"Damn, another ad... seriously?"
In a poorly lit room, a young man wearing a simple t-shirt and black jeans stared at his computer screen with irritation.
Claud Greyson is a twenty-year-old student who has a bank account as empty as his fridge.
"Damn... Why today?"
Today was an ordinary Saturday, but Claud had managed to get a free day.
He just wanted to... enjoy a lazy day in peace, but things took an unpleasant turn.
He had just encountered a pop-up on his favorite illegal scan site while observing an important scene from a manhwa called Overgear.
'Shit, I clicked wrong.'
The ad had redirected him to a strange site offering... a new life in exchange for a simple survey.
"What idiot created this thing? An online scam attempt?" he grumbled for a moment before trying to leave the platform.
Without success.
Despite the obvious phishing risks, his computer wouldn't leave this platform even after turning it off and on again.
In Claud's pragmatic mind, an iPhone as a prize would have been much more credible and attractive as bait than a new life.
Yet the scammer dared to use a potential "isekai" to attract victims.
However, Claud ended up playing along with the online scammer's game.
'Anyway, my account is in the red and my computer contains nothing that would interest a hacker.'
Coming from a large family, Claud had left the family nest early to relieve his parents.
Between odd jobs and studies, he barely managed to make ends meet each month.
This led him to conclude that the scammer would just get tired of him after searching through his account.
[ Thank you for agreeing to participate in the Re-life group survey ]
[ First question: What world would you like to live in? ]
His fingers instinctively typed 'The Warlock of the Magus World' before freezing, after becoming aware of something important.
'What if it's a real supernatural survey? Could he really beat Leylin Farlier?'
Worshipping Leylin Farlier was one thing... but challenging him for supernatural resources and power was a completely different story.
'If I'm afraid to compete with Leylin, then Reverend Insanity is out of the question.'
Fang Yuan wasn't simple either.
"Let's go for an easier universe... Tensura? Why not."
Tensura's universe has nothing to envy the Magus world in terms of power and he'll deal with fewer psychopaths.
After all, there are dangerous madmen in Tensura but every magus or rank 7+ entity are madmen possessing frightening intelligence.
Not to mention that the more a Magus evolves, the more extremely intelligent they become.
'Leylin even compared ordinary Magus intelligence to computers, or even more.'
Thus, Claud doesn't have the confidence to face these intellectual monsters hungry for power.
He embraced his cowardice.
[ Answer recorded ]
[ Second question: What character would you like to embody? ]
[ Advice: OC characters are not allowed ]
'Of course, Rimuru...'
Claud stopped in the middle of this thought.
Why become Rimuru? Why not someone else?
As a reader of various manhwas and novels, he had unconsciously rebelled against taking a clichéd path.
"Can you send me as Benimaru's little brother?"
Why little brother and not his elder?
"I've been a big brother too long... I'm tired of sacrificing for others."
Claud knows this is childish and immature, but it's an online survey, right?
There's nothing serious here to begin with.
'Anyway, that idiot Benimaru will become Rimuru's subordinate... I just have to survive without the slime.'
Claud couldn't help but congratulate himself for his intelligence, but he had the feeling he was forgetting something.
'If it's important, then I'll remember it.'
[ Answer recorded ]
[ Now, please configure your power or choose an existing one from a story or within the multiverse. ]
Claud surprisingly spent several minutes thinking about this case, since he had several ideas that jostled in his mind.
Finally, he decides to take an option from the last manhwa he read.
'Overgear... I really had a good time with this work.'
After requesting Pagma's inheritance, the screen suddenly went black.
"Don't tell me he fried my PC..."
Since he had no real reason to fear a hacker, Claud lent himself to this little online joke.
But he would never have believed he'd lose his PC in the process.
'He probably got frustrated after realizing my financial situation.'
Despite the painful loss of the PC, Claud felt satisfied to have wasted the hacker's time.
Unconsciously, he sketched a mocking smile imagining a dejected hacker.
As Claud was beginning to consider using his future salary for a more powerful computer, despite the future landlord's complaint.
A strange sound caught his attention.
"What the?!"
Claud didn't have time to react before a violent explosion smashed his head against the computer screen.
His brain matter was spread on the floor, and he died instantly.
---
In an ogre village located in the great Jura forest, there had been a great event.
The birth of the village chief's third child.
People were enthusiastic about the news, because ogres are a strong race feared in the forest.
The more members they have in their village, the more they can prosper, simple but effective logic.
Yet... fate had other plans.
The happy event turned into mourning.
The mother did not survive childbirth.
'Damn... the survey was real.'
While people were in mourning after the chief's wife's death.
The baby ogre observed his environment while swearing words inappropriate for an infant.
[ Activating Pagma's inheritance... ]
He continues to utter curses about the owner of the unknown platform, until the appearance of something strange.
A holographic screen.
[ Alert!! ]
[ Error... detected... ]
[ Unknown power readjustment ]
The mechanical voice suddenly changed tone... it was as if it was someone else.
[ The legendary blacksmith Pagma's inheritance is altered... ]
[ You have received the unique skill Heir of Pagma ]
[ You have received the unique skill Morpheus ]
"W... what?"
[ I am Morpheus, a former artificial intelligence altered by various elements. ]
The baby ogre's eyes widened, as he recognized the AI Morpheus thanks to his little introduction.
Morpheus is a super AI from the SA group.
He is responsible for calculating the time needed for events in the virtual reality game Satisfy in the manhwa Overgear.
So, he manages a virtual reality game with millions of players without making errors in his calculations... except for 5 abnormal people.
"B... but I just asked for Pagma's inheritance."
[ Indeed, but you associated or linked my existence to that of the legendary blacksmith Pagma's inheritance... ]
[ And according to my observations during your reincarnation in this reality, perception and desire greatly affect your existence. ]
Claud couldn't refute Morpheus's words, since he was right.
In Tensura's universe, a person's desire and perception greatly influence the world and the latter.
Thus, will is extremely important to become powerful in this universe.
Claud got Morpheus because he instinctively associates the holographic panel of the manhwa with Morpheus and this includes the legendary blacksmith's inheritance.
"Besides your voice, I heard another... is it the voice of the world?"
A question of pure curiosity.
He had already guessed that the voice of the world had altered his power.
Otherwise, Morpheus probably wouldn't exist and he would have just had Pagma's inheritance.
[ The entity named by you 'voice of the world' has indeed interacted with you and altered Pagma's inheritance. ]
He wanted to discuss further, but sleep was stronger.
After all, he had just been born.