“Mmm… Where am I?” Soto-san asked herself.

She opened her groggy eyes and scanned the area around her. She found herself in a cozy cottage, like the kind she adored in her VRMMORPGs. As she looked up from her bed, she followed the exposed rafters across the entirety of the structure. The room she was in contained a comfortable bed which was flanked by simple nightstands. A fur rug covered the center of the room, adding warmth to the space. A wardrobe rested along the wall a couple meters from the bed and a vanity was situated in the corner next to a window.

She staggered to her feet, wobbling slightly as if returning to land after months on a tumultuous sea. She walked out of the room and out to what seemed to be a loft. From her vantage point she was able to take in the room below her. Directly below her was a large stone hearth and a sitting area with a couple of wooden chairs and a small table. A pot was suspended over the fire that was already roaring and a kettle sat on the stone to the side of the fireplace.

The left most side of the cottage was primarily composed of a simple kitchen that consisted of a stove, sink, and icebox in addition to some counter space for chopping. A small dining table sat next to the kitchen; its polished surface showed no sign of wear from years of use. Dried herbs hung above the counter and jars of yet to be discovered contents sat below them, suggesting they were ingredients used for baking and cooking.

Sunlight streamed through a window that sat above a wooden desk on the right side of the room. Dust danced in the rays to make it even more magical in Soto-san’s eyes. A bookshelf was situated next to the desk, filled with unknown stories and histories of the world she knew nothing of. The books looked to have been there for ages, yet the rest of the house suggested that someone had been there right before she had awoken.

She excitedly rushed down the stairs to get a closer look at everything. Despite having never used her kitchen in her old world, it was the first area that she investigated.

“...Woah! This is really a witch’s hut! Everything is so cute and rustic! Oh, what are these herbs!?” Just as she got close to them, a dialogue box popped up next to them with identifying information about the mysterious plants.

“Thistle and monkshood… So cool! It says here that I can use the thistle for healing potions and the monkshood can be combined with sage to make a painkiller! This world is awesome! It’s just like the games I used to play!”

Before Soto-san could get worked up about every detail of her house, she noticed a note on her desk.

"Welcome to your new world! As you may have already realized, this world is vastly different from the world you come from. In order to view your skills and abilities you just need to think about pulling up the information and it will pop up in front of you, just like in the Otome games you loved so much! To cast spells or use special abilities, you just need to think of what you want to use, no special words necessary! You can store any non-living thing safely in your magical item bag without worry of it degrading or getting stolen. Just tap any object you want, and it will automatically be placed in your storage for later. I’ve left some presents for you in your item bag to get you started in your new world, be sure to check them out before you go on any journey. There are other gifts I have left for you to find, keep an eye out for them. ;) PS: The forest behind your house is a great place for you to get acquainted with the new world. Enjoy your new life!”

Soto-san followed God’s instructions and pulled up for inventory list where she found a set of enchanted armor and a weapon that was called “user’s choice” that didn’t have any other description. She tapped the armor, and she was instantly clad in the gorgeous, yet impractical, armor set that was made of some kind of unknown material. The metal looked to be silver, and the fabric was a deep blue, both of which were indestructible and enchanted with buffs that enhanced her already maxed out abilities.

“Why the emoji? Eh, whatever. Let’s see what we have here… Cuirass of the Blessed, Godly Bracers, Boots of the Wanderer, Cloak of Shadows, Angel’s Crown... They all seem to be enchanted, so that’s cool. But what cheesy names! Wait, that’s not the biggest problem here!”

She looked down at her torso and cringed from the sight. “It doesn’t cover very much! It’s like those modded armors that perverted teenage boys add into their games along with boob physics. Speaking of which, were my boobs always this big!? I know I asked her to make me beautiful, but I wasn’t expecting this kind of enhancement! I gotta find a mirror!”

As she spoke, a mirror appeared in front of her. God assumed that she would want to see her new self and was generous enough to provide her with a spell that summoned a mirror on command. It was an unusual and totally useless spell, but God was in a jovial mood and looked forward to seeing how she would react.

