Chapter 1: A goddess, a soul, and an offer.
In an empty black void floated a single flame, a soul of a person long dead to the world. As it drifted in the space a soothing motherly voice echoed in the space “Wake up, my chosen champion.” The soul stirred as something in the soul awakened from a deep slumber that once embraced it. “It’s time to wake up” The voice said again as the void flickered, the previous black void filling with light. The change stirring the soul into waking. The soul shook slightly, still floating through space “Where… Where am I?” The soul was confused, awoken in such a strange and empty place.
The souls questioned was answered with a giggle “Oh my chosen champion… won’t you answer my ple-pl-pfft haha” The voice burst out laughing, the soothing nature gone and replaced by a more cheerful and carefree one “I, I can’t keep this up” the voice struggling to control itself, causing great discomfort to the soul, still lost in their lack of information. “H-hey! What’s the big idea?! Where am I? wait, where even are you?” panicking the soul looked around, only to see nothing around the space it occupied. “Ah, sorry sorry~ If I couldn’t stand imitating Light for another second.”
“What? No wait, seriously answer my questions already!” the soul shouted into the void.
“Ok ok calm down.” A loud snap was heard, and a woman appeared in front of the soul. Dressed in a long flowing green dress that matched her long green hair that floated half hazard through the empty void around her. The girl waved towards the soul, a light breeze bringing it closer to her. “Can you imagine, giving a speech like that “The woman giggled “Way too uptight, sometimes I just want to yank that stick right out of her.”
“My questions… “The soul pleaded” please, where am I, what is going on and why can’t I feel my legs?”
The women covered her mouth “Oops, sorry. Right so where to start…” The girl pondered for a moment “I guess I’ll go in order this time. First you are in a special area between worlds right now, your old world and the one I help govern with my sisters. I am the goddess of wind” the women gave a twirl, spreading her arms out wide, her hair twirling around her before settling and fanning out again. The soul shook “The goddess of wind? Land between worlds, does that mean I am…” “Yup! You are dead, look!” the woman summoned a mirror with the wave of her hand and presented it to the floating soul.
The soul floated over only to see a pale blue floating flame reflected in the mirror. “I, I really am dead? I should be freaking out, why am I not freaking out…” the soul asked “Yup! You died and do not worry, a lot of your emotions and memories are lost to you as a soul. It is normal. Yes, completely normal.” the goddess waved her hands, dismissing the mirror. “So, um goddess?” “you can just call me by the element I govern, Wind” Wind answered, “We don’t use our names with mortals.” The soul looked towards her, wishing it had an eyebrow to raise at the lack of a name and as if reading its mind, the goddess spoke with a sigh “Look, names are not holy and they do not carry power. It’s bad history and this way is better, just call me wind” the goddess huffed, crossing her arms. The soul sighed, giving up “So wind. My memories are gone?” “not exactly, after you leave here you will have time to sort through everything. While not everything will come back you wont lose anything important.” Wind answered and took to floating around the soul, giggling every now and then.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The soul thought for a moment but before it asked its next question the goddess spoke up “Speaking of leaving here, I think I dawdled enough. “She flew thru the void, stopping and standing up straight a godly aura enveloped her that quickly caused the soul to shrink back “As I said, you are my champion I have chosen, and if you accept, please accept. You will be sent to my world to fight for as much power as you can gather. With the goal of world domination!” The goddess raised her hands up into the void as the air stirred, a strong gust akin to a hurricane blew strong winds into the void. The soul was anchored in place by an invisible force as the void around the two shifted, going from an endless black void that was quickly populated by countless stars and a single sun in the distance.
The soul was stunned into silence looking around itself “World domination? Aren’t you a god? Why would you want something like that in your world?” The flames of the soul got agitated, as if flaring up in anger but were subdued by an invisible force, the soul keeping calm despite the situation. The goddess giggled the aura around her lessoning “Even though I say world domination, really its just a quest for power. If you accept gather up lots and lots!” Wind winked and gave a pleading motion “Gather power…how?” The soul asked, shuddering as it instinctively felt the goddess smirk behind her hands. “The world I and my sisters govern is like a game from your world, with monsters, levels, and skills. Kill a monster or a powerful human and you get levels… simple yes? Think of it like an RPG.”
The soul went back to silence, something screaming in its mind something was wrong, but it was unable to think “You don’t have to become a mindless murder machine… live your life, if anything all I ask of you is to become an adventurer and challenge dungeon. world domination would be nice for a champion to accomplish however, I may even throw in a bonus next time you die. ~” The soul felt a feeling of relief wash over it. “Oh! And I won’t leave you stranded on another world without help, you will of course get a blessing from me! I don’t want to spoil too much so and my help is limited so, please decide”
“sure is upselling this a lot now… “thought the soul, only to be answered by a smile and an innocent head tilt from the goddess “What of the other champions of the gods? They are trying to do the same thing right?” the goddess giggled in response “yes, yes they are. If you kill one you will get a boost in power, but there are blocks in place that prevent champions recognizing each other, at first at least, unless you do something stupid~” The goddess stuck her tongue out “wouldn’t want people spawnkilling.” the soul gave a sigh “just in case, what if I refuse?”
Instantly the air chilled around the soul as the goddess looked towards the soul with half closed eyes “You will be cast back into being a soul adrift the void. I don’t mind if you take my offer and live a peaceful life, but this offer now is one you cannot refuse” her voice chilled, cold, and heartless “Now choose.” The soul felt fear, but strangely like the anger it felt earlier that too dissipated “So I never had a choice…” it wondered if the weird state of unfeeling it was in was really a result of just being a soul and not something the goddess imposed on it to make this whole thing easier.
“I accept”