### Chapter 1: Reincarnation and Wishes
The void was a prison of absolute nothingness.
Not darkness, for darkness implies the absence of light, a concept that still holds meaning. This was a
place devoid of time, space, and sensation. A soul, a flickering ember of consciousness, drifted within
it. For what felt like millennia, it was alone. The memories of a life once lived—of laughter, sorrow,
city lights, and quiet mornings—had faded to dull, aching shadows. Just as the last vestiges of its will
began to crumble, a presence bloomed into existence.
It was not light, but the *potential* for it. A being coalesced from the fabric of the void, its form an
ever-shifting mosaic of nebulae and geometries that hurt the soul to perceive. It was vast, ancient,
and impossibly calm.
**ROB:** "An anomaly. A stranded soul, resisting the pull of the reincarnation cycle. Your will is…
noteworthy. I will offer you aid."
The soul, which had forgotten the concept of hope, now felt a spark of it. It was a fragile, wondrous
feeling.
**SOUL:** "Who are you?"
**ROB:** "I am a caretaker of the void, an observer of the cycles that bind worlds. In the crude
tongue of your origin, you may call me… God."
The soul would have recoiled if it had a body. It processed the information with an eerie clarity it
hadn't possessed moments before. A layer of cold, logical detachment settled over its frayed
consciousness.
**SOUL:** "What is happening to me? Why am I here?"
*[Wait… why am I not panicking in this situation?]*
**ROB:** "Your presence here was an error—a stray thread severed from the tapestry of your
previous world when your karma with it reached its end. As for your newfound calm, it is a courtesy. I
have imbued your soul with absolute rationality to facilitate this conversation. Panic would be…
inefficient."
**SOUL:** "I see. So what becomes of me now? Am I to drift here for eternity?"
**ROB:** "No. I will correct the error and set you on the path of reincarnation. However, I have a
proposition. Your bond with your former world is severed; you cannot return. Instead, I can offer you
a new genesis in another realm. In exchange for your service, I will grant you three wishes to shape
your new existence."
The soul considered this. In its current state of pure logic, the choice was simple. There was nothing
here, and there was something being offered.
**SOUL:** "I accept. What would you have me do?"
**ROB:** "There is a world—a nexus of living stories—that is nearing a premature end. It is called
the 'Danmachi' world. You are familiar with it."
A flicker of recognition, a ghost of a past life's passion, pierced the veil of rationality. *A fan of that
novel and manga.*
**SOUL:** "I know of it. I was… a fan. You want me to prevent its destruction?"
**ROB:** "Indeed. The Dungeon, the heart of that world, has the potential to unravel it long before
its destined time. You will be an agent to help preserve its future."
**SOUL:** "I will do it."
**ROB:** "Then we shall proceed. You have three wishes. I will also allow you to define your
background and the point of your arrival. Choose wisely, for upon reincarnation, the knowledge of
this world's future will be stripped from you."
The soul's logical mind went to work, crafting the optimal foundation.
**SOUL:** "First, for my background. I will be a half-breed: half High Human, half High Elf. I will be
born in a remote mountain village not far from Orario. I will be orphaned at birth, left on the village's
doorstep. At the age of ten, I will journey to the Labyrinth City. As for the timing… I should arrive nine
years before the main story begins."
**ROB:** "A sound foundation. The lineages you name are rare, near-mythical in the current era, but
I can weave them into the world's laws. You shall inherit the strengths of both bloodlines. Now, your
three wishes."
**SOUL:** "My first wish is for Spirit Summoning Magic. The ability to call forth, communicate with,
and form a contract with a spirit."
**ROB:** "A potent art, tied to the ancient heroes. Granted."
**SOUL:** "My second wish is for a skill that will accelerate my growth. A skill to aid in leveling up,
to ensure I can grow strong enough to face the challenges ahead."
**ROB:** "Ambition. It will be done. A skill to nurture your falna. Granted."
**SOUL:** "My third wish is for expanded potential. For every level I achieve, I wish to have the
choice of five Development Abilities, instead of the standard one."
A moment of silence hung in the void. The ROB's form shimmered, the shifting nebulae seeming to
still in contemplation. When it spoke again, its voice carried a new weight—a trace of something that
might have been amusement.
**ROB:** "A clever optimization. You seek to build a foundation without equal. It is an ambitious
request, but within the bounds of our agreement. Your three wishes are granted."
A sense of anticipation, the first emotion that wasn't purely logical, began to bloom within the soul.
**SOUL:** "I am ready."
**ROB:** "Before you depart, is there anything else?"
The soul paused. If it was to live a new life, to be a hero in a world of gods and monsters, it might as
well do so with a bit of style. A final, almost human, spark of vanity flared.
**SOUL:** "Can you… make me handsome?"
Another pause. The vast, cosmic being seemed to consider this simple request with the same gravity
as the fate of a world.
**ROB:** "…A trivial matter, but one I can accommodate. It is done."
A point of brilliant, warm light erupted in the center of the void—the first true light the soul had ever
seen. It was the gateway to a new life, a new world, a new story.
**ROB:** "Go now. Your new legend awaits."
The soul, feeling a strange mix of rationality and burgeoning hope, did not hesitate. It surged toward
the light, leaving the silent void and its enigmatic caretaker behind. The last thing it heard was a
whisper that seemed to echo from the beginning and end of all things.
**ROB:** *"Make it interesting."*
And then, there was only the light.