The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly above, casting a pale glow over the cracked tiles of the university bathroom.
Inside one of the stalls, a pair of sneakers tapped impatiently against the floor.
A young man sat hunched over his phone, completely ignoring the lecture he was supposed to be attending.
On screen, the loading bar crawled forward, bright colors flashing as the countdown began.
"5."
"4."
"3."
"2."
"1."
"Yes! Finally! A whole month of waiting."
Fireworks burst across the screen of Flame Hero Gacha Online, celebrating the launch of the new expansion.
His eyes gleamed.
"Alright… I'll check the new content later. First, I'm going to whale."
He had no interest in the story or the new events. He had seen the trailer. The new characters looked broken. And he was determined to pull them before anyone else.
With a small grin, he pulled out his battered wallet and slid out a slightly worn debit card.
'Money well spent. I'd rather spend it here than on anything else.'
He began entering the card information with practiced ease.
"-2111, expiration date... and name, Zev."
The screen blinked. Processing payment...
A tense pause.
Then—Payment denied.
His grin vanished.
"Eh? Denied? What do you mean denied?"
Frowning, he quickly switched to his banking app.
His balance stared back at him. No deposit.
'They didn't pay me! Those bastards!'
Anger bubbled up in his chest.
"Son of a—!"
BANG!
A loud thud rattled the stall door.
"Keep it down, moron!" someone snapped from the next stall.
"Sorry!" he blurted out.
He sighed, stuffed the card back into his wallet, and shut the app with a scowl.
'Figures. Just my luck.'
Resigned, he finished his business and stood up.
'Work shift's about to start anyway. No point sulking here.'
Bag slung over his shoulder, he pushed open the bathroom door and stepped back into the busy university halls.
The afternoon sun had broken through the clouds, painting the university campus in warm gold.
Students bustled about—chatting, laughing, rushing to their next classes or loitering in small groups.
Zev crossed the courtyard, still annoyed about the failed payment.
'All that waiting… and for what? Guess I'll just grind dailies later.'
He adjusted the strap of his worn backpack and sighed.
As he passed near the main quad, a small crowd caught his eye.
Dozens of students, mostly girls, were gathered beneath a large oak tree. Their voices rose in worried tones.
"Poor kitty."
"Someone needs to help it."
"It looks so scared up there."
Zev looked up.
A small gray cat clung to one of the higher branches, its wide eyes darting nervously as it meowed pitifully.
The crowd below watched helplessly. Most of them were girls.
'Huh… this could be interesting.'
He slowed to a stop.
A mischievous grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
'If I save the cat… the girls will notice me, right? Come on, it's the perfect chance.'
He set his backpack down near the base of the tree.
'Alright, not too hard. Just climb up, grab the cat, look cool doing it. Simple.'
He cracked his knuckles.
From behind, voices rose again.
"Look, someone's going up!"
"Yeah! Save the kitty!"
Zev grinned wider.
'That's it… cheer for me, girls. The more who watch, the better.'
Hand over hand, Zev began climbing.
The bark was rough and uneven. The branches swayed with each movement.
At first, the going was easy. The adrenaline helped. But halfway up—about four meters off the ground—his arms began to tremble.
'Shit… harder than it looked.'
He paused to catch his breath, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
Below, the crowd cheered.
"You can do it!"
"Almost there!"
The sound gave him a boost of confidence.
'No turning back now.'
He pressed on, carefully navigating the higher branches.
Step by step, meter by meter. He reached the branch where the cat sat.
"Pst, pst… hey there, little guy. You're safe now."
The cat watched him warily, ears flicking.
Slowly, Zev reached out and scooped the feline into his arms.
Cheers erupted below.
"He did it!"
"Yay! He saved it!"
Grinning triumphantly, Zev looked down.
'See? Easy. Now let's make a cool descent.'
He glanced at the cat.
"See? You're fine now."
The cat stared at him. Its eyes gleamed.
Then—
Sharp claws lashed out.
The cat's paw swiped across his face, raking deep scratches down his cheek.
"Ah—!"
Pain flared.
His grip faltered. His foot slipped.
'No. Wait—'
In an instant, gravity took over.
Branches blurred past him.
The world spun.
'No way… am I really dying like this?'
Impact.
A dull thud.
Numbness spread through his body.
'I… can't move…'
Darkness crept in.
'Seriously? Just trying to show off to some girls… this is how I go out?'
His thoughts slowed.
'I swear… if I get another chance… I'm never trying to impress a girl again.'
The world faded to black.
Silence.
Then… warmth.
Zev wasn't sure how long he had been floating in nothingness. It felt like both a second and a century.
No pain. No sound. No body.
Until, suddenly, the world blinked back into existence.
A soft breeze brushed his face.
He opened his eyes slowly.
White.
Everything was white.
Not the cold, sterile kind. It was warm, gentle. Like being inside a cloud. Or a hotel lobby designed by a minimalist god.
He blinked again. A room stretched before him—simple and surreal. Smooth white floors, glowing softly. A small circular table. A delicate porcelain teacup steamed on top of it. Next to it, a velvet armchair.
And in that chair sat… a girl.
"Oh, you're awake!" she said brightly. "Wow, I didn't expect you so soon."
'Huh?'
Zev blinked.
'A child?'
The girl pouted, her golden eyes narrowing.
"Eh, what do you mean child? I am a full-grown woman, a goddess to be precise! I'm thousands of years older than you! Child, he says..."
"Ah… well, let's say yes, sure. Where am I?"
"You're in my room."
"Your room? You only have a chair and a table with some tea? What's a goddess doing here?"
She smiled sweetly.
"I spend my free time watching you humans. Oh, and my cat, who had escaped."
"Your cat? Ohhhhhhh… the damn cat that made me fall from the tree? That damn cat?"
"Yes, that very cat. And don't insult him so much. He was just scared."
The cat suddenly appeared in her arms, purring softly.
"Right, little one?"
Zev stared.
"Are you kidding me? I died because of your cat? Isn't that murder? A goddess interfering in the life of a human? I should file a complaint!"
She waved her hand dismissively.
"No need to threaten me like that, right? I'm just a minor goddess. I don't think this was such a big deal."
"What do you mean it wasn't a big deal?! You've got to be kidding me! I died because of your damn cat! Wait… is it true there's a complaint form? Give me one!"
The goddess raised a finger nervously.
"Wait, wait, let's fix this somehow."
"Oh yeah? How? You took my life."
"Well… there is a method of reincarnation. But it's random. You have to spin a wheel, and whatever it lands on… you'll reincarnate as that. Could be a snail, a mage, a dolphin, a warrior in another world."
Zev's eyes widened.
"Wait… did you say warrior in another world? I can reincarnate somewhere else besides Earth?"
"Yes. The possibilities are endless."
"Summon the wheel."
"Eh? You've decided that fast? You know it's random, right?"
"Exactly! That's why! Summon it now! You are going to watch a master at work!"