Chapter 1: Same Transmigration Stream, But the Other 'Me' Died (Patreon)

In the world of DanMachi, in the first-floor hall of the Soma Familia's headquarters.

Renan opened his eyes in a daze. It took him less than two seconds to confirm it: he had transmigrated, or rather, he had awakened the memories of a past life.

Come to think of it, that made sense. He'd been minding his own business at home on the sixth floor when a heavy truck smashed straight through the wall. And the world he'd lived in had no supernatural power whatsoever, at least on the surface. How was he supposed to out-elbow a hundred-ton king?

If he'd guessed right, his old body had probably been flattened into a smear and scattered in a thousand pieces, hadn't it?

Renan made the grim joke to himself while he subtly surveyed his surroundings and absorbed, or rather merged, the memories of his two lives.

He hadn't possessed someone. He'd been born into this world as an infant and grown up here. As a teenager, he'd heard too many tales of adventure in Orario and longed to see it for himself, so he'd said goodbye to his village and followed a merchant caravan to the Labyrinth City. But just like the protagonist of DanMachi, he was an ordinary human with no backing and no connections, and he'd been turned away at the very first step of becoming an adventurer. When he finally managed to join the Soma Familia, it cost him a drink of the divine wine in advance.

But it was precisely the jolt from the divine wine Soma brewed that had broken through the haze of rebirth and brought back his memories of his previous life.

Then a man's voice came from the front: "Looks like all of you are awake."

Renan obediently lifted his head and saw a gray-haired man in square-framed glasses.

The man's name was Zanis Lustra. He was the captain of the Soma Familia and a Level 2 adventurer.

At this moment he held a wine flask in his hand, and the liquor inside sloshed with a soft clink as he shook his wrist.

"Gulp—"

Swallowing noises rippled through the hall.

The several newcomers who'd joined the Familia at the same time as Renan instantly wore hungry, craving looks. If they hadn't still been without Falna, and if Zanis hadn't been a Level 2 adventurer, Renan was sure these people, now utterly hooked on the divine wine's taste, would have thrown caution aside and tried to snatch the flask.

Even the veterans already in the hall were no better. One after another, they looked like addicts.

Renan had drunk the wine too. But because he'd just awakened memories of his previous life, nearly thirty years of them, those memories had forcibly washed away the wine's taste, which was far too delicious for the mortal world.

So he hadn't become addicted like the other Soma Familia members.

Still, after two lifetimes he understood well enough that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.

So he copied the others and put on the face of someone obsessed with the divine wine, hopelessly beyond saving.

Zanis swept his eyes over the crowd and confirmed that none of this batch of recruits showed the potential to resist the wine's temptation. A faint, smug smile curled the corner of his mouth.

Of course, even if one had, it wouldn't have mattered. Every day in Orario, some adventurer or other "accidentally" died in the Dungeon.

Thoughts flashed through his mind. Zanis continued: "Do you want to taste that divine wine again?"

The answer was ragged but unanimous: "Yes!"

"Then work hard to earn Valis from now on. Whatever means you use, whether it's cons and swindles, theft and robbery, or going down into the Dungeon and honestly grinding, here with me, 100,000 Valis buys you one flask of divine wine."

"Of course..." Zanis paused slightly, and his smile softened a little. "I'm no heartless devil. Someone will take you to Lord Soma's workshop. There, Lord Soma will engrave each of you with the god's blessing, your Falna. How things go from there is up to you."

"Oh!"

"Thank you, Captain Zanis!"

"I'll definitely work hard to make money!"

"Me too!"

…

In just a few sentences, Zanis had won over the new members of the Soma Familia. Of course, the real work was done by the divine wine Soma brewed.

Renan stayed in the crowd and did whatever the other newcomers did. The point was not to show the slightest hint of anything unusual.

Zanis hadn't been down in the Dungeon in ages, but he was still the captain of a Familia, a busy man with many demands on his time. After a few more encouraging platitudes, he left his deputy to lead the group of newcomers to the door of Soma's workshop.

