· Author Notes:
So, yeah. I decided to make a new story. However, unlike the others I have made so far this one was inspired by the series like "So I am a Spider, so what?" and "That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime." Those anime series really did an excellent job are portraying rather interesting MCs in the most unlikely situations. The fact that several authors throughout the site have used their formula is a testament of their uniqueness.
Then, I got an idea: "Hey, perhaps I should try this out." And that's how this project was born. I only needed a world where this setting and plot could be used, and then I thought: "Why no one else tried to write one in the world of Shield Hero?" The rest is history
I hope you can enjoy this new fic of mine. Feel free to give me as many suggestions as you want. Reviews are the fuel that empowers an Author!
Chapter 1
"The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Lizard Monster"
Here is a question for you, guys.
Have you ever wondered how would you die?
I know I have. Like, every once in a while when I saw people hitting the deadline in their lives, I would always wonder about how should my own death turn out to be.
There were so many scenarios I thought on. Dying in a car traffic accident or succumbing at the whims of a terrible illness… So many ways one life could end, none of them particularly pleasant.
It wasn't like I was a pessimistic guy or has suicidal thoughts, mind you. If anything, I was the epitome of perfectly healthy hot-blooded male that leads an admittedly peaceful and somewhat good life. Heck, in any other situation I would rather choke myself than talking about such a depressive subject.
Sadly, with the Covid-19 taking so many lives back and forth throughout the globe, any guy couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with so much gloominess. That's why I found myself reliving these thoughts more often than I'd like to admit.
Thankfully, I found a good escape from this dull and dark reality. And the greatest irony was that what helped me overcome my new pessimistic outlook of life was one of the Anime genres I loathed the most.
The isekai genre or rather, a sub-genre that involves [Reincarnation].
It has become so well-known in these times of crisis that you would be hard-pressed to find an Otaku fellow who is not knowledgeable about it.
Now, when it comes to these kinds of things, I always reject the idea of isekai.
Not to be disrespectful with any of you, my Otaku comrades, but Isekai genre is, for me at least, a story about losers who easily gave up on their lives.
It usually features those who had given up on their lives, becoming NEETs, shut-ins and the like who gets the chance to go to another world full wonderful and marvelous things, where they could achieve all their dreams as if fate itself favored them. They suddenly get everything any other guy would ever desire; Looks, glory, girls, adventures, powers and all of those good stuffs.
It was quite distasteful to see such slackers get all those boons with almost zero repercussions. The series always portrayed them as some sort of chosen ones despite their many glaring flaws. I couldn't understand why my friends thought it was a good idea to make me see those types of anime series.
Still though, that's not to say that all Isekai series were trash. No.
There are good ones that bring some breeze of fresh air like Shield Hero, Overlord and Arifureta. Now those were nice examples of how to make a more believable and exciting Isekai adventure. Sure, they're not perfectly crafted master pieces, as nothing was perfect in this world, but very enjoyable nonetheless.
That doesn't change the fact that most series from the sub-genre were utter trash though.
Nevertheless to say, after seeing so many people dying by the hands of fate's whims, I got a new perspective about so many things and my appreciation about Isekai series changed.
It gives people a way to deal with the many problems that may arise in life, and therefore not completely trashy after all.
And thanks to those series, I was able to obtain a much brighter outlook in life. It gave me some refreshment and a positive mindset to face the Covid-19 like a pro without losing hope in the future.
I felt some reassurance about the future, oddly enough. And thus I continued my daily life like I usually did before the epidemic outbreak.
Perhaps it sounds stupid, and I'm aware of that. But who cares? I felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders so I had all the rights to show how utterly optimistic I was.
Imagine my surprise when fate itself decided to give me a reality check in the most predictable way possible. That's it, by making sure I would face death itself earlier than I was supposed to.
Really, fate must be a ruthless bitch to have sent a fucking lightning bolt to strike me down in a sunnyday with no clouds at all. Talk about bad luck. Geez!
And that's when the really checked slapped me right in my face.
You know what all those Isekai series had in common? They were all fictional works and therefore would never happen in real life.
After losing consciousness, I felt the sweet touch of death enveloping me and fell on a black space of infinite blackness.
What was I even thinking? That would reincarnated in a another world and have one of the greatest adventures there is, find love and become an important figure? Get real, man. That's the kind of mindset that let most people to this kind of situations in the first place!
Now the only thing I could do was to wait until the universe decides to get rid of me by either assimilating or discarding my very existence.
Sorry to disappoint you guys but there are no Isekai adventures for you after dying.
…
…
…
That's what I thought before "waking up" here.
At first I thought I was in some kind of Limbo, but once heard some muffled voices from the outside world, I finally connected the dots and realized; I'm getting reborn!
To say I was shocked would be an understatement.
Who would've thought?! Those slacker NEETs were right all this time!
Haaaah! I felt oddly blessed with this sudden turn of events. New life as an Isekai MC, here I go~!
