A dull, throbbing pain pulsed through his head.
"...Ugh... What happened to me?"
Arian Lucen stirred, still keeping his eyes shut as he tried to gather his thoughts. The ache in his skull made it difficult to concentrate, but for some reason, it also brought him a strange sense of comfort.
"At least... at least I can't remember everything. Maybe that's for the best."
Memories of pain, rejection, and the cruel way people treated him began to fade like dust in the wind. He'd once longed for revenge, dreamed of becoming strong enough to make them regret what they did to him—but in the end, he was powerless.
"I guess I couldn't take it anymore," he muttered. "I just wanted to forget... that's why I swallowed all those pills…"
Finally, his eyes slowly opened.
A blinding light greeted him, and as his vision adjusted, he saw it—a vast blue sky, clouds drifting lazily, and birds soaring freely overhead.
"...What the—?!"
He sat up abruptly, his heart racing. He looked around. He was lying in a grassy field surrounded by distant trees, with the sound of a nearby river gently trickling through the land. Everything felt so real. The wind brushed softly against his skin, and the scent of nature filled his lungs.
"I... I'm alive?" he whispered. "No, this… this isn't Earth. This isn't the world I came from…"
He examined his hands. His body looked different—leaner, healthier. Stronger. There were no scars, no signs of weakness.
"Was I… reborn?" he said to himself in awe. "I really reincarnated?"
He tried to recall the last moments of his life. Pills. Numbness. Darkness. A desperate wish to escape the pain of his old world. And then—this.
"I wonder what happened to my old body… Maybe someone found it. Maybe not… It doesn't matter anymore."
Rising to his feet, he scanned the area and spotted a road in the distance leading toward a walled nation. Curious and with nowhere else to go, he started walking toward it.
As he neared the gate, a pair of armored soldiers stepped forward, halting him.
"Stop right there," one of them said. "If you want to enter the city, show us your adventurer's badge."
Arian blinked, confused. "Badge? What badge?"
The guard narrowed his eyes and looked Arian up and down. "Huh… You're not someone I recognize. Are you new around here?"
"Uh, yeah," Arian replied, scratching the back of his head. "Just got here, I guess."
The soldier sighed. "Figures. Alright, if you want to enter the city, go register at the Adventurer's Guild and get your badge. Just follow this road straight ahead. You can't miss it."
Arian's eyes lit up. "Seriously? You're actually helping me!? Wow! Thank you so much! One day, I promise I'll pay you back!"
The soldier chuckled and waved him through.
As Arian stepped into the bustling city, his excitement only grew. Buildings lined the stone streets, with merchants shouting about their goods and children laughing as they ran by.
Eventually, he spotted the building marked Adventurer's Guild. It was larger than the others, its entrance decorated with swords, shields, and a roaring emblem above the door.
The moment he stepped inside, dozens of adventurers turned to look at him. A mix of curious, skeptical, and indifferent gazes weighed down on him—but Arian didn't mind.
He was beaming.
"Am I really about to become an adventurer?" he whispered to himself, eyes glittering with excitement. "Like in those manga and novels I used to read?"
Approaching the front desk, a young woman with a friendly smile greeted him. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, sir. Are you here to register?"
"Yes!" Arian replied with a nod.
The receptionist placed a paper form on the desk. "Please fill in your name and list any abilities you may have. Once that's done, place your hand on the crystal orb beside you to determine your rank."
"Got it," Arian said, picking up the pen.
As he began writing, a thought crossed his mind.
"Wait... how can I read and write their language? And... I understand them perfectly? Is this part of the reincarnation?"
Still, he didn't question it too hard. He finished the form, then placed his hand on the crystal. A moment later, the orb glowed softly.
"Congratulations," the receptionist said with a polite smile. "You're starting at Rank E."
Arian grinned. "Sweet!"
But just as he turned to leave, a massive shadow loomed behind him. Arian paused, sensing something... intimidating.
He slowly turned and found himself staring up at a towering man, muscles bulging beneath worn leather armor. The giant glared down at him with narrowed eyes.
Without thinking, Arian poked the man's chest.
"…Whoa," he whispered with a smile. "You're huge."
The man's eye twitched.