As my mind was trying to figure things out everything around me finally faded into complete nothingness.

Nothingness except a line of bright text.

Welcome, please wait while we update your soul to SuperiorSoulSolutions System 0.98

I finally came to some sense awareness, the comfortable feeling and Hellish heat was gone and so was the light from the lava. The floor of this cavern was cold, damp, and very uncomfortable. There was a rich smell of loamy earth and fresh air carrying with it wondrous and innocent smells of nature. Smells which brought back memories of me as an innocent child playing in woods near where I had grown up before I we moved to the city and I became a true city dweller.

Those smells also brought back a longing, something which I had long forgotten: the freedom of running in the woods and fields in innocence.

There was an uncomfortableness in my neck as I lay at an odd angle. My body refused to move. Well, that is really not ideal. Hopefully, my body would start working before being in this cave became dangerous.

Sorry for the delay. SuperiorSoulSolutions System 0.98 has run into difficulties in updating. Incompatible soul operating system found. Please contact the original soul operating system provider for further instructions.

Yeah, like that would help. From the way I was dragged over here in a rush and without a thought for me. It seemed the gods of this world—

'Ah, sorry I don't know where you have come from, but I can see you are having an issue.' A random voice spoke in my head. As it did, I felt a gentle presence around me. 'I don't really have admin rights, anymore, they got stolen. However,' the voice chuckled, 'I wouldn't have been a good admin without knowing things .'

Somehow I had a feeling someone messing about with my soul. It didn't hurt but felt strange, as if someone was walking upon my grave, or maybe tickling my innermost being.

'What a stupid excuse for an admin. They didn't even bother to change the default security code.'

SuperiorSoulSolutions System 0.98.6 OtherWorld Edition will now be installed, please wait.

'So you're not from here then? Who did you piss off to be brought here?'

How could I talk to this voice if my body still wasn't working? Still, that didn’t make sense. Death told me previous people from Earth had lived good lives here. And it seemed like he was telling me the truth. So, just what was going on here?

'I can you hear your thoughts, you know. Ah, you’re from Earth. It’s been a long while since someone from there ended up here. Things have changed in the meantime. I’m sorry to tell you.'

That didn’t sound good. Oh, as for how I ended up here. I got accidentally killed because I sat down in a seat after a long day at work. The person who should've died should've sat in the chair. But no, some fools made me sit down instead.

'That sounds rough,' the voice said, sounding genuinely apologetic. ‘Let’s see what I can do to help you.’

SuperiorSoulSolutions System 0.98.6 OtherWorld Edition has been installed. Thank you for your patronage.

'Good, everything seems to be working now.’ There was some faint touching on my soul. ‘I've changed a couple of settings and added my details into your— Gotta go. Someone who doesn't know I still exist is coming. Good luck!'

I sensed that gentle presence fade. Soon after, a more forcible presence made itself noticeable.

'You otherworld invaders thinking you are so important.' The voice wasn't as nice or welcoming, nor was its presence, as the first voice/presence I heard/felt. Quickly I focused on the presence, hoping it wouldn’t— No focus. Thankfully, the presence didn’t seem to be paying attention to me. 'All I have to do is to change the settings.'

There was a feeling of something happening in my soul. It wasn’t a gentle tickle; it was a harsh and almost painful prodding. Something akin to a dentist harshly prodding your teeth, but deep inside my soul instead.

'Done,' the voice chuckled. It was definitely not a nice sound. 'With that, you will be weak and inconsequential. I’ll just have your impact fulfilled by your younger sibling. All I have to do is to activate you. Wish I didn't have to.' There was a deep sigh. 'But our reciprocity agreement doesn't work like that. And I do not have the authority to kill you straight away.'

Welcome to your new world. Your system is now activated. Your briefing will follow.

A single image of an ornate, colourful cathedral-like temple shone in my head. Then a text overlay: This is the local faith. You must worship here and you must give thanks that we have allowed you a chance to live here.

The text and image cleared from my mind. Then some stark warning text appeared in my mind: If you fail to do this then you shall be ex-communicated, made an enemy of all the faithful, and eradicated.

That too faded, replaced by more text: Be grateful we have accepted you in this world of ours.

