Ethan Carter was an ordinary man living an ordinary life. At twenty-six, he held an unremarkable job, rented an unremarkable apartment, and followed an unremarkable daily routine. He had never done anything particularly exciting, never traveled far, and had never dated anyone. Life felt monotonous, and, truthfully, he was fine with that.
His days consisted of waking up, going to work, returning home, watching anime or reading fan-fiction, and finally sleeping. No dreams of grandeur, no aspirations beyond paying bills and surviving the daily grind.
Yet all of that changed in an instant.
A truck he wasn't even sure where it came from. One moment, he was walking home; the next, impact. A deafening crash, a blinding light, and then… nothing.
Soon Ethan found himself in an unfamiliar place: a peaceful, empty room that seemed to calm his heart simply by existing. He knew he was dead; he wasn't a fool. The lack of pain, the eerie stillness everything screamed afterlife.
His thoughts wandered to his family his parents, his older sister, now married and living her own life. He was the only son, the one expected to carry the family name forward, yet here he was dead.
Despite the sorrow, another thought crept into his mind: Is this it?
He had read countless isekai stories where people died and woke up in new worlds with godlike powers. Could this be something like that?
As if responding to his thoughts, an old man entered his view.
Ethan's eyes widened as the man sat before him, radiating a peculiar yet comforting aura.
The man smiled, his presence exuding warmth.
"You must be Ethan Carter."
Ethan hesitated, then nodded. "…Yeah."
"I imagine you have plenty of questions."
"A few," Ethan admitted, studying the man warily. "First, where am I?"
The old man chuckled. "A waiting room of sorts a place between life and death."
Ethan's lips thinned. "So it's true, huh? I'm dead."
The man sighed. "Yes. You see… Truck-kun, the one responsible for sending people to other worlds, accidentally hit the wrong person."
Silence stretched. Ethan just stared.
"…You're joking."
"I don't joke about these matters," the old man said with an amused smile. "Someone else was meant to die, not you. But due to an unfortunate mix-up, you were the one struck."
Ethan rubbed his face. "So, let me get this straight I died because of a clerical error?"
"Essentially."
"Unbelievable."
The old man chuckled. "Believe me, it happens more often than you'd think. That's why I'm here—to fix it."
Ethan sighed. "And who exactly are you?"
The old man's expression remained serene. "You wouldn't comprehend my true name; to you, it would sound like static."
Ethan frowned as the being spoke but all he heard was garbled noise, like a radio caught between stations.
"…What the hell was that?"
"See?" the old man said, amused. "Just call me ROB—Random Omnipotent Being. That's what most people choose."
Ethan gave him a flat look. "That's the dumbest name I've ever heard."
And as punishment for this blunder, Truck-kun had been… appropriately disciplined.
Poor Truck-kun.
ROB shrugged. "It's better than trying to hear my real one."
"…Fair enough."
ROB clasped his hands together. "Now then, since you weren't meant to die, I'm offering you compensation a new life, with gifts."
Ethan blinked. "You mean… like an isekai situation?"
"Precisely."
Ethan mulled it over, then shook his head. "No thanks. I'd rather move on."
ROB blinked, taken aback. "Come again? You don't want a second chance?"
Ethan sighed. "Living sucked. I did it once, and that was enough."
Silence followed. Then ROB laughed a deep, resonant laugh that shook the room.
"You're the first to say that to me," ROB admitted with a grin. "Most people beg for another shot, demanding powers or revenge or some grand adventure."
Ethan shrugged. "Yeah. I don't see the point of doing it all over again."
ROB studied him, then smirked. "How about a drink before you go?"
Ethan hesitated, but figured why not? It wasn't like he had anything to lose. He accepted the cup ROB offered and drank.
The liquid was sweet, refreshing almost divine.
Then ROB's smile widened.
"You just drank from the Enhanced Fountain of Youth: The Divine Spring."
Ethan froze.
It was like an overpowered version of the Fountain of Youth from Seven Deadly Sins. As ROB's words echoed in his mind, a torrent of information surged through Ethan's consciousness.
Ethan stood speechless, struggling to process what had just happened.
ROB leaned back with a smirk. "I know your fear of both death and life. That's why you wanted to pass on. That's why I gave you this."
Ethan's face twisted in horror. "Wait, what? No! I don't want this!"
ROB waved a hand. "Good luck."
A black portal opened beneath Ethan's feet.
"Wait! You son of a..."
And just like that, Ethan Carter was hurled into the unknown.