Who would have thought that I would one day grow bored with my life?
I had achieved it all by the age of fifty: women, riches, power. Even the government feared the name, Daichi Kuroda. Japan itself belonged to me alone.
But what did any of it matter?
There was nothing left for me to conquer. Maybe I could have tried to take the world next, but my drug empire had already swallowed everything within reach...
I shook my head as my feet carried me slowly through the rain. My black suit was neatly shielded beneath a black umbrella. I had always loved smoking cigars, even in weather like this, and on this cold evening, I felt the urge to light one as I made my way toward the mountain.
As I grew older, I had come to enjoy hiking. It was the only thing that still brought me peace. There was something about the mountain forest that felt so free, so fresh... as if I were nothing more than an observer of life itself, of every tree and every animal. It was the only place that could make my bloodstained hands feel clean again.
Today was like any other day. The same hiking path had been specially prepared for me, and my men had made sure it was safe despite the heavy rain. Thinking about it now, I missed my younger days, when I was a hot-blooded youth risking my life on every mission my boss sent me on.
My steps came to a stop before a stone shrine hidden deep in the woods. The soft light of the lanterns flickered in the darkness, untouched by the wind and rain.
A thick stream of smoke escaped my mouth as my eyes drifted to the ground.
Something was out of place.
A small book rested there, soaked by the rain.
"What is this? A light novel?"
I had read a few in my lifetime, but this part of the mountain was private, reserved for me alone. I had no idea who could have left one here.
I bent down and picked it up. Strangely, it looked far too durable. Any normal book would have had its pages falling apart and its ink washed away by now, yet I could still read the words clearly.
'It was Shiro's first day at the Sorcerer's Academy. His talent was exceptional; none of his peers could even hope to compare. His hand rested on the mana orb, which shone with the Light and Fire affinities, the most glorious and powerful in the entire world...'
I read a few lines, and it felt painfully generic, like any other novel I had picked up in my youth. Still, it was strange enough to find something like this here, of all places.
"Should I take you home and read you?" I muttered softly, a faint smile forming on my lips.
I had just turned on my heel when something golden flashed across my vision. It was too fast. There was no warning at all. A violent pain exploded through my skull as a deafening crack split the sky.
Ah... struck by lightning... that definitely wasn't on my to-do list today...
My eyes slowly fell shut as my body collapsed to the ground.
I guess... this is where my story ends...
It was a good life...
-----
Now that I'm dead, how should I explain what it's like?
It felt calm... terribly cold, yet at the same time, nothing mattered anymore. Though how I could still think now that I was dead, I had no idea. Darkness wrapped around me like a glove, while my soul felt as light as a feather.
What was that?
Something flickered in the darkness. A soft, warm yellow light appeared, its letters burning like flame. I had no idea how I was even able to see it, but it was there. There was no denying it.
[Dear user, we regret to inform you that your physical body was destroyed by lightning.]
Dear user? Is this how God speaks to souls? I wondered. All I could do was keep reading what came next. My words would not come out, as if I no longer had a mouth.
[As compensation, your soul shall be transported into a new body. Sadly, we cannot offer a return to your previous world. What we can offer instead... is the novel that was in your hands.]
I did not understand any of it. How could a soul possibly take a place inside a novel? Would I become some ghost haunting whoever touched the book, like a cursed object?
In a way, it was almost entertaining. At least it was something new for my fate.
[There is a character in the story who has just died. Their physical body is perfectly intact and will now host your soul. Your new name shall be Reiji Kanzaki, a nineteen-year-old sorcerer who was meant to remain a side character in the novel. Please keep your identity as a transmigrator a secret. Any leaked secrets will be severely punished.]
Do I even have a say in this?
I laughed inwardly. It seemed I had no choice but to accept the fate placed before me.
A sudden warmth flooded my soul, as if a fire had been lit beneath my feet, growing hotter and hotter.
[Any further questions and instructions shall be explained after your transmigration. Follow the system's orders if you wish to live. See you on the other side.]
The words burned for the last time before vanishing, as if someone had blown out a row of candles.
Then I felt an extremely strong pull tugging at where my feet should have been. Everything spun around me.
And then the light struck once more.
"Hahaha! Look at him, he got thrown back by the mana orb! What a loser!"
Loud laughter echoed all around me.
My head rested against a wall, throbbing like hell. When I opened my eyes, I saw people around twenty years old surrounding me. All of them were dressed in strange clothes, laughing at what was clearly me. My right hand burned. Still confused, I looked down at it and saw that it had been charred black.
"Kanzaki-san, please step aside and allow the others to take the test now. Sadly, you have failed."
A mature woman's voice came from the side. She looked around forty, yet she was extremely beautiful, with curves in all the right places.
I shook my head, still dizzy.
Today had been too much to take in. If it had been anyone else, they probably would have gone mad.
But I only smiled faintly.
All this laughter. All this mockery. All these people looking down on me. It had been ages since I had needed to slap someone in the face for this. Let's see if they can handle a man who had tasted a life far more dangerous than anything they would ever know.
Once again, after so many years of numbness, my heart began to beat with excitement. I was looking forward to this new life.
"Let me take the test again..."