[1st POV]
"Hello, Isaac."
She smiled at me.
"We need to talk seriously."
Who would have thought that today I'd be meeting... Death, or rather, her embodiment in this insane universe.
This one of the Endless family, sitting beside me, smiling sweetly.
Did I really mess up this badly? Or does she just want to talk?
"Hi there!"
I smiled back but with a fake smile.
"Let me guess, I'm sitting face-to-face with Death herself?"
"Sharp. I like that. You're not stupid, and you can analyze a situation. Honestly, I find you appealing. The God of Games has an eye for picking interesting specimens that are fun to observe. He has quite the knack for finding people like you."
Name: Death
Level: Infinite
Race: The Endless
Class: Divine
Trait: Semi-divine, Giver of Life and Death
Age: Incalculateable
Attributes: See details. [locked]
"Even so? You know everything?"
I asked, focusing on her and her words.
"Yes. I and the Presence, or God, call Him what you like. He has many names, but He has never told me His true one. While there lies a great mystery, one that even Lucifer, His firstborn, cannot solve. Not even His wife knows His name. But, we're getting off-topic…"
As she spoke, I noticed that the world around us seemed frozen...
"...Lucifer. He's my headache in this universe. To be honest, he's one of a kind across dozens of universes. Dad's favorite, after all. Michael, on the other hand, is different, as every universe has its own version of him. However, on this planet, he's called Amenadiel, but people still refer to him as Michael..."
I didn't interrupt her, and I just listened.
After all, it's not every day I get to have a conversation with Death.
To be honest, I felt a bit scared to cut her off. She's not someone to play games with.
"... You're such a good listener. Usually, both mortals and immortals alike are terrified just by my visible presence near them. They don't try to talk to me or even listen. Instead, they start kneeling, begging me not to take their lives and to let them live a little longer. It's exhausting. You do have the "Player's Mind," but I might be overestimating in you. Anyway, I'm going off track again."
"Then, if you... you don't mind that we switched to informal speech, do you?"
"No, I don't mind."
"Wonderful. Then, if you don't mind, I'd like to share my thoughts on why you came to see me. You didn't come out of curiosity because you have a specific purpose. My gut tells me it's somehow related to a certain charming Devil."
"Bingo! Didn't I say you were sharp? So, here's the thing, I'm really tired from my work. Since Lucy left Hell and abandoned the entire work to his 72 pillars, countless souls have managed to escape and are now wandering the earth. This forces me to work extra hard, and now I have to collect the souls of both the living and the recently freed. As you can imagine, I'm not thrilled about it."
"I get it, no one likes doing someone else's work. It's extra hassle."
I nodded.
"Exactly! Finally, someone understands me."
She put on a pitiful expression, "I'm already on edge, and now Lucifer is throwing a wrench in the works. In short, I need him to return to his duties."
"Sooo… what does this have to do with me?"
"I want you to help me shove Lucifer back into Hell. And, of course, this will be 'compensated' on my end."
"Hmm. Wait, so you're saying you can't manage to get him back to his duties, and I, a mere mortal, am supposed to do it?"
"Well, to start with, you're not an ordinary mortal. You're a 'Player,' not bound by many of this universe's rules. Even for me to claim your soul for reincarnation, I'd have to coordinate with the Almighty and the God of Games before proceeding. However, that doesn't mean you're immortal, it's just harder for you to die compared to the average human on Earth. Also, you're amusing."
She smiled again, "Lucifer likes you, and he's become attached to you, which is rare, especially in such a short time. He even made you his apprentice. That's why your chances of success are quite high. If you help me return him to Hell, I'll grant you one request. As long as it's not the murder of the Almighty or His Firstborn. There!"
She leaned back in her seat with a smug expression.
It's quite… a tempting offer. Now, what am I supposed to do with this?
"And if I refuse?"
"I'd be sad… but I wouldn't hold it against you. I'd have to find another way. I won't seek revenge on you because you're amusing, and I'd gladly continue watching you. After all, I'm everywhere and always. I was, am, and will be. I give life and take it. I've granted this body life three times and taken it twice."
A chill ran through me, and I began to sweat. I had no idea what she meant.
'Three times?!'
"Ha-ha-ha. Yes, yes, this body has its secrets. When you discover them, you'll be quite surprised. I think it'll be entertaining. But, for now, I must go; think carefully about this."
Afterward, she vanished, and the world resumed its time flow.
Along with the lingering shock from such a meeting, I had new notifications from the system:
[+5 Talk No Jutsu]
+10% chance of surviving in any conditions.
+5% chance of encountering a "celebrity."
+5% Mental Resilience
+5 Life
+5000 Experience
After meeting Death, I got a five to life.
Then again, she is also in charge of life itself, so maybe her presence affected that.
This would make my mind even more confused.
I think I should go to prison...
...
Renee was waiting for me at the prison and informed me that the attack would happen tomorrow.
The exact time is unknown, but it's bound to happen since they're transferring a few dangerous inmates here.
In addition, there's a scheduled delivery of bedding, food, and all sorts of supplies.
According to the schedule, these guys wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
We'll be part of the operation to capture these people tomorrow.
The special forces had already arrived on-site, and when I checked their stats with my 'Observation,' I realized they weren't regular SWAT.
