I died because of an idiot.
That was the final conclusion I reached after replaying the moment thousands of times in my head.
In the 21st century I had been a scientist—an intelligent one. I spent my life studying theories, experimenting with technology, and immersing myself in books, anime, and science fiction. My mind was always moving, always calculating.
Unfortunately, my lab partner was the opposite.
One mistake. One careless reaction in the lab.
Then came the explosion.
Fire.
Pressure.
And death.
Yet… I was still thinking.
Interesting.
My consciousness drifted within an endless black void. There was no body, no sensation, just my thoughts echoing endlessly in darkness.
Time became meaningless.
Days. Months. Years.
Maybe longer.
With nothing else to do, I thought.
I analyzed my past life, perfected scientific theories in my mind, imagined new technologies, refined philosophical arguments, and dissected every scrap of knowledge I had ever learned.
In a strange way, the void became my laboratory.
My mind sharpened endlessly.
Then, eventually… something changed.
A light appeared.
At first it was a tiny spark in the endless darkness. Slowly it expanded into a glowing sphere of brilliant white energy.
I stared at it.
The sphere spoke.
"Interesting… you adapted well."
Its voice echoed through the void itself.
"I am what you would call a god."
I processed that statement in seconds.
Probability of hallucination: low.
Probability of metaphysical existence: increasingly likely.
The glowing sphere continued.
"I have decided to reincarnate you."
That sentence alone triggered thousands of calculations in my mind.
Another life.
Another world.
Opportunities.
"But," the god added, "you will receive three wishes."
My thoughts accelerated immediately.
Three wishes.
That was both extremely powerful… and extremely limiting.
My first instinct was obvious.
"Can I wish for omnipotence?"
"No."
"Can I obtain the power of characters like Goku?"
"No."
The god sounded almost amused.
"The wishes must be within reasonable limits."
I sighed internally.
Of course.
Fine.
If brute force power was restricted, then I needed something else.
Something versatile.
Something powerful.
Something that could grow stronger over time.
My thoughts raced through thousands of fictional universes.
Magic systems.
Power structures.
Abilities.
Finally, one answer stood above the rest.
A genius scientist.
A master of forbidden techniques.
A man obsessed with knowledge and evolution.
I spoke.
"My first wish…"
"I wish to become Orochimaru, with all of his memories, abilities, chakra, knowledge, and techniques."
The light flickered slightly.
"Interesting choice."
I continued.
"I also want his connection to Ryūchi Cave, including the ability to summon snakes from there."
The god paused for a moment before responding.
"Granted."
Good.
My second wish focused on something far more important.
Resources.
Even a genius is limited without tools.
"My second wish," I said calmly, "is to possess a laboratory identical to Orochimaru's laboratory in the future."
"A laboratory containing every jutsu scroll in the Naruto world… the DNA of all important clans… and the bodies of powerful shinobi."
My mind flashed through possibilities.
The Sharingan.
The Rinnegan.
The cells of Hashirama Senju.
Bloodlines.
Genetic experimentation.
Immortality research.
Everything.
"And the lab will be sealed inside a summoning scroll connected to me."
"Granted," the god said again.
Excellent.
Now came the final wish.
The most important one.
Power alone meant nothing without the mind to use it.
"My third wish…"
"I want my intelligence drastically increased."
"I want the knowledge of every technology humanity will ever develop."
Cloning.
Advanced medicine.
Nanotechnology.
Genetic purification.
Everything.
Silence filled the void for several seconds.
Then the god laughed softly.
"You are far more interesting than most souls."
"I will grant it."
My mind trembled slightly as the knowledge poured into my consciousness like a tidal wave.
Blueprints.
Equations.
Technologies centuries beyond humanity.
Then the god spoke again.
"There is one additional detail."
"You will be reincarnated into the world of Percy Jackson & the Olympians."
Greek mythology.
Olympian gods.
Titans.
Monsters.
Demigods.
The god continued.
"You will also be born as a child of Athena."
That made perfect sense.
A goddess of wisdom producing a genius child.
Logical.
The glowing sphere began to fade.
"Your new life begins now."
The void collapsed around me.
My consciousness plunged through reality itself.
Then—
I opened my eyes.
Cold air brushed across pale skin.
I slowly lifted my hand in front of my face.
Small.
Young.
A child's body.
But the reflection in the nearby glass confirmed it.
Long black hair.
Pale skin.
Golden snake-like eyes.
I smirked slightly.
A twelve-year-old version of Orochimaru stared back at me.
And somewhere in this world…
Olympian gods ruled from the sky.
Monsters hunted demigods.
And beneath my bed…
A small scroll rested quietly.
Inside it waited a laboratory filled with the greatest secrets of the shinobi world.
I smiled wider.
"Well…"
"This world is about to become very interesting."