Even if I closed my eyes, it was darkness; even if I opened them, it was still darkness. I drifted through this space ruled by unyielding blackness.
I don’t know how much time has passed. All I know is that I’m unable to move, simply floating here.
Those damn gods cast me into this void. Is this what they call being “discarded”?
I don’t know how vast this place is. Maybe it’s endless, or maybe there’s a wall just a meter ahead. Either way, I can’t move my body, so I can’t do anything.
Am I going to rot away in this dark void?
Wait, am I even alive?
Those pathetic gods summoned me to that place while I was alive. They couldn’t send me back because they didn’t want to face Earth’s gods—an excuse as childish as that.
Then what state am I in right now? If I’m alive, I might decay, but death would have to come first. Can death even exist in a space like this?
Ugh, thinking about this is getting me nowhere. My thoughts only make the void feel more oppressive.
I don’t know how much time has passed since then. It feels like an eternity has drifted by.
I’m hungry, but I don’t feel close to starving to death. In this boundless time and weightless space, with no way to move, I’m killing time by cursing those pathetic gods and my worthless classmates.
No matter how much I curse, I always find more things to vent about. I’ll probably go insane in this world of darkness.
But those damn gods—dumping me in a place like this! The moment I get out, they’re in for a beating!
“Do you want to prove them wrong?”
…!? What was that?
Is someone there?
Hah, of course not. I’m even hearing things now. Guess I’m finally losing my mind.
“You haven’t lost it just yet.”
What!? Then… this voice…
Who are you!? Get me out of here!
“I have no time for pointless exchanges. Answer me directly. Do you want to prove them wrong?”
Directly…? Of course, I want to prove them wrong!
Yes! I want revenge on them. I want to show them up!
“The ones you want to oppose are still gods. What you want is not simple. The path ahead is thorny. Will you still do it?”
Of course! If I can prove them wrong, I’ll do anything!
“What I can give you is a new life and a faint power to help you survive harsh conditions. Will you still accept it?”
A new life… If I reincarnate, can I get my revenge?
“Whether you succeed depends on you. There’s no guarantee you won’t die before you even get the chance.”
It depends on me…
“The place I’ll send you to will be harsh from the beginning. Even so, will you do it?”
No matter how tough it is, if I act as though I’m already dead, I’ll survive. I’ve come close to death countless times before. This time won’t be any different. So, yes, I’ll do it! Please, let me reincarnate!
“If I reincarnate you, you will work for me.”
Work for you… If that helps me get my revenge, then so be it.
“As I said, whether you achieve that or not is up to you.”
If it’s up to me, that’s fine. I’ll say it a hundred times—if it means proving them wrong, I’ll endure anything!
“Then, will you work for me?”
I will! No matter how filthy the work, I swear to work for you… no, for Your Grace!
“Then, I shall reincarnate you.”
Thank you! So, what should I do?
“After reincarnation, your first goal is to level up.”
Level up? Got it. No matter how hard it is, I’ll increase my level!
“Once your level surpasses one hundred, come to me.”
Where will I find you?
“In the temple. You’ll understand when you get there.”
Understood. I’ll reach level one hundred and come to the temple.
May I know your name?
“I am ‘The One Whose Name Was Taken and Forgotten.'”
“The One Whose Name Was Taken and Forgotten”—that’s my marker, then.
“When you first reincarnate, your level will be low, and life will be harsh. But live on, even if you must drink muddy water to survive.”
Yes! No matter what trials await, I will live through them. I’ll not die until I’ve knocked those gods down!
“Very well. I shall reincarnate you, Thomas .”
Yes. Thank you.
With that final word, my consciousness faded.
When I awoke, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling above me.
It looks like I’ve reincarnated as a baby.
These tiny, adorable hands are proof enough.
A baby, huh? It’s going to be challenging to level up in this form.
For now, I’ll focus on what I can do as an infant… First, I need to stand up and start moving around on my own.
I wriggled my unsteady little body.
As I lifted my arm, I noticed a strange marking on the back of my left hand. A tattoo? No, it looks more like a birthmark.
I remembered that red-haired god, Shairi, and wondered if I could check my stats.
“Ah-wah ah-oo (Status Open).”
A hologram appeared.
“Ah-oh (Wow!)”
= ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ =
[Name] Thomas
[Race] Demigod (Human-God)
[Info] Male, Age 0, Healthy
[Title] Apostle of XXX
[Rank] G
[Attribute] Divine
[Blessing] God of Transformation (Unawakened)
[Level] 1
[Skill] Transformation, Level 1
[Life] 3 (of 15)
[Stamina] 4 (of 20)
[Mana] 5 (of 25)
= ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ = ・ =
“Ah-ah (It worked!)”
Wow, my race is something else. I’m a Demigod!
As I thought that, a new window opened from the Demigod status.
[Demigod: A race born from the union of a god and a female of a ground species.]
There’s an explanation?
So, ground species… Does that mean humans?
[Ground Species: Races that live on the ground, including Humans, Beastfolk, Elves, Dwarves, Goblins, Orcs, and many others.]
I see. So there might be something like a celestial species, too?
“…”
No answer. It seems like only my stats can be explained here.
Then what does a G rank mean? Isn’t F the lowest? At least that’s what those gods told me.
[Rank: Ranks go from F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, H, L, and G. H is Heroic, L is Legendary, and G is Godly.]
I’m… Godly!
