“Another week of the same old routine, huh?”
He was already quite past middle age, his gray hair starting to show. How many years had it been since he’d started hating the sight of himself in the mirror? Brushing his teeth and washing his face, he pondered, “When will I ever reach my dream?”
(They say you can endure anything as long as you have a dream, but this is just too much, isn’t it?)
In high school, he became a local hero at the school festival in Niigata. His figure, singing passionately while playing guitar, was even featured in the local newspaper. He thought it was the first step towards stardom. Immediately after moving to Tokyo with that momentum, good fortune struck.
“Should I watch it again before I go?”
Right after graduating from music college, he joined a band. That band won an audition and got to perform on a popular late-night program. It was on that TV stage that had brought so many major bands to fame…
(Looking back now, the show was already winding down, and they were running out of bands to feature.)
He prepared himself while watching a video of himself from that time online. Out of ten groups, they were chosen as the challenger band, and in the finals, two out of seven judges voted for them. More than the feeling of loss, the thought of “This is it, major debut!” was stronger.
“The power of TV was amazing, wasn’t it? Even at the end of the show, I still got a decent number of fan letters.”
In retrospect, that band was held together by the bassist’s lyricist/composer ability. Only he made it to a major debut. You could call it an “Individual Promotion.” Back then, he even got featured in magazine interviews, but that’s almost non-existent now.
(When was the last time we all got together? About twenty years ago, maybe?)
Every time we met, they’d ask, “What are you doing now?” and I’d keep answering, “Still a security guard.” For myself, I’ve always thought, “Next time I see them, then…” And now I’m 54 years old. I’m such a pathetic loser.
(I started working as a security guard part-time when I was 19. I never imagined I’d still be doing it at my age.)
His guitar playing, practiced every other day, hasn’t gone rusty. However, a drummer friend emailed him suggesting he upload some self-accompanied videos, but he hasn’t gotten around to it yet. With his daily security guard job, he’s barely making ends meet. If only he had a partner…
“Oh, is it time already?”
His security guard job is a full-day commitment. At least, in his case. Even with breaks, he’s often standing outdoors regardless of the weather. Truly easy jobs are done by veteran full-time employees with pleasant expressions, sitting in air-conditioned rooms.
(Lately, my shoulders and legs have been really stiff.)
There are plenty of comedians who made it big in their fifties. Musicians are no exception. Someday, at some point, he thought, continuing this part-time job for thirty-five years. He wondered how much longer he’d have to.
“I’m heading out…”
He closed the video and bid his beloved guitar farewell as he left his one-room apartment. He noticed a letter in his mailbox.
“What’s this? From the credit card company.”
It was unusually thick, with a prominent “URGENT” notice.
“IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS”
“Please be sure to open this yourself.”
“The deadline is the end of next month, you don’t have much time.”
(This isn’t just a trivial matter. Could it be unauthorized use, or have they suspended it?!)
He was completely distracted by the ominous envelope. The pedestrian signal was green. Yes, it was definitely green. But… a truck turning left, and he was hit, ending up bloody with only his right arm functional.
(Damn it, I… I can’t… This is it, I’m not going to survive this. At least, at least let me see the contents of this urgent envelope…)
With his teeth, he tore open the envelope and saw what was written within…!!
“Would you like to upgrade your card to our best plan?”
As his consciousness faded, he screamed,
“Don’t fk with meeeeeeeeeee!!!!!”
And so, his 54-year-old life came to an end.
(…Where am I? It’s a pure white space.)
“So, you’ve regained consciousness.”
“…Huh? Who are you?”
“If I say I’m a god, you’ll understand everything, won’t you? It’s convenient.”
Looking up, he saw something like a ball of light speaking to him.
“Um, are you a god?”
“Strictly speaking, no, but that’s the easiest way to put it. The next best is ‘Creator’.”
“Of Earth?”
“No, that’s not right.”