They were a special ARGUS unit.
It seems one of my theories was right: this gang has become a thorn in the side of even pro-government forces.
In short, it's going to be intense.
Because of this, we were given almost a full loadout of protective gear and additional weapons.
We stayed overnight in a little room assigned to us. We didn't complain, but we were a bit on edge.
Well, Renee was nervous, but me? I'd just met Death herself a few hours ago!
Therefore, Renee was much better than me.
That's probably why she was giving me strange looks in the morning.
According to the plan, I was stationed on the second-floor level of protection with a dozen Argus soldiers.
Rene was in the left wing.
The operation was being led by an old acquaintance, a colonel under whom I served for a while before that idiot Flegg came along.
After waiting for hours, around 5 PM, the 'command' started to think that the reconnaissance was wrong and they were preparing to call off the 'ambush'.
However, they didn't listen to our objections.
I knew they were wrong because of my intuition.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
I don't know whether we were lucky or not, but as soon as half of the colonel's men left their positions, there was an explosion in several directions around us.
Judging by my senses, there were eight attackers, and I can't say more.
At that moment, there were only four of us from the special forces, but they quickly got ready for battle.
I, on the other hand, infused my body with chakra, focusing especially on my brain and eyes.
I could already feel the absence of life on the first floor, except for a few faint sparks.
They'd quickly dealt with the defenders.
Thanks to my sensory abilities, I knew where they were coming from and where they were heading.
So I told the special forces guys about it. Luckily, they didn't ask where I got this information from.
We got ready for battle.
They had already climbed the stairs from the first floor and positioned themselves on the western side.
Then, a 'dart' flew through and struck just above one of the special forces guys.
After a couple of annoying whistles, it exploded.
The shockwave threw me over the railing to the first floor.
A few seconds later, I stopped feeling the 'sparks' of the four special forces members.
These bastards were working too quickly and efficiently.
They kept moving forward. I climbed up the wall after them and followed closely behind.
Luckily, they didn't detect me.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
I infused my bullets with chakra as much as possible and fired a burst, sending both of them to my recent comrades.
However, there was no time to celebrate.
I sensed two unfamiliar people where Rene was.
At the same time, I no longer felt half of the defenders alive, and I had to hurry to help them.
On the way, I grabbed all the attackers' weapons and gear, leaving their bodies without armor and weapons.
I saw the bodies of police officers on my way to the wing where Renee was.
One of the unfamiliar figures was standing next to a locked door.
So, I took one of the grenades I had grabbed and threw it at the door.
"Bang!"
He exploded in front of me, with a gruesome scene unfolding that scared me a little.
The one who remained was holding Rene by the neck, her body motionless, and he was pointing a gun at her chest while moving his head in my direction.
"Bang!"
I managed to react quickly enough and shot him.
However, the bullet hit him in the shoulder, knocked him off balance, and he grazed Renee's side instead.
Nevertheless, he immediately moved out of the line of sight and started retreating.
As it turned out, the reason wasn't me.
Then, from behind Rene's door, a whole group of special forces came out and started firing at the unknown attacker.
He had no choice but to forget about both me and Rene.
While firing back and retreating, he managed to take out half of the incoming forces but eventually had to flee from us.
He blew up the exit behind him, and there was no catching him.
I approached Rene's unconscious body and realized she was fine, just knocked out from hitting the ground with her head.
The arriving special forces checked the survivors and provided medical assistance.
It turned out that half of my back was torn up, or rather, the part of the armor I was wearing.
Luckily, my back was completely unharmed.
They didn't make much fuss about it with me, but they still sent me to see the doctor along with Renee.
The doctor prescribed a couple of days of rest in the hospital, just in case anything might have happened to me… In general, they gave me plenty of reasons to stay there.
I didn't mind, I needed the rest because I was definitely tired.
Even though the system sent me a message that I had leveled up or something, I ignored it.
I just wanted to sleep…
...
[3rd POV]
Argus
A short, slightly fat woman was in a bad mood. She had to witness the results of her unexpected failure.
The operation she had been preparing for three years had ended in disaster.
The combat unit, personally loyal to the president, was still alive and operational but significantly reduced in number.
They would continue to be a problem for her, and all of this was because of one intriguing and incomprehensible individual.
The agent who survived the mission was now with her and finishing the report, which made Amanda Waller even more unhappy.
She finished watching the battle footage in which the agent had been injured and was deeply astonished that one person could have stopped her plans.
"Agent! Go treat your wound. I'll call on you when it's time for the next mission."
"Understood."
The agent responded emotionlessly and left the room.
"Who are you, Isaac Dinklage?"
Amanda Waller bit her lip and looked at the analysis results taken after the fight.
They showed nothing, absolutely nothing!
However, that's impossible because no one could have killed three genetically modified Argus agents and not even be injured.
Moreover, the woman's instincts told her that there was something off about this new person she had encountered.
"Set up surveillance on Detective Dinklage and keep an eye on him. Find more information about his past."
She told her secretary.
"Is recruitment an option?"
The secretary asked.
"In this world, anything is possible. Execute the order!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
To be continued…
...
A/N: PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO DROP SOME POWER STONES... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
https://www.patreon.com/Sothisq
You can find up to 10 advance chapters on my patreon.