transmigration always seemed like a fun cliché in fanfic I read: someone with a miserable life saves a person from a truck, meets a random ROB, and is reborn in some anime or movie world. I never imagined it would be any different with me — especially since my life was good. Cool parents, a peaceful routine, senior year of high school... only a few weeks left until classes ended.
Now I'm in the middle of a forest, in a body that is definitely not mine. And, worse yet, I'm a kid again.
I take a better look at myself: dark red hair, vibrant blue eyes, a thin body... about ten years old, maybe. It wasn't a bad look, but it wasn't mine. At least climbing these giant trees could give me some idea of where I was.
I grabbed the bark of the nearest tree. Rough, cold, covered in a moss that emitted a faint glow. I pushed my body up and...
It was too easy.
"Okay... that is not normal," I muttered, pulling myself onto another branch.
In my old body, I was sedentary. Now, I felt an unnerving lightness. The combat boots had perfect grip, the gray vest didn't hinder me. It was as if my body had been trained for this.
When I broke through the canopy, the light burned my eyes for an instant. A green sea stretched for miles. Colossal trees, almost natural skyscrapers.
"Fantasy world confirmed," I sighed. "All that's missing is the system..."
I held out my hand like an idiot.
"Status."
The mental "ding" almost made me laugh.
A blue holographic screen appeared.
"Thank you, universe. I won't have to play on hardcore mode."
[Achievement Gacha System] [STATUS] Name: Axel Drake
Age: 10 years
Conquest Points (CP): 0
Titles: Traveler
Inventory: Empty
Suddenly, a new golden window shines. [Congratulations! You have traveled to another world. Due to this, it generated the achievement "Traveler".] Reward: 10 gacha spins and the title "Traveler", which allows you to travel to other worlds without breaking the rules of this world. — Oh, that's great! I'm not a world invader. Good to know. At least I have 10 free spins. My luck wasn't that terrible. Come on... this unknown world can have all kinds of dangers. I pressed the gold button [SPIN x10].
— Ah, que ótimo! Eu não sou um invasor de mundos. Bom saber. Pelo menos tenho 10 giros grátis. Minha sorte não foi tão ruim. Vamos lá... este mundo desconhecido pode ter todos os tipos de perigos. Apertei o botão dourado [GIRAR x10].
[GACHA RESULTS (10/10)]
⚪ Common Item: Nutritious Protein Bars (x5) — Never expire. Vanilla flavor.⚪ Common Item: Bottomless Water Bottle (Rank F) — Produces 2L per day.🟢 Uncommon Equipment: Throwing Knife Set (x3) — Returns to inventory after 1 minute.⚪ Common Item: Medical Bandages — Speeds up the healing of small cuts.🔵 Rare Skill: Emperor Eye (Kuroko no Basket).🟢 Uncommon Item: Small Dimensional Backpack — 50 kg capacity, weighs nothing.🔵 Rare Consumable: Super Soldier Serum (Diluted – Marvel).⚪ Common Item: Infinite Zippo Lighter.🟡 SSR Skill: Shadow Step — Teleport between shadows (10m).⚪ Common Item: Gold Coins (x10).
My God, Lady Luck! An SSR skill! Could there be something above that? Maybe EX rank or UR…
But with the Emperor Eye, the Super Soldier Serum, and Shadow Step, my survival was already guaranteed.
I pulled out the neon-blue vial and drank it. The transformation was intense, but not painful. I had basically become a compact weapon.
"Damn, I feel amazing…" I muttered.
With everything equipped, I climbed a bit higher. My eyes caught something they couldn't before: a thin trail of smoke about two kilometers away. A campfire. Possible civilization.
I leapt from the tree and headed toward it. My movements were light, fluid, almost instinctive. The closer I got, the more details I picked up. The fire, the smell of grilled fish… and a very small old man sitting beside the flames.
White cloak. Fur coat. An unmistakable symbol on his back.
My heart froze.
Makarov Dreyar. Master of Fairy Tail. One of the Ten Wizard Saints.
I hid in the bushes, but my Emperor Eye caught his aura—warm, golden, overwhelming. Like staring at the sun condensed into a person.
A notification chimed:
🏆 Epic Achievement: Welcome to Earthland!Reward: 500 CP + Magic Menu unlocked
New mission: Join Fairy Tail.
Before I could react, the old man spoke without looking at me:
"Boy, monsters in this forest love children who hide. Don't you think you should come out before they turn you into dinner?"
I held my breath. I'd been discovered.
I stood up, stepping out of the shadows. Makarov studied me with small, sharp eyes.
"Hmph… flashy hair, curious eyes, strange clothes…" He pointed at the fish. "Hungry?"
"I… yes. Thank you."
I sat beside him. The fire's warmth was comforting.
Makarov took a bite of fish before saying:
"So, where do you come from, Axel?"
"From… very far away. A gate appeared, pulled me in, and I ended up here. That's all I know."
He seemed to consider the answer. He didn't detect a lie. Good.
"Dimensional gates… hm. That explains why you're not carrying lacrima, nor feeling Earthland's magical flow like the local children."
"Magical flow?" I asked, tilting my head.
Makarov smiled lightly.
"Here, we live with magic from a young age. It's in the plants, in the air, in the mountains, in people. You must be feeling a weight in the air, right? As if the world itself had a heartbeat."
I really was feeling something pulsing around. I thought it was my imagination.
"And lacrima?" I asked.
"Oh, they're crystals—condensed magic sources. We use them for everything: lighting, heating, storing power, even fighting," he said casually, like it was normal. "In big cities like Magnolia, you'll even find appliances powered by magic."
He cast a short glance toward the forest.
"But far from the cities, magical creatures grow more aggressive. Young apprentices always travel with guilds."
"Guilds?" I asked.
Makarov laughed.
"Groups of mages who work together. We hunt monsters, solve problems, protect people… and cause a bit of trouble sometimes. Fairy Tail, for example, is famous for that."
The pride in his voice was impossible to ignore.
"And you… you're the master, right?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"So you know my guild?"
Shit. I said too much.
"I… heard stories. Rumors."
He studied me again. Then sighed.
"Well, better good stories than bad ones."
He handed me another piece of fish.
"Axel, you're alone, and you don't know this world. Magic can be dangerous… but it can also give you purpose. If you want, I can take you to Magnolia. There, you can decide what to do."
My heart pounded. The mission window flashed in the corner of my vision.
[MISSION: Home of the Fairies — Progress updated]
Makarov smiled kindly.
"So, what do you say, boy? Care to walk with an old man for a while?"
I smiled back, swallowing the fish.
"I do. I think… this might be my new beginning."