Soft wind brushed against the tall grass, sending gentle waves across the endless plain. Leaves rustled above, and distant birds filled the air with peaceful chirps.
A boy lay beneath a lone tree, his body sinking slightly into the earth. After a moment, his fingers twitched.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
"...Huh?"
He pushed himself upright, blinking against the bright sky. Blue stretched endlessly above him, untouched by pollution or buildings. As he stood, the grass swayed around his legs, reaching up to his knees. Trees dotted the vast plains, scattered like islands in a green sea.
He took a deep breath.
The air filled his lungs—clean, rich, and strangely invigorating. It felt as though energy itself flowed through every breath. A smile naturally formed on his face.
"So this is Terra..." he murmured.
"My new home... in another universe."
My name is Akira.
As you might've already guessed, I got reincarnated.
My previous life ended suddenly—without warning, without preparation.
I had been on my way to a date.
My first real date in years.
After being single for far too long, I'd planned everything carefully. We were supposed to meet near the entrance of a shopping mall, close to the subway. I arrived early and waited.
That's when I heard a scream.
A woman stood near an ATM, panic written across her face. She clutched a small child—no more than two years old—to her chest. A man staggered toward her, drunk out of his mind, a knife trembling in his hand.
"Give me the money!" he shouted.
The woman begged him to stop, shielding her child with her body. The man grew angrier by the second.
Before I even realized it, my body moved on its own.
I rushed forward and shoved the man away.
"Run!" I yelled to the woman.
She didn't hesitate.
But when I turned back—
Pain exploded in my chest.
I looked down and saw red.
The knife had pierced straight through my heart.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the cold pavement. The robber fled. Blood spread beneath me as my body grew numb, my vision fading.
As darkness crept in, I heard someone calling my name.
"Akira!"
The last thing I saw was her face.
The woman I was supposed to go on a date with that day.
Thirty years old... and I died single.
"What a life..." I thought.
Then everything went dark.
⸻
When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by white.
Endless white.
No sky. No ground. No sound.
And standing before me was a man dressed in pure white robes, his presence overwhelming yet strangely calm.
"Welcome, Akira," he said with a gentle smile.
"...Where am I?" I asked. "And who are you?"
"Don't you remember what happened to you?" he replied.
"I was stabbed... helping a mother and her child," I said slowly.
"...Did I die?"
"Yes," he answered plainly. "You're dead."
I swallowed, then quickly asked, "What about the mother and her child? Are they okay?"
"They survived," he said. "Thanks to you. Otherwise, the drunk man would have killed the mother."
Relief washed over me.
"...I'm glad."
"So," I asked, "what happens now? Are you here to judge me?"
He shook his head.
"Normally, you wouldn't be here. But because you died heroically, I decided to give you a second chance."
Then he chuckled.
"And honestly, I also felt bad that you never had a girlfriend."
"...Did a god just mock me?"
"Ah—sorry, sorry. My mistake."
I sighed. "So... this second chance. You mean reincarnation?"
"Yes."
"...Like in isekai stories?"
"Exactly."
My eyes widened.
"You mean magic? Monsters? Adventurers?"
"Yes. A world filled with magic, beasts, guilds, and endless adventure."
I couldn't hold back my excitement.
"Then what's my starter pack?"
"Starter pack?"
"You know. Something overpowered."
He thought for a moment.
"What do you want?"
"I want creation magic," I said seriously. "Living in a world this far behind Earth's technology would be extremely difficult otherwise."
"Creation magic is divine," he replied. "Humans cannot wield it."
My shoulders slumped.
"But," he continued, "I can give you something similar. As long as you have the required materials and a clear understanding of what you want, you can create anything—even if you don't know how it's made."
I thought it over.
"...I'll take it."
"And I'd also like an insane amount of mana," I added, "plus a game-like system with inventory and storage."
He stared at me for a long moment.
"You're the first to ask for so much."
"What do you mean by that?"
He ignored my question.
"Anything else?"
"...Make me younger. And handsome."
He smiled.
"You're quite greedy."
He raised his hand.
Suddenly, pain tore through my entire body. I screamed as my consciousness shattered.
⸻
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying beneath the tree.
Back in the plains.
Guess that worked.
I stood up and stretched.
"First things first... I need a town."
As I looked around, a voice echoed in my head.
"Glad to see you woke up safely," the god said.
"I've given you everything you asked for—plus a few extra items and some money. Open your map before wandering too far."
"Live your life however you wish," he continued.
"Until we meet again."
The voice faded.
I opened the map and sighed.
"...I'm pretty far from the nearest town."
"Well, no choice."
I started walking.
After a few kilometers, a carriage approached from behind.
"Hey, you there!" the driver shouted. "It'll be dark before you reach town! Why are you traveling alone without a party?"
Before I could answer, a well-dressed man inside the carriage spoke.
"Let him ride with us."
I climbed in—and immediately noticed a beautiful young girl sitting inside.
"Thank you," I said.
"I am the lord of the town we're heading to," the man said warmly.
"My name is Akira," I replied. "I plan to register as an adventurer."
"Oh? An adventurer," he smiled. "To be young and full of dreams... I wish I could relive those days."
"This is my daughter," he added. "Amelia."
She gave a shy nod, her cheeks slightly red.
During the ride, she kept glancing at me, quickly looking away whenever our eyes met.
"So... you really want to be an adventurer?" she asked softly.
"Yes."
"She loves adventure," the lord said. "She wants to become one herself."
"Then maybe we can form a party someday," I said.
Calling her by name made Amelia smile brightly.
Before sunset, we arrived at the town. The lord helped me get temporary documents, and we parted ways.
After finding an inn near the gate, I rented a room for ten days, ate my first meal in this world, and collapsed onto the bed.
As sleep took me, I smiled.
A new world... magic... adventure...
And this time—
I'll find love and live a happy life.
To be continued...