1 God Cat Mii-chan, the god’s pet.

Something rough is stroking my cheek. What could it be?

When I opened my eyes and looked around, a kitten was licking my face.

Huh? What happened to me? And where is this?

“You seem to have awakened.”

A beautiful woman spoke to me. She was dressed very casually, but it suited her well. She looked neither Western nor Eastern, but rather a mysterious woman.

“Hehe… Thank you.”

“Oh no, I just spoke my thoughts.”

Huh? Did I say that out loud?

“Hehe… You didn’t say anything.”

“Then how did you… read my mind?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Hmm, she’s like a super lady. It’s amazing that such people exist with supernatural abilities.

“Let me correct your misunderstanding. I am one of the administrators of Earth, whom you call gods.”

“Huh… You’re a god!”

“Yes, I am a god.”

“What can I do for you, as a god?”

“Don’t be surprised when you hear this. You slipped and fell down the stairs and died.”

“I see. So I died. Seriously?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Then why am I here?”

“A cute kitten you helped is my retainer and also my pet.”

“A pet, huh…”

According to the god, while she wasn’t looking, the kitten ventured into the mortal realm without permission. The kitten is the god’s retainer but still small and hasn’t undergone serious training. However, being a retainer of the god means it’s immortal and never ages. So, this kitten will remain in its cutest form forever. I wonder what the main cat thinks, but I envy the god for sure.

“Is that so? You seem to be getting a little flustered.”

“May I correct you? Even if you hadn’t helped that kitten, it wouldn’t have died. It might have suffered a bit, but it got into the box and went down the river by itself, so it’s its own fault!”

“Is that so? You silly.”

“Mii~”

I gently poked the kitten’s forehead, and it made a surprised face, standing up and skillfully swaying its hips. What a calculated cuteness!

“It seems like you might be more important than you think… You died.”

“Well, even so. I’ve been told I give up easily.”

“I-I see. That’s good to hear. So, because you saved my Mii-chan and died, I intend to be somewhat flexible about your future. I’ll give you a few choices, so please choose.”

The choices were: reincarnate into a wealthy family, be born poor but talented, be reincarnated into your favorite animal, or be reincarnated into a wealthy family in another world. Honestly, none of them are very appealing. By the way, it was said that I couldn’t go back to my original.

“Do you want to go to another world with your memories intact, rather than being reborn?”

“In the end, if I choose any of those options, my life will be over, right? That’s just too sad. I want to enjoy life more.”

The goddess seemed troubled. Ultimately, those options didn’t benefit me. What happens after being reborn doesn’t matter to me right now.

“I think I can do something about it, but the world will be limited.”

“What kind of world is it?”

“A world of survival of the fittest, where it’s harsh and competitive. It’s still immature in many ways. No, I should say it’s become an immature world…”

“An immature world? Can you explain what kind of world that is specifically? It’s too abstract for me to understand.”

“I wonder what I could say to make you understand… Would it help if I said it’s like a world from a fairy tale?”

“So, you mean fantasy?”

“To be honest, it’s not as simple as that. If you’re not strong, even stepping outside the city is life-threatening.”

“But you can become strong, right?”

“Yes, if you train your mind and body, you can manage. In fact, many people there are like that.”

“What would happen to me if I went there right now?”

“If you stepped outside the city, you’d be instantly killed by monsters.”

I-I’d be instantly killed…? That’s harsh. And there are monsters there…?

“Is there any way you could show some mercy there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Could you maybe add a bit of color to it?”

“You want to go there strong?”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but I think with effort, I could manage somehow.”

Mi-chan, the kitten, is sound asleep in my arms. Come to think of it, I haven’t sneezed once. I guess it’s obvious I don’t have a cat allergy anymore since I’m dead.

“I understand. Let’s give a little boost to your body in that world.”

Oh, I see! It’s worth a shot. According to the god, in that world, your capacity to exist is determined by the size of your soul’s vessel. No matter how hard you try, if the vessel is small, you can’t exceed its limits.

By the way, it seems Earth’s souls have shrunk due to overpopulation.

“It’s done.”

“Um, could I ask for one more thing…?”

“W-What would that be?”

“Since I’d rather not die right away, could I get some useful abilities first? Does that world have magic or something?”

“Um… That’s a tough one. While there’s no concept of spells like in magic, they have abilities (skills) that can achieve similar things.”

There are no spells to cast, but if you have a fire skill, you can manipulate fire. Just remember, it’s manipulation, not creation. There seem to be various limitations.

“What kind of abilities (skills) do you want? I’ve made my vessel bigger, but it hasn’t grown, so I can’t give you any great abilities (skills).”

“Can I have any ability (skill)?”

“It’s possible if you have abilities (skills) that exist in that world that fit in your current container. However, you cannot be given abilities (skills) that will have an impact on the world.”

That means that there are abilities (skills) that can have an impact on the world. Even if I had that kind of power, I can’t imagine anyone being able to use it properly. It would be better to receive a solid and easy-to-use ability (skill) here.

“For example, could you introduce me to something that is easy to use?”

God kindly and carefully explained the abilities (skills) that were now available to me. Among them, I chose five skills: Appraisal skill, Map skill, Body strengthening skill, Luck increase skill, and Archery skill.

If you have Appraisal, I don’t think you’ll ever be devoured like a straw man, and you can also tell a little bit about your opponent’s strength, so I think it’s the most important skill for survival. I think map skills are necessary since I have a pretty poor sense of direction. I thought that combat skills would also be needed, so I chose archery skills. Since close combat is impossible, I think I’ll use long-range attacks. And I thought it was necessary to strengthen my body in order to draw a strong bow.

And the last one is Luck Boost. It might sound strange for someone who failed their university entrance exams and died saving a kitten, but I’m not that stupid and I’m fairly competent. Despite that, here I am… I thought what I fundamentally lacked was luck.

Don’t you think these five skills form a perfect lineup?

When I asked the god for these five skills, he praised my choices, saying they were quite good.

“Yes, it’s done. I’ve granted you the skills, but you need to train and increase your proficiency.”

“Proficiency?”

“If the skills aren’t trained, they’re only slightly better than a beginner’s level. But if you train and increase your proficiency, you can become a master.”

“In other words, if I don’t train them, they’ll be useless treasures?”

“That’s right.”

It’s like leveling up in a game. If you train, you might eventually reach a god-like level.

“I’ll work hard to train! By the way, will I be able to speak, read, and write when I get there?”

“You have already acquired the common language. Additionally, I’ve provided you with money and tools sufficient for two to three months of living, all packed in a bag. I’ll also include a special how-to guide for that world.”

How considerate and helpful.

“Are you ready?”

Reluctantly, I handed the sleeping kitten, Mii-chan, back to the god.

“Please take care of her.”

“I wish you much happiness on your life’s journey.”

Ah, Mii-chan was so cute. Thinking that I won’t be able to see her again makes me sad. As I pondered this, my consciousness began to fade again…