Reincarnation

In a damp cave a man in rags dropped down as blood streamed down his face. He tried to stand but it was useless.

His face was bruised and wet with hot tears. His leg twisted as he limped, he carried a bated breath and had difficulties exhaling.

He screamed in pain as the shock came over him, an intense sensation surged through him as his body began to heat up.

Steam condensed and emitted from his body mixing with his sweat combining into a odorous gas.

Like a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis his body started to dissolve, remaining of him a gelatinous green blob.

Heat and gas escaped the green blob, hardening in the process.

As the days passed moisture collected on the skin of the shell absorbing it at a steady pace. The chrysalis darkened, its colours fading away.

Mysterious lines covered the chrysalis forming a small balled up figure where his chest was supposed to be.

The chrysalis then began to compress into a black egg the size of an average adult fist.

Later on the egg cracked little by little as the days past by. In the end when it hatched a pink scaleless infant snake yawned widely.

It was the birth of a new creature and the reincarnation of a misfortunate boy.

....

So warm. It was so comfy in here. I never want to leave. A fluid substance smothered my body as I slumbered peacefully in the dark.

I felt my consciousness dissipate as I moved towards the light. This must be death I thought to myself wondering what happens next.

Reluctantly opening my eyes I began to yawn widely, but no sound came out. It was strange since I felt like I had no limbs.

I wondered if my death was all just a dream? Walking around I realised that I was no longer at the hospital that I spent most of my life trapped in.

I was now in a cave with dim lights coming through cracks above me. The entire cavern was riddled with stalactites that had droplets of water dripping down them.

The droplets splashed softly into the pool nearby. Gasping mentally I realised what this must be.

I had reincarnated! Hastening my pace I ran straight towards the pool in a hurry. I couldn't wait to see what I looked like.

Would I be a beautiful elf girl? Or a demihuman with cat ears? But judging by how small I was I might be neither and could possibly be a monster.

Either way as long as I am able to survive and have fun I don't care even if I was ugly!

Nearing the pool I begin to reassure myself that even if I was ugly there was still a possibility that magic existed!

If there was I could use it to change my appearance. Calming myself down I began to take a peek of my current self.

In front of my eyes I saw an adorable pink and scaleless infant snake. Its beast eyes closed in forward as it stuck its tongue out.

Then in a state of shock I realised who the snake was. It was me! What?! That's me?

No! I don't want to be a snake! I refuse to accept this! In my past life I had something called ophiophobia, the abnormal fear of snakes.

Cobras, pythons, vipers and anacondas. I was scared of all of them. Their disgusting long tongues and vicious fangs.

Their cute appearances doesn't help in any way though. They were the most hellish creatures that I had ever seen.

It was almost ironic; I who had a fear of snakes has been reborn into the body of one.

I felt the like the heavens were against me. Slithering around I felt the ground beneath me becoming even more slippery as I slide on it.

It seems like the substance that came out of the egg had travelled along with my body. Now that I thought about it.

Where were my parents? I had just been born but no other snakes could be seen in sight. Well not that I'd want to see them anyways.

Sliding around the cave to calm myself down I began to regain my composure. Since this was another world there was undoubtedly a high chance it was a game-like world much to my chagrin.

I had no experience in gaming after all! All I knew how to play was the piano. Video games were out of the question!

But in these cases I just wish I paid more attention to them. Idly I thought to myself what would have happened if I did play games in my past life.

Would I have been reborn as something else? Or just go to heaven in general? Shaking away those thoughts I tried to recall the staple words from those mangas and novels.

"What was it again? Start? State? Ah, Status!" Finally remembering a sound in my head rang out. [Welcome Mistress. Please grant me a name.] A monotonous voice resounded in my head neither female nor male.

It was very strange, but since I had already died and has been reborn it was not much of a surprise for the current me.

In the blink of an eye right in front of me was a blue HUD screen that had a blank white line. A keyboard could be seen along with it, it was exactly like naming an avatar!

Let's see. "I'll name you. Ophiuchus. Named after the Serpent Bearer, since, well you're a system for a snake."

[Understood. From now on I am Ophiuchus].

Good. Now, let's see what I can do...