[cold]
The biting winter wind howled through the empty streets. The cold alone was enough to make anyone's bones shiver, yet the chill that had invaded the body of Kim Hyun-woo was far worse than the weather itself.
He was a normal university student—one you could find anywhere. Nothing special. Nothing outstanding.
If there was something remarkable about him, it was his misfortune.
Ever since he was young, disasters, mistakes, and bad luck had clung to him like a curse. No matter what he did, something always went wrong. And now, that ill-fated life was finally coming to an end.
He lay there on the open street, bleeding having been stabbed 67 times.
In fact, if he had even a sliver of luck, someone might have found him and helped him easily. After all, he wasn't far from the accommodation where he had just been enjoying a flat party. He was only a single hedge away from the main road, where cars sped past at high speeds.
[just my luck… god? no, no—if there is a god, he must really hate me. no point begging him. fate, heavens, or whatever governs my life has already decided i'm this pathetic. at least have some shame, shitheads.]
Kim Hyun-woo's consciousness began to drift, as if he were sinking into a dark river. The harsh cold vanished, replaced by nothing. No heat. No cold. No humidity. No sensation at all.
It was the very definition of absence.
Then, within the darkness, a spark of light appeared—white and radiant. It expanded rapidly, and a strong pressure squeezed him from all directions. The pressure built and built as the light grew, consuming the darkness entirely.
"Waa! Waa!"
The soft, squishy cries of a newborn echoed.
It was none other than Kim Hyun-woo.
His blurry vision slowly grew clearer, and an odd sight greeted him. Two giants loomed above—one a man, the other an old woman. The elderly woman was holding him gently before handing the small Kim Hyun-woo to a third person.
That third person was a young woman, clearly in her early to mid-twenties. She had black hair and striking red eyes. The unnatural hue of her eyes caused an epiphany to cross Kim Hyun-woo's mind.
[Did I get reborn? I got isekaied? red eyes aren't normal, so this has to be a fantasy world, right? yeah, it has to be. man, let's goooo—wait. pause. this is kinda weird. i'm an adult in a kid's body now. and as much as i like mushoku tensei, i ain't gonna be no diddy disciple. Oh man, i'm so cooked. I guess i'm staying single till i'm an adult… and even then, the mental gap's gonna be crazy. unless—maybe i find myself a vampire waifu or something. hold up… that's a lot of possibilities.]
The woman looked tired and haggard, yet she smiled warmly. That smile stirred something deep within Kim Hyun-woo—a feeling of warmth.
It was as if his own mother were looking down at him, smiling kindly.
The image of his mother passed through his mind, overlapping with the woman holding him.
She turned her head toward the man beside her. He had a rough brown beard and icy blue eyes. His smile was hearty, his eyes curved with joy. He spoke a set of strange words—odd sounding, almost germanic, yet also vaguely latin, classical in some sense. A strange mixture.
They seemed to be discussing something. After a few moments, the man looked excited while the woman appeared happy. He gently looked down at Kim Hyun-woo and spoke a set of words.
Kim Hyun-woo assumed it was his new name.
It sounded like Abel… or something close to it.
***********
Around seven months had passed since Kim Hyun-woo—or rather, Abel—had been reborn.
He had managed to learn the language quickly. Naturally, this was thanks to his young brain's ability to absorb and adapt to information easily, forming new neural connections. Alongside that, his mind and consciousness were still that of a young adult.
Because of this, he learned even faster—using his previous linguistic understanding as a foundation. He had even begun to comprehend the writing system. Bedtime stories his mother read to him helped immensely; once he could understand spoken language, comparing grammar and structure became easier. The grammar was fairly close to English, making the writing system far easier to grasp.
However, as of late, he had lost much of his joy and excitement for this new life.
Abel sat in his cradle, his face sullen, his eyes dull.
[of all worlds to be reborn into… mushoku tensei, really? it's not like i can increase my mana capacity, nor am i some great talent who can reach high levels in swordsmanship. i'm really stumped. it's not like i can just sit around and live a normal life. what's the point of being reborn then? and even worse, i'm fucked. the mana disaster is bound to happen. verna village is in the fittoa region, after all.]
As Abel turned in his cradle, his mind continued to swirl with thoughts.
[assuming i'm unlucky and have no great talent in magic or swordsmanship, i'll probably barely reach beginner level in either. and i'm no protagonist, so i doubt i've got some curse—or blessing—where the abnormality turns out to be beneficial. all i've got left is mediocre talent and slow growth. but i still have my knowledge. unlike Rudeus, i actually had a proper education. good thing i didn't pick some dumbass course like criminology—ah, i hate engineering. still, if i can learn even the basics and make magic items, i could get rich. good weapons too. a gun solves most problems, considering i'm not aiming to fight a god or anything. but still… man, i really wish i had some bullshit system, like a cultivation system or something. hold up—could i cultivate? i mean, maybe i can blaze a new path. even if it's way less effective, if I've got some way to grow stronger, so be it. and wouldn't that be fun?]
Finally, a crack formed in his gloomy expression.
Abel smiled… then began to laugh softly.
Downstairs, Lina—Abel's mother in this life—was preparing a warm stew. Hearing the soft giggles drifting down from the bedroom, Lina couldn't help but smile.