There are two views that people tend to take on the world.

Granted, there aren’t only two, but these are generally the two categories that people fall into.

One side tends to believe that there is no insignificance in life. Every action, every passing moment, has some form of meaning. All creatures, objects, and events have some inherent value to them, either benign or malignant, and each one of these things can influence the world in some way.

Meanwhile, others believe that there is no meaning to any life, big or small. The argument is that, undoubtedly, we are little more than specks of dust, inhabiting a slightly bigger speck of dust, revolving around one of countless solar systems, in one of millions of galaxies. Therefore, nothing really matters in the grand scheme of things. Everything will eventually cease to exist, without an impact on the universe in its eons of existence.

In other words, existentialism versus nihilism.

Again, these are not the only two viewpoints to have, but if I had to claim I belonged to one, I would say I leaned more towards being a nihilist.

I had come to the realization that I was rather average at a young age. I wasn’t particularly good looking, I didn’t have any strong personality traits, and I wasn’t outstandingly intelligent or athletic. If I were to be a character in a book, I’d be lucky to be written as a support character. That being said, it wasn’t as though I resented this role of mine. I was content with my life of mediocrity. I had a loving and normal family, which consisted of a doting mother, a naturally laid back father, and a ten year old sister who was still at the age where she copied nearly everything I did, even if subconsciously. I had a close group of friends, in a nice public school. Indeed, I was exceedingly average in all aspects, and content with it. I could see myself going to college, marrying a modestly pretty girl, and someday fostering my own normal, average family. I would go down as just another backdrop character in life, a speck of dust inhabiting another, slightly larger speck of dust in our wholly insignificant galaxy. Indeed, that’s what should have happened. So why…

Was I here?

I looked around in a daze, confused and completely at a loss as to where I was. Just moments before I had been walking home from school, rehearsing excuses in my head to tell my parents why my average grade was a C. But now… I was in a void of darkness, with stars that twinkled far off in the distance in clusters of white. And dotting the area between those stars were swirling masses of cosmic light, colors of violet and cyan blending in with each other to create a mosaic of astral beauty. If that were all that were here, me and this seemingly endless abyss, it would be breathtaking, a sight that people would be lucky to experience even once in their lives. But I wasn’t alone.

All around me were people. They varied in age, gender, and ethnicity. Children were looking around blankly, the younger ones beginning to sniffle and shake at the unexpected mass of people, while the older ones started to squeeze themselves through the crowd, most likely trying to find a familiar face. A literal sea of bodies seemed to span out in all directions. The only thing any of us seemingly had in common was the fact that no one appeared to know what was going on.

Noise washed over me, crashing down onto my ears as voices rose up all at once, a hushed whisper that quickly evolved into a tsunami of collective confusion and panic. I couldn’t pick out any distinct phrases or sentences. I looked around, all of the faces a skin colored blur filling my vision. Though we were all a good arms length away, I felt claustrophobic when in a crowd so large. Tension filled the air, choking me on it, fear curling off of everyone like a gas and clouding the area. My body was being crushed under the combined weight of the noise and terror, squeezing my lungs until I felt like they were about to pop. I vaguely realized I wasn’t breathing, a roar in my ears reminding me that my body was lacking oxygen. I struggled to open my mouth to inhale some form of air. What was happening? Why were we here? What di-

“Greetings, everyone.” The words slipped over us like a breeze, loud but gentle, instantly hushing the cacophony of voices.

“I suppose you’re all wondering why you’re here.” The words continued, the tone soft, distant yet close, almost… ethereal. It came from everywhere and nowhere, entering both ear and mind simultaneously. I looked around, trying to locate where they were coming from. But there was nothing that could be easily identified as the originator of the… what to call it. The voice? Though the inflection and pitch of it wasn’t anything distinguishable, for some reason it sounded feminine. So her? And yet, the words came still.

“Allow me to abate your confusion. You are all a portion of the total amount that has been gathered. Ninety seven thousand, eight hundred twelve out of nearly fifty three million to be precise. Those of you currently standing in this space have been found to be the most suitable for the task that I require. That is, the most likely to adapt and thrive in my world.”

