I was surrounded by an endless, mysterious space. No up or down, no left or right—just a vast, infinite expanse. It seemed like my surroundings were blue, white, maybe even red. I couldn’t even tell if I was lying down or floating. I was simply there, somewhere in this vast expanse.
Gosh. How did this even—
“Well done, indeed,” a voice called out.
Huh?! Who was that? A girl?
It was a girl’s voice, but it sounded like a grandpa’s with the “indeed” thing...
Wait! A little girl who says “indeed”! I heard it loud and clear! A much-revered Indeed-Missy!
There was a pause.
“Regardless,” the voice went on. “The child you saved was a yet-to-be hero—a soul destined to be reborn in my world in the next life. You gave your life to protect him, and for that, I am grateful.”
Indeed-Missy’s words jogged my memory. That’s right, I’d saved a kid. The last thing I remembered was a thug who was about to thrust his knife down. I’d jumped in without thinking, desperate to save the boy.
My heroism surprised me. I’d never thought I was the type to do something like that, but my body had moved almost on its own. Oh well, it happens, I figured. I could never turn my back on a kid in trouble. One time, I’d tried to help a lost girl and nearly got the cops called on me.
Well, I must’ve died. I had tried to grab the guy’s arm but couldn’t—he’d stabbed me right in the chest. It had been unreal how strong he was, and something about his eyes had seemed off. He might’ve been high on something. I didn’t remember the pain of getting stabbed, though—that was a silver lining.
Although, maybe I hadn’t actually saved the kid. He did see someone get murdered right before his eyes.
My bad, kid.
So, does that make this the afterlife? It’s kinda pretty. Heaven, maybe? Just the thought of it is actually making me feel good. It’s like I’m drifting away, fading—
“You must stay focused on yourself, indeed!” interrupted Indeed-Missy’s voice. “Lose consciousness here, and you shall truly be tossed back into the cycle of reincarnation! Indeed, hold on to who you are!”
Who I am? Uhh...who was I again?
“Very well then, I shall indeed assist you! Name: Koichi Suzuki. Died at age twenty-five. Office worker. Parents: deceased. Siblings: none. Friends: negligible. Girlfriend: none, of course.”
Hey! I feel like there was an insult in there.
“Your hobbies were going to different restaurants and reading light novels and manga. Your goals in life were to eat delicious food every day and go to culinary school to become a chef.”
Whoa, spot on! That’s right, I’m Koichi Suzuki.
That realization snapped my mind into focus. I could feel my arms and legs again, and I was able to understand that I was drifting in some mysterious space.
“I am the overseer of a world beyond Earth,” continued Indeed-Missy. “Indeed, in your world, I am what you would call a ‘god.’”
Strangely, I understood everything she was saying without a second thought. I believed that this voice belonged to a god, no questions asked. Maybe it was some kind of divine aura?
“You saved the hero, but because of that, your soul was exposed to a mighty force, and the power from my world has now indeed become tangled up in you.”
Does that mean this is a god from another world—an “isekai”? My soul, isekai powers...
I turned my attention to Indeed-Missy. If I may ask, will that have some ill effects on me?
“You’ve suddenly become so formal.”
Heh, you are a god, after all! I responded in my head. If you can’t beat them, join them. And there’s no way I’m beating you!
“No need for such pretenses. Indeed, mere formalities without true respect are simply unsettling.”
Oh, got it.
“Hm, indeed, less than two-thirds of our time remains. We must move swiftly.”
So there’s a time limit?
“Ordinarily, the intrusion of an otherworldly force would spell great danger, indeed. In your case, however, it may very well be a blessing.”
Meaning?
“Two paths lie before you,” answered Indeed-Missy. “One is to return to the cycle of Earth’s reincarnation. Should you choose that path, your current self will vanish, and you will indeed be reborn as a new soul in the next life. The other path is to reincarnate in my world, where I shall grant you a new life and body.”
Huh? Y-You mean I’ll be reborn in an isekai? S-So what sort of world do you come from, Almighty Indeed-Missy?
“Put simply, it is indeed a world of swords and magic. Your actions in saving the hero’s soul deserve recognition, therefore before sending you there, I shall bestow upon you some modest powers.”
Reincarnated with cheat abilities?! The thought reverberated inside my head. No, hang on. Calm down, dude. She said “modest powers,” right?
I turned my attention back to Indeed-Missy. What sort of powers might these be?
“Your soul has mingled with the power from my world, which I shall convert into a beneficial form. Therefore, I cannot give you anything too incompatible... Perhaps the attributes of a magical chef?”
