Infinite Mana Exorcist

The group of porters, clad in hazmat suits, moved with cautious precision as they fitted several bodies into body bags. The corpses were fragile, grotesquely so—merely touching them seemed to accelerate their decay. Flesh peeled away like wet paper, revealing swollen muscle and rotted bones beneath.

Once the bodies were sealed, the porters began transporting them to the morgue, moving one after another in a silent, grim procession.

Despite their professionalism, discomfort gnawed at them. The bodies weren't normal. What had once been humans, recently alive, now resembled grotesque, bloated rats—riddled with bulbous growths, oozing a sickly yellow liquid. Their skin seemed to writhe as if something squirmed just beneath the surface.

"Shit! This is friggin' disgusting!" one of the porters hissed, his gloved hands twitching as he forced himself not to drop the bag.

"Yeah, I know," another agreed, voice strained. "They don't even look human anymore... I don't ever wanna get this kind of disease."

While some exchanged hushed complaints, one of them—Gregor—remained silent. He stared at a particular body bag, his mind replaying the moment he had zipped it shut.

'It's just too sad—'

"Hey, Gregor! Something wrong?" a colleague called, noticing his distant gaze.

Gregor hesitated, then shook his head. But the words forced themselves out anyway.

"That young kid... the one who liked playing video games. It's painful, you know? He died so young. And from a rich family too… what a waste."

His colleague burst into laughter, the sudden noise cutting through the morgue's heavy air.

"So that's what's got you all worked up? Think of it like this—he probably lived it up more in his short time on Earth than you ever will in your entire life. That should help."

Gregor scowled but said nothing. He knew this guy lacked any real empathy.

His gaze drifted back to the sealed body bag, and from the depths of his heart, he muttered under his breath:

"I hope this kid at least ends up in heaven."

---

Meanwhile...

A strange sensation washed over him.

His mind felt clear. His very being felt whole—like he had transcended something, yet remained untouched. His thoughts, both conscious and subconscious, faded into a serene emptiness.

He felt reborn.

Around him stretched an abyss of pure darkness. No light, no sound. Just vast, eternal nothingness. The sensation was bizarre—he felt submerged, as though sinking into the depths of an ocean. And yet, breathing was not an issue. His body did not resist.

'Is this… heaven?' Yuka Hikano wondered.

He had expected something different—maybe pearly gates, angels, a divine presence. But as time stretched on (or was it mere moments?), an answer came in an unexpected form.

A green holographic bar flickered into existence before his eyes, breaking the void's monotony.

[Welcome, Yuka Hikano.]

[You have successfully received the grace of participation.]

[Do you accept?]

'What is this? A gift? Is this part of passing on to the afterlife?'

"…Yes, I would like a gift," Yuka replied, his voice calm. A gift couldn't be anything bad, right?

[Good of you to choose this as an option.]

[Registration begins.]

'Registration?' Yuka hesitated. This felt strange, but he decided to go along with it. If this was part of moving on, resisting was pointless.

[Name you want to be called by?]

"Yuka Yeager." He instinctively gave the name he had always used in his gaming life.

[Hair color?]

"Black."

Yuka frowned. These options felt oddly… specific. Like a character creation screen in an RPG.

[Race?]

1. Human

2. Elf

3. Dwarf

4. Surprise me

He hesitated longer this time. Taking "human" wouldn't be a bad choice, but he had already experienced being one. From his gaming knowledge, he knew elves had higher resistance and potential than humans. Dwarves, though sturdy, were short—not exactly his preference.

The "Surprise me" option? Not a chance. Life had thrown enough unexpected turns his way.

He selected Elf.

The next notification made his heart sink.

[Job class?]

Would you like to select a job?

Would you like to see what job suits you the most?

A pit formed in Yuka's stomach. This didn't feel like the afterlife anymore.

'Wait… this feels more like a game than a passing-on process. But I remember… I was coughing hard. The pain was everywhere, my body burning from all sides. Could it be…?'

He swallowed hard.

'I… died?'

He dared not voice the thought aloud. His mind reeled, clinging desperately to denial.

Forcing himself to focus, he selected "What job suits me?"

[Weapon Master]

[As this is a special recommendation, you will be tested for your binding to the ability.]

[Don't be mistakened the reason for the character design is to hide your earth identity]

Yuka's breath hitched.

"I'm in a game," he whispered. "So… why the reason to hide my identity. Is this some kind of special quest?"

A thousand questions battered his mind.

"Where are you taking me? How did I get here? What is this place?!"

No response.

The realization hit him like a sledgehammer—this was scripted. Just like NPC interactions in video games, only certain queries were answered.

The abyss stretched on, silent and indifferent, until something shifted.

A distant glow.

A light.

Unlike the suffocating darkness, the light felt… warm. Inviting. And yet, it stirred something deep inside him—a primal reaction that he couldn't explain.

As the radiance expanded, devouring the void, a final message appeared before him.

[Good luck, Yuka.]

And then, with a sudden rush, he was no longer in the abyss.

He materialized from thin air, his feet landing on solid ground.

The room before him was dazzling—a vast, elegant hall, painted in a pristine white. The sheer grandeur was overwhelming; diamonds and gold were embedded into the floors and walls, reflecting the light in an almost hypnotic dance.

If Yuka had a shovel (or an explosive), he would've been tempted to carve out a chunk to sell later.

But something else caught his attention.

He wasn't alone.

Others stood around him—some his age, others older. A mixture of confusion, fear, and determination painted their faces. Some exchanged uncertain glances, while others remained still, composed.

Then, before anyone could react further, a brilliant light flared in the center of the hall.

A figure emerged.

Majestic. Otherworldly. Radiating an aura of absolute authority.

Even the most composed individuals in the room could not hide their awe. The women stared, breathless, the men frozen in silent reverence.

Then, with a voice that carried both power and invitation, the figure spoke:

"Hello, one and all! I welcome you to the Deity Game."