We all stood in stunned silence as what the bodiless voice said sank in. After a few moments, I couldn’t help but speak up. “Wh… what does that mean? Who are you?” I asked hesitantly, and though no words indicated so, for some reason I felt a sense of approval through the entity that had been communing with us. I had decided that for the sake of my sanity, ‘it’ was definitely a ‘she’.

“I’m aware that the concept of alternate realities and multiverse hypotheses exist in your world. I’m here to inform you that those theories are, in part, correct. While I’m unable to accurately explain in a way that you are able to comprehend, you can think that in relation to other worlds, yours is a singular forest on a fully developed planet. It alone is sufficient to house countless different species, micro and macroscopic. However, because of said self sufficiency, nothing in the forest thinks it necessary to venture outside of its borders. To the inhabitants, the forest itself is the world. But unbeknownst to all of the residents, there is not just one forest. There are thousands, larger and smaller, and even more environments and biomes that are so completely different to its own that comprehension is nearly impossible for them, unless these animals are intentionally taken from the forest and put elsewhere. And that is the situation you are about to experience.”

She stopped momentarily, allowing us to digest everything that had been said. I looked around once more, observing the stars sparkling in the void above and around us, as well as the golden glow of spiraling cosmic dust beneath my feet, and was forced to realize that I had no way of refuting her.

“I am what, in your world and in so many others, would be referred to as a ‘God’. As I was implying earlier, your world is not the only one that houses intelligent life. There are hundreds, spanning different cosmos and even different realities, with countries of varying life forms and even separate laws of physics. And each of these worlds is governed by one or more Gods. Yes, as I’m sure you’re wondering, yours is as well. And the reason you are here right now, is because your God has given his permission for it to be so.”

It felt like my worldview was collapsing with every word she spoke. It wasn’t as though I was an atheist, but the concept of a God didn’t make sense to me. But now, a God itself was telling us that there were at least hundreds of them. Her? Did Gods have genders? Did they even have bodies? Or was it just a borderless consciousness, a stream of will that was able to interact with a world and its inhabitants much in the same way she was doing now? As if in complete disregard of the anatomy I was trying to form for a God, she continued.

“Regardless of whether you believe me or not, what I have just stated is fact. Your God has given us permission to do with you as we wish, with the single stipulation being that you are returned to your world once we are done, whether living or dead.”

This last line of hers caused the sea of voices to rise once more, this time in fear. Through the roaring of the noise a few repeated phrases could be heard. ‘What does it mean?’, ‘Are we going to die’, ‘What is happening’, and on and on it went. After hearing what she said, I was overcome with the realization that this wasn’t a dream. Everything, despite the awe inspiring sights and ridiculous situation, was real. When that thought took over me, I almost collapsed to my knees. My body felt weak. Just yesterday the biggest thing that had happened in my life was my girlfriend breaking up with me freshman year. Only a few minutes ago I thought my world was ending because I had gotten a few C’s on my report card. An-

“Cut the bullshit and tell us what you want.” My thoughts were interrupted by a loud, irritated voice somewhere to my right. I was almost in awe at his attitude.

“Very well.” She consented, still just as calm as before. “Everything earlier was merely a preface leading up to this point: These worlds, all four hundred, ninety three, are in need of your help. Our worlds are not the only ones to exist. In fact, there used to be more. Many more. But those worlds came under attack by influences that we do not fully understand. Before we were able to assess what these influences were, they flooded and took over those worlds, devouring the inhabitants and their Gods. We lost any connection and contact to them, and now those same influences have turned their attention towards us. You, with both permission and blessing from your God, have been selected to help us defend against our attackers.”

Confused clamour ensued, and I’m sure most had at least similar thoughts to my own. ‘Why? Why us?’

Like she was reading our minds, the voice continued. “You’re wondering why you were selected. The answer is more simple than you think. You weren’t specifically picked out, at first at least. Your God selected you from billions of other people only because there simply was no criteria. Although you might think it cruel, you were placed in this position on a whim. The whim of your God.”

