As I open my eyes, I'm greeted by a vast expanse of pure white.
But at the same time… there was also nothingness.
As if the white was just a product of my brain trying to make sense of the incredibly perplexing scene.
Inexplicably, I could also feel a presence in this expanse, one both larger than the earth, while at the same time as small as an atom.
Weird… is this some kind of lucid dream?
"How thoughtless of me, to forget that mortals cannot perceive the void nor my existence, allow me to correct my mistake."
A voice resounds in my head.
Incorporeal, yet crystal clear, as if it were my own thoughts.
The scene then changes into a gorgeous landscape.
One of rolling green hills with mountains blending into the blue sky beyond.
A light breeze brushes against my body as I turn a table and two chairs on the grass next to me.
Okay… I was definitely dreaming.
Or did I get high or something?
I don't remember…
An ethereal beauty sat on the chair opposite me, her face completely devoid of expression.
Pure white skin, long silver hair, and a set of pink lips…
She was so beautiful, it was to the point that it was revolting.
"This should be better, no? Come sit, Sirius Myers. We have much to talk about and an infinite time to do so, but I imagine you have many questions about your situation. So ask away." The beauty then says.
"Uh, I see. I-Is this a dream?" I finally stammer out as I take my seat.
"No. This is reality. Although this may just confuse you further, you are currently in my plane of existence." She says.
'Plane of existence'...?
What was she on about?
"I see. Then… is this some fantasy reincarnation setting? Did I die and be offered a chance to live again in another world?" I say in a joking manner.
My mind was still somewhat foggy as if I had just awoken from a long nap.
Did I finally achieve it? Lucid dreaming?
But I had stopped trying to years ago…
The beauty then smiles slightly as if amused.
"You are not far from the truth. However, this situation is not quite as simple as those you are thinking of, nor did I do this on some whim." She says.
Uhh… I see.
But damn… was my subconscious really this clichéd?
"You did most certainly die, Sirius Myers. At the young age of 19 from carbon monoxide poisoning in your sleep. A peaceful way to go, all things considered. Though it was quite idiotic to leave your gas stove on all night."
She looks a mix of amused and almost… disappointed.
For some reason, I feel a little embarrassed at that gaze.
Wait, was this real!?
No… it can't be, right?
But if this was real… did I actually die?
Well… at least I didn't leave anything behind.
Yes, I found life on Earth to be extremely boring.
Or perhaps 'empty' better describes it.
Being born to a single mother who had died only a year ago to cancer, leaving me as a husk of my former self as I tried to get, well, everything in order.
But I was just too tired.
Too tired to interact with people, too tired to care.
I was only able to find a minuscule amount of solace in anime, games, and exercise.
Being able to change my boring life… getting a second chance… this must really be a dream, huh?
As childish as it may be, I've always wanted to reincarnate into a fantasy world, just like those trashy isekais.
The hot girls, cool treasures, and all that sounded nice, but I really admired, or rather envied, the ability to defy the mortal constraints of modern life.
Through hard work and dedication, being able to grow strong enough to make an impact, without the need for money, connections, or luck…
Dammit, I really hope this wasn't a dream.
After all, what awaited me in the future, even if my probable depression was fixed?
Taxes, declining wages, general boredom…
Being able to escape those shitty aspects of modern-day life would be amazing.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Sirius.
After all, if I end up being some weakling in Berserk or some shit, I was better off just sending my soul to the afterlife.
"I do have some basic questions… Who are you? Where am I being reincarnated? And why am I being reincarnated?" I asked the being I can only assume to be a deity.
She takes a long look at my face, almost long enough for it to be uncomfortable, before responding.
"Before I answer, I should correct a misconception. You are not being reincarnated but rather transmigrated. You will arrive in the new world with the body of your 15-year-old self."
15-year-old self, huh?
That was when I was at my 'peak' as far as health goes.
When I constantly trained for rugby and hockey, when I still had my mother to make proud…
The being then continued as I contemplated.
"As for who I am… I hold no name. But in your words, I would be a god. But you see, unlike many of your monotheistic beliefs, there are an infinite number of gods. One for each world in each tier." She says.
Or would it be an 'it'?
For the sake of convenience, she's a she.
But what was that stuff she just said?
"Hold up. Are you saying there are infinite worlds? And what do you mean by 'tier'?" I ask.
She takes another uncomfortably long look at me.
…I really wish she would stop that.
