Grey: "Ehhhh? So you're saying I'm dead?"
Kami-sama: "That's basically it."
You're probably wondering what happened. Well, I was just walking down the street normally when I simply blacked out and woke up here.
Kami-sama: "I made a mistake in soul management and ended up grabbing yours by accident."
Grey: "WHAT A CLICHÉ!!! YOU BOOTLEG DEITY!" I roared at him, but then tried to calm down. "If that's the problem, then just send me back to my body," I argued, trying to return.
Kami-sama: "Therein lies the problem. Because of the improper transfer, your soul suffered some fractures, and the time it took for your soul to arrive here was also affected. Back in your world, your body has already been buried."
Grey: "Wait... so I'm permanently dead?"
My patience was running thin. I didn't care if he was a god; how could someone be so incompetent at their job?
Grey: "My poor life... I was still so young. Tell me I can at least go to a cool afterlife—a Heaven, the Elysian Fields, or maybe Valhalla."
Kami-sama: "Well, we've reached the interesting part. Since you took a while to get here, I had a chance to analyze your life, and I saw that you have quite a taste for those cartoons humans call 'Isekai.'"
Understanding what he meant, I turned to him in surprise.
Grey: "Wait... is this what I think it is?"
Kami-sama: "Exactly, child. You lived an honest and kind life, so you can guarantee yourself a 'Heaven'... or try your luck in an Isekai."
Grey: "YES, LET'S GO TO THE ISEKAI!" I shouted before he could even finish.
Kami-sama: "What enthusiasm." He paused for a moment, thinking. "I know... I think it'll be more interesting this way."
With a snap of his fingers, he created two roulette wheels.
Kami-sama: "How about this? One wheel will define the world you go to; the other will define your power."
Grey: "Again, what a cliché. But I guess I won't complain this time."
Kami-sama: "Great. Now let's go. Both wheels only contain content from things you've watched, even if it was just a single episode. Still want to proceed?"
I analyzed the proposal for a moment, internally thanking God that I hadn't watched Berserk. Deciding the risk was worth it, I agreed.
Kami-sama: "Let's decide your world first."
The first wheel began to spin. Many familiar names flew by—animes I had binged multiple times and others where I'd barely finished the first episode. Just as the wheel showed signs of stopping on Attack on Titan, it nudged forward a bit more, changing the name.
Grey: "Danmachi?... Which one was that again?" I tried to remember the anime while Kami-sama watched. "Wait, I remember! That's the one with Bell, Orario, and the dungeons. But man, I only watched like three episodes of that... I can barely remember it."
Kami-sama: "Right. Now, let's go for your ability."
The other wheel started to spin, but I didn't pay much attention.
Grey: (Orario isn't ultra-dangerous, right? I mean, monsters, the power system is about contracts with goddesses and levels... I probably don't need an incredibly broken ability.)
Without me noticing, the wheel had come to a stop.
Grey: "Ten Shadows? Like Megumi's?" A tense smile spread across my face as I thought of a certain General. "I think this might actually work."
Kami-sama: "That's it. World and abilities determined... Well, as a small gesture of apology, I'll send you..."
He paused for a moment, thinking.
Kami-sama: "...one week before Bell becomes an adventurer. Oh, and I'll make a slight adjustment to your ability and your leveling capacity to help you out. Now, enjoy."
My vision suddenly blurred, and I felt my consciousness fading.
Kami-sama: "Ah, I almost forgot! I left a little present for you in that world. Don't worry, it doesn't have a soul trying to take over your body—just his power."
His voice was the last thing I heard before blacking out.
...
...
...
I heard birds chirping and the wind rustling through leaves. The scent of damp earth hit my nose—different from the sterile, hospital-like smell of the place I had just been.
My body was sprawled on the grass, so I tried to get up.
Grey: "Kami-sama? You around?"
I stood up, observing the landscape around me.
Grey: "Just bushes and trees? You couldn't have sent me closer to Orario? Well... I guess it's a great time to test my power."
Grey: "Divine Dogs," I said, making the correct hand gesture.
In response, I felt a cold sensation pass through my body and into my shadows. They began to bubble, and from them, two wolves formed.
Grey: "Incredible! It actually worked," I said, petting the two of them, which made them wag their tails. "Also, was that cold sensation Cursed Energy? Okay, now let's find a way out of here, or at least find something to eat. I'm starving."
I remembered the last thing Kami-sama said.
Grey: "I wonder if it's what I'm thinking? Never mind, I'll figure that out later."
I began walking aimlessly with the wolves by my side. Even though I was wandering, they were alert for any danger or anything that could become a meal.
Grey: (Well, from what I remember of the episodes I watched, the first floors of the dungeon are like enclosed tunnels. Maybe opting for Rabbit Escape is a good idea, plus trying to master the dogs like Sukuna did.)
As I was thinking, the wolves' sense of smell picked up something in a nearby bush, causing them to pounce.
A sharp squeak rang out from the bushes as one of the wolves snapped its powerful jaws. In an instant, they returned with two rabbits.
Grey: "I guess this might be faster than I thought."
Using the survival skills I learned at a summer camp, I made a small campfire and roasted the rabbits.
Grey: "Here you go, though I don't think you guys actually need to eat." I gave a rabbit to the two of them.
And so, eating roasted rabbit around a fire with two wolves, my new life begins.
...
