William gazed at the projection, which depicted the final moments of his previous life.
"So, this is how I died in that life?" William inquired.
"Yes," replied a beautiful woman with long golden hair and eyelashes, dressed in pure white attire.
Turning around, William noticed a girl his age passing him popcorn and 3D glasses.
"What are these for?" William asked.
"Because now the fun will start," she grinned mischievously. William glanced at the Fate Goddess for an explanation, but she too chuckled and gestured towards the projection.
Realizing he wouldn't receive any direct answers from the pair, William reluctantly put on the 3D glasses, and the projection restarted.
****
In a realm of pure white, a lone boy lay in what seemed to be slumber.
Soon, the boy began to stir, indicating he was awakening.
"Where am I?" William muttered as he opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the vast emptiness of white surrounding him.
"Is this Hell?" he voiced his uncertainty.
"No, it isn't," came a voice from behind. Startled, William turned to see a figure seated upon a magnificent white throne.
"And who are you?" William inquired, curiosity tinged with a hint of apprehension evident in his voice.
The being seated atop the Throne appeared outwardly human, yet there was something about him that stirred a deep sense of revulsion within William.
"You may not know me, but your soul certainly does," the being chuckled, clearly perceiving the disgust emanating from within William's soul.
William felt a wave of puzzlement wash over him as he grappled with the unfamiliar emotions and sudden eruption of anger within him as he gazed at the being.
"I am that Ring," the being declared, causing William's eyes to widen in shock before fury surged within him.
With a sudden burst of determination, William rose to his feet and charged towards the being. Forming his fist, he aimed a powerful blow at the being's head, but to his astonishment, his fist passed right through the figure, as if he were nothing but a specter.
"Hahahaha," the being began to laugh, the sound echoing with the same mocking tone that had haunted William before.
"What are you?" William demanded.
"I am the Wisher Ring of Eldritch," the being declared proudly, standing up and striking a dramatic pose.
"What do you want from me?" William asked, his voice tinged with fear and confusion.
"Hmm, I merely wanted you to make some wishes, and eventually, your soul would have been mine. But..." the being trailed off, vanishing and then reappearing in front of William. With a swift motion, he seized William by the neck, locking eyes with him as William struggled against his grip.
"But you first ignored me, and then you wished for my own destruction!" he spat out, tightening his hold.
With a sudden forceful toss, William was thrown to the ground, teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. The being returned to his throne, his gaze piercing as he issued a chilling ultimatum.
"Make another wish, or you will regret ever being born."
"Hahahahahaha," another laughter resounded in the lone white realm, but this time it emanated from William.
The Wisher Ring looked at the laughing William incredulously. "Have you gone mad?" he demanded.
William continued to laugh, his eyes glinting with defiance. "Seeing you demand another wish, it means my wish for destroying you could be fulfilled," he said, punctuating his words with mocking laughter.
"I wish for the Wisher Ring of Eldritch des..." Before William could finish his sentence, the ring swiftly stood up and delivered a powerful punch to his gut.
William coughed up blood, but he still wore a smile as he attempted to continue. "Destruction of Wisher..."
Another brutal blow, this time to his face, broke his nose, silencing him momentarily. The ring then stepped on his legs, eliciting a sickening crack from William's bones.
"Arghhhhhhhh!" William's scream echoed in the empty space, but he refused to give up.
The Wisher Ring sneered and continued to torment William. "I wonder how long you will last," he said menacingly as he inflicted another round of agonizing pain, breaking yet another bone.
Bone by bone, the Wisher Ring methodically shattered every bone in William's body, pushing him to the brink of agony in an attempt to break his will.
As William lay broken and battered on the ground, the Wisher Ring returned to his throne, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"Make another wish," he demanded, his voice dripping with malice and anticipation.
"I... Wish... for... the... Destruction... of... Wisher... Ring..." William struggled to speak through the pain, determination burning in his eyes.
But before he could finish his wish, the Wisher Ring appeared in front of him in a blur of motion. With a swift and brutal kick, he sent William flying through the air, crashing down to the ground some distance away.
"it seems you still have some bones left" The ring sneered as he walked to him and another round of tortured happened.
returning to his throne he looked at William coldly, who now has all his skin removed.
