"Wake up, mortal~"
"Nn... ngh..."
A voice so close it was practically whispering in my ear. I wanted to roll away from it, but I could only groan. My limbs felt stiff and cold. I was so heavy. I didn't want to get up yet. I didn't want to face the light. I could sense the world waiting for me outside my eyelids.
Where was I? My memory was a bit fuzzy, and I was still half-asleep. The last thing I remembered was being rejected by Bella and...
"Mmh... huh?"
Am I alive?! Didn't the breaks fail, and I drove off that cliff? What was going on? If it was a prank, it certainly wasn't a funny one.
"Oh, good. You're finally awake. Are you listening, human? Listen well. I have something very important to tell you."
As I rubbed my eyes and blinked in the dazzling sunlight, the owner of the voice spoke again. She had a luscious, silky voice, the kind that could charm anyone who heard it.
"You've died, human. This is the afterlife."
"Died? Afterlife? Wha... I mean, it sure feels like it. I can't move a muscle."
"Oh, you can talk, can you? Good, good."
I could barely understand what was going on. I felt like I was still dreaming. Like a lucid dream.
"Do you know who I am, human?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't have the slightest idea."
"How unfortunate. In that case, allow me to introduce myself." I felt her hands on my cheeks, her soft, gentle fingers caressing me. She was... really close. Like up in my face kind of close.
I slowly flared my eyes to see a girl so bewitching it seemed illusory sitting in front of me.
"My name is Aria, the Goddess of lust and beauty. And you, my dear, have died."
Her eyes were like blue, like the deep oceans; her skin was like porcelain, and her hair was like the winter's silky snow. A thin snow-white dress barely covered her voluptuous breasts and curvy figure. She was even proud to show the slit between her panties down there. I had to focus hard not to stare. I felt bad just having such impure thoughts.
"Woah, woah, woah, hold on. Let's back up a little," I blushed.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. It wasn't easy. I was having a conversation with a seductive goddess like her, who said I had died.
"Okay, so this is the afterlife."
"That's correct. You've died. Do you remember your death?"
"Yeah, somewhat. Just another stupid traffic accident. I'm just been so unlucky recently."
"That's fine. Most mortals here despise their deaths, even when they die surrounded by the people they love. You have the right to be frustrated, human."
She shrugged, then placed a hand on my cheek.
"As for what happens next, there's one way out of here."
"One way out?"
"Yes. In order to regain your freedom from this world, you need to go on a journey. This is your afterlife quest."
I didn't understand. She looked away for a moment, then sighed.
"You see, when I pick someone for the next reincarnation, I usually pick one I find pitiful or feel bad for. You were rejected by your crush, who turned out to like girls better, so the quest might interest you. Don't worry, I'll go over it later."
"Hey, if you knew all along then don't ask."
"Sorry, I was just teasing you a little. Besides, you had good karma in your life, which was another reason for your reincarnation."
"Karma? But I never practiced Buddism?"
"Well, no matter. A mortal is a mortal, no matter what they believe in. Or whether they believe in anything at all."
She leaned in closer, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. Her chest pressing against my arms was amazingly soft, and her dress was barely able to contain her bust. It slid down just enough to expose the edge of her nipples. I tried to look away, but it was no use. Oh, hell—she even seemed to like it. I guess that's why she was the Goddess of lust.
"So, what's my quest?"
"Hmm, let's see. There were no available quests on Earth where you came from. That's a shame since I assume you'd want to go back to your family."
"Well, after such a humiliating death, I don't even want to go back..."
"That's unfortunate," she comforted, hugging even tighter around my neck. "Say, are you into harems and stuff? Like, you're not some kind of virgin with no experience, are you?"
"Ehh...? Well, you already know, don't you?."
"Oh, right. Sorry about that; I was just joking again. But you see, there is this world called Verdantia that needs a special someone. Think you can handle it?"
"That's a bit too vague. Could you be a little more specific?"
"Heh heh heh. Okay, how about this: you're a weak, small human with no strength or power. What do you think happens when we throw millions of them into a world with abyssal dungeons, fire-breathing dragons, and bloodthirsty monsters?"
"Err... Well, they all die?"
"Bingo~! Now, how can we make sure they don't die as tragically as you?"
"Maybe grant everyone powers? So that they can fight back?"
"I'll give you half a point for that one," she whispered into my ear. "You aren't wrong, nor are you fully correct. Can you imagine what I'm hinting at?"
"Umm. Do you want to send me there? To make them all stronger?"
"Bravo!" she cheered, releasing me from her grip and clapping. I could almost hear the sound of tiny diamonds falling from her hands. "I knew you were the one I was looking for. Okay, let me give you a little help."
She held her pointer finger in front of her face and made a circular motion with it. The next moment, a blue box with information appeared.
"Can you see that?" she asked.
"Yeah. Do you want me to read it out loud?"
"Sure, go for it."
"Alright."
Focusing on the interface, my eyes widened as I read:
[Soul Bind - Lvl. 1]
— Ejaculate into an individual to activate soul bind. Both parties must accept the bond. Abilities can be transferred back and forth to Soul Bound allies.
Current Soul Bound allies: None
Each level increases max soul binds by 1.
[Ability Steal - Lvl. 1]
— Upon defeating an enemy, the player obtains all enemy abilities. Obtaining duplicate or reaching the ability cap will convert the excess into AP (ability points) depending on the ability's rarity.
Common abilities will grant 10 AP
Uncommon abilities will grant 40 AP
Rare abilities will grant 200 AP
Epic abilities will grant 1200 AP
Legendary abilities will grant 8000 AP
Divine abilities will grant 50000 AP
Current Ability Cap: 2/6
Each level increases max abilities by 1.
[Secret Ability - Lvl. N/A]
— It's a secret!
"What the hell? Eja... Ejaculate into an individual?! And a secret ability?"
"Mhmm, this one is perfect for harems. It's a little more complicated than that, but you get the idea. The powers are amazing, and all you have to do is cum in a specific individual," she said in a sing-song. "But, don't worry about the secret ability. It'll be revealed as soon as you enter Verdantia, and you'll definitely thank me for it," she winked.
"No, wait, that's like... Okay, I'm not complaining. I just didn't expect that at all."
"That's fine," she grinned. "Just make sure you don't forget your duty. I'm pretty confident in you, but remember, they need all the help they can get."
"And my duty was to save this world?"
"Exactly! How do you feel about this? Excited?"
"A little, I guess. It does sound like a lot of fun. So what happens now? Do I just get transported into Verdantia?"
"It's not that easy. There's one more thing. This place is a soul realm, so you can't actually be transported to Verdantia. We can only transfer your soul and not your body."
"Oh? And how do we solve that problem?"
"It's simple. We'll transfer your soul to a body within Verdantia. That's how I got you into this place, and this is how you'll be able to go back."
"I see," I answered, sounding a little hesitant.
"You do, right? Now, are you ready to get started?"
"Wait, which body are you talking about? Can I choose?"
"Nope, I've already chosen for you. And I might've taken a bit of inspiration from you being rejected, haha! I promise this is the best choice. Her name is Ishtar, a half-goddess, half-human. She was an ancient warrior, sealed in a never-falling meteor, and now, it's our turn to have a bit of fun with her. Anyway, get ready. I'm transporting you in three, two..."
"Wait, what? How am I going to ejaculate in anyone if it's a she?! Wait, why is this even a thing? What did I get myself into?!"
"One... Now!"
She giggled, and a flash of blinding light filled my vision. The world stretched around me, an infinite void swallowing the edges of my vision. Everything disappeared in a moment. Then, there was a flash of light, and I found myself in another world.