My name was Artur, a 22-year-old guy from Burrel, Albania. Life wasn't exactly glamorous. I hustled through odd jobs—fixing bikes, delivering packages on my rickety scooter, anything to scrape by. Burrel's a small town, not much going on, but I had my family, my friends, and a dream of opening my own café someday. Simple, right? Until a truck decided to rewrite my story.
It was a rainy afternoon, weaving through muddy streets, dodging potholes like a pro. Then, some genius in a delivery truck ran a red light. Bam! One moment I'm cursing the rain, the next I'm airborne, pain exploding before everything went black. Was that it? The end of Artur?
Nope. Death was just the tutorial.
I opened my eyes—or whatever passed for them now—in a starry void, like a cosmic planetarium on steroids. Lounging on a throne of swirling clouds and golden light was her. The most stunning woman I'd ever seen: silver hair flowing like a waterfall, sapphire eyes twinkling with mischief, dressed in starlight-woven fabric. She looked like a goddess from old myths, but with a modern edge, like she could headline a fantasy epic.
"Welcome, mortal," she said, her voice a mix of gentle breeze and distant thunder. "I am Elysia, Goddess of Reincarnation and Worlds Beyond. You've died, Artur."
I blinked. Or tried to. "Died? For real? But my café—my plans!"
She waved a hand, chuckling softly. "Plans change. Especially with trucks involved. But don't worry! Cosmic rules grant souls like yours a second chance. Reincarnation into another world! Exciting, no?"
Another world? Like those isekai light novels I read during slow delivery shifts? This was happening. "Okay, sweet. Do I get superpowers? Epic stats? A dragon mount?"
Elysia's smile turned sly, like she was holding back laughter. "You'll get a system. A game-like interface for the new world—full of magic, monsters, kingdoms, the works. Abilities are randomized based on your karma and life deeds."
Karma? I wasn't a hero, but I wasn't awful. Helped my grandma carry firewood, gave bread to street kids. Should be decent, right?
"Let's spin the wheel!" she declared, snapping her fingers. A holographic screen appeared, glowing blue with fancy runes.
Reincarnation System Activated!
Processing Soul: Artur
Karma Score: Neutral (Pretty average, buddy. No heroics, no villainy.)
Granting Abilities...
The screen spun like a slot machine. My heart—or soul—pounded. Come on, fire magic! God-tier strength! Infinite mana!
Ding! Abilities Granted!
Primary Ability: "Cursed Luck" – Your luck stat is permanently set to -100. Good events turn bad, bad events turn catastrophic. (Note: Rare debuff ability. Lucky you?)
Secondary Ability: "Feeble Body" – All physical stats start at 1/100. Strength, agility, endurance—you're basically a wet noodle.
Tertiary Ability: "Mana Allergy" – Casting magic triggers allergic reactions. Sneezing, hives, or explosive diarrhea. Mana recovery rate: 0.1% per hour.
Unique Perk: "Albanian Grit" – Once per month, ignore one fatal injury. (Because you Albanians are stubborn, or so your soul insists.)
I stared, jaw dropped. "What is this garbage? Cursed Luck? Mana Allergy? This is a prank, right? Goddess, redo it!"
Elysia burst out laughing, clutching her sides. "Oh, your face! No redos, darling. The system's honest. Your karma was... hilariously unfortunate. That time you 'borrowed' your cousin's scooter? Luck ding. Skipping those push-ups? Feeble Body. And that nut allergy? Transformed into Mana Allergy for kicks."
"This isn't kicks! This is a death sentence!" I shouted. "How do I survive a fantasy world like this?"
She wiped a tear, still giggling. "You'll manage. That's the fun! Off to Eldoria—land of elves, dragons, and quests. Good luck—or, well, whatever luck you've got."
Before I could protest, the void swirled, sucking me into a vortex of light. Everything blurred, and then...
Thud.
I faceplanted into soft grass. Ow. My body felt real again—weak, wobbly, and... sneezy? I pushed myself up, trembling like a newborn lamb. The air smelled of pine and magic, with towering trees and sunlight filtering through leaves. A distant roar echoed. Not good.
"Status," I muttered, hoping the system worked like in the novels.
A blue screen flickered into view.
Status Window
Name: Artur
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
Level: 1
HP: 10/10 (Feeble Body debuff applied)
MP: 5/5 (Mana Allergy active – cast at your peril)
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Endurance: 1
Intelligence: 10 (You read a lot, at least)
Luck: -100 (Cursed Luck – May the odds be never in your favor)
Skills:
Basic Language Comprehension (Isekai noob perk)
Albanian Grit (Cooldown: 30 days)
Titles: The Unlucky One
I groaned. Level 1 with stats like a sick puppy. Fantastic. A rustle in the bushes snapped me out of it. A fluffy white rabbit hopped out, cute as a button.
"Hey, little guy," I said, reaching out. Maybe animals were friendly here?
Its eyes glowed red. "Demon Bunny Level 5," the system pinged.
Cursed Luck strikes. The bunny bared vampire-like fangs and lunged. I stumbled, tripped over my own feet, and rolled down a hill, thorns tearing my skin. I landed in a mud puddle, the bunny hot on my tail, snarling.
"Help! Goddess, you owe me!" I yelled, scrambling up.
This was going to be a long adventure. If I survived the first five minutes.