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"William, welcome to the afterlife. Unfortunately, you've died. It might've been short, but your life's now over." A soft voice rang outward, kind and gentle as could be. My eyes opened to see a dark room with checkerboard flooring. I shifted my legs on the wooden chair I now found myself on. In front of me, sat a woman with such beauty that would bring any mortal woman to shame. Without a doubt, she had to be a goddess.

She sat there, her silky-smooth blue hair flowing down to her waist, matching her gentle eyes. She wore a long-sleeved, white, and blue dress with gold trimmings. The dress had a wide, frilly see-through collar with a blue bow in the center. A translucent pink hagoromo hung around her. Her skirt was extremely short with gold trimmings, causing my cheeks to flush slightly. She wore blue thigh-high boots completing her whole outfit.

"Um, m-may I ask how I d-died?" I ask, my voice trembling.

She blinked, "Oh, you died during a robbery; some guy robbed the manga store to steal some from the eighteen and up section," She snorted.

"So, did I die trying to save someone and I don't remember?" I asked.

"No, you fell asleep; the robber let off a warning shot and didn't realize where you were sitting; next thing you know, a bullet is in your head." She said with a smirk.

"I fell asleep!?" I said in shock. I could help but flinch at my embarrassing death.

"Yep," She said still smirking. "Honestly, it was probably the most pathetic way to die that I've seen in a while."

I glared at her, and that's when I realized: this goddess was a total bitch!

With a sigh, she says, " My name is Aqua, I'm a goddess who guides young people who die in Japan. I understand this is a unique situation considering you aren't Japanese, but considering you died in Japan, I won't question it. You have two choices, reincarnate or go on to heaven like an old man."

"Like an old man?" I asked.

"Heaven isn't as dreamy as you would think. There's literally nothing there - no tv, games, or anything; just other people. You don't even have a body, so you can't do anything sexual or anything either. The only thing you can do is bask in the sun with your predecessors and chat - forever."

I was shocked at this information, nothing to do at all, it sounded like hell. I didn't want to lose my memories but what other choice do I have? Somehow, the goddess of bitchiness saw my look of disappointment.

"You don't want that, right? You don't want to erase all of your memories or go to heaven, right? Well, I got good news! There is a third option. Do you like games?" She grinned, resting her hand on her chin. She sat up, dusted herself off, coughed put her arm on her chest while the other she pointed outward in dramatic fashion. "The world, which has long enjoyed peace is being threatened by the Demon King's army! The livelihoods its citizens have worked for are being trampled by monsters. Everyone lives in fear of the Demon King's army's merciless pillage and slaughter!"

She looked down at me again, "People who died during the demon king's army were too scared to be reincarnated, fewer and fewer people are choosing to reincarnate. So, us being geniuses, we thought 'hey, this world will end if this continues; so, let's send the dead from other worlds over to this one.' Pretty cool, right?"

What a shitty immigration policy.

She held out a finger, "In addition, you can take one thing with you. It can be a powerful ability, a god-tier weapon, or a thing from your past. Isn't that amazing? It sounds like a good deal, right, right? Think about it, a new world, a new chance to be great! You could leave the past behind, make new friends, form your own harem of hot girls, you won't have to deal with people acting like you don't exist, and you won't be a loser anymore!"

Something about her calling me a loser for being alone pisses me off. On the other side, this deal seems like a steal! I can finally live in a fantasy world and leave my past behind - finally! "Hey, I'll be able to read and write, right?"

She reached out and grabbed a book that was sitting on a desk that I didn't realize was there. "There won't be a problem, we'll just overload your brain and stuff; though it might go, 'poof.'" She handed the book to me as I look at it.

"What do you mean my brain might go 'poof?'" I asked in alarm.

She raised her hand to cover a section of the book, "I never said that."

I looked had her skeptically, "I'm pretty sure you did."

She swatted her hand, "Don't sweat the small stuff." She flipped to a page that showed a catalog of items, "Here are some of the recommended items you could choose."

I saw a list of items, swords, magic, skills, and more. All of them sounded enticing but I had to choose one. I eventually heard the crunching of chips, "Hey could you hurry up, I got other souls to guide."

My cheeks flush, "Oh, sorry! I'll just have infinite stamina." Suddenly I paused, "did she just pressure me; now I'm stuck with a stupid ability!" I thought to myself.

