When Ren Takahashi opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was silence.
No blaring alarms. No ringing phones. No footsteps rushing down a crowded street.
Just birdsong.
He blinked slowly. Above him was a wooden ceiling, the kind you'd see in old countryside homes. The air smelled faintly of bread and wildflowers.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, sitting up.
The bed beneath him creaked, stuffed with straw. His clothes were unfamiliar—simple linen instead of his usual business suit. His hands looked younger too, the calluses from years of typing gone.
Then it came back to him—the endless overtime, the neon lights of Tokyo, and the moment his vision went dark over his keyboard.
Ren let out a dry laugh.
"So I actually died, huh? Figures."
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Excuse me? Are you awake, young man?" came a kind, elderly voice.
The door creaked open, revealing a small old woman with gray hair tied in a bun. She smiled warmly.
"Thank goodness! You've been asleep for three days. We thought you might never wake up."
"Three days?" Ren repeated, still dazed.
"My grandson found you unconscious near the river," she explained, setting a bowl of soup on the table beside him. "You had no belongings except those strange clothes. Were you attacked by monsters?"
Monsters.
Ren's mind paused.
He looked out the window and saw wide green fields stretching toward mountains, a clear river glimmering nearby, and villagers walking with baskets and tools.
No cars, no electric poles—nothing modern.
"I… might have been," he said carefully. "But I'm fine now. Thank you for helping me."
The woman smiled. "Rest here as long as you need. My name's Mirea. Welcome to Lindale Village."
"Thank you, Miss Mirea," Ren said, bowing his head politely.
When she left, he finally took a sip of the soup—simple vegetable broth, but warm and comforting.
Outside, the wind rustled through the grass. Kids laughed somewhere in the distance. It was so peaceful that Ren almost forgot the chaos of his old life.
He smiled faintly.
"…Maybe this isn't so bad."
He stood, stretching his arms, feeling strangely light. Then—
a faint glow flickered in the air before him.
[Divine Blessing: Hero of Balance – Granted]
[All Stats: Infinite]
[Unique Skill: Absolute Creation]
Ren blinked. "Wait, what's this?"
A small floating screen appeared, glowing softly like magic.
[Would you like to open the tutorial?]
He sighed. "No thanks. Last thing I need is another tutorial."
He swatted the message away, and it vanished.
He stared out the window again, the sunset painting the sky gold.
"Alright," he said to himself with a grin.
"No deadlines. No bosses. No stress. From now on, I'm living the slow life."
Somewhere far away, deep in a royal castle, a crystal ball flickered to life—
A prophecy had been fulfilled.
The Hero had awakened.
But Ren Takahashi just yawned, lay back on the bed, and drifted into the best nap he'd had in years.