Wait a Minute. What's My Race?

My life was pretty ordinary, all things considered. No major problems, no dramatic ups and downs. It was just a monotonous stretch of boredom, day in and day out.

The one drug that spiced up my otherwise drab existence? Web novels. I was a self-proclaimed, publicly certified hardcore reader. And among them, a total goat material connoisseur.

Web novels had been with me since my high school uniform days, sticking around through my twenties' job-hunting hell and into my thirties as a burnt-out office drone.

I'd devoured everything: classic fantasy, modern fantasy, martial arts epics. Lately, I'd even dabbled in romance fantasy and 19+ dark depravity stuff—thoroughly and without shame.

But then, on my way home from work. Cursing under my breath at some asshole blocking the sidewalk, eyes glued to the latest harem update as I walked.

A dump truck came barreling straight at me. And just like that, I croaked in the most ridiculous way possible.

Now here I was, floating in a pitch-black void, staring at a translucent blue window. And I knew.

Yep. This is possession. Or reincarnation.

Getting hit by a truck while reading a web novel and ending up in another ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠world? Cliché of clichés.

And "new life"? Way too obvious.

I grabbed the corners of my mouth with both hands to stop them from twitching upward in a grin.

Me? The guy who got crushed by overtime every day? Reincarnating into another world!

As a 15-year web novel veteran, this was pure dopamine overload.

Wait, what was the last novel I was reading?

Truck accidents like this usually dump you into whatever you were last reading.

But...

Uh...

I blinked in panic.

I can't remember!

Too many novels lately, across every platform imaginable.

I racked my brain, clawing at my head.

Let's think step by step.

Today alone, I'd skimmed... I squeezed my neurons hard.

Academy fantasy, modern fantasy as a chaebol bastard, a romance where the villainess obsesses over you. Oh, and some martial arts with the Heavenly Demon building a harem...

Tons of novels, genres all over the place like a buffet.

This is insane. I have zero clue.

Hoo. Deep breath.

"No helping it."

If I didn't know the world, I'd just trust my inner connoisseur instincts.

I stroked my chin and eyed the window again.

"Hmm..."

Starting form of life, huh.

Maybe picking the color of my golden spoon birthplace?

I scanned the first option with an eagle eye.

"The light greeting the most radiant dawn,"

I narrowed my eyes and muttered.

"Imperial family, maybe?"

Makes sense. Light, gold, radiance—perfect for the empire lording over the continent with cash and connections.

Imperial family...

I furrowed my brow.

Looks glamorous on the surface, but it's a total snake pit. Web novel palaces are ground zero for bloody power struggles.

Smiling gracefully over poisoned tea one minute, sending assassins like it's dinnertime the next.

"One wrong move, and I'd choke on milk from the wet nurse as a newborn."

No thanks to a life of paranoia and early grave after reincarnating.

I ruthlessly checked the second.

"The wave roaming the world unbound."

Merchant or pirate vibes...

Merchant ain't bad. Freedom, mountains of gold.

But.

"Wave?"

Bad feeling. Real bad.

Not land merchant—full-on Age of Sail trade ships.

Squeaky wooden behemoths battling waves.

I rubbed my chin.

Hard pass.

Kraken shows up? Fish food.

Safety-first, leeching NEET life seeker like me? No way.

Plus.

I get seasick on a bus.

Instant veto.

Brushing off the first two, I eyed the last.

"The endurance ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠growing from the deepest place...?"

Hmm. Sounds poor on paper, but that's the trap.

My instincts don't lie.

This is the honey pot.

Deepest place: some hidden opportunity spot enemies can't reach. Cliff cave or whatever!

Tutorial solo-grind on spirit herbs, no interruptions.

Read that plot a million times. Loser eats elixir, holes up, powers up, revenge.

Munchkin protagonist route!

Safe power-leveling early game? Hell yes.

"Perfect."

No hesitation—I smashed 3.

Ding! Next window.

"Hmm..."

Cheat talent pick. Crucial—my lifeline.

Brutal web novel world demands overwhelming power.

I scrutinized carefully.

First: Unyielding sharp martial might.

Sword auras, meteors. Cool, but brainless hack-'n'-slash protagonists get rolled like pinballs too often.

Second: Wisdom comprehending all things.

Brainiac, Zhuge Liang type.

Smart's nice, but isekai geniuses end up enslaved to kings/emperors till burnout.