The deputy stepped forward and knocked. "Lord Soma, the Familia has taken in several new members. Captain Zanis hopes you will grant them their Falna."

About three seconds after he finished speaking, a somewhat weary male voice came from behind the door.

"Send them in one at a time."

"Yes."

Seven people had joined the Soma Familia in the same batch as Renan. Since he knew he'd receive his Falna regardless, he wasn't anxious and dutifully took his place at the back of the line.

Another half hour passed before it was finally his turn.

He pushed open the workshop door, stepped inside, and closed it behind him. Then he bowed to the black-haired god standing a short distance away.

"Lord Soma."

Soma plainly didn't want to talk to Renan any more than necessary. He merely nodded and said, "Lie face down on the sofa and bare your back."

Renan obeyed, took off his shirt, and exposed his upper body.

Soma took an iron needle, pricked his fingertip, squeezed out a drop of blood, and drew it down Renan's spine from top to bottom.

Because the god's blood had to be converted into sacred script before it could be engraved into the flesh, the whole process lasted nearly five minutes.

Near the end, Renan wasn't sure whether he was imagining it, but he suddenly heard Soma let out a puzzled "Hm?"

After a little while longer, Soma spoke again. "Done."

As he said it, he handed over a sheet of parchment. Renan thanked him, took it, and looked down:

[Renan]

[Level 1]

[Strength I0, Endurance I0, Dexterity I0, Agility I0, Magic I0]

[Magic]

[ ] [ ] [ ]

[Skills]

[Rabble: Me as Me, Others as Me, Only Me, Ten Thousand Hearts as One]

Renan: "?!"

He'd actually prepared himself for a blank Falna.

After all, in this life and the last, he was nothing more than a perfectly ordinary person.

Being able to cancel out the divine wine's addiction with twenty-odd years of past-life memories already felt like a blessing from the goddess of fortune. Anything more than that, he hadn't dared to hope for.

And yet, the moment he received his Falna, he'd awakened a skill?

Did that mean he had at least a tiny bit of talent as an adventurer?

With that thought, the black-haired youth raised his head and looked toward Soma.

"Um..."

Unfortunately, he'd barely gotten two words out before Soma's impatient voice cut in again. "You should leave now. I'm about to start brewing."

Renan took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "...Understood."

He walked slowly to the door, then stopped as if remembering something, and turned back. "Lord Soma, can I come to you later to update my Falna?"

Soma had already returned to stand before his enormous brewing cauldron. Hearing the question, he answered calmly, "That is a right every Familia member already has."

Having received a firm answer, Renan breathed a sigh of relief and bowed again. "Thank you, Lord Soma."

Thanks to the large quantities of Soma's divine wine they secretly sold, the Soma Familia was quite wealthy. In terms of headquarters size alone, it wasn't far behind the Loki Familia or the Freya Familia.

At the very least, Renan and the other newcomers wouldn't have to worry about lodging.

In his guest room, Renan lay on the bed. He pulled the parchment bearing his Falna from inside his shirt once more and fixed his eyes on the only skill he'd awakened so far, Rabble.

Me as Me, Others as Me, Only Me...

I can follow the surface meaning, but I've got no clue what it actually does or how to activate it.

"Tch."

Renan clicked his tongue, held the parchment over the candle flame on the nightstand, and watched it char black bit by bit until it crumbled into ash. Then he dusted off his hands.

I'll set the Rabble skill aside for now. I've still got a little over three thousand Valis on me. Wonder if, after I register as an adventurer tomorrow, I can buy or rent gear for the Dungeon with that.

And the monsters down there... well, to be safe, I'll try wandering the first few floors for a few days. Once I'm used to fighting, I can go deeper slowly.

It's fine if I get stronger slowly. I don't want to get involved in the plot anyway.

