Lucian Vale had always considered his life painfully dull. Every day was the same wake up, attend college, sit through lectures, and return home to his apartment.
He moved through life unnoticed and unremarkable. The highlight of his day was curling up in bed with his phone, scrolling through his favorite web novel. But even that small joy was often ruined by the author's inconsistent updates.
Why can't they just post on time? he grumbled internally, his fingers tapping impatiently on the screen.
The traffic signal ahead turned red. Lucian stepped onto the crosswalk, his eyes glued to his phone. He barely noticed the world around him and the honking cars, the talking of people. That was when he heard it.
The blaring horn.
The screeching tires.
Time slowed as he turned his head—only to see a massive truck coming toward him.
What the—?
The impact came before he could even react. Pain exploded through his body as he was flung across the road like a ragdoll.
His vision became blurred.The world started spinning. When he landed, pain tore through him, pinning him in place.
A crowd gathered. Some gasped, others whispered. A few even pulled out their phones, snapping photos of his broken body.
Nobody's calling an ambulance? he thought bitterly. He wanted to scream at them, curse at them—but even opening his mouth was impossible. His body refused to move.
His vision dimmed.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
A Void of Light
Why do I feel so… light?
Lucian's thoughts drifted in an empty space. There was no pain, no body—just a strange sensation of floating. Then, out of nowhere, he felt it.
A presence.
Something—no, someone—loomed before him, vast and immeasurable. A colossal figure radiating blinding white light, its form vaguely humanoid but impossibly divine.
It spoke, its voice rumbling through the void like a distant storm. But the words were incomprehensible.
Lucian struggled to respond, only to realize—he had no mouth. No arms. No legs. He wasn't even breathing. Panic surged through him. What the hell is happening?
The entity seemed to sense his distress. It muttered something again, and suddenly, the words became clear.
"Oh, sorry. There. Language should be set now."
Lucian froze.
"Hey, human," the godlike being continued, its tone surprisingly casual. "So… uh, funny story. My kid dropped his toy into your world, and well… it kinda killed you."
Lucian felt a surge of anger bubbling inside him. Was this a joke? He died—because some celestial child carelessly dropped a toy on Earth? His life was taken so easily, and now this being was simply telling him about it as if it were a minor inconvenience?
But as the initial rage settled, he forced himself to stay calm. Who even is this entity? And why bother explaining all this to me?
Taking a deep breath Lucian asked, "Why are you telling me all of this?"
The radiant figure before him, an enormous humanoid shape made of divine-like energy, let out a sorrowful hum. "Because I feel bad for you, human. Your death was an accident, and I do not enjoy seeing mortals perish in vain. So, I shall offer you a new chance—one that aligns with the stories you enjoyed in your past life."
Lucian's mind raced as he processed the words. A new chance?
"As compensation," the entity continued, "I shall reincarnate you in a world of swords, magic, and dragons, much like the tales you used to read. To make it even more interesting, you will receive a race selected through the Race Shuffle Draw, and you will also be granted three skills through a Skill Raffle. Consider it a small gift for the troubles my child caused."
Lucian, stunned yet excited, found himself nodding. The thought of being reborn in a fantasy world, wielding unimaginable power, was tempting.
And so, without hestitation in his heart, he accepted the being's offer.
Lucian's consciousness flickered back into existence, but something was… different. He tried to move, but his limbs or should I say now his tentacles moved across the rough stone floor.Panic surged through him as he realized the truth: he was no longer human.
What… what am I?
Before he could think further a translucent blue screen materialized in front of him, glowing faintly in the dim light of the cave. It looked like something straight out of one of his favorite web novel a status window.
Name: Lucian Vale
Race: Mind Flayer
Level: 1
Skills:
Eldritch Symbiosis (Active/Passive)
Devourer's Evolution (Active/Passive)
Void Rift (Active - High Cost)
Lucian stared at the screen, his mind racing. A Mind Flayer? He had read enough fantasy novels to know what that meant—a terrifying, psionic creature that fed on the minds of others.
But there was no time to think on it as the status window again flickered, and another screen appeared, displaying detailed descriptions of his skills:
Skill Name: Eldritch Symbiosis
Type: Active & Passive
Effect:
Passive: Enhances the abilities of minions over time.
Active: Temporarily overclocks a minion's evolution, granting a burst of power at the cost of mental strain.
Skill Name: Devourer's Evolution
Type: Passive & Active
Effect:
Passive: Gains fragments of knowledge, memories, and skills from consumed minds.
Active: Fully assimilates a powerful enemy's abilities, granting permanent access to their traits.
Skill Name: Void Rift
Type: Active (High Cost)
Effect:
Tears open a temporary rift between dimensions, allowing travel to other worlds or planes.
Warning: Overuse risks stranding the user or attracting interdimensional entities.
Lucian's initial panic began to subside as he read through the descriptions. Okay, okay… this isn't so bad. I've got powers. I can work with this.
The godlike being's words echoed in his mind: "Enjoy your new isekai life."
He took a deep breath—or whatever passed for breathing in this form—and focused on the status window again. If this is real, then I need to figure out how to survive. Starting with this cave.