Life is priceless.
You can live once and that's it. No do-overs.
Or at least, that's what I thought.
I opened my eyes, only to see an endless sea of pure white. There's not a single damn thing in sight, just a mere void of nothingness.
"Where the heck am I?"
My question echoed throughout the empty void, hoping someone would answer. Eventually, a bright light flashes before my eyes, nearly blinding me. It's not the response I expected, but at least it's a great start.
The brilliant light gave way to a divine-looking being in the form of a bald old man with a long white beard. He seems to be the type who would show you the way or something.
"Welcome to heaven, young one. I am God, it's a pleasure to see you."
Hold on, did he say heaven just now? Am I dead? I'm dead, aren't I? If that's the case, then it would explain why I am in this empty white space.
"You seem to be in deep thought, young one. Is something troubling you?" the old man called out to me, breaking my concentration.
Looking at him, I was given the option to respond to his question, so I answered. "Ah, sorry, I was thinking about how I died when you mentioned heaven."
"Trouble remembering, I see. Well, perhaps I could help you recall your memories," he stated while swiping his hand to the side, creating a screen that showed video footage of myself.
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Ah, I see now.
It all made sense.
I was merely chilling on the living room couch, reading my favorite manga called "Mushoku Tensei: Roxy Gets Serious."
While reading, I smelled a pungent odor coming from the kitchen, so I went over there and checked. But when I did so, an explosion occurred, sending me flying across the room and causing me to black out.
Undoubtedly, I didn't make it out alive that time. The fire that slowly engulfed my home also took me as well. No one was in the house except me, and I had little to no neighbors to rely on when times like this occurred. What a bunch of ungrateful pricks.
Oh well, that's that. There's nothing I can do about it.
I mean, my parents couldn't care less what would happen to me whenever I was alone in the house. The only good thing they did for me was to leave a sensible amount of money to buy everything I needed to survive on my own.
Aside from that, I wasn't the brightest or the most athletic student in my school. I have zero friends to bond with or to lean on whenever the class bullies pick on me, which sucks so bad.
With that being said, the only hope of living was the manga I owned. Somehow, I managed to save up enough money from my monthly budget to buy one. However, it was regrettable that I died before I could finish reading it.
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After reminiscing about my pathetic life and somewhat unfortunate death, I turned to the old man who claimed to be God and decided to ask him something.
"Tell me, God, if you were watching my life the entire time, why haven't you done anything to make it less miserable?"
In response, the old man looked at me with a smile, but I could tell he wasn't happy with my inquiry. "Ah, the answer is simple. You see, you people have this what you call praying."
"Oh..." I realized, acknowledging the only thing I was lacking — faith in the divine.
The old man... No, God stepped forward, placed his hands on my shoulder, and asked, "Have you ever prayed in your life? Just even once?"
"M-maybe? I assumed.
However, God shook his head and disagreed, "No, you didn't. I could tell you're lying."
Taken aback by his words, I reflected on my past actions. Perhaps I actually didn't pray once, which explained all of the misfortune that happened in my life.
Prostrating in front of the divine being, I prepared myself to beg for forgiveness. "I am really sorry, God. I lacked the faith in you during my lowest. Please absolve me of my sin."
"Hmm, I supposed I could forgive you," he considered my plea while brushing his beard. "As a matter of fact, I might give you a second chance."
"Wait, truly?!" I exclaimed, raising my head in surprise.
Nodding his head, the divine being proceeds to explain, "That's right, I could grant a new life to a soul in a world of their choosing, so feel free to ask where you should go from here."
Considering his explanation, I mulled over the world I would like to spend my second chance and start all over again. However, what should I choose? The previous world was boring as it is, what could be better?
Just then, I took a glance at the screen where I watched my memories moments ago, seeing the manga I owned. That's it. I know what the world I desire.
Facing the divine being once again, I declared, "God, I have chosen where I want to have my second chance."
"Oh, really? What is it then?" he asked curiously.
Taking a deep breath, I replied, "The world of Mushoku Tensei. Particularly at the same origin as the character Roxy was born."
Regarding my response carefully, God nodded and snapped his finger, creating a portal out of thin air. He then turned back to me and spoke again.
"This portal will lead you to the world you selected and be reborn again."
Hearing that, I eagerly walked toward the portal before God stopped, placing a firm grip on my shoulder.
Wondering what's with the holdup, I asked, "Is there something wrong, God?"
"Indeed, there is," he verified. "In exchange for your request, I would like to give you a task."
"And that would be?" I anxiously inquired.
Responding firmly, he declared, "I want you to cultivate."
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Cultivate? What was that? Does he want me to farm or something? The task he presented to me was rather confusing, so I wanted him to clarify.
"Could you explain what you meant by cultivating?" I asked boldly.
In response, God sighed and described the word for me. "Cultivating, in simple terms, is the process of improving oneself."
"Okay then, and how do I do that?" I pressed onwards, wanting to know more.
However, the divine being stroked the back of his head and said, "Ah, this is more difficult to explain than I expected."
"And why is that?" I tilted my head in confusion.
God then pointed at me and asserted, "You're an airhead, young one."
Feeling offended by his words, I couldn't help but pouted in frustration. How dare he call me an airhead. Sure, I don't know anything about cultivating, but at least I'm trying to understand more about the subject.
"Oh, give me a break, will you," I exclaimed, stomping my feet in irritation. "If you can't explain to me about cultivating, who are you to judge me?"
"If I were to explain everything, we would be here for a long time instead of you reincarnating immediately," he asserted.
Considering his reason, I pondered, "If you can't teach me here, then there must be a way for me to learn about cultivating on the go, right?"
In response to my question, God clasped his hands and unfolded them apart, constructing a small ball of light. He gently pushed it toward me, and I received it like a translucent balloon.
Examining the entity, I looked forward and asked, "What the heck is this?"
"That's a fabricated conscience," God explained. "I created that along with intelligence and wisdom so it can teach you everything about cultivation in your second life."
"I see... so I can go now, right?" I eagerly asked, my attention facing toward the portal.
God nodded, waving his hand to the side. "Of course, good luck, young one. May your new life be more exceptional than the previous one."
With that permission, I head towards the portal with the fabricated conscience at hand. My expectation for the second life is high but hopefully, it is more fulfilling this time around.