At this there was no outburst, no roar of people objecting. Only deafening silence, a quiet that felt disturbing considering the amount of people gathered here. And after a few agonizing seconds of this I let out a hollow chuckle. Maybe the full weight of my fate hadn’t settled within me yet, but the thought that I was being sent to a world that only a few minutes ago I hadn’t even known existed to die was… Emptiness filled my chest, my emotions draining down to the pit of my stomach. What was this feeling? A desolate emptiness, missing meaning or will to even argue against this supposed God… was it despair? Was this what despair felt like?

“However,” The voice flowed over us like a gentle stream, and my eyes widened as the golden glow beneath our feet slowly began to rise from the floor, gathering into an orb far above our heads, “do not be afraid. Being chosen is not a curse, nor does it mean you have been forsaken. Did I not say it before? Among the fifty million of you that were randomly selected, every God from every world chose those of you that would best adapt to your environment. And you…” the orb grew bigger, glowing ever brighter until every last drop of golden energy was collected and moulded into a shape, at first little more then an undulating mass of golden starlight, but quickly forming legs, arms, a body, until finally…

“Are the ones I selected. You are now my children, and I will not abandon you, nor desert you. My world, Yarla, is not one of despair. It is a land of opportunity, a place where your success or failure is entirely dependent on your own effort and ability. I have anointed you as the Guardians and protectors of my world.”

If I had ever had an image of a goddess in my mind, then the woman looking upon us from above exceeded it in every aspect. She was more beautiful than words could possibly do her justice. She wore a robe of flowing gold, her snow white skin a perfect contrast to her cherry red lips. Her eyes glowed with majesty, the irises swirling galaxies of violet and platinum. Her hair floated around her in shimmering colours of every kind. She commanded such an air of grace and beauty that I almost dropped to my knees in worship.

Her eyes slowly scanned the crowd, intensity in her gaze, as she took in everything in her sight. “For you…” I felt my breath catch in my throat as those eyes locked onto me, and it felt as though she was staring straight into my soul.

“Are my Chosen.”

Eight years later

I looked around at my surroundings blankly, once again inhabiting the space that I had been brought to so many years ago. Stars and galaxies, the blackness of space and the empty gaps that were hidden underneath it all. How long had it been since I was here? Eight years? Nine? I vaguely recalled the sense of majesty it had once filled me with, the awe I had been overcome by, as well as the fear and confusion. Now it was only another place, and my eyes could detect the seams of magic that wove this fabrication together.

I slowly turned my gaze to the other people here. What had once been an innumerable sea of people had shrunk down to slightly less than three thousand. Most were in normal clothing, more than a few tanned shirts and brown cloth pants visible, but some were still in their armor, dotting the area with silver, black, and gold, splotched with blood. I brought my right hand to my chest, twisting the ring on my finger in an old habit of mine to occupy my time. I spied a few familiar faces, and I knew that if I took the effort to actively search I’d find more, but I didn’t.

So a little over ninety percent of us had died, huh?

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Sola, the goddess that had first introduced us to the world we were being brought to, blazed into light above us once more, adorned by her trademarked golden robe and rainbow hair. She smiled as she looked down at us, and I would have done anything to wipe it from her face if I had the ability.

“It is very good to see you again, my Chosen.” She began, radiant and dazzling as ever. “I would like to thank you, on behalf of my world, for coming to our aid. I’m sure some of you have already been sent off by your respective Gods and Goddesses, but once more, it was truly a-”

“Could we get this over with?” I spat out with annoyance, my hands lowering to my sides. All of my equipment was currently in the Spatial Storage of my ring. I was ready to go home, wherever that was now.

Sola turned to me, a rare trace of displeasure in her eyes, before vanishing once more beneath her mask of benevolence. She nodded her assent, raising her left hand out in front of her.

“Very well then, Jason Takada, if you so choose.” She said, then raised her left hand. “If you, Roman Allen, Alexis Avenicci, Carson Himanez, Seon Yu, and Bethany Rieder could step forward, I will continue with the ceremony.”

I sighed, then began walking towards the area where she was hovering, weaving my way through the crowd as they looked at me with awe. I hated the reverence they had in their eyes, but forced a smile as I brushed past them, until I was directly underneath her. I knew four of the people she had summoned personally, but the last one I had only heard of. Alex, Rome, and Carson had been in my party, while Yu had made most of my items. I didn’t really know Bethany, but I had heard that she killed one of the Four generals of the Demon Lord single handedly.

