"I just want to die."
A quiet mutter, articulating my thoughts, escaped from my lips.
Of course, I didn't truly want to die.
I was just at a point in my life where everything felt... grey?
No money
No friends.
A dead dad.
A runaway mom.
No family members sensible enough to interact with.
No lover—not because I couldn't have one, but because, for the sake of my already unstable peace of mind, I couldn't care less.
Sigh.
Suddenly, a notification sound came from my PC.
"Huh?"
It caught my attention, and I lazily turned to check what it was.
"An email?"
"Strange. Who in the world names their email 'Heavenly Will?'"
I found myself in a bizarre situation.
What was even stranger was that the email had no content—just a single link.
"Is this a scam?"
I couldn't help but be cautious.
Just last week, a college mate had been scammed out of her house rent. I didn't want the same thing to happen to me.
Not that I even had my rent ready, though...
I stared at the strange email for a few seconds.
I considered deleting it, but somehow, I felt drawn to it.
"Is it truly a scam?"
I contemplated for a while.
The sender's name, 'Heavenly Will,' tugged at my curiosity.
"Or is this perhaps a prank from someone who has my email?"
I couldn't help but wonder.
I didn't have any real friends—I didn't consider anyone close enough to deserve that title—but that didn't mean others saw me the same way.
I still maintained a decent relationship with most people I knew.
"But am I really important enough for someone to create a new email just to prank me?"
In the end, I couldn't suppress my curiosity and tapped the link.
Suddenly, my screen darkened.
"Shit! A virus?!"
Panic started to set in, but just as quickly, the screen flickered back on.
A browser page had appeared.
"Phew," I sighed, relief washing over me as I saw the familiar glow of the monitor.
"I shouldn't randomly tap unknown links again," I muttered, mentally kicking myself.
Calming down, I turned my attention to the strange browser page while silently wondering why my screen had turned off earlier. It was bizarre.
"Huh?"
A line of text appeared on the screen, and my heart skipped a beat.
[Do you want to die?]
[Yes/No]
I froze.
Hurriedly, I glanced around my small one-room apartment.
The atmosphere felt… off.
Was this some kind of sick prank? Just moments ago, I'd muttered those exact words—"I just want to die"—and now, here was this ominous question staring back at me.
My thoughts flashed to those bloody crime thrillers I'd watched in the past. Could someone be watching me?
But after scanning the room—though there wasn't much to scan—I saw nothing unusual. No cameras, no hidden eyes lurking in the shadows.
I turned my attention back to the screen.
The question remained.
[Do you want to die?]
[Yes/No]
"Umm, no? Thanks, but I'll pass," I thought sarcastically.
I moved to close the browser page, but…
"What the—why won't it close?"
No matter what I did, the browser refused to shut down. Even the escape key, the task manager shortcut—nothing worked.
"That's not all," I muttered, frustration bubbling up.
The browser wasn't just stuck. It had locked my entire system. I couldn't minimise it or open anything else. Even when I tried shutting down the computer, the screen powered back on almost immediately, displaying the same question.
[Do you want to die?]
[Yes/No]
"This is beyond a prank," I whispered.
My chest tightened as uneasy thoughts started flooding my mind.
"Have I been hacked?"
That seemed plausible, though I didn't have the expertise to confirm it. My knowledge of computers was basic at best; I only owned one for work purposes.
Still, one thing was clear—whoever or whatever was behind this wasn't giving me a choice.
"Isn't this just forcing me to play along?" I muttered, my expression darkening.
For now, the browser didn't seem to be causing any harm, but how long would that last? I couldn't be sure.
Knowing there was nothing I could do, I turned my attention back to the eerie question on the screen.
[Do you want to die?]
[Yes/No]
Who would want to? I thought to myself, but still, I didn't answer.
A minute passed. I sighed, resigning myself to whatever strange fate this was.
[No]
Click.
[So you don't want to die.]
[Yes/No]
A vein popped in my forehead.
At this point, I was starting to think someone might be playing an expensive prank on me. My frustration made my actions bolder.
[No]
Click.
[But do you want another chance at life?]
[Yes/No]
"Eh?" I muttered, as the tone of the message changed unexpectedly.
Curiosity began to override my anxiety.
"Is some bored, jobless hacker messing with me?"
But the new question was... intriguing.
Did I want another chance at life?
I don't know about other people, but I did.
It didn't matter if I didn't have parents in that life, but at least it shouldn't be as painfully dull as it was now.
Lost in my thoughts, I absently answered.
[Yes]
Click.
Another question popped up immediately.
"Is this a questionnaire?" I wondered aloud, as my curiosity grew.
I was no longer scared. In fact, I was kind of interested in this bizarre site.
[Even if this life was in a magical world?]
[Yes/No]
"Why not? That sounds even better! Even better if there are beast girls there!" I joked to myself.
[Yes]
After selecting my answer, the next question appeared.
"Just as I suspected, it's truly a questionnaire," I said, a little amused now.
[What age would you like your new life to be, if you could choose?]
[0-10 years?]
[11-20 years?]
[21-30 years?]
[31-40 years?]
[41-50 years?]
There were more options this time.
For a few seconds, I pondered which to choose and ultimately decided on the third one.
At this point, I was really starting to think this was just a harmless prank. But, since it was getting interesting, I decided to take it a bit more seriously.
Of course, I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't being forced into it...
Another question appeared.
[If you could have an advantage, what would you choose?]
[...]
This time, there were no preset options. I had to write my answer.
The question gave me pause. What would I choose? I thought about it for a while.
"Hmmm, since it's a magical world, the advantage should probably be something like a cheat, right?"
As I thought this, I began typing my answer.
Since it wasn't like I was actually going to start a new life anyway, I didn't spend much time thinking it through.
"Limitless growth, a perfectly flawless body, a skill perfectly suited for me that makes me stand above others… Hmmm, anything else?"
"Ahh, yes!"
"Infinite mana pool!"
After adding this to my list, I submitted my answer.
Just when I thought that would be the last question, another one popped up.
[Lastly, what will be your name?]
[.....]
Name, huh?
"Should I choose something new or just keep my current one?"
My name is Lionel Wood, but since I've already come this far with these ridiculous questions, I might as well go out with a bang, right?
"Okay, it's Asmodeus Belial!"
Oh, why did I use two lust-themed names?
Well, I wasn't going to ignore women if I got another chance at a good life!
Note! Good life!
Click!
After answering the last question, no more appeared.
But a new text appeared.
[Asmodeus Belial, congratulations, you've been chosen!]
"Chosen your mothe—?"
I wasn't able to finish my sentence before I felt everything around me twist.
A second later...
I was no longer in my familiar room.