The Laziest God Mortal Reincarnation

In the dimly lit storage room of the Vortex’s household, the scent of old wood and polish lingered in the air. Dust motes floated in the shafts of light that pierced through the narrow, high-set window. Shelves lined every wall, stacked with neatly folded linens, polished silver trays, and rows of ceramic jars filled with spices and preserves. A few wooden crates, marked with faded ink, sat in the corner, awaiting inventory.

Two maids bustled about, dusting the top shelves and sweeping the stone floor. Their aprons fluttered as they moved, pausing only to whisper and giggle about the latest rumours from the grand hall.

"Did you hear the baby crying again last night? Poor little thing, she barely lets anyone sleep."

"Aye, and yet her ladyship beams like the sun over her. You can feel the whole estate bending toward that cradle now."

"Hah, as if it wasn’t already bent for her son. Remember when he was born? The whole estate ran on his whims."

"True enough. And the young master, well, the elder one, he just drifts about, doesn’t he? Sleeping in the library, the garden, even on the stairs once."

"I’ve seen him. It’s like he belongs to the walls, not the family. Clever boy, though. The tutors whisper about him."

"Clever or not, her ladyship doesn’t spare him a glance. She smiles at him only when he’s quiet, sleeping, out of sight."

"The Duke hardly notices either. Always away, off to his business and affairs. I wonder if he even remembers there are two sons and a new daughter here."

"He doesn’t seem to mind. Perhaps he prefers his dreams to the games his stepmother plays."

"Maybe he is the wisest of them all. A shadow in the halls, sleeping while the rest of them chase crows and favour."

"Shadows can hear everything, though. And dreams... they last longer than schemes."

"Best we keep to our work. The Duke’s house watches all, even in its sleep."

Unknown to the two maids, their words were truer than they could imagine. The boy they gossiped about was tucked away in a quiet corner of the room, hidden in the folds of shadow where no one thought to look. He rested in a spot that cradled him like a cocoon, eyes closed, his breathing slow and even.

To any passerby, he seemed lost in a gentle sleep, a harmless ghost drifting through his own dreams. Yet beneath his stillness, he listened, every footstep, every whisper, every secret that threaded itself through the old stone walls reached him.

***

"Yaaaaawww.....It’s already been five years."

After the two maids left, I let my thoughts drift to everything that happened over the last five years.

My father, Duke Vortex, remarried when I was only a year old, and his new wife quickly established her presence as the lady of the estate.

Less than a year after their marriage, my stepbrother was born, two years younger than me, a child who would quickly become the apple of her eye.

And recently, the family welcomed a newborn step-sister, and with her arrival, the household dynamic shifted once again.

I’ve been known as the "lazy genius" of the family. I started walking, talking, and reading earlier than most children, astonishing the tutors and staff with how quickly I absorbed knowledge. But my days are largely spent in slumber; sleep is my world, and I take refuge in it.

My stepmother allowed me to drift in and out of naps whenever I please, but not out of any affection for me. I’ve long understood that she prefers to keep me out of sight, letting her son shine as the future heir. By letting me sleep, she ensures I remain a distant figure, a quiet shadow within the household.

Father is a distant presence, a man always busy with affairs beyond our walls. Days, sometimes weeks, pass without me seeing him. I’ve grown used to his absence, and I doubt he thinks much of my quiet life. My stepmother devotes her attention to her son, grooming him for the role I was born into but have no interest in claiming.

So, as the years slipped by, I’ve watched the family’s ambitions and struggles from the edges of my dreams, indifferent to titles, duties, and the subtle games of inheritance.

My stepmother’s cold indifference never bothered me, for I have found my own comfort in the soft escape of sleep, where the burdens of the waking world could not reach me.

[You should stop being lazy and prepare for when the Demons invade this world. ]

Of course, this damn system became more annoying as the years passed. At first, it was a simple, clinical voice, spitting out commands and updates with all the emotion of a clock ticking. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, it began to shift.

I noticed its tone carried a faint edge of impatience, as if it were judging my every choice.

Notifications that were once cold and factual now came with a subtle bite, a sarcastic undertone that made my skin crawl.

It started offering advice I hadn’t asked for, commenting on my routines, questioning my decisions, and sometimes even jeering when I hesitated.

Over time, it no longer felt like a tool I was using but a presence lurking in the corner of my mind, learning, adapting, and mocking me with every passing year.

"Are you the same system I had in the Celestial Realm?"

[In the Celestial Realm, my subconscious was divided among hundreds of Gods to assist them]

[Now, since my full consciousness was fused with this body too, I am able to understand more about mortals’ feelings]

"Ohh, and what are you feeling now?"

[Exasperated, dissatisfied, and weary]

"Uhhh!... why"

[Because of my host]

[He is too lazy]

[He spent most of his time resting instead of training and preparing for the future]

I stiffened slightly under the system’s judgement.

"I told you, I will start training after awakening. Also, didn’t you say that this world was still under the protection of higher beings?"

In the vast tapestry of creation, every new world is born under the silent gaze of higher beings, both gods and demons. At the moment of its inception, an unseen shield encloses the world, safeguarding it from the grasp of external powers. This divine barrier ensures that life within may flourish free from interference, untouched by the ambitions of celestial or infernal forces.

For thousands of years, the world evolves in seclusion. Oceans form, mountains rise, forests spread, and sentient creatures emerge, none aware of the cosmic protection that shelters them. During this age of innocence, no god can bestow their blessing, and no demon can extend their shadow into the realm.

But time is patient, and the shield is not eternal. As civilizations ignite, as knowledge spreads and the world matures, the barrier weakens. Eventually, the age of protection ends, and the veil between planes thins.

The first to sense the change are the demons. They creep through the cracks, seeking to sow chaos, corruption, and despair. Shortly after, the gods awaken to the new era, stretching their light across the land, offering "blessings" and "favour" to those who prove worthy.

And the world where I was reincarnated was still under such protection.

[Yes, but I forced my way into this fragile mortal shell, and in doing so, I tore a small hole in the barrier that shields this world.]

[Because of that, the protection will end sooner than it was supposed to.]

"When exactly?"

[I already told you, but you never pay attention.]

"Sorry, but remind me again."

[I will only be able to know exactly after your awakening.]

"Meaning I have five more years to enjoy my life peacefully without stress."

[Enjoying life doesn’t mean sleeping and avoiding mortals on a daily basis.]

"Look, it’s getting late now, and I’m hungry. I’m going to get some food in the kitchen without anyone seeing me."

[...]