“Woah… I look nothing like my old self… I’m actually hot! Even though I’ve always preferred black armor sets, my silver hair goes so well with this set! Oh! My eyes are the same color as my cloak and my skin is sooo soft! Gyah! I’m freaking hot! I look like the kind of girls I was intimidated by in college because they were too pretty to look at. This is the best world ever! With this appearance, I bet I could talk to any girl I want without them immediately running away like they did in my old world… That’s a lot more depressing when I say it out loud… Oh well! I should check out the rest of this place before I go out exploring!”

 Soto-san opened the door to a lush meadow illuminated by the early morning sun. The last drops of dew made the bright green grass sparkle in the light breeze. The cottage was nestled in front of a forest that gave cover to the modest home. To the left of the building was a small lean-to filled with freshly cut wood for the first and on the opposite side sat a small unoccupied stable.

Soto-san wandered behind the cottage to find a small garden, freshly plowed and green already starting to sprout from the richly colored soil. A bed of flowers hugged the cottage and vines of ivy had taken over half of the exterior wall. Next to the garden was a picturesque well, the kind she had only seen in games and anime. A simple wooden bucket was attached to a rope and swung lazily as the wind kept it from settling in place.

“Uwah! This place is so cute! It’s straight out of a fairytale! That reminds me, God said something about the forest behind my house being a good place to get used to my skills. I should try out a few things!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

While Soto-san excitedly explored her new home, Kitamura-san was just waking up. Her eyes cracked open, and she found herself lying on coarse grass in a small clearing of a dense forest. The canopy swayed in the wind, causing the rays of sunlight that broke through the thick coverage to shift and dance along the leaf covered forest floor. The sound of a nearby stream combined with the rustling leaves to create a natural symphony.

“Ugh, where the hell am I?” She groaned. “Oh yeah, I died, and God said something about reincarnating me. I guess this is the new world they spoke of… What’s so special about this place? It’s looks just like my old one.”

She stood up and brushed off the leaves that clung to her clothes. “…What the hell am I wearing!? What fabric is this!? What’s with this color, who combines brown and green!? Ugh, and these boots! Where these buried a barn or something!?”

Kitamura-san spent the next hour complaining about various aspects of her outfit. In her previous world, she wore designer brands and had closets filled with clothes for any occasion. Unfortunately for her, she asked for a normal life and not one of privilege, thus her clothes were what the average person wore in her new world.

Once she had aired all her grievances, she decided it would be best to find a way out of the forest.

“This is ridiculous, some God she was. Ugh, whatever. The first step to better clothes is leaving this forsaken woodland. If I head towards the stream, I can follow it and hopefully find some kind of civilization.”

Kitamura-san struggled through the dense thickets and towering trees until she reached the stream. Once there, she began in the direction of the current in the hopes that she would escape the forest. Her lack of experience with the outdoors made the terrain difficult for her to navigate. However, she was determined to reach the nearest village and find some fashionable clothes.

After what felt like hours, she found herself at the mouth of a cave. The afternoon sun had taken its toll and her lack of any food or clean water had caused her to feel even more fatigued. Faced with the choice between finding a way around the cave and powering through despite lacking a light source, she took the easier of options.

“Hm. Well, I can spare some time to cool off in there. Maybe the people who live in this world are cave dwellers or something.”

She confidently entered the cavern, making sure not to lose sight of the light the spilled in from the entrance. She plopped herself down to relax her feet for a minute. Having spent her whole life in a city with good public transportation services, she wasn’t accustomed to traveling long distances on foot. She leaned back and closed her eyes to recover her strength, not worried at all about potential danger.

When she opened her eyes, she felt something warm and small shift on her thighs. She looked down to find a tiny bear cub snuggling against her legs.

“…Oh my gosh, he’s so cute!”

She instinctively reached out and petted the fuzzy creature.

“Ohhh, it’s super soft and fluffy! If this is what this world is like, I think I’m going to love it! Look at his wittle w’arms and his wittle wose and his wittle wegs...”

 The cub little out small chirp and nuzzled against Kitamura-san’s chest.