Well, that was... Friendly, not... And Death had told me the people who had lived in this world had lived good lives. But the other presence said something about his admin rights had been stolen. So maybe the gods of this world have changed. And not for the better, it appeared.

Advanced User Recognised

Restrictive Mode: Deactivated

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

External Control: Limited to Authorised Users with Administrative Rights

Adaptive Mode: Activated

Now that was unexpected. These changes must've been a gift from that first voice.

Operating Menu: Activated

to use please think 'SYSTEM'

Okay, I'll do that, just as soon as I could move. I was getting more than uncomfortable between the crick in my neck, the cold rock floor, and the dampness. But my body still wasn't responding to me.

With nothing else to do, I thought: SYSTEM

Name: People’s Defender (Displayed: Second Child)

Concept: Burdensome Child (Displayed: Bright Child)

Traits:

Blacksheep of the Fastidious House: 1M (Displayed: Member of the Fastidious House)

Troublesome Inquisitiveness: 1M-3 (Displayed: Seeker)

Demi-God: 0M-5 (Displayed: Divine Blessing)

(6 locked trait slots: 5 unused)

Hidden Traits:

School of Hard Knock's Toughness: 0M-5

(2 unused trait slots)

I guess the locked trait slots were because of the jerk who locked things down because I was from another world. Still, it looked like I was a child, so I had much life to look forward to. And I loved that hidden trait. Hopefully, it’ll make it easier for me to survive in this world. But what I didn't understand was why I had to waste one of my slots telling me I was a member of the Fastidious House.

I mean, I only had three slots for my traits, so why waste one?

And if I was going to be moaning, why was did they call me Second Child? Did the Fastidious House not have any naming sense? Well, I guess not, considering the name of the family and my name. Anyway, why did they convert my name Alex to People’s Defender? I guess that was something to do with the naming systems in this world. Something like my Spanish friend calling me Alejandro instead of Alex.

At the bottom were 2 lines:

Full system access withheld due to age.

Body Lock

On the Body Lock line there was a timer, which was slowly counting down. Because there was nothing else to do, I watched the frustratingly slow count tick away. As I watched the countdown the uncomfortableness in my body turned into pain.

Then the timer hit zero.

I moved.

Not far, not much, but I moved.

Automated System Message: Do as we say otherwise next time we will lock your body when you are in a dangerous situation.

Wow, they really didn't like people like me, did they? If only I had a way to contact Death and let him know.

Calling: Earth Death

What?

Connection Made

Wow. I was back in Death's cave, but it wasn't real. I couldn't feel the heat or that comforting feeling I had when there. There were two sets of cutlery on that elegant walnut table. But a figure I couldn't quite grasp was there. It seemed to keep changing, never settling down. Not even as a human being.

But Death was still Death.

'I did not expect to hear from you again,' Death said. His voice appearing in my head. 'How is everything?'

'Crappy,' I said, allowing my frustration to fill mind. 'They're jerks who not only didn't welcome me, but they threatened me, locked the system I have been given, and are forcing me to worship them. Not that I was ever religious, or ever believed in God.'

That other figure chuckled.

'That's God, by the way,' Death said. 'Freedom of choice is important to Them, and—'

There was a bit of a quiet moment. It then stretched on. Maybe this long distant call had frozen?

'Ah, sorry about that, we used the limited bandwidth to access your logs. It's not something we would normally do for those we let go, free will and choice and all. Hope you don't mind, but we wanted to make sure of some details.'

I noticed the God figure had gone.

'It looks like you already met up with one of the old supervisors from that world. They granted us more rights to your system than we would normally have. God has gone off to black list that world and find someone to aid you however we can, given your increased rights. Still, and this is important, we may check in from time to time, but we wish for you to still have all the free will and freedoms you had on Earth.'

That was nice of Them.

'Anyway we better end this call here. Mainly in case they discover this communication channel and find your rights and restrict them before we can get someone to help you. Good luck. I wish things sort themselves out soon so you’ll live a great life in your new world.'

I felt like Death really meant that.

Still, I hoped something would change before I end up cursed further, or even killed, by the deities in this world.