Kevin Miller died as he lived: awkwardly, alone, and profoundly disappointed. His final act wasn't heroic sacrifice or passionate defiance. It was a tragicomic slip in a bathtub surrounded by empty energy drink cans and the flickering glow of an unfinished isekai anime marathon. He'd been contemplating the crushing weight of his 28 years – a relentless parade of social anxiety, unrequited crushes, and a soul-crushing data entry job – while simultaneously trying to wrestle a malfunctioning toaster *into* said bathtub. A truly bizarre, stress-fueled impulse. His foot found a stray Dew can, physics took over, and Kevin Miller, certified virgin and master of awkward exits, met oblivion with a wet *thud* and a surprised yelp.
---
Consciousness returned not with a bang, but with the unsettling sensation of *floating*. Kevin blinked, or tried to. There was no body, just… awareness. Pure, undiluted awareness suspended in a swirling nebula of impossible colors and soft, harmonic light. Panic, his old friend, began to bubble up.
**"Oh, settle down, Sparky. The existential dread is a bit passé, don't you think?"**
The voice was rich, amused, and seemed to resonate from everywhere at once. Kevin's non-existent heart skipped a non-existent beat. Materializing before him, radiating pure, blinding luminescence, was… well, the most stereotypically gorgeous woman imaginable. Long, flowing hair like spun starlight, eyes like captured galaxies, clad in robes that seemed woven from dawn itself. A goddess. Undeniably.
**"W-who… where…?"** Kevin's voice, or his thought-voice, stammered.
**"Where? The Cosmic Waiting Room. Who? Call me Aurelia, Keeper of the Celestial Ledger, Arbiter of Reincarnations, and frankly, the one cleaning up the mess of your spectacularly mundane demise."** She sighed, a sound like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. **"Toaster in the tub, Kevin? Really? Even *we* cringed."**
Heat flooded Kevin's non-face. **"It… it was an accident! Mostly."**
**"Mostly,"** Aurelia repeated, raising one perfect, ethereal eyebrow. **"Regardless, your file makes for… interesting reading. Kevin Miller. Lifespan: 28 Earth years. Achievements: Nil of note. Relationships: Nil. Romantic Endeavours: *Definitively* Nil. Cause of Termination: Self-inflicted Electrocution via Appliance Misadventure while wallowing in existential self-pity."** She tapped a shimmering, translucent scroll that appeared beside her. **"Pathetic. Truly, tragically pathetic."**
Kevin felt his non-existent spirit shrivel. Even in death, he was a punchline.
**"But,"** Aurelia continued, a sly smile playing on her lips, **"pathetic doesn't necessarily mean *worthless*. Just… untapped potential. Misplaced. And frankly, the universe has a quota for reincarnations from souls who died before experiencing… well, *anything* meaningful. You, Kevin Miller, virgin extraordinaire, fit the bill perfectly."**
Before Kevin could muster a protest, Aurelia waved a dismissive hand. **"So, here's the deal. You get a do-over. A fresh start. A new world – think knights, castles, monsters, magic, the whole 'mid evil' package – slightly less plague-ridden than the historical version, more… fantastical. Standard isekai fare."**
Hope, fragile and unfamiliar, flickered in Kevin. A new world? Magic? Knights? Could he… could he finally *be* someone?
**"And,"** Aurelia leaned in conspiratorially, her starlight eyes gleaming, **"because your previous life was such an unmitigated disaster zone, because you died with *so much* unrealized… *ahem*… potential… I'm authorized to grant you a little… compensation package. Consider it celestial hazard pay for enduring 28 years of sheer Kevin-ness."**
She snapped her fingers.
A searing, white-hot pain lanced through Kevin's awareness, followed immediately by an overwhelming flood of information. Symbols, numbers, words – a complex interface burned itself into his consciousness.
**<< SYSTEM INITIALIZED >>**
**<< WELCOME, USER: KEVIN MILLER >>**
**<< WORLD DESIGNATION: TERRA NOVA (VALERIAN CONTINENT) >>**
**<< COMPENSATION PACKAGE 'APEX' ACTIVATED >>**
**<< ANALYZING SOUL POTENTIAL… ERROR: POTENTIAL UNDEFINED >>**
**<< OVERRIDE: APPLYING 'APEX' PARAMETERS >>**
**<< STATS MAXIMIZED >>**
Kevin gasped as he felt… *everything*. Strength like tectonic plates shifting flooded his non-corporeal form. Agility like quicksilver. Intelligence that felt like comprehending the universe's source code. Vitality like an unbreakable mountain. Mana… a vast, infinite ocean of raw power churned within him. It was terrifying, exhilarating, overwhelming.
