When I first opened my eyes, I thought I was in heaven.
The first thing I noticed wasn't the blinding light or a choir of angels singing — no, it was the soft, warm sensation cradling the side of my face. Thick, squishy thighs. Absolutely perfect.
For a moment, I seriously considered dying a second time just to make sure this wasn't some elaborate prank.
"...Are you awake, little mortal?" a sweet, angelic voice asked above me.
I tilted my head slightly, my cheek sinking deeper into the plushness of her lap. God, it was like resting on the world's most luxurious pillow. If this was the afterlife, I had zero complaints.
"I could stay here forever," I muttered without thinking.
The goddess chuckled — a sound so rich and beautiful that it made my heart skip a beat.
"You flatter me," she said, brushing a strand of my hair away from my forehead. "But unfortunately, eternity is not on today's menu."
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I knew this was too good to be true. Just wake me up already; this is just torture…
"Hehe~!" A sweet and teasing laugh escaped the beauty's lips. "But you're not dreaming, young mortal."
D-Did she just read my mind?! I thought in panic.
"That's exactly what I did, good catch," the goddess said, confirming my thoughts. "Most humans I bring here don't even notice because of how anxious they are."
Hearing her voice, I had no choice but to take a better look at her.
She was beautiful in a way that no human words could capture — silver hair that shimmered like moonlight, deep violet eyes that seemed to peer straight into my soul, and curves that were downright illegal. She wore a flowing white dress that clung to her figure in all the right ways, making it clear that the gods had taken their time crafting her.
"It's great that you've woken up," she said with a warm smile. "It's time for me to explain why you've been chosen."
I blinked at her. "Chosen? For what? Another physics exam?"
She laughed again — a real, genuine laugh — and somehow, it made me feel ten feet taller.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "For something far more interesting. A second chance at life... with a small bonus."
A second chance? That sounded too good to be true. I frowned, piecing together the last thing I remembered — the blaring horn, the screech of tires, the impact—
Yeah. I had definitely died back then.
Oh, and… dying hurt quite a bit, if anyone was wondering.
"...What's the catch?" I asked suspiciously.
"Smart boy," she said, her smile widening. "In exchange for a second chance at life, you will have to accomplish a job for me. The world I will be sending you to will be attacked by an unknown entity ten years from now. Your job is to save it from immediate destruction."
I took a quick second to make sure I had understood the idiocy she had just said.
"You're telling me that I, Jake Valiant, have to save some random world?" I frowned. "Did I understand that correctly?"
She smirked. "That's right. And to help you in this new life of yours, I will be offering you the skill of your choice."
"Wait, wait, before we talk about skills... why should I even agree to this suicide mission?"
"Because if you don't," she said simply, "you will cease to exist. You won't go to heaven or hell. Your soul will disappear into darkness forever."
I sighed.
My options weren't great, to say the least.
On one hand, I could die right away without even having a chance of surviving.
And on the other hand, I could go into some random world and try to survive by killing an unknown entity that even a goddess couldn't kill.
Honestly, looking at both options, they were both terrible. But one was definitely better than the other.
"Hm… alright. I'll save your world. How does this work again?"
Right as she snapped her fingers, a glowing blue screen materialized in front of me, listing dozens — no, hundreds — of skills. Magic, swordsmanship, crafting, healing... The possibilities were endless.
"Choose any skill you want," she said.
I looked at them and frowned, recognizing terms that were only used in fantasy worlds.
"What kind of world are we talking about? I don't think you mentioned it."
She laughed again, drawing me in. "A world where everything is possible. Everything you've seen in movies or read in books will be there. Monsters, elves, dwarves, demons, magic — whatever you've dreamed of will be real."
I nodded slowly, not letting my emotions show. But the more I learned about this whole situation, the worse the feeling in my gut became.
A few minutes ago, I had been going to my first day of work as a nuclear engineer... and now I was stuck here, lying in the squishy lap of a goddess.
It could be worse… but it could definitely be better.
Nevertheless, I shook my head and looked at the seemingly endless list of skills before me. A few interesting ones caught my eye:
[Absolute Weapon Mastery (SSS-Rank): Instantly masters any weapon just by touching it once. No training required. Even mythical weapons obey perfectly.]
[Mana Precision (SSS-Rank): Can manipulate mana down to the atom. Spells, enchantments, and weapon infusions are 100x stronger and faster.]
[Battle Instincts (SSS-Rank): Instinctively knows the best move to make in every combat situation, even against unknown enemies and skills.]
They didn't fit me at all.
I wasn't someone who would go to the front lines and fight with my life on the line. I was a nuclear engineer; I made the plans, and let others build them and act upon them.
That's when I came across a skill that truly pleased me like no other.
[Hypnosis (SSS-Rank): The power to control minds and issue irresistible commands.]
It wasn't an offensive skill, and it wasn't oriented toward combat — which was exactly what I had been hoping for.
It was the perfect skill for someone who wanted to give orders from the back lines. And the best part was, in the right hands, it could become absolutely overpowered.
With this, I'll be able to take control of absolutely everything I desire.
"I'll take that one," I said, pointing at the screen without hesitation.
The goddess arched an elegant brow, clearly amused. "Um… Hypnosis? The others before you usually picked combat skills. Hm, maybe I didn't make a mistake thinking you were special."
"Wait, you brought others here before me? What happened to them?"
The goddess grinned. "Indeed, I did. I started maybe twenty human years ago — or was it thirty? I have trouble keeping track. As for what happened to them... you'll figure it out once you enter that world. Let's just say they weren't very discreet with their powers."
"How many of them did you send to that world?"
She continued to smile, refusing to answer, before snapping her fingers.
"I have given you the skill. It will be available for use as soon as you reach the designated world."
I clicked my tongue in disappointment. So much for secretly trying my new Hypnosis skill on the goddess.
After a few seconds of silence and intense staring, a small stone appeared in her right hand. She casually tossed it into mine.
"Keep this stone safe; it might come in handy in the future."
"What does it do?" I asked, inspecting it.
She shrugged and leaned closer, brushing her hand through my hair one last time. Her large chest pressed gently against me, making it very, very difficult to focus.
"Good luck, little mortal," she whispered in my ear, her hot breath sending a shiver down my spine. "If you succeed... I'll give you a personal reward~."
Before I could even register what she had just said, she snapped her fingers — and the sensation of her body against mine vanished.
When I opened my eyes again, I was somewhere completely different... and it reeked.
I felt something wet at the corner of my lips. I brought my hand closer and slid a finger across it, frowning as I inspected the green liquid.
I sniffed it, and nearly gagged.
Just what the hell was I even drinking for it to smell that bad?
As I tried to make sense of the situation, the door to my new room creaked open. A beautiful woman wearing a maid outfit rushed inside, her face pale with panic.
"Y-Young master?! H-How are you still alive?!"
I blinked at her, still tasting that awful sludge in my mouth.
Alive? What the hell kind of body did I just wake up in...?