"Thank you for shopping with us~."
As the man stepped out of the convenience store, the glass automatic sliding door shut behind him, its signature 'welcome' jingle echoing as he departed.
Before him sprawled the vast metropolis—a concrete jungle with skyscrapers reaching toward the heavens, reminiscent of modern-day monoliths. The city pulsed with life, its streets teeming with people of all kinds, each immersed in their own world, just as he was in his.
The man surveyed the scene before him.
The busy pavement was filled with a river of pedestrians flowing relentlessly through the urban labyrinth. Car horns blared in a cacophonous, almost symphonic chorus, filled with futile attempts to force their way through the rush-hour traffic.
Yet, this controlled chaos was something he had grown accustomed to. The man had lived his whole life within this concrete jungle, and it was likely where he would meet his end as well...
Little did he know how soon that would be.
With a sense of purpose, the man plunged into the flow of pedestrians, his steps falling into sync with the pulsating heartbeat of the city.
In his hand, he held a week's worth of supplies as he prepared to return to his small apartment, ready to shut himself in for a weekend gaming binge.
'Can't wait to try that new game~,' he thought, smiling faintly as he continued his steps forward.
He had been eagerly anticipating the new game he recently purchased from an online gaming store.
After all, this was one of the rare chances when he could play to his heart's content without interruptions, especially after enduring the grueling work sessions and overtime that had defined his month.
What was the game itself, though, that made him so excited? Well... the game he was excited to play was called 'Ultimate Gaia Fantasy,' an action fantasy RPG game.
It was one of those basic cookie-cutter titles saturating the market, but its main appeal was undeniable: an abundance of cute and beautifully designed female characters.
Was that the only reason he bought the game? Well, yes and no.
He was indeed a sucker for attractive female characters, but the game itself had garnered some pretty good reviews and ratings online.
But... the real reason he bought the game was far simpler.
It was on sale.
His addiction to discounted games from online game stores had pushed him to buy it, just like many others in his growing backlog—a collection of titles he might never finish in his lifetime due to his insatiable habit of buying new ones.
Still, this new game he would be playing held a special spot in his mind.
It had managed to climb to the top of his list, and he believed—no, he convinced himself—that he could finish it in a few days if he binged hard enough.
Either way, he was determined to enjoy it to the fullest.
The crowded sidewalk came to a stop at the crosswalk, the pedestrians waiting for the light to change. Joining the throng, he pulled out his smartphone to browse his favorite online gaming forum.
"Let's see..." he murmured, his thumb flicking through the forum's page.
As expected, there were already several discussion threads for this game.
One thread was for showcasing gameplay captures, which would include screenshots and video clips shared by players who had already dived into the game.
Another focused solely on story elements. But, as a new player himself, he avoided the potential spoilers.
Then... he found what he was looking for: a forum dedicated to newbie guides.
Intrigued, he tapped on the thread's thumbnail, opening a new browser tab. The page loaded swiftly, revealing a large header.
[Welcome to Ultimate Gaia Fantasy, newbie players!]
The forum's header radiated a sense of friendly guidance, reassuring him that it would be a reliable source of information.
He scrolled through the newbie guide, scanning for anything noteworthy...
The game offered quite an impressive level of customization, allowing players to truly immerse themselves in its world.
The main focus, of course, was the option to choose a character's race. Options like human, elf, dwarf, orc, and beastman, each offered unique traits and gameplay advantages.
"Hold on... 'You could choose one of the many optional... Noble families to be born into'...?!" he read aloud, catching sight of one of the guide's pointers.
Further customization came from being born into a Noble lineage within the chosen race, with each family providing even more advantages and specializations—a mechanic that truly intrigued him.
As he continued reading about the various races and Noble families, his attention was drawn to a 'SPOILER' section. It came with a warning:
Races and Noble families that you can unlock in New Game+.
His curiosity piqued. The idea of unlockable features for subsequent playthroughs was irresistible.
The man was still a first-time player, though, and he'd sworn to avoid spoilers...
But the temptation to peek was too strong to resist.
He hesitated for a moment... before clicking the tag anyway!
What he found surprised him.
"...! Demon...?!"
The additional unlockable content included the Demon race and their associated Noble families...!
While demons were a staple in any fantasy setting, the opportunity to play as one was a rarity. Most RPGs locked players into the role of a standard human hero anyway.
Not to mention, the list of Noble Demon Families stretched quite far, spilling beyond the bottom edge of his screen. It was almost as large as the entire list of nobles from the 'normal' races.
He tried to read the first few entries of the list... and his eyes landed on...
The Astaroth Family.
A Demon Noble family with an affinity for the stars above.
He leaned in to read further about the Demon race and its Noble families...
But then, movement at the edge of his vision distracted him.
A girl stepped into the crosswalk, ignoring the traffic light...!
"What...?"
His eyes widened, his mouth agape at the strange sight of the girl's casual advance...!
Yet... strangely, none of the other pedestrians seemed to react. It was as if... she were invisible to everyone...
But him.
He was about to call out to her, but his eyes caught a glimpse of something approaching—a speeding truck barreling down the street.
The girl stood still, directly in its path, without a single sign of wariness or fear.
Panic surged through him. He dropped his phone, his body moving on instinct as he lunged forward to save the girl!
But then... she turned around to look at him as he approached.
Her face was obscured, but her lips... curved into a faint, enigmatic smile.
The truck's horn blared—a deafening warning of imminent impact.
And then... darkness.
His body crumpled instantly under the force, and his consciousness slipped away in an instant.
But in the void...
A voice called out to him.
[Initializing... Reincarnation Sequence...]