"How long have I been drifting in this place? A few hours, or maybe a few days—who knows? I have no sense of time here." Dontaé thought to himself.
As he looked around, all he could see was a vast expanse resembling a dark void, filled with countless tiny particles of light shining brilliantly in various colors. "I don't understand how I can see all of this, considering I don't even have eyes anymore—no body, either. It seems I'm now just a small, transparent orb that's slowly turning red from absorbing the red light particles from the void. They seem drawn to me for some reason, but the others don't seem as interested in me at all."
"Hmm," he mused. "If that's the case, then I guess this white orb is supposed to be my soul. After all, I did die before arriving here." Dontaé's mind drifted back to the events that led to his death.
"Damn it. I can't believe I went out like that. It's truly a disgraceful way to die, especially after all the effort I've made to be stronger than everyone else, to stand at the peak of humanity as a superhuman—a dragon among men."
"It's a shame, though; I won't be able to see my wife and kids again. As much as that pains me, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement about this whole situation. Deep down, I always knew that everyone, even my parents, thought I was crazy for chasing something as impossible as superpowers. They believed I was foolish for being so absorbed in training my body and mind through martial arts and swordsmanship to prepare for a zombie apocalypse, the emergence of some system, or the opening of gates from another world that would unleash monsters to wreak havoc on mankind. But my wife, Lulu, still truly loved me and even joined me in my crazy adventure."
"Maybe things will be different now. Based on my knowledge of anime and web novels, I'm supposed to be on my way to a fantasy world filled with knights and magic, right? Perhaps this is my chance to finally achieve my dream."
Soon, Dontaé's overactive mind began to calm as he continued to sift through the void, absorbing the swirling red particles. Before long, his soul orb became full, shining magnificently like a fist-sized sun. At that moment, a warm and cozy sensation washed over him, paired with the feeling that something fundamental about him had changed. It was the kind of feeling where you sense something but have no idea what it is.
Almost immediately after this sensation, a powerful suction force emerged from a portal-like black hole, pulling him in. "Was that always there?" he wondered, his mind racing with questions. "Why am I just seeing it now?" Dontaé instinctively tried to resist the pull, but then a sudden spark of enlightenment struck him. He decided to let himself be drawn toward it. "Maybe this is the doorway that will take me to another world."
As he approached the portal, he felt his mind beginning to shut down, and his consciousness started to fade. "By the time I wake up, I'll probably be reborn in a different world. I'm so excited! Maybe I'll be the son of a king or part of a major sect, like in those cultivation novels. I can't wait; let's go!" With a whoosh, he disappeared into the portal.
New world: In an unknown area
"It's pretty dark and wet in here. I feel submerged in water. Given my unique situation, that can only mean one thing: I'm in my mother's womb, and my intuition tells me I'm not far from being born. I'm not alone in here either; I can sense the presence of two other siblings nearby. I hope I'm born into a good family, one that has a stable financial situation. Not that I can't handle some struggle, but if given a choice, isn't the obvious choice to avoid needless hardship? I also hope my siblings are cool, and that we can get along well. I've never had siblings before, and now I'm going to be part of a triplet. I'm looking forward to life in this new world more and more."
The next few days went by agonizingly slowly from Dontaé's perspective. Fortunately, the moment of his birth finally arrived. He could feel himself being pushed out, and he was the first one to emerge into the outside world.
"Finally, I'm out! Let's see what is going on in the delivery room." Dontaé slowly opened his eyes and was instantly shocked. "Huh, that's odd. It's pitch black; I can't see a thing. And aren't I supposed to be wrapped in soft cloth or something similar after birth? Why am I lying on such a hard surface?" Suddenly, Dontaé heard the low, guttural growls of some sort of wild animal. He was so shocked that he tried to run, only to find he was too weak to move at all. After waiting for some time for the beast to come and eat him while he was helpless, he realized that nothing happened. Then, a realization caused him to calm down instantly. "Shit just keeps getting weirder, huh? But I think I finally know what's going on. It seems I wasn't reborn as a human, but rather as some type of animal. The darkness and hard ground suggest that I'm in a cave, and the growling sounds must be coming from my mother. On second thought, I shouldn't have been so surprised. After all, I've read many stories about people being reborn as various nonhuman life forms, even some bizarre things like a stick or a vending machine."
Soon, the sound of his mother growling stopped and was replaced by the squeaking of his siblings. She laid down beside them, and following his instincts, he and the others wiggled their way to latch onto one of the available breasts. After drinking their fill, they all fell asleep cuddled together.
A few days later…
"At first, I thought I couldn't see anything because the cave was just dark, but I seem to have been mistaken. Even now, it's still pitch black, and I can't see anything. Sometimes I feel the temperature increase a bit, which must be during the day. Even with light shining, I still can't see; I'm as blind as can be. Fortunately, this is temporary. I can feel that my eyes will soon open. Life has been very boring so far; all we do is drink milk, sleep, and take a dump. I can't wait until my eyes open so I can finally see what kind of animal I am."
A few days later…
"My eyes have opened, and I finally see my siblings, my mother, and parts of myself. I am a lion—the king of the jungle! That's so cool! I'm not the least bit disappointed about not being human if I'm a lion. If this world has a power system, then I might evolve enough to take on a human form, right?" In a fit of excitement, Dontaé slowly walked toward the mouth of the cave and gazed out over a rocky hill, overlooking a vast grassland savannah. "Just wait; this is just the beginning of my epic tale. Chronicles of Zakquazé the Great!"