- Please... Don't eat me! - I prayed with joined hands to that monstrous tree with an old man's face. - I ate a lot of crap when I was alive, my taste is horrible for sure! - I spoke with a desperate smile trying to persuade him.
- Do you really think the sacred tree would devour a malnourished brat? - said the tree with a disgusted expression.
- Malnourished? You disrupt my game, pull me against my will, and insult me! - I said, staring fearlessly into that old face. - Who the fuck do you think you are, old man? Just because you have a few hundred yards, you think I won't kick your ass?
- I resorted to this mode due to circumstances, and respect me you rude brat, I told you I am Yggdrasil the great tree of life. - explained the old man seriously.
- I don't care who you say you are, all I know is that you're a foul-mouthed old fool.
- Enough of this nonsense, you filthy child! - shouted the tree.
- MMPH! Mmph! - The boy tried to retaliate, but his mouth wouldn't open.
After realizing that the old tree had done something to me, I decided to calm down and listen to what it had to say. This is really my only option.
- Boy, I brought you here to fulfill a mission for me. - said the old man, staring at me imperatively. - I will give you a new chance to live, and to pay me for it, you must stop Ragnarök!
I stared in disbelief at the talking tree. I had heard about this Ragnarok in my past life, if I am not mistaken, it is the end of the world according to Norse mythology.
And now that I think about it, I realize that the name that the old man says is his, is the same as the name of the tree of life. The one that took Odin's eye in exchange for his knowledge and divinity.
I spent a while trying to process everything that was happening.
"He said he is going to give me another life? I will be able to live again? Sounds like one of those reincarnation stories my brother loves to read..."
- Yes, child. You will live again, but this time with a real purpose! - Said the Machiavellian and smug old man, "Now I'll let you speak so that you can thank me properly. - whispered the tree smugly.
- Mmph! - What a fucking thank you for what? - I shouted in anger. - Do you think I'm a dick? How the fuck do you think a normal kid can stop a war between gods?
The tree was startled by my reaction. And then it remained thoughtful for a while with its distracted look.
POV (Yggdrasil)
"The boy is right... It's impossible for that worthless brat to prevent a conflict of such magnitude" I reflected with my eyes closed. "But what should I do to turn him from a useless virgin into a warrior capable of stopping the apocalypse? It seems there is no way out."
POV (Protagonist)
"I really am a great actor, holy shit!" I thought smugly.
- If you want me to really do what you ask me to do, you better go pass the deity and a strong blessing like you did with Odin! - I said with a smug smile.
The truth is that I would accept even if he gave me absolutely nothing. Just the thought of having the chance to live again, and this time a real life, made me very excited. But I didn't show my excitement for business reasons, if you know what I mean.
- How do you know Odin? - asked the old man suspiciously.
- I have my ways. - I said with a mysterious air.
The old man seemed to ponder for a moment, before looking at me and sighing.
- I understand what you mean kid, but I can't give you divinity since only a mortal can stop Ragnarok. If you are born as a god, you will be corrupted and only become part of the cycle that will lead to the end of the world. - He explained with a serious look.
I understood what the old man was saying, and could only sigh disgruntledly in response. "So much for my chance to live worry-free....
- But I can give you one of my precious fruits! - said the old man excitedly.
- Do you really think my life is worth just one giant fucking apple? - I retorted angrily.
I was disappointed that I couldn't be born God, and so my plans to live an eternity of easy life went up in smoke. And this old asshole offering a fucking fruit in exchange for me accepting a life-threatening mission does nothing to improve my mood.
- No, you moron! Fruits grant blessings. - He frowned with an irritated expression.
"That changes everything. So that must be how he granted Odin's wisdom. Hehehe, I can't wait to pick a hack blessing." I thought with an excitement that was palpable in the air.
Suddenly a purple fruit fell from one of the branches high up in the tree and came plummeting at high speed towards me. I got scared and tried to protect my head with my arms, afraid that I would be crushed by this giant fruit. But a huge root sprang up from the ground and protected me by stopping the fruit before it could turn me into a paper.
A little later, another fruit, now gray in color, fell from there and was also caught by a root coming out of the ground. The roots holding the fruit moved in front of me, and the fruit was now only a few centimeters away from me who remained attached by a root clinging to my abdomen.
- Go ahead boy. Eat the fruit! Your powers will help you change the unfortunate fate of this world. - The old man replied with an animated expression.
- Aren't you even going to let me choose my powers? - I asked disappointed.
- Don't push it, brat! Eat your fruit and be on your way! - he muttered impatiently.
He seemed irritated that I had convinced him to give me blessings earlier. Seriously man, what kind of child-minded god is this?
