In an endless void of practically nothingness, a man simply floated. He was unconscious until a ball of white light, a guiding light of sorts, found its way toward him.
"What the fuck!" he gasped, quickly running his hands from his chest to his face. A shiver ran through him, and he was in pure disbelief. He was in awe, not of the surrounding void, but of his own existence.
"The truck," he said. "Fuck, am I dead?"
He took a good look at where he was—nothing but darkness. He was just floating.
"I thought the afterlife would be something more intriguing," he whispered to himself. "But it seems this is just it."
His gaze quickly met the white light in front of him. Intrigued, he slowly touched it.
"Ouch!" he screamed. "That was painful."
He quickly looked at the finger he had used to touch the white light, and the tip of that finger was gone, as if it had never been there. No bleeding, no nothing, just the sharp pain he initially felt, and that was all.
"Shit, shit, shit!" he panicked. He wanted to feel some pain, but the only thing he felt was the phantom effect of having had a fingertip before.
He then looked up and had another look at the white light. He wasn't foolish enough to touch it again, so he decided to speak to it.
"Is this part of the reincarnation process? Or am I actually gone for?"
None. Not even a single response from the ball of light.
With a sigh, Aurelian had hoped for something better when he jumped toward the moving truck. Everything had felt right. Almost too right. Like the world itself was lining things up for him, checking boxes.
He felt detached from everything.
He had seen the truck in the middle of the night, in a neighborhood that barely ever saw trucks.
The truck had been moving at the perfect speed for a fatal collision, even though this was a suburban road where speeds like that weren't allowed.
So where did he go wrong?
Everything checked out. He should have been in another world by now, living a better life, not stuck in this empty nothingness.
Then he heard something.
At first, it was faint. A thin sound, like a needle scratching glass. Easy to ignore, easy to mistake for imagination, but it didn't fade away, but rather, It grew louder and sharper.
A high-pitched ringing pierced the void, as Aurelian began to wince, even though he wasn't sure he still had ears. The sound drilled into him, vibrating through whatever remained of his awareness.
"Stop…" he tried to say, but no sound came out.
The ringing intensified. It climbed higher and higher, until it felt like his thoughts were being squeezed and crushed together by the noise.
His mind now throbbing, he had another look at the balm of white light. It was vibrating, as if sending a resonant signal throughout the void.
"Please stop!" Aurelian cried out, barely able to take anymore of it.
Then, a deep ethereal voice pierced through the void.
[So Truck-kun sent another one.]
[Time to get to work then.]
Aurelian's throbbing immediately paused, the voice carrying some kind of healing effect toward him. He removed his hands from his ears and wondered, 'Is the voice coming from it?'
[Yes, Soul No. 445. I'm the one speaking.]
Full of shock, Aurelian thought, 'Did it just read my mind?'
[I did, and there's no need to feel terrified.]
Shaking his head, Aurelian chose to ask the ball of light a question. He needed to know if he was getting reincarnated, because what was the point of jumping at the truck if he wasn't getting a second life?
"Okay, mister, just answer this if you can. Am I getting reincarnated?"
[Interesting. It seems you are well acquainted with this situation. Is this your first time coming here?]
"Yes. I'm sure this is my first time here," Aurelian answered. "So I'll take that as a yes to my earlier question, then."
Aurelian couldn't help but smile at the situation. Finally, he would be free from a world that no longer felt like his. After losing his mother, the one person who meant the whole world to him, he had begun to question his purpose in living. But now, he could start fresh and build new bonds again.
'Wow!' Aurelian thought. 'It actually worked.'
Then images of his old life flickered through his mind. Memories of his mother, the best moments he had ever shared with her. He replayed them one last time, finally making peace with the world he was about to leave behind.
A single tear slid from his right eye down his cheek, a quiet moment of silence he took for his mother.
"Mom," he whispered, not sure who could hear him, "I'll be okay."
With that, the ball of light hovered calmly before him, as if waiting for him to finish saying goodbye in his own way.
