At that moment, all I could see were dark, heavy clouds and falling rain. My vision began to blur and fade. When I tried to move, I found myself unable to do anything.
"Why… what's happening?"
The longer it went on, the weaker my body felt. An emptiness grew inside me, cold and hollow. Something wet and sticky clung to my skin, and soon the sharp scent of blood filled the air.
"What… is this awful smell?"
I realized I could no longer move. Then, through my dimming vision, I saw someone—a girl. Tears streamed down her face, her expression frozen in shock.
It didn't take long for me to piece it together: I had just been in an accident. A deep wound gaped in my abdomen. I couldn't feel anything anymore.
The girl stumbled toward me through the pouring rain, crying as she tried to lift me.
"Why… why did this have to happen?"
And then, with the sound of her sobs echoing in my ears, I took my final breath.
"Hiks… hiks…"
After that, I found myself in a strange place. At first, I thought I had entered the afterlife. But no—something was different. I had been brought somewhere unknown.
"Where… am I?"
Before I could make sense of it, a glowing circle appeared beneath my feet. I stumbled back in surprise.
"Huh? What's happening now?"
"What is all of this?"
In an instant, I was transported to a vast and majestic palace. I wasn't alone—seven others stood nearby, eight of us in total. Before I could process it, a woman appeared—a graceful and beautiful figure.
She stood tall and elegant, her voice calm and confident as she introduced herself.
"My name is Goddess Casca."
The name struck a chord. It sounded so familiar. And then it hit me—she was a character from a game I had played just a month before the accident.
(Wait… isn't she from that game I played?)
(The title was...)
[Destroying Hell From The World]
(Or in short, [DHFTW].)
It's hard to explain that game. Basically, you had to survive waves of relentless enemies while navigating an unpredictable and often brutal story. Most players were either whales (big spenders) or noobs. The game demanded immense mental endurance—not because it was scary, but because it was punishing for free players.
In short, everything required patience—leveling up, grinding… everything. Of course, the whales breezed through it. You get the picture.
There were seven playable characters, each with unique skills. The most interesting part? Three of them were reincarnated within the game's world—but not in real life like me.
Now, the goddess asked us to introduce ourselves. Even though I already recognized who they were, I couldn't skip it.
"Alright, starting from the right," she said.
"My name is Yaira, female, 16 years old."
"My name is Kuco, male, 18 years old."
"My name is Koyui, male, 18 years old."
"My name is Rey, male, 17 years old."
"My name is Samanta, female, 18 years old."
"My name is Yano, female, 17 years old."
"My name is Kanae, female, 18 years old."
One by one, the seven introduced themselves. Then it was my turn. But just as I opened my mouth, a soft whisper echoed in my mind:
(Get ready.)
I ignored it and spoke with confidence.
"My name is Ace, male, 17 years old."
"Oh… what a unique name," the goddess remarked.
Then she summoned a large screen, displaying each character's skills. But when she reached mine, she froze. Her once-kind face twisted into a look of disdain.
"I can't believe this—someone who exists… but has no skill?"
"Heh. Worthless."
Everyone turned to look at me. Some laughed mockingly, others ignored me, while a few looked uncomfortable.
I was stunned. Why was Goddess Casca being so harsh? In the game, she had been kind and supportive. But now… it felt like I was seeing her true nature.
She approached me with an arrogant glare that made my stomach turn.
"Ugh. You're such a burden."
"You'd be better off gone from our sight."
She began chanting. A glowing magic circle appeared beneath my feet. At first, I thought it might be a teleportation spell—but before I could react, someone suddenly appeared.
Bathed in radiant light, the figure placed a hand on my shoulder.
"I almost didn't make it."
"Sorry for the commotion."
And just like that, he whisked me away. For the third time, I found myself transported to an unknown place.
Before I could even ask where I was, the man crossed his arms and spoke.
"Hey—do you want to reincarnate?"
Still confused, I replied cautiously.
"Hmm… is this some kind of contract?"
He smiled, but then his expression grew serious—an intensity that made my heart race.