sudden spike made him reconsider. 'Losing half his energy in one go?' No way.

"Oh, and the speed of time," he muttered to himself, a spark of inspiration igniting his imagination. He quickly added another condition: not only should the world be conducive to practicing the Knight's Aura Technique, but it should also have a time flow that was much faster than this one.

He could envision it vividly: 'What if he traveled to a world where time moved so quickly that he could master the technique in mere days, while only a few hours passed here?' It would be disastrous if he returned to find his body aged beyond recognition.

After inputting these conditions, the energy requirement skyrocketed to a staggering one hundred points; the entirety of his current wealth. Harry sighed, the weight of reality pressing down on him. "Of course, it would come to that," he muttered, shaking his head in resignation.

As if it sensed his frustration, the gold purple Simulation Coin in his mind began to glow, tiny flickers of light dancing within it. The sight was mesmerizing, drawing him in.

Gradually, he felt a shift. He could see his own body lying peacefully on the bed, seemingly unaware of his internal struggle. "This isn't reality," he thought, a strange sensation washing over him, a blend of the tangible and the surreal.

Then, in a burst of clarity, a radiant light enveloped him. The gold coin pulsed with a purple energy, wrapping around his spirit like a protective cocoon.

In an instant, the world around him faded to a hazy darkness, his senses blurring as if he were drifting through a dream. Time lost all meaning.

Then, as suddenly as it began, Harry's consciousness snapped back into focus. He opened his eyes, the vision before him shifting and reforming. Where was he? The world had changed, and anticipation filled him as he took in his new surroundings.