"No… I refuse to get isekai'd. I still want to enjoy the internet and my mundane, peaceful life," he muttered, steeling himself, trying to convince the entire universe that he would not accept such a ridiculous fate.
He loved his life here too much, even if it was sometimes boring or filled with stress. His family, his friends, his comfortable job. Those were all far too precious to trade away for some absurd adventure in a fantasy world filled with monsters and magic.
After calming himself down and checking that he wasn't badly hurt, just a few scrapes on his elbows and knees from his emergency roll. He decided it was best to just head home.
God, this pain is killing me… I just want to go home and rest. Today has been way too crazy already, he thought to himself.
On his way back, he passed a small, leafy city park. That's when something caught his eye, something deeply unusual.
Sitting gracefully on an old park bench not far from where he stood was a pitch-black crow. Its feathers glistened under the morning sunlight, looking almost like polished obsidian.
But what really shocked him was its size—it was much bigger than a normal crow. Its beak looked strong and sharp, and its eyes shone with a strange intelligence, as if it was observing the world with a deep understanding.
"At last, we meet, heir of the Demon Clan!"
A deep, resonant baritone froze him in place.
That wasn't the voice of a bird. It sounded like a human's voice, echoing as if it came from the depths of a dark abyss.
He blinked several times, trying to make sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him.
The crow, which had been staring at him so intensely, now bobbed its head up and down, as if confirming what it had just said.
"You… you can talk?" he asked, his voice trembling with confusion and disbelief.
He wasn't even sure if he was hallucinating from the shock of almost being run over by the truck, or if he was simply going insane.
What the hell is this? A talking crow? No, this can't be real. I must be imagining things. There's no way a crow can talk.
"Haha… there's no such thing as a talking crow, right?" he said with an awkward laugh, starting to turn away.
"Of course, I can talk!" the crow shouted. "I am an envoy from another world, sent here to bring you back with me!"
The crow flapped its wings once, then jumped down from the bench, strutting towards him like a nobleman walking with pride.
"My name is Corvus, and I come from the Abyss Dimension. You are destined to become the successor of our Demon Clan in another world—a world that is far more dangerous and full of potential! If you accept your destiny, you will gain unmatched power, the ability to control the elements, summon demon armies, and even bend time and space itself! You could rule the entire world, build your own kingdom, and, most importantly for a man like you, you would be surrounded by a massive harem full of the most beautiful and talented women from different races!" the crow explained excitedly.
The moment he heard the word "harem," he almost burst out laughing on the spot.
He stifled his laughter, but a small chuckle slipped out, oddly loud in the quiet park.
This is unbelievable. It's even more cliché than the fantasy novel I trashed last night. A talking crow? An envoy from the Abyss Dimension? Heir of a Demon Clan? Unmatched power? And a harem? This must be some high-level cosmic joke. Or maybe it's just a side effect from hitting my head and I don't realize it yet.
"Wow, that sounds amazing," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, one eyebrow raised high.
"Unmatched power? Ruling the world? Building a kingdom? And a harem? That's like the dream of every fantasy-addicted loser who spends all day eating instant noodles in front of their computer. You know, the typical isekai protagonist who's everywhere these days. And besides, I really hate harems. I'm the kind of person who believes in true love. I'd rather be with one woman, live peacefully together, and build a family without all the heavy burdens of some heroic destiny."
He shook his head slowly, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"Sorry, Mr. Crow. I already have my own life. I'm not interested in becoming a demon king or anything like that. And living in a fantasy world full of goblins, orcs, or dumb heroes who always get in the way? No thanks. I also can't stand those idiotic kings you find in novels, the ones who somehow end up on the throne despite being clueless. So no, sorry, you can take your offer and shove it," he said flatly, turning around.
He turned and walked away, leaving the stunned crow standing motionless in his wake.
The crow's beady eyes blinked rapidly, full of disbelief.
"W-wait! How could you reject your destiny? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! A chance you'll never get again!" the crow called out, its voice rising with frustration.
"Do you have any idea how many pathetic humans in this world would beg for an opportunity like this?! They'd even sell their souls for it!"
He ignored the crow completely, continuing his walk home without looking back.
"Then give that golden chance to someone else who actually wants it," he said over his shoulder, waving his hand lazily.
"Maybe to a shut-in who spends every day staring at their computer screen playing RPGs nonstop. Or maybe an otaku who's already sick of real life. I'm sure they'd happily take your offer, complete with the harem and superpowers."
The crow's beak dropped open in shock, as if its jaw was about to hit the ground. It had never met a human who rejected such an incredible offer.
A strange, burning rage welled up inside it, and for a moment, the crow's dark feathers seemed to bristle with crimson fury.
It almost opened its mouth to curse him with an ancient spell that could turn a man into the ugliest monster imaginable, or trap him in a miserable life forever.
But for some reason, it held back. Some instinct deep within told it to hold back.
So the crow could only stand there, staring at the young man's back as he grew smaller in the distance, eyes filled with a mix of anger and total confusion.
"This human… he's truly strange," the crow whispered quietly. "He rejected his own destiny. Something like this has never happened in thousands of years."