In every novel I had read, when the main character died, they usually floated around in limbo before eventually seeing a light and being reborn as a baby.
But my situation? It was different. I found myself in a white room with no visible end. Instead of being naked like those main characters, I was wearing patient scrubs, the kind you wear during surgery.
In front of me was a transparent screen, like the information windows I usually saw in RPG games.
Squinting, I read the words on the screen.
[ Welcome to the Afterlife, Lost Soul. ]
[ You have died! You are at the temporary soul checkpoint. ]
[ Judgment is required to determine your destination. ]
"No way…"
My jaw dropped as I realized I was in the afterlife. I thought there would be some sort of angel or hell judge deciding my fate.
But who would've thought the afterlife would run on a system like a computer? Well, if humans could create AI, then God creating a system for the afterlife shouldn't be that surprising. Even though it was different from any religious scripture I read.
[ Displaying soul data. ]
[ Name: Michael Lim ]
[ Gender: Male ]
[ Age: 35 ]
[ Date of Death: 2024.10.2 ]
[ Time of Death: 9:00 PM ]
[ Cause of Death: Accident ]
"Wow, it even logs the exact details of my death."
[ Judgment process begins. ]
[ The amount of points will determine your next destination. ]
[ Starting calculation of virtue points and sin points. ]
Shit. I forgot about heaven and hell after death. I unconsciously bite my lip as I wait for the system to tally up the points. Both my virtue and sin points keep rising. I won't lie, I'm scared.
I mean, I'm a doctor. Dozens of lives have been saved by my hands. Everything should be fine, right? But what if my sin points are higher?
I always kept track of how many patients I saved, but I never counted how many people I've hurt. Not to mention, at the end of my career, a lot of patients died on the table.
[ Calculation complete. ]
[ Displaying point totals. ]
[ Virtue points: 2981 ]
[ Sin points: 2981 ]
"Wow…"
That's... unexpected. Who would've thought my good deeds and bad deeds would be perfectly balanced?
Let's say if my virtue points were higher, I'd go to heaven. But if it were the other way around, I'd end up in hell. So, what happens when they're equal? Do I go to hell first, then heaven?
I really hope not.
[ You are not eligible for heaven or hell. ]
[ Please wait. ]
[ Searching for a solution... ]
I let out a sigh of relief. At least I know I'm not going to hell.
Besides, I'm curious. If a doctor who's saved dozens of lives like me can have this many sin points, what about ordinary people?
One thing's for sure—those scumbags who spent their lives doing bad things must be getting punished after their death.
[ Solution found. ]
[ Life Remedial. ]
[ You will be given a chance to live again. ]
[ Use your second life to accumulate more virtue points. ]
[ You will be given your memories and a system to assist you. ]
[ Do you agree to follow the remedial? ]
[ Yes / No ]
"Interesting."
So, I'm going to be brought back to life, and all I must do is do more good deeds.
It's like going back in time. With the memories from my previous life, I can take advantage of future knowledge and live a better life. I could even get rich.
"This remedial is gonna be a piece of cake."
I hit the "Yes" option. Not long after, the system screen disappeared. While waiting to see what happens next, I grinned, imagining what I'd do in my second life.
There are a few major events I could exploit to make some serious money like Asia Financial Crisis in 1998. During that time, stock prices plummeted, and the economy was in shambles. A lot of new rich people and conglomerates emerged from that.
I'm going to live my life in easy mode.
DING!
The system screen popped up again. As I read it, my shoulders slumped.
"You gotta be kidding me…"
[ Remedial assignment confirmed. ]
[ You will begin your remedial in Scandinavia, 625 AD. ]
[ Reincarnation process starting. ]
"Scandinavia... 625 AD..."
Cold sweat started pouring down my face.
Suddenly, a small black hole appeared in front of me. Before I knew it, my body was sucked into it, and my existence vanished.
...
Dizzy. That's what I felt as I regained consciousness.
Opening my eyes, everything was blurry at first. But slowly, my vision cleared. I saw tall trees, bushes, dark soil, and a thin mist in the air.
"Where am I?"
