Jesus H. Christ, I'd just been a normal guy, how on Earth did I end up reincarnated in a fantasy world! I didn't ask for this bullshit, I just wanted to stop a criminal from robbing a convenience store. Did I really deserve to die for it?
I sure as hell don't think so, I'm… I was Dante. Just your average loser, still living with his parents.
You might be thinking. ` Dante! Dante! Don't NEETs like you WANT to be reincarnated into a fantasy world? `
First off, screw off, I'm not a NEET just because I live with my parents.
Second, unlike you, I actually had a pretty good relationship with my mother and father.
If I could stick my tongue out at you, I would totally be doing that right now. But, I realized pretty quickly that's not possible with this gelatinous body.
I'm not exactly sure how I can even see in a body like this, some kind of Mana detection? Do Slimes just… Have eyes? Hell if I know regardless. It was a lot of shuffling around at first, like stumbling around while half asleep. Except that's just how I am now.
Wading through the grass of this forest that feels like it has no end, I'm hoping that's only a matter of perspective, with how small I am now.
The leaves above my head were thick enough to make it hard to tell the time, and since this body isn't great at 'feeling', I wouldn't be able to know based on it being hot or cold, either.
So I kept shuffling, and shuffling, and shuffling… ` DAMN IT, is there not a single clearing anywhere in this forest? ` I couldn't help but curse my luck, though something else was equally odd, why weren't there any other monsters? Realistically if I'm a monster, and I'm in this forest, there should be others.
That was as far as my impeccable logic went. ` Ah! Finally, a clearing! I'd been thinking so hard I hadn't even noticed it. ` I slimed my way on over to the bright patch of grass, and basked under the Sun's rays.
For some reason, at this moment, at this time. ` Maybe this new world isn't so bad after all… ` And I just had to give out my own death flag like that, because in the next second, an arrow shot through my body!
But… It didn't hurt? Do Slimes not feel any sort of pain whatsoever, I wasn't certain if that's a good thing or not- ` OH CRAP ANOTHER ARROW! ` I attempted to dodge it, feebly so, this body wasn't comfortable to move in the slightest, even though I'd gotten the basic controls down.
" Shit. I missed its core both times, Willek, Dom, finish it off for me won't you? I've been the one doing most of the work this entire mission… " I traced the voice as quickly as I could, and there they were… A trio of 3 humans.
" Maybe this one's unique, eh, Missen? That second shot, it almost seemed like it dodged it. " The burly one of the three, probably Dom, rushed forward at me, I watched his muscles tense up. I wanted to move, I wanted to run, but a creeping, paralyzing thought coursed through my mind.
` Will it even matter ? ` It continued. ` There's three of them, one of you. You're out of your league. ` And continued. ` You're going to die, again. ` Biting harder each time. ` Die another pathetic death. `
And the voice in my head was right. His fist punched through my body, and plucked out something round, spherical, and glowing faintly. " Ay, look at that! You bet on me breaking the next core I got my hands on, didn't ya, Willek? Seems like I proved you-… "
I couldn't keep listening to their voices, everything felt so strange… It was like my body was falling apart, dissolving into nothingness. The 'sight' that I hadn't yet come to understand, it faded, faded into darkness. Until it was just me, and the endless void I'd briefly seen once before.
Yet, this time, it was different. There was… A woman? I thought she seemed rather short, and dainty too, with pure white hair and pointed ears. I tried to move closer, but was forced to realize I was still in the body of a Slime, just great.
Without so much as moving, she instead appeared in front of me. " My… You'd really die that quickly after I gave you a second chance? " The disappointment in her tone sounded obvious to me, before she let out a snort.
" Pft- Kidding, kidding. I expected this, Dante, just, not so soon. " She bent her knees slightly so we were at more eye level, and man, were her eyes sharp. " You may be confused at the moment, so I will explain what I can with the time we have together. " She straightened herself, and took a step back.
An image of a planet appeared next to her. " This world, the one you just died on, is Oude, named after me, Oude. I suppose you could say I'm something like a 'Goddess' of Time. " She made slight motions with her hands as she continued.
I then spotted next to her on the other side, it was… Earth? " You see. Dante, I like to observe your world from time to time, and I observed your little showing of bravery. So I made a little deal with the owner of your world, and brought you to mine instead. "
I was. I was shocked to hear all of this, a Goddess of Time? ` Wait, did she say Earth has an owner? No, wait. She'd been watching me when I died? Is she some kind of voyeur? `
The edges of her mouth curled into a smile, " That's not an entirely inaccurate assessment, but you should be careful what you call a lady. You never know if she might be listening. "
If I had eyes, I'd widen them, but then again… She did just claim to be a Goddess. ` Then… Why me specifically? ` She tilted her head, like I'd just asked a stupid question. " Why you? Coincidence, and I felt like it. " Her smile seemed more like a shit-eating grin now, and I was supposed to just believe that? "
" Right. " She suddenly shook her head. " I should get us back on track now. Dante, the terms of that deal I had with the owner of your world weren't kind to me. " Her grin seemed to shift into something with a bit more tension, " They're rather arrogant, and unwilling to give up what's theirs. "
She let that hang for a moment, letting me take it in maybe? I couldn't be certain with a woman like her, " So I had to pay a steep price. They'd let me take you to my world… On the condition I gave you a benefit. They said 'give them as many chances as they need', and 'just watch, they'll overthrow your world before you know it'. " It felt like her gaze became much heavier after that second quote, but the hostility didn't feel directed at me, no, I could only assume it was at the 'owner' of Earth.
` As many chances as I need? ` I thought aloud, ` Then, is that why you expected me to die again? ` I felt a knot form in my non-stomach, or at least the placebo effect of the sensation. Was I going to keep dying, repeatedly?
" I'm glad you caught onto that without me needing to simplify it further, but yes, Dante. I've crafted a little… Work around to death for you. "
Three holographic cards appeared before me. " As you can tell, these are all Monsters within Oude. One of which is the Slime species you are now. I will let you go back… But, I will not force you to relive those events in the same way you did before. " She turned her back to me. Swaying her body back and forth on the heel of her foot like a child.
" You will not have access to all of them at first, I would not be foolish enough for that. But I have provided variety, make your choice, I'm a busy lady. " Despite her words, I didn't sense any impatience in them. So I took a closer look at the cards.
[ Slime ] - The weakest starting point, but not the weakest in potential.
[ Direwolf ] - Keen senses and sharp canines, lithe and powerful with room for growth.
[ Goblin ] - Crafty with a good eye for treasure, but otherwise weak and scrawny without much else to show for it.
I grimaced, none of these seemed particularly impressive. I already knew how being a Slime would go, and although being a Direwolf seemed the best in practice, I'd need to learn how to move… For a third time. Even if it was 'weak' and 'scrawny', it had to move a lot like a human would, surely.
With a deep internal inhale, I selected the [ Goblin ] card. " Right, I forgot to bring up Evol- " But before she could finish her sentence, I was gone in a flash of light. " Oh well, there's always next time. "