KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess Chapter 12: [11] Two Hundred Meters

The shuttle slowed with a soft pneumatic hiss as it reached the Midtown Heights station. Xavier rose from his seat, swinging his duffel over his shoulder.

The doors parted. Xavier stepped onto the platform and breathed deep. The air carried traces of ozone from the crystal-powered vehicles, mixed with salt from the Pacific. Cleaner than the smog-choked cities he'd known before.

"Fuck it," he muttered. "Hello, new world."

The mory rge had left him disoriented, like waking up drunk in a stranger's bed. Bits of a life he'd never lived nestled alongside the blood-soaked mories of his actual past. He wished Calypso had ntioned this particular detail during their little arrangent.

"D-rank student coming through," he said to no one, flashing a smile at a group of maintenance workers who stepped aside.

Crystal-powered advertising displays tracked his movent, shifting their content as he passed.

"New to Nexus? Visit Crystal Gardens for authentic Awakened cuisine!"

"Struggling with Essentia control? Tanaka's Training Center offers D-rank starter packages!"

Xavier ignored them, focusing on the residential tower ahead. According to his implanted mories, Apartnt 1103 waited on the eleventh floor. Small but private, with a decent view of Island One.

A group of three won approached from the opposite direction. Their conversation halted as they noticed him, eyes widening slightly. The tallest one, sporting blue-streaked hair, whispered sothing to her companions. They giggled, cheeks flushing pink. One of them, a petite blonde, t his gaze for a heartbeat before looking away.

Xavier gave them a lazy half-smile as they passed. So things never changed across realities—his looks remained a useful tool, just as they had been in his previous life. Good to know.

As he continued toward the tower, he rembered Calypso ntioning sothing about abilities from her "gacha" system. What had she called it? Essentia?

"Status," he said experintally, unsure if it required a voice command.

A translucent pink interface materialized, hovering at eye level:

===== ESSENTIA STATUS: XAVIER VALENTINE =====

HP: [■■■■■■■■■■] 1000/1000

IB: [□□□□□□□□□□] 0/250

BUFFER LEVEL: 1

TER BUILDING TECHNIQUES:

Basic Combo [ 5 TER ON SUCCESS]

Counter Strike [ 15 TER ON SUCCESS]

Perfect Dodge [ 10 TER ON SUCCESS]

[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 2]

[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 3]

TER CONSUMING TECHNIQUES:

[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 2]

[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 2]

[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 3]

FEVER MODE: [LOCKED] [AVAILABLE AT FULL TER]

When activated: 15% to all stats for 30 seconds

Consus entire ter when activated

COMBAT TRICS:

Perfect Executions: 0 • Combo Efficiency: N/A

Current Combo: 0 Hits • Max Combo: 0 Hits

SOUL BONDS:

[LOCKED] [░░░░░░░░] 0%

NOTIFICATIONS:

Execute combat techniques with precision to build ter

ter resets when sufficient damage is done

Xavier rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the floating display. "That's... different."

He dismissed the interface with a wave of his hand, continuing toward the tower. The system made no sense to him yet, but that's what the academy was for, right? Learning the rules of this new reality.

No rush. Unlike his previous life—where survival ant constantly looking over his shoulder—here he had ti. The academy offered structure, resources, and most importantly, the chance to build power in a controlled environnt. And with his new youthful body, he could afford patience.

The lobby of Midtown Heights glead with polished stone floors and crystal-infused lighting that adjusted to the ti of day. A security drone hovered near the entrance, scanning his ID band as he passed.

"Welco ho, Mr. Valentine," it chirped in a synthetic voice.

The elevator whisked him to the eleventh floor in seconds. As he approached 1103, movent caught his eye.

A woman fumbled with her keys at the neighboring apartnt, 1105. Long red hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, and she wore form-fitting athletic wear that complented her build nicely.

Neighbor lottery jackpot.

She glanced over her shoulder, revealing a heart-shaped face with bright golden eyes. "Oh, hello. You must be new."

"Just moved in," Xavier replied, nodding toward 1103. "Xavier Valentine."

"Aurora Fitzgerald." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Welco to the building. Fair warning—the water pressure drops around seven, and the delivery drones sotis mix up our doors."

