1 Chapter 1: What superpower should I get?

I was walking down the road while thinking of the new game I just bought: "Venus Attack 5: Return of Malicia.". It's the kind of game solely people with weird fetishes would even look at, but I had an emotional connection to the first game of this series, and I became an avid fan as a result, not that it displeases me.

After all I was the type of person people would expect to be playing weird games, according to the societal norms of the world I live in, I'm called an otaku. I never really delved deep into the meaning of this word, but from what I gathered by asking my best friend Jeremy, it's like a title that people give to you. It is neither good nor bad, it's just a way for people to classify you.

Talking about classification, I'm categorized as a useless member of society. Being 16 years old, living under my parents' care, and not contributing to anything except playing games, I'm not a useful person. Though what makes me useless is that I have no ambition, I can admit it pretty easily as I understand myself better than anyone else. My severely obese body and my lack of courage and tenacity make me someone that'll never succeed in life. I'm bad at school, I scrape the bottom of the barrel with my marks, and I don't do anything to remedy that problem, I never studied after all. It's not that I think it's a waste of time, I just consider it less important than enjoying life to its fullest.

188 cm and 140 kg, high numbers that reflect themselves on my body. I don't find myself disgusting, I like the way I look, it shows that I enjoy every moment. Other people also don't really care about my body, most people these days care about what's inside. Though the way I am is honestly horrific. I'm a burden to my family, they don't talk about it and are good parents that wish for my happiness, but I know. My older sister is working hard to stay in the prestigious college that she is in, she wishes to succed in life to then help me "get back on my feet", so she says. I'm grateful to her but it saddens me to see how useless I am.

I considered suicide last year, I had no friends and life seemed bleak, I had been engulfed by despair. Then a transfer student arrived, by the name of Jeremy, he was a short guy with green hair cut cleanly like a bowl and huge glasses that hid most of his facial features. He sat next to me in class and out of nowhere started talking to me, he tried asking questions about myself. At first I didn't answer as I was lost in my despairing thoughts, and when he realized I wasn't going to answer him, he began talking about himself, or more precisely, the things he liked in life.

He talked about the food he prefered eating and why a certain dish was better than another, then he babbled about his favorite games and manga. I grew a bit tired of him, the way he tried his hardest to be funny annoyed me. After all, I had realized the moment he had started talking to me that he was similar to me, he was a useless being. But his joyfulness and his constant smile that radiated happiness made me want to vomit, I really was a hopeless person at the time.

Finally, when class ended and just as I was about to get up and leave, Jeremy had put his hand over my shoulder and whispered to me: "Gerald, I have a solution to your problems.". I remember that my eyes had widened and that he laughed at the silly face I had made. He bid me goodbye and then left.

The next day, Jeremy was the first person I saw as I entered the school I go to. He told me a bit about his story of how I reminded him of himself when he was younger, except for the excess fat and the tall stature: "Now, I'll tell you how I survived this terrifying ordeal that you're going through.". I waited with bated breath for his answer: "Reincarnation in another world!". He pointed his finger up towards the sky.

I think my face back then was one filled with heavy doubt because he coughed before explaining to me the wonderful thing that was dying by getting hit by a truck. When I returned home later during the day, I did some research on the web to verify his statement, and it proved to be true. That was the moment I decided to enjoy life to the fullest until the day I get hit by a truck and afterwards get reincarnated in a magical world with superpowers.

I would finally be able to become a useful person in this other world, I wouldn't be a burden to my family anymore and I had no friends except Jeremy who would understand that I accomplished the ultimate goal, so I knew this was the only solution to the problem that was my current life. Thus I decided to go out more, it wasn't really me seeking to get hit by a truck, it's just that I knew there were more chances to get hit if you walked outside.

It's not like I thought about it constantly, I just tried to integrate this solution to my everyday life by making small adjustements here and there. Thus, there I was on my way to return home after having bought the game I had waited for a long time now, I could have had it shipped but, well I explained why. My short black hair bobbed up and down as I walked, and so did the fat on my body, there was a strange rythm to the way my body moved but it was pleasant so I started singing a popular song I had heard not long ago on the radio.

My voice was soothing, one of the only qualities I possessed, but I wasn't good enough to proclaim myself a singer that would change the music industry as we know it. I walked on the pavement while avoiding the surrounding people, then, the time came to take a step onto the heavenly road: a crosswalk. I gulped and took my first step, nothing happened, I quickly took a second one, hoping for the best.

