My name is Kain Walker. I'm an average guy working a nine-to-nine job. I don't have many hobbies besides reading manga and light novels in my free time; everything else is just my job. No girlfriend, no family—I'm an orphan. Oh, and did I mention I hate my job? I'm like a slave, working nonstop. I didn't tell you yet, but I'm a game developer. Yeah, your favorite games? Made by me. And I hate this job. Well, to be fair, I don't hate the job itself—I just hate the company I work for. It's shitty. I'm overworked, deprived of sleep for days on end. I have bags under my eyes, live off coffee, and sometimes even sleep in my office. My coworkers are always complaining. But, even though I hate the company, I still love what I do.
I'm the lead developer for a new game we're working on called War World Evolution. In this game, players can evolve their characters as they complete quests designed by an AI system. Players choose a class and evolve their characters by completing quests. I'm the head developer for this game.
"Hey Kain, you're still working? The others are gone, you know?"
The guy who spoke was a junior of mine from a different department. We hung out a lot, mostly to complain about our shitty company.
"Yeah, the game's supposed to release next week, so I have to check for bugs to make sure there are no problems on release day."
This game was the company's biggest release so far, and I had to ensure everything went smoothly.
"You're really hardworking, huh, Kain? You know, you shouldn't overwork yourself."
He was a nice guy, always looking out for others—one of the things I liked about him.
"Shouldn't this job be done by your juniors?"
"Yeah, but those guys love to slack off, so I have to clean up their mess every time."
They were a messy bunch. I was basically assigned newbies to work with, and they were really lazy at times. That's one of the reasons I hated this company.
"You know, Kain, some of us are going out for drinks later. You should join us. I'll wait for you."
I was almost finished anyway, so a few drinks couldn't hurt.
"Yeah, I'm almost done."
I saved my work, shut down my PC, put on my coat, and turned off the light.
"Let's go."
I followed Toya out of the building to meet the others for drinks.
"Anyway, Kain, I heard a new company is taking over the game dev scene. Apparently, they have better working conditions than this place."
The guy always rambled when we were together.
"Yeah, I heard. Not sure I'm up for quitting my job, though."
He looked at me, as if expecting that answer.
"Haha, I knew you'd say that. But unlike you, after the launch of the new game, I'm leaving this company."
I had no problem with that, as long as we kept in touch.
"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to job hunting anytime soon."
"That's alright."
We started crossing the road. It was night, and the streets were empty, barely any people or cars in sight.
"So, why is this drinking place so far away?"
Before Toya could answer, I heard screeching as we were crossing the road.
"What the—!?"
A truck was speeding straight at us, its bright lights blinding us for a second, horns blaring loudly. Instinctively, I pushed Toya out of the way.
He was younger—about ten years younger than me, a guy in his late thirties. He still had a future ahead of him. I couldn't let him die.
BEEEEEEEEPPP!!!
That was the last sound I heard before everything went dark. Pain flooded my body for a brief moment, and then—cold.
---
Cold!
I felt cold. Everything around me was freezing, as if I were naked in the Antarctic. It was also dark—I couldn't see anything. I felt weightless, floating in this darkness.
"===="
I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I panicked, struggling to move, but it felt like I was pinned in place. Where was I? Was this hell?
"#$#&#&+_($"
Then, I heard something—loud and chilling. The place grew even colder.
"#&#&$+$me-&"
The sound was strange, like words being jumbled up.
"Ca$$#$ he@$# ma-"
The sound was still incomprehensible.
"Yes, that's better."
It became clear. The voice was mixed, sounding both male and female at the same time.
"Can you hear me now?"
I could hear it clearly.
"If you can hear me, say yes."
I tried to speak, but—
"======"
My voice still wouldn't come out.
"Ah, yes, sorry about that."
Then, as if something shifted, I found I could speak again.
"Yes, I can hear you."
I spoke clearly, but it was still dark and cold.
"This place is pretty dark, isn't it?"
As if reading my mind, the voice spoke again, and the place suddenly became bright and warm.
"Greetings, dead one."
I could see now, but I didn't expect the form in front of me.
"Yes, yes, no need to be shocked. I'm pretty handsome, aren't I?"
I couldn't quite process what I was seeing.
"What are you!?"
This was—where was I?
"Wait, what do I look like to you!?"
The being seemed surprised by my reaction, pulling out a mirror from somewhere.
"Ah, I see."
Suddenly, I found myself seated on a chair in a different room without realizing the change.
"Haha, I see. To you, I look like this. This is a first, even for me."
The being laughed, now sitting opposite me with a table between us.
"Tell me, why did you imagine me like this?"
I didn't know—I just saw him that way. To me, he looked like a dark humanoid silhouette with no eyes and only a mouth.
"Hahaha, this gets better. And you also assumed I was male, didn't you? What an interesting fellow."
Yeah, I did assume he was male. Was that wrong? And wait—did he read my mind?
"Yep, that's right! I can read your mind, and whatever you imagine, I'll take that shape."
This was ridiculous. What was this being?
"What I'm curious about is why you imagined me like this."
I had no idea. It's just what I saw.
"I've existed for countless millennia, and this is a first."
Was it really that surprising?
"Yes, it is, and because of that, I'll give you something. Just because I like you."
Wasn't I dead? Was this hell or heaven?
"Neither, my friend. I was supposed to guide you to reincarnation normally, but you've piqued my interest, so I'll grant you a favor."
I was going to be reborn?
"Yes, and not only that, but in a world full of magic!"
Magic? Was that even possible?
"Of course it is. I mean, you're here, right?"
He was right. If this was real, why not magic?
"Yes, and the favor—well, you'll see it when you're reborn. So, good luck!"
The place began to warp, and I felt a pull as I started to disappear.
"Ah, I made a mistake!?"
That was the last thing I heard before vanishing.