Dex was walking home after a grueling day of work, customer after customer that day had gotten under his skin. At one point he couldn’t take it any longer and went ballistic on the customer on the phone. Who apparently broke down crying after I hung up angrily, which led to their HR manager calling ours. Word eventually got to the boss and to say he wasn’t happy was a severe understatement. At least he still had his job, though he’d be walking on thin ice for quite some time, again.

Last time it took three months to be able to work without a supervisor checking my calls, mails, hell, if they could legally, they would take my smartphone, and what happened previously was more severe than what happened today, financially speaking of course. It’s always about the money.

Letting go of the work thoughts of the day, Dex focused on the weekend ahead, two days straight him and his best friends running a Tabletop adventure. It being planned nearly two years ago to make sure everyone could come was it excessive, yes, but however needed. Me being the DM, with the most demanding job, needing to be available nearly 24/7 did not help it. But this weekend he made sure he was off from work.

Nearing his apartment block with just one turn left, which was going right. Hehe... Dex chuckled then suddenly jumped, the firetruck turning into the street with sirens blaring. Quickly covering his ears against the sound, Dex noticed it was riding toward his apartment block. Quickening his pace, turning right at the corner Dex stood stunned. The top floors were ablaze, even on the ground he could feel the heat of the flames. Dex kept sauntering over to the crowd, still dazed.

Looking over the staring crowd Dex noticed some of the other apartment tenants and walked over to them, they too were still dazed by what was happening. Walking toward a mother and child I recognized, Maria Dex’s next-door neighbor and her son Tommy. Well actually, Tom but he was too young for that.

“What the f-, hell” quickly correcting myself since Maria didn’t like people cursing in front of Tommy. Coughing in his hand and getting a sneering stare from Maria “What happened Maria?” glancing back at the blaze behind him.

“We don’t know yet, the fire marshal said they need to get it under control before they enter the apartment complex.” She answered, her voice quivering ever so slightly. Lifting Tommy off his feet and hug him tight. He was scared seeing how he didn’t even say something to greet me. Normally Tommy immediately talked Dex his ears off. Dex ruffled his hair a little bit, and turned to watch what would happen.

When he faced the building fully craning his neck to look up. Huh, are the flames bulging? At finishing that thought, everyone could hear it.

*BOOOOM*

The explosion shook the ground, people fell over and started a panicked run away from the building. Looking to Maria and Tommy I saw as they were frozen in fear. The explosion ruining any chance of this having a good ending. Quickly moving to help them get away Dex spotted the large pieces of debris that had come free and had started their free fall towards the ground.

Dex moved with Maria and Tommy slinging an arm around them to support them and get them out of their fearful daze. They moved along with Dex. Moving together with the small crowd toward the building across the street, doors opened inwards as people were guided into the building to safety.

“WATCH OUT” one of the men that stood out front screamed at the top of his lungs as we neared the door.

Quickly glancing over my shoulder, a large piece of debris seemed to be launched a bit further then the rest. Without really thinking I shoved Maria and Tommy into the building. A hot searing pain exploded throughout his lower body as he smashed into the ground headfirst. He glanced up the pain worsening through his body, catching a glance of Maria with tears streaming down her face as she covered Tommy’s eyes.

That bad huh… His conscious leaving him.

***

Dex watched from after some time had passed and being unconscious, the fire had finally settled and was in control. Yet he stood over his body or rather what was left. Mainly the torso was intact, Maria sitting beside it while Tommy bawled his eyes out near the entrance of the building they tried to reach.

Maria sat dazed staring at the gruesome scene, she moved her hand on my eyes, using a downwards motion across my face, closing them for a final time. As she did, a strong pulled me towards the sky, suddenly it jerked me up into the air and off my feet. I let it, seeing I couldn’t take hold of something to prevent it, as my flailing hands ?? tried to grab hold of anything and were freely passing through everything.

Dex would miss them, Maria and Tommy, while Maria might have dropped rather clear signals, she had taken a liking to me. I couldn’t return the feeling. I already was in a relation. It’d feel too much like cheating showing even a little affection directly toward her, and I knew how fucking horrible that had felt. Being betrayed...

So, Dex swore never do the same to another. Having an actual broken heart, what was it called again Takotsu... something. Dex felt sad not being able to say goodbye to his current GF, Larisa, they’d have a fight about something trivial last night. Perhaps that was why he wasn’t feeling completely stable when Dex exploded against the customer.

Dex looked down, high enough up he could see the entire earth, Dex would shed a tear but was pretty sure he, no longer was able to do that. Dex kept looking till it was only a pale blue dot, so small, yet so alive. Dex closed his eyes. The pull suddenly getting stronger again, not sure at how he was even feeling anything with no body.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Dex opened his eyes and stared toward the direction of the pull. Dex could see another dot in the distance. Ahh my destination he thought dryly. The dot, no now getting nearer the circle seemed to display an idyllic scene. Rolling hills in the backdrop, plains of grass stretching before them, forest’s spreading in between with trees that appeared to reach the sky itself.

Dex reached out, feeling the source of the pull, being at its strongest now. Just as Dex was about to go in, the color shifted to a pure golden glow.

Dex stumbled on … something, rising to stand. Dex looked around an expanse of nothingness spread around ahead of him. Dex felt a warm glow on his back as if bathing in the sun. Dex worked up the courage to look down. Since everything ahead appeared to be nothing. Mouth dropped immediately agape when he looked.

