Within this white space, four figures stared at each other for a while, and they appeared to be in a daze, seemingly in disbelief, as they had given up previously, so when they were given what they wished for previously, they were just... a little unsure of how to react as each of them were prepared to work hard on their own to live on their new life.
"Is it as we have thought it to be?"
"It is."
"But..."
"What's wrong?"
"Isn't this ability a bit of... let down?"
Yup, all of them were the same person, but they shared the same identity in their previous lives and were all reincarnated into different bodies. Naturally, all of them thought that they had a unique cheat like the cliche story, but unfortunately, for their many years of lives, they couldn't find anything, and except for above-average intelligence, the rest?
It was normal, as they had to work hard to earn something.
If they wanted a good body, they had to work out.
If they wanted to be smart, they had to study.
If they wanted to become a good cook, they had to learn how to cook!
More importantly, none of them were wealthy!
Unlike a normal child, they knew how hard it was to earn money, and while they knew that they could only rely on their parents—
"Wait, I am an orphan."
"...sorry."
"It's fine."
"...."
"DAMN, IT'S SO AWKWARD!"
"Let's continue the talk, then."
"Sure." 3x
All of them knew that they had to focus, but frankly, this new ability that they got... it was kind of weird, or simply... just lukewarm.
Sharing.
This was their ability, but they could only share their knowledge, not their ability.
However—
"...should we do it?"
"I don't think so."
"While it is tempting, let's not do it."
"I agree."
Why didn't they want to share?
It was because by sharing their knowledge, it meant that they would share everything, including the memories, whether it was the embarrassment, sadness, or all the trauma.
All of them might have the same identity in the past, an exhausted salaryman in their previous life, but now?
While they were the same, they were also different, as they grew up under a different situation, or rather, a different world.
Let's say that one lived in a cruel world where they had to fight, and they shared that memory with the one who reincarnated in the peaceful world. What would happen?
More importantly, this sharing ability also had a certain risk, since if they shared everything, would they still be who they were?
What if the memory of one of them were stronger, and erased the individuality of the other three?
Still, if they couldn't share each other's knowledge, what was the use of it?
"Maybe... we can teach others?"
"Are we that smart?"
"...you are right."
Yup, they knew well that even if they had been reincarnated, they weren't the protagonist, and while they weren't bad, they weren't exceptional. Frankly, logically, they wouldn't even become part of the story of where they were from. Even if they were reincarnated, they would still be irrelevant to the plot!
Yes, they were the so-called Mob-B!
They weren't even the Mob-A, who stood behind the character of the story, nor the side character that wasn't even remembered.
Or rather, they weren't even properly drawn by the creator of the world in the original story. It wasn't that they were bad; it was that they had no character and didn't have much of anything that made them stand out from everyone else. They might not be ugly, or rather, they were above average in appearance, intelligence, or many other things, but it was because of this quality that made them simply similar to others, and common rather than special or distinctive.
"But it's normal, and it's not like we want to be part of the story, either."
"That's true."
"It's better this way."
"It is much safer."
Being part of the story was hard, and it was better to be outside it, as they knew it was dangerous and carried many risks. Instead of becoming the best, they knew that, given their abilities, they should choose the path of stability. It might not make the most money, but without a doubt, they would be living a long and comfortable life in the long run.
However, as they got this ability, they wondered whether there was a way to change their lives.
They were a salaryman before, so naturally, they knew how hard it was to be an adult, especially when one was just above average.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if they had a cheat that let them leave without working, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Unfortunately, even if they could share each other's knowledge—
"How about we introduce ourselves first? I mean... we're all the same, but let's talk more about our origin, the world where we were reincarnated, and our identity. Even if we don't remember much from the memory of our previous lives, we might be able to help each other by knowing the plot, or trying to steal a chance that can give us an advantage over others."
While they might not have a cheat, if they knew the general story of the world they were reincarnated into and brainstormed what they should do in their respective worlds, that might be a good thing.
After all, sometimes, there was something that they couldn't talk about with their family or other trusted people, but if it was themselves, they could talk as they would keep each other's secrets, and they came from different worlds, so even if it was the secrets of others, it didn't matter as it wouldn't affect them in reality.
In other words, they could use this ability to vent.
Yup, it might be something small, but for them, it was hard to vent, especially when they were expected to appear calm in every situation, when the truth was that they weren't at all.
"I feel this ability isn't bad at all."
"You're right."
"I feel liberated, too."
"Let's just lie down first since I haven't rested."
"Okay." 3x
Let's start the introduction later, since they had to admit that after reincarnation, they hardly had any moments of rest. They knew well that they were just above average, after all, so if they wanted to be better, they had to start early, which made them better than most, but even so, they knew that it was impossible to be within the one percent.
Edison, one of the most famous people in history, quoted, "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration."
They had the ninety-nine percent, but without that one percent, it was impossible for them to reach the top themselves, as they knew how harsh the reality was.
Moreover, if they rested, could they live well?
While some of them might have parents, or those who took care of them, the question was, could those people take care of them forever?
If they couldn't grow up, they would become a burden, and who would take care of those people who had cared for them so much when they grew older?
Still, life was tough, and while they wanted to rest, they were given another chance at life, which made them sigh helplessly. They knew they couldn't rest because if they did, they couldn't become what they wished to be.
"At least... I hope that there is an ability that can help us to learn."
"Yeah, or at least, make us spend less time learning."
"I don't want to go to work."
"Me too."
"....." 4x
Only, as they showed their deepest desire, all of a sudden, a voice was heard.
[Initiating Persona Assessment.]
"Huh?" 4x
Yet, while they were confused, the voice never stopped.
[Defining the users' deepest desires and skills.]
[Assessing the most suitable skill.]
[Analyzing Group Interactions.]
[Confirmed. The acquisition of a unique skill: "Manager (The Section Chief)." Successful.]
"..."
"...did we just get a unique ability?"
"I think it is."
Yup, it seemed, it was still too early for them to give up their easy life during their second chance on this reincarnated life.