NOVEL WEB Chapter 1
Death is impartial.
Whether young or old, healthy or sick, rich or poor.
Death takes the lives of the living without hesitation, unswayed by any conditions.
The reason death might seem unfair is this:
“Oho, what’s happening to this young fellow in the prime of his life! Oh dear!”
“That guy made someone disabled and is walking around fine. Why doesn’t he drop dead already?”
It’s because death cannot be controlled at will,
and it doesn’t operate based on the concept of rewarding good and punishing evil.
“Chicken? I can buy it, but is it alright if it’s a bit late? I’ve got some tricky stuff today…”
— SCREECHHHH! BANG!
It arrives unexpectedly, taking away our tomorrow as we live today.
A person has died.
It was an accident where a truck running a red light hit a pedestrian crossing the street.
Though it was late night and there were few people gathered on the street,
the screams of those who witnessed the accident were enough to echo across the whole street.
The terrible crash and the screams.
To some, it was a signal of death, and to others, the start of something.
Indeed.
It’s mine.
“What is it? Is it time to work?”
“Oh, I see. I didn’t notice the time while I was on the phone. Anyway, I’ll buy chicken after I’m done. Should I get beer too?”
“Ah, beer is good. Then, please include beer. Thanks for the hard work.”
“Got it. I’ll hang up.”
After ending the call with Senior His, I released a long sigh.
I wonder how gruesome the body will be today.
It was hit by a truck speeding at an insane speed, so it’ll undoubtedly be a mess.
I already feel like I might throw up just thinking about it.
“…Ugh, I hate it. But, I gotta do what I gotta do. Let’s finish it as quickly as possible.”
I tightly closed my eyes and held my smartphone toward the accident scene.
1, 2, 3 seconds.
Even after a long time, there was no alarm sound.
“…Could it be, again?”
I slightly opened my eyes and looked at the smartphone.
Regrettably, the screen stayed the same.
It seems the direction was slightly off because I took it with my eyes closed.
“Ah, why does the recognition work like this!”
Compared to the days when we had to search the ledger one by one, the world has certainly improved,
but at moments like this, I wish we were still in the old days.
Even if it was tedious, I only had to search through the ledger with my head bowed deeply.
I tried waving my arms a couple of times, but there was still no sound at all.
“I’m going to ask for a software update as soon as I get back.”
Reluctantly, with one eye half-opened, I captured the accident scene.
Fortunately, the information about the deceased appeared this time.
——————–
Name: Kim Do-young
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Date of Death: Nov 18, 20xx, 1:44:25 AM
Cause of Death: Hit by a truck while going to buy late-night snacks at a convenience store
Remark: The goddess of “Erelld” wishes to reincarnate him as the world’s hero
Did you guide the soul? Yes / No
——————–
Oh my, he’s a third-year high school student and died the day after the college entrance exam.
I clicked my tongue in lamentation.
It’s understandable why humans call fate cruel.
Not because the world is rigid and erases the possibility of life,
But even as a collector of fate, there are times when I think, “This is a bit…”
But what can I do?
If humans disobey the upper management’s orders, they get fired.
But here, it leads to complete annihilation without mercy.
“I’m sorry. Before he wakes up, I need to register the portal first…”
I shouldn’t have looked up.
If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have seen his arm lying alone on the road.
I was mentally scarred just by accidentally glancing at it.
What’s more, the arm was right under the streetlight, so I could see the bone piercing through the skin.
“…Really, I can’t handle this job as a death god.”
I wiped my face while looking at the pitch-black sky.
I’ve been working in the death god’s office for 10 years now.
The previous department was equally ill-suited,
but frankly, this one isn’t any easier.
…It’s because, despite being officially a death god, I’m extremely sensitive to gore.
I can’t brag about organs covered in blood,
and just seeing a sliver of a finger cut and bleeding is hard for me.
When I watched a gore-filled movie to strengthen my nerve, I fainted from the start.
Contrary to public belief,
there are quite a few death gods with weak nerves.
In the past, those with strong nerves were always chosen first,
but now, due to the severe labor shortage,
there are even more death gods with weaker nerves than mine.
However, usually, those cases are assigned the relatively peaceful deaths.
I am given the task of only such deaths because my endurance is the lowest,
but there are exceptions in these special situations.
Because I am not just a death god; I am a harvester of souls.
Thanks to this, I have to unwillingly take on the job of “transferring souls to another world,”
which involves extending my authority to other universes.
“…Why do they all cause such troubles hitting people like this!”
What was once a smooth job for a newbie back in the day.
How did it become a global trend to hit the person destined to be sent to another world with a truck?
Especially when even humans consider it an overused cliché!
The gods up there can’t possibly be aware of the human world trends.
The gods still think hitting with a truck is the most popular method,
and with the world seemingly entering an era of misfortune,
they keep requesting heroes from everywhere, driving one mad!
At the very least, they could request someone who wakes up in another world peacefully!
Do the gods not realize how their colleagues in the lower realms must feel upon witnessing such brutal scenes repeatedly?
Or are they oblivious to how gruesome the accident sites really are, having only seen the souls in their complete forms?