Still though, while I'm truly grateful that I got a second chance and experience a new life in a new(?) world full of marvels, couldn't have God, Buddha or whoever is overseeing Reincarnation, gave me the leniency of NOT being self-aware during this fucking process?! Like seriously, I was a goddamn fetus and yet I have rational thoughts?! That's a whole new level of creepiness if you ask me!
And now that we talk about it, do you have ANY goddamn idea how utterly boring it's to float(?) here with nothing to do except for daydream perhaps? Let me tell you, I'm very lucky to remain (mostly) same at this point! Then again, here I am monologuing with to an imaginary audience so perhaps I already lost it and am still refusing to face the facts?
GWAAAAHH!
I wanted to scream at this predicament, I truly do, but when you can't even use your fucking mouth there is so much you can do.
Did I say Reincarnation was a blessing? Pardon me, what I meant to say was that it was the creepiest and most boring phenomenon a human could ever experience!
There were a few strange things about this place though.
I am by no means an expert when it comes to biology but, shouldn't a human baby hear its mother's heartbeat during its fetus stages? So far, nothing could be heard here if you ignore the voices from the outside, which is quite odd and disconcerting.
Also, why does this place feels more like a cocoon rather than an actual womb? What I feel is like a semi-resilience membrane whose toughness and lack of elasticity make it appear more like a rock than anything else.
And why, in the nine level of hell, do I felt a fifth limb in my rear zone?! And no, I'm not talking about my "thing" here!
Wait… Don't tell…!
Am I some sort of human experiment created to exterminate a race of space monkeys?! Did I have reborn as a monster of sorts?! If that's the case then at the very least I demand my new father/creator to bestow me with a PROPER and cool-sounding name!
Regardless of how sketchy this situation is, there was only one way to find out the answer I wanted. That's it, by "birthing" in this world—Geez, I can't believe I just say that!
CRACK!
Huh…?
Did I just hear a cracking-like sound somewhere?
…
…
… I guess it was only my mind playing tri—
CRACK!
Uwah! There is it again!
W-Wait, I think I suddenly got the ability to move my limbs. Does that means the time has finally come? The cracks are starting to appear all around my field of vision as I moved so that's the only explanation now.
O-K! Let's go! One push at the time!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Oh, it seems like my new body has grown strong enough to break through this strange cocoon. With only a little push here and there its integrity started to fall smoothly. Either I was too strong or its quality has degraded over time… I bet it's the latter.
In any case, right now I have more pressing matters to attempt. It's time to finish the job and break free from this cocoon! Here. I. COME!
CRACK!
Putting all my power into my head and delivering a clean hit on the surface, I burst right through, scrabbling out headfirst.
Haha! Nice! Take this, I'm invincible~! My dig skills must have leveled up, huh?
I celebrated at my new accomplishment happily while pulling the rest of my body out of the cocoon-like prison I'd been resting for who know how long!
Finally, sweet freedom at last!
Unfortunately, my celebration didn't last long enough— the reason? I was greeted by a group of menacing-looking giants wearing medieval wardrobe!
Whuuuuuu?! Whyyyyyy?!
What the heck is this? After so long I finally managed to break free and the first thing I ran into are a bunch of giants?! SERIOUSLY?!
Wait, since there is no one else here that means that the voices I heard from the outside where theirs! And if those intense stares were anything to go by, I bet they're planning to either kill me or eat me… maybe both!
Really now, how come other Isekai fellow didn't have to face such stupidly dangerous situation?! Why am I the only one in the receiving end of this divine punishment?! Is this what I get for mocking the NEET reincarnators?!
Instinctively, I shrink away. The intensity of those stares was anything but pleasant. It's as if they were appraising me like a piece of meat, waiting at the first opportunity to jump and devour me… Hold on.
Man-eating giants.
… Oh crap! Did I end up reincarnating in Shingeki no Kyojin?! NOOOOOOO! WHY?!
…
No, wait. That doesn't sound right. If I were in that world then these guys should be naked and wearing creepily stupid expressions in their faces, yet somehow these guys looked… I dunno, tamed? Civilized perhaps?
Well, whatever the case is, I better run before they decide to get a piece of myself. I haven't received a second chance just become the snack of some stupid giants, thank you very much!
In that moment, however, a second revelation greeted me.
THUD!
The second I tried to stand on two feet and run, I found myself falling in the ground as I felt my body weight unbalanced and my legs bumps into something.
Ah, right. The thing I crawled out of was still here.
Huh, now that I can finally use my eyes, I could see it resembled an egg in shape and form. Weird.
No, it doesn't look like an egg— it is an actual egg.
…
Ok, what the heck?
"Hmmm…"
Oh shit! The giants are starting to move!
Not wanting to waste time, I got out of the egg and tried to run away in a sprint— only to eat dirt without even managing to take three miserable steps.
I tried to stand a few more times— and the same goddamn incident happened again. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact I was a baby(?). If anything, my body felt rather tough and a little bit muscular.
Now that I think about it… I didn't take a good look on this body, right?
I look down at myself more carefully.
GWAAHHHH!
Nevertheless to say, I regretted it instantly.
Instead of a human body, I was greeted by the visage of a platinum-colored, slightly furred and scaly body of that of a lizard I've never seen before. My hands were a reptile-like set of clawed paws. I got a long tail. And instead of a flat face I got a snout.
