Hello, and welcome to my story A Third Chance. I am penniless with these openings but I will try my best anyway.
After learning about the anime, reading the manga, and reading most of the web novels in less than a month, I decided to write about a new idea was having. Obviously, there are many spoilers in this story, so you are warned. There are, however, also many details that are made up, and for spoiler's sake, I will not tell which parts are made up or are not.
I can continue on, but just message me if you want to know more about this story. Without further ado, let's start chapter 1 of A third chance.
Disclaimer: I do not own Mushoku Tensei. Mushoku Tensei belongs to its respective owners.
Reincarnation. A religious belief that the immortal soul moves from one life to another. I had experienced it once myself. But unlike a normal reincarnation, mine was special.
With the memories of my thirty-four-year-old NEET-self, I reincarnated in a different world as Rudeus Greyrat. Born to have a second chance, I experienced the world to the fullest. I overcame my previous fears, got two beautiful wives and a husband, and through beautiful deeds of instinct, had five children. I made friends and allies who would support me with their lives. I learned magic behind the border of knowledge and pushed my body to the limit of its capabilities.
But it wasn't enough.
At the end of the road stood one a familiar figure, a simple smile on his eyeless face. Hitogami.
Although we were enemies, I felt no hostile intent, nor did I held any hostile intent. As a soul who had passed to the realm of the dead, there was no reason for those unnecessary emotions. My head was clearer than ever. There was just one question lingering in there. Did I succeed?
''It seems you lost. Despite your best efforts, I will live on,'' Hitogami spoke as he read my mind. Not that he needed, for that question would have been readable on my face. Despite my best efforts, my poker face has never been something I could improve. To anyone who had basic knowledge on how to read faces, I was an open book.
Hitogami looked away as he added, ''I hope you are proud. You thwarted my plans multiple times and lived a full life. Although it didn't matter in the end, you have given it your everything. Now, leave.''
As light enveloped the hologram of my old body, a last wave of sorrow engulfed me. In the end, my efforts were in vain. Sylph, Roxy, Eris, I am sorry. I failed. There are so many things that I regret not to have done.
That sorrow vanished alongside my consciousness until my body was nothing more than mana. My senses, my memory, everything. It all became nothing more than mana. Mana that would eventually turn to something else. Perhaps I will become a panty or a demon beast that would just be slaughtered by some adventures. Frankly, only time can tell.
My perspective of time is no longer there. I can not tell the minute by the hour or the day anymore. Not that it mattered. Whatever happens to me no longer lies in my hands. Everything lies in fate's hands.
Days, weeks, months, years, decades passed by. Then, one day, a small bit of consciousness returned to me, just enough to notice a bright warm light enveloping me. Again, my consciousness faded away.
When I woke up, a bright yellow light hindered me from opening my eyes completely. It had been decades, so it was to be expected that my eyes would not be able to adjust quickly. When they did, however, my gaze met three familiar unexpected faces.
''Congratulations, ma'am,'' A woman with dark-red hair congratulated the blond woman that was holding me. ''It seems he is healthy, even if he isn't crying,'' She added with a mixture of shock and confusement as she swept some of the sweat drops from her forehead.
''Thank you, Lilia,'' The blond woman responded before she turned back to me and smiled. A beautiful motherly smile, that showed that she had just received the gift of a lifetime. It was a once-in-a-lifetime smile, at least until Norn and Aisha would be born.
''Let me hold him too,'' A male voice belonging to a brown-haired twenty-five-year-old softly said. With the clumsiness yet carefulness of an inexperienced father, I was picked up until I lay against a familiar chest. From there, the trustworthy green eyes of Paul Greyrat, my former father, looked at me with an expression I had long forgotten. An expression of a proud father, whose expressions overflowed with happiness.
Zenith and Paul Greyrat. My former parents were the ones who held me in their arms just now.
Almost naturally, I felt tears appear at the corners of my eyes. I tried to speak, but my body wouldn't listen. I tried to reach forward but again, my body wasn't obeying. I could do nothing, except stare at the man that I saw for the last time centuries ago. I cried.
Lilia looked relieved when I began to cry, as the only sound I could make was a baby's cry. Paul looked momentarily worried, but when Zenith tried to take me back, his worries flushed away. I wasn't letting go. Not again. ''He really likes you, honey,'' Zenith whispered relieved, smiling brightly at the happiness shining from her husband's face.
For my parents, it was a gift from heaven itself. For Lilia, it was a gift that would change her life forever. For me, it was a reunion that I never wanted to miss.