"Thanks for the heads-up."

She disappeared into her apartnt with a small wave, door closing behind her. Xavier approached his own door, pulling out his phone to access the digital key. The screen displayed a 3D image of a key that rotated slowly, waiting to be scanned by the door.

But as he raised the phone, he noticed sothing wrong. The door sat slightly ajar, a sliver of space between it and the fra.

Xavier's body shifted automatically. Weight balanced on the balls of his feet. Muscles tensed, ready to move. He set his duffel down silently and nudged the door with his fingertips, letting it swing open without a sound.

The apartnt beyond lay in shadow, blinds drawn against the afternoon sun. He stepped inside, scanning for movent, listening for breathing.

The entryway opened to a modest living space—sofa, coffee table, entertainnt system. Kitchen to the right, small dining area beyond. Bedroom door visible at the end of a short hallway.

Xavier moved through the space thodically, checking corners and potential hiding spots. The kitchen contained standard appliances. The living room showed no signs of disturbance. He approached the bedroom cautiously, easing the door open with his foot.

A queen-sized bed dominated the space, neatly made with dark blue bedding. Closet doors closed. No one under the bed. No one behind the curtains.

But then—a sound. Water sloshing from the adjoining bathroom.

Xavier pressed his back against the wall beside the bathroom door. He counted silently in his head.

One...

He flexed his fingers, wishing for the familiar weight of a knife.

Two...

A soft humming sound drifted through the door—a woman's voice.

Three!

He pushed the door open in one swift motion, body coiled to strike.

Steam billowed out, montarily obscuring his vision. When it cleared, Xavier found himself staring at a sight no amount of whoring or killing had prepared him for.

Calypso Valentine—goddess of reincarnation, silver-haired architect of his second chance—reclined in his bathtub. Every inch of her divine form exposed as she stretched languorously. Her pink eyes widened montarily before narrowing in pleasure at his presence.

"Hey, Xavi! Long ti no see!"

She stood, water streaming down her body. No strategic bubbles. No convenient towel. Just endless porcelain skin that glowed with inner light.

Xavier had seen beautiful won before. He'd seen rich won, desperate won, powerful won. He'd killed so, fucked others, sotis in the sa night. But nothing compared to a goddess's naked form—the utter perfection in each line and curve.

Calypso stepped out of the tub, leaving wet footprints on the tile. Water beaded on her skin but didn't run normally—it ford perfect droplets that rolled down her body like liquid diamonds.

Xavier leaned against the doorfra, crossing his arms. "Why are you here? Don't you have souls to process or whatever it is goddesses do?"

"About that..." Her smile faltered slightly. She raised her hand, snapped her fingers dramatically.

Nothing happened.

She frowned, snapped again harder.

Still nothing.

"That's..." She stared at her hand like it had betrayed her. "That's not supposed to happen."

"Performance issues?" Xavier raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up." She concentrated, her brow furrowing. The air around her hand shimred slightly, but the grand gesture clearly failed. "This is bad."

"What exactly did you try to do?"

"Create chocolate. I always reward myself with dessert after a bath." She snapped her fingers a third ti, growing visibly frustrated. "I can still feel my power, but it's... muffled. Like trying to yell underwater."

Xavier stepped into the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the rack and tossing it at her feet. "Let's start over. You're in my apartnt. In my bathtub. With apparently broken god powers. Explain."

Calypso ignored the towel, sitting on the edge of the tub.

"Rember your gacha pull? When I let you reroll your abilities?"

"Vaguely. Things are still settling in my head."

"You got so great stuff! That Input Buffer system is totally unique, by the way. Custom designed it myself." She preened montarily before her face fell. "But you also got a... tiny, itsy-bitsy Legend-rank flaw."

"Fuck, the Divine Entanglent."

"Ding ding ding! My soul got tethered to yours during transmigration." She twirled a strand of silver hair nervously. "I'm stuck here. With you. In the mortal world. With severely limited divine powers."

Xavier stared at her, processing the implications. "You're trapped here."

"Yep."

"With ."

"Technically, within a two hundred-ter radius of you at all tis from now on, or we both experience excruciating pain that increases exponentially with distance."

She smiled weakly. "Surprise?"