Speaking of the plot... Renan folded his hands behind his head and recalled the rumors he'd overheard at an inn before joining the Soma Familia, about the Astraea Familia and the Sword Princess, Aiz Wallenstein.

At this point in time the Astraea Familia hadn't been wiped out yet, and the Sword Princess had only recently reached Level 4. In other words, the anime's main storyline was still several years away.

In his past life Renan had heard that besides the main story, DanMachi had plenty of side stories spread across novels and games. But back then he'd been swamped with work and never had time to catch up on the lore.

Ugh. If I'd known I'd transmigrate into DanMachi, I'd have stayed up all night and crammed every bit of the plot into my head.

Although... even if I knew all that, it probably wouldn't help me get stronger anyway.

As he mused, perhaps because of the lingering effect of the divine wine, or perhaps because he'd finally joined a Familia and the nerves that had been strung tight for days could relax, drowsiness crept up on him.

So he didn't fight it. He pulled up the blanket and sank into deep sleep.

He couldn't say how long had passed. When his consciousness returned, Renan suddenly found himself in a cube-shaped space bathed in soft white light.

Then a piece of information quietly surfaced in the depths of his mind.

The place he was in could simply be called Renan's shared space. As the name suggested, here he would meet the other "Renans" who had transmigrated into other worlds, and through physical contact he could share power with them.

So that's what Rabble meant? Well, that's... freaking awesome!

These days, a transmigrator without a cheat was no different from a stray weed by the roadside.

Renan had never believed that someone with an ordinary person's talent like his could get involved in any storyline or change any tragedy.

Staying alive and safe had been something he'd have to give everything for, back before he entered this space.

Of course, that was then and this was now.

If he could really use a cheat to grow strong quickly and become a Level 5, Level 6, even Level 7 adventurer, Renan wouldn't mind writing a legend of his own in Orario.

Other me, hurry up and appear! Let's share our power and climb to the peak together!

Renan stood in place, hoping with all his heart.

Whether he'd heard the call or the space's rules simply worked this way, about half a minute later a flash of white light appeared before Renan.

What followed was a black-haired youth in a black kimono with a white haori over it, who looked ninety-nine percent like him.

Only, unlike Renan, who stood there whole and unharmed, this other "Renan," who had transmigrated into who-knew-which world, was in terrible shape.

A huge hole, as if punched through by some beast's claw, gaped in his chest where his heart should be. Blood sprayed wildly from it and had already soaked most of the haori red. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth too. He was clearly beyond saving.

"You..." Renan opened his mouth, but for a moment he had no idea what to say.

The other "Renan" seemed to have already received the space's information. He let out a helpless sigh.

"This cheat... came... too late..."

Renan rushed forward and gently rested a palm on the other's shoulder. "Don't talk. If the two of us share power, maybe we can use this space's strength to bring you back."

The next instant, at the touch, the other self's memories flooded into his mind.

Perhaps through some mysterious rule, the other self had transmigrated into Demon Slayer, and was somehow also named Renan. His ancestors had been Ming dynasty remnants who fled the wars at the end of the dynasty to the island nation. About five years ago, his family of three had had the terrible misfortune of meeting a demon. His parents died protecting him, and Renan was saved by the passing Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka.

After that, like most members of the Demon Slayer Corps, he'd sought vengeance against demons, apprenticed himself to learn Breathing Techniques, endured grueling training and assessments, and joined the Corps. He became an ordinary member who, in the original story, was nothing more than cannon fodder, and he died during the campaign to slay Lower Moon Five, Rui.

Yes. Even after sharing in the power of the DanMachi Renan, the other Renan hadn't held on. He left behind only the last words "Avenge... me..." before his body broke apart into countless points of light and he died for good.

Those points of light, the traces of his existence, circled the space twice, then regathered about five meters above the ground and finally turned into a star flickering with golden light.

Renan looked up at the star. Almost instinctively, a line of text abruptly rose in his mind:

[Spacetime Node: Demon Slayer: The Battle of Spider Mountain]