Chapter 1 – The Forest of Velmoria
Ugh…
My bones. People keep saying work is something that helps a human live a peaceful life, but all I ever feel is my bones breaking under the pressure.
My name is Takeda Haruto. I'm forty-two years old, an office worker, and recently promoted to manager in a mid-sized trading company in Tokyo. A so-called success, people would say. Today my boss actually told me to leave early—"We've finished the big project, Haruto, take the rest of the day off."
It should have felt like a reward. Instead, I walked out of the office with my shoulders heavy, my tie too tight, and a thought stuck in my head: what's the point of working so hard if all I do is tire myself out?
The evening train was packed, as usual. I stood among dozens of others, the rhythm of the tracks clicking under my feet. The neon lights of the city blurred by, but I didn't bother looking. I just wanted to go home, pour myself a cheap glass of whiskey, and collapse.
When the train stopped near my neighborhood, I stepped out, loosened my tie, and breathed in the summer night air. It was hot, thick, suffocating almost. A cicada buzzed somewhere nearby. For the first time that day, I thought maybe—just maybe—I could enjoy the quiet.
Then the world changed.
A screech of tires, the blinding glare of headlights. My body froze before I could move. There was no time to react. Just a violent, crushing impact. My chest caved, my bones snapped, and pain like fire tore through me.
The last thing I heard was someone screaming—not even sure if it was me.
"Ahh… did I die? I guess I can't work anymore. This sucks."
The words slipped out, though my lips weren't moving. My body—what was left of it—was gone. Only my consciousness floated in a strange void, weightless and formless.
"It's hot… but at the same time cold," I muttered. The contradiction was unsettling, like I was caught between fire and ice.
[Skill Acquired: Resistance]
"…What?" My voice echoed in the emptiness. "What was that?"
It sounded mechanical, but also divine—like a goddess whispering into my soul. For a second, I thought I was hallucinating. People say when you die, your brain fires off strange signals. Maybe this was it.
"Heh. It's almost like I'm dying and going into a fantasy world," I chuckled bitterly. "Like those novels… what did the kids call them? Isekai?"
The emptiness quivered.
[Reincarnation location in progress…]
A pause. Then—
[Reincarnation location complete.]
[Answer: You will be reincarnated in the world's dangerous forest—Velmoria.]
My nonexistent breath hitched. "What—what's going on?"
Before I could grasp the words, the void shattered.
I woke with a gasp.
Air—real, sharp, fresh air—filled my lungs. My eyes snapped open, but the sky above wasn't the one I knew. No smog, no neon lights. Instead, towering trees stretched endlessly, their canopies so thick they almost swallowed the sun. Shafts of pale green light broke through the leaves, dancing on the forest floor.
The ground beneath me was damp, earthy, covered in moss. The air smelled of wet wood and something floral. Crickets and strange birds sang in the distance, and somewhere far away, a beast howled.
I pushed myself up on trembling arms. But something was wrong. My body didn't feel middle-aged anymore. It was small. Fragile. My hands—tiny, delicate, and smooth—weren't the hands of a forty-two-year-old man.
"What the…?" My voice was higher, softer—almost girlish.
I stumbled to my feet, wobbling a little, then caught a glimpse of myself in a pool of water nearby.
Staring back at me was a child—no more than seven years old. Long violet hair flowed down past my shoulders, the tips fading to a pale white that glimmered in the light. My face was soft, round, undeniably feminine.
"…Am I… a girl?" I whispered, touching my cheek. It was smooth, almost doll-like. My eyes, wide and bright, shone violet like my hair.
For a moment, I simply stood there, stunned. Reincarnated—yes. But as a child… and one that looked unmistakably like a girl.
[Divine Blessing: The Blessing of Your Death has been bestowed.]
I froze. The voice again. Calm, cold, and yet strangely reassuring.
"…The Blessing of… my death?" I repeated softly.
[Correct. I am the blessing born of your end. I exist to guide you in this world.]
My small hands clenched. "So you're… not a hallucination?"
[Correct. I am the voice that bridges death and rebirth. Together, we will survive.]
I let out a shaky laugh. "Together, huh? You make it sound like I have a choice."
[Survival is not guaranteed. Velmoria devours the unprepared. But with my guidance, you may carve your path.]
The voice faded, leaving only the whisper of the wind through the leaves.
I looked down at my reflection again, still not sure what to think. A boy… or a girl? My body said one thing, my mind another. Maybe I'd figure it out later—if I survived long enough.
"This… this is Velmoria, huh?" I muttered. "A dangerous forest. Great. Just perfect."
As if to prove the name, a branch cracked nearby. My heart jumped into my throat. I turned, scanning the trees. Nothing moved—at least nothing I could see. But the silence that followed was heavy, oppressive.
Back in Tokyo, my biggest fear was deadlines and overbearing bosses. Now? It felt like anything in this forest could kill me before I even understood how I got here.
"Okay, Haruto," I muttered to myself, clenching my tiny fists. "Panicking won't help. Think."
The divine blessing hadn't left me. It lingered, as though waiting. Carefully, I whispered:
"…Hey. Blessing of My Death, right? Can you… hear me? What am I supposed to do?"
Silence stretched, then—
[Amethyst Usage dormant.]
The words echoed like a secret sealed away. Dormant. Not yet ready.
I swallowed. So the skill existed, but I couldn't use it yet. Just the knowledge that it was there—hiding, waiting.
I stood there for a long moment, the weight of everything sinking in. Dead in one world. Alive in another. No family, no coworkers, no city. Just me… this fragile new body… and this forest.
I touched my chest. My heart beat steadily—faster than usual, but alive. Truly alive.
"Alright," I said softly. "If this is real, if I've really been reincarnated, then I can't waste it. I've got nothing left in my old life anyway. Maybe… maybe this is a chance."
But even as the words left my mouth, the forest growled. From the shadows between the trees, two golden eyes blinked open, fixed directly on me.
My blood froze.
Velmoria had noticed its newest inhabitant.
And it wasn't welcoming me kindly.