In a city where **skyscrapers kissed the clouds**, vehicles swished by in endless streams, and people scurried, consumed by the ceaseless pulse of their routines. Yet, hidden behind this urban cacophony, a boarding house stood, seemingly remote from the feverish life surrounding it.
A man appeared, stifling a yawn thick with indolence. He moved with an air of profound indifference, as if the world held no meaning for him. His steps were slow and listless, a silent protest against his surroundings.
He muttered to himself, "Why must this world be so... ordinary? Every day, nothing ever changes." He cast a glance towards the sprawling city, then slowly began to walk.
"Ugh... work again. Time to prepare for the day," he said, forcing a semblance of enthusiasm.
But then, something utterly beyond his wildest imaginings occurred. A **lavender light, akin to a celestial aurora**, manifested above his head. He gazed upwards; a fissure materialized in the air, and he felt himself being violently drawn into it.
He struggled fiercely. "Damn it! What is this? Why is there suddenly a rift in the sky?" he cried out, but the pull intensified.
The light grew brighter and more potent. The rift's suction dragged him higher and higher. His heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs, and cold sweat beaded on his brow.
"Hiiiuukkk... shiiiukk..." He was swallowed by the crack in the air. "Heeelp meee..." he screamed.
Darkness.
He experienced a new sensation: wet earth, dried leaves, and the sound of trees whispering in the wind. Slowly, he opened his eyes. A blinding light forced him to squint, but as his vision adjusted, the surroundings came into focus.
He looked around, seeing towering, moss-covered **brown trees** and thick, luxuriant undergrowth. The ground was muddy, and the sunlight filtered through the canopy in fragmented beams.
A strange, alien feeling washed over him. He had no grasp of how this happened, yet here he was, undeniably experiencing it.
"How is this possible...?" he whispered, his voice filled with disbelief. The transition between worlds had been swift and brutal. He had never even entertained the thought that such a thing could befall him.
"I don't know what's happening to me, but this is certainly not normal." He stood up, bewildered, and hastily began searching for any clue that might offer a path back.
The environment was utterly foreign. It was as if he had been flung into a primordial forest, without a single shred of information to guide him.
He moved cautiously, then the bushes ahead rustled violently. He backed away, instantly alert. His heart pounded; sweat poured down his face. A **Goblin** leaped out in front of him.
"A Goblin! This can't be... but if it is, then this is not Earth," he realized, staring at the small, green creature.
The Goblin was a grotesque sight, yet oddly familiar from games and films. It had dark green skin, blazing yellow eyes, a bulbous nose, large pointed ears, and was clad in tattered rags, clutching a **stone club**.
"Yep. That is definitely a goblin... which means this is a fantasy world, or more accurately, an **Isekai**." The Goblin snarled, its gaze locked on the man with unbridled hostility.
"Okay, this is bad."
The Goblin lunged. He dodged backward with practiced agility.
"Right... I guess I have to fight to survive!" He quickly leaped, snatching a piece of wood from beneath a tree. The Goblin jumped toward him, but with one swift blow, he landed a solid hit to its stomach. The Goblin was flung backward, groaning in pain.
Then, the creature let out a piercing shriek, "Aaaaarkhhhhh..." as if signaling something. The man realized—but too late.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Goblins emerged from the dense thicket. Shocked, the man whirled around and fled.
As he turned his back on the horde, one Goblin hurled a knife. He felt something impact his back, but bizarrely, he felt no pain.
He kept running, the Goblins in hot pursuit. One Goblin leaped and swung an axe at his head.
The man collapsed to the ground. The Goblins swarmed him, stabbing his body wildly with their crude knives.
Darkness for the second time...
He woke up again, but this time, something was fundamentally different. He looked down to see his hands: they were green and small, and he was holding a knife. Startled, he turned and saw his previous body being brutally dismembered by the Goblins.
"What is this?"
The Goblins glanced at him but did not attack. The sounds they made were in an unintelligible tongue. He backed away, then saw a puddle of water. He rushed to it and looked at his reflection.
He had become a Goblin: the large nose, the yellow eyes, the distinct green skin. He crumpled to the ground. "Why must this happen...?" Tears streamed down his face. He refused to accept this fate after being forcibly pulled from his world.
Then, he realized... this was the face of the very Goblin who had killed him. He stood up, needing to confirm a suspicion. He took a deep breath, then deliberately stabbed his own chest. He fell; blood oozed from the wound, yet he felt no pain.
Darkness...
Then, he awoke again. He looked at his hands: they were back to normal, yet softer, snow-white, with delicate, manicured nails. He was in a room with a bed and a wardrobe—a bedroom.
He hurried to a nearby mirror to examine his face. He saw a **beautiful young woman** with lovely blonde hair, blue eyes, skin like fresh snow, and a simple dress clinging to her form.
He had become a woman. "Huh... how did I end up like this?" he murmured. His voice was incredibly soft.
From all the preceding events, he deduced two things: if he was killed by another being, his consciousness transferred to the killer; but if he died naturally or by self-infliction, he revived in a random body.
"What kind of ability is this?" And one more thing: he felt neither pain nor exhaustion.
"Melissa?" a voice called out. The man, now a woman, turned around.
"Yes?" Melissa replied, seeing a middle-aged woman standing in the doorway.
"Did you forget? Your mother told you to go to the market this morning! Hurry up and go!"
Melissa nodded, feigning comprehension. When the 'mother' left, she grew anxious.
"Oh no, what do I do? I don't even know where the market is," she fretted, pacing back and forth in agitation.
