Volume One - Dungeon Slave Arc
Chapter One: Mysterious Goddess
At the crowded subway platform, a toddler who was walking unsteadily at the edge, pushed by someone, fell onto the tracks with a puzzled expression on his face.
The young mother screamed and jumped down to save her child.
After rescuing her child, she immediately held her stomach and crouched down in pain.
A girl who was probably the toddler's older sister, still around kindergarten age, remained on the platform with wide-open eyes, not fully understanding the situation.
Many commuters and students momentarily froze, not knowing what to do, and were unable or unwilling to act.
At the same time as I heard the screeching sound of the rails and the emergency brakes, I jumped down without any strong sense of justice or bravery. I still don't know why I did it.
I lifted the toddler onto the platform and pushed him towards the girl.
The mother, who seemed to be pregnant, hugged the child and struggled to push herself up onto the platform.
"Hey, someone pull her up!"
"Move, use my arms!"
"We made it!"
At that moment, the world went black with an enormous shock and a pain I had never experienced before. The last thing I saw was the crying toddler, the mother holding him tightly to her chest, and the father, also crying.
I'm going to die, or rather, I'm going to die instantly. It's because I got hit by a train. But even though my consciousness is hazy, it still exists. My life didn't flash before my eyes like a slideshow at the end.
Well, it's a life that can only be described as a punishment game to be reminded that I, a pathetic 18-year-old male who is a shut-in, socially awkward, a repeater, and still a virgin, will die in an accident on the morning of his second attempt at the entrance exam, and that next month, I will turn 19 years old.
So, am I already dead?
A voice directly echoes in my head in a world of nothingness.
"Oh, Shiro, what a surprise to see you dying!"
The voice sounds grand and seems like it's from a pipe organ, but the line is from Dragon Quest. I couldn't help but interject. Besides, this is from the first game.
I played RPGs from all over the world during my shut-in period. Don't underestimate me, King.
"I am not a king. I am a being that should be called a god in your language."
Hey hey, a god? So does that mean you can read my thoughts even though I'm not saying anything?
If that's the case, is this heaven, even though it's pitch black and I can't see anything? I must have been brought up to heaven for doing something that's not even in my nature, like jumping onto the tracks without thinking and saving a life, which is the first and last time in my life, even though I'm someone with zero social skills who usually pretends not to hear anything and runs away when asked for directions (I hardly ever go outside anyway, so it's rare for someone to ask me for directions).
As soon as I heard the word "god," a light began to glow in the darkness and took on a human shape.
When I looked closer, I saw someone with their arms wide open, wearing a pure white outfit with unkempt hair, and a laurel wreath or maybe a crown of thorns on their forehead?
They were becoming more and more godlike in appearance. Truly a god.
But if I had to choose, I'd prefer a goddess over a male god, especially a super beautiful and sexy one that would make me ascend to heaven.
Oh no, even though I didn't say it out loud, it seemed like my thoughts were transparent. I thought I might be punished by the gods, and just as I had that thought, the bright light started to change shape again.
"Gods take on a form that corresponds to your heart. Therefore, if you recognize a goddess, I will appear as a goddess. And if you think of me as a beautiful woman, it's only natural that I would take on that appearance. It's really beyond my control, hehehe..."
As the shape continued to change, the way of speaking and the atmosphere also changed and became more concrete.
She was like a Greek goddess wearing a thin robe that looked like it could be see-through, with curves that were definitely sexy.
To put it in a fancy way, she looked like a beautiful woman with a soft impression, like an Art Nouveau or a painting by Mucha.
In other words, this is the goddess I imagined. It's embarrassing to admit, but it's what I wanted.
And for now, it doesn't seem like she's angry. Truly, she is a god with a great heart. The gods forgive, it seems.
I guess I'm forgiven for all my sins in life and am being called to heaven.
"Hmm, it's too bad, but that's not what I'm here for. I'm not taking you to heaven. Besides, the heaven that humans imagine doesn't actually exist. When you die, your body decomposes according to the laws of physics, your mental activity stops, and eventually, you return to nothingness."
The goddess suddenly denied salvation and declared something materialistic.
"So is this the end? A bad ending? Then why does meeting with a god trigger a special event? That doesn't make sense, right? There are miracles of the gods, aren't there?"
"Well, that's a reasonable thought. So even though you can't go to heaven, I can reincarnate you since you performed exceptionally good deeds. How about that? It's a special service."
"Wow! Reincarnation, huh? Is it another world reincarnation or a cycle of rebirth?"
As a (former) game addict who finally quit after being a ronin, it's too cliché, but if this is my dying brain delusion, it's natural that it will become the development I'd imagine.
One year of abstaining from games leaked out.
And well, if I'm really going to die, it doesn't hurt to go along with it, even if it's just a delusion.
"I understand! Please, please, let me reincarnate! Thank you very much! Of course, I can also receive the goddess's protection, special skills, and attribute value bonuses, right?"
"No way. That's an immediate acceptance. Usually, people doubt and hesitate a little more about it. But well, it's convenient for me as an administrator...Oops, I said too much."
