"Huh? Where am I?"
Adrian looked around, and he noticed that he was standing on a cloud, surrounded by a breathtakingly beautiful landscape. In the distance, he could see snow-capped mountains, pristine lakes, and verdant forests, all bathed in a warm, golden light.
But his attention was quickly drawn back to the woman before him. She was the epitome of beauty and grace, with golden blonde hair that cascaded down her back in soft waves. Her slender body seemed to glow with an otherworldly radiance, and her skin was pale as snow, flawless and smooth.
As she stepped forward, Adrian could see that her eyes sparkled with an otherworldly light, a soft blue that seemed to reflect the very essence of the sky itself. Her wings were pure white, with delicate feathers that shimmered in the gentle light.
For a moment, Adrian was speechless, lost in the sheer beauty of this creature before him. It was only when she spoke that he realized that he was no longer on Earth.
"Greetings, Adrian," she said, her voice soft and melodious. "I am Ciel, the Goddess of Fate. Welcome to the afterlife."
Adrian's mind reeled as he tried to comprehend what was happening. He had heard of the idea of an afterlife before, and he had never believed in it.
As he stood there, taking in the surreal scenery and the angelic figure before him, Adrian couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief. Was this truly happening, or was it all just a dream?
Ciel seemed to sense his confusion, and she smiled gently at him.
"I know this might be overwhelming for you, Adrian, but I assure you that this is real. You have passed on from your mortal life, and now you are here in the afterlife."
Afterlife? What was she talking about? Recalling his previous memories, Adrian was in his room, playing his favorite real-time strategy game. When he closed his eyes momentarily to rest his eyes and opened them, he was here in this world.
"Afterlife?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper and continued. "But I was very alive earlier. Is this some sort of a prank?"
"Allow me to explain to you Adrian," the Goddess said. "The truth is, you are not supposed to die today. I made a mistake where I accidentally cut your thread…"
Adrian's eyes widened in shock at her words. "Cut my thread? What do you mean?"
Ciel looked apologetic. "I am the weaver of fate, Adrian. It is my responsibility to oversee the threads of life and ensure that everything follows its course. But in your case, I made a mistake. I accidentally cut your thread prematurely, and you were taken from the mortal realm before your time."
Adrian felt a surge of anger and frustration rise within him. "So, what? You're telling me that I died because of a mistake?!"
Ciel held up a hand to placate him. "I understand how you feel, Adrian. That is why I'm presenting myself in front of you. To compensate. A chance of a new life with your memories intact."
"New life? Another world?" Adrian repeated. "I don't want that! I want to return to my world."
Ciel's expression softened. "I understand that it may not be easy to accept, but unfortunately, I cannot send you back to your world. Your mortal body has already perished, and your thread has been cut. This is the only way to make things right."
Adrian felt a lump form in his throat. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was all too much for him to take in.
"But what about my family and friends? What will happen to them?"
Ciel's eyes filled with compassion as she spoke gently to Adrian. "I understand this may be difficult for you to accept, but unfortunately, they'll grieve at your sudden death but they'll eventually move on and have a good life. You want me to show you a glimpse of their future?"
"Can you do that?" Adrian asked.
"I'm the Goddess of Fate, Adrian. I can do it if you want."
"Then, show me," Adrian permitted.
Ciel flicked her wrist and suddenly, a vision appeared before Adrian's eyes. He saw his parents sitting in their living room, surrounded by friends and family. They were all dressed in black, their faces drawn with grief.
Adrian felt a pang of sadness as he watched them weep for him. But as the vision continued, he saw that slowly but surely, they began to move on with their lives. He saw his brother graduating from a prestigious university and landing a good job, his sister becoming one of the most successful businesswomen in the country, and his little sister pursuing her dreams to become a doctor.
Adrian couldn't help but feel glad that they are having a good life even when he is gone. He was the oldest and the breadwinner of the family, providing for his little brother and sisters. Before perishing, he was an engineering student and a professional gamer. He consistently got good grades and at the same time won tournaments, which makes him enough money to support his education and family. To think that his sacrifice will bear fruit with them being successful is something that brought a sense of comfort to Adrian.
As the vision faded, Adrian wiped away his tears and turned to face Ciel. "Thank you for showing me that. It's comforting to know that they'll be okay."
Ciel nodded. "I'm glad I could provide some solace for you. But Adrian, you must understand that your thread has been cut. There's no going back to your mortal life. However, I can offer you a new beginning."
Adrian looked at her curiously. "New life? You mean like the ones in novels where a person is reincarnated in another world and gains overpowered skills?"
"Well, you can say that," Ciel concurred. "But the world I'm sending you has no magic, so it won't be the same as the one you have read. However, I can still bless you with something that will make you powerful. Consider this as compensation for my mistake."
"A world without magic huh?" Adrian hummed in thought.
"I will bless you with powers that you only can possess. They say knowledge is power, and so I will grant you that power. You will have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things scientific. How the plane flies, how the cars move, and how the steam engine works. As an engineering student, you might know those concepts but can you make one with your current knowledge?"