“I…”
“Ah, you’re dead.”
Hit by that truck… I bet it was a hit-and-run.
“Um, the culprit?”
“You’ve died, yet you’re concerned about such things?”
“Well, I suppose there’s that.”
The ball of light, if looked at closely, resembled a gentle fluorescent lamp.
“It seems delivering the package was the highest priority. They tried to continue their work as if nothing had happened afterwards, but it was too much, you know.”
“So they were caught? That’s good.”
“No, the fact that you died is not good.”
He looked at his body. He was wearing the same clothes he had on right after leaving his apartment, and there was no blood.
“Huh? What about my luggage and things?”
“You are dead, so they are meaningless.”
“Yes. So, what will happen to me now?”
The ball of light seemed to be rotating.
“Those who die with their dreams unfulfilled can qualify for reincarnation in another world. Not everyone, mind you.”
“Then why was I chosen?”
“…Do you remember the game you used to play?”
Hmm, which one? From Famicom to smartphone games?
“Recently?”
“It’s about Babylbarz Towers.”
“Ah, that one where the microtransactions were insane and it shut down after eight years!”
It was an MMO RPG run by a very famous game company. He used to play it on his laptop during his breaks as a security guard. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the online game he was most hooked on.
“What if that world… continued to exist as another world?”
“That… I’d like to try.”
“Right now, from my perspective, ‘operating’ it might be easier to understand.”
So, this god was playing the game too?
“Will I be taken there?”
“Ah, it’s boring to have only NPCs, as you humans call them.”
“So, like a protagonist?”
“No, you would be treated as a ‘Summoned Monster’.”
“Wh-what?!”
“A Taming Monster?”
“No, a Summon.”
“But that means I could be used as disposable…”
Some who Summon also nurture them, while others use them as shields or send them charging into enemies to sacrifice. That’s because they can be summoned with just one Magic Stone, and to nurture them, you have to give them a Magic Stone every five days.
(Consuming Magic Stones isn’t an issue in itself, but some people find the act of giving them tedious.)
He remembered emailing the developers to ask for an auto-consumption option.
“So, to get to the details, without omitting anything, your level, equipment, and items from when the game service ended will be carried over. The in-game currency is impossible, but you can continue your life in that world, in that state.”
“Um, so I’ll look like a cool character from the game?”
“No, you’ll be as you are.”
What? No de-aging or anything?
“Let’s set it so that only the strongest Summoners can summon you. With your abilities, you’ll surely be cherished. So, what do you say? Is it reincarnation in another world?”
“If not?”
“I’ll send you back to Earth, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be reborn as a human.”
He didn’t like the sound of that.
“If I die in the other world after reincarnation?”
“At that time, you can choose to be reborn in my world, or return to Earth and be reborn. However, at that point, I will have to erase your memories. You will be reborn as a baby, of course.”
“I see… To be reborn as a baby with all your past life memories?”
“Isn’t that structurally impossible for the brain?”
He didn’t understand what this god of light was saying.
“Why do you look like that, God?”
“Strange?”
“When I think of reincarnation in another world, I always imagine a Goddess, or a male god with more dignity.”
Someone with a voice actor that sounds expensive, perhaps.
“Well, to put it simply, it’s for ‘artistic reasons’.”
“Are you, like, an animator or something, God?!”
“Never mind. So, what’s it going to be?”
“Uh, since it’s such an opportunity, I’ll accept.”
My game character was really strong, thanks to microtransactions.
“Alright, the contract is sealed. Rejoice, you’re the first!”
“Right…”
“Now, I shall transport you to the dormitory in the subspace I’ve prepared.”
Ah, the god’s light grew brighter!
“I’ll give you one last present from your past life. You probably ordered a lot of stuff. Among them, the first thing that arrives after your death will be transferred to your room. Please receive it.”
And he was absorbed into the god…
(Ah, so this is reincarnation in another world…)
To be continued in Part 2.