I stretched out and bit into the two fruits, which were soft, and juicy. As I chewed, I felt the consistency of it change in my mouth, melting and turning into an amazingly flavorful juice. The tastiest thing I have ever tasted.
After swallowing I really didn't feel any change in my body, except the feeling of a full belly even though I swallowed small pieces.
- Hey, old man. Am I going to have to eat this whole fruit to get in? - I asked, not understanding my situation as I tried to observe if there were changes in parts of my body.
- What? KUHUAKAKAKAKAKA... That's impossible, brat! Can't you see the size of this thing? Are you retarded? - He said with his eyes watering sap from laughing so hard. - You have already acquired the blessings of the fruit! Now I will throw you into the lake to be reincarnated. - He added as he stopped laughing.
I looked ashamed at that miserable old man laughing at my face.
- But wait a minute, old man! Aren't you even going to tell me what powers the plants have given me? - I shouted in disbelief when I felt the root that was holding me loosening little by little.
- No. Get a hold of it, stinky! - he said impatiently.
- TWENTY-FIVE CENTIMETERS! - I shouted, holding on to the root to avoid the sure fall.
- What? - Yggdrasil asked uncomprehendingly as he pressed the root against me again.
- Give me a twenty-five centimeters dick and I'll leave you alone! - I smiled determinedly as I held up two fingers in one hand and five in the other.
- What kind of request is that? It's gonna interfere in the fights for sure! - He shouted in amazement, and then pondered for a while. - Fifteen centimeters! Nothing more than that!
- Tch! Damned old man. - I whispered to myself. - Eighteen centimeters and that's all there is to it! - I shouted in a decisive and definitive tone.
- AHHHHHHH! Bastard boy! - he shouted impatiently, giving in.
- Get that anaconda of yours out of my sight! - The old man said as a sphere of light came out of the tree trunk.
The little ball of light came towards me and entered my chest, immediately I felt something growing in my pants and stretching my underwear. This made me smile devilishly, already thinking what I would do with my newest tool.
Then, the root that was holding me by my belly, let go of me for good and I found myself in free fall at that point screaming and covering my eyes.
- AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
And then my body plunged into the lake, sinking deeper every second. I struggled to get back to the surface, tried to swim, but the liquid didn't seem to allow it, and then my strength ran out and I sank into the abyss as my mind slipped away from consciousness.
And the last thing I could think was: "Fuckin... Tree..."
...
...
...
I slowly regained consciousness, and realized that I had somehow survived the drowning. I tried with maximum effort to move, but for some reason, I have no strength in my limbs and furthermore I seem to be trapped in some kind of tight gum ball with elastic walls that do not allow me to move as I want.
My eyes won't open either, no matter how hard I try. I can't hear or perceive, in any way, people around.
- Thump Thump! Thump Thump!
"What's that sound? It sounds like it's coming from above..."
That was the only sound I could hear from where I was standing, it sounded a bit muffled and close, I can't hear clearly, I believe my hearing is impaired as well as my other senses.
"It even sounds like... No, it's not possible that this is happening.
I just realized what had occurred to me. At this moment, from the clues I have observed, I am in a fucking uterus! The noise I just heard must be my mother's heartbeat. That would also explain my lack of strength, those elastic walls, and the fact that I am unable to speak and open my eyes.
"What a wretched situation! Couldn't that old bastard have at least sent me to the body of an already born child? I guess he must have done it to get a laugh out of my face. I gritted my teeth mentally, since I couldn't do that as a baby.
After that, for some reason, a very intense fatigue took over my body and I could do nothing but fall asleep.
...
...
...
I woke up with a fright when I felt that the bubble that had enveloped me before was now withering away. I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was sure of one thing, "It's time to be fucking born!"
I somehow noticed a light and sound coming from one end next to where I was standing and quickly used all the strength I had to move towards it by pushing and squeezing myself into the walls around me. When I reached the source of the light, I felt as if I was being pushed out, the walls dilating and contracting again, automatically pushing me through the uterine channel.
"That's fucking it! It's time, my new life here I come! Hihihihiihi.".
After being completely expelled from my mother's womb, I felt two hands holding me from outside, one by my neck and the other pulling me by my armpit.
Coming out of there, I could finally feel fresh air, and feel enlightenment again. But for some reason, when I took a breath, I felt a stab of pain in my chest without the slightest warning. Such pain was too much for my little baby body, and I cried out loud.
- Whaaaaaaa.
Soon, the person who took me from my mother passed me to another who wrapped me in a fine linen cloth.
And then, amidst the uncontrolled crying, I managed to open my eyes and observe the place where I am. It is a room with wooden walls, with an old double bed and some rustic furniture.
I am being held by a red-headed child with brown eyes, who is holding me aloft while staring at my dork.
