Ren's POV
Immense light blinded me as I struggled to open my eyes. It took time for them to adjust, and even then, everything was still blurry. I tried to rub them clear, but… my hands wouldn't move. I couldn't even feel them.
Strange. All of it was strange.
I saw silhouettes—people, maybe—moving around me. I tried to call out, but no words came. No sound. My hearing… it wasn't working either.
Then it came back to me.
The fall.
I remembered grabbing Aiko. Jumping. I'd tried to cushion her landing. I'd practically forced her to jump with me… God, what was I thinking? That was my plan? A car would break our fall?
It was stupid.
But still—
Someone was lifting me. I couldn't tell who, or what. Just hands, motion. The world spun.
I should be dead. But I'm not. That's something, at least.
For now… that's enough.
I should rest now.
I feel so tired…
---
I had no idea what was happening.
I stared up at the giant of a woman in front of me—trying to get me to grab her oversized finger.
Then I tried looking down at my own hands, which I could finally feel, but…
I couldn't even move my head. Too big. Too heavy. It flopped to the side uselessly. So instead, I just lay there, trying to sense the rest of my body.
And that's when the questions started.
Why does my body feel so small?
Why is my head huge? Why is everything around me massive?
Why can't I speak properly?
How did I become... a baby?
No. No-no-no. That's way too far-fetched. Who even jumps to that conclusion?
…Oh, right. Probably someone who's read too much manga and binged too many isekai. Like me.
Still, that couldn't be it. It had to be something else. A coma? A simulation? A social experiment?
Yeah. That sounded more reasonable. Maybe I was under hypnosis. Maybe this was all part of some test.
So what was I supposed to do? Play along? Cry? Act mature like the adult I am? Or just lie there, paranoid and confused?
What happens if I pick the wrong action?
Are there people watching me right now?
...Is Aiko watching?
Oh god. What if I do something dumb and she sees it? Will I ever live it down?
Maybe Hayato could smooth things over if I mess up, but—
Wait.
Hayato...
My thoughts soured instantly.
You had Yuki. Why were you still chasing after Aiko?
I still don't want to think of you as a bad person, Hayato… but, damn it…
I tried to push the spiral back down, but it clung to me like static. Just then, the giant woman stopped stroking my head, noticing my distress.
"Hm? Did my cute little Ren mess up his garments again?"
She checked my clothes and whispered, "Doesn't seem like it though…"
Her fussing gave me something else to focus on. A welcome distraction from the Hayato mess.
"Maybe you're hungry? Here—"
She started unbuttoning her blouse.
Oh no.
If this really is a social experiment, I'm gonna fail it right at this moment.
All thoughts of Hayato vanished from my mind.
At least for now.
---
The straw mat was hell.
Scratchy. Dusty. And I couldn't even scratch the parts that itched. My body was too small. My muscles didn't listen. I was bundled up like laundry in old cloths that smelled faintly of smoke and… cows?
This whole setup sucked.
I tried turning over. No good. My head flopped, heavy and helpless.
Why am I so small?
Why is my head so big?
Why is everything so frustrating?
And why is the ceiling made of wood and straw?
Three days. That's how long it's been since I… woke up here. At first, I thought it was a dream. A coma. Maybe a social experiment.
Now?
Nope. This is real. I'm a baby. And this is my life now.
The others were asleep—mom, dad, someone I think is my brother. I was wide awake. And bored.
I debated crying just to stir some chaos.
…Would that be evil?
…
Wahhhhhhhh!
They all woke up. I don't know why I did it. Boredom? Frustration? Power trip?
I'm a baby. I have the right.
And then—like clockwork—she picked me up. Whispered something soft. Unbuttoned her blouse.
I didn't even get a choice.
Sigh.
Yeah. I'm definitely a baby now. How? I'll think of it later. For now, I have other things to focus on...
Day Four
It's the fourth day since I woke up in this baby body.
Life's been boring. And confusing.
I still don't want to believe it—but reality's been smacking me in the face for four days straight.
So, yeah. I'm a baby. Somehow.
How?
I died, and now I'm here. That sounds like reincarnation. But even saying that feels absurd—even for someone who used to binge fantasy stories like it was a part-time job.
Still. I can't ignore what's in front of me.
Reincarnated. New body. Probably a new world.
Let's just hope it's one with magic, or chakra, or something useful—and not just… rural Earth. That'd be a bad joke.
With that mental hurdle cleared, other thoughts start creeping in. My past life. My regrets.
My parents...
My friends...
The girl I never got the chance to confess to...
And then, there is him...
I know my parents will feel sad knowing I died. They'll cry. I just hope they don't stay sad.
My other friends... They'd be sad too, though I don't think any would cry over me...