“Aww, this little guy is so precious! Is this God’s way of making up for tossing me into the middle of nowhere with no supplies? If it is… I still don’t like her, but she did good with this…”

Her attention was fully on the adorable bear cub and never noticed what entered the cavern. Suddenly, the light from the mouth of the cave was blocked and she felt a chill shoot down her back. She nervously looked up to find the very large mama bear that returned to find her cub in the clutches of a strange human.

“…Nevermind, God sucks.” She muttered to herself. “Just reincarnated and I’m already going to die. I can’t catch a break.”

The bear roared in response causing the cub to hop off her lap and to its mama. Unfortunately for Kitamura-san, the mama was not in a forgiving mood and advanced on her with a fury. She closed her eyes and waited for her second death in less than a day.

Just before the bear’s sharp incisors clamped down on her, it was violently pulled back and tossed out of the cave. She opened her eyes to find a woman standing where the bear once was.

“Are you alright?” The mysterious woman asked in a gentle tone.

“Huh? Uh, yeah, perfectly fine. Thanks for saving me.” She was still recovering from the shock, but she wanted to keep her composure as best she could.

Before she could move, the woman picked her up and rushed out of the cave at a ridiculous speed. Is she a superhero or something, she thought to herself. How did she find me and where did she come from?

While Kitamura-san reeled from the unbelievable events that had taken place, Soto-san was experiencing a similar shock. She slowed to a walk, conscious of how awkward it probably was for Kitamura-san.

This is definitely Kitamura-san, right? Soto-san asked herself. How is she here? Did she die too? Did God not give her anything to help her adjust at all? She probably doesn’t recognize me because I look nothing like my old self. How am I supposed to talk to her and not give myself away as the loser from work?

“Where are you taking me?” Kitamura-san asked, finally ending the awkward silence between them.

“Huh? Oh, I figured I’d take you back to my house. Is that alright?”

“Yeah, that’s cool. I don’t really know where else I’d go; I might as well stick with you for now. What’s your name?”

“Uuuhhh…” Oh shit, what should I say? I can’t use my old name; she would definitely catch on and I can’t assume this world uses honorifics.

“You can call me S…Se…Selene! Y-yeah, my name is Selene!” The woman formerly known as Soto-san stuttered out.

“Nice to meetcha, Selene! I’m Chika Kitamura, I used to be an office worker in my old world. Apparently, I died, and some asshole of a deity dumped me here.”

Kitamura-san was unaware of Isekai etiquette of never mentioning reincarnation and was saying things that anyone other than Selene would consider the ravings of a mad woman.

“Umm, not that I don’t believe you, but most people in this world will probably think you’re crazy. I have, uh, experience with reincarnation stuff and it’s better to keep that kind of thing on the down low. Also, this world is drastically different from the world you came from. It’s not at the same place technologically and has different customs from what you’re used to.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense. It’s kinda impossible to prove that I died on another world so I can understand why people would think that. So, tell me about this world.”

“Uh, there’s magic, monsters, enchanted gear, and things you thought were only in fairytales. Once we get to my house, I’ll show you some of the basics.”

Before Kitamura-san could respond, the cozy cottage came into view.

“Is that shack your house? It’s kind of boring.”

This stuck up, spoiled brat. I should’ve left her in that cave.

“What’s your house look like?” Selene retorted. She was immediately reminded of why she and Kitamura-san never got along in their old world. Selene may have been a shy introvert, but at least she didn’t judge people based on the things they owned.

Selene set her down by the front door, begrudgingly inviting her in.

“Fair enough. It’s roomier than it looks from outside and it’s clean, so it’ll do for now. Hmm… Now that I get a good look at you, you’re really pretty. What’s your skincare routine? Is that your natural hair color? What’s with your clothes, are you trying to flaunt your chest?”

“Uh, I wash my face with water, it’s my natural hair, and maybe you shouldn’t insult my clothes when you’re wearing starting rags. Now, do you want me to tell you about this world or not?”

“Yeah, yeah, get on with it.”

“If you think about pulling up your stats, you can access your information. It will display your skill level, health and mana levels, abilities, equipped gear, and inventory. For example, check out mine.”

Selene pulled up her stats and pointed out the tabs that she had alluded to.

“Gear will have a quality rating, a rarity description, and, if it has enchantments, a description of the abilities attached to it.”

