If someone told me I'd die because of a scooter, a Spotify playlist, and a wet road. I'd laugh. Then I'd probably die anyway.
Which, yeah. I did.
The last thing I saw in my first life was a flashing ad for canned tuna and a metal pole flying at my face like it had a grudge.
Then nothing.
Now?
I'm in a rotting room in the middle of the Osaka slums. I'm two years old. My legs are stubby. My voice sounds like a squeaky rubber duck.
And I just woke up in a pile of thin blankets, next to a ceiling that's leaking on my forehead.
The ceiling was patched with old flyers and duct tape. Water dripped from the corner and landed right between my eyebrows. Not ideal.
I sat up—or tried to. My arms felt like noodles. My body, weak. Not sick weak. Baby weak.
Then the smell hit me. Mildew. Fish. Dust. And something vaguely like boiled socks.
Outside, voices argued in Japanese. Someone yelled about tuna prices. A scooter zipped past. Then a dog barked like it was starting a riot.
This wasn't Tokyo.
This was old Japan. The cheap side. Where roofs leaked and power cut out if you coughed too hard.
I was in the past.
"Riku?" a soft voice called.
I turned—slowly—and saw a woman. Young. Maybe early twenties. Tired eyes. Kind face. Torn shirt, patches everywhere. Her hands were red from scrubbing something all night.
My mom.
She walked over with a chipped bowl of steaming porridge.
"You're awake," she smiled. "You scared me, baby. You had a fever last night."
I stared at her. Her voice. Her smell. Her everything. It was like a punch to the chest.
This woman… she wasn't the mom from my first life. But she felt real. Realer than anything.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
Ding.
I froze.
Welcome, Riku Nakamura.
You have been granted a Second Life.
System Type: Effort-Based Progression
Note: No cheats. No shortcuts. No freebies. Everything is earned.
Quest Unlocked: Sit up without help (Reward: +1 Endurance)
I blinked.
No cheats?
So no money raining from the sky. No instant six-pack abs. Just—quests. Earned rewards. Like a gym membership with extra steps.
Fine. I'd work for it.
"Here," Mom said, lifting the spoon to my mouth. "Eat slowly, okay?"
I reached out. My hand shook. My fingers were tiny and useless.
But I wanted to do it myself.
"I… can do it," I whispered.
Her eyes widened. "You talked? That clearly?"
I nodded.
She let go of the spoon. I gripped it like a caveman discovering tools. I scooped a bit, nearly missed my mouth, then managed to eat.
Warm. Bland. But somehow comforting.
Later that day, I pushed myself up with shaky arms. Sweat poured down my forehead. My muscles screamed like I was lifting a truck.
After ten seconds of wobbly effort, I sat up—alone.
[Quest Complete: Sit up without help]
+1 Endurance
New Quest Unlocked: Stand without support (Reward: +1 Strength)
Progress.
Slow, but real.
Let's rewind real quick.
How did I die?
Easy. I bought an electric skateboard after getting my first big freelance coding check. Thought I was cool. Rode it through Shibuya with music blasting and zero attention span.
Slick road. Sharp turn. Surprise delivery scooter.
I dodged the scooter. Didn't dodge the metal pole.
Bonk.
My head cracked like a dropped watermelon. Blood. Screams. Blackout.
No dramatic last words. No touching goodbye.
Just canned tuna and a light pole.
Now I was here. Two years old. Dirt poor. But with a second chance.
Not a system that handed me money or power. Just goals.
And every small action mattered.
Brush your teeth (Reward: +1 Discipline)
Say a full sentence (Reward: +1 Intelligence)
Help your mom (Reward: +1 Affection Point - Mother)
I liked it. It made things simple.
Earn. Improve. Repeat.
By age three, I was walking. Stumbling, sure, but walking.
When no one looked, I trained.
Walked back and forth until my legs burned. Tried to hold planks on the dirty floor until I faceplanted. Lifted plastic bottles filled with water like they were dumbbells.
People thought I was just a weird kid.
Fine. Let them think that.
Every now and then, the system gave hidden quests.
Like one night, Mom came home coughing like death. Her hands were shaking. She smiled anyway.
Said she hadn't eaten lunch. Again.
I quietly put my share of food on her plate.
She blinked.
Then she cried.
[Hidden Quest Complete: Show Kindness]
+1 Empathy
New Passive: Emotional Insight (Lv. 1)
I liked watching the numbers grow.
Strength: 3 → 4
Endurance: 2 → 5
Discipline: 1 → 4
Charisma: 2 → 3
Slow gains. But real.
While other kids chased bugs, I chased stats.
I wanted out.
Out of the slums. Out of poverty. Out of being weak.
I wanted everything.
Money. Power. Influence. Peace of mind.
All of it.
One rainy night, the roof gave in.
Water poured straight onto our futon. My mom laughed nervously. "Guess we're getting indoor rain now, huh?"
She tried to move the bedding. Buckets. Towels. Anything.
I stood by the door, fists clenched.
"I'll fix it," I said.
She looked at me like I was delusional. "Riku, you're three."
I didn't argue.
Next morning, I slipped out. Dug through garbage behind the market. Found plastic sheets, bent nails, broken signs.
Came back like a junkyard gremlin.
Used a broomstick, some string, and pure toddler rage to patch the roof.
It worked. Kind of.
It stopped dripping.
[Quest Complete: Repair Shelter Leak]
Reward: Passive Skill - "Fixer" (Lv. 1)
Bonus: Attribute Unlocked - "Resourcefulness"
That night, Mom stared up at the ceiling.
"You did this?"
I nodded.
She laughed, hugged me—and cried again.
I was starting to hate how often she cried.
I sat outside later, watching puddles ripple under the moonlight. My shorts were damp. Mosquitoes buzzed like tiny jerks.
In the distance, I saw the city lights. Towers of steel and glass. Cars that cost more than our entire block. Families that never skipped meals.
"I'll reach that world," I whispered.
[Hidden Quest Unlocked: Dream Beyond Limits]
Goal: Become the Richest Man in Japan
Progress: 0.000001%
Reward: ???
I smiled.
Didn't matter how slow it started.
I was moving.
And I'd never stop.