Chapter 3: Knowing and Admitting the Rules of the Game.
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— The game of power can be beautifully emotional and cruelly sensible.
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After some time unconscious, my consciousness finally returned, however, I still can't think clearly; it's as if I'm in a sleepwalking state, only a little more conscious; it even feels like my brain is in a thick fog.
Little by little, my brain began to clear, my memories returned, and my consciousness, once plunged into confusion, had now regained full function; I was finally able to reach a state in which I was able to reflect on my situation.
After that, I tried to check the environment I was in, however, despite my attempts to look around, I couldn't move.
What's going on…? Where am I? Why can't I see anything? Ah. So this is what happens after death. Am I just going to stay here, floating in the void forever?
That's unfortunate.
My thoughts were interrupted when I suddenly started to feel a little pain throughout my body, and I realized that my body is… forming? Or rebuilding itself?
A few seconds passed, and finally, I regained my vision. The place where I was also began to take shape, and my body, which had previously been floating in an infinite void, was now standing in a white hall. Although I didn’t understand what exactly had happened, I was in a good mood.
Clothes appeared and covered my body. Although they are simple clothes, they are beautiful.
“Hmmm.”
Will I receive a reward in the afterlife because I was a good person when I was alive?
"No."
I was startled when a female voice answered me.
“Who are you? Where am I?”
“I don’t even need to tell you that you’re dead, do I? You already know that, after all. Besides, I’m not sure what to do with you.”
What she said made me break out in a cold sweat.
“What… What do you mean?”
A glow coming from the middle of the room lit up the entire place. After that, it took shape, and was replaced by a woman with curly black hair and white skin. She was wearing a dress that looked like a mix between a kimono and Brazilian and old Gracia clothes. However, I couldn't pay attention to it.
Ruby was a true beauty, but this woman in front of me… she is the pinnacle of beauty.
"Hey?"
I gasped as the woman gave me a confused look.
“Anyway, who are you?”
The woman laughed at my question.
“To put it simply, I am the goddess Luisa Nier. In any case, if you think you’ll get some kind of reward here, you’re mistaken; even though you haven’t committed any serious crimes, you’ve still summoned a demon—”
“What is the punishment for those who invoke-”
I stopped talking when I abruptly felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“Don’t interrupt me when I’m talking! Anyway, the punishment for summoning demons is to spend a few good years in hell. More or less… 1000 years of torture.”
“...”
“...”
After she said that, all that was left was the sound of our breathing wandering around the place.
1000… 1000 years of torture? Calm down, I… I don't think I committed that serious a crime… Besides, Ruby isn't a demon, but an artificial intelligence…
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Suddenly, I felt an invisible force tighten around my neck and lift me off the ground.
“Riley Yuki, summoning may seem like a light crime to you, however, it is a serious crime because it is heresy; an affront to my authority as a goddess. I created different worlds, each with specific rules, and I do not want magic in your world; I created it precisely to be a world without magic.”
I tried to argue with her, but I couldn't because the grip on my neck was too strong. With each passing second, my heart sank deeper and deeper in anxiety and fear.
Will I die again? What if... what if this time is the end? What if there is no third chance?
Calm down… Calm down! I need to think!
If this were forbidden, then obviously this goddess should have put some kind of mechanism in place to detect such rituals. If so, why didn't she stop me? Of course, she could have just not stopped me because of laziness or because of something involving free will, however, there are more plausible possibilities, at least, that make more sense to me.
She must be testing me. But why? Why would she test me? Would I be chosen as an apostle and go to another world to spread her religion or something? Or could it be because…
Finally, I understood my situation.
How boring would life be for a being who has ultimate power over everything? No challenges, just having things whenever he wants.
Obviously, such a life is boring.
This goddess probably just wants some entertainment to keep her from getting bored, and is testing me to see my reaction.