Paper-pushing? Had enough overtime in my past life.

But the last one stopped me cold.

"Authority that blooms gorgeously after crouching?"

Whoa. Damn, those words are sexy.

Not generic magic/swordplay. Authority—divine vibes swelling my chest.

One thing clear: 100% hidden piece. Fireballs for scrubs, god-mode for me!

And it linked perfectly with my prior 3: "endurance from the deepest place."

Especially "crouching then blooming gorgeously."

Aha! Hole up in cave, train quiet, emerge with hidden power exploding—world's apex!

One gesture, mountains fly. Ultimate munchkin tree!

Logic locked in. Perfect protag arc.

"Yes. Can't fool me."

Grinning, I hit 3.

Final window.

What to become. Probably my endgame class.

First: Sharp sword cleaving heavens alone.

Swordmaster/knight ending. Oaths and endless rolling—not my lazy vibe. Knights die for others.

Second: Absolute throne with myriad armies.

Continent-unifying emperor. Paperwork? Turtle neck? Pass. Dream's rich patron NEET.

Last: Eternal sanctuary linking heaven and earth, revered by all.

Whoa. Balance break?

Scale dwarfs the others! Knight (might peak), emperor (power peak), then sanctuary? Eternal, revered by all?

God-tier awakening! Emperors lick toes, elves tribute, dragons bow. Pure honey!

Lightning intuition.

This 3-3-3 combo is the true answer!

No doubt—I slammed 3.

Ooh, screen shifting. Here we go!

Finally, reincarnation!

Heart pounding, I waited.

It's starting! Munchkin bro incoming!

Eyes grew heavy. Head spun.

Ugh...

Blackout.

Even as consciousness faded: This life, I'll live like an untouchable munchkin tyrant. Stylish as hell.

At that point, I didn't doubt my choices one bit.

And it didn't take long for that arrogant certainty to shatter.

I came to.

Where am I?

Dark. Pitch black everywhere. Couldn't see my hands or feet.

Tried moving instinctively, but stuck tight, like jammed in somewhere.

Narrow coffin vibe. But no suffocation or panic.

Oddly cozy, even.

Oh, got it.

Womb. Sticky, dark, snug squeeze—mom's womb for sure.

Weird. Don't protagonists usually wake post-birth?

Umbilical cord still attached, yet full self-awareness?

Protagonist buff from the start. Not your average human!

Something off, but chalked it to protag perks.

No clue how much time passed. Normal mind would've cracked.

Lucky me, basement-dwelling solo pro. Inner danced to K-pop, killed time.

Your my heart, heart, heart breaker~

Koreans, nation of vibe. Mental concert flew by.

But limits hit.

Damn, bored. No phone.

Wriggled stiff body. Grown plenty—space cramped now.

But oddities piled up.

Why so quiet? No mom voice?

Usually, beauty mom lullabies or grandmage grandpa chants fetal magic.

Nothing.

Hmm. Busy supermom skips bonding? Or...

Ears not developed yet?

Scientific. Plausible. No calendar—who knows the trimester?

If ears unborn, light's far off.

Bummer. Thought birth imminent from squeeze.

Great myth's first step delayed. Stretched in funk.

Crack.

Wall crumbled suddenly.

Wha?

Ears deaf, amniotic burst already? Thought ages away.

Light blasted through gap.

Light! Outer world!

Dazed by brightness, reached instinctively.

Birth time? No pain?

Into longed-for isekai?

What pretty boy form now? Curiosity peaked—I kicked wall, launched up.

Crunch!

Burst free with shatter. Prep for mighty baby wail.

Perfect. Scream lungs out.

For my new start!

Mouth opening—

Squelch! Pop!

Out fully. Gulping air for cry—

...Huh? Wait. What?

Eyes open: No blanket. No wet nurse basin. No sweaty beauty mom hug.

Just... vast sky. Towering wild trees encircling densely.

...What? Mom popped me out mid-hike?

Or peasant route?!

Panicked, tried whipping head. Nada.

Body rooted firm, concrete-stiff.

What the hell?

Status window popped amid horror.

Uh, thanks for the rebirth, system dude.

But I'm freaking out here? Something's majorly wrong.

...Status window? Yeah, that'll explain.

Status window!

...Huh? Wait a minute.

What's my race?

I stared blankly at the status text.

No way. Joke?

Me... right now...

A sapling?!