Her mother returned, hands on her hips. Melissa looked up awkwardly.
"Melissa! Are you sure you don't want to go?" the mother asked, staring intently. Melissa hesitated, unsure how to reply, but then her head began to throb violently. She fell to her knees, clutching her skull.
"Melissa! What's wrong?" Her mother sounded genuinely worried. Melissa couldn't answer. A torrent of information—all the memories of this current body—flooded her mind.
"Mother...?"
Her mother immediately embraced her. "Are you alright?"
Melissa smiled and replied, "I'm fine."
She quickly grabbed a basket and bid farewell to her mother. The body's memories had integrated.
"Thank goodness... even if my head is throbbing!"
She departed for a place teeming with life—a bustling market square. Here, individuals engaged in lively bartering, shouting their prices and haggling for goods. Rows of stalls and open shops dominated the scene, their owners busy amidst their wares. **Melissa**, with her ethereal beauty, drew immediate attention. Her striking face and radiant smile caused many onlookers to pause and stare.
"Lady..." a male merchant greeted her with a wide smile. "What may I offer you today?"
Melissa tilted her head slightly. "I require a measure of carrots, some fresh spinach, and a kilo of chicken meat, good sir," she replied with pleasant enthusiasm.
"Oh, certainly, my Lady. I shall prepare them right away," the merchant said, quickly gathering the requested items, occasionally stealing glances at Melissa as she waited.
"My Lady, the total comes to six silver coins," the merchant announced, presenting her with the wrapped goods.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Melissa replied sweetly.
"Please don't call me uncle! I'm not that old yet!" the merchant chuckled. Melissa gave a slightly awkward smile and moved on.
"Being in a woman's body is truly troublesome," Melissa muttered to herself, turning down a narrow alleyway, escaping the multitude of lingering gazes.
***
"Well, hello there, little lady! Are you all alone?" A man's voice suddenly cut in beside her.
"Who are you?" Melissa quickly turned, noting the suspicious glint in his eyes.
"Hahaha... Look what we've found—a pretty little thing," sneered another man as he joined the first.
"Tch..." Melissa muttered under her breath. She spun on her heel and broke into a fast run.
"Don't run away! We just want to play a little game..."
"Play by yourselves!" Melissa yelled back.
"Ooh-la-la... you sound so sweet when you scream," mocked a third thug. Melissa stumbled slightly but kept running.
Suddenly, Melissa stopped, turned, and scooped up a stone, hurling it at the nearest man. He easily caught it in his meaty hand, a cruel smirk spreading across his face.
"Hahaha... You think that pebble can hurt me?" He laughed loudly.
While he was distracted, Melissa pivoted, snatching a stray wooden block she spotted nearby, and swung it hard against his head.
"CRACK!"
He staggered, blood instantly blooming across his forehead. "You damned harlot!" he roared. The two remaining men swiftly cornered her. Melissa was trapped.
Pretending to surrender, Melissa sank down as if defeated. The thugs chuckled, believing they had won. But in a flash, she surged upward, spinning her body in a swift motion that swept their legs out from under them, sending both men tumbling to the ground.
"This body is lighter than I thought... and surprisingly easy to move," Melissa mused.
A fleeting memory flashed across her mind—a scene from her life back on Earth, when she was still Nathan in his original body, deeply engrossed in playing a fighting
video game.
Back on Earth, he had been engrossed in a fierce fighting game, mastering a chosen character. He could effortlessly defeat opponents because his control over that digital avatar was absolute, maximized to its highest potential.
Now, with this sudden rush of combat experience, Melissa was the real-life manifestation of that game character, and he was the controller, maximizing the potential of the body he currently inhabited.
With a single, swift kick, Melissa sent the head of the thug who was trying to rise reeling backward. The man collapsed back onto the dusty ground.
The two remaining thugs finally got to their feet, fear replacing their earlier lust, and scrambled away. The third man, nursing his bloody head, followed suit, abandoning the chase. Melissa collected her market goods and continued her journey home.
Upon reaching the modest dwelling, Melissa's mother was waiting anxiously by the door.
"Melissa. What took you so long?" Her mother's eyes were wide with worry and confusion. "And what happened to your clothes? Why are you so filthy!?" Her face tightened with mounting alarm.
"A-ahem... I was accosted by three strangers in an alley! Luckily, I managed to run away," Melissa explained, lowering her head slightly.
"Oh, my dear child! Are you alright? They didn't... they didn't lay a hand on you, did they!?" Her mother gasped, covering her mouth.
The mother rushed forward, quickly inspecting her daughter, and began to weep softly.
"Oh, thank the Goddess! Thank you!" She cried, pulling Melissa into a tight embrace.
"I am perfectly fine, Mother!" Melissa insisted firmly. Her mother released the hug, tears still welling in her eyes.
"Be careful next time, dear. Remember, you are a young woman!"
"Of course. I will be vigilant..." Melissa vowed with a newfound determination. They entered the house, and with the sudden clarity brought on by the fight, Melissa recognized the third key element of his existence:
The third capability of this life is the power to maximize the potential of the body he occupies to its absolute limit.
"Big Sister Melissa!" A little girl with braided brown hair rushed to her, wrapping her arms around Melissa's waist. "Maya has been waiting forever! Where are the sweets and treats?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Oh, yes... here you go," Melissa said, handing over the pastries she had bought.
"I guess I can't transfer bodies right now... I don't want to see them cry again," Melissa (the body) or Nathan (the soul) murmured softly to himself