"How did I get myself into this situation?"
In the middle of a tight and narrow gorge lies a man who suffered a critical strike through his chest. His fall broke most of his bones, and the only thing he could do was hold the remainder of his breath.
This man was confused and utterly shocked about his predicament. He wasn't able to believe the cause of his fall which resulted in his inescapable end.
"That's right... Hahahahaha... Those bastards! H-How could they!? Even after I treated them as my family? Those people who I aided at their lowest point in life, and even risked my own to save them from the hands of death... Hahahaha! Who would have thought they'd be the ones responsible for my end?"
His vision was becoming murkier after he lost a large amount of blood. He reminisced about his life before the change had occurred, a life filled with joy—without chaos or death having fallen into his hands.
22 years ago, in the year 2038, the change within the world was said to have arrived in the form of a massive explosion. It was seen as the end of the world; however, it was only the beginning of a new age that reset humanity's mistakes: pollution, rising sea levels, the drought of the desert, famine, and lastly, disease originating from our bodies.
Even with all of these miracles to come, disaster would soon emerge in every corner of the world. Monsters that came in all shapes and sizes would appear to wreak havoc on the world and its people.
But they weren't alone. Their arrival was accompanied by a few races that were spoken to belong to the world of fiction—races often read about in myths and even stories of modern-day fantasy novels.
I was but a toddler at the age of five when it all happened. My older siblings along with my parents died at that very moment. They suffered from an attack, and I was lucky enough to have been protected by a bystander that showed signs of the change.
This was the first time I'd seen it with my very eyes. It was the arrival of a miracle—the very first combatant, a selected few that were said to have gained supernatural abilities.
Their bodies grew distant and were rebuilt in harnessing an unknown power to fend off this newly rising threat. These individuals were known far and wide as heroes but were mostly known as the Guardians.
I wasn't any different from that person. Later on, I found myself acquiring inhuman strength, reflexes, and speed. Lastly, the ability which makes me different from the rest like a mountain and a valley—growth without any sort of limitations, which we call the act of leveling up.
I came to be known as the Alchemist, which was supposed to be the name of my class. But it became my nickname.
After the loss I suffered from my family and the cries I amassed when I was young... at some point, I grew sick of crying and I vowed to never let anyone else suffer the loss of their family. I wanted to be a symbol. I wished to be a hero who shines brilliantly in the darkest hour.
If this world wasn't faced with all of this chaos, then I'd have grown up to be a doctor. But I became an Alchemist. A non-combatant class—but my existence proved everyone wrong.
Instead of helping on the sidelines, I took charge in our battle for peace and proved my worth, and became a symbol.
However, fate was horrible, even for a person that accumulated a ton of good deeds. Nevertheless, why was I subjected to this fate? Why was I betrayed over such a thing as their images being ruined by such a trivial matter?
Weren't they doing this for the greater good? Were those words they uttered simply because they wanted to acquire some benefits?
In the end, I became a tool for the rest of those traitors—death by stabbing. What's more ironic is that they targeted my back. I guess they have a sense of humor.
"What a shitty life... To think after all of my hardships and I wasn't even rewarded for my kindness. I was a fool for believing such a thing that will only happen inside a novel would exist. Kindness doesn't exist in reality."
"To survive, you must become cruel! Hehehehehe, even after I'm close to my death, I'm as positive as ever. Even if there weren't some cliché thing like the books I've read—even if I can't achieve my revenge... At the very least..."
He paused for a moment to reach his pocket and he acquired a small tube. It contained an incomplete fetus and he smiled after finding it unharmed, even after his fall.
'I only wish that I could've finished my work... The miracle I call a "Second chance" is the homunculus that has my DNA. This very vial contains my most successful test subject of them all,'
'It retains its life for over 3 years by the time it's created—when most others would die by the next day... If not, they've been corrupted by the surrounding elements in the world. I'm glad to see you one final time. It's better than dying a horrible death—it's best to use this fleeting life of mine for its final... procedur~'
Without anything left, he used his very own body for his creation's final phase, which was to consume a large amount of flesh.
