In a dense forest of a certain world, there was a young man.
“Phew… I’ve finally gotten used to this body…”
I—Shin—am a character from a once-popular depressing game among otaku, Divine Spirit Contract. Although the body is that of a character from the game, the person inside is someone entirely different.
Yes, I have been reincarnated as this character, Shin.
Why this happened… I have no idea. It was about a year ago, without any warning, that I suddenly found myself reincarnated in this body.
I don’t remember much about my past life, not even my name. The only things I recall are the common sense from my previous world and the knowledge of this game I used to play. As for death, the typical cause of reincarnation… I have no memory of dying.
At first, I was so confused about why this happened to me. To make matters worse, I was beaten nearly to death several times by monsters in this forest, which left me in a state of despair for about a month. But only recently have I finally been able to accept that I’ve been reincarnated into this world.
And as I mentioned earlier, this world is a depressing game.
In this world, humans and spirits live together. Various races like humans, elves, dwarves, demi-humans, and demons outwardly interact in a friendly manner. The game begins when the protagonist, Kai, enrolls in the Spirit Academy, an institution founded by all human races working together.
However, the academy is a breeding ground for discrimination, with clear hierarchies. New students, except for a few, are unable to defy the upperclassmen and are oppressed.
Kai, blessed by the spirits, enrolls in this academy, and the story unfolds as he faces various troubles and academy-issued trials with his companions.
At first glance, this might not seem like a depressing game, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Not only does the protagonist die, but so do the heroines. Even if they survive, they are tormented—abused by upperclassmen, used as test subjects, brainwashed into turning against their friends… and so on.
There’s much more, but the worst part is that all these events are depicted with detailed illustrations and animated videos. The game is rated R-18, with numerous content warnings before those scenes.
“I still live in a remote place, huh?”
If I think so myself, then surely someone who doesn’t live here would consider me crazy.
My home is located near a small stream slightly away from the center of the deepest and most dangerous forest in the game called [Spirit Contract]—the ‘Forest of Forbidden and Thunder.’
This forest is so densely covered with trees that sunlight from the stars can’t reach it, and it’s inhabited by monsters said to be minions of demon gods, all of which have levels exceeding 100.
By the way, the maximum level in this world is 150, and without undergoing a trial called “Breaking the Limit,” one will remain capped at level 100.
Hence, people enter into contracts with spirits to counter monsters they can’t defeat with just their stats.
Spirits are classified into lower, intermediate, upper, royal, transcendent, and divine ranks, and there are only a few people who have contracts with the highest divine spirits.
I believe my level is probably at 150, but since I haven’t contracted with any spirits, I’m surviving this forest solely by my own power.
“Well, maybe it’s just that I, Shin, am special.”
Living in such a place does make one a hidden top-tier character. If you don’t rely on spirits, you have no choice but to become stronger yourself.
“In the end, this guy never made a contract with any spirit…”
Yes, the character Shin was often an auxiliary character in games, guiding and protecting the protagonists who came to this forest. His power was such that it was said to rival the world’s strongest, even drawing praise from the future strongest heroine, Aria Demonlord.
However—
“I’m definitely going to contract with a spirit.”
Because that would make me overwhelmingly stronger, and if Hera were attacked in my absence, having a spirit would ensure safety and awareness. So, I have no intention of contracting with anything less than the best spirits.
“I’m aiming for the transcendent level… no, the divine level.”
Fortunately, this forest is home to the divine thunder spirit—Zeus, so contracting with him is my goal. In the game, no one could contract with Zeus, and even Shin, who was supposed to be able to, never did, so his power remained unseen till the end.
Therefore, I have no clue about his attack patterns, and even as the strongest human in physical form, I can’t recklessly challenge him… but I can’t give up for Hera’s sake.
“Well, that’s why I’ve been training hard these past few days… I need to challenge him soon.”
There’s not much time left until the entrance ceremony of the game, about six months.
If I miss this, it will be impossible to be in the same grade as Hera, so I absolutely cannot be late.
“Let’s make this the final one.”
“Grrrrr…”
I face the level 150 Blood Dragoon, my opponent and food source, with my fists enveloped in blue-white lightning.
Shin is the world’s best user of thunder magic, but I’ve been weakened due to my reincarnation. That’s why I’ve been fighting various monsters every day to gain experience.
“I’ve lost to you every time so far… Today, I’ll win.”
“Gaaaargh!!”
I release the lightning from my fist toward the Blood Dragoon.
With a thunderous roar, the lightning splits the sky and strikes the Blood Dragoon instantly.
“Gaaaarghhh!?”
The Blood Dragoon roars in agony, but as expected from a level capped opponent, it can withstand my lightning, which is powerful enough to easily destroy a castle, and still move around.
But—
“I’m not done yet—!”
I wrap lightning around my legs and kick the ground.
At the same time, thunder rumbles, shaking the earth significantly.
“!?”
“———[Thunder Explosion]!!”
The Blood Dragoon, startled by my sudden appearance, is struck by my lightning-enveloped fist with tremendous force.
In an instant—lightning brightens the dim forest, and a thunderous explosion echoes.
Further, with a heavy thud, the Blood Dragoon, which now has a huge gaping wound in its stomach, collapses and loses its life.
“Phew… It’s been a while since I fought, but it was surprisingly easy.”
I drag the Blood Dragoon’s tail back home.
My body consumes a lot of food, so even this giant creature, over 10 meters long, will be finished within two weeks.
I quickly use my magic to cut the Blood Dragoon into pieces.
When a monster dies, the magical barrier around its body disappears, causing its defense to drop significantly.
“Since I’m challenging him tomorrow, I need to properly recharge my energy.”
I glance at my reflection in the mirror.
With black hair and eyes, I’m somewhat handsome but otherwise just an average face.
Muscular but not overly so.
Just looking at me, one wouldn’t rely on me.
Especially not someone who could change the fate of an individual.
But—
“I will definitely save you. With these hands of mine…!”
That’s why I’ll obtain your power.
Be prepared—Zeus.
“…Tomorrow looks like it’ll be busy for the first time in a while.” muttered the god of thunder as he gazed at the sky.