**<< PRIMARY STATS SET TO MAXIMUM >>**
**Strength: ∞ | Agility: ∞ | Intelligence: ∞ | Vitality: ∞ | Mana: ∞**
**<< ACTIVATING PASSIVE SKILLS >>**
**<< Damage Nullification (Passive - MAX): All physical, magical, spiritual, and conceptual damage reduced to 0. >>**
**<< Mana Autarky (Passive - MAX): Mana regenerates infinitely and instantaneously. >>**
**<< Absolute Comprehension (Passive - MAX): Instantly understand any language, written or spoken, and grasp the fundamental principles of any magic, skill, or technology observed. >>**
**<< Presence Concealment (Toggle - MAX): Can render oneself utterly undetectable by any means when desired. >>**
**<< Inventory: ∞ (Passive): Access to an infinite-dimensional storage space. >>**
**<< WARNING: USER PHYSICAL FORM NOT YET GENERATED. AWAITING CONFIRMATION. >>**
Kevin stared at the scrolling, impossible text in his mind. Max stats? Infinite mana? Damage *nullification*? This wasn't just overpowered; this was… broken. Absurd.
**"Compensation package,"** Aurelia said brightly, clearly enjoying his dumbfounded shock. **"Think of it as the universe apologizing for your frankly embarrassing first run. Now, about that physical form…"**
She gestured, and a swirling vortex of light opened beside her, showing a glimpse of a moonlit forest path. **"Terra Nova awaits. Medieval-ish. Monsters. Bandits. Nobles. Dragons, probably. The whole shebang. Try not to trip over your own feet this time, Sparky. And maybe… try talking to a girl? Just a thought."**
Before Kevin could even process the sheer scale of his new reality or formulate a question, a gentle but irresistible force pushed him towards the vortex. Aurelia's laughter, light and mocking, followed him.
**"Good luck! Try not to break the world *too* quickly!"**
---
Kevin slammed into existence with the force of a falling leaf. One moment, cosmic void; the next, cool night air, the scent of pine and damp earth, and the hard, uneven ground beneath his back. He gasped, a real breath filling real lungs. He scrambled upright, looking down at himself.
He was clad in simple, sturdy clothes – roughspun tunic, trousers, leather boots. No armor. No weapons. Just… him. But *him* felt… different. Incredibly light. Unbelievably strong. His senses were dialed up to eleven: he could hear an owl hoot miles away, smell the distinct musk of a fox den nearby, see individual veins on leaves in the moonlight. The world felt hyper-real.
He flexed his hand. It felt normal, yet beneath the surface thrummed power beyond comprehension. He focused inward, and the game-like interface sprang to life effortlessly.
**<< USER: KEVIN MILLER >>**
**<< LEVEL: 1 (Experience: 0/100) >>**
**<< TITLE: The Apex Virgin >>**
**<< HP: ∞/∞ | MP: ∞/∞ >>**
**<< STATUS: Healthy. Confused. Overpowered. >>**
*Level 1?* With *these* stats? The 'Apex Virgin' title made him groan internally. Even the cosmos had to rub it in.
He stood in a clearing beside a muddy forest track. Moonlight filtered through tall, ancient trees. It was quiet. Peaceful. And utterly alien. The medieval part seemed accurate – no streetlights, no sounds of engines, just nature and the vast, unfamiliar tapestry of stars above.
*Okay, Kevin,* he thought, taking a deep, steadying breath that felt like inhaling pure energy. *New world. New life. No more awkward Kevin. You are…* He hesitated. Kevin Miller, virgin data clerk, didn't fit this reality. He needed a new name. Something… strong. Simple. Kaito. Yeah. Kaito.
**<< USER DESIGNATION UPDATED: KAITO >>**
The system acknowledged it instantly. A small thrill ran through him. Control. Choice.
He took a step. It felt effortless, like gravity was a mere suggestion. He took another, faster. Then he was running. Not jogging. *Running*. Trees became blurs. The wind roared in his ears, yet he felt no strain, no burning lungs. He was a shadow streaking through the moonlit forest, silent and impossibly fast. He laughed, the sound sharp and clear in the night. *This… this is incredible!*
His newfound joy was shattered by sounds up ahead. Raised, harsh voices. The clang of metal. A woman's scream, quickly muffled.
