"Judging from the records, your life has been the easiest of the whole century. Born into the wealthiest family, never having to work a day in your life, always surrounded by luxury, and never experiencing a single moment of misery. I must say, it's quite impressive." A voice echoed.
A young man, looking no older than 30, spoke while he sat upon a large emerald throne, reading a glowing blue screen hovering near his face.
The entire room was adorned with jewels and riches, so vast that nearly an entire soccer stadium could fit inside.
From the throne, a grand staircase with tens of thousands of steps spiraled downward, stretching into the vast expanse of the room.
Despite the regal and majestic surroundings, something stood out just at the base of the stairs—someone who couldn't compare to anything else in the grand throne room.
"Uhh… I guess so," a man said, kneeling as he looked up at the person seated on the throne.
"Victor Kane, you died at the age of 29 while sitting in your jacuzzi. The cause of death was a silent heart attack that ended your life in mere seconds. You didn't experience any misery here either, did you? Dying so painlessly." The man's authoritative voice echoed through the massive room, which contained only Victor and himself.
"Seeing how you lived so comfortably, how about I add something more to this happiness?" The man looked down at the last step and it was as if Victor was positioned perfectly in the man's gaze.
Victor, still in disbelief, could not shake the feeling that this was an elaborate prank, one that seemed never-ending.
He had just arrived in this place a few minutes ago, and hearing how the man sitting on the throne described his death so accurately, Victor could not help but think it was the truth.
His jacuzzi had been the safest place on the entire planet, located twenty floors below ground in a bunker that no one could enter without his permission—not even his wife.
"Normally, I wouldn't bother with all this," the man continued, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "My minions handle it. But with your file being so unique, I can't resist trying something... interesting." A threateningly perfect smile spread across his face.
"You like fantasy, don't you? Considering how much time you spent reading about it. How about I send you to one of my favorite places, with all your memories intact?" The man asked, his eyes locking with Victor's.
Even with the distance between them, Victor felt as though his very existence might perish from the intensity of the man's gaze.
"I have decided," the man declared. "You will be reincarnated with your memories into a world where magic is the norm. The most common thing there is to tame life-threatening monsters and grow strong with them. And you will have access to this as well." The man snapped his fingers.
Victor covered his ears with his hands, the sound of the snap so loud it felt like his eardrums might burst.
When he opened his eyes again, a blue screen hovered in front of him.
_____
Victor Kane (Deceased)
Level 0
Basic Physical Attributes:
Strength: 10
Stamina: 5
Agility: 4
Vitality: 20
Intelligence: 30
Dexterity: 10
Taming Attributes:
Affinity: N/A
Taming Mastery: N/A
Charisma: N/A
Beast Command: N/A
_____
Victor read everything, feeling goosebumps crawling up his skin.
"A-Are these… my stats?" Victor gasped.
"Interesting, right?" the man mused. "In this world, having status screens like this is the norm. I'll ensure you're born into a rich family again. Your start will be better than anything you had back on Earth. Sound good?" The man asked, grinning.
Every fiber of Victor's being screamed at him to not trust a word the man said.
But seeing everything in front of him—the screen, the man on the throne—Victor couldn't help but wonder if it was all an incredibly detailed prank. Even if it was, he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Yes, I want everything you've promised," Victor said before thinking it through, he regretted doing so but something in his heart felt right. As if everything the man said made sense.
The man on the throne looked at him for a moment, then a grin stretched across his face.
"PUHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHHAHA!" The man laughed so loudly that Victor instinctively covered his ears again.
"Interesting! Your greed knows no bounds!" The man continued, still laughing. "Alright! I will grant you everything I offered!" He got up, looking so thrilled that Victor began to smile as well.
"There's just one thing," the man said, his grin widening even further. "I can't make you too happy. I have beings to answer to. How about just a simple curse?" His smile twisted into something far darker.
Victor frowned, sensing something wasn't right.
Before he could speak, the man near the throne pointed a finger at him, and a beam of light shot toward him at a speed that felt slower than a bullet. The light hit him directly in the chest.
_________
[Caution! A curse has been inflicted on the user.]
[Curse Grade: Celestial]
[Curse Description: The user is restricted to only tame insect species. Taming normal species will become impossible with this curse.]
_________
Victor looked at the red notifications, dumbstruck. His eyes moved back to the man on the throne, who was still smiling.
"You…!" Victor tried to speak, but no words escaped his mouth.
"Be a good entertainment piece in my world," the man said, his tone amused. "You have no idea how pleased everyone above will be. Now, begone!" He waved his hand, and Victor vanished from the throne room.
'Wait!' Victor tried to shout, but it felt like his voice had been swallowed by silence. He tried opening his eyes, but they felt heavy.
TING!
A voice echoed in his mind, and a small screen opened before him, though he could see nothing else.
_______
[Urgent Note: The user has been successfully transported to Planet Zypheria]
[User is detected to be a human infant currently]
[Due to reincarnation rules, the user will face memory loss until the age of 4]
[The sleep schedule of previous memories will last for 4 years]
[Starting in 15 seconds]
______
Victor stared at the message in despair. It took him ten seconds to finish reading, and by the time he did, the timer had dropped to 5 seconds.
He tried protesting by moving or staying awake, but nothing worked. He tried speaking yet even his lips did not open.
In five seconds, he fell into sleep leaving all the panic and restlessness behind.