New York.
Daytime.
Lucian tugged lightly at the hood over his head as he watched the crowds passing by.
To his eyes, their clothing looked almost antique, and freshly erected wooden telegraph poles lined both sides of the streets.
“Did I end up in the wrong era?”
He muttered to himself.
This wasn’t the first time Lucian had crossed into another world.
Originally, he had been an ordinary university graduate from the twenty-first century who had just landed his first job.
Wanting to celebrate, he’d booted up a game he’d downloaded long ago but never had the chance to play.
Somewhere during the session, he fell asleep.
When he woke up, he found himself inside the game.
The game was Assassin’s Creed: Origins.
At first, he had been confused and despairing.
But after calming down and relying on his knowledge of the game’s story, he not only became a legendary Assassin but also obtained one of the Pieces of Eden—the Holy Grail.
The Holy Grail granted him immortality.
After that, he lived through the events of Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed II, and countless other eras of the Brotherhood.
Eventually, after collecting the final Repulsive Metal Fragment, his vision went black once more.
When he opened his eyes again…
He was here.
Scanning his surroundings, Lucian noticed a park not far ahead.
At its centre stood a towering monument.
His figure shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
A blonde woman’s skirt was suddenly whipped upward by a powerful gust of wind.
She shrieked in surprise, clutching it down while frantically looking around.
There was no one there.
Moments later, Lucian arrived before the monument.
Planting both feet firmly on the ground, he kicked off with explosive force, soaring more than two metres into the air.
As he descended, his hands caught a narrow crack in the stone while his boots landed on a tiny protruding ledge.
His hands and feet moved in perfect harmony.
Within a single second, he had climbed another two metres.
He continued scaling the structure with astonishing speed.
Whenever he reached a smooth section without handholds, he leapt upward again, planting his feet against the wall and using the momentum to propel himself even higher.
One minute later…
He stood at the very top.
The monument’s peak was scarcely wide enough for a single foot, yet Lucian crouched there effortlessly.
Dressed in pristine white Assassin robes, he was bathed in brilliant sunlight.
Then—
A radiant wave of multicoloured light spread outward from his body.
Only Lucian could see or sense it.
Within an instant, every building, street, and landmark for several miles around unfolded in his mind like an enormous map.
This was one of his abilities—
Eagle Vision.
It allowed him to instantly memorise everything within his field of view while also revealing anything connected to him—people, objects, and countless other details.
Its only limitation was simple.
It could perceive only what lay within his line of sight.
That was precisely why he had climbed to the highest point available.
“So this is New York…
the year is 1900.”
“…Looks like I really did arrive too early.”
He sighed softly.
Standing upright, he stretched out both arms and leapt from the summit.
Directly below lay a small fountain barely a metre deep.
Splash!
With a muffled impact, he plunged into the water before calmly stepping back onto dry land.
No one nearby reacted.
To everyone around him, it was as though nothing had happened.
This was another of his innate Assassin abilities.
A true Assassin had to know how to erase their presence completely.
When mastered to its absolute limit, even standing openly beside someone would leave them incapable of noticing your existence.
Having spent nearly a thousand years within the worlds of Assassin’s Creed, Lucian had already perfected that skill.
Now that he knew where—and when—he was, there was only one thing left to do.
Go home.
Return to the homeland he had been separated from for nearly a millennium.
Deep within the Himalayas of Tibet, hidden far beyond the reach of ordinary people…
An ancient palace stood silently among the snow-covered peaks.
“I’ve sensed an immensely powerful energy from another world.”
A white-haired man spoke without opening his eyes.
“Gu Yi, go investigate.”
“Understood, Master Kaluu.”
The bald woman nodded respectfully before turning to leave.
Night fell.
New York Harbor.
Lucian arrived at the docks.
“Excuse me,” he asked, stopping an Asian woman wearing a Western-style hat and sporting short hair.
“Which ship is sailing to China?”
Startled, the woman looked up.
The man before her wore a white hood whose pointed crest formed a distinctive triangular shape.
His immaculate white robes featured a crimson-lined collar folded outward.
A metallic pauldron extended from his right shoulder across his chest, mirrored by another on the left.
Elegant bracers protected both forearms, while intricately crafted metal armour covered his waist, forming an unusual emblem over his abdomen.
His boots were made from an unknown material, their sharply pointed toes resembling sword tips.
She had no doubt that a kick from those boots could be fatal.
And draped over half his body was a striking red-and-white cloak.
“Miss…”
Seeing that she remained frozen in place, Lucian spoke again.
“Ah…!”
She snapped back to her senses.
“The third ship ahead—that’s the one.”
She quickly pointed toward a passenger liner docked nearby.
“Thank you.”
Lucian nodded before walking away.
Watching his departing figure, the woman hesitated for a moment before hurrying after him.
Soon, Lucian reached the boarding gate.
He walked forward at an unhurried pace.
The ticket inspectors standing on either side acted as though they couldn’t see him.
Without asking for a ticket…
They simply let him pass.
The woman following behind him stared in astonishment.
“Good evening, Miss.
May I see your ticket?”
“Oh…
certainly.”
She handed over her ticket before asking curiously,
“The gentleman in front of me never showed his ticket.
Why did you let him board?”
“The gentleman in front of you?”
The inspector looked up in confusion before returning her ticket.
“Miss, no one boarded before you.”
“You’re our first passenger.”
“…I see.
Thank you.”
Already aboard the ship, Lucian’s ears twitched ever so slightly.
Hidden beneath his hood…
A faint smile appeared on his lips.