Attributes? Not like skills or anything?
“There are no skills or stats in the world I come from. Indeed, what you will have is the knowledge and talent required for the occupation of a magical chef. What you do with those powers is up to you. Embrace your new life.”
I spent a few moments mulling over the idea. I’m not totally sure what all that means, but it sounds pretty awesome. And honestly, I’m pretty stoked about becoming a magical chef. It’s always been my dream to become a chef. Who would’ve thought it’d happen in an isekai?!
Cooking with magic, huh...? I continued, again directing my thoughts toward Indeed-Missy. I bet there’s strange ingredients over there you couldn’t even imagine back on Earth.
“Indeed, in my world, there are giant creatures unlike anything on Earth. You will require magic to cook them.”
Yeah, I figured as much. If there’s magic, it’s for sure an isekai. I bet there’s dragons, unknown creatures, all sorts of stuff.
“Not all of my world’s creatures shall be unknown to you. Some species from Earth have been copied over. Indeed, there are many you would recognize.”
Copied over?
“Indeed, useful creatures are at times exchanged between the realms of the gods. Cows, for instance—worlds without them are truly the rare ones.”
Wait, gods are trading animals with each other? That means there might actually be a lot of creatures I know. Well, if that’s the case, it’ll be great that I can use ingredients I already know. That’ll work too. Now I’m really starting to warm up to this whole reincarnation thing! Except the “great danger” part...
Just give me one more reason! I thought to Indeed-Missy. One more solid push, great god! Like, are there other races?! Elves? Dwarves? Beastfolk? Y’know, ones that are fluffy and fuzzy, like really fluffy and fuzzy?
I repeated the last part just to make sure she got the idea.
“Oh yes, they are there—and many, many more beyond that,” replied Indeed-Missy.
Whoooooa! Are you serious?! This is insane. I can’t wait to meet them.
The truth was that I was a furry. In fantasy games with cute girls, I’d always go for the beastgirl first. I’d always choose beastfolk for RPGs with character creation. My favorite anime characters were mostly beastfolk too.
A world where real beastfolk exist? I am just so stoked. All right! I’m gonna fluff every furry pair of ears I see! That’s a promise!
There was another pause.
“So,” Indeed-Missy said, “you would indeed like to be reincarnated into my world?”
Yes! I would love to be reincarnated into an isekai!
“V-Very well. Any last requests? I can tweak things like your magical aptitude or physical talents a bit. Non-cooking-related abilities would be fine as well. Oh, and it’s already been decided that you’ll have language abilities.”
With that offer, I paused to think.
So, besides the knowledge of a magical chef, I get a little bonus in the form of talent or knowledge? It’s a world of swords and magic, right...? Then maybe swordsmanship? But I’ve heard spears are actually mightier than the sword. Maybe some cheat-level spatial magic? Or would it be better to just boost my physical potential? Being physically gifted might already make me pretty strong. Oh, or maybe I could get some kind of crafting skill, like blacksmithing or alchemy. Wait, could I even change my appearance—?
“Hey, make it quick,” interrupted Indeed-Missy.
Huh?
“We are running out of time, indeed! Make up your mind!”
Th-Then grant me talent with weapons! I want to master the spear!
“Understood, indeed.”
Oh, and can you make me a bit handsome? One time, I asked out a girl I liked and she said I wasn’t her type. I’ve been traumatized ever since! But being super good-looking might be a hassle, so just a bit handsome. Just enough so people won’t dislike me!
“Y-Your looks? I can only grant one wish, indeed! You don’t have enough power in your soul! Besides, it’s too late to change your appearance!”
Then grant me talent with spears!
“W-We’re out of time! Oh, these settings should do! I’ll give you a talent for giving off a charming aura!”
Wait, that’s so random! And you chose that over spears?!
“Indeed, that’s because you kept interrupting! Besides, you didn’t have enough power in your soul for the charming aura, so it was supplemented by your birth fortune!”
Huh? What does that mean?
“It means your circumstances when you are born will be below average, indeed! At least, you won’t be born into a rich family. Indeed, if you are rich, be careful! It means you’ll have other drawbacks.”
What? So my parent lottery is gonna be a total failure? I asked. Oh, it’s suddenly getting dark...
“The world is full of possibilities,” said Indeed-Missy, “so just keep at it, no matter...”
The god’s voice sounded oddly distant—like it was echoing from far away, and her words didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Before long, my consciousness was swallowed by light, and I drifted off into a deep sleep.