---
Chapter 2: The Line That Broke My Soul
So yeah, where was I…
Oh right. There were like a thousand people in front of me.
A literal ocean of souls stretching so far ahead that I could not even see the damn counter at the front. I tapped the guy in front of me.
"Hey man, quick question."
He ignored me.
Not even a head tilt. Not a grunt. Not a single pixel of reaction.
The balls on that guy.
"What a jackass," I said dramatically. "People, the guy in front of me ignored me!"
Everyone turned around to see which dumbass had the confidence, or stupidity, to shout that loud in a reincarnation lobby.
And every single face looked at me with the same expression.
The universal "wow this guy is an idiot" stare.
Even the receptionist in the distance paused her talking just to judge me.
"…not my best moment," I mumbled.
I waited.
And waited.
And then waited some more.
"1 billion years later," I said to absolutely no one.
My voice echoed through the hall because, apparently, I was the only clown speaking out loud.
"Where the hell even am I…" I muttered.
Another billion years later I finally moved forward. No clue if time even worked here, but it felt like I aged thirteen spiritual lifetimes.
Eventually, I reached second place in line. Finally close enough to hear the person in front of me talk with the receptionist.
"Sir," the lady said politely, "you have two options. One is heaven. The second is reincarnation in any world you want. If you choose reincarnation, I will explain further."
The guy nodded like a saint. "I want to be reborn. In my past life, I failed my family. I want to see them again and make this life different."
He said it with so much righteousness I almost felt bad for making fun of him.
"Very well," she replied. "You also get one wish."
He puffed his chest. "I want super intelligence."
I snorted. Loud. "Phhwhwh… what a dumbass. I would've picked Dragon Ball or even heaven before choosing 'be a normal human again.' And for the wish? Easy. Grand Priest powers, man."
The guy turned around and glared at me like I had insulted his grandmother. I just gave him a thumbs up.
Then it was finally my turn.
The lady looked at me with the dead eyes of someone who hated her job.
"Hello, sir. Please roll this wheel."
A massive magic wheel popped into existence in front of me.
"NANIIII?!" I yelled way too loudly.
She didn't even blink.
"What… what about my choice?" I asked. "Like heaven? Or something?"
She stared at me coldly. "Sir. You do not have enough karma points to go to heaven."
"…okay what about hell?"
"You do not have enough karma for hell either. Frankly, be grateful. You were borderline."
Hell no.
"I did good things in my life!" I argued.
"Like what?"
"…uhhhhh."
My brain went blank.
"Kindaaaa nothing?" I said sheepishly.
She let out the longest sigh I had ever heard.
"Anyway. Spin the wheel."
"I don't get to choose a world?"
"No. You do not have enough karma points."
I grabbed my head dramatically. "CURSE MY PAST LIIIIFE!"
The wheel spun.
Fast.
A blur of colors and words.
Saint Seiya.
Berserk.
MHA.
Naruto.
Classroom of the Elite.
Dragon Ball.
JJK.
One Piece.
I prayed.
Please not Berserk. Anything but Berserk.
Please, please, please.
The wheel slowed.
Tick. Tick. Tick…
It stopped.
ONE PIECE
"Oh thank god," I breathed. "Everything is better than Berserk. But damn… shame it wasn't Dragon Ball."
"Next," the lady said.
"Alright, cool. Now my wish. So for my wish I was—"
"You don't get a wish," she cut in. "Because again, you literally have no points."
I froze.
"No… no no no… I'm cooked…"
"Please spin the next wheel," she said, already bored with me.
Another wheel appeared. Darker colors. Cool symbols.
I spun it.
Ding.
It landed on:
Infinite Life System
"Huh? That sounds kinda fire," I said. "What does it do?"
She actually looked surprised for once. "This is a rare system. You're… quite lucky."
Finally, something is going right.
She cleared her throat and explained:
"This system has an interface where you can see your reincarnation data. It shows your percentage chance of becoming different types of people in each world."
She pointed to glowing text in the air:
0.01 percent chance to be a main character
3 percent chance for a villain
5 percent for an anti-hero
15 percent minor villain
10 percent side character
19 percent background character
50 percent NPC or nameless nobody
"Damn… that's brutal," I muttered.
"It adjusts after every life," she continued. "If you live well. Make an impact. Gain fame. Earn money. Save lives. Or kill many people. All of those raise your karmic impact score."
She said it like reading a shopping list.
"When you die, your points convert into rewards. You can use them before your next life. The shop refreshes every cycle."
I blinked.
"So… to sum it up…"
"Yes?"
"I have infinite lives… but my starting point is literally rock bottom."
"That is correct."
"And I can only climb if I grind every life?"
"That is also correct."
I opened my mouth.
Then smiled.
A slow, dumbass grin.
"…well shit. Sounds perfect."
Because if there was one thing I was good at…
It was grinding.
---