---
For fifteen years, Sarah Yamazaki's life was a tapestry of neglect and cruelty, woven by the very people who should have protected her. On her fifteenth birthday, that tapestry finally ripped apart. Her father, buried in debt, tried to sell her. So, Sarah ran. She ran until her lungs burned and her legs gave way—right into the path of an oncoming truck.
The world dissolved into darkness.
Hours—or perhaps seconds—later, she found herself standing in a void. An endless, silent blackness stretched in every direction. Lost and disoriented, a pinprick of light in the distance was her only guide. As she drifted towards it, a strange, compelling force pulled her in, a silent call she couldn't ignore.
The light expanded, revealing a throne room carved from clouds and sunlight. There, upon a majestic throne, sat the Goddess of Angels, Angela. Her presence was so immense it felt like a physical weight, pressing down on Sarah in the airless expanse.
A servant, Lendis, voice echoing with unearthly authority, commanded, "Kneel before your divinity."
The reality of her situation crashed down upon Sarah. I'm dead.
"You may become one of the Light Born," Angela's voice resonated, shaking the very fabric of the realm, "if you are fated."
A fragile spark of hope ignited in Sarah's chest. Maybe this was her chance for a better life.
That spark was snuffed out as a shimmering screen of light materialized before the goddess. Angela's divine eyes scanned it, and her lips curled into a faint, incredulous sneer.
"How pathetic," she declared, her tone dripping with disdain. "Your soul is weaker than any mortal I have encountered in twenty billion years. You are... useless."
Before Sarah could even process the insult, Angela flicked her wrist. The celestial throne room vanished, replaced by the damp, cold darkness of a cave. The distant roar of a monster echoed, sending tremors through the stone. Her heart hammering against her ribs, Sarah scrambled behind a large boulder, clutching her knees to her chest.
It was no use. A low growl rumbled from the shadows, and a fearsome wolf with stone-like fur emerged, its eyes glowing with predatory hunger. Sarah turned to flee, but her foot caught on a loose rock. With a cry, she stumbled, plunging into a deep, dark chasm within the cave.
Her world became a dizzying fall, ending with a sickening crunch.
When Sarah's eyes fluttered open, her body ached. Beneath her was something soft and yielding. Pushing herself up, she gasped—she had landed directly on a grotesque, low-ranked goblin, killing it instantly on impact.
What is happening?
As if in answer, a transparent, blue screen materialized in front of her vision.
[ << SYSTEM BOOT-UP COMPLETE >> ]
[ << WELCOME, USER >> ]
Sarah stared, utterly bewildered, as text scrolled across the screen.
[ Damage Dealt to "Level 9 Rock Wolf": 1 HP (Fall Damage) ]
[ Rock Wolf has been eliminated. ]
[ Congratulations on your first kill! ]
A new window popped up, displaying her personal information.
---
STATUS: Sarah Yamazaki
· Age: 15
· Ability: None (Awaiting Activation)
· Level: 4
· Rank: C
ATTRIBUTES:
· Strength: C
· Speed: C
· Endurance: D
· Intelligence: A+
· Potential: S+
---
Before the despair could fully set in, a cheerful, synthetic voice chirped in her mind.
"Nice to meet you, Sarah Yamazaki! I am your System guide."
Sarah's breath hitched. "A... System?"
"Indeed! I am here to facilitate your growth and integration into this world. However, there is a primary directive I must relay." The System's voice turned almost apologetic. "Unfortunately, you have been formally rejected by the pantheon of gods as a 'Chosen One.'"
The words hit her like a physical blow. Rejected? Even in death, even by deities, she wasn't good enough.
"Why...?" The word was a raw whisper, torn from her throat. "Why did they reject me?"
"The criteria for divine selection are complex," the System explained, its tone matter-of-fact. "Every reincarnated individual possesses unique stats and abilities. Your situation is... complicated. Your base attributes are relatively low."
Her eyes drifted back to the damning screen. C-Rank Strength and Speed. A D in Endurance. She was fragile, weak, and slow. The only things that stood out were her formidable Intelligence and the cryptic, S-Rank Potential.
What kind of hero has stats like this? she thought, a wave of bitter despair washing over her. I'm not a hero. I'm a reject.
The System's interface glowed steadily, a silent promise and a reminder of her inadequacy.
---
Sarah stood in the silent cave, the System's warning flashing in her vision like a crimson alarm.
[WARNING: Host is in a high-threat zone: Abyss Cave. Monster activity: High.]
[Recommended Actions: Immediate Evasion or Rapid Leveling.]
Before the panic could fully set in, a new prompt appeared, its text glowing with a soft, golden light.
[Emergency Skill Available: Auto-Battle Mode. Activate?]
Auto-Battle Mode? Sarah pondered the words. Did it mean the System would pilot her body like a puppet? The thought was terrifying—to surrender her very self. But as she glanced at her stats—the D-Rank Endurance, the C-Rank Strength—and listened to the echoing growls drawing nearer, she knew her options had run out.
"Activate," she whispered.
A wave of cold numbness washed over her. Her last conscious thought was the sight of the skill's description finalizing in her view.
[Auto-Battle Mode: Activated.]
[Duration: 00:20:00.]
[User consciousness: Suspended. System control: Engaged.]
Her body went rigid, her expression blank. For the next twenty minutes, she became a perfect, efficient weapon. The System, wearing her form, moved with a grace and lethality Sarah herself could never possess. It weaved between the fangs and claws of the Rock Wolves, striking weak points with brutal precision. One by one, the monsters fell, and Sarah's experience points soared.
When her mind snapped back into her body, it was met with a tsunami of agony. Every muscle fiber screamed in protest, feeling as if they had been shredded and set on fire. Gasping for breath, she clutched her trembling legs, the System's earlier warning about "muscle injuries" now a brutal, physical reality.
She had survived, but the cost was immense.
Forcing her eyes open, she saw her updated status.
[LEVEL UP: 4 -> 25!]
The incredible gain was small consolation for the pain. As her vision cleared, three new notifications shimmered into view.
[New Skills Unlocked!]
- Regeneration (Low-Grade)
- Mana Drain (Low-Grade)
- Weapon Mastery (Low-Grade)
A flicker of hope—these could be her path to true strength, a way to survive without relying on the dangerous Auto-Battle Mode.
"System," she thought, her mental voice strained. "Where am I?"
[How should I know?] the System replied, its tone infuriatingly casual.
"Are you really that useless?" she snapped, her irritation cutting through the pain.
[I am a combat and growth companion, not a GPS. My purpose is to facilitate your power progression, not provide travelogues.]
Frustrated, Sarah pushed herself to her feet, wincing as she limped toward the cave's exit. In the distance, she spotted the spires and smoke of a town. As soon as her eyes focused on it, a new System tag appeared.
[Location Identified: Frenria Town. A settlement predominantly populated by Demi-humans. Suggestion: Register with the local Adventurer's Guild.]
Sarah stopped dead, a fresh wave of annoyance washing over her. "You knew? If you knew, why didn't you tell me immediately?"
[You did not ask for a location assessment. My primary function is reactive to your direct inquiries and combat needs.]
Suppressing a sigh, Sarah forced a smile. It was just her and this frustrating, literal-minded program. Squaring her shoulders, she began her painful walk toward Frenria Town, determined to become an adventurer on her own terms.
---