Reincarnation was a thing most people were aware of.

The ability to be reborn into a new body, living out a new life; it was a common dream for many to suddenly be reborn into another world, preferably one of fantasy and magic, where they can live out their dreams of being a hero.

And a group of humans were about to experience it for themselves.

Five humans stood in a sea of white, each one having perished from a freak accident at the same time. A goddess stood in front of them, telling them she shall reincarnate them into a new world, a world of magic and monsters, and that she will grant any single wish they may have.

“What do you wish for?” A goddess asked the five humans in front of her.

“I want to be a princess!” A girl said.

“I want to be a dragon-slaying knight!” A boy said.

“I-I want to be a mage…” Another boy said.

“I want to be a beast tamer!” The other girl said.

“And you?” The goddess asked the last boy.

He looked up at her, expression serious, and said, “I want to be the strongest there is.”

She stared at him for a moment before smiling, “I understand. Now, go.”

With a wave of her hand, she sent them all away to be reborn, each one with a different story to tell.

A cool breeze woke me as I groggily awoke, slowly blinking my eyes. As soon as my eyes adjusted, I looked around and paused once I saw a large scorpion staring straight at me.

We stared at each other for a few moments before I finally reacted, jumping and trying to move backward but my body felt awkward and stumbled.

I opened my mouth to yelp, but the only thing that came out was a quiet hiss. Wait, a hiss?

Hm. Something doesn’t seem right. I couldn’t have seen what I think I just saw, and heard what I think I just heard.

This must be a dream. So, I closed my eyes. Because, clearly, I’m just dreaming and I’ll wake up any time soon.

However, the sounds of multiple footsteps could not be ignored no matter how much I try and refuse my current reality.

So, I opened my eyes again and was met with multiple scorpions simply wandering about.

Hm, hm. Right. So, there are scorpions as large as I am right in front of me, each one alarmingly white and surrounding me.

I tried to get back up, but I felt multiple appendages move as I tried to move my legs. Well then. Is this what I’m thinking it is?

I couldn’t move my neck, but from the corner of my eye, I could see multiple thin appendages. That looked like legs. Scorpion legs.

Ah, I see. Is this that reincarnation thing I’ve read about?

…

HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE CALM ABOUT THIS?!

EVEN THEN, WHY WAS I REINCARNATED AS A SCORPION?!

COULDN’T I HAVE BEEN SOMETHING COOLER?! EVEN A SNAKE WOULD’VE BEEN BETTER THAN THIS!

Wait, isn’t the script a bit off?

If this truly was reincarnation or whatever, shouldn’t I have been reincarnated as a valiant hero or a poor commoner who slowly fights his way towards greatness?

Why am I a scorpion?

And why was I made a scorpion when I clearly asked to be the strongest living being alive?!

Sure, I didn’t say those exact words, but I’m pretty sure my message was clear!

Goddess, come back, I swear I only want to talk!!

…

Whatever. I suppose it could be worse.

The ground suddenly shook, knocking me off balance as well as many of the other scorpions around me.

Confused, I looked around and saw a large freakish being making its way towards us.

With the head of a frog and body of an ape, it lunged towards us.

Um… isn’t this bad?