"Alright, stay there, and don't move out of the magic circle." She said as she got up from her chair once more.

I felt my feet lift into the air, causing my eyes to widen. As I began to float, she spread her arms out wide, "William, you'll be heading to another world now and will become one of the hero candidates to defeat the Demon King. You'll receive a gift from the gods the moment you defeat the Demon King."

That sounds incredible, I could feel the excitement in my veins.

"Hero, may you be victorious among the many hero candidates and be the one to defeat the Demon King...! Well then, I bid you farewell!" As light enveloped me the last thing I heard out of her mouth was, "Man, I love saying that line."

As I waited for the light to dim, it felt like an eternity. Finally, the light dimmed after what seemed like minutes, and darkness surrounded me. Darkness, all I could see around me, darkness. It was as if I was drifting in an endless void, with no ground, sea, or sky to be seen, just me and the darkness.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice echoing and bouncing around the empty space. "A-Aqua, did something break?"

"Found you..." A deep voice bellowed out followed by a soft screech. It grew louder until it became unbearable, I covered my ears and shut my eyes hoping the noise would stop.

Suddenly everything went silent, I hesitantly uncovered my ears and open my eyes. I looked around, I saw the grass swaying in the wind, the bright blue sky above, and the sound of insects chirping. I finally arrived, I placed a hand on my heart to calm my breathing. I finally arrived, and I'm now in a new world with endless possibilities! Still, one thought ran through my mind: what the hell was that?

000

I look around and notice a large town nearby, surrounded by a large wall circling the perimeter.

Rows of people talking and walking, shop owners calling out and showing off to attract customers, and kids playing a game of chase. Among the citizens were people with armor, robes, swords, and staffs. There was an elf and a dwarf arguing over something. I ignored it, the first thing I had to do was get a job. I had to find the adventurers guild, I saw a group of what I assumed were adventurers, "Um, excuse me," I said.

A Large muscular man with a red mohawk turned to me, "Something you need?" He stood there leaning against the wall, his feet crossed. I stepped away slightly, intimidated by his large size.

"I was wondering if you knew where the adventurers guild is?" I asked timidly.

"You're new to adventuring, huh?" He asked.

"Y-Yes sir," I said.

He chuckled, "You wear some unfamiliar clothes, I take it you're not from around here either." He rests his large hand on my shoulder, "Welcome to the gates of hell, kid. Take a left and it should be on your right." He says as he points behind him.

I thanked him and made my way to the guild. I stood in front of the large wooden doors, the banner hung above it. With a gulp, I push the two doors open; the two doors made a loud creek notifying the staff of my entrance.

A woman who I assumed was a barmaid turned around, large beer mugs in hand. She had short brown hair and dark green eyes, "Welcome, if you want to eat; you can take any unoccupied seat. If your looking for jobs, head to the counter."

She gave a polite bow before resuming her work. With a sigh, I walked further in; I saw a blond woman sitting behind a counter. Her wavy hair was pulled back into a bun. She wore a white, off-the-shoulder low-cut top that reveals a large amount of her cleavage. Adorned with black shoulder and sleeve cuffs and a red ribbon around her neck. She also had low-rise jean shorts and short brown boots. As I approached her warm gaze fixed on mine, "Welcome, how may I help you?"

"I'd like to become an adventurer." I said.

"I see, there is a registration fee..." She said.

I froze, what the hell? Usually, this is the moment when they register you for free, or have some tutorial guy pay for you, right? "O-Oh, actually I-I think I forgot something." I rushed out of the room to save further embarrassment.

I had to find a way to at least register, I didn't even know the currency here. After searching, I eventually found ten of the coins. Without a second to waste, I rushed back to the guild.

"S-So, you found what you were looking for?" She asked awkwardly.

I was about to hand her the money before stopping myself, "Wait, how much do I need to pay?" I thought to myself. I'd look stupid if I asked for the price and how much each coin held. I thought long and hard before an idea struck my mind. I'll just 'accidently' drop all the coins and see how much she takes.

I grabbed all the coins and watched as they dropped on the counter. Her eyes widened, "Oh my, are you making a donation as well?"

"E-Eh?" I said. "A donation? I didn't know there was such a thing!" I thought to myself.

"Is that not what you're doing, sir?" She asked.