"Then, tell me one thing you want. I'll give you a skill that reflects it, or rather, I'll give you a god's blessing!"
The goddess spoke solemnly with a different tone.
I got it, I got it! It's the bonus skill, isn't it a given in an isekai reincarnation story? If I could only get one cheat skill, what would it be? As a gamer, I have plenty of knowledge on this topic.
Should I aim for the hero or sage or a rare job? No, there might be a trap where advanced jobs have slow growth and become unusable from the start. So maybe I should maximize my abilities or increase my growth rate as much as possible with experience points. That's a classic cheat move.
Or maybe I could get a super powerful item like the Holy Sword Excalibur or Muramasa as initial equipment, or summon a dragon or have a charm skill to make others (especially beautiful women) obedient.
But wait, what kind of world will I reincarnate into? Even if it's a game-like world, if it's not a combat-oriented game, then a character specialized in combat is useless. It could be a peaceful world where I aim to be rich with a relaxed production skill, or if it's a combat game like an MMO, then the required abilities will differ if it's a party formation with a predetermined number of people. In short, what is advantageous depends on the rules and setting of the game world.
As I was thinking about these things, I heard a commotion in the background.
"Oh no, it's an ambulance!" "Isn't it already too late? Shouldn't we call 911?"
"Anyway, we need a station attendant!" "Over here, this way!"
In the darkness, the scene at the station gradually became visible, overlapping and appearing blurry.
It felt like I was looking down from above. I couldn't see my body.
Was I under the train? Or was I thrown away? In any case, there was a lot of blood splattered all the way to the platform. My body must have been in a condition that was definitely unbearable to look at.
Despite aspiring to study medicine, I'm not good with blood and, as someone who is not into splatter movies, it might be better not to look directly at it.
Oh, that mother and her children are collapsed on the platform, trembling.
"It's okay! It's okay, Hana-chan, Ken-chan. It's all okay now, so you don't have to be scared!"
The two young children are clinging to their mother, crying and screaming.
"It's okay, let's go home and play. What do you want to do? Let's have fun with Mommy. You can say anything you like..."
The mother tries desperately to soothe them. Then, both of the children, who had been crying non-stop, suddenly raised their voices at the same time.
"Sniffle, sniffle... let's play with dolls," said one. "Oooh, let's play with clay!" said the other.
At that moment, a fanfare-like sound rang out, ♪Pararapappapa~, the scenery shone bright white, and then it went dark again.
"Huh?"
I don't really understand, but the goddess seems to be oddly anxious.
"Did it get mixed up!? Is the soul still connected to the physical dimension? Did the gate temporarily open and information flowed in... but wait, is this already set up!!?"
The goddess flipped through what seemed to be a thick book in her left hand and glanced briefly over here.
It feels awkward. Excuse me, goddess? Has anything untoward happened?
"Ahem, the bonus skill setting is complete. I bless you."
She deliberately tries to sound solemn, but it's clear that she's hiding something.
"Um, if I may ask, do I have to say what I want? But first, I'd like to know the rules of this world."
"No, that's not necessary. Please leave the skills and such to the gods," she said with a smile.
"No, wait a minute! You said you would give me the skill I wanted earlier, didn't you? You definitely said that."
"..."
"..."
Two people or one person and one deity stared at each other.
"The setup for your bonus skills is complete," the goddess repeated in an artificial tone.
"The skill names are 'Doll Play Level 1' and 'Clay Play Level 1.' They are rare skills, and even as a goddess, it's my first time seeing them. Moreover, bonus skills are usually only granted one at a time, so it's a great fortune to have two. Truly, it is a divine blessing, a divine miracle!"
"Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean by playing with dolls and clay? That's what the children I helped earlier were talking about, right? Are you serious?"
"Yes. The children made their wishes while I was in a waiting state, and as a result, two wishes were spoken at exactly the same time by chance, leading to the rare double setup of the bonus skill. This is valuable data for the demonstration experiment. Oops... never mind what I just said."
The goddess seemed flustered.
"Anyway, once the initial bonus skills are set, it is impossible to change them later. So please do your best with them. You'll be fine."
It was a fake smile, like a catchphrase of a salesperson.
"Just to make sure, is the world I'll be reincarnated in a place where there are no dangerous monsters and I can enjoy a peaceful life in another world, or is it a world with a change-up setting where I can become a king if I win the doll-playing championship?"
"No, there are many monsters, many countries in a state of war, PK player killing, and no second chances if you die... The danger level deviation is +10, making combat skills extremely useful. In other words, it's a world of swords and magic."
"So how are playing with dolls or clay useful?"
"That... depends on the player's ingenuity."
"Don't dodge the question!"
"Well, I'll give you growth and luck bonuses as extras... Oh! I have to go to the next reincarnated person now. Good luck! May the divine blessing be with you!"
"Hey, wait a minute!"
The goddess avoids my outstretched hand, rises up, guided by the light that penetrates the darkness, and disappears.
"Wait! Goddess, heyyyy!"
And then, my consciousness is swallowed by darkness again.