''Rudy, open wide,'' Zenith cheerfully said as she brought the spoon full of baby food to my mouth. Of course, I oblige. It is nice to be fed once in a while. Memories of a previous life popped up, where Sylph would sometimes do the same thing. The baby food wasn't as tasty as Sylph's cooking though, but being served was always a delight.
It was four months since my birth. Paul had taken up his sword as expected, and Lilia took care of the household. Zenith continued to spoil me, and frankly, I didn't mind. After so long, it made me happy to see Zenith so happy.
However, if you think I would sit still all day, you would be wrong. When I first arrived in this world, I learned that magic was a thing in this world. I had studied the language for two years before I started to use beginner Water magic. Since I already understood the language and understood how to form magic now, I just had to get my body to get used to it.
While everyone was distracted, I crawled to a separate room, turned on my back, and raised my hands to the ceiling.
There were many questions roaming my mind after my birth, but there many things I knew as well. I received a second chance, and this time, I would make certain I would succeed. For that, I need to be stronger. Stronger than I already was.
With that in my mind, I focused my attention on my fingertips and started.
Mana is the basic of magic. Every person starts with a certain mana reserve. Your mana reserve is determined from birth and can not be changed under normal circumstances. But I am a special case. My mana pool can reach heights no normal being could reach. That requires time and training, thus I have to start as early as possible.
After several hours, the first water droplets are appearing, but the water bubble is far from complete. As expected, even with my knowledge, my body isn't used to calibrate the algorithm yet without chant.
And then the water droplets fell down, indicating today's practice was over. My tank was empty. Thus, as tired as I was feeling, I had only one thing left to do. ''Waaah!''
''Ah, Rudi, what's wrong?'' Zenith asks concerned as she opened the door following my cry. However, after a quick inspection, and a gentle rocking in my mother's arms, everything was alright.
The following day was not much different. Around two hours a day mana pool training, getting spoiled by Zenith, training my crawling speed once again as I played unexpected hide and seek with Paul. It is good to be young.
It eventually took me four days to fully make a water bubble again, and with it, my true training started.
If I had no time in the afternoon, I would empty my mana pool in the evening, while my parents were working on creating more siblings for me. I made certain not to disrupt them during their sexy time, for that could mean Norn nor Aisha would ever be born. I will love every sibling that I get, but I definitely had a preference for the ones I already knew.
Months passed by, and the control of my legs was finally enough to lift me off my feet. Of course, I showed this the first time during family time, where I was praised even more. I began to speak small words, further making Paul and Zenith's face shine with happiness as I said Pa-pa and Ma-ma. I even made Lilia smile a bit when I pronounced her name. I continued training my muscles in coordination as I trained my mana pool as well, while still spending time with my family. Even Lilia would join me in a game of hide and seek once in a while.
Months to years passed by, each day filled with memorable moments. But once I was three, it was time for the next act.
It was a sunny day. A beautiful day as there was not even a single cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day. In other words, it was the perfect day to summon the first goddess.
From earlier expeditions through the house, I knew where to find the book that taught me magic in the first place. By memory alone, I skipped through all pages and stopped at the right page. I need to be as thorough as possible to make this look like an accident.
Wine of Vain. An intermediate water spell that produces a tube of high-pressure water.
Holding the book in my left hand, I raised my right hand to perform the spell. With the training I had been doing, the algorithm was easy. I had moved the water bubble without any constraints through the room without dropping it, so control should be doable as well.
Paul was in the north, thus aiming to the east was the best idea. Aside from the house, I wouldn't damage anything else but still be in plain view.
With my preparations complete, I aimed at the wall in the back and raised my hand.
*Crack!* a loud noise rang through the air as the tube of water opened a hole in the wall, and shot over the lands without any constraints. The pressure was several times bigger than the water bubble, but I was expecting it. I have to hold a little longer until it goes over the fields. As expected, my body is not used to the pressure. And burst.
Following the clenching of my fist, the tube of water thinned out and burst, creating a mini rain session that surprised Mr. and Mrs. Foreswift in the fields.
''What was that?!'' I heard my father shout shocked.
''It came from the library!'' My mother answered as their footsteps came closer and closer.
Everything went according to plan after that. A discussion between swordsmanship and magic studies, followed by the suggestion for both. Two parents who were once again proud of their son, especially Zenith. Paul would become my swordsmanship teacher, while they would hire a magic teacher. The last thing remaining is to leave everything in fate's hands.
Author notes:
This was it for the first chapter of A Third Chance.
I hope you enjoyed my little take on the web novel. This is just a pilot chapter to test the waters. If both the readers and I enjoy it enough, I am going to continue on this story. Please leave a review or just let me know if you like it or not.
I wish you a happy day and hope to see you in the next one. Beyor out!
