1.
[We provide services for transmigrators.]
The words that greeted me when I came to my senses were utterly absurd.
What the hell is a transmigrator? And what kind of service is that supposed to be?
My last memory is… right. I remember now.
The traffic light had turned green, and I was crossing the crosswalk.
I was so absorbed in reading a web novel on my phone that I never noticed the truck barreling toward me from the side.
Someone so focused they couldn’t see their surroundings—that someone happened to be me.
Strangely enough, I didn’t feel any pain. Either I felt none at all… or I died before I even had the chance to feel it.
In any case, I died like that. My memories told me as much.
And yet—what was this sensation now?
It felt as though I were still alive. And floating before my eyes was that same blinking message, as if begging me to read it.
“Transmigrator… what is that supposed to mean?”
It was a word you’d only ever see in novels. Completely unreal.
As if responding to my question, the letters twisted and tangled together, forming a new sentence.
[□□□ has passed away. Because you died before reaching the end of your natural lifespan, you are eligible to transmigrate into the body of another whose soul has departed.]
“So I really am dead, then?”
[…]
No answer this time. The dots blinked several times before another message appeared.
[A transmigration target has been selected. The world you will live in is a ‘fantasy’ world. Our system provides services to assist transmigrators in adapting.]
The explanation was getting long—and boring. When I rested my chin on my hand and failed to stifle a yawn, the system’s text flickered in what looked suspiciously like panic.
It was ridiculous. A machine acting like a flustered person.
[The world you will live in is overflowing with evil. Please eliminate that evil and save the world.]
“This really is straight-up fantasy.”
Save the world? That sounded exactly like something you’d say to a hero.
A demon king. A chosen warrior. Stuff you only saw in games or manga.
Honestly, it still felt like a dream. Nothing about it felt real.
While my reaction remained lukewarm, the system kept busily rearranging words, trying its best to make me understand.
When it looked like the explanation was about to drag on again, I waved my arm dismissively.
The text scattered into the air and dissolved.
The fragments blinked again, clearly flustered.
“This is way too boring. If this is real, just get on with it already.”
[…]
[ㅂㅣㅇㅇㅢㄹㅡㄹ ㅅㅣㅈㅏㄱ ㅎㅏㅂㄴㅣㄷㅏ! ㅅㅐ ㅅㅏㄻㅇㅔ ㅊㅜㄱㅂㅗㄱㅇㅣ ㅇㅣㅆㄱㅣㄹㅡㄹ!]
The scattered fragments offered their blessing.
At the same time, the pitch-black space was flooded with blinding white light.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, everything was white.
No—rather, the light was so bright it stung my eyes, making it impossible to distinguish shapes.
A frown creased my brow automatically.
Before my vision returned, my hearing did.
“———!”
“——? ——!”
What… are they saying?
As I listened more carefully, the words gradually became clear.
“Are you okay?”
“M-Maya woke up! Go get the headmaster, quick!”
“Okay!”
Children—young ones—were gathered all around me.
I tried to twist my body to sit up, but my arms lost strength, and I collapsed back down.
Startled, a boy grabbed my shoulders and gently pressed me down.
“Don’t push yourself, Maya. You shouldn’t move yet.”
He looked the oldest among them. Still, at most, he seemed to be a middle schooler.
“Who…?”
“Huh? Maya, are you asking who I am?”
“Who are you?”
“I-it’s me. Arsen!”
The boy—Arsen—stared at me with wide, shocked eyes.
Messy, light-brown wavy hair. Reed-colored brown eyes that sparkled vividly.
Only then did I notice my own body.
My hands were as small as—or smaller than—Arsen’s. My viewpoint was lower, too.
When I ignored Arsen’s attempt to lay me back down and looked around, it became clear.
This was the perspective of a child.
“I-I’m really glad you woke up. The person who saved you might still be outside… ah. Or maybe they already l-left.”
As I checked my body, Arsen rambled beside me.
Judging by his words, this body must have nearly died, and I had taken over in its place.
Someone had helped—apparently.
I clenched and unclenched my small fists when the door suddenly burst open.
A grown man entered.
Broad and bulky, with a sloppy build. His drooping eyelids swallowed half his eyes, giving him an unpleasant first impression.
He looked down at me coldly.
“Come with me, Maya.”
“H-Headmaster! Maya just woke up!”
“That’s right! Maya is still hurt—”
The children crowded together like chirping chicks, but one glance from the man shut them up instantly.
As they backed away nervously, a path opened between him and me.
The moment I stepped forward, my body tilted right, and I nearly fell.
