The first thing I noticed was just how blinding the white was, no floor, no ceiling, literally just endless white nothingness in every direction.
"Oh, come on," I muttered, looking at my hands. They were totally see-through. "The Void? Really? Are we actually doing the whole reincarnation cliche? Where's Truck-kun? Where's the old guy with the white beard saying 'my bad'?"
"Actually," a voice boomed out of nowhere. It sounded smooth, super deep, kind of like it belonged in a movie trailer. "I prefer to think of myself as a freelance consultant for the lost souls"
I spun around. Sitting right there in a leather armchair that definitely wasn't there a second ago was Morgan Freeman. Or at least, the God version of him from the movies. He was wearing a cream suit, holding a clipboard, and looking at me with that exact smirk he gives the camera.
"Morgan Freeman," I deadpanned. "Classic. Look, can we skip the part where you tell me I'm dead and go straight to the wishes? I've seen enough anime to know how this goes."
The entity chuckled, and the sound literally shook my chest. "Straight to the point. I like that. No crying over unfinished laundry or your search history?"
"I'm a man of culture," I said, crossing my arms. "Let's just get to the good stuff. I want to go to Fairy Tail. And yeah, I already have my list ready."
"Let's hear it then," he said, leaning back.
"First," I said, holding up a finger. "I want Great Sage from Slime Isekai. You know, the cheat skill that tells you how everything works and gives you an automatic map. Let's be real, I'm pretty dumb, and there's no way I'm surviving a magic world without a cheat sheet in my head."
"Done," he said, scribbling on the clipboard. Honestly, the clipboard felt completely pointless since he's literally God, but I guess he just wanted the theatrics.
"Second. Give me the Eyes of Gilgamesh from Fate. Yeah, Sha Naqba Imuru. I want that absolute truth sight where I can instantly read an opponent's magic, see through every lie, and peer into future timelines. No way I'm getting blindsided and dying like fodder. People hyped up the power of friendship in Fairy Tail, but let's be real, that plot armour is strictly for Natsu and the main cast, not me."
"High standards," he muttered. "I can manage that."
"Third," I said, leaning forward. "I want the Essence of Blank from those CYOA formats. Give me infinite scaling, no level caps, no limits on my magic capacity, and a soul that literally cannot be manipulated or corrupted by anyone. If I'm going into a shonen world, I'm making sure I can out-grind everyone. Plus, let's be honest, hot girls aren't exactly lining up for weak background characters."
Morgan Freeman raised an eyebrow. "Going straight for the broken, overpowered setup? Very well. Anything else?"
"One last thing," I grinned. "Let me steal Merlin's exact character design from Fate. The long pearlescent white hair, the staff, the whole flashy flower magician aesthetic. If I'm going to become a legend, I might as well look the part. And hey, maybe it'll help me pull that hot white-haired chick from the guild."
The deity stood up, his smile getting kind of creepy. "A fair trade for a soul. Consider it all granted. Enjoy the main cast, kid. They're a handful."
"Thanks, Morgan! See you in the next life!"
My soul started breaking down into glowing particles. I was so hyped. I was going to Magnolia. I was joining the guild. I was going to be the coolest wizard in the X780S.
But just as the light completely blinded me, I heard his voice one last time. It wasn't loud anymore. It was just a sharp, mischievous whisper.
"You didn't think that extra wish would be free, did you? Merlin lives a long, long time... Let's see how you survive four hundred years before the plot even starts."
WHAM.
Air hit my lungs like a punch to the chest. It wasn't the fresh, salty air of a port town either. It was boiling. It was heavy, and it smelled like sulfur, burnt wood, and blood.
I tried to stand up, but my legs felt short and completely wobbly. I looked down at myself. I was wearing a ripped white tunic, and my hands were tiny. I looked like a four-year-old. My hair was long and shimmering white, and I could feel this weird, heavy pressure behind my eyes as the Eyes of Gilgamesh settled into my head.
I looked around, and my stomach dropped.
This wasn't Magnolia. There was no guild.
I was standing in the middle of a literal graveyard of a village. Every single building was just a charred black skeleton. The crops were piles of ash, and the sky wasn't even blue—it was a terrifying, bruised purple, completely choked with thick smoke. In the distance, a roar echoed that literally sounded like a mountain splitting in half.
Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice flickered to life inside my head:
[Notification: Current Era — Year X376. Dragon King Festival in progress.]
I just stared at the ruins of the world. Four hundred years before Natsu Dragneel was even born.
"WTF."