- It's a boy, Ms. Rina! It's a boy!
The little girl shouted happily in a language foreign to me. Only somehow, I could understand perfectly what she said to me. "What language is that? Is that another one of the old man's pranks?"
In front of us is a bed, on which lies a young woman with long, beautiful black hair. She appears to be about 20 years old. She was with her eyes closed resting her arm on her forehead as she breathed profusely and seemed to have suffered a lot, from the amount of sweat on her body and clothes. That's my mother.
At the right side of the bed, sitting on a chair, is a man of medium height with short dark blond hair, and who is wearing a beige linen blouse and mustard colored pants made of what appears to be a knit. He stares at the girl, smiling with his eyes closed as he holds her hand. I would guess he is in his early twenties as well. He must be my father.
Sitting at the front of the bed is a lady with brown hair tied up in a bun who was wiping her hands with a cloth. She is wearing a dress that is currently red with blood. She is at the moment with a sincere smile for my mother who is still panting heavily. She is probably a midwife.
- Oh, wait, don't stop pushing yet. It looks like there's another one coming! - The lady said looking amazed between my mother's legs.
"Looks like I'm going to have a baby brother again, hihi."
I cheered up remembering the time I used to spend with my brother in the other world, I really enjoyed looking for fights with him when we were younger, and as I recalled this a wide smile broke out in my mind.
- Argh! Aaahhhhn! I'm going to die! I'm really going to die, Igor! - shouted my mother as her face broke into tears of pain.
- Baby, I understand it hurts... But please don't pull my hair so hard! Ouch, ouch, ouch! - said my father with a bewildered smile at my mother who was pulling her hair as hard as she could.
- You bastard! You had the damned idea of having children, and now I'm here dying! You son of a bitch! - she said, shaking the man's head by his hair.
- I love you too, baby! Oh, oh, oh... - He answered her, smiling silly as he had his scalp ripped off by her.
- I'll take the little one here to wash up and then you can hold him, Ms. Rina! - said the girl holding me, smiling at my mother, who was moaning and screaming in pain as she pulled my father's hair, so she didn't seem to hear.
The girl then pulled me out of the room and took me outside the house to a place that looked like a stable. She filled a wooden basin with water and put me inside carefully. In the warm water she wiped, with a thin cloth, all the blood that covered my entire body.
Something funny, is that the girl bathed me while smiling and humming in a kind way, as if she was enjoying herself. I couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness.
- Guhaaa.
- Are you laughing at me? - she said, smiling back as she grabbed the towel to dry me off.
- What a cute smile. Do you want to be my son too? - she said, covering me with a friendly smile.
I just smiled wider at this question, which seemed to make her even happier. She then took me back inside to find my mother already calm and drinking water.
My father was holding another baby, wrapped in a cloth, staring at him with a silly smile as he played with his belly.
I noticed that in his hair, there was a hole that looked like it had been forcibly pulled out of there, and that amazed me a little. "That woman is scary!", was the only thing I could think of.
The midwife, with a tired expression, was at my mother's side drying her forehead with a cloth.
- May I hold him? - my mother asked, raising her arms toward me.
- Of course, ma'am. - said the little redhead, placing me carefully in my mother's arms.
She watched my little face with a satisfied smile, and then began to run her fingers lovingly over my head. This time I could see the color of her eyes, which before had been closed because she was tired from giving birth.
The girl who bathed me soon picked up the other child from my father's lap and carried her out as well. And he then turned his attention to me, who was currently on my mother's lap.
- He has your eyes. - My father said to her, smiling.
- I love you, you know? - She answered, looking up at him as her eyes watered.
- Of course I know.
My father said with a smile as he looked into her eyes, and moved in closer, connecting their lips with an affectionate kiss.
When they finished kissing, my mother looked at him angrily, and let go of one of the hands she was holding to slap him on the head.
- Ouch!
- You should answer that you love me too. You idiot! - She said this and then turned to me and pouted. - You see, son? Your father doesn't really love me.
I looked at her a little afraid, what a strong-willed woman.
- Okay, okay, I do love you, I love you more than anything, satisfied? - He answered her with a pained face, while stroking his head where she had hit it.
- Tee-hee! - She then gave me a silly smile as she rested her head on my father's shoulder, who hugged her on the spot.
I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. They then watched me with a silly grin as she caressed my face.
Soon the women returned, after bathing my brother, and handed him over to my father. My mother then talked about how, in contrast to me who had eyes like hers, my brother had eyes like my father's. And soon the baby fell asleep.
"So that's my new family." I thought as I stared at them.
I smiled back at them, excited about what I will do in this new life opportunity. Besides, of course, preventing the end of the world.
End of chapter