A man no older than twenty floats in an endless white void. There is no ground, no sky—only silence. At first, there is nothing. Then, slowly, pain seeps in.
"…Damn. I can feel the pain…"
Time passes—how much, he can't tell. Memories return in fragments, crashing together until realization hits.
That man… it's me.
"…I remember now."
I was just going to the store to buy snacks so I could finish watching some anime. A normal, boring day. As I walked past a construction site, everything went wrong. Steel bars fell from above and impaled me before I could react. Shock took over. At least… it was quick.
"You did die..." a calm female voice says. "And I'm sorry."
I turn toward the voice and freeze. A stunning woman stands before me, her presence overwhelming.
"I killed you by accident" she continues. "To make up for it, I'll give you a second chance at life."
She raises her hand, ready to send me back—but panic rises. I don't want to return to that monotonous life.
"Wait" I say firmly. "I demand wishes. I was killed, after all."
She pauses, then smiles. "Very well. State your wishes."
I smirk. "Cursed speech without limitations, the ability to jump across the multiverse, and a system to aid me."
She nods. "Granted. Try not to die again."
She snaps her fingers, my vision fades to black
And then—just like that—I wake up.
My eyes snap open, and the first thing I notice is how dark everything is. I slowly sit up and look around. Trees tower over me in every direction, their thick canopies blocking out almost all the light. I'm standing in the middle of a forest—deep, dense, and eerily quiet. The air is damp, heavy, and filled with unfamiliar smells.
"…A forest, huh" I mutter to myself.
Not wanting to blindly walk into something unpleasant, I grab a nearby stick and start lightly tapping the ground ahead of me as I move, using it to feel my way forward. Each step feels cautious, measured. My eyes struggle at first, but little by little, they begin to adjust to the darkness.
Then I bump into something solid.
I take a step back, heart jumping, and squint. As my vision clears, my blood runs cold.
A goblin.
Short, green-skinned, ugly as hell, and clutching a dagger in its filthy hand. Its yellow eyes lock onto me, and the way it grins makes it obvious—it's not here to talk. It's staring at me like prey.
Great. Just my luck.
But then I remember.
My wishes.
I've watched enough anime to know what kind of creatures goblins usually are—cruel, vicious little bastards who raped woman for fun...this little green piece of shit doesn't deserve mercy. So instead of panicking, I decide to test it.
"Slash your throat with your dagger."
The words leave my mouth like any normal sentence. No force. No special tone.
But the effect is instant.
The goblin's body stiffens. Without hesitation, it raises its own arm, presses the blade against its neck, and slashes. There's no struggle, no resistance—just obedience, as if that was exactly what it wanted to do.
The body drops to the ground.
I stare for a second, then let out a quiet breath.
"…Pretty cool."
Stepping over the corpse, I continue walking. Not long after, I notice a faint glow ahead—soft, natural light breaking through the trees. Relief washes over me.
Looks like I'm almost out of this green hell.
After a few more minutes of walking, the trees finally thin out, and I step out of the forest. Ahead of me is a village. Simple houses, dirt paths, smoke rising lazily from chimneys. People walk by, chatting, carrying baskets.
I walk among them, trying not to draw attention, until my eyes land on a larger house near the center of the village. Bigger than the rest, sturdier too.
Yeah… that's probably the village leader's place.
Curious—and hungry—I approach and peek inside through a window. A warm smell hits me immediately. Soup. A big pot of it, slowly bubbling over a fire. My stomach growls before I can stop it.
I try the door.
Locked.
I sigh softly. "Figures."
But then I smile.
"…Not for me."
"Unlock."
The word leaves my mouth casually, but a second later I hear it—the distinct click of the lock releasing. I push the door, and it opens smoothly, like a chest being opened after finding the right key.
I step inside and head straight for the pot. Grabbing a spoon, I take a taste.
And damn.
It's incredible. Warm, rich, perfectly seasoned. I don't even realize how hungry I was until that moment.
Then—crash.
Something breaks behind me.
I turn around and see a woman standing frozen in shock, staring at me. Judging by her clothes and the house, she's probably the village leader's wife.
She looks terrified.
I don't really think about it. The words just come out.
"Bring me some soup. And some bread too."
Her expression changes instantly. The fear vanishes, replaced by calm focus. Without question, she turns, fills a bowl with soup, places fresh bread beside it, and brings it to me carefully.
"I hope you enjoy it" she says gently.
I take the bowl, staring at her for a moment.
No hesitation.
No resistance.
She acted like this was the most natural thing in the world.
As I eat, one thought settles firmly in my mind.
…This power is way stronger than I imagined...
After finishing the soup and bread, I let out a quiet, satisfied breath. That might've been the best meal I've ever had—though, considering I just got isekai'd, maybe my standards are flexible right now.
I wipe my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt, not exactly caring about manners, and turn toward the door. Before stepping out, I pause and glance back at the woman.
"Forget about me."
The command slips out naturally.
Her expression immediately shifts. She blinks a few times, looking around as if trying to remember something she just lost. Then her eyes land on me, filled with confusion rather than fear.
"I'm sorry… who might you be?" she asks politely.
I give her a small, harmless smile.
"Sorry, I just came to tell you your door is unlocked. You might want to lock it."
She nods quickly, clearly embarrassed, and moves toward the door to check it. Meanwhile, I slip outside without another word.
The village feels calmer than the forest—alive, warm, normal. People walk past carrying goods, chatting, living their everyday lives. For a moment, it almost feels like I never died.
Almost.
As I wander down the main path, I spot a man standing behind a small wooden stall filled with bright red apples. They look fresh—almost unnaturally perfect.
I approach, mostly out of curiosity… and hunger.
"Hey there, fella!" the vendor says cheerfully. "Want to buy some apples? They're super good! Grown with mana and love!"
He sounds like a natural salesman. Friendly, energetic… and unfortunately, I remember something important.
I don't have any money.
I hesitate for a second, then sigh internally. Guess I'm doing this again.
"Give me an apple for free."
The words come out casually, almost lazily.
The vendor's smile widens instantly. "Sure thing! Here, have at it."
He hands me one without the slightest hint of doubt. I take it, turning it slowly in my hand before taking a bite.
The taste is incredible—sweet, crisp, and oddly refreshing. If that mana-growing thing is real, it definitely works.
"Thanks. Bye-bye" I say, already walking away while finishing the apple.
The vendor waves happily as if nothing strange just happened.
As I wander further down the road, the cheerful sounds of the village start fading behind me. I toss the apple core aside and shove my hands into my pockets, staring at the ground while walking.
Reality slowly sinks in.
I'm in another world.
I have ridiculous powers.
And absolutely no plan.
A quiet feeling settles in my chest—something uncomfortable, unfamiliar.
…I feel a little...