At some point in your life, have you ever thought that the rules imposed by society are just too restrictive?Have you ever tried to break those barriers and truly become who you want to be?Without caring about what others think, without worrying about expectations, without being chained by responsibility or common sense?
The truth is, the world would be chaotic if everyone did only what they wanted.But even so, there are things I could never swallow… and those were the rules.
"Why should I live the way others want me to?"That was the question that haunted me ever since I started thinking critically—until the very end of my life. Which, strangely enough… I don't really remember.
"Wait a second. If I'm thinking right now, does that mean this is the afterlife? …Damn, I expected more. A beautiful goddess holding me in her arms would've been more emotional than staring into this endless darkness…"
Still… there was a strange charm in this darkness.
Breaking through my thoughts, a sudden light flooded the void. What had been nothing but shadows turned into a beautiful garden. At its center, a table stood as if waiting for me.
I walked over and sat down.
The moment I leaned back, a figure appeared in front of me: a man with long, flowing green hair that shimmered under the light. His face was handsome, but his sharp expression radiated impatience, as if he was already fed up with me.
"Uh, hey…" I muttered awkwardly.
He crossed his arms, clearly annoyed."Don't be alarmed. It's normal to be confused. After all, you just died."
For some reason, the news didn't shock me as much as it should have. It was as if my heart had already accepted it.
"Hmph. Not the reaction I expected," he said, frowning. "But fine. Some people are just detached."
He sighed deeply, irritation clear in his voice."Anyway, I am a god. And somehow, your soul wandered into my domain. This has never happened before, so… I'll give you a reward."
My eyes lit up instantly.
"What kind of reward are we talking about?" I asked eagerly, every bit the anime, manga, and novel fan that I was.
Unimaginable powers? A harem? What could it be?
The god rolled his eyes."You seem to know what's coming, so I won't waste time. You'll be reincarnated into a random world. And no—" his gaze sharpened, "I won't give you any world-breaking abilities."
Damn it! A random world with no cheats? This god was making things way too hard!But I wasn't about to give up so easily.
"Hey, could it at least be one of the anime worlds I know? Like Re:Zero, Konosuba, DxD, or Mushoku Tensei?"
The god's eyebrow twitched. His voice was calm but carried authority."…That sounds reasonable enough."
First victory of the day!
"You said I couldn't ask for broken powers, right?" I pushed further.
His glare could have burned a hole through me."Yes. That's what I said."
"Then… that means I can ask for smaller skills, right?"
A vein popped on his forehead."Yes. But no more than five."
"Perfect! Let me think for a second…"
The god rubbed his temples, already regretting his decision.
"Alright, here are my requests:
A skill that boosts my growth by 10 times.
Talent in every art—magical or martial—in whatever world I end up in.
More mana than the average person.
Superior intelligence.
Strong physical abilities."
The god pinched the bridge of his nose."Your choices aren't bad, but… I can't give you 10x growth. That's ridiculous. The best I can do is 2x."
I nearly fell out of my chair."You've gotta be kidding me! That's the difference between heaven and earth! …Okay, fine. I get that 10x might be overkill, but 2x is way too low. How about… let's meet halfway? 5x?"
He groaned, clearly exhausted."This soul is going to drain all of my energy… Fine. 5x growth it is. Now get out of my sight and go live your new life already!"
I straightened up and bowed slightly."Thank you, god, for listening to my selfish requests. I'll remember this."
"You'd better!" he snapped, glaring at me. "Now go, and live without regrets!"
I gave one last nod before the world spun around me. My body was pulled into a spiraling vortex.
Well… I guess this means I'm being reborn.
"This time, I'll live to the fullest… without caring about rules!"