Zero’s Reign: Reincarnated with a Gacha Clone System

Kaelan crossed his arms. "Alright, Cecil. What exactly are you thinking?" Cecil grinned. "Simple. How about I reincarnate you?" Kaelan blinked. "What."

"I send you back. New world. Fresh start." Cecil shrugged, as if offering reincarnation was as casual as handing out flyers.

Kaelan exhaled. "Okay. But, uh—how about you just take me to heaven instead?" Cecil's expression immediately twitched. "Uhh…" The so-called divine being actually winced.

Kaelan narrowed his eyes. "What?" "Yeah, um… I wouldn't do that." Kaelan frowned. "Why not?" Cecil scratched his head. "Even if I wanted to, I can't." "…Why?" Cecil let out a deep sigh. "Because there is no heaven."

Silence.

Kaelan blinked once. Slowly. Then leaned forward. "I'm sorry, what the actual hell did you just say?" Cecil held up a hand. "Oh, and before you ask—there's no hell either." Kaelan stared. "Then what the hell do people mean when they talk about afterlife?!"

Cecil sighed. "It's a misunderstanding. There's no heaven or hell—just the Great After." Kaelan frowned. "And what exactly is the Great After?"

Cecil hesitated for a moment before answering. "Usually, when people die, their souls drift toward the Great After. It's a place where souls exist to fulfill their greatest desire—whatever that may be."

Kaelan furrowed his brows. "And then what?"

Cecil's expression darkened slightly. "…Then, once they've fulfilled it, they get released." Kaelan's stomach dropped. "Released? You mean…?" "Gone forever." Cecil's voice was calm, but firm. "Become nothingness. Their souls return to their roots."

Kaelan felt something cold settle in his chest.

"…So that's it? No eternal paradise? No second life in some divine kingdom? Just—nothing?" Cecil shrugged. "That's how it works." Kaelan swallowed hard. His mind reeled at the thought. The idea of vanishing completely wasn't just terrifying—it was unfair.

Then another question hit him. "…Then why am I like this? A floating soul in some random void?"

Cecil's brows furrowed slightly. "That's the strange part." Kaelan watched as Cecil flipped through his clipboard, glancing between notes. "You should have gone to the Great After. But your soul… never did. Somehow, it ended up in the Void instead."

Kaelan narrowed his eyes. "Meaning?"

Cecil sighed. "Meaning, you wandered aimlessly instead of fulfilling any 'greatest desire.' And since you weren't in the Great After, you couldn't release yourself either." He tapped his clipboard. "Honestly, you've been in the Void for so long, I don't think you even could fulfill any last wish."

Kaelan rubbed his face. "Great. So my options are either continue wandering this godforsaken nothingness forever, or take your reincarnation deal?"

Cecil gave him an encouraging nod. "Pretty much." Kaelan chuckled dryly. "Even in the afterlife, my luck hasn't changed, huh?" Cecil sighs. "I'm sorry."

Kaelan let out a deep breath. Then, finally, he grinned.

"Alright. Let's do it, Cecil."

Cecil beamed. "Hell yeah! My first time making my own decision like this—I'm feeling pumped!" Kaelan raised a brow. "Wait. You've never made a decision before?"

Cecil huffed. "Look, lower-class gods don't usually get this much freedom, alright?" He clapped his hands together, rolling his shoulders. "Okay! Let me get myself ready—this will take a bit of setup. In the meantime, think about what form you want for your reincarnated body."

Kaelan stiffened.

"Wait—I get to choose?"

Cecil chuckled. "Of course. It's a little perk. Consider it my way of making up for your complete and utter lack of luck in your last life."

Kaelan exhaled. "Huh. That's… actually kinda cool."

As he started thinking about what kind of form he wanted, Cecil casually tapped his clipboard, and with a smooth motion, he began drawing a glowing circle with intricate calculations.

The ritual had begun.

…

Cecil took a step back, clapping his hands together. "Alright, it's done."

The glowing circle he had drawn on his clipboard shimmered—then suddenly expanded, swirling into a massive, floating projection.

A planet materialized before them.

Kaelan's eyes widened as he watched its surface come into focus—oceans, mountains, sprawling cities, thick forests. It looked like Earth, but something about it felt... different.

Cecil gestured grandly. "This is Aetherion."

Kaelan tilted his head. "Huh. Fancy."

Cecil continued, slipping into a salesman's tone. "Aetherion is a livable planet, just like Terra—the world you came from. It has a mix of magic and technology, creating a society that feels like Terra's early 1900s, but with an arcane twist."

