The sky roared around her, the wind biting at her face. Calde’s stomach lurched as the ground rushed up to meet her, the world spinning wildly.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" she screamed, the wind ripping her voice away. "Is this how reincarnation works?!"
A tree branch smacked her shoulder, spinning her midair. Another hit her side, knocking the breath from her lungs. It wasn’t gentle, but she was lucky. Lucky? She tried to hold onto that thought as the branches tangled around her, breaking her fall, slowing her descent. Her body jerked with every hit, but she was still alive.
When she finally crashed into the ground with a heavy thud, her back screamed in protest. She lay there for a moment, staring up at the faintly glowing sky through the trees, trying to process what had just happened.
Okay. Not dead. At least, not dead-dead anymore. So... what the fuck is going on?
She groaned, pushing herself up from the forest floor, and winced. Her clothes weren’t the oversized hoodie and sweatpants she remembered. Instead, she wore a lightweight tunic and fitted trousers, both comfortable and surprisingly durable.
She glanced down at her hands. They didn’t look like the hands of the girl who had spent years holed up in a room, ignoring the world. No calluses. No wear and tear from hours spent with a keyboard. Her fingers were slender, yet strong.
Nearby, a puddle reflected her image. She froze. The face looking back at her was hers—sort of. Her dark gray eyes had sharpened, and they gleamed with an odd glow. Her hair, once short and unkempt, now cascaded in sleek waves past her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it, surprised at how soft it was.
“This... this is definitely not a normal second life,” she muttered, touching her cheek. “What is this, a premium version?”
Her skin, once pale and sickly from staying indoors, had a faint, healthy glow. Her features were more refined, almost perfect. Like someone had taken her and... upgraded her.
She tugged at a lock of hair, disoriented. “I look like one of those game avatars,” she said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Fragments of memories flickered in her mind—her uncle’s face twisted in rage, the truck slamming into her, and then... the goddess. The calm voice of the ethereal woman who had offered her a chance to start over.
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Three skills. A gacha system.
Calde groaned and raised her right hand, half-expecting something magical to appear. When nothing happened, she frowned. “Status window. That’s it.”
The air shimmered in front of her, and glowing text materialized out of thin air.
[STATUS WINDOW]
NAME: CALDE
RACE: HUMAN
AGE: 18
CLASS: NONE
LEVEL: 1
HP: 113/200
MP: 500/500
STATS
STRENGTH: 10
DEXTERITY: 18
CONSTITUTION: 20
INTELLIGENCE: 50
MENTAL: 15
STAT POINT: 10
SKILLS
SKILL POINT: 10
UNIQUE SKILLS
CREATION MAGIC
SPACE MAGIC
[PASSIVE] INFINITE LUCK
TITLES
CHILD OF THE GODDESS OF CREATION
OTHERWORLDER
She blinked, her mind racing as she scanned the window, her eyes widening at the details. “Okay... so I can create stuff, teleport, and—wait. Infinite Luck?”
She tapped on the description of her passive skill, which outlined how her chances of success were incredibly high in any task, and how she was more likely to find treasures, avoid danger, or get an unbelievable drop from killing monsters.
“Well, that’s going to be useful,” she muttered.
But before she could process it further, a low growl echoed from behind her.
She froze.
Slowly, she turned her head, eyes narrowing. A hulking creature stepped out from the bushes—its red eyes glowing, rows of jagged teeth flashing in the dim light.
"Of course," Calde muttered, scrambling to her feet. "First few minutes in a new world, and I’m already on the menu."
The creature lunged, and instinct took over. She threw her hands up, panic surging through her. In the next moment, she vanished. The world went cold as she reappeared several feet away, heart racing.
She blinked, staring at her hands, astonished. “Space magic," she whispered.
A grin tugged at her lips as the beast growled in confusion, sniffing the air.
"Okay. This I can work with," she murmured.
But the grin faltered as the creature roared and charged again.
Damn it.
She stumbled backward, her foot catching on a vine. She yelped as she tripped, tumbling down a small slope and landing on soft moss, narrowly avoiding the monster’s snapping jaws. The beast, frustrated, growled and began to search for her.
Calde lay there, breathless, staring up at the canopy of trees. The stars in the sky were unlike any she had ever seen, swirling in strange patterns that made her feel both lost and... strangely at peace.
This world was not her own, and yet... it felt right. She had powers. She could create, teleport, and—of all things—her luck seemed limitless. It was almost too much to comprehend.
She pushed herself up from the moss, her body aching, but her heart felt lighter than it had in years. She had a chance at something new. A chance to start over.
The weight of her past—the loss, the abuse, the years of isolation—still hung heavy on her. But here, in this strange world, she had something else: hope.
She glanced around, determination flickering in her chest. “Alright, new world,” she muttered, “let’s see what you’ve got.”
With one last look at the beast still sniffing around in the distance, she turned and started walking deeper into the forest.
End of Chapter 1