“Why does it say your level is infinite? Is this gear normal for this world? What the heck is skill level? What’s mana? What does inventory mean?”

“Ugh. Let’s start from the beginning.”

Selene spent the next two hours explaining the basics of RPG mechanics and the features that the new world offered. She was not used to talking to people who knew nothing about the things she engrossed herself in. She spent the majority of her life playing RPGs and reading fantasy/Isekai light novels and manga, so she had a more intimate knowledge of the subject matter than anyone. However, trying to describe all of those things to a normie who only cared about the real world was a herculean task that she never planned to undertake.

“I see… So skill level impacts strength of abilities and the kind you can use. Your gear is one-of-a-kind so not what the typical adventurer would have. This world has things called ‘adventurer’s guilds’ that post contracts for various quests. Mana is a measure of magic that can be used at a given time. Objects can be placed in my inventory by touching them while thinking about storing them in it. And your level is so high because you were blessed by God… This place is weird.”

“Ergh. My stamina is unlimited and yet, somehow, I’m exhausted… Oh yeah, this world may not have those honorifics you use. You can either drop them or you can pick a name you want to use in this world. No one knows you so you can pick what you want.”

“Hm… I like my name, but I think I should choose something that fits the setting… Do you think Cassie would fit this world?”

“Yeah, probably. You can change it once we get to town, and you hear other people’s names.”

“Grrrrrrruuughhhh…” Cassie’s stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten since she died, and her stomach was reminding her of that fact.

“…Do you want me to make you dinner?” Selene asked in an attempt to play off the awkward noise.

“Do you have food?”

“Umm… Maybe…”

Selene went to the kitchen in the hopes of finding some kind of preserved fruit or dried meat. There was a slim chance that God had provided her with everything she needed to survive, but she was desperate to get away from her ex-colleague.

Despite Selene’s new appearance and strength, she was still intimidated by Cassie’s beauty. Even though she was younger than she was when they knew each other, she was just as gorgeous. Her weak spot for cute girls was already affecting her in her new world and she hadn’t even met anyone new!

“Oh! There’s actually food in the icebox! Well, there’s eggs. But that means I can make you an omelet! How does that sound, Kit- I mean, Cassie?”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine. Do you have any beer?”

“Nope. When we go to town next, we’ll need to try out some of the local cuisine.”

“Why do you sound like you’ve never been here? Don’t you live here?”

“Ehhh… I kinda just moved in today from somewhere really far away, so I don’t know anything about this area.”

Selene spouted the best explanation that she could think of in hopes that Cassie wouldn’t catch on. She wasn’t sure how to tell her that they used to work a few desks away from each other, let alone how to explain why her appearance was so drastically different from how she looked before. Even though she looked more attractive than most girls she had seen, Selene was still just as awkward and shy as she was before.

“Oh. That’s weird. Why would you voluntarily move to a completely unknown part of the world? Are you stupid or something?”

“Eh!? I-I had my reasons! Cut me some slack. I saved your life and I’m taking care of you, the least you can do is not insult me.”

“I was just being honest. For someone with your skill level, you sure are sensitive. Take me to town tomorrow and I’ll be out of your hair for good.”

“Huh!? What do you plan to do on your own without any skills, connections, money, food, or knowledge of this world?”

Selene may not have liked Cassie’s personality, but she didn’t want to leave her to her own devices. She knew how hard it would be for a normie like Cassie to adjust to such a drastically different world. She doubted that Cassie would attempt to become an adventurer or learn how to use the abilities the world had to offer.

She was right, of course. Cassie had absolutely no intention of becoming the kind of adventurer that Selene had described to her earlier. She wasn’t interested in taking on contracts to wander the wilderness to kill some dangerous beast. She had barely used a chef’s knife in her previous world, there was no way she was going to lug around some clunky sword.

Unfortunately for her, the world she was now in wasn’t the industrialized capitalistic mecha that she was accustomed to. The main economic driver of the world she now lived in was the fulfillment of adventurer’s contracts and the goods they sold. Selene knew that before even going to the nearest town, but she also knew that Cassie wouldn’t take her word for it.