…
O-K! Whatever you do, don't enter in panic ye fool!
This can be happening, right?! Please someone tell me this is just a hallucination or a weird dream! Something like this shouldn't be happening to me of all people! I'm pretty sure my good deeds in my past life would have allowed me to reincarnate in a humanoid body, not a lizard's!
…
You know what, fuck it. I have to face the facts.
Somehow, I got reincarnated as a lizard— a lizard-type monster, in a fantasy world.
Great, just like I needed. Well, at least this situation can't get worst, right?
"IT'S SO CUTE!"
GWAAAH!
Just when I thought that my luck my shitty enough, a large pair of arms enveloped my body as I felt how someone raised me from the ground in a bone-crushing huge.
It took me a few seconds to realize that the person crushing my admittedly fluffy body was a green-haired petite girl with rouge-like attire. She was giving me quite an odd look for some time and couldn't hold back anymore.
Apparently, my new appearance was pretty cute on itself, hence why she was choking me with a big hug.
Huh, her breasts were pretty comfy— wait, no! Now it's not the time to think about that! Get a hold of yourself, dude! This girl is trying to kill with her modest-sized chest!
Ok, I'm gonna be honest with you. It wasn't a bad way to die, BUT I JUST GOT REBORN! There are so many things I want to do— not like I could do most of them considering I was a lizard monster but you get my point.
"Can we keep it?! It's absolutely adorable!" The green girl beamed at her leader, some teenager wielding a pretty fancy sword.
The guy with the sword looked like he might have been in high school He was an attractive young guy. His face was handsome, and he was relatively short, maybe 160 centimeters. His face was so composed. His hair was black, and cut short. His eyes were sharp, and his skin was white. Overall he gave off a cool impression. Like a quick, slender swordsman.
Among his group, he was probably the "coolest" person here.
"Hmmm… Well, the Monster Tamer told us it will grow up to become a powerful monster in the future. Having an animal companion doesn't sound so bad, and we have the financial support to feed it." He told the girl hugging me with a composed, level-headed expression.
Ah, I think I finally understand the situation.
It seems like I was purchased by this group when they came across a Monster Tamer in hope to get a tamed monster to aid them in their adventures. And if his comment is true then I was part of a powerful race.
… The fact that they were talking about me as if I was some fancy pet was unnerving! What's next?! The sword guy will use a high-tech sphere to catch me?
Then again, I am the monster they brought.
While I was busy contemplating my rather gloomy future as a pet monster, my purchasers started to discuss about who will be in charge of raising me to become a mighty combatant. Normally, I would've ignored them and think in a way to escape from their grasp— as much as I felt flattered they were so mindful with my raising, I was no one's pet!
However, before I could scheme my future strategy, one of Sword Guy's companion said something that shook me to my very core.
"Lord Ren, I think you should be the one to raise it! It's said that monsters raised by Legendary Heroes tend to become rather powerful! And I think you, the Sword Hero, Ren Amaki can turn this little fellow into a powerful, loyal companion! It will also boost your fame in all Melromarc!"
"Oh yeah? Well, I'd never done something like that so…"
Whatever Sword Guy— Ren — was gonna said, I ignored it.
Instead, my mind rebooted itself.
Legendary Heroes.
The Sword Hero.
Ren Amaki.
Melromarc.
…
No fucking way! I got reborn in the world of Shield Hero! Seriously?! And as the newest underling of one of the Three Idiots on top of that?!
Fan-fucking-tastic!
Why?! Oh why couldn't you make me Naofumi's monster companion instead?!
"KYAAAAAAAAH! Look at that, it's making such an adorable face!"
Gaaak! For goodness' sake woman, at least let me breath! If you hold on me so tightly you're gonna snap my neck, ye know?! In any other situation I would feel joyful of having a cute girl hugging me with so much affection but now I realize reality is such a cruel mistress!
Let me go, woman! You are starting to piss me off! I WILL BITE YOUR HEAD OFF IF YOU DON'T STOP!
… Et tu me?!
Where the heck did that thought come from?
You know what, fuck it! If you are gonna force your way on me then I have no choice but to defend myself!
Retribution~!
I opened my reptilian mouth widely and started to bite the green girl with all my strength. Hopefully, I could deliver a good amount of damage to make her back down and leave me alone.
CHOMP!
Haha! Success! A clean hit (or should I say Bite?). Either way, now that this woman got a taste of how fearsome even the tiniest monsters can be, she will soon crawl away from me in fear!
"Aww! It's playing with my thumb! So cute!"
Dammit! No damage done! Am I really that weak?! I mean, I am now a mere youngling but my body was that of a friggin monster!
Crap, now I'm getting tired. I feel so sleepy.
…
I think I'm gonna pass out.
Whoever said Fate is a bitch was absolutely right!
And I didn't even say that as a joke or anything along the lines.
It has this twisted pleasure of bringing certain people into misfortune, it likes to see people suffer under the pressure of everyday life and some other things related to it.
And now I'm the living proof of that.
← To Be Continued