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...
After the test with the Ten Shadows, I created a training routine to follow during my one-week head start before the story began.
I started with a morning run through the forest alongside the Divine Dogs. This served to test my stamina; apparently, I can keep them summoned indefinitely.
And while trying to hide shadows within my own shadow to use as training weights, I discovered that my Ten Shadows doesn't make me feel the weight of the things stored in it—likely a courtesy from Kami-sama.
In the afternoon, after lunch (which was usually rabbits), I trained my combat in sync with the wolves. I have to admit, they are dangerous. Their jaws have enough strength to crush rocks with ease, their speed surpasses any forest animal, and their senses of smell and hearing are incredible.
At night, before going to sleep, I practiced partial summoning and my ability to move through shadows.
Between these sessions, I learned to control my Cursed Energy to use as reinforcement.
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...
Three days passed. My body was acclimating to the physical activity easily, my synchronization with the Divine Dogs grew, and I could already hide in the shadows of animals without them noticing.
Furthermore, my ability to reinforce myself with Cursed Energy began to flourish; I could reinforce specific limbs for short periods.
Finally, one night, I put my theory about partial shadow manifestation to the test.
Summoning the Divine Dogs consisted of a few steps:
Making the hand gesture;
My shadow beginning to bubble;
The shadow expanding;
And finally, taking the form of the wolves.
But what if I interfered with the last two steps?
Grey: "Divine Dogs." My shadow began to bubble and expand, but when it tried to take shape, I interrupted the process. This generated deformed silhouettes of dogs that remained connected to my shadows.
Grey: "So that's it. Sacrificing some power in terms of range and speed, but without the risk of the Divine Dogs being destroyed. Plus, the energy cost to summon them decreases."
I raised my hand toward a nearby tree. In response, the shadow dogs extended rapidly toward it, destroying it in an instant.
Grey: "Interesting. I can probably use another type of partial summoning like Yuka, but I'll leave that for later." I deactivated the technique, letting my shadow return to normal. "A good night's sleep is always important."
With that, I sank into the ground, hiding in my own shadow to rest.
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...
One day later
A goblin tried to attack me, but I reacted instantly, dodging and kicking its stomach using reinforcement, destroying it immediately.
Another goblin took advantage of my distraction to attack from behind, but my shadows expanded into the shapes of wolf heads, snapped their jaws around its limbs, and tore it apart.
Grey: "Man, I forgot there are monsters outside the dungeon. But from what I remember, they're weaker."
I wiped the sweat from my face.
Grey: "But this showed me something. I think I'm ready to try the taming ritual." I huffed, looking at the trees I'd destroyed during training before the attack.
Grey: "Better start with Rabbit Escape. The lead rabbit has a spot on its belly, so it's best to finish it off quickly," I thought, remembering Gege's databook.
Grey: "...Divine Dogs, stay on standby."
The incomplete versions surged beneath my feet.
Grey: "And now... Rabbit Escape."
The moment I made the hand sign, a massive horde of rabbits emerged around me, huddling together so tightly they looked like a single mass.
Then I began to attack. My dogs expanded from my shadow, biting and snapping at as many rabbits as possible. At the same time, I searched for the marked one to end it.
But the rabbits began to gather again. The mass of rabbits rose imposingly above me and came down like a tsunami. I tried to dodge, but there were too many, burying me in the process.
However, while buried, I saw it—the marked rabbit—staring at me with a mocking look I didn't even know a rabbit could have.
Grey: "Tsk... stupid rabbit. You should have stayed hidden. After all, wolves are predators of rabbits."
Extending my hand with difficulty, I launched the partial Divine Dog at it. Mid-flight, I finalized the summoning. It transformed into a majestic black wolf that quickly reached the rabbit and, with a single bite, tore it in two.
With the death of the marked one, the rabbits piled on top of me dissolved into liquid shadow, returning to mine.
Grey: "2/10, 20% complete," I said, standing up.
Making the symbol for Rabbit Escape, dozens of rabbits emerged from my feet.
Grey: "Now I have my escape route and a distraction... distraction. Maybe I can tame another shadow with a good strategy."
I thought for a moment about which shadow to pick and the plan to beat it. Finally, I decided which one to summon.
Grey: "Nue," I said, making the hand sign.
From my shadow, Cursed Energy began to vibrate electrically, taking the form of small purple electric currents.
Then, with a burst of speed, Nue emerged from my shadow and soared into the sky, trying to strike me with its energy-charged wings. I managed to dodge by a hair.
Grey: "Come to papa, birdie." The rabbits at my feet increased in number, ready for the next command.
Circling above me, Nue finally decided to act, diving straight at me, its entire body surging with electricity.
Grey: "NOW!" Hundreds of rabbits erupted from my feet, rising into a wall to block Nue's vision. It continued its dive, thinking I was still in the same spot.
As Nue passed blindly through the wall of rabbits, I made the other hand symbol.
Grey: "Divine Dogs."
Forming partially, they extended, biting Nue's wings and pinning it to the ground. Finally, a third head lunged at the electric bird's head. With the snap of a bite, Nue's body dissolved into liquid shadows and merged with mine.
Grey: "3/10. I think that's enough to start in Orario."
The partially manifested Divine Dogs completed their summoning, taking the form of the two wolves.
Grey: "Let's go, then." I let them lead the way with their sharp sense of smell.