*Bam!*

A loud explosion resounded inside the confined space. Dust buildups were blown away, filling the room to obscurity. Amidst the chaos, a single bat could be seen weaving its way between each and every falling debris. Its little wings weave repeatedly as it tries to propel itself far from harm's way.

"Why is this happening to me!?" the bat complained to no one in particular, her wings beating ever so fast as if her life literally depends on it. Not far behind her, a snake about two meters long is chasing after it. Its fangs are emitting what appears to be venom, dripping to the ground and making tiny holes with every drop. The bat watched in horror at the monstrosity following it from behind.

"Save me!"

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It wasn't always like this. The bat wasn't always a bat, as she was formerly a flesh and blood, bonafide human being. She was a resident of Earth, the only planet capable of holding life in its own galaxy. She was a simple high school student whose everyday life consists of going back and forth to school, aiming for a high grade, and hoping to land a scholarship in some prestigious school. That was her plan, or at least that was what she hopes to happen as she gets on with her mundane lifestyle.

If there is one thing that makes her stand out from the rest of the normal high schoolers, is that she is an unparalleled beauty. Her dignity and poise in the way she carries herself are reminiscent of the royalties of the past. Her beauty immediately made her the school's unofficial idol.

Rin doesn't particularly detest the attention given to her, nor does she like it as well, as long as it doesn't affect her hobbies in any way.

As one would expect from a school idol, the boys revered her, while the majority of the girls detest her. Because of that, she doesn't have that many acquaintances that she can call "friends". Still, the fact didn't bother her that much. She was way too indifferent to things like camaraderie or companionship, having not experienced it even once. For her, she can only find solace in her light novels, mangas, and animes. Nothing else matters.

As she was walking home from school, she looked towards the crowd of people passing by each other. Every person has their own story to thread, their own path in life. Still, she can't help but complain about how boring her life was.

(Is this really how I should spend my life)

She often finds herself asking this question, and this time was no different. She thought that perhaps, if she tried to give a bit more effort, she can achieve greater things, or she would be renowned and remembered for eons. But try as hard as she might, this world is simply not a place where one's hard work is tantamount to greatness.

(This world is unfair.)

This is what she found out after her sixteen years of existence in this world.

(This world is boring)

She wants to achieve greater things, but how? Her everyday life starting to become dull for her. What she wants is stimulation, a certain impactful event in her life.

(If only there was a reset button in life, then I ... )

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light surrounded her. Fearing for the worst, she braced herself for what is to come. A few moments later, the light started to dissipate, letting her survey the area around her.

(What is this place?)

An unfamiliar space, like an open ocean where the end can not be seen, stretches across as far as her eyes can reach. The surrounding was dark, but strangely enough, she can see herself quite clearly.

"Hello, dead person," a voice could be heard within the vast expanse of nothingness.

Surprised, Rin searched for the source of the voice. She surveyed her surroundings, but nothing out of the ordinary catches her attention.

"Who are you? Where am I?" she asked the voice, her query echoing in the vast nothingness.

"You will now be reincarnated in a fantasy world unlike here on Earth. The transfer process will start immediately, so please, enjoy your next life to the fullest," was what the voice added.

"Huh? Next life? Wait, I'm not yet dead, you know?" Rin said.

"Ehhhhh?" the mysterious voice sounded confused. "What do you mean that you're not dead? Then how come you are here in the Astral Plane if you're still alive?" the voice asked Rin.

"How should I know? I was just walking when a light suddenly sprung forth from the ground, and before I know it, here I am stuck in this place," Rin explained. "Well, since this all looks like a mistake, you can just place me back on Earth, then," she added, crossing her arms in front of her. Despite the unreal experience she was having currently, she managed to remain calm and composed.

"That's impossible. The transfer process has already started. Once started, nothing can stop it, I'm afraid," was what the apologetic voice replied.

"What!? You can't be serious! I I have things to do, places to be, I cannot just-"

Soon after, a blinding flash of light surrounded her once more. The intensity was greater than what she experienced before. Her consciousness started to fade back and forth.

"I am very sorry for the mix-up. As a way to make amends, I will give you a certain perk that will enable you to enjoy your life in this new world. Please, do find joy in your new world from now on," the voice ended her speech.

Those are the last words that Rin heard before she finally lost consciousness.

