I died. It wasn't epic or tragic. It was just stupid.
I was crossing the street to buy a soda when a tractor—one of those really slow ones—hit me. Don't ask me how. I just blacked out, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a glowing void, standing before a woman who looked like a model but had the expression of someone who'd rather be anywhere else.
"Welcome to the afterlife, kid," she said, swirling a wine glass that never seemed to empty. "I'm Liriel, the supreme goddess. You died, but I've chosen you to reincarnate in a fantasy world. Amazing, right?"
I didn't think it was amazing.
My name's Takumi, 20 years old, former high school student—now a nobody in the afterlife. I asked if I could just rest in peace, but Liriel laughed like I'd just told the funniest joke in the universe.
"Rest? Not a chance. You're going to an epic world. Monsters, magic, a Demon King to defeat! And guess what—you get to choose one special power or item to take with you," she said, pointing to a glowing catalog that appeared out of thin air.
I thought about picking something useful, like a magic sword or super strength.
But I looked at Liriel, who seemed more interested in her wine than my existence. Something told me she wasn't reliable.
So, I pointed at her.
"I want you as my special ability."
She choked, spitting wine and coughing like she'd swallowed an insect.
"Me? A goddess? As your ability? Are you insane?!" she screamed, but the void flashed, and a robotic voice echoed:
"Choice confirmed. Transfer commencing."
Before I could process what was happening, we were falling into a field of golden wheat under an impossibly blue sky. Liriel, now beside me, still holding her wine glass, looked ready to strangle me.
"You idiot! You dragged me into this stupid world! I'm a goddess, not some adventurer!" she yelled, throwing the glass at the ground. It didn't even break—it just bounced on the wheat, like the universe itself was mocking us.
I looked around. The field stretched endlessly, with a city in the distance—stone walls, chimneys puffing smoke. The air smelled of grass and something sweet, maybe magic.
I wasn't sure if I was excited or terrified, but one thing was certain: my new life was already off to a terrible start.
"Let's head to the city," I said, trying to sound calm. "Maybe there's an adventurer's guild or something."
Liriel crossed her arms and huffed.
"And what do I get out of this? You owe me, you know! You dragged me from my divine throne to be your babysitter!"
I ignored her and started walking.
The sun was hot, and my clothes—a plain T-shirt and jeans from my old world—felt completely out of place. Liriel, with her silver, glowing dress, looked even more so, like a lost cosplayer. As we walked, she wouldn't stop complaining.
"This world is awful! I bet the food tastes terrible, the beds are made of rocks, and the bathrooms are just holes in the ground!" she said, kicking a rock.
The rock flew off and hit a rabbit.
At least, I thought it was a rabbit—until it turned around and showed fangs as sharp as knives.
"Run!" I yelled, grabbing Liriel's arm.
The monster rabbit chased after us, hopping like it wanted to eat us alive.
We ran until our lungs burned, with Liriel shouting something about "mortal curses" and "divine injustice."
We barely made it to the city gates, panting, as the rabbit gave up and hopped back to the fields.
The city—Vaelor—was noisy and crowded, full of carts, merchants shouting, and armored adventurers swaggering around. I went straight to the guild, a big building with double doors and the smell of beer. Inside, there were packed tables, loud laughter, and a quest board full of papers. It felt like an RPG—except I was stuck with a useless goddess.
"We need to register," I said, heading to the counter.
The receptionist, a woman with brown hair and a professional smile, handed me a form.
"Name, class, and abilities," she said, eyeing Liriel suspiciously. "And you are... what, exactly?"
"Supreme Goddess!" Liriel declared, striking a pose like a celebrity.
The receptionist blinked, confused, and wrote Priestess on the form.
I registered as a beginner adventurer with no class chosen yet. I had no idea what to pick, and Liriel was too busy complaining that the form "disrespected her divinity."
"Pick a quest," said the receptionist, pointing at the board.
I scanned the papers: wolf hunts, herb gathering, cart escorts. Seemed easy enough.
I chose an herb-gathering quest, thinking it'd be simple.
That was my mistake.
On the way to the fields, we met two girls who, for some reason, decided to join us.
Elara—a versatile mage who could use all kinds of magic, from fire to ice—but had one major problem: her mana ran out extremely fast, even with basic spells, leaving her exhausted after a minute.
"I can cast anything... but only for about sixty seconds," she admitted, panting after showing a tiny spark.
The other was Vespera, a succubus archer with light armor—supposedly good at long-range combat, but she never hit her target. Her arrows flew everywhere except where she aimed. And being a succubus, she seemed to enjoy taking hits.
"Let me draw them in! I love a good impact," she said with a strange smile.
"Why do you two want to come with us?" I asked, skeptical.
Elara shrugged. "I need a party to protect me when my mana runs out. You guys look... harmless."
Vespera winked. "And I'm just here for fun! The more chaos, the better!"
Liriel rolled her eyes. "Perfect. More idiots to make my life harder."
Against my better judgment, I agreed.
I needed help—and they seemed... somewhat useful?
Out in the fields, the herb-gathering quest turned into a total disaster.
Elara tried a detection spell, but collapsed after one cast, gasping for breath.
Vespera shot arrows to scare away a boar monster, but missed every shot, hitting a tree instead and enraging the beast. She smiled as it charged at her.
Liriel, instead of helping, tried a purification spell that somehow made all our clothes turn transparent for ten seconds.
I sprinted behind a tree, shouting, as a nearby farmer saw everything and started spreading rumors about "the exhibitionist adventurers."
We returned to the guild with only three wilted herbs, a fine for field damage, and my dignity shattered.
The receptionist gave us a pitying look. "Maybe try something simpler tomorrow. Like sweeping the floor."
Liriel pointed at me. "This is all your fault! Who chooses a goddess as a skill?!"
Elara groaned, still exhausted, and Vespera looked disappointed that she didn't get hit more.
I sat down at a table, ordered a beer, and sighed.
If this was just the first day, how was I supposed to survive this world?
And worse... how was I ever going to live a normal life with these three around?