Kaelan chuckled. "Man, you sound like you're trying to sell me this place."

Cecil smirked. "Well, it's important you know what you're getting into." He pointed at the projection again. "Aetherion isn't just any world. It was once the setting of a grand story."

Kaelan raised an eyebrow. "Was?"

Cecil nodded. "Yeah. It was abandoned a long time ago. Its main character—a great hero—died after his beautifully written story ended. And with his death, the higher-ups… lost interest."

Kaelan squinted. "Wait. Are you telling me this whole planet got discarded just because its main character died?" Cecil sighed. "Pretty much."

Kaelan exhaled. "Man. The higher-ups sound petty as hell."

Cecil smirked. "You have no idea." Kaelan shook his head, still trying to process that. "Alright, fine. What happened to this hero, then?"

Cecil's expression darkened slightly. "He died in a war against the demon race. He won. But at the cost of his own life."

Kaelan's brows furrowed. "So he died a hero?"

Cecil nodded. "Yeah. But after that, the world changed. The demons got the brunt of the stick—turned into a lower-class race, treated as slaves and subordinates."

Kaelan frowned. "That's messed up." Cecil shrugged. "History often is."

Kaelan hummed in thought. "And I'm guessing Saint Marcellus being reincarnated is meant to kickstart a new story for Aetherion?"

Cecil snapped his fingers. "Exactly. It's supposed to be a fresh chapter—something to bring new interest back to this world."

Kaelan narrowed his eyes. "Is it really okay for me to be reincarnated at the same time as Saint Marcellus? That won't mess anything up?" Cecil waved a hand. "Nah, it's fine." Then he paused. "Though, uh—I can't tell you who Saint Marcellus will be reborn as."

Kaelan squinted. "…Why?" Cecil grinned. "Spoilers." Kaelan groaned. "You're insufferable." Cecil chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough." Kaelan sighed, then glanced at the projection again. "…Alright. One more thing."

Cecil tilted his head. "Yeah?"

Kaelan turned to him with a serious look. "Can I skip the child phase? Like—just start at 18?" Cecil blinked, then laughed. "Hah! You really don't wanna deal with being a kid again, huh?" Kaelan scoffed. "Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather skip the helpless infant stage and get straight to the cool, independent part."

Cecil grinned. "Sure. I can arrange that. I'll place you newly arrived in one of the cities—like you're just looking for a fresh start."

Kaelan smirked. "Perfect."

Cecil stretched his arms and grinned. "Alright, this is it! Are we ready for the new life?" Kaelan smirked. "We?" Cecil blinked, then laughed. "I mean you! I'm just excited." Kaelan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with."

Cecil clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's start with your power." Kaelan tilted his head. "Power?"

Cecil nodded. "Of course. Aetherion is a dangerous world, y'know? Can't just send you in without anything."

With a flick of his wrist, a massive spinning wheel materialized in front of them, glowing with floating symbols and words written in some ancient script.

Kaelan immediately squinted at it. "Oh no. That's a wheel of chance, isn't it?" Cecil smirked. "Let's do race first, shall we?"

The wheel began spinning. A blur of colors and letters flashed past Kaelan's eyes until finally—

Click!

The wheel slowed.

Then—

[ARCHDEMON]

Cecil winced.

"Oof. That's unfortunate."

Kaelan crossed his arms. "What? What's wrong?"

Cecil scratched the back of his head. "Well… If this were a few hundred years ago, you'd be celebrating—Archdemons were insanely powerful. But after, uh… the whole war situation…"

Kaelan groaned. "Oh, come on. Are we really doing this? I just got reincarnated and I'm already dealing with bad luck?" Cecil raised his hands. "Hey, I don't make the rules! Even Saint Marcellus would've gone through this, you know."

Kaelan let out a long sigh. "Fine. What's next?"

Cecil grinned and spun the next wheel.

This time, it landed on—

[CLONE / AVATAR TALENT]

Kaelan raised a brow. "What does that mean?"

Cecil smirked. "Now this is interesting."

He leaned forward, explaining, "You'll have the ability to create a clone of yourself. As long as you have magic to sustain it, you can split your consciousness and control both at the same time—as if it's second nature to you."

Kaelan's eyes widened. "Wait, so I can be in two places at once?"

Cecil nodded. "Exactly. But—" He held up a finger. "You'll need training. If you push it too far too fast, it might fracture your mind. That's why it's considered a racial talent—it's something that's natural to you but still requires practice to master."

Kaelan grinned. "Cool." His eyes gleamed with excitement.

Cecil chuckled. "Glad you like it. Now…"

The final wheel appeared.

