—The Salesman Who Met Fate—
My name is Hiroshi Miyamoto. Thirty-four years old. A forgettable name attached to an even more forgettable man.
I was a door-to-door salesman in Tokyo. Not the hip type who peddled slim gadgets or revolutionary appliances. No—I was the type people slammed doors on. I peddled miracle kitchen scissors, unbreakable plastic cups, and magnetic wristbands that would "balance your body's energy." Pure snake oil.
Don't forget to smile, Miyamoto!" my boss would yell, his own face set in a forced smile. "The customer can sense your attitude!
Yes, well, the customer felt the deceit too. I hadn't sold anything in two weeks. Each day was the same: perspire, aching feet, rejection, and ramen cup meals. Each night, I'd get back to the office just in time to catch my boss scowling at me from behind his desk like a roach on the floor.
That day, however… that day was different.
The sky was streaked with ash-gray clouds. Rain had come down beforehand, wetting my inexpensive shoes. My socks squelched with every step. I hadn't eaten since breakfast—nothing but black coffee and a hard-boiled egg. My tie was loose, my back was stiff, and I was a puppet who had lost his strings.
People walked past me on the sidewalk, umbrellas bobbing up and down. Nobody looked up. Nobody glanced in my direction.
Perhaps I am really invisible," I grumbled.
That's when I began fantasizing once more. I did it a lot. Imagining myself as someone different. Someone strong.
Batman.
Son Goku.
Saitama.
A little bit of their strength would have done it all. The power to punch my way through life, shatter this drudgery.
I let out a heavy sigh, the sort that seemed to breathe out my very soul. Rain dripped down my collar.
The red streetlight up ahead was still red, but I wasn't looking. My mind was a long way away. Perhaps that's why I didn't notice it.
HOOOOONK!!
My eyes flew open.
Headlights. Blinding. Barreling toward me like a judgment from above.
"Crap—!"
I was planning on crashing. I was planning on sirens, for blackness, for the cold sensation of dying.
What I got was. soil.
I lay face down in wet, cold ground. It was rich-smelling—moss, wood, something ancient. I struggled to my knees, coughing.
"What the—?"
The sky above wasn't Tokyo's cloudy ceiling. It was painted twilight, violet slashes against soft amber. Towering trees closed in around me. They weren't the manicured cherry blossoms or slim oaks of home. These were titans—twisted, giant trunks reaching towards the heavens. Vines writhed like snakes. Leaves whispered low, as if the forest breathed.
My heart pounded. "Where the hell am I…?"
Then I saw my hands.
They weren't my hands.
They were smaller. Smoother. My skin didn't sag from years of abandonment. My fingers didn't hurt from grasping sales bags. My wrists—once stiff and bony—now moved easily.
I struggled to my feet and ran to a puddle nearby. The reflection told me.
My face… I was at least ten years younger. Maybe more.
"This can't be real," I breathed. "Is this heaven? Did I really die?"
GRRRRRRRRRRRR.
A guttural snarl wrenched my head around.
Behind me was a monster out of a nightmare—a Direwolf. It was the shape of a wolf, but all of it was all wrong. Too large. Too quiet. Its dark-as-oil fur gleamed. Ember-red eyes cut through the darkness. It showed me its fangs, each as long as a knife.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't run. My legs were locked in place.
Then—bing!
A glass screen materialized, suspended in mid-air like a video game menu.
---
[ Welcome to Lytopiea ]
Initializing System…
Assigning Starting Class…
---
"WHAT?" I groaned.
---
[ Starting Class:??? ]
Status: Locked. Unlocking requires conditions to be met.
---
"W-what the heck is this?" I whispered. "Is this… isekai? No, no, no, I'm dreaming. A delusion?"
I grasped the screen, and my hand went through it. It disappeared.
The Direwolf growled once more. My senses came back in a furious jolt.
Move! MOVE!
Then I noticed something. A boy—ten or younger, perhaps—standing no more than a few meters from me. Pale skin. Brown hair. Wooden practice sword pressed to his chest. His whole body shook, stuck in place.
The Direwolf turned towards him.
No time to think.
I ran.
Faster than I had ever run in my life.
The air whizzed by me. My legs weren't heavy or aching—they were alive. Every step felt easy, as if I was made for it.
The boy didn't even realize I was there until I tore the wooden sword out of his grasp.
"Get down!" I yelled.
The Direwolf attacked.
---
[ Weapon Equipped: Training Wooden Sword ]
[ New Action Unlocked: Weapon Combat Basics Lv. 1 ]
[ Starter Pack Activated ]
[ Would you like to activate the Element of Wind? ]
(Yes) / (No)
---
"Yes!" I shouted.
A surge of energy burst through me. Power flowed through my veins. The air about me rippled—literally. I could sense it responding to my will, flowing through my limbs.
The Direwolf sprang.
I evaded.
Time was slow.
I saw it all—its muscles flexing, the way its claws angled, the shine of light reflecting in its eyes. I moved my weight, lifted the wooden sword, and struck.
SHUNK.
It hit home.
It was like cutting through water. The sword shouldn't have done anything—it was a stick—but when it hit, it vibrated with wind power. The Direwolf yelped, then fell in a lump.
---
[ Corrupted Direwolf Defeated! ]
[ Mission Complete! ]
[ Element Affinity Confirmed: Wind ]
[ New Skill Unlocked: Wind Cutter ]
Cut sharp blades of wind with each blow of a weapon.
---
I backed away, gasping. My heart thundered in my chest. My body trembled, not out of fear—but adrenaline.
The boy looked at me, eyes wide, mouth slightly open.
"Are… are you a Wind Knight?" he asked.
"I… I don't know," I replied, gasping for air.
"You saved me," he whispered. "Thank you."
For a moment, I didn't react. I just stared at my hands. Strong. Capable.
Back in Tokyo, I was nobody. A salaryman drowning in mediocrity.
But here?
Here I was something different.
The blue screen came back on.
---
[ You have entered Tutorial Region 1: Whispering Wilds ]
[ Survival Rate: 23% ]
[ Your Actions Will Decide Your Fate. ]
---
My throat was parched. I looked over at the boy.
"Do you know where this is?"
He blinked. "You don't know? This is Lytopiea. The Forest of Whispers. It's on the border of Arvalis Province."
"Lytopiea…," I mouthed.
So it wasn't a dream. It wasn't nothing. It had a name. Rules. Structure.
I assisted the kid.
The woods were dark, but I did not experience fear any longer.
This was my second chance.
I was not going to squander it.