A Silent Night.
The clock on my phone read 23:49.
I was casually walking down Toar Toar Street when my foot decided to betray me… by stepping on a banana peel.
Instantly, my body flew like I was auditioning for a slapstick comedy, and my skull met a flower pot in the most disrespectful way possible.
When I opened my eyes again… I wasn't there anymore.
I found myself in a bizarre room—nothing but endless black marble floors, drifting black fog, and floating pots of all things.
Right in front of me stood a woman with white hair and clothes that looked… strange. She had goddess energy, I'll give her that.
She spoke first.
"Unfortunate human, you died because of a banana peel. Since your death is so pathetic, I'll grant you a second chance to reincarnate in a new world. And since I'm in a good mood, I'll give you some money. At least enough to eat and rent a cheap place."
I just froze there, torn between embarrassment and pure existential pain.
Seriously… I died like this? Zero dignity.
I muttered, "Great."
"I didn't finish Henshin Impact, I never learned the ending of Two Piece, I'm not even married yet—why do I have to die NOW?! What kind of cursed timing is this?"
The goddess continued, "Hey, hey, calm down. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Lavendia, the goddess who oversees Earth and handles human reincarnations. Don't worry, I'll give you a special ability."
Her stare suddenly became serious—majestic even.
"Your special ability is… to generate and manipulate onions."
I muttered again, "Bro at least give me something cool like shadow powers, hellfire, whatever. What am I gonna do with onions?"
Lavendia sighed long enough to age a century.
"Be grateful. You want to end up like Natsuki Subaru? Or worse, like Guts from Berserk?"
Before I could even argue, her fingers snapped.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a foggy forest.
Cold air. Damp ground.
My name is Azei. And honestly? I still haven't fully accepted my new life… but what choice do I have?
In this world, humans and other races coexist peacefully—well, at least in some regions.
This place has all kinds of races:
Humans, vampires, demons, half-wolves, half-cats, dwarves, half-dragons, slimes, spirits, elves, fox-folk, and finally… angels.
After walking a few minutes, I reached a big city gate with a sign that read:
Caerliona
Thin fog floated even around the entrance.
"Huf…" I stared at the money in my hand.
"At least that annoying goddess gave me something like… 199,000 Dhelmos. And the ability to summon onions."
I tried summoning one. A giant onion slowly appeared in my palm—looking as miserable as I felt.
I sighed.
"What am I even supposed to do with onions? Open an onion shop? Maybe I should just study proper magic."
Entering the city, I was shocked.
This world wasn't like typical fantasy worlds at all. There were old cars I swear I once saw in a history book, classic colored cameras, old-school firearms like hand cannons and matchlocks.
It felt like time travel… but with fantasy seasoning.
Caerliona wasn't a normal city.
It stood between eternal fog.
Western region, surrounded by pine forests.
Gothic architecture, red-brick buildings, old clocktowers, stained-glass windows reflecting the afternoon sun.
People walked around in formal clothing—but not just humans. Some clearly looked like vampires. Trem lines ran through the streets.
I stared around in awe.
"This world is pretty neat… too bad I didn't get Sung Jin-Woo-level powers."
After wandering, I spotted a sign:
Cheap Rentals! 49,000 Dhelmos per month (49% discount!)
Insanely cheap.
I rented immediately.
The owner just stared at me like I was a lost tourist, but hey—at least I understood their language.
(Dhelmos is the currency here.)
Three days passed.
A cold morning in Caerliona.
Fog creeping through my tiny rental home's window.
I sat on a worn-out rattan chair, messy hair making me look like a depressed NPC.
In my hands, a cup of coconut-flavored coffee—not because I liked it, but because it was 50% off.
Outside, tall gothic buildings lined the streets, trem bells echoing through the misty morning.
I glanced at my reflection.
"I look… extremely pathetic."
Meanwhile, locals dressed like they were extras in a 19th-century movie.
I bought some clothes to blend in, but the vibe mismatch was still insane.
Three days here, and my daily routine was basically:
Wake up late.
Buy local bread—hard enough to be used as a self-defense weapon.
Sip instant coffee while pretending to be a lonely mafia boss.
"Well, at least I can use basic fire magic now… kinda… if it doesn't explode."
"Still, I kinda miss my old world."
"A simple life like this… was kinda enough," I thought back then.
But the universe didn't agree.
That morning, I opened my wallet.
It was… empty.
Like-abandoned-for-two-centuries empty.
"Okay…" I exhaled sharply.
"I need a job."
Through the thick fog outside, I noticed a small sign swinging in the wind.
It read:
Café BondGia — Hiring Barista.
I froze.
"Looking for a barista, huh? Lucky me… I worked part-time as one before getting isekai'd."
My feet carried me to a red-brick café with a slightly faded wooden sign:
Café BondGia
The hanging lamp at the door swayed gently, as if welcoming (or warning) me.
I took a deep breath.
"Please don't be as weird as it looks…"
A tiny bell rang as I pushed the door.
Kring…