If it’s the former, the gods’ empathy must be lower than the probability of getting an S-grade item,
and if it’s the latter, I’d want the gods themselves to experience it by being transferred immediately after an accident!
But I’ll only think about it because I pity the innocent ones.
“Yes, yes. It seems like he’s dead. His body flew quite far, and his arm is cut off and lying on the ground…”
“Ack! Aaaack!”
Too detailed!
A report so vivid elicited continuous screams.
…I’m only ordering boneless chicken today.
Senior His only serves bone-in chicken, and there’s absolutely no compromise on that.
Just thinking about the sight of the bone exposed as I tear the chicken drumstick makes me feel sick.
The urge to vomit rises up with a “ugh.”
I covered my mouth and turned my head away from the accident scene.
I think it would be better for my mental health to quickly lead away the soul when I sense its presence.
“No, this is my chance to pretend I’m crazy and go with the soul? If I seriously demand better empathy from my colleagues, they’ll stop hitting people with trucks, right? Should I go all out? Should I…”
At that moment, a sudden flash of light filled my vision.
A light so intense I couldn’t open my eyes.
It was so dazzling, I thought I had faced a car’s twin headlights directly.
“Ack! My eyes!”
“…What? Who are you?”
“Uh? Huh?”
I looked toward the source of the voice.
A woman I had never seen before was staring at me.
What was even more surprising was that the surroundings had completely changed.
Just moments ago, I was in the middle of the road covered with blood.
Now, the room was overwhelmingly pink with ribbons and lace decorations everywhere.
“…Is this woman the owner of the room?”
Even though it’s wrong to judge people by their appearance,
this place doesn’t seem to fit her at all.
Her hair looks completely untouched,
her bangs cover her eyes untidily,
and her limbs appear skeletal, as if she hasn’t eaten for days.
Moreover, her body was hunched as if she had committed some grave sin.
On the other hand, her eyes, which were so dazzlingly bright, contrasted sharply with her heavily dark-circled eyes, which seemed exhausted.
No matter how I look, she doesn’t suit this adorable room at all.
“…A ghost? Or a hallucination?”
Just in case, I pinched my cheek hard.
The pain, which made tears well up in my eyes, told me this wasn’t an illusion.
Is this absurd situation… reality?
‘What is this? How did this happen? …Could I have unknowingly activated a portal and come to Erelld?’
This was the only explanation that came to mind no matter how much I rack my brain.
…I’m screwed.
Cold sweat began pouring down my back.
Transferring without bringing the soul I was supposed to take is a major mistake,
and I might be punished for leaving my post without permission.
Which means, at the very least, I’ll have to deal with the seniors’ random requests for a few months.
And I’ll have to give up all of my free time, my only solace.
‘Not a chance! The game I pre-ordered is being released next month! I’ve waited years for it!’
It’s not just about games.
Internet surfing, variety shows, anime and movies, exploring trendy restaurants.
There’s no way I can give up all of that.
I quickly armed myself with my customer service smile.
No matter what, I have to fix this situation somehow.
Whether by bowing my head or making excuses,
I’ll use all ten years of experience from my job as a death god in the underworld’s service industry.
“Nice to meet you. Excuse me, are you the goddess of Erelld?”
“Huh? I’m not a goddess, I’m a saint.”
“Ah, is that so? Then, may I ask where the goddess you serve is now?”
“Huh… There’s none around here…”
Her voice was muffled and hard to hear, but it was clear she said there’s none.
‘The goddess isn’t here? That can’t be right.’
I glanced at the saint.
Her golden eyes looking at me were steady and unwavering.
She doesn’t seem to be lying.
‘Did I set the portal incorrectly? I clearly set the arrival point to the goddess’s shrine…’
I tried pulling out my smartphone from my pocket to check the coordinates.
At that moment, the saint suddenly grabbed my hand.
Her gaze carried an inexplicable earnestness, leaving me frozen in place.
“Miss, miss? Why are you holding my hand like this…”
“Ah, finally, you’ve come to grant my wish.”
The saint’s golden eyes sparkled, as if she had been eagerly waiting for this exact moment.
But…
Unfortunately, granting wishes isn’t my job.
That falls under the jurisdiction of the gods, not those from the lower realms like me.
Moreover, we’re not allowed to interfere with living humans according to the rules.
I awkwardly smiled and said,
“…Excuse me, but I’m not in the business of granting wishes.”
“No, you must be able to fulfill my wish.”
Her gaze is resolute.
It seems she mistakenly thinks I’m one of the upper-level gods.
I tried to subtly pull my hand away, but it didn’t budge, leaving me increasingly uneasy.
…What should I do?
“Miss, miss? Please let go of my hand…”
“Ah, you’ve finally come, Mr. Death.”
Time seemed to pause for a moment.
…Did I introduce myself as the Death God?
No, I definitely never revealed my identity.
“How do you know I’m the Death God?”
“Nice to meet you.”
Instead of answering, the saint left an unexpected greeting, placing something in my hand.
A cold and creepy sensation could be felt through my gloves.
I slowly looked down at what she placed in my hand.
It was an extremely sharp dagger.
I hurriedly tried to put it down.
“Kill me now.”
But…
The dagger moved faster than my resistance and instantly sliced across her neck.