"Shit! I can't take it back now, I'd look like an asshole!" I thought. With a sigh, I said, "Y-Yeah, that's what I was doing." I slid the money toward her.

"Thank you very much," she said gleefully. She grabbed eight of the coins and put them in a jar named, "donations."

I stared at the remaining coins blankly. Ah, so it was two coins.

000

"Allow me to explain, Adventurers have their own occupations." She held up a blank card with some outlines, "This is your registration card. It keeps track of how many monsters you've killed. As your levels increase, you'll earn points that you can use to learn skills." She then points at a blue device on the table, "Please put your hand on top of the blue crystal."

I held out my hand on top of the blue crystal. Suddenly a bright light engulfed the crystal as the machine began to whir and click. A laser shot out, printing words on the card. After it was done, she picked it up and began to read it. "You seem quite average, it seems like your intelligence and magic are above average. I'd recommend you either become a Wizard or an adventurer."

"I'll just become an adventurer," I say.

She smiles, "Alright, welcome aboard William! All of us will be looking forward to your future exploits!" She held out her, inviting me to shake it.

I grabbed it and shook it, "Yeah, you too." We both started to sweat, "Ah, I made it awkward..." I muttered.

000

A week went by and I managed to get enough to buy a sword. I was on a simple quest to kill five horned rabbits. Sword in hand, I venture into the nearby woods. It's then I notice a furry head peaking out from the bushes, "Ah-ha, I found you." I raised my sword, "Come and get me."

The rabbit jumped forward with great speed, "Shit!" It pounced, aiming the horn directly at my chest. I quickly slashed it, causing it to fall lifelessly in front of me. "That's one down," I mutter to myself. I heard more rustling, I smirked and turned around. Sword in hand, I taught, "Oh, so you've come to avenge your fallen allies?" I looked and saw a pair of beady red eyes, then another, and another. Hundreds of eyes stared directly into my soul. I felt my blood run cold as I watched all the rabbits chase me, I did what any sane person would do and hauled my ass out of there.

I looked back to see that they started growing closer. I had no choice, there had to be some kind of skill. I grabbed my skill card and looked at the skills section. My eyes fell on the 'High Jump' skill, and I knew that this was my only choice. I activated it, feeling a surge of power coursing through my body. I charged toward the horde of rabbits, catching them off guard.

They hesitated for a moment due to the sudden change but continued to charge anyways. As a drew near I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. I noticed a large tree branch that seemed thick enough to hold my weight, and without a second to waste I jumped.

"High jump!" I called out. I felt power surge into my legs filling them with otherworldly strength. A blue glow emanated around my feet as I fell back down. Once my feet hit the ground, I jumped with all my might. My body shot up into the air, higher than expected. I overshot the brach and started falling, causing me to panic. I flailed around like an idiot trying to grab onto anything I could find.

Luckily, my arms found their way onto a tree branch. I clung to it as if my life depended on it, which in this case, it did. I looked beneath me as a floor of little fluffy hell spawns circled me. Waiting for me to fall and make me their next meal.

"Shit!" I said. I had to do something quickly. That's when I remembered a spell I had learned yesterday. Without a second to waste, I hesitantly took one of my hands off the tree branch and held it toward the rabbits. "Freeze!" A frosty mist blew out of my hand, covering the creatures. As soon as the mist made contact, the creatures froze to a halt as a thin layer of ice froze them in place. I knew that the spell was weak, any moment the ice could break, but because these creatures are weak it will take a minute.

I let go and let myself drop down onto the ice with a thud. I scrambled to my feet as I noticed the ice cracking, with quick swings of my sword I made quick work of the creatures.

000

I sat near a nearby table, staring at the money I made, next to my food. Eris is what it's called in this world apparently named after the goddess of luck. "Wish Eris would give me a little luck right now," I mutter to myself with a sigh. Even though I've been here for two weeks now and no one really asked to party with me. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and ask around.

Luckily I found a party with a kind man that seemed to take me into their party with open arms. We set out on a quest to enter a beginner's dungeon named 'Khiel's Dungeon.' The dungeon was dark and I was terrified. Thankfully, one of my teammates had the skill to see in the dark, but that didn't stop me from tripping over every rock.

