Chapter 1: New Beginning

"The hell, am I?" A boy said as he got up from his bed. His surroundings were completely foreign to him. "Is that straw?" He knelt down and examined what he had been laying on. A sheet of cloth covering a bed of straw. A torch of fire hung on the wall near the door of the small room he was in.

It looked like the floor was made of dirt and the walls were of an old rotting wood. "Where the hell is this place?" He asked. "Wait what's wrong with my voice?" He noticed he was slightly shorter than he remembered as well. He looked down at his hands, youthful skin covered them.

"It's one of those Isekai tales." He said as a smile creeped on his face. "I have been isekai'd! This is the best day ever!"

The door to his room creeped open and a woman holding a lantern stood in the opening. "Son, is everything alright? I heard yelling, did a snake get in your room again?"

He knew when he saw her that she was his mother of this world. He had memories in his head of the language and his family. But they weren't his memories, they were someone else and he now had their body.

"Everything is fine mom, I just had a dream and reacted poorly." He replied.

"You always were so sweet, my dear Joshua." His mother said. "Please try to get some rest and try to keep it down, if you don't the lord may overhear and seek to punish us."

"Yes, mother." Joshua said. "I am sorry, goodnight."

His mother left and shut the door behind him.

[That's right in this world I live beneath another house.] He thought to himself. [My family are just servants, less than even a peasant. Why would I be reborn into such a life? Better question is why would I be reborn into this body?] He examined himself. [So small and malnourished. If I remember I am fifteen here, today is my birthday.

Maybe that was the catalyst for my memories of my past life returning. My birthday. That would make sense, I read stories like that.]

He climbed back into his bed and attempted to sleep. He thought maybe this was all a dream as he drifted off.

The sounds of roosters outside woke him from his slumber. His mother opened the door again. "Happy birthday Joshua." She said as she entered. "You are a man now. I am so proud of you."

[That's right, in this world fifteen was the legal adult age.] He recalled. [At least something was like the anime and manga that he watched and read. Adulthood at fifteen was a routine trope.]

"Today is the day you go to the church and get your identification card." His mother explained. "You will have your stats, and abilities, and even your current level."

"Thank you, mother." Joshua said. "Do you need me to help you with anything before I leave?"

"My sweet boy!" His mother said. "You do not need to lift a finger today! Today is your day! Now go, I am curious as to what my baby's skills are."

"Yes mom." Joshua said as he put on his outside clothes. They were worn and torn. His poor family would not afford to have new clothes, or even afford to repair the ones they had. They were the poorest of the poor and this fantasy world had no welfare system at all.

As he left the house it was as he left for the first time. His old memories had completely overshadowed his new ones, and he was essentially a different person than he was just a day ago. In his past life his name was Frederick, and he was a coder for video games. His whole life was devoted to games and entertainment. He was the very definition of a weeb.

He wondered how he died, as he had no memory of death. No discussion with the gods, nothing. He just woke up here as Joshua. He hoped that this status board from the church would have some insight on the situation.

At the front of the church stood an armored guard holding a halberd. "You there, are you here for identification?" He asked Joshua.

"Yes sir." Joshua said.

"Alright, you looked about that age." The guard said. "Enter here and take a left once you get inside. Follow the path and you will find the room with the stone of knowledge. It will grant you the identification you seek."

"Thank you." Joshua said as he entered the church, he took a left as the guard instructed and found himself in a room with a large stone floating in the center of it. It looked like normal granite rock, but it was just floating. A panel stood in front of the stone as well as a priest.

"Welcome young man." The priest said. "Place your hand on the stone and we will be able to produce your identification."

[This is the part where everyone will find out how super awesome I am.] He thought to himself. [The main character in these stories always gets some super overpowered advantage. I cannot wait to see what mine is. I bet I am some super high level or have amazing stats. Maybe it's an awesome skill!]

He walked up unable to keep himself from grinning like a fool as he placed his hand on the slab. The stone orb began to spin rapidly as a small stone sheet emerged from the panel. Joshua grabbed the sheet in excitement only to have all of his happiness drain in an instant from his face.

His level, his stats, everything, was one. The priest saw his despair and walked over to investigate.

"Wow, got to say I have never seen that." The priest said. "In all my years, I have never seen anyone with all the stats of one and level one, not at your age. That should be impossible, were you born yesterday?!"

[Shit, in a sense I was born today!] He thought to himself. [Was my awakening actually my birth? Did Joshua die last night, and I took his place? Am I a zombie?!]

"Let's see your skills." The priest said as he examined the slab further. "Haven't seen this either."

"Haven't seen what?" Joshua asked.

"It appears you lack skills of any kind." The priest said. "Everyone should be born with at least three to five skills that show up by age fifteen. That is why we wait for the identification ceremony. You are quite the anomaly indeed. Regardless, I welcome you to the folds of adulthood, should you ever need a new identification there is a fee of twelve silver."

"Thank you." Joshua said, still in shock by the situation.

[I am weak?! I shouldn't be the weakest ever! I am a reincarnated soul! I should be the strongest! Why?!] He thought to himself.

He made his way back home and as he entered his mother was making him a cake, or at least attempting to with what little flour she could find.

"Welcome home sweetheart!" She said with a big smile. "How did it go? Is my baby super amazing like I thought?!"

"Well, the priest said that he had never seen anything like it before." Joshua said. "I knew it baby! You are special! So, what are you going to do for work now? Our lord has been generous to allow you to stay with me while you look for employment. But he told me today you have two weeks before he kicks you out. He does not want another man in his house, even if it is a servant."

"Maybe I could be an adventurer?" Joshua asked, using his knowledge of previous stories and hoping there was such a profession here.

"That is dangerous." His mother replied. "But if you think you have the stats for it, you have my blessing. I know you would not make a decision that would hurt yourself. You have always been so careful." She pulled a small cast iron cauldron from the cooking fire and pulled a lopsided cake from it.

The cake was basically bread, since she was unable to obtain any sugar. "Let's celebrate your advancement into manhood dear!" She said joyfully carrying the cake over.

After they ate, Joshua retired to his room to think.

[Okay so here is what I know about this world so far.] He thought to himself. [There is a system, there is magic, it is around medieval times technically wise, and I am the weakest person to ever walk the planet. I don't feel dumb though. So, intelligence must be a stat that pertains to something other than how smart you are. Maybe it is your capacity to learn magical spells. I have seen stories like that.

Strength of one doesn't appear too bad either. I am able to pick up at least fifty pounds. Endurance is a problem, I got winded walking, and agility. I seem to not be very flexible. Seems there are no stats for charisma or luck or wisdom.

Well, if there is a system there is hope. I just need to use my modern knowledge and increase my level. This is no different than the RPGs I used to play. You always start as level one and end up at the strongest being in the game after doing a bit of grinding.

Tomorrow is a new day! Tomorrow, I will start improving my level!]