Compensation θ ~ I might be late for reincarnation, but since I was born as the talented eldest son of a prestigious noble, I might be on the winning side.

TLN : As you might guess from the title, this chapter contains a bit description of self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.

“Gate… Gate… My gate… Gate… It’s not here, why isn’t it here?”

I’m not sure how much time had passed.

I was still dressed in the same clothes. My watch, smartphone, and the backpack I had slung over my shoulder—all of them had somehow disappeared. They were gone. Because of that, my sense of time had long been numbed within the darkness. Since everyone had disappeared, I had no idea how much time had passed.

Driven by emotions, I shouted, thrashed, and cried, but there was only myself here. To reaffirm that this is not a dream. So I….

“Ouch… Yeah, it hurts. I’m alive. I’m alive.”

I want to escape from the fear of swallowed by the darkness, of disappearing into nothingness. But there were no means to escape, and before I knew it, I had started to engage in acts of self-harm.

At first, I would hit the floor with my hands and feet, or scratch at my skin. But the momentary pain wasn’t enough to counteract the fear. Soon, I started biting my fingers and arms. With each bite, I felt a small sense of relief and regained a sense of self.

“…Ouch… It tastes bad.”

I bit deeply, tasting the rusty tang of blood, affirming that I was alive.

“It’s okay. I’m still okay. I’m here.”

I was alive. But soon, I felt like going mad.

I dozed off repeatedly, falling into shallow sleep. Every time I woke up, I was struck by a sense of self-loss. I bit myself, licking the blood, and scanned the darkness, hoping to find a gate. Over and over again, I repeated this process. Before I knew it, this had become a habit.

“Huh?”

Still, the surroundings were pitch-black. However, when my gaze flickered in a certain direction, I felt an unfamiliar sense of unease.

“…What’s that? Is there something there?”

Just after I said that aloud, the voice I had heard before suddenly entered my mind.

—The Gate of Reincarnation

“Voice? Y-yes! Finally. It’s the gate, the Gate of Reincarnation!”

I felt a surge of excitement and anticipation. I wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away. I started moving in the direction of the unfamiliar sensation, half crawling, half shuffling.

“Is this the entrance?”

I manage to get as close as possible, and finally, I can recognize that there’s a gate right in front of me. My heart swells with anticipation.

A pitch-black gate blending into the darkness. Unlike the other gates I’ve seen before, it doesn’t emit any light.

It’s extremely difficult to make out, but as I get closer, my skin starts to tingle. Staring at it intently, I can sense that, somehow, the density of darkness there is different.

I wondered if this gate would disappear over time.

–The Gate of Reincarnation will only disappear upon the passage of those who seek salvation.

Who does the term “those who seeks salvation” refer to?

――It refers to those who strays into the Boundary of Isolation and Departure.

There is no one else here. There shouldn’t be. So, does that mean the one who seek salvation for this gate is just me?

――The one who seek salvation in this realm is solely the questioner, you.

Alright! This gate, the one I’ve been waiting for, won’t vanish until I pass through. I was in a hurry to dive in, but…

Wait. No, I should gather as much information as possible before I go in. I scold myself, mustering the last shreds of self-control, and fully restraining my impulse.

While remaining in front of the gate, I looked around, hoping to find any other changes in this space. However, in the end, I couldn’t find anything different.

Information about the gate can only be obtained by someone going through it. That’s how it’s been until now.

But this gate is mine. It’s a gate opened only for me, so it’s only natural to be given the information. With that train of thought, I asked.

What is the name of this gate? What kind of class will I receive by diving in?

–[Gate Name: The Gate of Spider String]

[Class]: Compensation θ-Type [Auto-Matching]

[Ability]: Unblossomed

[Skills]: None

[Bonus]: Customized Guide

Nice! I’m glad I asked. It turns out it was a good idea to gather information about the gate beforehand.

Let’s see. The gate’s name is ‘The Gate of Spider String,’ and the given class is ‘Compensation θ-Type [Auto-Matching].’ The abilities section states ‘Unblossomed.’ The skills field is blank, and there are no symbols like the previous gate.

Huh? Why aren’t there symbols like ◯ or △? Just when I was getting excited, this puzzling information has raised my eyebrows.

…Calm down, me. What’s the use of getting flustered now? Stay composed and ask one thing at a time.

“What does ‘Customized Guide’ mean?”

――It’s the process of optimizing the host body to acquired [abilities].

Alright, it answered. If unfamiliar terms come up, let’s keep asking one after another.

“What does ‘host body’ mean?”

――It refers to the host body of the individual who chose ‘The Gate of Spider String.’ It consists of the physical body, the ethereal body, and the soul, forming a part of the future version of oneself.

“Optimizing the host body, can you elaborate on that?”

――It involves primarily modifying the host body through alterations.

Alterations? Is such a significant modification necessary to acquire abilities?

“What does ‘Auto-Matching’ mean?”

――It automatically determines the most suitable method for bringing out the latent potential of the host body.

The voice answer easily, but I don’t quite understand.

After that, I threw out numerous questions. However, after all, the place of reincarnation is a different world. It seems to differ from the laws of our world, and there are some gaps in concepts from those of game-like fantasy light novels, so not all the answers can be understood.

What’s clear is that the only thing that can be carried over after reincarnation is the memory of myself—Sakura Rio—that includes the information obtained here.

My current body and soul will be absorbed into the world of reincarnation, and in return, a [class] and benefits will be granted. Then, within a newly fashioned vessel (body, ethereal form, and soul) that conforms to the world order of their reincarnation destination.

Compensation, huh?

There are at least four types of gates, and the compensation that varies depending on which gate you enter might seem unfair for a so-called “salvation”, right?

When I asked about this, it turns out that in that world, there are multiple administrators (so-called gods), each administrator has their own discretion to open gates. Therefore, the names of the gates and the compensations also vary.

Well, I guess there’s nothing to be done about it then. If there are multiple gods in charge, and they have their own discretion in opening gates, it wouldn’t make much sense to complain or be dissatisfied. It’s best to express gratitude for the additional gate being opened for me, even if I don’t know the name of the deity responsible.

“Alright, should I go?”

There doesn’t seem to be any more information to gather from this space. Though I felt anxious, I suppose there’s nothing else I can do.

Finally satisfied, I cast myself into the darkness of the jet-black gate. A new life awaits me. It would be great if my class can use magic… Just a wishful thought.