I found myself in the middle of a forest—something I'd never seen in person, only on the internet.
On top of that, I was wearing different clothes. They felt rough on my skin and looked worn out. Honestly, it felt more like a burlap sack than actual clothes.
"No way… I really reincarnated."
Scientists always believed there was nothing after death. And I used to believe that too. But here I am.
If I really reincarnated, then I'm somewhere in Scandinavia, 865 AD.
"Let's think back to history class for a second… what happened in this year?"
If I remember right, Scandinavia includes places like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These countries are famous for their Viking history.
I don't know much about the Vikings. What I do know is they were seafarers and liked to raid. They have a long history with England, and their invasions played a part in forming the United Kingdom.
Vikings were known for their brutality in battle. If I'm living in their era, how the hell am I supposed to survive? I'll probably be dead before I even start my life.
Cold sweat started running down my forehead.
Honestly, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now. I feel like ending it all right here and now, but I just came back from death and found out that hell is a real thing. I've got to stick it out in this life, no matter what.
"I guess I have no choices," I muttered, swallowing hard.
Taking a deep breath, I took my first step in my second life.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd wake up in the middle of a forest, far from civilization. It feels like being in a super-immersive Soulsborne game.
After walking for a couple minutes, I heard water rippling. My gut told me there was a river nearby. And it was right.
I found a big river with a gentle flow. Seeing how clear the water was, I could tell it was fresh. Without any hesitation, I drank it straight from the source.
"So, refreshing!"
For the first time in my life, I drank unsafe water. But I didn't care. My throat had felt so dry since I woke up in this body.
Speaking of this body, I now had a new appearance.
"Oh my god… who is this guy?"
I was surprised when I saw my reflection in the water.
My brown eyes and black hair were gone, replaced by blue eyes and wheat-colored blonde hair. My facial structure looked like that of my European friends.
Looking at my new face felt like staring at a stranger. It was so strange.
"Am I a Viking too?"
Suddenly, a blue window appeared in front of me. It was just like the one I saw in that white room when I died.
[ Character Info ]
[ Name: Michael Lim ]
[ Occupation: Thrall ]
[ Race: Nordic ]
[ STR: 10 ]
[ VIT: 7 ]
[ INT: 25 ]
[ DEX: 14 ]
[ Skills: Surgery Lv. 8, Medical Knowledge Lv. 6, Cooking Lv. 1, Foraging Lv. 4, Horse Riding Lv. 3, Swordsmanship Lv. 3 ]
[ Ability: Spatial Visualization, Translator. ]
[ VIRTUE POINTS: 0 ]
[ SIN POINTS: 0 ]
I have no idea how this afterlife system works, but it's like an RPG game system no matter how I see it.
"Occupation? Thrall? What the heck is this?"
But one thing caught my attention. I could see a list of abilities and skills. I even had skills I'd never seen before, like horse riding and swordsmanship.
"Did these skills come from the previous owner of this body?"
On top of that, I had the ability "Spatial Visualization." This is something really useful for a surgeon. My professor once said that someone with this ability is blessed to be a surgeon. It helps them understand and manage the complexity of anatomical structures during surgery.
However, I didn't feel anything special about my new self. Whether it was because I wasn't used to this body yet or I didn't know how it worked, I didn't feel any difference.
"Well, I guess I'll figure it out later."
As I focused on the river, I noticed a dark shadow in the sky. I looked up and saw thick black smoke.
At first, I thought someone was camping nearby. But the smoke was way too much for a campfire.
"Is there a fire?"
My logical side said to stay away. Smoke that heavy could only come from a big fire, and danger was always lurking behind it. But my gut told me to check it out. I had a feeling someone might need help over there.
Clenching my fists, I struggled to decide for some reason.
I'm in a time where laws and human rights don't exist. I have no idea what kind of danger is waiting there. On the other hand, I'm a doctor. I can't ignore people who might be hurt and need help. It's in my nature.
"Screw it."
In the end, I followed my heart. I ran towards the smoke. No lie, my heart was pounding with fear.
When I got there, I saw a village on fire.