Sometimes, I didn't say anything, I just thought, and still got a response. In other words, she can read my thoughts. And if she can do that, I can communicate properly with her without saying a single word.
Make me reincarnate in another world, Goddess Luisa! I know I am insignificant, but if you kill me now, you will miss a show!
"Cough!"
The invisible force on my neck disappeared, and I fell to the ground while coughing.
The fall hurt. I probably broke a few bones, but that’s irrelevant; what matters is that I’m alive. After I got up, I looked at the goddess, who returned my gaze with an expression of disdain.
“Ha…hahahahah!”
She stopped laughing and looked at me.
“You think you can give me what I want? You arrogant brat. I watch thousands of stories on planets in different universes. I watched live as Alexander the Great expanded the Macedonian empire, and I was sitting in the VIP box when Genghis Khan built one of the greatest empires in human history, and you, someone who pretended to be a woman to fool his own audience, think you can entertain me? Hahaha.”
I interrupted her; however, this time, she didn't try to choke me; she just watched me.
“Goddess Luisa, for you, I will be the character and the voice actor; the composer and the singer; the scriptwriter and the actor; the cinema and the circus; and you, Goddess, my sponsor! I am not mere entertainment, I am the one who controls it! If you kill me now, you will miss an epic odyssey!”
As soon as I finished speaking, I looked directly into the eyes of the goddess, who this time, looked at me with interest; as I had predicted.
The purpose of my speech was not only to demonstrate exemplary rhetoric, but also to acknowledge my place before the goddess.
Why? The answer is simple: talented people are annoying, especially those who are overconfident and think they are the center of the world. Imagine that you are a successful boss, and suddenly a competent man appears in your company. At first, you will be happy because you have found a competent employee, but if this employee proves to be too competent, he may steal your job.
Although it serves as an analogy, it is a flawed comparison, and such a situation did not apply to the goddess, as she could kill me at any moment and probably, even after I reach a certain level of strength in the future, the most I will be able to reach is the level to have a battle that puts the goddess's life at risk, but I will never become strong enough to the point of coming out of a fight with her unscathed, or at least, coming out without serious injuries. However, I needed to acknowledge my place here, because from the moment I do so, I explicitly admit that I am in the service of the goddess.
The goddess smiled.
Basically, now my relationship with the goddess is that of content creator and audience. The only difference is that my current audience has a gun pointed at my head that could go off at any moment.
The entertainment industry makes money through its main sponsor: the public. The public often decides what will happen, and rules what it will produce.
The entertainment industry needs the audience, and I need the goddess.
"Hmmm… Despite your arrogance in thinking that you can become strong enough to defeat me, your proposal is very good.”
Of course; I've dedicated a good part of my life to the entertainment industry. In areas like this, you need to have a discerning eye to identify what the audience's interests are.
Goddess Luisa, at this moment, you are my audience, and I am the presenter and the show itself.
The Goddess began to laugh. Not a mocking laugh, but one of satisfaction.
“Looks like I had a good harvest this time.”
Of course you did! Even though I was a vtuber who pretended to be a woman in my past life, I was always among the most popular ones because I knew how to entertain my audience.
I wasn't a man with a vtuber channel who pretended to be a cute girl; I was the man with a vtuber channel who pretended to be a cute girl!
Furthermore, I am a cultured man who has always been aware of entertainment trends; I also studied psychology;
Someone who has studied human nature can entertain anyone.
“Riley Yuki, I know you know this, but I’ll reiterate: I won’t accept anything less than half a continent being conquered. If you happen to stop halfway because you’ve come to prefer a peaceful life, I will kill you. And if you die a third time, it’s game over.”
It looks like it will be a difficult game…
“Anyway, good luck in the new world!”
“What? Wait, why don’t you tell me how things work in the world I’m going to?! I’m going like this, without knowing anything?!”
Ignoring my pleas, she pointed her hand at my head, which exploded shortly after.
When I regained consciousness, I realized I was in a cave.