Aurelian straightened up, his resolve settling into him at last.
"Alright," he said, voice firm despite the lingering emotion. "If I'm getting a second life… then I won't waste it."
[That's the spirit], the ball of light said, and with a flick sound that echoed throughout the void, a blue translucent screen hovered in front of Aurelian.
The texts were bold and ethereal, written in a language he didn't understand at first, but when he blinked, the text suddenly transformed into English texts.
[Randomly selecting reincarnation worlds for potential reincarnation....]
[Reincarnation Worlds:]
[First World: Immortal China]
[Second World: Edo Japan]
[Third World: Ancient Greece]
[Fourth World: Post-Apocalyptic Distant Future]
[Fifth World: 20th Century Europe]
[Sixth World: Mahabharata Era]
[Seventh World: Celestial Norse Realm]
Reading through all this, Aurelian couldn't help but get excited. If this were his potential world of reincarnation, then he doesn't see any possible way his new life would not be engaging.
Then, another text hovered beneath the initial screen.
[First World: 4, 8, 42, 23, 56]
[Second World: 7, 19, 61, 34, 88]
[Third World: 12, 27, 45, 67, 91]
[Fourth World: 3, 16, 58, 74, 99]
[Fifth World: 21, 36, 47, 65, 82]
[Sixth World: 9, 24, 53, 71, 90]
[Seventh World: 14, 31, 49, 77, 100]
'What are all these numbers for?' Aurelian pondered.
[There are part of the potential reincarnation process.]
Aurelian then turned and faced the ball of light and had an expression of 'yeah, this thing can read my thoughts.' "Let me guess, I will pick a random number from a draw and it should concide with one of the worlds?'
[Knowledgeable! How can anyone decipher such a complex process. Truly worth the reincarnation.]
"Ha! Fuck your sarcasm."
Moving to face Aurelian at his front, the ball of white light continued, [Back to the matter at hand.]
With those words, a black box appeared. Its surface was made of an ethereal steel-like material, and a perfect hole was set on one side, large enough to allow someone's hand to fit inside.
[By placing your hand into this box up to four times, you will receive a number. The number will correspond to one of the numbers associated with the reincarnation worlds provided. The first number you obtain that matches any of the worlds will determine your reincarnation destination. However, if after all four draws you fail to obtain a number that corresponds to any reincarnation world, then you are not qualified for reincarnation.]
[Don't be shocked. I made sure to use the term potential reincarnation, not assured reincarnation. So there is only a 25% chance of you being reincarnated.]
Aurelian froze for a moment, he honestly thought he had misheard it. His mind replayed the words again, slower this time, as if dragging them across his thoughts would somehow change their meaning. 'Not assured reincarnation.' 'Only a 25% percent chance.' He had thrown himself in front of a truck, made peace with his past, said his silent goodbyes… and now he was being told it might all amount to nothing.
His fingers curled slowly at his side, as a bitter laugh tired to escape, but it died halfway, turning into a shaky breath instead. Of course. Of course it wouldn't be that simple. Even here, even after death, there were odds stacked against him. He had gambled everything on the idea of a second chance, and now he was being informed that the chance might not even come.
Aurelian took a slow breath and steadied himself. If this was a gamble, then so be it. He had already bet his life once. Compared to that, placing his hand into some strange box four times felt almost nothing.
"Figures," he muttered quietly. "Even my afterlife runs on luck."
Still, despite everything, he stepped forward.
[Wait! Before you place your hand into the box, would you like to see the world info of your potential reincarnation worlds?]
"World info? Like a brief summary of the world? If that's the case, I don't see why not. It's better to at least understand the scale of everything."
