Darkness. That's all I remembered at the end.
One moment, I was on my way home from another exhausting day at work, rushing across the street, when the blinding headlights of a truck filled my vision. Pain never even reached me—just the sickening crunch, then nothingness.
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in a hospital. I was in a place where the sky had no stars, no sun, only a silver glow that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
And standing there was a man robed in white, eyes glowing like molten gold.
"…Huh?"
He smiled awkwardly, as if embarrassed."Ah… you shouldn't be here. Not yet. My apologies."
"…What?"
The man coughed, scratching his head."You see… I made a little mistake. I was managing the cycle of souls, and yours was… well… accidentally pulled too soon."
"…You mean I'm dead because you messed up?" I asked flatly.
His shoulders hunched."…Yes."
I stared. I wanted to scream, cry, curse him. But I was too numb. Too stunned. I had no family left, no real life I loved. Still, hearing I died because of clerical error stung.
He sighed deeply. "Normally, when something like this happens—which it almost never does—we compensate by granting the soul a chance at another world. A fresh start."
"…Another world?"
"Yes. A realm of magic, monsters, and adventure. Most who are transferred there are given blessings or skills to survive. I shall… do the same for you."
He raised his hand, light gathering in his palm. My body felt like mist, my soul tugged by unseen threads.
[Unique Skill granted: ADAPT]
The divine voice echoed inside me, yet… something went wrong. The light flickered strangely, and I felt the skill slip away, buried deep in my soul like a locked chest.
The god's brows furrowed. "Wait—what? That shouldn't— …ah, no matter. The transfer process has already begun. It will… work itself out."
I panicked. "What do you mean, 'work itself out'?! What did you just give me?!"
But the glow intensified, drowning out his voice. His last words reached me faintly:
"…Live well this time, child. Adapt…"
And then—
I gasped awake.
Grass brushed against my hands. The wind carried the scent of wildflowers. Above me stretched a bright blue sky, a sun warmer and clearer than I'd ever seen on Earth.
I staggered to my feet, blinking."…Where… am I?"
A flat tone rang in my ears:
[Status Window Opening…]
A glowing pane appeared before me, filled with text. Name. Age. Race: Human.
And under Abilities:
[None]
My heart sank."…None? I don't… have anything?!"
Panic swirled in my chest. I had no strength, no magic, no skills. Just me—an ordinary human thrown into a world of monsters.
I clenched my fists. "This can't be right…"
But no matter how many times I checked the window, the truth didn't change.
I was powerless.
And in this world… that meant I was already dead.
I sat there for what felt like hours, staring at the empty [Abilities: None] etched into my glowing status window.
Nothing. No magic. No strength. Not even the most useless farm skill. Just a blank slate.
The words burned into me like a brand.
"This is… real," I muttered, the grass rustling softly around me. "I really don't have anything. Not even a beginner skill."
The god's final words echoed faintly in my head—Adapt… But they felt hollow now, like some cruel joke before sending me to my doom.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe. "Fine. Fine. If I don't have a skill, then I'll just… survive on my own."
It was easier said than done. In this world—if it was anything like the games and anime I knew—humans weren't on top of the food chain. Monsters roamed. Bandits lurked. Without power, I wasn't a hero. I was prey.
Still, sitting here doing nothing wasn't going to help. I pushed myself up and scanned the horizon. Endless fields stretched outward, dotted with patches of trees. No towns, no roads, no people. Just wilderness.
The silence was both comforting and terrifying.
"Okay," I whispered, "no threats nearby… I'm safe for now."
I let out a shaky laugh. Maybe I didn't need a skill to stay alive. Maybe I could find water, food, and people before anything found me.
That thought lasted about three seconds.
Blorp.
A wet, squishy sound echoed behind me. My head snapped around.
Wobbling in the grass not far away was a translucent, jelly-like creature the size of a dog. Its gelatinous body quivered, sunlight refracting through it like liquid glass. A faint core pulsed in its center.
A slime.
I froze, then actually laughed nervously. "Seriously? This is what I was worried about? The weakest monster in every fantasy story?"
In the countless anime and games I knew, slimes were nothing but fodder. Tutorial enemies. The lowest rung on the ladder. You didn't need a sword or magic to deal with them—just a rock and a little courage.
I clenched my jaw, forcing down the fear crawling in my chest. "I don't need a skill for this. I can kill a slime. Anyone could."
I picked up a jagged stone from the ground, my hand trembling only slightly.
The slime quivered again, bouncing closer.
Its core glowed faintly, almost like it was alive.
And as it lunged, the thought struck me—
…What if this world's weakest monster isn't weak at all?
I gripped the jagged stone tightly, my heart hammering in my chest. The slime quivered, bouncing closer, its gelatinous body shimmering with an eerie glow.
"Alright… just a slime," I muttered to myself, trying to sound confident. "I've got this."
I swung the stone at it. My aim was shaky, but the rock struck the slime's core with a soft plop. The creature wobbled violently, its body quivering like jelly. Then, with a squelching noise, it split apart and collapsed into a puddle of goo.
I blinked, stunned. "I… did it?"
A soft notification-like voice echoed in my head:
[Experience Gained: 5 XP][Level Progress: 1 (2%)]
I stared at the floating numbers, disbelief and exhilaration mixing in my chest. Even with nothing but a rock, I had survived… and gained my first taste of progress in this world.
A shaky laugh escaped me. "Huh… so maybe I really can survive."
I wiped the sweat from my brow and looked around, scanning the horizon again. The field was empty, silent… peaceful. The sun shone down, the breeze ruffling the grass. Maybe I had a chance after all.
But just as I relaxed, the sound came: blorp… blorp… blorp…
I turned slowly, my stomach sinking. There they were.
A dozen slimes, larger and smaller, quivering and bouncing in unison, encircling me. Their translucent bodies glimmered, and in each, the faint glow of a core pulsed ominously.
"No… no way," I whispered, my voice trembling.
They lunged simultaneously, and I realized too late what they were about to do.
Acid.
A spray of corrosive slime shot from every direction, aimed directly at me. My body screamed in panic as the droplets hissed against the air around me. I barely dodged the first few, but some hit my arms and legs. Pain shot through me like fire, melting my skin.
I screamed, dropping to my knees. My status window flickered urgently, red warning symbols flashing.
[Life-threatening condition detected.]
Something stirred inside me, deep and instinctual, as if my very body refused to accept death. Pain radiated from my skin, yet at the same time, a strange heat spread through me, reshaping muscles, bones, and reflexes.
[Skill Unlocked: ADAPT]
[Effect: Body evolving to survive immediate threats.]
My vision blurred as I felt my skin harden, developing a protective membrane against the acid. My arms moved faster than I thought possible, blocking and dodging instinctively. My reflexes sharpened, every movement precise, every thought honed.
I gasped, my body burning with both pain and sudden power. For the first time in this world, I realized… survival wasn't impossible.
But even as relief surged, fear clawed at me. A dozen slimes still surrounded me, and I had no idea how far this Adapt skill could go—or what price it might demand.
I had survived the first encounter. Somehow. But the battle… had only just begun.