I spotted all five of them, our group forming a semi-circle beneath the goddess as she slowly shrank and began to lower to our level. Rome gave me a grin and a wave, and I could see him mouthing something along the lines of way to go, Mr. Spider. I ignored him, focusing my attention on Sola as she walked up to Bethany.

Bethany bowed to one knee at Sola’s approach. “Bethany Rieder, the human who personally and solitarily defeated Ravenous Unkir.” She began, and placed a hand on Bethany’s shoulder. “To you, I bestow one Wish of Resonance, as well as a Remembrance Token. The Wish of Resonance will grant you any wish you should so choose, so long as it does not directly impede another human’s free will and is accomplishable within the current laws of physics of your world. The Remembrance Token will allow you to ask a favor of any God or Goddess you have directly come into contact with, or have influenced in a significant fashion. However, this God or Goddess may refuse your favor if it is in conflict with their Principalities, so choose carefully.”

“I thank the Goddess for her generosity.” Bethany said, standing up and backing away as two glowing orbs were placed in her hands, one blue and one pink. I almost rolled my eyes at her actions, but refrained myself only just so. Sola turned her attention towards the others.

“Roman Allen, Alexis Avenicci, and Carson Himanez, you have all demonstrated nearly equal valor, even if in different fields, so I will be giving you your rewards equally.”

They all stepped forwards and bowed to their knees simultaneously, and for a moment I was almost astonished. It was probably the most harmonious they’ve been since I’d ever known them.

“For defeating both Immortal Alhahmat and Invincible Prihir, to all of you, I bestow a Wish of Resonance, and two Remembrance Tokens. Additionally, I bequeath one World Phoenix Scripture to Carson Jimanez, for commendable service in saving countless lives in service of Raya, God of Healing. This World Phoenix Scripture will allow you to bring up to three people from our world to yours, permanently, if they are willing.”

“I thank the Goddess for her generosity.” They recited, standing up with their own blue and pink spheres, Carson beaming as he held an additional purple sphere. As Sola was about to turn towards Yu, Roman wheeled around.

“Goddess Sola, would you allow me to use one of these Remembrance Tokens now?” He asked, and I pinched the bridge of my nose as I saw the regular mischievous glint in his eyes as the words came out of his mouth. I didn’t even need to look up to know that Alexis was probably glaring at him.

“It depends.” Sola said, and I swore I could hear a little bit of mirth in her voice. “What is it you would ask for?”

I looked up to see a shit eating grin on Rome’s face as he once again took a knee. “Would the Goddess be so merciful as to grant me the request of having a threesome with my girlfriend? For you see, Lexi said that the only person she would grant a threesome with would be you.”

Light laughter peeled out, both from the crowd and from Sola covering her mouth as she giggled. Alex was blushing a bright crimson, though whether out of anger or embarrassment I wasn’t sure.

“As much as I would like to honor your request at this time, Roman, I cannot. However, I will not take away a Remembrance Token, and will treat it as a joke.” Sola answered, humor in her tone. Roman sighed in defeat, standing up once more and shaking his head, then yelped as Alex hit him on the back of the head, hissing something in his ear and dragging him away. I stared at them a moment longer, watching as Alex started shouting at Roman while Rome kept laughing, Carson shaking his head at them both, then turned back towards Sola, Yu already taking a knee.

“Seon Yu, for your tireless and crucial work in equipping the most prominent adventurers of the frontlines with your creations and divine masterpieces, I grant you a Remembrance Token, as well as the Cosmic Blueprint. This Cosmic Blueprint will grant you the following ability: any work you have made, or make in the future, will be immediately registered in this blueprint, and if the resources you used to make it are not available in the world you inhabit, it will find the most suitable resources to substitute them with. If no such resources are available, it will notify you once they are, as well as the technology required to make it. Additionally, if someone else with a Cosmic Blueprint is in your vicinity, you may request a trade of blueprints with them.”