[Okay. There's something else to note, the world information will show you two important details regarding your potential reincarnation world. The first is the difficulty, which depends on the conditions you will find yourself in after reincarnating into that world. Rest assured, you will receive the usual reincarnation package: the classic level-up system, the typical good looks, and of course, let's not forget the oversized schlong. However, the second and more important detail is the quest. Upon reincarnation, the reincarnator is given a single quest to complete. If the quest is not completed before the reincarnator dies, their soul will be swallowed by the black mist, meaning the soul will be gone forever, as if it never existed in the first place. Yes, it may sound harsh, but do not forget that every reincarnator is given cheats to make achieving such quests less difficult, and in some cases, nearly easy. Still, if one fails despite that, then it's simply a skill issue.]
"Just show it to me already, not like there's any turning back after this opportunity."
[Alright, here it is.]
[First World: Immortal China]
[Difficulty: Very Hard]
[Introduction: A vast cultivation world filled with spiritual energy, immortal sects, ancient beasts, and endless competition. In here, strength decides everything, and the heavenly Dao dictates everything.]
[Martial and immortal paths are fully developed, but the world is ruthless. Countless geniuses rise and fall every era, and death often comes from schemes rather than battle.]
[Quest: Attain Immortality through cultivation.]
[Note: Among the seven worlds, Immortal China possesses the highest concentration of power, opportunity, and danger. While resources and spiritual energy are plentiful, the path to immortality is treacherous, requiring not only strength, but wisdom, patience, and the ability to survive schemes laid by both mortals and immortals alike.]
...
[Second World: Edo Japan]
[Difficulty: Medium]
[Introduction: A feudal world of samurai, clans, and honor. Martial skill and loyalty decide one's fate, while betrayal lurks in every shadow.]
[Quest: Revive the honor of your samurai clan.]
.....
[Third World: Ancient Greece]
[Difficulty: Hard]
[Introduction: An age of gods, monsters, and heroes. Europe and Asia are filled with beasts, calamities are frequent, and divine interference is common. Legends like Achilles, Hercules, and other demigods walk the land, while the gods watch from above.]
[Quest: Become the greatest hero through merit and great accomplishments.]
...
[Fourth World: Post-Apocalyptic Distant Future]
[Difficulty: Very Hard]
[Introduction: Civilization has collapsed. The world is ruled by ruins, mutated creatures, broken technology, and scarce resources. Humanity stands on the edge of extinction.]
[Quest: Restore hope to the world.]
...
[Fifth World: 20th Century Europe]
[Difficulty: Medium]
[Introduction: A modern world torn apart by global conflict, ideology, and industrial warfare. Survival depends on grit rather than power.]
[Quest: Survive World War I and World War II as an Allied soldier.]
...
[Sixth World: Mahabharata Era]
[Difficulty: Hard]
[Introduction: A sacred age of divine weapons, legendary warriors, and epic wars guided by fate and dharma. Gods walk among men, and a single choice can change history.]
[Quest: Fulfill your dharma and survive the great war.]
.....
[Seventh World: Celestial Norse Realm]
[Difficulty: Very Hard]
[Introduction: A realm of gods, giants, monsters, and endless war. Fate is written, and even the gods cannot escape it.]
[Quest: Stop the forthcoming Ragnarok.]
...
[As you can see, the world info is fully discrete and filled with information that can get you ready for any of your potential reincarnation world. And for the difficulty, from the lowest to the highest, Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Very Hard. This should give you a better perspective.]
[Now place your hand on the black box.]
With a sigh, Aurelian had another look at the world info. He was albeit familiar with some of those settings, especially Europe, ancient Greece, Norse realm and Cultivation worlds.
Placing his hand on the black box, Aurelian felt a strange sting on his palm, like a needle slowly piercing through him. Then, the mild pain stopped and that was the signal to remove his hand.
18
That was the number tattooed on his hand, and that was not a number that concide with any of the reincarnation worlds.
'One down, three to go'
Placing his hand again into the black box, he felt the familiar sting and when it stopped, he brought it out.
64
'Still nothing.'
Now things are getting tensed. With two draws gone, he was literally at the edge of it all.
Placing his hands again, the same situations followed. The mild pain and sting, and when it all stopped, he brought it.
67
'Six Seven?'