"That huh? I suppose this knowledge is fine for you to learn, though I expect you not to spread it once you begin your new life, understood?"
I nod my head quickly at her intense glare.
"Your world, Earth, is considered the origin. The origin of worlds and souls. The Creator of Souls, as their name implies, creates souls, and then sends the souls to begin their infinite journey from Earth as the starting point."
Wait… we're the first?
And 'journey'... does that mean these souls go through reincarnation?
Were trashy Isekais actually correct!?
"The infinite worlds and 'tiers' of said worlds are bound together, and while there are an infinite number of worlds, they do not exist on the same level. Rather, worlds are created from the 'stories' of the world a tier above them. For example, the stories that are told on Earth, such as the anime you watch or bedtime stories for children, each birth a new world of the tier below the origin, which is the '1st tier'."
She twirls her finger around a strand of hair before continuing.
"There are not infinite worlds on the 1st tier, although there are many, too many to count in a single lifetime. Rather, each of these worlds creates its own fictional stories that create more worlds, and thus, the cycle continues infinitely."
I see.
…Kind of.
This was almost… unbelievable.
No, it definitely was unbelievable.
Content with my silence, she continues.
"Each of these worlds holds a god that cleanses the souls upon death of their memories and allows them to continue their journey to a world of the next tier. This is an extremely important job that ensures the level of divinity of each world, which is primarily cultivated through souls of said world, remains within the proper limits."
Wait, so was I about to be neuralized!?
"I am the god of Earth, though I do not grant miracles nor affect the mortal realm in any way as your religions believe. I only cleanse the souls of the dead and guide them to their next life in a 1st tier world. I am but the first cog in the great cycle of rebirth."
Wow… that was… a lot.
"I understand. Then, rather than calling you a 'God', you're more like a manager of souls? Making sure the 1st tier worlds have a good level of souls?" I clarify.
"Precisely."
Huh. She sounds almost… impressed.
"As for what 'story' you will be reincarnated to, it will be the world of 'Danmachi'. Right as the plot begins."
Huh? Danmachi?
"As for why, it is due to the Black Dragon. Its existence is unnatural and destroys the soul's divinity that is normally released to the world upon death when it kills, disrupting the balance."
Wait wait wait-!
"It has finally come to a point where the divinity levels of that world are going below what is acceptable."
"Wait, ma'am!" I finally exclaim.
"Stay quiet and listen." She retorts.
Well, I tried.
"Your main purpose is to simply exist in order to renew the divinity in that world. As an uncleaned soul from the origin world, you carry immense divinity, easily replenishing the divinity to its natural levels."
Okay… not too bad.
"Now, although this is not needed, I would be grateful if you would slay the Black Dragon in order to not have this happen again. But it is not absolutely necessary. In fact, it would be very bad for you to be killed by the Black Dragon, so do not needlessly risk your life."
No, I don't think I would want to be killed by the Black Dragon either.
Taking a moment, I processed the information she had given me.
…Nope, still not helping.
But I think I got the gist of it.
But there was still the last part of my initial question she had yet to ask…
"Why me? I am nothing special, and for such a seemingly important task..."
Or was I actually special?
Was there a secret talent hidden within my being?
"You misunderstand, I could not choose anyone in the world to do this."
Welp, nevermind then.
In the short time that I learned of the issue in the 'Danmachi' world, the soul must have just died on Earth without being cleansed. Time is not so simple, nor do I control it. Thus, I could only choose out of around 500 souls to be the one for this task."
Okay… one out of 500, that's not too bad…
"There was a multitude of reasons I chose you. I needed someone with enough divinity, which is accumulated through life experience, but not too much as to exceed the limit. Thus, the young and old were discounted, leaving around 50 souls to choose from."
…So I beat some grandparents and newborns.
Not helping my confidence here…
"I chose you of these 50 due to not having any regrets on Earth, understanding the world you are being sent to some degree, having enough smarts to survive, and finally… knowing that you would not use your second chance and newfound power for selfish gains such as overtaking the world."
That was a bit better!
"But… would you really care about the one you chose taking over the world? You seem to be quite… disconnected from the events of mortals."
I chose my words carefully so as to not accidentally piss her off… I really hope I didn't piss her off.
"You are correct. I do not care in the slightest what happens in the mortal realms."
Oh.
"I simply would not want to choose a warmonger as it would quickly lead to their deaths."
