One by one, Kuro's classmates began to reincarnate. Now, only Kuro and his friend, Inukai, were left. Kuro turned to his friend and said,
"Inukai, you go first. Let's meet again in another life."
With tears in his eyes, Inukai replied,
"Yeah, let's meet again, my friend."
He hugged Kuro tightly before walking toward the Goddess. As Inukai approached her, his body shattered into countless little pieces and disappeared.
Kuro then stepped forward and asked,
"Does your world have peace?"
The Goddess avoided his gaze, her eyes clouded with a faint sadness.
"O lost soul of another world," she began. "Not every world has peace. In my world, people are always at war with one another. Please be careful. I cannot know where you will be reborn, but I pray you find your happiness."
As Kuro began to reincarnate, the Goddess's sorrow deepened. She muttered softly,
"O lost soul of another world, if you find me again, please don't die by my hands. I pray for you."
Though Kuro heard her words, he did not understand them, leaving him curious about their meaning.
---
When Kuro opened his eyes, he found himself in a cold, damp basement. His hands felt heavy, and his wrists were bound by thick, rusted shackles. Memories of his reincarnation began to flood his mind. In this life, he had no name. His parents had been killed by bandits when he was a child, and now he was a slave.
The traders had tried to sell him, but no one wanted a frail boy who wasn't even five years old. His body was weak, and he was sick.
"So, these are my memories," Kuro thought grimly. "How unfortunate. I'm on the verge of death from illness. Maybe I can escape, but to where? According to the Goddess's knowledge, I can use mana—the power of magic, like in a video game. First, I need to collect mana from nature. If I can imagine it, I might be able to use some healing magic. I think I could heal my wounds, but curing this sickness is another matter. Purification might work, but I don't know how it's done."
Resolving to escape, Kuro began meditating. He sat down and visualized natural energy flowing into his body, coursing through him like blood. Hours passed, and while he managed to gather a small amount of mana, it wasn't enough. After five exhausting hours, he collapsed, unconscious.
When he woke up, he found himself in a deep forest. Tracks from a carriage were visible nearby.
"Maybe the traders thought I was dead and threw me away," Kuro thought. "Maybe I'm lucky. But now, what do I do?"
Suddenly, a pack of wild wolves surrounded him. One lunged at him, its teeth bared. Kuro, who had killed many in his past life, remained calm. However, the wolf was stronger than he expected, and Kuro began losing the struggle. Staying composed, he focused the mana he had gathered, shaping it into a bullet and firing it from his index finger. The wolf died instantly.
Kuro stood up, emitting a murderous aura that scared the remaining wolves into fleeing. Hungry and exhausted, he searched for something to eat but found nothing. Returning to the wolf he had killed, he used mana to sharpen his hand like a blade, skinning the animal and removing its organs. While working, he discovered a strange glowing purple rock inside the wolf. Finding it curious, he pocketed it and continued.
With no other food options, Kuro prepared the wolf's meat. Using mana, he created a fire and set up camp. As the sun set and the moon rose, he cooked the meat while continuing to gather mana from the forest. Strangely, he felt two heartbeats within his own body.
"Could this be a result of my reincarnation?" he wondered. "It feels odd, but it's making it easier to gather mana."
After nearly an hour, the meat was ready. It was tough and unpleasant, but he forced himself to eat.
"Every world's wilderness is harsh," he sighed. "Tomorrow, I need to find a village or town and maybe a job to survive."
---
As he prepared to rest, rustling came from a bush. Kuro took a combat stance, expecting another wolf. Instead, three humans emerged—a man with a claymore, another with twin daggers, and a woman holding a staff.
"Who are you?" Kuro asked coldly.
The man with the daggers spoke first.
"My name is Parzival. The big guy is Gus, and she's Emma. We're adventurers. Our party's called Dark Phoenix. And you? What's your name?"
"I have no name," Kuro replied, his guard still up.
Parzival frowned.