“I’ll be totally fine! I can get a job as a merchant or marry some rich aristocrat. Let’s face it, if this world is as technologically inept as you suggest, I’m probably going to be the hottest girl in town the moment I step foot in it. At the very least, I have all my teeth.”

“…Do you really think you can get away with not sounding like a crazy lady with an overinflated ego?” she asked sincerely as she placed an omelet in front of Cassie.

“That’s fair, I suppose. Well, what’s your plan? You’re new here too, right?” Cassie felt attacked and pushed the focus onto the only person she knew.

“I’m going to be an adventurer. I’m pretty sure I can beat any monster they need me to, plus it’s more fun than sitting around here. Also, it’s a lot of fun to go on journeys and have new experiences all while helping people and making friends along the way. Doesn’t that interest you at all?”

“Nope.” Cassie replied instantly. She didn’t bother listening in the first place because she had no real interest in Selene’s plans, she just wanted to divert the conversation away from her.

“…You’re not a nice person, are you? You don’t really care about anyone but yourself.” Selene’s rose-tinted view of her former coworker was beginning to dissolve. Everyone in their office loved her and she was sweet to everyone, but now Selene realized that it was all an act.

“Hmm? I mean, I care about people as long as it benefits me, y’know? Like, I have no reason to be nice to you since you’re an obvious pushover. You’d let me stay with you forever because you’re too shy to ask me to leave, right? Why would I waste the energy to pretend to be something that I’m not?”

“…I can’t believe I ever thought you were cute. Sheesh. I hope there are some cute girls at the adventurer’s guild that want to team up with me… Did I say that out loud?”

“Yup… So, you’re one of those, eh,” Cassie replied in an attempt to play it cool.

In her past life, she was always described as mature, beautiful, elegant, gorgeous, or hot. Never had she been described as cute, and she didn’t know why she was so flustered by it.

“N-no, no! I-I just would prefer my traveling partner to be nice to look at! You know, since I’d be spending most of my time with them and talking to them and putting my trust in them! You would prefer a cute kitten over a tiger, right? It’s the same for me but with girls!”

Her defense was pathetic, but she didn’t want Cassie to get creeped out by her. It was in moments like this that Selene really regretted not talking to people in the real world because her social skills were severely lacking.

“Hmm… I suppose I see your point. It’s still weird, but it must make sense in your mind. Well, moving on, where am I sleeping?”

“Ugh, you can take the bedroom upstairs. There’s only one bed so you can have it.”

Selene cleaned up the kitchen, not at all worried about where she was going to sleep. She was still reeling from the uncomfortable conversation and the last thing on her mind was sleep.

“Where will you sleep,” Cassie asked in an attempt to be polite.

“I’ll figure something out. I’m not that tired anyway.”

“…You won’t sneak into the bed after I fall asleep, will you?”

“No, I won’t do anything like that. Get some rest, you’ll need it for tomorrow. Once we get to town, you’ll never need to worry about me again.”

Selene was in an odd mood. She was used to people judging her, but she had hoped that would change in a new world. However, it was becoming increasingly clear that she would most likely end up exactly how she was before: alone. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t change who she was.

Cassie went to bed while Selene sat by the fire to contemplate what this life was going to be like for her. She was immortal and unageing, which meant that she would always outlive anyone who may get along with her. She was also extremely gorgeous in her new body, but that just made her feel worse. At least in her old body she could tell herself that she was alone because she was ugly.

“Haah,” she sighed. “I’m not sure if this life is going to be any better than my last one. I’m not sure why God said I wouldn’t be alone again when my personality is exactly the same. Kitamura-san will probably be just as popular in this world as she was at the office, and I’ll be just as miserable…”

She buried her face into her hands and sobbed from her self-pity. Even though she couldn’t be sure, she had a suspicion that her parents didn’t cry when they heard of her death.

“I wonder if anyone even noticed I was gone. I’m sure they all wish it had just been me that died. Heh. I kind of agree with them. Kitamura-san would probably be a lot happier in that world than this one. I may love it, but no one seems to like anything that I like… At least Kitamura-san and I have one thing in common: we both hate me.”