I see.
"I… think I get it now, but what 'power' do you mean?" I ask.
Is she talking about the stats and skills and stuff?
"As the Black Dragon would likely kill you without it, I will give you a gift of any power you wish for. Even without this power, you would be extremely strong, as the pure talent of an uncleaned soul from the origin world is immense. But unfortunately, your talent would take too long to properly bloom for you to be able to survive or even possibly kill the Black Dragon in time."
…Those words sounded a little ominous, but I'll let her continue.
"If that is all, we should not wait any longer. So? What is your wish? It can be a skill, magic, or even something else. I will imbue the same amount of divinity regardless." She then says, prompting me to answer.
"I understand, can you give me a moment to think it over?" I ask.
"Naturally. I should also state that your memories of the story beyond when you arrive will be foggy, this is to ensure you do not make a mistake in not understanding your effect on the 'story' of the world. It will also make sure you truly become one with the world and not view it as a work of fiction but as a true realm."
With that, I went over all the information I was given while going through the plot of Danmachi in my head, theorizing about the powers I could be granted.
Arguably the strongest person in the series was Alfia the Silence, only limited by her sickness.
…Is that the level of talent I would have?
If that's the case… honing my talents might be better for me rather than being given a cheat skill.
After all, if someone had a counter for my powers, I'd be dead.
So, for this reason, I was thinking of having my wish arrive before the story starts, giving me the chance to grow stronger.
But strength wasn't the only reason for looking into the past.
I was also thinking of my favourite group of characters in the series.
The Astraea Familia.
If it was possible… I would want to save them from their fates.
But I still didn't know if I was even able to be granted time travel as my wish, so I might just be getting ahead of myself.
Well… she never said that the gift had to be a skill or magic, only that it could.
So I can at least give it a try.
"Could my gift… be being able to save the Astraea Familia from their fate?" I ask.
I wait in unease as the goddess wears a surprised expression before narrowing her eyes in thought.
After a few seconds, she responds with a smile.
"You are kind. To use your gift for others and be left powerless in such a dangerous world."
Uhh… I guess so?
"I won't be powerless. I believe in the talent you spoke of. I'll train hard in order to survive and slay the Black Dragon by the time canon begins." I say with gusto.
Well, maybe slaying the Black Dragon was a bit ask, but I wouldn't be powerless.
Getting stronger was the thing I found the best about this second chance, after all.
"I see. Yes, I can make that happen. I declare that your gift is to be transported to when the Astraea Familia are attacked by the Juggernaut and be given a one-use power to slay the monster."
Her words hold a heavy weight, the very world itself shaking with each syllable.
Silence descends on the area as she returns her gaze to my eyes.
"I accepted your proposal, but how do you expect to explain your appearance in the dungeon and such power without a falna?" She asks.
But I already had an answer.
"I trust that the goddess Astraea is as kind as she was portrayed in the story. I won't explain everything but enough for her to believe me." I respond.
Yeah, the more I thought about this, the more sure I was of my decision.
"...If that is all of your questions, then we can begin the process." She says.
"Wait! Will I be able to understand the language? It won't be funny if I cannot even explain my situation to Astraea." I quickly ask.
Oh shit, would I be able to read?
What about diseases?
My immune system is most likely not primed for this new world!
"Your body when summoned will automatically have an understanding of writing, reading, and language. Your clothes will also be ones from that world. So no need to worry about such needless things."
Okay, that's a relief.
"A-And the one-use power?" I ask.
"The power you will be given will be the power of invincibility and nearly limitless strength. It will also enhance your senses in order to keep up with the power." She answers.
Okay… I see.
Damn, so this really wasn't a dream, was it?
"Alright. I'm ready to go now." I declare resolutely.
"You will feel a small distortion, but once the feeling clears you will be transported near the Juggernaut at the instant before it attacks the Astraea Familia. Be prepared, and… good luck." She states.
With that, the beautiful scenery disappeared and my vision became blurry before colours began racing across my vision, forcing my eyes shut.
Once I opened my eyes, I could feel a pressure throughout my body.
Like a shirt that was too tight.
Looking up at my surroundings, I feel my fist clench as a scene enters my vision.
Was it in fear? Worry?
I did not know.
A short distance away, I could see a giant monster looming over a collection of girls, with the scent of dirt and blood corroding my nose.
Right into the action, huh?
Well… let's change some fates, shall we?