Dead, huh. Can't say I'm surprised, rather, if I was any less skilful then I wouldn't have lasted nearly as long as I did. To think that the greatest assassin the underground had ever known would go out in such a fashion. It hurts my pride to even think about it. Had I been too focused on the target? I must have been if an ice-cream van had rounded the corner without me even noticing. I can only hope the shot I squeezed off as I was crushed beneath the tyres was enough to finish off my contract. Odin Malum hadn't failed a job yet and even dead, that's a record I'd like to keep intact.

The afterlife so far is a little more drab than I expected. Nothing but darkness presses around me, trying to overcome my will. A foolish attempt.

[Welcome Odin.]

A voice speaks suddenly out of the gloom, its words penetrating directly into my mind. Some sort of telepathy? How is this possible?

[You have died.]

I'm aware of that. What sort of fool wouldn't be aware of their own death. The sight of the hapless driver behind the wheel of that accursed frozen confectionary truck will be branded into my mind's eye forever more.

[Be calm, you will soon awaken to experience life again in a new world.]

Calm? I'm always calm. If I'm not, then that's because I have chosen not to be. This must be a pre-set message, like an automated recording. That implies that I may not be only the person who has experienced reincarnation on this 'new world'. Others like me? I hardly think there are any as capable as I am, but it does make me a little intrigued. Finding people from Earth and extracting what they know will be a good source of information. In the underworld, survival is everything, and information is the key to survival. Knowing too much was never an issue, so long as nobody was aware that you knew it.

[You will be reborn on the world of Pangera.]

Pangera? Like Pangea? That hardly seems original. Come on voice, I grow tired of your mewling, tell me something that is actually relevant, something that might help me survive in this place that you seem intent on throwing me into.

[Destiny and luck shall determine your fate.]

Luck? Luck will have nothing to do with it. I relied on my skills and intuition to keep me alive in my past existence and I'll do the same in this one. I'll rise to the top once more, no matter how bloody my hands need to get. If you're going to be stupid enough to give me a second chance, then I'm going to make sure it doesn't go to waste.

[You will be reborn with the following status:]

Status? What's a status?

[Name: Odin Malum

Level: 1 (I)

Might: 45

Toughness: 36

Cunning: 31

Will: 32

HP: 72/72

MP: 0/0

Skills:

Demonic Convergence (I) level 1; Bite (I) Level 3; Demon Claw (I) Level 3; Crawl (I) Level 1; Mana Sense (I) Level 2;

Species: Initial Demon Larva

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1]

[You have one Skill point and one Biomass available.]

[Go forth and forge your own path.]

That was a lot to take in, and at the same time, not much at all. So I'm not being reborn as a human? Why was I reincarnated here by this entity with the gruff voice if not for my expertise as a person? There must be another trait that is desired and I need to find out what it is. If I can determine why I've been chosen for this treatment then perhaps I can leverage that information in some way. Wait, I can't make assumptions. Is there a chance that everyone is reborn here when they die?

Unlikely, but I can't rule it out. It would be interesting to learn after all of these years that there was in fact a unified afterlife, and it was some weird game world with an unimaginative name. Enough with the speculation, what do I know?

My species is listed as an Initial Demon Larva. The name is telling. First, 'initial' indicates that there are multiple stages of 'demon larva', which shows that there is some capacity for growth that is recognised by this 'game system'. Second, I'm a demon of some kind. In the Judeo-Christian variety? Will I have horns and a pointy tail? For someone who was often referred to as a 'demon' in their life, this almost feels fitting in some way.

For the stats that I've been given, I have no reference to determine if they are strong or weak, so I'll put those aside for now. The Skills are interesting. Bite, claw, crawl all seem rather straightforward in application, but the other two… Demonic Convergence? Mana Sense? What exactly is mana? How does one sense it?

Wait, something is happening…

My mind snaps into focus and all intrusive thoughts are driven away in an instant as I try to take in as much information as I can. What am I sensing? It's faint, like a weak signal coming through a radio, but growing stronger. I can feel something. It's wrapped around me, like a tight blanket or cocoon. Can I move? I try to flex or manipulate but I feel disconnected from any sensation, as if my body is far away and I'm having to control it through the post.

I can tell that I'm drawing closer to it, that my body and mind are harmonising with time, but I refuse to wait.

Harder now, I force with my iron will and feel a response come back at last. That response seems to strengthen my connection and everything seems that much clearer now. Excellent. I harden my mind and push again, able to now feel myself flex and buckle against whatever it is that contains me. Something gives way I feel myself tumble forward. Quick as death I try to snap onto a ledge or find something to grip, but my body doesn't respond quickly enough and I start to fall.

Unpanicked, I roll my body onto its side and brace myself to absorb the shock of landing. It comes, but is much softer than I expected. I must have fallen only a short distance, perhaps I was attached to a wall? Much more in synch with myself now, I begin to analyse myself whilst I take in the environment around me. Understanding my own body is my highest priority. If I don't know what my weapons are, I won't be able to hone them.

Giving Odin Malum a second chance? It's so foolish that it's almost laughable. I'll take great pleasure in ending whoever it was that thought they could play god with me.