How would you feel if you reincarnated into a world from a game you once played?
I played it a lot. Every single day, endlessly, to the point where it felt like forever.
It was the latest VRRPG at the time.
Not an MMO. It had a feature where you could accelerate time by up to 1000 times, thanks to being an offline game.
Even with the 1000x time boost, the world was so vast and immersive that I couldn’t explore everything.
The world’s inhabitants were all NPCs with the latest AI.
Ah, the nostalgia of a new world experienced through all five senses, where I played and fully indulged.
I was obsessed. I played it countless times, clearing every possible route, switching jobs, and playing over and over. I even installed user-created mods to enhance the experience.
I became part of the team that ran strategy guides.
I collected and recorded every element of the game, understanding its world inside and out. I even attempted speedruns.
So, what would you do if you found yourself in the world of such a game?
Would you be happy? Excited? Would you confidently test all the knowledge you gained?
Me? Well… if it were me, I’d… ———
◇◆◇◆◇
We were celebrating in the lobby of the Adventurers’ Guild in the walled city of Egsex, the largest city near our hometown.
“Whoa, this is the adventurer’s certificate! We did it, everyone!!”
Blaze, the son of our village chief and a ‘Hero,’ raised his adventurer’s certificate high, cheering loudly. The entire party responded with their own cheers of joy.
I was part of that group, though standing a little apart from the rest.
——That’s because, among my companions, I alone was assigned a ‘weak’ job.
In this world, when you turn fifteen, you’re granted a ‘job’ by a priest at the church.
A ‘job’ gives an ordinary person the power to acquire skills and the ability to wield weapons.
Those granted a job gain the power to fight the monstrous creatures that threaten humanity in this world.
It’s a rite of passage marking the transition from childhood to adulthood—proof that you’ve become a full-fledged person.
After receiving our jobs, we left the village and traveled to this walled city.
——To become adventurers and make a name for ourselves.
We didn’t want to be stuck in the village, living out our days. That’s why we came here.
After registering at the Adventurers’ Guild as trainees, we spent about a week going through ‘Beginner Adventurer Training,’ where veteran adventurers taught us everything—how to swing a sword, how to move in the forest, how to camp.
Only after we proved that we wouldn’t die easily were we finally allowed to start acting as ‘trainees.’
So, even though we received our adventurer certificates, it would still take time before we could be considered full-fledged adventurers.
(And I still have another task to take care of after this… what a hassle.)
Parting ways with those I’d grown up with since birth was a bit sad, but it couldn’t be helped for the sake of my goal.
“Let’s celebrate the beginning of our legend with a feast!!”
“Uh… do we still have any money left?”
“Cotton! Don’t ruin the mood! We’ll just earn more! Earn more!!”
Blaze, with his usual baseless confidence, responded to our companion Cotton’s concern with an exaggerated reaction.
Blaze had always been one to shout big words with no backing, but after being granted the prestigious front-line job of ‘Hero’ during the job ceremony, his words now carried a bit more weight.
(Heroes learn skills that raise their CHArm stats, so maybe that’s why.)
By the way, in this world, heroes aren’t obligated to defeat a Demon Lord. However, obtaining such a promising job as ‘Hero’ does grant certain privileges, such as tax breaks and discounts on guild facilities.
It’s only natural that good jobs are viewed positively here. Those who receive good jobs are considered good people.
(Conversely, those with weaker jobs are seen as ‘bad,’ and people judge them accordingly.)
As for my current situation… it’s a consequence of my own negligence, born from my past life, for not paying enough attention to how jobs are perceived here.
“Come on, let’s go!! Everyone, follow me!!”
While I was deep in thought, Blaze, who had finished his exchange with Cotton, took the lead.
(Blaze… you…)
Honestly, I didn’t really like Blaze.
But knowing this would be the last time I’d hear his grandiose statements, I felt a twinge of nostalgia and sentimentality.
“Feast! Feast! It’s party time!!”
“Blaze, you’re being too loud.”
“Could you quiet down a little?”
Blaze, myself, and the other three members of our group walked from the guild’s lobby to the attached dining hall.
Despite Blaze’s rowdiness, the looks we received from those around us weren’t harsh.
Of course not. The guild’s dining hall was filled with people like us, celebrating their first steps into adventuring after completing their beginner training.
Even the veteran adventurers, who usually bossed us around, seemed content to let us rookies have our fun today. They were sitting off in the corner, keeping an eye on us to make sure no one got too rowdy.
As we sat down, Blaze looked over the menu with a smile, and that contagious grin spread to everyone else.
I glanced at Cotton, who sat next to Blaze.
My girl. My lover. The woman I had promised my future to.
But she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking at Blaze, smiling fondly as if to say, “There he goes again.”
(Yeah… I see.)
It couldn’t be helped.
I was the one who’d made the mistake in job selection, after all… it couldn’t be helped.
——Alright, time to say it.
“Hey, Blaze, wait a sec.”
“Huh? What is it, Ed? If it’s something to say, can’t it wait until after we order some ale?”
“I’ve thought about this a lot. I’m leaving the party.”
And just like that, the room fell silent.
