Walking out of the hospital's sliding doors, I stepped onto the concrete sidewalk. Making my way toward the gas station, which wasn't far, I pulled a red box from my pocket and opened it.
Inside was a half-smoked blunt. I grabbed it and brought it to my lips, while my other hand reached for my lighter, bringing it up in one fluid motion.
Today was the day I would officially become a father.
Not just to one child, but two.
Twins.
Elaine asked me to get her some orange juice. I should also check for some coffee. I'm slumped.
I took a puff, letting the smoke fill my lungs. I held it in for a good five seconds before releasing it with two loud coughs.
My eyes suddenly caught sight of something. I held back another cough as I looked in the direction of a group of Japanese-looking students.
Wait… Japanese?
My mind momentarily short-circuited, but I quickly shook my head, dismissing the thought.
Nah, I must be overthinking it. They're probably here for some competition with schools from other countries or something…
I ignored the strange feeling in my gut and refocused.
Before I could change direction, a sudden, deafening honk rang out, catching my attention.
I looked back toward the three teenagers.
A large truck was barreling straight toward them.
A nearby car continued honking, desperately trying to get their attention, but they were obviously oblivious.
Shit.
Something inside me suddenly leaped into action.
My legs began moving on their own.
I rapidly sprinted toward them, hoping I could at least push them out of the way. I was sure I could be saved—hell, there was literally a hospital right next to us.
But three patients?
I zeroed in on them, yelling for them to move.
And just as I was about to reach them—
—a blinding light consumed all three of them.
I didn't even have time to think.
The horn blared.
The truck's front bumper slammed into me.
Did I underestimate the force of a truck…?
…
Everything hurts..!
I felt wet droplets fall from my eyes as cold liquid slowly poured out of me. My head felt like it had been smashed open and my brain was falling out, though maybe that was an exaggeration.
It hurts so fucking much..!
"Aaaagghhhhhh!!"
I tried to scream, but only a small wheeze escaped my lips. My collapsed ribcage seemed to sink deeper and deeper into my lungs.
𔘓 Confirmed. Acquisition of Extra Skill: Pain Nullification.
Why..? I couldn't even see my own children.. For God's sake, am I going to die..?
My body slowly began to go numb as the pain gradually receded into dull pulses.
Cold…
Terrifyingly cold…
I had probably lost too much blood.
I could feel my body being hoisted onto something, though I couldn't exactly tell what. My eyes remained tightly shut, the pain making it nearly impossible to open them.
𔘓 Confirmed. Acquisition of Extra Skill: Cold Resistance.
𔘓 Confirmed. Acquisition of Extra Skill: Third Eye.
Ughh… shut up!!
Who the hell even is that?
My thoughts became murkier and murkier as I desperately tried to remain conscious.
But even I knew that staying awake was slowly slipping beyond my control.
Wait…
The voice… this whole situation…
Isn't this like TENSURA?
So then… is that the Voice of the World?
I'm dying… Please… don't let me die.
I still have my children to see.
Please, I beg you.
Reincarnate me if you have to… just give me the chance to see my children one more time.
Please…
𔘓 Confirmed. Acquisition of Unique Skill: Saṃsāra Wheel
Samsara Wheel?
I couldn't understand what it meant.
Right… what did Rimuru say to get his skills again..?
Aa, fuck it.
"Predator!"
"Great Sage!"
𔘓 Confirmed. Attempting to acquire Unique Skills: Predator and Great Sage…
𔘓 Acquisition failed. Searching for suitable substitutes…
𔘓 Creating substitutes…
𔘓 Confirmed. Acquisition of Unique Skills: Wise One and Devourer.
I could feel myself fading away.
Wait… hopefully I don't reincarnate as a slime.
That'd suck.
I still hope to be human… or at least humanoid.
I wouldn't mind being a vampire, werewolf, or something…
Actually, scratch that. Maybe not a werewolf.
Maybe a werelion.
An albino one would be cool…
Then again, I also wouldn't mind being reincarnated as a protagonist from one of the mangas I've read.
It'd make getting back here a lot easier…
As I thought about it, a sudden image of a certain anime about a man reincarnating into a magical world resurfaced in my mind.
Mushoku Tensei…
I'd definitely do better than that old perverted geezer.
..
𔘓 Confirmed. Searching for suitable universe…
𔘓 Universe found.
𔘓 Altering body DNA to meet standards.
𔘓 Confirmed. Creating new race: Tribrid — Werelion, Vampire, Human.
My mind slowly drifted into a comfortable sleep.
A sleep I couldn't hold myself back from.
My body finally relaxed against the medical operating table they had placed me on.
And so…
That was the end of my first of many lives.
I didn't know it back then, but the very concept of Home would eventually become meaningless.
For this universe…
was unreachable even to the Ancient Ones.