“It seems I won that bet, after all.”
Upon regaining consciousness, I found myself standing in a vast white void. And before me stood the golden-haired goddess.
Indeed, this was the place where I had first encountered her, after the end of my life in Japan. And in this precise instant, a mere five minutes had passed since I was struck by a truck… or at least, that’s how the timeline should align.
If I had to explain this situation as simply as possible:
Skill
【Return by Death】
This was not merely the skill bestowed upon me; rather, it was the skill I personally selected during my reincarnation.
My greatest fear had always been whether this skill would indeed activate when I needed it most. Fortunately, at this moment, I could say the first stage of my gamble had succeeded.
“You’ve been through quite a lot, haven’t you?” With her question, the goddess radiated a brilliant, beaming smile.
“Yeah, a hell of a lot. So… can I choose Return by Death again?”
“I’m afraid not,” she replied, still smiling sweetly. “We can’t just hand out such an overpowered skill multiple times. You’ll have to pick two different skills instead.”
“That’s a shame, but hardly a surprise.”
With that, the second stage of my gamble was confirmed a success as well.
Perceiving the understanding in my heart, the goddess giggled and said, “Sooner or later, most people do come to realize the true meaning behind that option… the hidden tutorial function.”
“But not many people actually choose it, do they?” I asked.
“Most would naturally doubt whether they could truly return after death,” the goddess said with a shrug. “After all, a skill that requires you to die first is not exactly easy to understand.”
“Yeah, even I wasn’t completely sure I’d really come back here,” I admitted.
“Plus, prior to selection, I can only explain that you may select one skill, and up to two skills at most. I am prohibited from divulging any additional information,” she added. “If you do end up returning by death, there’s no guarantee you’ll get to pick skills again.”
With an exaggerated sigh, she lifted her shoulders, looking exasperated.
“Choosing Return by Death meant potentially sacrificing one of your two available skill slots for the sake of a ‘tutorial experience.’ Very few would accept that risk without hesitation. You’re one of the rare ones who picked it right away.”
“Well, when your reincarnation class turns out to be Villager, you don’t have any choice but to gamble, do you?”
Hearing this, the goddess afforded me a benevolent smile.
“I rather like people like you,” she said with a soft chuckle.
“Yeah, well, thanks,” I said dryly.
“Now then, what skills would you like to choose?” she continued, still giggling.
“My vocation is still Villager, right?” I asked.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “Your birthplace and the environment will also be the same. It’s a repeat of your previous tutorial.”
“For the first skill, I’ll take Indomitable Will,” I said firmly. “Since I’m still a Villager and possess the disposition of a typical Japanese person, there’s no way I can endure the harshness ahead without something like that. I need to toughen up.”
“And the second skill?” she prompted. “You chose Wisdom last time, which allowed you to mentally access the contents of any publicly available book in the world. Would you like that again?”
“No,” I replied. “I’ve already mapped out a highly efficient plan for the first ten years of my new life. From there, I’ll build the rest based on the Dragon King’s Grand Archive.”
“Then, what would you like instead?” she asked.
I paused for a moment, considering my options, then gave a wry smile.
“Is there something available that has to do with gardening?”
The goddess looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“There is a skill called Crop Cultivation, but… are you serious?” the goddess asked, tilting her head in disbelief.
“Crop Cultivation, huh… There’s nothing more ‘villager-like’ than that,” I said, grinning. “Perfect… absolutely perfect… Ha ha ha!”
I found myself unable to suppress my laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation.
“Ha ha! Ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA HA!”
The laughter wouldn’t stop. It was too fitting—too absurd—and somehow, that made it all the more hilarious.
The goddess watched me, puzzled, before asking quietly, “But really, why? Why choose something like Crop Cultivation? You’re pretty much wasting one of your precious skill slots…”
I nodded firmly and answered, “She loves flowers. Even amidst a harsh and brutal existence… at least there, I want to make sure that flowers and smiles never disappear.”
The goddess considered my words for a moment… then smiled warmly and nodded in return.
“I see. I like people like you,” she said gently.
“Well, thanks for that,” I said with a wry grin.
She chuckled softly again, then declared brightly, “Understood. Then, I shall bestow upon you Skill: Indomitable Will and Skill: Crop Cultivation.”
A pervasive whiteness engulfed everything around me.
In that rushing torrent of light, I heard the goddess’s cheerful voice.
“I know it will be difficult, but do your best. And may you have a good journey…”
Soon, I would be born again, in that same little shack, into the arms of my mother.
Yes, once again, I would begin life with nothing—no strength, no wealth, only the status of a Villager. But this time, I was walking the path to a promised victory.
My name is Iijima Ryuto.
There could be no better name for someone destined to be raised among dragons.
Thanks to everything I had learned beforehand—knowledge no ordinary child could conceivably possess—I would be ready.
Whatever insane challenges awaited me, Indomitable Will would see me through.
The first time around, I didn’t have any cheats. But hey, if you’re getting reincarnated, you might as well have a cheat, right?
Bathed in the searing light, my consciousness once again began to dissolve into the void.
“All right… time to rise to the top.”
With those final words, I was granted my third life.