"I choose… Eternal Growth."
The words left my mouth before I even fully understood them.
The goddess Lyria blinked. For the first time, her perfect, serene expression slipped.
"Oh my."Her smile curved in a way that felt… a little too amused.
"Uh… is that bad?" I asked, suddenly worried I had chosen something ridiculous.
"Bad? No," she said, shaking her head. "Dangerous? Absolutely. To you… and everyone else."
"…That is definitely not comforting."
Lyria lifted her hand, and a glowing symbol appeared above her palm—like a spiral constantly unfolding outward.
"Eternal Growth," she said, "is the power to evolve endlessly. Every action, every skill, every experience—no matter how small—will increase your strength. Without limits."
"So it's like leveling up?" I asked. "Forever?"
"In a way. But unlike a game, there are no safe guidelines. It is unpredictable. Wild. Even I cannot foresee how far you may grow."
She leaned closer, her golden eyes glistening with mischief.
"You might reach the level of a king… or perhaps a god."
I swallowed hard.
"Wait, why are you smiling like that?"
"Because," she whispered, "this world could use a little… chaos."
"Chaos?!"
Before I could protest further, she snapped her fingers. A bright magic circle opened beneath me.
"Hold on!" I shouted. "I haven't even asked what the world is like! Or where I'll start! Or—"
"You'll figure it out," she said cheerfully. "I believe in you, Akira."
"That doesn't help!"
"Oh! One last thing," she added as the magic circle began pulling me downward. "Do be careful. Eternal Growth tends to activate even when you don't want it to."
"What does that mean—?!"
Light swallowed everything.
I tumbled through a vortex of colors until suddenly—
Thud.
My face met dirt.
"Ow… okay… reincarnation should come with a warning label."
I pushed myself up and looked around. I was lying in the middle of a peaceful green meadow, the sky above bright blue and cloudless. Birds chirped. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers.
It was… beautiful.
Then I noticed something else.
My body.
It was different—leaner, stronger, and definitely taller. My hands looked like they belonged to someone who actually exercised. I wore simple traveler's clothes: a white shirt, dark pants, boots, and a cloak.
Also, I felt… buzzing.
Like energy humming inside me.
Was this Eternal Growth?
Ping!
A soft chime echoed in my head. A translucent blue window appeared in front of me.
[Skill Acquired: Basic Meditation]
Reason: You calmed your emotions after reincarnation.
[Skill Level Increased: Basic Meditation → Intermediate Meditation]
Reason: Eternal Growth has accelerated advancement.
[Skill Level Increased: Intermediate Meditation → Advanced Meditation]
"Wait, I didn't even meditate!" I shouted.
Another window popped up.
[Skill Acquired: Complaining]
Reason: You shouted at nothing in particular.
[Skill Level Increased: Complaining → Intermediate Complaining]
"…No. Absolutely not. That's not a skill!"
Another window appeared.
[Skill Acquired: Denial]
I buried my face in my hands.
"This power is going to kill me."
Before I could sink deeper into despair, a rustling sound came from the grass.
I froze.
Something small, blue, and wobbly bounced out of a bush.
A slime.
A literal slime.Its round body jiggled like jelly, and two tiny black dots served as eyes. It stared at me with innocent curiosity.
"A slime," I whispered. "My first monster encounter…"
The slime vibrated. Then—
"Pyo!" it squeaked.
Wait. That was… kind of cute.
I slowly extended a hand. "Hey little guy. Please don't kill me. I just got here."
The slime moved closer… closer…
Chomp.
"OW! YOU BIT ME?!"
The slime latched onto my hand like a hungry dog.
Windows popped up instantly.
[Skill Acquired: Pain Resistance][Pain Resistance → Intermediate → Advanced][Skill Acquired: Slime Handling]
"STOP EVOLVING EVERYTHING!"
I shook my arm wildly until the slime popped off and bounced back onto the ground.
It tilted its head. Then—
"Pyo!"It nuzzled my boot.
"…Are you apologizing?"
"Pyo."
My first monster.My first friend.My first bizarre headache in this new world.
I crouched down and gently patted its head.
"Fine. You can come with me. But no more biting."
The slime happily jiggled.
I took a deep breath and looked toward the distant horizon, where a small town rested at the edge of the forest.
"A new world… a new life… and a power I can barely control."
I exhaled slowly.
"Alright. Let's get started."
The slime hopped beside me, and together, we began walking toward my future.
A future that, thanks to Eternal Growth…might become far more insane than I ever expected.