A world out of a fantasy novel or game seemed to be floating in space in front of him. Directly below him Dex saw the same white dot he’d been focused on. However, he let his gaze wander. Massive expanse of a forest surrounding the white dot. At the edges of the forest which seemed hundreds of kilometers apart from the dot. He could see villages and even what he’d guess was a city. What stood out where the people moving along the dirt paths, or perhaps the roads. Horse drawn carriages, people walking in small groups armed to the teeth. Even further than the villages he could see mountains, he was pretty sure they were taller than Mount Everest. In fact, it seemed that the planet he was gazing at was bigger than Earth.

How would I even know all this, I never studied thi—

*Uhh Uhm* a voice from behind boomed, the same direction he felt the warm glow was coming from.

Slowly turning around, Dex stared at what could only be described as a colossal titan. A halo slowly spinning above his head, which looked strange. Four eyes in a crosshair pattern were sitting on his forehead. No mouth or nose to speak of. Thousands of arms on his back, all folded around crossing them in a circle. Besides those points, the Titan looked normal to a human. Two legs, normal torso that seemed to have lines of the same golden glow light as the halo going over it, which was floating above his head. Although his height was that of a skyscraper.

“uhh” was all that came out. Dex mouth opening slightly to speak up again but was interrupted by the Titan.

*Dex from the planet Earth, we apologize for the inconvenience caused by the chaotic energy that has escaped from this world to yours. However that was within expectations, sad as that might be.*

WHAT WAIT –The Titan interrupted him by holding out his hands, as if to stop him to speak.

*Not only that, it appears your body has dropped into the last undiscovered Core Dungeon’s. This is why I convey my emotion of being sad too you. I cannot change that, we Screls, Administrators of the Multi-Universe have been blessed and cursed for our gifts.*

Dex stared at it, was, was that an apology of a ... screl as he thought longer of the word in specific, another word came to mind, God’s. Suddenly trembling at the Titan that loomed over him, it seemed to notice it.

*Be not afraid, for we do truly apologize in word. Where you spawned was not our decision to make. Nor have we heard a Reincarnate spawn within a Dungeon, thus our interference. And an offer of chance.*

As he spoke the last words, two objects appeared in front of Dex. Pentagonal Trapezohedron shaped objects hovered in front of him. Holding out his hand with the palm facing up to receive the items, they dropped into Dex’s hand.

a... are these, really what I think? Dex continued to stare at them, then glancing slowly backup to the Titan. Eyes nearly bulging out of their individual sockets. Which the Titan didn’t seem to like too much as his eyes narrowed onto him. Before he could even roll the two dice in his hands it spoke up again.

*While chance is involved, or perhaps luck would be the better choice of word for your race. We do not give this Boon as lightly as you think. Beings of thousands years old sacrifice entire worlds too us, simply to get our race’s attention.*

At that it lowered the head, the eyes mere slits as if fully focused on Dex. Dex found the meaning behind the stare simple. Deny and you will die, accept and perhaps thrive. For the second time that day he found himself with thoughts he didn’t believe were his own. So, Dex asked.

“Yes, yes, fine and all, not only did you guys’ f-the-uck up, you’re now going to paint a nice big target on my back for, uhhh what you’d call them, Other beings” The last part Dex used air quotes and seethed the word through his teeth, not sure if the Titan would understand it.

This time the reaction wasn’t by a booming voice, hundreds of the arms suddenly lurched at him and stopping right before he could be torn a shred. Quivering he looked back up to the beings’ ‘face’. Dex’s jaw relaxed somewhat upon looking at it. The eyes were back open fully, as if to consider something. I hope this wont end badly for me... he thought and the Titan answered seeming less.

*It wont, Dex.* His arms suddenly lurching back in the folded circle position they were in mere nanoseconds ago— Okay, how the fuck do I know these things!

*Simple, we gave you the knowledge of your planet. However-though, you will be a Reincarnate on a new planet, where the knowledge you thinks runs the universe is worthless. The Dice you hold will be added together to increase your chance at survival. I’d claim the higher the better, but chance is controlled by nothing so who knows what is good and is bad.*

Dex felt a bit ominous about the last words, but rolled the dice across the seemingly nothingness in front of him. They bounced around a bit, before he could see the results, he raised his hands in front of his eyes. Dex felt a bit giddy with excitement as he listened to the dice roll, and then no sound. He slowly spread his fingers to see the result.

Arms dropping by his side all of the sudden seeing the results. 000, stared at him. The two dice had different valued numbers, one going from 0 to 10, the other 0 to a 100. Their shapes should’ve been impossible. But then again, the Titan clearly stated his knowledge of earth would be useless here.

A slow dread started to creep up to Dex his spine. It was not going to end good; he was sure now. But as he thought that he felt a glow, same as before like that of a sun, but weaker, subdued even. Dex’s eyes darted around, maybe, just maybe he had a chance at another roll. Dex looked back at the dice with a scorn, which quickly turned quizzical.

The numbers are glowing, in. in the same way this Titan’s halo is.

Dex snapped his head up towards the face of the Titan. A horizontal split had happend on the lower half of its ‘face’, with the corners slowly turning upwards. Then it spoke.

*Dex of Earth, you have received a gift from beyond my understanding, be ready to be a Reincarnate!*

As the Titan spoke the words, the force pulling me suddenly picked up again, and the world went black.