Night falls. The moon is bright, the stars are sparse, and a cool breeze drifts through the air.
On his way home from work, Shichen yawns, shaking off his exhaustion.
Even though he's had yet another day of overtime, just thinking about going home to watch anime and play video games pumps him up. He can't help speeding up.
When he gets to the subway station, he pulls out his phone, ready to scan his ticket, but it seems busted.
Some weird "GG" ad has taken over his entire screen. There's no close button, no exit, and even pressing the home key does nothing.
"Did I get a virus? Is my phone just done? It's only been two years."
Muttering to himself, Shichen tries powering it down, but it's useless. Finally, he takes a good look at the pop-up:
[If you had the chance to become a god, would you take it?]
[Yes / Willing / Definitely]
That's it—just those two lines plastered all over the screen, in tiny text.
"What even is this? Three options, but they all mean the same thing? I'm not clicking."
Recently, scam ads have been everywhere. This one looks kind of different, though, probably tailor-made to suck in anime fans with its cheesy "edgy" style. But everyone knows anime fans aren't that easy to trick. Shichen doesn't believe it, and he's certainly not tapping it. He can't afford to risk having his bank account drained.
That money is all he's got.
Living alone, the digits in his account are his safety net.
Shichen fiddles with the phone some more, but nothing works. It won't shut down; the volume buttons don't do anything; the home button is useless.
It really does feel like a virus.
Phones get outdated fast, but typically you can use one for three years without issue. Shichen had no plans to replace his yet.
But at this rate, he has no choice.
He needs his phone for everything these days. If it's out of commission, he can't do much of anything. Luckily, he doesn't live too far—he can just jog home.
Maybe it's a good chance to get some exercise. He could swing by a store on the way to pick up a new phone.
He's been telling himself forever that he needs to work out. After all, health is everything. But he's never made a real start—he always finds some excuse to put it off.
Knowing something and actually doing it are two totally different things.
And so time has dragged on for years.
But it looks like today's finally the day.
Weirdly enough, Shichen feels a little grateful to whatever virus caused this.
He puts away his phone, tightens the strap on his shoulder bag, and starts running.
He goes slow at first—he hasn't run in ages, so he needs to warm up or he'll collapse right away.
But the thought of finally beginning a real fitness routine gets him excited. He starts picking up speed.
Then, out of nowhere—
A huge shadow appears ahead, racing straight toward him!
It's a truck!
It came with zero warning, no sound at all, like it just popped into existence.
In that split second, chills run down Shichen's spine and cold sweat breaks out all over, but maybe his survival instinct is off the charts. He instinctively kicks off and dives to the side.
Whoosh!
The truck blasts past him without slowing, no sign of stopping, until it's gone.
By the time Shichen sits up, the truck has vanished. Fighting back the urge to curse out loud, he grabs his ankle, grimacing.
His body moved so fast just now that he ended up twisting his ankle, and it's swollen.
Not wanting to move it yet, he just sits there, waiting for the pain to subside.
He's fuming, cursing the driver for being in such a rush he might as well be "speeding to the afterlife." If Shichen's survival instinct hadn't kicked in, he'd be on that one-way trip right now.
But there's something strange—how could a truck moving that fast not make any noise? He was just running, not shutting down his hearing, and he was paying attention to his surroundings. No way would he miss it.
It's so weird.
While he's wondering about that, Shichen notices a flicker of light at the edge of his field of vision.
Wait, flames?
He looks up instinctively. A fiery object is plummeting straight toward him.
"…?"
The flames get bigger, the object gets bigger, until it fills his view.
It's a meteor!
A million thoughts go through his mind, but all that comes out is the one word everyone knows:
"Crap!"
Boom!
The meteor strikes him head-on, giving him no chance to react. He's gone in an instant, not even a trace left behind.
Shichen never imagined he'd get nailed by a meteor. Talk about good or bad luck—he dodged a truck only to get wrecked by a rock from space. It's like Death has it out for him.
He's never done anything heinous, either. He helps old ladies cross the street, lends a hand to anyone who needs it, stays polite and friendly—a typical nice guy.
Why would Death be after him?
Is this what they mean by "no good deed goes unpunished"?
Hold on.
Why am I still thinking?
Shichen suddenly realizes he's still conscious, and right then he hears an emotionless, mechanical voice:
[Host has gained the opportunity to become a god. Beginning reconstruction of the host's body.]
[Reconstruction initiated!]
[1%]
[2%]
"…Huh?"
What the heck?
That weird phone "virus"?
Could it actually be real?
But didn't this just force me to agree?
So that truck and meteor might've been its doing?
Shichen tries moving his limbs, but there's nothing. Only his mind seems to work.
If this is real, that's better than being dead. But if it's all fake, he's basically doomed—probably stuck in a coma somewhere.
For Shichen, who lives alone, that's about the same as actually dying.
But he's always been an optimist. Even though he has no family and his job is hectic, he's content watching anime, gaming, and hanging out with friends sometimes.
Life can be that simple. He's just an ordinary guy, happy with what he has.
[49%]
[50%]
The mechanical voice keeps going, and Shichen's anxiety eases up a bit. Plus, he can feel his feet and legs again.
So is his body being rebuilt from the legs up?
He even has time to find it interesting.
He can't help it—this is so sudden. Actually becoming some sort of god? He has no idea what to think.
Sure, anime and novels have stories like this all the time, but he always knew that was fiction—never took it seriously.
Now that it's really happening, he's just lost. Does he have some special trait? Or is it actually karma for being a good person?
Then again, there are plenty of good people in the world. Even if it is "good guys get lucky," he wouldn't expect to be at the top of that list.
Whatever. It's here, so he'll just deal with it.
[98%]
[99%]
[100%]
[Reconstruction complete.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the Divine Body—pure, flawless, and untainted.]
[Divine Body: Transcends all. Sacred and inviolable.]
[Pure Vessel: No dirt or evil can attach itself.]
[Flawless Form: Stainless, immaculate, perfectly clean.]
Shichen suddenly feels his body again. It's definitely in better shape than before, noticeably lighter and more comfortable—though he can't quite say how. And he can finally see.
He's in a vast white space, empty and silent, stretching endlessly.
He's not too concerned about the space; first, he looks down at himself.
He's totally naked, but his skin is smooth and pale, like white jade. He seems taller, with strong legs and toned abs, looking exactly how he always wished he did.
Even "down there" seems bigger… uh, okay then.
The ground is like water's surface, so Shichen crouches and checks his reflection.
He still looks like himself, but he's obviously changed. He's younger, better-looking, almost surreal—like some divine painting of a god.
Guess that's the "Divine Body," huh? Does it even reverse aging?
Pretty cool.
Now what's he supposed to do next?
As if in response, that mechanical voice speaks up again:
[Divine Body creation complete. Godhood quest initiated.]
[Please collect ninety-nine fragments of divinity. Once all are collected, you will become a god.]
[These fragments dwell in different worlds, within different people. You must make direct contact and earn their trust.]
"Ninety-nine fragments? Across multiple worlds? That's gonna take forever, isn't it? Am I gonna grow old before I finish?"
[The Divine Body does not age.]
"Yeah, but my mind will!"
[The host doesn't have the option to refuse.]
"…Figures."
[Next, the host will be sent to the world of 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' to locate a divinity fragment. Prepare to transfer. 3…2…]
"Hold up, what did you say?" Shichen blurts, wondering if he heard right.
But the mechanical voice ignores him.
[1. Transfer commencing.]
Before he can react, the floor under his feet morphs into a black hole, and he plunges in without warning.