Cold.
Shaking.
Darkness.
A groan escaped Zeke Ren's lips. He pushed himself up from the hard ground, his body aching, his mind a fog.
"Took you long enough," a voice sneered. "You're the worst of the new batch."
Zeke's eyes snapped into focus. A man with a jagged scar across his face loomed over him, his expression one of pure disdain.
"Sorry," Zeke replied instinctively.
His mind was reeling. Where the hell am I? Is this even Earth?
He wasn't alone. Ten people, men and women of all ages, trembled behind the scar-faced man. A small, heavyset man was already on the ground, his face a mask of bruises as the veteran's boot rested on his chest. He was wheezing, trying to suck air into his lungs.
This scene... it was straight out of a death-game webnovel.
Did I transmigrate into 'Infinite Terror'?
But this wasn't the high-speed train from that story's opening. This was... somewhere else.
Zeke looked to his side, and the breath caught in his throat.
A faint, blue barrier rippled at the edge of the platform, shedding the biting night wind. Beyond it, far below, a sea of pine trees blurred into a dark, flowing river.
He was flying.
A massive, rough-hewn wooden plank, easily the size of a bus, was carrying him and these strangers through the night sky. In the far distance, the mountains sat like a slumbering, monstrous beast, waiting for them.
Panic clawed at his throat, a cold, metallic taste. He forced it down. He forced his expression to remain calm, neutral. He was just another confused, terrified victim.
"I take it back," the scar-faced man said, his sneer fading slightly as he looked at Zeke. "You're at least better than this fatty."
He drove his heel into the man on the ground, who gagged.
"This idiot woke up screaming," Scarface explained to no one in particular, his voice full of contempt. "Shouting about how rich his family was, how he'd have me arrested for 'kidnapping.' Pathetic."
He laughed, a harsh, ugly sound that cut through the wind. "In the Reincarnation Space, power is the only currency. You rookies are in no position to question a Veteran."
Scarface lit a cigarette, the cherry flaring in the dark.
"Now," he commanded, "focus your minds on the tattoo on the back of your right hand. Shut up and read. Everything you need to know is right there."
Zeke looked at his hand. A simple, circular tattoo pulsed with a faint, internal light. He focused.
A screen of blue light, visible only to him, bloomed in his vision.
[Reincarnator ID: 33550336. Welcome to the Reincarnation Space.]
[You are currently dead. Upon completion of the Novice Trial, you will be formally resurrected.]
[Current Trial World: "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End".]
[World Synopsis: The Demon race ravages the land like a natural disaster. The Hero's party has begun its quest to defeat the Demon King.]
[WARNING: Do not reveal any information regarding "Reincarnation Space" to story characters. Violation will result in the immediate forfeiture of your resurrection.]
[Hint: The Reincarnation Space has loaded the common language of this world into your consciousness.]
[Hint: Make good use of your Talent. It is likely your only means of completing this trial.]
[Your Talent: "When in Rome" (S-Rank)]
[Effect: Usable once per world. When you first join a faction:
If the faction is primarily non-human, you will gain their racial bloodline.If the faction is primarily human, you will gain their signature ability.]
I see. Zeke's mind, which had been foggy with panic, sharpened into icy clarity.
Karoshi. He'd died from overwork. He remembered the spreadsheet blurring, the taste of cheap coffee, the sudden, crushing pressure in his chest. He'd died at his desk, a corporate slave to the very end.
And this... this "Space"... had given him a second chance. A chance to win his life back.
But everything depended on this S-Rank talent. His choice of faction would be everything.
"In this world," Scarface's voice cut through his thoughts, "if you don't want to die a stupid, avoidable death, you keep your talent info stuffed in your pants. Don't show it, and don't ask about anyone else's."
"Unless," he added, a predatory grin spreading across his face, "they're your teammates."
The hint was as subtle as a brick.
"A team not only helps you survive... it tells you where the real danger in a story world comes from."
Scarface walked to the edge of the plank, his lecture finished.
Zeke frowned. The 'real' danger?
Shouldn't anyone who's read the source material know the dangers?
Or... does a story becoming 'real' add new threats? Does the plot change?
As Zeke processed this, a new panel of blue light appeared, more urgent this time.
[Main Quest: The Choice]
[Difficulty: Novice]
[Mission: The Demon King has ordered the slaughter of an unnamed village in the Kula region, currently protected by a single dwarf. Your unit is tasked with this mission.]
[Choice 1: As a member of the Demon race, obey your orders. Follow the Demon General, Schlack of the Lightning, and annihilate the village.]
[Completion: Kill at least one (1) villager.]
[Choice 2: As a member of the Demon race, an unfamiliar empathy stirs within you. You choose to help the villagers and repel the demon attack.]
[Completion: Do not attack any villagers, AND ensure at least one (1) villager survives.]
[Hint: This world is in 'Peaceful Mode.' There is no reward for killing fellow Reincarnators.]
[Hint: The mission begins upon arrival. You have 30 minutes to complete either choice.]
[HINT: 25 minutes after the mission begins, the Hero's Party (Himmel, Frieren, Heiter, and Eisen) will arrive at the village!]
[WARNING: You cannot leave the village vicinity before the mission is complete.]
A choice... Zeke rubbed his chin.
He wasn't just a corporate slave. He was a fanfiction author. He knew his anime. He'd readFrieren.
The system's clues... Kula region... a dwarf guardian... General Schlack... the un-disbanded Hero's party...
He pinpointed the timeline instantly. This was roughly 53 years before Himmel's death.
And at this point in the story, the Hero's Party had already learned the true, inhuman nature of demons. Even Himmel, the kindest of heroes, would not show mercy to a demon caught in the act of slaughter.
Choice 1 wasn't a choice. It was a trap.
The only way to live was to pick Choice 2. He had to protect the villagers. The Hero's Party was fundamentally good. If they arrived and saw a "demon" desperately protecting humans, they might hesitate. They wouldn't just kill him on sight.
He just had to stall for those last five minutes.
Unless... there's an even less risky way.
He glanced at Scarface, who was now chewing on his cigarette butt.
That man definitely knew something.
Sensing Zeke's gaze, Scarface turned and grinned. "Time's about up, rookies."
He laughed at the others, who were whispering frantically. "Figured anything out?"
"N-nothing, Jie-ge," a skinny kid in an anime shirt stammered. "We don't know the character's power levels. It's hard to choose."
"But," the kid offered, "the world is called 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End,' so... the Hero's Party must be the strongest, right?"
"Knew you'd think that," Jie-ge said, shaking his head in pity. "Without a team's intel, it's normal to be fooled by the title. Let me tell you the truth."
"The 'Hero's Party' is just a tool for Frieren—a third-generation magic-aristocrat—to make a name for herself."
"The one who really kills all the strong enemies, the one who will actually kill the Demon King, is the Great Mage Serie."
"The Hero's Party itself is weak," Jie-ge stated with finality. "They're just really good at running away."
The rookies' eyes went wide, their expressions turning to awe. Team intel was clearly this important. Without Jie-ge, they would have picked Choice 2 and been slaughtered by the "real" main characters.
"Jie-ge!" The fatty on the ground scrambled to grab his leg. "My talent is B-Rank! I'll join!"
Zeke just stared, his own eyes wide.
The Hero's Party is weak? Good at running away? Serie does all the work?
What the hell is this idiot talking about?