As William sighed, his gaze fell upon the girl who had given him a cheeky smile. He realized now who was responsible for that infamous truck rain incident.
"I saw it was famous in your world, Truck-kun sending you to another world," she remarked with a playful grin.
William muttered under his breath hearing her "Sure Enough, the bigger they are the dumber they get"
As William muttered under his breath, the girl, Serene, tilted her head in confusion, not quite catching his words. Meanwhile, the Fate Goddess observed the exchange, her lips pursed in disapproval. She glanced at her secretary, Angel Serene, and couldn't help but notice her ample assets.
"God is so unfair," she thought momentarily, forgetting her own divine status.
"What do you want from me?" William asked, looking at the lady who claimed to be the Fate Goddess.
"My name is Calliope, Goddess of Destiny and Fate, and I seek your help," Calliope declared from her divine throne.
William regarded her with a perplexed expression. Despite her request for assistance, there was an undeniable smugness in her voice, as if she believed she were doing him a favor.
"Just let me go on to reincarnation. My life as William already has its fair share of supernatural trouble," William said firmly, reclining on the fluffy cloud-like floor.
Calliope observed the laid-back William and sighed. "Please, help me," she pleaded.
"Huh?" William raised his eyebrows. "Did you say something just now?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"I said, help me!" Calliope gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Now that's the way you ask for help. But what will I get if I help you?" William nodded thoughtfully, then sat back up, meeting her gaze directly. "What's in it for me?" he inquired.
Calliope waved her hand, and a golden chocolate bar appeared in front of William. "This is your compensation," she announced.
William looked at the bar, which bore the label 'Calliope's Blessing' He raised an eyebrow and turned back to Calliope. "And what am I supposed to do with this... thing?" he asked skeptically.
Calliope looked at William's uninterested face and decided to come clean. "Okay, I will tell you the reason," she began.
"Like other Gods, I have a duty to watch over a set number of worlds. Different Gods have different amounts of observable worlds, depending on their strength. It's a simple work, we just have to ensure no World gets destroyed, And it was supposed to be that easy but..."
The celestial balance was thrown into disarray as various gods intervened in the affairs of mortals, bestowing upon them extraordinary powers. Some mortals, driven by ambition or corrupted by newfound abilities, rose to become Demon Kings and ruthless villains, wreaking havoc across the realms.
In response to this growing threat, other gods, seeking to uphold order and protect their domains, bestowed blessings upon chosen individuals, empowering them to stand against the tide of darkness. These individuals became known as heroes, revered for their valor and dedication to justice.
However, this cycle of conflict escalated rapidly, with each side escalating their efforts in a never-ending struggle for dominance. As heroes clashed with villains, entire worlds teetered on the brink of destruction, caught in the crossfire of divine intervention.
Realizing the dire consequences of this escalating conflict, Calliope, the Goddess of Destiny and Fate, sought to bring an end to the chaos. She intervened by summoning her own champions, individuals whom she believed could restore balance and bring peace to the fractured realms.
Yet, much to her dismay, even her chosen heroes eventually succumbed to the temptations of power or the seduction of darkness. Betrayal and corruption ran rampant, and Calliope found herself drained of her divine energy, unable to stem the tide of destruction.
"In that moment, I sensed someone defying the fate he was born with," Calliope said as she looked at William.
"I guess that's me," William replied with a wry smile. Calliope nodded in acknowledgment.
"I no longer have the power to create another Champion. If I forcefully use my power, it will be against the rules," Calliope explained. "So, when I saw you absorbing the Wisher Ring of Eldritch power, I decided to bring you to that world and have you eliminate all those worthless heroes and villains and save the world."
"Still, what will I get?" William looked at her and asked, his expression lazy as if he don't care what happen with that world.
Calliope frowned, sensing William's resistance, and said, "Don't you feel heartache seeing all those innocents die? You have the power to stop all of this!"
William looked at her with a hardened gaze and replied, "So what?"
"Huh?" Calliope was taken aback.
"I said, SO WHAT!" William yelled, his frustration boiling over.
"I was tortured for a year straight just because I didn't want my friends to suffer from that Ring, and yet what did I get in return?" William continued, his voice filled with bitterness.
"I saved my previous world, and the reward I got was some curse that killed my second life's parents, my second uncle, who gave me a house after my first uncle kicked me out of my own home," William recounted bitterly. "I was reduced to a beggar despite having enough talent, all because I went against fate and saved the world."
"So tell me, why would I do such a useless thing again?" William shouted, venting all his dissatisfaction and anger.
"And then both of you dragged me here and watched my suffering while eating popcorn. Why do you think I would care for all of your shit? I'd rather just lay back while the world was destroyed. At least I won't be tortured for it," William spat out, his frustration palpable.
Calliope and Serene fell silent, their hearts heavy as they watched William break down in tears. His anguished sobs echoed in the empty space around them, tears streaming down his face like a torrential rain.
"I... I just wished for that Ring's destruction," William choked out between sobs, his voice trembling with raw emotion. "Even though I could have wished for anything. I just wanted to ensure that no one would suffer like that Hot Dog guy did."
His voice cracked as he struggled to speak through the overwhelming pain. "And yet, I was tortured. Still, I didn't lose hope and fought against him, and I won." Each word was punctuated by a desperate gasp for air as he relived the torment of his past.
"And yet again, I was cursed," William cried out, his voice filled with despair. "Why? I never did anything wrong, so why?" His words echoed in the silence, a poignant plea for understanding and solace amidst the unfathomable cruelty of fate.
Calliope opened her mouth to speak, but no words came forth. She felt utterly helpless, unsure of what to say or how to console William in his moment of profound anguish. Feeling the weight of his sorrow, she knew that mere words could not soothe the depths of his pain.
Instead, Calliope did the only thing she could. She stepped forward and enveloped William in a gentle embrace, her arms offering solace and warmth in his darkest hour. As she held him close, she felt his trembling form against her, his tears dampening her robes.
In the silent embrace, Calliope shared in William's grief, bearing witness to his suffering and heartache. Though unable to undo the injustices he had endured, she offered him the comfort of her presence, a silent reminder that he was not alone in his pain.
"I am sorry," Calliope whispered softly, her voice heavy with regret. "I didn't understand your pain. You, who have defied his fate, should have been awarded, yet you were cursed. I am sorry," she repeated, her words tinged with sorrow.
She allowed William to embrace her tightly, his tears soaking her robes as he sought solace in her arms. With a tenderness reserved for a mother comforting her child, Calliope gently rubbed his back, offering him the warmth and reassurance he so desperately needed.
William, exhausted from his emotional outburst, gradually succumbed to sleep in her embrace. Calliope, cradling him gently, lifted his slumbering form as if he were not a twenty-year-old man but a vulnerable child in need of care.
With a wave of her hand, Calliope conjured a soft bed, its surface as inviting as a cloud. She laid William down upon it, tucking him in with a gentle touch.
"I should ask him for help," Calliope mumbled to herself, her resolve firming as she contemplated the path ahead. With determination in her eyes, she conjured a golden door and stepped through it, disappearing into the unknown depths beyond.
Meanwhile, Serene, her secretary, wept silently, her heart heavy with guilt for her part in William's suffering. Consumed by remorse, she approached him, her lips trembling as she pressed a gentle kiss upon his.
A soft light emanated from Serene's body, flowing into William as she transferred a fragment of her divine essence to him. With a wave of her hand, she erased all traces of her actions, knowing full well the consequences of her forbidden act within the divine realm.
A Forbidden act that unknowingly caused her to help William and a whole world.