A few moments later, Rin slowly opened her eyes. It was dark, too dark, perhaps. A quick survey of the area let her deduce that she was deep within some sort of cavern or cave. Having a general idea of her surroundings, Rin tried to stand up, only to fall forwards instead.

"Woah!" she exclaimed, as she managed to catch herself by placing her hand in front of her to cushion her fall. She then noticed her arms. There is something strange in it. Her fingers are abnormally long, while stretches of a membrane can be found in between each appendage.

"Eh? What is this?"

Startled, she walked towards a puddle of water to see her reflection.

"What! WHY AM I A BAT!?" she was surprised to see her own reflection turn out to be an entirely different species.

(This can't be true!)

Rin could not believe what happened. But she didn't have the luxury to lament her situation as her sensitive ears soon detect something moving from a distance.

(Hmmm... what is this sound?)

She looked toward the source of the sound. She could hear what sounded like something scraping across the ground.

(This isn't good!)

Before she was able to process what is happening, her body reacted to the threat by executing evasive maneuvers. Rin found herself flying high above the ground.

(Woah!)

She was surprised that her body was able to react quickly, but was also equally surprised by the fact that the place where she had been moments before is now turned into smithereens. The culprit could now be seen clearly.

Measuring almost two meters long, and having scales to protect its body, her assailant was none other than a snake. However, the venom dripping from its fangs dissolves anything it touches, as evidenced by the punctured holes on the ground where they dropped.

(Is that a ... monster?)

The snake started searching left and right for Rin, before finding her hovering in mid-air. Having acquired its target, the snake spits venom toward Rin. Rin managed to dodge it by a hairsbreadth, as the venom slowly dissolves a portion of the cave wall.

(This guy is dangerous!)

Rin dodged each and every attack that the snake-type monster dished out. But every time, the monster's aim keeps getting more precise and accurate. Rin is at the mercy of its attacks. If she doesn't do something, she is only delaying the inevitable.

(I have to do something)

She started to survey the area she was in. Like many other caves, there are myriads of stalactites and stalagmites within the cave system.

(That's it!)

Having formed a plan on how to escape this deadly encounter, Rin decided to charge toward the snake. As she got closer, the snake prepared to launch itself toward her, but Rin managed to expertly maneuver her small bat body into a twist, evading the monster's offensive.

The monster, perhaps annoyed with having its prey moving around and evading, went after Rin.

(Good. Just keep following me.)

Rin let the snake follow her into the area where there are tons of speleothems. She stopped just in front of one large rock formation and coaxed the snake to attack her.

"Over here, you overgrown worm!" Rin shouted her insults toward the monster.

Perhaps her taunting worked, or simply coincidence, the snake monster launches itself toward Rin. This was exactly what Rin hoped for. She figured out that the snake cannot make sudden stops in movements with its gigantic body, so she opted to use this to her advantage.

At the very last moment, Rin dodged the monster's attack. The snake, with its target gone, is now nothing more than a projectile headed toward a very hard surface. It tried to stop its advance, but its weight prevented it from doing so. It can only watch as the solid surface keeps on getting closer and closer before it finally crashed.

*Bam!*

A loud explosion resounded inside the confined space. Dust buildups were blown away, filling the room to obscurity. Amidst the chaos, a single bat could be seen weaving its way between each and every falling debris. Its little wings weave repeatedly as it tries to propel itself far from harm's way.

"Is it over?" Rin asked herself. She checked to see if the monster is truly dead. She could see its long body not moving, while its head is embedded firmly into the rock face.

"Yep. It's dead," she confirmed the death of her opponent.

*!* CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE DEFEATED ONE LESSER CAVE BOA *!*

*!* YOU HAVE EARNED A LEVEL. YOU HAVE GAINED 3 ABILITY POINTS. *!*

A mechanical voice echoed inside the cave. Rin was yet again surprised by the sudden development. "Isn't this like the ones in RPGs where you gain EXP by killing monsters? Seriously?"

*!* YOU HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO ACCESS THE "GODDESS'S MESSAGE"! WILL YOU READ THE MESSAGE?*!*

"Goddess's message, huh? Is she the voice that I heard in that empty space?" Rin concluded. "Well, I don't have a single clue about what or where I am, so I guess I'll read the message left by that voice. Please!" she announced.

As soon as she decided to read the message, an image of what appeared to be a silhouette of a woman appeared before her. Soon after, she heard the familiar voice once again.

"Hello, Rin."