He opened the vial. After his final breath would be the end of his life, unleashing his creation to feed on his dying corpse.
Yet he never felt any pain and was surprised with a certain warmth wrapping his entire body. He felt a particular tingle that even he couldn't find any sort of explanation for. He genuinely smiled even after coming to terms with his irreversible fate.
'What's this? Is it some sort of slow killing process...? Perhaps it's the effect of the homunculus—it doesn't possess any kind of teeth?'
'It must be slowly melting every fraction of a cell within my body... how nice. It doesn't even harm its creator. If this isn't loyalty, then I don't know what is.'
'I'm already dead, so why should I waste this time learning about my predicament? I should use this to reminisce about my past and my innocence. While I'm at it, might as well remember my family. If there comes another life after this, then I swear...'
'Things will be different. I won't be blinded by my sense of justice, and I'll stare at the world in its truest colors. At the very least, I wish I got hit by Truck-kun... Truck-kun provides. He grants those he kills a worthwhile isekai trip. I wish I get isekai'd.'
His surroundings started to be enveloped with a pitch-black color, and a dreadful atmosphere encircled his final moment. It felt like an eternity since he last opened his eyes and wondered if this was death—warm comfort wrapping around his soul.
But his delusion ended when a loud pop came bursting forth, and his consciousness awakened for the longest time. He could feel his body being submerged in an unknown liquid, which was filled with warmth. That's when he came back to his senses.
Instead of death awaiting him in the end, he felt a constant irritating feeling—that his body lacked any ounce of air. He flailed around until his actions brought about a small light that resulted from his randomly thrown punches.
The light grew bigger, and by the time it was big enough for his eyes to experience its sensation, his body reunited with the ground.
"I'm alive? What's happening to me... Is this a miracle or what!!?"
He panicked after he remembered his untimely death, which was a known fact opposing his current condition. He panicked after learning about his condition. Why was he alive? Why was he naked? And to top it all off—what was that gooey liquid covering his entire body?
All of his questions were then answered with a single message that shocked him to his core:
[System: You've created a way to access the forbidden fruit (Resurrection) without any help of a god]
"Resurrection?"
Upon his awakening, he noticed a large cocoon from the location where he awakened. There was a hole that was the size where he could easily have escaped. Apart from that, it had the same substance that covered the surface of his project.
Instead of being consumed, a miracle had occurred. Due to having the same DNA as his creation, instead of his corpse being seen as a means of nutrition to enter its final phase, his most prized project fused with his dying corpse, healing his body, and bringing him back to the realm of the living.
[System: Due to your meddling within the cycle of life and death, you'll be given a title that matches your feat.
Reward: You've gained the title: [Defier of Fate]
Outcome: Every level, skill, and lastly, title within your previous life has been returned to zero]
The Alchemist, who was killed by his comrades, rises from his grave after he chose to make his creation devour his worthless body. He later finds out his choices would bring him back to the living as a variant close to a humanoid.
He was unable to feel any pain or emotions, along with his body's different types of abilities. His grave was located within the dark forest filled with countless monsters waiting for their prey to enter their vicinity.
[System: Due to your incredible achievement, you are given the option to bring back a single skill, title, or class upon your awakening]
"What's the date today?"
[System: 5 years have passed since you were placed within the cocoon]
Five years... I wonder how much has changed since my final breath. This body of mine has no sense of emotions...? I don't know if that's a good thing or not.
The only thing that's on my mind is a way to escape this god-forsaken land. First of all, I need to gather some information, and lastly... I need to check whether or not they took my bag.
Though confused and incapable of comprehending his resurrection, he wasn't naive to wait and took his first steps.
Five years was all it took. A perfect body he dreamt of completing for the greater good—and for all to bask in its glory. But his biggest challenge was that his very existence came to possess the catastrophic abilities of the monsters that perished by his grasp.