We encountered a furry, feral monster with long ears and sharp teeth, and claws. These 'gremlins' as one of the members called them, were hard to hit due to their small size, especially in the dark. I tried to swallow my fear and support my teammates as best I could but I ended up flailing my sword like a baby bird trying to learn to fly. Thankfully due to the darkness, no one noticed, except the one that could see in the dark. Luckily, their large, pupilless eyes gave away their positions and saved me some embarrassment.

After we successfully completed the quest, the man was ecstatic and thanked me for joining his party. "This was fantastic! I'll look forward to working with you next time!" The man roared with laughter, shaking my hand vigorously.

"Yeah, it was fun; I can't wait!" I said with an excited grin. Despite the embarrassment, I was ecstatic to have actual teammates!

I was back in the stables, "Honestly, I wish the guild had an inn." It was common for adventurers to sleep in the stables, for some reason the guild never added an inn of sorts integrated into it. Until I get enough money to rent a room in a nearby inn, I'm stuck in the stables. I was too excited though, I finally found a group of people to accept me! People won't forget who I am anymore! I'm so glad I accepted Aqua's deal and no amount of horse shit can stop me! I take a big whiff, only to have the smell of horse shit invade my nose. I almost threw up that night.

000

"I'm sorry, who are you?" My teammate asked me.

"W-What?" I stood in shock.

He scratched his head, "I don't recall ever partying up with you, sorry." He looked confused and worried, he wasn't lying.

"O-Oh, I see, I'll be g-going now..." I say dejectedly. I quickly walked out of the guild. I shook my fist in frustration, that damned goddess lied to me. She said I would leave behind my past, how could I easily fall for it!? I felt like someone who got scammed into selling my credit card information.

With a sigh, I looked into the nearby lake, gazing at my reflection. My hazel eyes looked back at me, revealing the disappointment I felt inside. My face was round, my parents often said that I had a baby face. Despite being fourteen years old, my young appearance made it difficult to be taken seriously in my old world. While I am taken seriously in the world, it seems that my curse of being a loner hasn't. People still forget who I am, even now. My hair was short, covering one of my eyes. It may sound edgy but the truth is that it's been like that for years, and I never really had the chance to cut it.

As I assessed my physical traits, I noticed my brown long-sleeved tunic blowing in the wind. My hood kept flying on my head, despite the strap holding it down. I tried to fix the strap multiple times, but each time it would blow directly onto my head. A pair of grey pants were held together by a leather belt with a silver buckle. A pouch sat on my hip, containing my essentials like potions, water, snacks, and eris. On my other side, was a sheath for my sword, which was relatively small and fit for someone my size. Lastly, short leather boots with metal decorating the front.

Disappointed, I shook my head and muttered to myself, "Still the same as ever, I'm still the same damn kid. The only thing that's changed is I now have a useless hood." The words stung as they left my lips, but it was the harsh reality of the situation. Nothing changed, I could still see myself as the same student in America who everyone forgot about. All I could do now was hope for something to change.

I hate long Author notes, but I think this must be said: It's been a while, I want to apologize for the long delay between updates on my story. I've been focusing on rewriting the first three chapters, which I was never entirely happy with. I rushed through them and they felt too short, so I've been taking my time to improve them before posting chapter 9. To make up for this delay, I've decided to make this chapter a "prequel" of sorts, detailing what happened to William when he first arrived in this world.

I rushed this in the first chapter, and I want to take the time to do it justice now. I know some readers don't like insecure and meek protagonists, so I'll be working to build William into a more confident character over the next few chapters. Something I rushed and failed to deliver in the first chapter. I won't make him turn into an extrovert with bolstering confidence, but I want to make him more confident and show his growth realistically. These three chapters will focus on the relationship between Yunyun and William, and how Yunyun helps build William as a character. It's a difficult task, but I'm committed to delivering an improved story that lives up to your expectations.

On a final note: I want to apologize for the delay in revealing William's appearance. I've finally settled on a general idea of what he should look like, so I decided that in this chapter I would reveal him. I know it's been a long wait, but I hope it will be worth it. I apologize for taking so long, but please wait for me, I promise to deliver an improved story when I come back. It may take some time to finish due to the start of college, life, and other stories, but I promise to deliver a story that you'll enjoy. Thank you for all of your support! Please tell me your thought on what I should improve and change, this is something that I can't do alone so any suggestions will be helpful!