Yu practically shivered with delight as two orbs entered his hand, pink and yellow. “I thank the Goddess for her generosity.” He shouted, shooting up and bolting away to study his new toy. I grinned as I looked at him disappear into the crowd. Smithing and Enchanting had been his passion in Yarla, and now he had a means to at least continue some of it. But my smile faded as the goddess’ eyes locked onto mine.

She walked over, the pressure of her Divinity weighing down on me like gravity, but I stayed standing. She took the fact that I did not bow before her calmer than I would have expected, but then again, it was always hard to tell with a god.

“And finally, Jason Takada.” She announced, her eyes assessing me coolly. I outstretched my hand, and awaited my rewards. “For the many meritorious services you have rendered, the greatest of which was the ultimate sacrifice of the slaying of the Demon Queen Gurandir, I present to you these rewards. One Wish of Resonance, two Tokens of Remembrance, a Boundary Line Access, which will allow you to keep all of your current equipment with you when you cross over into your original world, and lastly…” Her voice trailed off, her eyes widening as I could only assume that she had no idea the last item would be given to me. Blue and pink orbs, as well as a black orb, dropped into my hands. A part of me almost felt smug seeing her reaction, until I saw a shining golden disk appear in her hands. “A… a piece of Divinity.” She whispered, and my own breath caught as I saw it appear.

As resplendent as the sun, it glowed in her hands, and for a time both of us did nothing but stare at it. Finally, she bit her lip, and gave it to me reluctantly. Immediately my hands felt warm and heavy. The other four orbs were weightless, but the disc almost felt like it would make my hands sink into the floor if I let it. But it only lasted a moment, as I put the items into the Spatial Storage of my ring. I’ll admit that I was a little afraid that she would take it back from me if I left it out any longer.

Her eyes dropped to the floor, before she sighed and looked back up at me. “A piece of Divinity is a rare compensation, only given to those who have provided extreme merit to the world in which it was earned. Indeed, I knew the invaders of our world were strong, but to warrant that…” She looked up, and for a few brief seconds I thought she almost seemed human. But then her eyes once again locked onto mine, and the feeling was gone. She was once again an unfeeling goddess, though she fabricated her emotions well. “It is hard to tell what effects that Divinity will have on you. It affects everyone differently. However, it will bring you closer to true Godhood, that much is for certain. Though we have had our differences…” She took a breath, then bowed her head just the slightest amount. “Thank you for your service to our world, Jason. You have saved us, truly.”

I nodded. Though we had had our differences, though my time in her world could be described as Hell, I… didn’t regret it. After all, it had let me meet…

As she began to float up into the air once more, enlarging and turning towards the crowd, I found that I was subconsciously spinning my ring around my finger again. I chuckled bitterly, then forced myself to lower my hands to pay attention to what she was saying.

“Humans from Earth. You have all served us valiantly. To all that did not receive compensation this day, know that your efforts will not be forgotten. Out of fifty three million people spread out over four hundred, ninety three worlds, there are approximately two million survivors, and two hundred seventy one remaining. And those among you have contributed to our world being one of those survivors. However, there are a few warnings that I must give to you.

“Your world does not have enough Mana to sustain you as you are now. Thus, all of your skills, spells, and the majority of your stats will be taken away from you. Know that if you were to keep them, you would die due to the fact that your world does not contain the necessary components for you to survive, as you are currently too powerful. However, you will not be completely deprived of your efforts over the years. You will still keep the ability to call your Status Window, as well as whatever Perks and Titles you have earned that aren’t too far separated from the laws of physics of your world. Additionally, if your stats meet or surpass the maximum of normal human potential, they will remain at the maximum of your world’s human potential.”

I glanced around at the crowd, and though a few looked a little bitter, there weren’t many who were too displeased. After all, the majority of the people here were people who had been laying low living normal human lives. I’d say only a thousand out of the three thousand or so gathered here had been living on the front lines.

“I once more wish to congratulate you. But the fact that you have helped us has not gone unnoticed by the Influences outside of our reach. Your world has been indirectly connected to theirs, and so there may be a counter attack. Be prepared for it. Let those in important positions know, as I’m sure other survivors are doing.”