Arsen quickly stepped in front of me, spreading his arms as if to protect me with his small frame.
“H-Headmaster, Maya can barely walk! You know she fell into the water—she almost died!”
“I nearly died because of that brat, and you think that’s the issue?! I should be dragging her to His Excellency and making her kneel! Move!”
The man raised his massive hand.
Arsen squeezed his eyes shut, trembling—but he didn’t move.
Every child present held their breath.
Then—
Everything stopped.
No—the world itself froze.
Even the dust floating in the air was motionless. All color drained away, turning the scene monochrome.
And before my eyes, the familiar system window blinked into existence.
[ERROR! ERROR!
An error has occurred!
□□□’s transmigration address is incorrect!
ERROR! ERROR!]
“An error…? So I wasn’t supposed to transmigrate into this body?”
[Due to multiple vacant bodies occurring simultaneously, your soul was transmitted incorrectly! This is not the world you are meant to live in!]
What a mess of a system.
When I pressed my fingers to my temples, the window flickered again.
[If you press ‘Accept,’ your soul will be retransmitted to your original designated world!]
“So if there’s an accept option, that means there’s a reject too. What happens if I reject it?”
[You will live here as ‘Maya.’ Basic information: ‘An orphan raised in an orphanage.’]
I glanced past the system window.
If nothing happened, Arsen would soon be struck by that huge hand.
It had nothing to do with me.
Nothing to do with me, and yet—
“Wait. Just—wait a second.”
[…]
[Yes?]
The opaque square window spun slowly around me.
[Are you hesitating, □□□?]
“Let me ask you just one thing.”
[Of course. Please ask.]
Beyond the window, time ticked toward disaster.
“I want to help that kid. If this continues, he’ll get hit! He didn’t do anything wrong—how can I just let that happen?!”
The window turned transparent, then opaque again—almost like it was alive.
[This cannot be postponed. While your will is important, the system’s time interference will soon be released.
If you fail to decide before then, your soul will be annihilated.]
“Just give me time to think!”
[Remaining time: 10—]
Ten minutes? That wasn’t so bad.
[9—]
…Huh?
[8, 7, 6—]
“Hey—hey! Hey!”
[5, 4, 3—]
“Stop! Wait!”
[2—]
“I-I’ll live! As Maya! In this body!”
[…]
A new window appeared—different in design from the others.
Complex text and diagrams filled it.
[Transmigration target confirmed.
Verifying ‘Maya.’
Assigned service: ‘Shop.’
A free sample is available. Would you like to view it?]
I might’ve decided too hastily—but that thing had forced my hand.
Letting a person face annihilation like that… unbelievable.
With a sigh, I gestured at the blinking window.
“Show me.”
A crude illustration popped up.
It looked like a water balloon.
Its name: Sticky Jelly Balloon.
When I checked the effect, a brief description appeared.
[Sticky Jelly Balloon
Rank: F
When thrown, sticky jelly binds the target’s ankles, slowing movement.
Effect only activates on targets below a certain strength threshold.
Duration: 5 seconds.]
Ridiculous as it sounded—
It was exactly what I needed right now.
“I’ll take it.”
[Free purchase successful.
Maya’s system setup is complete.
Time interference解除.
The world resumes.]
A powerful gust rushed through me as color returned to my vision.
A fist-sized water balloon rested in my hand.
Before I could hesitate, I hurled it straight at the headmaster.
“Gah! W-what is this?!”
Taking advantage of his confusion, I grabbed Arsen’s wrist and ran.
“M-Maya?! What if we get in trouble?!”
“Doesn’t matter—just run!”
I had no idea where I was or who Arsen really was—
I just ran.
The walls we passed were old and crumbling, barely worthy of being called proper facilities.
Exactly five seconds later, heavy footsteps thundered behind us.
“Hik—!”
Arsen glanced back, screamed, and tripped.
Because I was holding his hand, I fell with him.
“Kyaa!”
“You little bitch—are you trying to die?!”
A moment later, the headmaster caught up and yanked my hair violently.
“Let go!”
“Oh? Talking back now? You’re dead today.”
I was being dragged helplessly when—
“What’s going on here?”
A calm yet authoritative voice echoed through the corridor.
“Hii—! Y-Your Excellency!”
“I asked what the commotion was.”
“Ah—it’s nothing! The children were playing too roughly and fell, hahaha…!”
The headmaster released my hair.
The man with the composed expression looked between us.
My instincts screamed—
That’s him.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
To hell with it.
“Please help me!”
