"A lonely, pitiful existence. That's what I had. Perhaps... death wanted me the most."
These bitter thoughts echoed in his mind as the cold, unyielding grip of death wrapped around him.
"So, this is how it ends. My life... gone, just like that."
An accident took his life. He was the only one who had died.
In a state that he couldn't even fathom, he thought, "Maybe my next life will be better… more enjoyable… and less sad."
He knew nothing of what was to come next.
In a plane of existence where there was nothing, he casually drifted, thinking back on how he spent his life.
After an unknown period of time passed, an arcane voice that seemed to bend the world itself vibrated throughout this void of nothing.
"Hello there, Interesting One."
"Interesting one, who's that?" He thought to himself as he heard the arcane voice.
With a chuckle, the voice replied his thought. "Who else but you? You are the only one here."
"..." He was stunned to see that his thought was read. He couldn't help but ask, "...Who are you? Where am I? What is going on?"
Without answering the question, the voice owner said.
"Oh, that is right. You lack a perception. I should fix that."
In an instant, all his null senses seemed to have manifested into one capable enough to perceive what was needed to be perceived.
He first recognized what was meant to be his body as a ball of energy.
He looked like a wisp.
Then, he paid attention to the space that he was in. It was similar to the usual space he was familiar with before his death.
But in this space, there was a part that had stars and other cosmic bodies forming the shape of a face.
Basically, to him, the world had a face.
And that face smiled at him.
"You can see me now, can't you?"
Seeing the face speak, he said jokingly. "Well… Seeing you…I don't think my eyes are working well."
The face laughed for a bit. "To joke in the presence of a God, you are indeed interesting ."
"..." It really was a God. He expected it yet he was still shocked to know.
"We don't have much time. I'll go straight to business."
Without giving him any time to speak, the stars of this space moved to form a 'hand.'
As the hand gradually approached him, the face said.
"I'll give you another life, but you must complete a task for me. Isn't that what you want most?
"Of course, I'll grant you assistance in this task, so it won't be too difficult for you. What'd you say?"
He pondered the request. It was a tempting offer.
He wanted another chance of life. His last moments had enlightened him.
He still hesitated to accept though - he didn't think a task a God would give him would be easy.
But he eventually decided. "Alright." He really wanted another chance at life – he wasn't ready to give up.
The owner of the face made of stars could listen to his thoughts in this space.
This God sensed his concerns and lessened them.
"Fret not. I like you and I wouldn't want to burden you. This task, I've made sure it doesn't interfere with your life much. You'll come to figure out the task I have for you naturally as you live on. "
By then, the hand made of stars already made contact with his wisp body.
"Go on. Hopefully, we will meet again someday. Also, my advice for you, grow your strength and find companions. Little can be done alone."
The face crumbled and all the stars in this space rushed towards him.
As he crumbled, the voice added, "Don't forget me…"
His wisp body brightened as the energy that formed his body looked enhanced, slowly birthing an ethereal-like human body.
He couldn't really feel much, but he knew he was going through some kind of transformation on an existential level.
After all the stars had rushed into him, darkness prevailed in this space… preceding that, the space fell like broken glass.
A suction force that seemed to pull across space descended on him.
An unknown period of time passed… and he heard a voice once more.
A smooth feminine voice that almost seemed godly directly sounded within him.
[...has been destroyed.]
[Spirit Body has been strengthened.]
[Soul Body has been strengthened.]
[You have evolved to a Demonoid.]
[Skills can be acquired.]
[Acquire Skill?]
[Yes/No]
[Inherent Skill "Spectral Healing" has been acquired.]
[Secondary Skill "Mana Sense" has been acquired.]
[Rune Gift acquisition… error… failed.]
[Re-attempting.]
[Rune Gift acquisition… error… failed.]
[Re-attempting forcefully.]
In the midst of the rain of information he received, all of a sudden, he sensed something appearing in this space like a very small meteor.
This thing rushed towards him… fast.
The instant it was just a meter away from him, the object halted.
At that moment, the suction force pulling him also stopped, freezing him in a space between worlds.
He perceived the object as a diamond shaped substance that looked like a rock.
White glowing runes and patterns were inscribed all over the surface of the onyx black rock.
There was a rope of white energy connecting him and the object.
At the next moment, he heard the feminine voice sound in his head once more.
[Rune Gift acquisition process… has begun.]
In the next moment, the space around him changed.
He was in a space with multiple stars that were burning with divine white flames, just floating in one place, unaffected by the beautiful sight.
Another rope of white energy shot out from the rock, navigated its way through this plane of stars, as if looking for something.
And soon, it found its target.
The rope dipped itself into one of the stars.
Now, him, the rock and the star were connected with a robe of energy.
Following that, the onyx black rock began sucking the whole existence of the burning star through the rope and absorbed it.
While it occurred, he felt like he was going to die before he was even reborn.
He struggled to stay 'awake' as the rock absorbed the rock.
He prevailed to the end.
The rock had finished absorbing all the flame of the star and cut the link with the leftover rock.
Once again, space warped to an empty plane.
Boom—!
The rock rushed into his very existence, like a bullet that was shot and merged with him…with his soul.
This made him feel… complete.
He even felt more alive than ever now.
[Rune Gift "Judge of Lost Souls" has been acquired.]
[Gift Skill "I See You" has been acquired.]
In the next moment, silence descended.
He didn't know what to expect anymore.
What was that voice? What did all it said mean? What just happened? Is that the blessing of God? — he had many questions.
Before he realized it, sounds of rushing water, chirping birds, and blowing trees reached him.
He had also already regained control over his body.
"A-ahhhh…!"
He let out a scream as he felt the pain that rained on his body.
It was the most pain he had felt in two lifetimes.