"So you're a slave, huh? Where's your master?"
"They abandoned me in the forest. I don't even know where the nearest village is," Kuro answered cautiously.
Emma smiled gently.
"I understand your situation. How about this? If you let us camp here tonight, we'll guide you to the nearest town tomorrow."
Kuro hesitated. Memories of betrayal from his past life surfaced. Were they trustworthy? But then he remembered the Goddess's words: I pray you find your happiness. Deciding to take a chance, Kuro said,
"Fine. One night. Then guide me to the village."
After three days of travel with Emma, Parzival, and Gus, Kuro arrived in the bustling town of Narshia. The town thrived with activity, its strong trade routes making it a hub of commerce. Despite his suspicions, Kuro found that the adventurers were trustworthy. Over their journey, he learned more about them—Emma had a little sister, and Parzival had a wife and two children. They was powerful yet good team. Emma is trustworthy and protective yet she is short tempered. Gus was always quite but when times come he was gentle and good tempered. Parzival was someone who is reckless but he is good commander and leader. When we going to Narshia he never stop teasing me but I like it. It feels like having a strong bound.
When they entered Narshia, the group headed straight for the Adventurer's Guild, a large building that stood at the heart of the town. Inside, the guild bustled with adventurers—some were trading stories of their exploits, while others haggled over quest rewards.
Kuro, intrigued by the idea of becoming an adventurer, decided to register. Emma, noticing his interest, accompanied him to the guild receptionist.
The receptionist, a young woman with an air of disinterest, glanced down at Kuro and asked in a condescending tone,
"Hello, little boy. Are you lost?"
Kuro replied firmly, "No. I want to register as an adventurer."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow, scanning him from head to toe.
"Sorry, kid. We don't take children. You need to be at least ten years old. Now, run along to your mama," she said mockingly, clearly recognizing Kuro as a former slave. Other adventures some of them laugh some of them feel bad for Kuro.
Kuro clenched his fists but held his tongue. Before he could respond, Emma stepped forward, her face dark with anger.
"How dare you talk to him like that? Call your manager right now!" It was first time to Kuro feel someone who is stand and protect. It was touching.
The receptionist hesitated, but Emma's fiery glare left no room for argument. Moments later, the guild manager arrived, a portly man with a nervous expression. Emma wasted no time tearing into him.
"Is this how your staff treats people? Mocking a child who wants to register as an adventurer? Fix this now!"
The manager tried to calm her down, but Emma's temper flared. She slammed her hand on the counter, her mana flaring briefly. Kuro gently placed a hand on her arm and said softly,
"It's okay, Emma. Let it go."
Emma turned to him, tears of frustration in her eyes. She took a deep breath, glared at the manager one last time, and slapped him across the face before storming out with Kuro. The entire guild fell silent, shocked by the scene.
---
Outside, Gus and Parzival caught up with them, having finished collecting their rewards for a completed quest. Parzival handed Emma her share of the money, while Gus asked,
"What happened in there?"
Emma sighed, shaking her head. "They refused to register Kuro because he's too young. It's infuriating."
Later that evening, as they prepared to part ways, Emma turned to Kuro and asked hesitantly,
"Kuro, would you like to become my brother?"
Kuro blinked in surprise. "Why are you asking me that?"
Emma smiled softly, her expression bittersweet. "When I was ten, my mother fell ill with a disease called 'Whisper.' We couldn't afford the treatment. I became an adventurer to support her, but a year later, she passed away. My father wasn't in the picture, so I was left alone to care for my little sister, who was just three years old at the time. You remind me of her. I want to help you, Kuro."
Kuro was deeply moved by her words. In both his past and present lives, he had never known the love of a family. For the first time, he allowed himself to trust someone.
"Alright," he said quietly. "I'd like that."
Emma's face lit up with joy. From that day forward, Kuro, now known as David, became a part of Emma's family, beginning a new chapter in his life filled with hope and companionship.