Kaito skidded to a halt, his enhanced senses pinpointing the source just around a bend in the path. Peering through the undergrowth, he saw a grim scene. A simple merchant cart, overturned. Two horses lay dead in their traces. Three rough-looking men in mismatched leathers and furs surrounded two figures: a burly man slumped against the cart wheel, clutching a bleeding arm, and a young woman with fiery red hair held tightly by the largest bandit, a dirty hand clamped over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with terror.
"Come on, pretty thing," the bandit leered, his breath fogging in the cool air. "Old man's done. Make this easy, yeah? We might even let ya live… for a while." His companions chuckled darkly, one rifling through spilled sacks of grain, the other poking the injured merchant with a rusty dagger.
Rage, cold and unfamiliar, surged through Kaito. This wasn't anime. This was real suffering. The pathetic despair of his old life vanished, replaced by the overwhelming power coursing through his veins and a simple, clear thought: *Stop them.*
He didn't think about tactics. He didn't wonder if he could fight. He *knew*. With absolute certainty.
He stepped out onto the path. Not with stealth, not with a dramatic battle cry. Just… stepped out. The crunch of a twig under his boot sounded unnaturally loud.
The bandits whirled around. The one holding the woman snarled. "Oi! Who the hell are you? Piss off, runt, 'fore you get hurt!"
Kaito said nothing. He just looked at them. His new eyes, sharpened by infinite perception, saw every detail: the grime under their nails, the chipped blade of the dagger, the pulsing vein in the leader's neck. He saw their auras – weak, flickering, tinged with malice. Pathetic.
"Deaf, are ya?" The leader shoved the woman towards his companions and drew a chipped longsword. "Fine. Dump the girl. Let's gut this fool quick. Looks soft." He charged, sword raised for a clumsy overhead chop.
Kaito didn't move. He didn't flinch. He just watched the blade descend.
**<< Damage Nullification Activated. >>**
The rusty longsword slammed into Kaito's forehead with a sickening *thunk*.
And stopped. Dead.
Not a scratch. Not a bruise. Not even a dent in his skin. The blade might as well have hit a mountain forged from neutron stars.
The bandit leader stared, his eyes bulging with disbelief, his arms vibrating from the impact shock transmitted back through the unyielding surface. "Wha…?"
Kaito slowly reached up. Not fast. Not threateningly. Almost casually. He wrapped his fingers around the blade near the hilt. The bandit tried to pull back, muscles straining, face purpling with effort. The sword didn't budge an inch.
Then Kaito squeezed.
With the faintest *crunch*, like dry twigs snapping, the hardened steel blade shattered. Shards of metal pattered onto the muddy path like brittle glass.
Silence descended, thick and heavy. The other bandits froze, their faces draining of blood. The woman stared, her terror momentarily replaced by stunned awe. The injured merchant gaped.
Kaito opened his hand, letting the crumpled hilt and shards fall. He looked directly at the bandit leader, whose face was now a mask of primal terror.
"Leave," Kaito said. His voice was calm, quiet, yet it carried an unnatural weight, resonating with the infinite mana within him. It wasn't a request. It was a fundamental command of reality.
The bandit leader didn't hesitate. He didn't look back. He turned and fled into the dark forest, whimpering like a whipped dog. His companions, dropping the woman and their loot, scrambled after him, tripping over roots in their blind panic.
Kaito watched them vanish into the trees. He then turned to the woman and the merchant. The woman stumbled back, fear warring with confusion on her face. The merchant tried to push himself up, wincing.
"Are you alright?" Kaito asked, his voice gentle now, the terrifying weight gone.
The woman nodded mutely, unable to speak. The merchant managed a shaky breath. "Y-yes… thanks to you, stranger. They… they would have…" He trailed off, looking at the shattered sword fragments on the ground, then back at Kaito's unmarked forehead. "What… what *are* you?"
Kaito looked down at his own hands. Hands that had just crumpled steel like paper. Hands attached to a body brimming with impossible power. He thought of the pathetic death, the goddess's mocking pity, the absurd title – 'The Apex Virgin'. A strange, wry smile touched his lips.
"I'm not sure," he answered honestly, the truth resonating in the moonlit clearing. "But I think… I think I'm just getting started."
Far away, crashing through the undergrowth, the bandit leader finally collapsed against a tree, gasping for breath, the image of the unbreakable man, the shattered steel, burned into his mind. He had to warn someone. Anyone. A monster walked the roads of Valerius. A monster who looked like a man. The legend of Kaito had found its first, terrified witness. The overpowered virgin had arrived.