Chase was just your average young man… with an above-average addiction to anime.His most secret hobby? Collecting dakimakura pillows from his favorite series. His room was already drowning in them, stacked like colorful, fluffy towers. But for him, there was still one critical piece missing.
"The fall 2019 lineup… I still don't have that limited-edition pillow!" he groaned, scrolling through online shops.
He found it, of course—but his smile froze when he checked his balance."Damn it… not enough money. Guess I'll have to hit the bank."
Lazy as always, Chase still dragged himself outside. A quick deposit, then his beloved waifu pillow would be his. Or so he thought.
The moment he stepped inside the bank, everything went sideways.
"Alright, this is a robbery! Everyone on the floor!"Gunshots rang out, and panic filled the room. People screamed, dropping to their knees as the masked robbers fired warning shots into the ceiling.
"Move it! Get to the vault! And don't touch any alarms, or the next bullet goes in your skull!"
Chase stumbled along with the crowd, heart pounding. He just wanted his pillow, not to star in some B-grade action flick. But as they were herded into the vault, disaster struck.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
"FBI! OPEN UP!" his phone blared.
Of all things, it was his alarm clock app—a dumb meme reminder he had set for himself. The blaring voice startled one of the robbers so badly that he spun around in fury.
"You little—!"
BANG!
The bullet tore into Chase's stomach. He collapsed, blood pooling beneath him as the world around him blurred.
(So this is how I die? Damn… I should've just stayed home with my pillows…)
His vision darkened… until suddenly, it didn't.
When his eyes opened again, everything was different. His body wouldn't move. He wasn't in the bank anymore. And standing before him was a young man, a glowing status window floating at his side.
[Lyon] – Level 19
Health: 1000
Mana: 300
Body
Power – 15/100
Dexterity – 17/100
Agility – 13/100
Mind
Intelligence – 30/100
Perception – 30/100
Charisma – 59/100
Spirit
Magic – 19/100
Resistance – 0/100
"What the hell is this…? Character stats?" Chase thought, utterly confused.
"Young man! Looking for a ring to aid your adventures?" came a shopkeeper's cheerful voice from behind him. "You've come to the right place! We've got accessories that'll boost your performance like never before!"
"Hm, could you show me your best ring?" Lyon asked, peering at the display.
Chase wanted to turn, but couldn't. He wanted to speak, but no sound came out. And then—someone picked him up.
"This one improves all body stats by twenty," the shopkeeper explained proudly. "But of course, it costs three thousand kroons."
"Three thousand? Too expensive. I've only got fifteen hundred. Show me something else," The man replied.
As the young adventurer held him up to the light, Chase felt the horrifying truth settle in.
"…Wait. Don't tell me. No way. I'm the ring?!"
His mind went blank. He struggled, but nothing happened. No one could hear his screams.
Then it hit him. The word "adventurer." The strange new world. His death at the bank.
"…I died… and got reincarnated… as a ring?!"