At long last came the last step until I step off the heavenly road, I sighed and advanced. The abscence of any truck didn't disappoint me, I knew I had a lot of time ahead of me. I started walking briskly towards my house, but the shout of a young woman perturbed me: "Look out!". I turned back and there it was, the messiah in person: the truck of my dreams.

I tried getting out of the way as I knew that not moving would be too obvious and I should act my part to make it seem like it was an accident, a fortunate accident. I dived towards the right, but the truck seemed to be aiming for me as the driver turned my way at the same time. Now I was sure of it, it was the moment for me to die.

My humongous body got hit, and bounced back 10 meters away. The pain I felt was unimaginable, I hoped that I would die soon so all this pain would end right now. People around me were screaming and shouting, some people came near me while others held out their phones to film the scene, I would have done the same. My body was in shambles, I saw that my right arm was broken and that my two legs were bloodied, I knew there was no way I would survive. I smiled and cried, the people around me thought those were tears of despair and fear at the idea of dying, but those were tears of joy and relief. Relief that my useless life would finally end.

I closed my eyes. And when I reopened them, here I was in a vast white space, in front of me stood a magnificent woman with a heavenly halo surrounding her. She was the goddess that would grant me a superpower and would reincarnate me in another world. I intended to walk towards her but my body wouldn't move, she was smiling and her smile soothed my heart even more.

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Meanwhile, people that had witnessed Gerald getting hit by the truck were worried, 4 of them were trying to help Gerald by any means they knew of. But when they realized that the young man's pulse was getting weaker, the 4 men clenched their fists in anger and self-reproach. They had already called 911 but by the time they arrived, the young man would have already died. Those were the thoughts of the people surrounding this scene.

Suddenly, an old man appeared and pushed away two of the men: "Excuse me, I can save this young lad so get out of the way.". This old man's words were harsh but the men obeyed him and took a step back, the former took out some needles and herbs under his jacket. He punctured the fractured arm of Gerald and compressed the herbs against his legs, after that he rapidly moved the arm to put it back the way it should have been and bandaged Gerald's legs while keeping the herbs under.

'At this rate, he's going to run out of blood, I need to administrate him a Blood Replinishing Pill.'. The old man's actions were quicker than his thoughts as he started chewing a blood red pill before putting his lips against Gerald's to make him swallow the pill. Afer that, he proceeded to use CPR to give him oxygen.

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I was getting nearer to the goddess, I was sure the moment I touched her hand, I would be given a superpower. But...What power should I get? Super strength? Being able to run at the speed of light? Maybe a system to help me grow stronger by defeating enemies? I decided to think about that after I reached the goddess, now's not the time to be distracted.

I was on the verge of holding her hand when it happened. I started falling down. I hadn't realized what was happening at first but when I saw the goddess' smile growing fainter, I started crying. My shouts echoed in my ears as I was emptying my lungs. I truly felt like I was dying, I was horrified.

I curled into a ball while falling and decided that I wouldn't move anymore. But a voice made me open my eyes: "Open your eyes, young lad.". I did as I was told and what I saw was an old man approaching my face to kiss it. I knew this was it, the Grim Reaper was giving me the deadly kiss, it was the end for me. I had dreamt of dying for so long, but I never imagined this would be the end. I grew angry at breackneck speed and clenched my left fist. I didn't want to give up so soon, I didn't want to die so soon. I wanted to live a wonderful life as a useful person to the world.

My emotions got the better of me and I did something I thought impossible, I punched the Grim Reaper with my fist and sent him flying. I got up and stared at the old man on the ground...I punched Death...I just defeated Death...

I looked around me and I saw the flabbergasted passerbys staring at me then gazing at Death (looking like an old man) laying on the ground. I ran away, as fast as I could, that was the only thing I could think of, I fled the scene.

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I had reached my home, I opened the front door and ran upstairs to my room. I ignored my mothers' inquiries asking if I was fine and I simply closed the door to my room and sat on the ground. I tried remembering what had happened: "I was supposed to die and be reincarnated, but something happened and I woke up to the Grim Reaper trying to kiss me. And then...And then...". The words were stuck in my throat but I knew I had to say them to accept the truth: "I...punched the Grim Reaper...And defeated Death as a result....That explains why I'm still alive...But if I beat Death...Then...". The sudden realization hit me like a truck: "I can't die anymore...". Those words marked the start of my whole new life.