Suddenly my vision was covered in a blinding white, and I felt my body being slowly disintegrated, but I didn’t panic. I had experienced this once before. It signaled the travel between worlds. Sola continued with her final words.

“Thank you for your help.”

“Thank you, Jason Takada.”

I blinked my eyes open and found myself standing on a quiet road. Though it was night, with clouds covering the sky, it wasn’t dark. I wrinkled my nose, struggling not to retch as the sudden impurity of this world’s… my world’s air was pulled into my lungs. I looked around, surveying my surroundings, and was suddenly hit with an onslaught of familiarity.

Apartment buildings rose up in neat rows, and for a moment I was fascinated by them. Tall buildings in Yarla usually meant wealth, but there were so many, at least six stories. I looked down the street, at where the road curved on two sides in a roundabout, the place where they were conjoined hidden by more apartment buildings. It all looked so familiar and foreign at the same time. There was grass along the sidewalks, depressingly muted and dull, browning in patches. Light poles rose up along the side, bathing the street in a bleached fluorescent white.

I jumped as I heard a loud blaring noise behind me, twisting through the air, flipping forwards and landing on the balls of my feet, facing my new threat. I was instantly blinded by two bright lights, and was assaulted once more by that noise.

Covering my eyes with my hand, I looked beyond those two lights and saw… oh. Right.

Cars.

Waving apologetically I stepped out of the road, and as they drove past me the person in the passenger seat flipped me off, and they continued driving, eventually taking the roundabout and disappearing behind those apartment buildings.

I looked up, struggling to calm my beating heart. This was where I belonged, wasn’t it? This was my home.

Pulling from my memory, which was vague and faded, I started walking down the street that was so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. After following along the roundabout, I took a left. Mississippi… was it a right here, or a left? Maine… Definitely a right here... until finally, I arrived on Florida Avenue, where the houses were. What was my house number again?

Finally I saw a muted blue colored house, one that looked strikingly familiar, and was assailed by a flashback of me walking down this very same street, up that driveway, where my little sister was sitting on the porch eating oranges while waiting for me. This was it. I was… home.

My heart pounded in my chest. What would I say to them? I didn’t even know how much time had passed in this world. It could have been the exact same amount, or different, just as easily being a few months as a few decades. If it was the former… I brought my hand to my face, combing my fingers through my beard, and with my other hand felt my long hair, up in a ponytail. If it had only been a few months, then just me walking up to the front door and claiming to be their son would probably have them calling the cops on me. After all, I was sixteen when I had been summoned. Now I was probably… twenty four? Twenty five? Years had been hard to keep track of, because day and year lengths were different in Yarla.

My heart was beating a war drum in my ears. It was funny, wasn’t it? When facing down a demon horde, I was so calm that I could play a game of chess while defending a trench. Hell, I had killed so many people that I had been given the nickname Death Weaver. But knocking on the door to my family’s house scared me out of my mind. My fingers were once again fidgeting with my ring. That’s right. I had to find Samantha’s family after this. To tell them...

I once again laughed emptily, took a shaky breath, and pounded my chest once. Twice. On the third time I forced myself to start walking forward. For Sam.

I climbed the porch steps achingly slowly, my feet strangely heavy. Until I was right in front of the door.

One more breath. This was my home. I belonged here. I could figure out what to tell my family later. For now, it was important to see them again.

I pressed the doorbell, and instantly a dog started barking inside, deep and defensive. It was probably a big dog. Strange, we had never been allowed to have pets, because mom was allergic to them. Maybe they had decided to get one because they were lonely. If time had flown the same amount it did in Yarla, then my sister would be eighteen or nineteen. Either way, almost old enough to have left and begun her own life.

“Be quiet Braxton”. I heard a voice, distinctly female, hiss from inside the house, shortly followed by a defiant ‘boof’. Probably from Braxton. The door unlatched, and a young woman answered me. I involuntarily frowned, my eyes flicking upwards and inside, but quickly coming down so it wasn’t so obvious.

She looked to be in her early twenties, with blonde hair and green eyes. She was pretty. The only problem was…

“Can I help you?”

I didn’t recognize her.