"The moment you've been waiting for—your POWER."

The wheel began spinning.

Kaelan clasped his hands together and muttered a quick prayer.

"Come on, for once, let my luck pull through on this one…"

The wheel spun faster and faster—colors and symbols flashing in a blur.

Then—

Click.

The wheel began to slow.

Kaelan held his breath.

And finally—

The wheel clicked into place.

[GACHA]

Kaelan stared. Then slowly, very slowly, he turned to Cecil.

"…You have got to be kidding me."

Cecil, however, grinned. "Wow, you actually pulled through."

Kaelan blinked. "Pulled through? Gacha?" He groaned. "Man, this isn't some MMO lootbox—how is this supposed to be a power?"

Cecil chuckled, clearly unfazed. "Actually, with your clone talent, this is a perfect match."

Kaelan crossed his arms. "Explain. Because right now, all I'm picturing is spending real money on MapleStory gacha pulls and getting nothing but garbage."

Cecil smirked. "This gacha is different. You're able to pull fictional characters from your old world—but instead of summoning them like a normal hero-summoning ability, you can use your clones to absorb them."

Kaelan raised a brow. "Wait. So… instead of summoning them, I just take their skills, powers, abilities, and appearance?"

Cecil nodded. "Exactly. That way, you don't have to worry about summoned characters going rogue—you just become them."

Kaelan tapped his chin, processing the information. "Huh. That's actually… kinda awesome."

Cecil smirked. "Told ya."

Kaelan then frowned slightly. "But it's still kinda limiting if I can only make one clone." Cecil raised a brow. "Who said you can only make one?" Kaelan blinked. "…What?" Cecil grinned. "Technically, you can make as many clones as you want—but it'll take training and time. Right now, you can only handle one without overloading your mind, but with practice and patience, you can create more."

Kaelan grinned. "Alright. I think I just found my motivation for this new world."

Cecil's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "Oh? Please do tell."

Kaelan smirked. "I'll have my main body live as an ordinary guy—completely under the radar. But my clones? They'll be the big shots—the warriors, the legends, the ones people fear or admire." His smirk widened. "That way, I can be both chill and ambitious at the same time."

Cecil burst out laughing. "That's… honestly brilliant."

He snapped his fingers. "Alright! As a gift, I'll set you up with a cozy little café—a perfect front for your ordinary life."

Kaelan raised a brow. "A café?"

Cecil nodded. "Yeah. Let's model it after Leblanc Café from Persona 5—one of your world's classic settings."

Kaelan deadpanned. "I have no idea what a Persona 5 is." Cecil paused. Then muttered, "…Right. Died before it came out." Kaelan shrugged. "But hey, I won't say no to a free café." Cecil grinned. "Great! Now, onto the final details."

Cecil held up his clipboard. "Alright, last thing—your appearance." Kaelan thought for a moment, then nodded. "I want long black hair—something elegant and refined." Cecil smirked. "Any specific inspiration?" Kaelan nodded. "Zhuge Liang." Cecil blinked. "The Three Kingdoms tactician?" Kaelan grinned. "Yep. I want that calm, calculating look. Someone who looks like a mastermind."

Cecil jotted it down. "Noted. And, uh, I'm assuming you want to be handsome too?" Kaelan scoffed. "I mean… obviously." Cecil chuckled as he made a few final adjustments. Then, he glanced up. "Alright. Now, what about your name?" 

Kaelan thought for a moment, then smirked.

"…Zero."

Cecil tilted his head. "Zero?"

Kaelan nodded. "I wanted to call myself Zoro, but, well… let's tweak it a bit." Cecil tapped his chin. "Hmm. Interesting choice. And for your last name?" Kaelan shrugged. "I'll let you pick. I trust you." Cecil grinned. "Alright then." He jotted down a final note.

Then, with a flourish, he closed his clipboard.

"All set."

A golden light began to swirl around Kaelan—no, around Zero. Cecil gave him one last look. "May your luck prosper in this life… Zero." Zero smiled.

Then—

He vanished.

The void remained still.

The moment Zero was gone, Cecil's smile faltered. Behind him, a figure knelt—another divine being, cloaked in white. "Is it done, Father?" the kneeling being asked. Cecil let out a slow breath.

Then, he turned slightly.

"…Yes, Cecil. You may go manage Saint Marcellus' reincarnation."

The kneeling divine being—the real Cecil—bowed his head. "Your wish is my command, Father." And with that, he vanished. The remaining figure, still wearing Cecil's form, smirked. The true divine being stood alone in the endless void, watching as the cycle of fate continued.