"another wish" he demanded, only to met with silence.
...
.....
Realizing he might have pushed too far, the Wisher Ring looked at William, contemplating his next move. If William were to perish without utilizing all ten wishes, the consequences for the Wisher Ring would be dire indeed.
With a resigned sigh, the Wisher Ring decided to heal William fully. If William still refused to relent, the Wisher Ring would simply begin another round of torturous coercion, determined to bend William's will to his own.
But just as he healed him, William suddenly grabbed him and then choked him, "Got you" He heard William spoke.
As William suddenly grabbed him and began choking him, the Wisher Ring's anger surged. How could he have been fooled by a mere human child?
In his rage, the Wisher Ring attempted to break William's hands, only to freeze as he noticed cracks forming on his own body.
"NO!!!!!" he screamed, his voice filled with fury and despair. In his moment of rage, he forgot to silence William, who now laughed triumphantly.
As William mocked him, thanking him for inadvertently providing the hint to his wish, the Wisher Ring's screams were abruptly cut off as he disintegrated into a myriad of lights.
With the Wisher Ring vanquished, William looked around, his expression thoughtful, before furrowing his brow as a screen appeared in front of him.
As the screen appeared before him, William's eyes widened in astonishment at the messages displayed.
"[You have Defied the fate bestowed upon you]"
"[As a reward you will inherit all the abilities of the Wisher Ring of Eldritch]"
"[Reality Domination acquired]"
"[Malevolent Exchange Acquired]"
"Is this the so-called System?" William, being an otaku, mused as he contemplated the implications of the messages hovering in front of him.
As William was rejoicing over his newfound abilities, he didn't failed to notice the subtle activity behind him. Turning back, he watched in surprise as the throne, once solid and imposing, began to crack and disintegrate into light particles.
Approaching the remnants of the throne, William observed as it dissolved completely. However, his attention was drawn to the white floor, which now bore mysterious writing upon it. Curious, he approached the floor to inspect the markings closely.
he looked at the writing which is isn English and started reading it.
[kekekekeke, I knew you might wing against me, So I left a little gift]
As William read the English inscription on the white floor, his brow furrowed in confusion. The message seemed cryptic, hinting at some sort of gift or consequence.
Suddenly, a beam of light erupted from the writing and pierced into him. William's expression twisted from curiosity to shock as he felt a surge of power coursing through him. But his elation quickly turned to despair as another notification appeared on his newfound System.
"[You have been cursed with 'Cursed Rebirth']"
Before he could comprehend the full implications of the curse, the pure white realm around him began to fade away, and William found himself being born into a wealthy household in his next life, devoid of any memories from his previous existence.
Despite his innate genius, now known as Maxwell, he faced a string of misfortunes. At the tender age of five, his parents perished, and his conniving uncle seized control of the billion-dollar inheritance, leaving Maxwell destitute and homeless.
Undeterred by his hardships, Maxwell excelled in academics and pursued a career as an architect. However, his accomplishments were repeatedly stolen and plagiarized, leaving him disillusioned and discarded once more.
Refusing to succumb to despair, Maxwell resolved to make one final attempt. He poured his heart and soul into designing the blueprint for the grandest building of the century, determined to leave a lasting legacy despite his cursed fate.
As fate would have it, despite Maxwell's meticulous precautions, his blueprint for the Tower of Babylon was stolen by a petty thief from the roadside.
Frantic with despair, Maxwell searched tirelessly for the thief, but his efforts were in vain. His heart sank as news spread worldwide of the emergence of a genius architect, lauded for the design that was rightfully his.
Overwhelmed by defeat and crushed by the weight of his stolen dreams, Maxwell's once indomitable spirit faltered. Unlike his previous self, he lacked the resilience to endure such a blow, and he relinquished his ambitions, resigning himself to a life of destitution.
Days turned into nights, and Maxwell found himself reduced to begging on the streets, a mere shadow of the brilliant architect he once aspired to be. Until one fateful night, as he lay beneath the starless sky, a truck plummeted from above, bringing an abrupt end to his suffering.
As Maxwell closed his eyes for the final time, a faint whisper seemed to reach him,
[You have Died, 'Cursed Fate' lost..... ]