Adrian shook his head. "No…"
"Then I'll give you the knowledge and experience to make one, even if you haven't had the chance to build one before, it'll feel natural to you. The second power I'm going to grant you is the ability to defend yourself. I'll bless you with the art of combat, so you can protect yourself in this new world," Ciel said.
Adrian furrowed his brows. "Wait...I think I'm starting to understand. Are you sending me to a world that's centuries behind mine? Like the medieval ages or something?"
Ciel's lips curved into a gentle smile. "You're exactly right. I've prepared a world for you that's far behind in terms of technology and culture compared to your previous world."
"I see," Adrian stroked his chin. "So this is going to be similar to the technological gap genre I read in novels. I don't know…but this is making me excited."
"With those two powers, you will be able to thrive in this new world," Ciel said. "Why don't we test it now. Explain to me the Krebs Cycle."
Adrian's eyes widened in surprise as Ciel asked him to explain the Krebs Cycle. It was a topic he had heard before in his biology class but never dived deeper into it. So naturally, he wouldn't know the answer, but oddly enough there are words formulating inside his brain, constructing for an answer.
Then as if in an impulse, his mouth moved.
"The Krebs Cycle is also known as the citric acid cycle, and it is a series of chemical reactions that occur in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells. It's a fundamental pathway that plays a critical role in the cellular respiration process. The cycle starts with the conversion of acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate into citrate, which then goes through a series of reactions that generate ATP, NADH, and…wait a minute, how am I knowing this?"
"See? Even if you have no prior knowledge of a certain subject, you will naturally understand them. Of course, if you are unfamiliar with one subject, it won't come out, right? But with the power I blessed you with, you can use it like a Wikipedia like the one in your world. Take a look."
Suddenly, a game-like user interface prompted in front of Adrian.
[Host: Adrian Gonzales.
Search:
Books: Psychology, religion, history, geography, pedagogy, mathematics, economics, quantum mechanics, astrophysics, geology, organic chemistry, molecular biology, fine arts, physical communication, agronomy, horticulture, soil science, agricultural engineering, animal science, languages.]
"This is like a game…" Adrian muttered under his breath.
"Now for your second ability, which tests your fighting skills. Defeat these two experienced martial artists that I summoned…" Ciel flicked her finger and two figures materialized beside her.
Without warning, the two martial artists lunged at Adrian simultaneously, their movements fluid and coordinated. Adrian observed them carefully, his eyes following their every move as they approached him. He noted the way they positioned their feet, the way they clench their fists, and the way they breathed.
As they closed in on him, Adrian took a step back and lifted his arms, his fists clenched tightly. The first martial artist, a tall and muscular man, aimed a roundhouse kick at Adrian's head. Adrian ducked, avoiding the attack, and then countered with a swift jab to the man's stomach. The blow knocked the wind out of the man, causing him to stagger backward.
Meanwhile, the second martial artist, a shorter but more agile fighter, attempted to land a kick to Adrian's legs. Adrian stepped to the side, evading the attack, and then delivered a powerful uppercut to the man's chin. The impact sent the man flying through the air, and he landed hard on the ground.
Adrian stood in a defensive stance, his eyes fixed on the two martial artists as they got back on their feet. He could see the determination in their eyes, the fierce will to win. But Adrian was determined too.
This is his new power, and he couldn't be more excited to test and explore it.
The martial artists attacked again, this time more aggressively. They unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, trying to overwhelm Adrian with their speed and strength. But Adrian was ready for them. He dodged and weaved, his movements were fluid and graceful. He parried their attacks and then delivered lightning-fast counterattacks, each blow landing with precision and force.
The martial artists fought with everything they had, but in the end, it was no match for Adrian's skills. With one final blow, he knocked them both out cold, leaving them sprawled on the ground. Adrian stood there for a moment, catching his breath and assessing his victory.
"That was...surprisingly easy," he said, a note of disbelief in his voice.
"So what do you think?" Ciel asked.
"I don't know…the feeling is indescribable."
"Well now that you have got a taste of your new power, I will send you now to your new world. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."
"Uhm…will I be reborn as a baby?" Adrian asked, in reincarnation novels and manga he read, most often the main characters were reborn as a baby, sometimes they possess a new body so that they can conveniently avoid the problems of infancy. If he were to choose, he would want to be reborn as a baby because it would feel weird to him to possess the body of a man he doesn't know of.
"You will be reborn as a baby, Adrian," Ciel announced.
Adrian sighed. "Okay…I think I'm ready now."
Stand in the middle of the circle as I prepare the spell for your reincarnation," Ciel said, gesturing to the magic circle that appeared before him.
Adrian stepped forward, feeling a sense of excitement and trepidation wash over him.
He felt a sudden rush of energy, like a gust of wind blowing through him. He felt weightless like he was floating in mid-air. Colors swirled around him, blurring together in a kaleidoscope of light.
Moments after, Adrian disappeared.