As for Aiko... To be honest, it might seem like I am an asshole but I would like it if she cried. Yeah, that definitely sounds like I am a jerk... But, you know, she is crying because I died. That just makes me feel... something. Like I am something.
Sigh...
They would all be sad for me but... I don't know about Hayato...
We were together since childhood. Played together, pranked together, and fell for two of our class's girls together.
But, maybe... Was all of it just...
...
I... thought I wouldn't have any regrets in my life. I thought of that as a child after seeing movies where every person has at least some regrets. I thought I wouldn't have them... But regrets... they just appear. They actually just spawn in your life and by the time you realize what is happening... you start feeling that. Regret.
I can't do anything about those now. I am in a new life now as a baby... But hopefully, I won't have any more regrets... In this life at least.
---
Four Years Later
"Ren, sweetie—can you open the windows? I'm about to start cooking."
"Hmm? Ah! Yes!"
I snapped out of my daze at my mother's voice and hurried to the window.
It's been four years since I was reincarnated.
Life… has been rough.
No electricity. No running water. No vehicles. Just dirt, smoke, and the kind of silence that used to only exist in horror movies. For someone raised in a world of modern conveniences, this is basically hell.
…Well, almost.
I've been adapting. I don't have much of a choice.
Still sucks, though.
Cough cough cough
As soon as Mom started the fire, smoke flooded the room like it had personal beef with my lungs. I waved my arms like a maniac trying to push it out the window.
My mother laughed, seeing my frantic actions. "Normally, you'd be out of the house by now. Why the change today?"
I glanced at her, then bolted for the door.
"I'm leaving now!"
"Ah, don't go too far!" my mother shouted the usual, but I was already out.
Truth was, I'd been trying something earlier. Got caught up. But I realized—I can do it outside just as well. Away from eyes. And ears.
I left the village path and walked toward the forest beside our rundown hut. My white hair shined in the sunlight as I walked just deep enough into the forest to be alone.
My white hair—no idea where it came from, since neither of my parents have it—is why my mom won't let me wander far. She thinks I'll get kidnapped with my unique appearance.
I didn't share their worries, but I still found a spot close to the house yet completely hidden by trees and sat down. I cleared my throat into my tiny fist before resuming what I was doing earlier.
"...System?" I called out.
Nothing.
I tried every other cliché I could think of as well.
"Status."
"Sys?"
"Appraise."
"Quest."
"Shop."
Then—bam.
A glowing window blinked into existence, floating in the air before me. Transparent but sharp. Clear but ethereal.
I froze.
"Y-Yes! I didn't imagine it!"
I'd seen a flicker of something like this yesterday—a single screen for half a second. I thought I was hallucinating.
But no. This was real.
A system. An actual system.
My mind raced. Things like this only happened in stories—fantasy novels, anime, webcomics. For a second, I even wondered if I was the protagonist in some kind of twisted fanfic. Maybe someone out there was reading my story right now...
I shook my head and focused back on the glowing screen.
---
[SHOP(s)]
[Tier 1 Shop] (Locked – ??? isn't pleased enough)
[Tier 2 Shop] (Locked – ??? isn't pleased enough)
[Tier 3 Shop]
[Divinity: 0]
--
I stared at the screen, heart pounding.
Three tiers. Two locked. That wasn't the problem—why they were locked… that was.
["???" isn't pleased enough]
...Who was this? The one who reincarnated me? The one who gave me the system? Why? Why would they give a system to only me?
The idea of some being giving me this system for their own whatever reason was eerie... But can I uninstall this game? Well, not really, since this game is my life. So I had to move forward.
Whatever happens, I guess I'll just fuck around and find out.
I tapped on Tier 3.
A new window appeared.
---
[Tier 3 Shop]
[Shield of Legend]
Gives the bearer the strength of the Legend
[Skill – Teleportation]
Allows teleportation
[Ability – Heat Manipulation]
Allows manipulation of heat: make it extremely hot or cold
[Flask of Power]
Grants the bearer the strength to punch through a planet
[Elixir]
Cures everything. Heals everything.
[Potion of Immortality]
Age is just a number
[Skill – Sever]
Slash with your finger or sword to cleave through mountains
[Skill – Meteor Shower]
A destructive skill that razes everything to the ground
---
I stared at the panel for a second before sighing.
First, I died. Then I got reincarnated. Now there's a magic shop full of god-tier nonsense in my face.
Yeah, sure. This is normal now. Let's pretend that's fine. I already got reincarnated, at this point, what even is ordinary?
I tapped through the items one by one. Each opened its own panel, filled with descriptions, costs, and details.
I liked every single item there. They looked nice when I read their names, but their descriptions made them seem amazing. Truly. I wanted them. Every single one of them. However, life wasn't always that beautiful...
Divinity: 0.
I... couldn't afford a single one.
And with that, one of the biggest mysteries of my new life began:
Just how do you earn Divinity?