Similar and terrifying to the first time I woke up... or, well, I suppose it would be the 'second' time I woke up. Light speed through my eyes, as my body instinctively brought itself up to a stand. It was extremely odd, despite my lack of reaction to my current situation. There was nothing, but white... in all directions. Like what you'd expect a 3D object to look like blankly.
The only 'thing' in this 'room' was that familiar text. Instantly, I knew my situation. I have died again, obviously, but this time around. I'm not in a different body. Still female... good thing I've gotten used to it, I suppose.
[`Truly, you have suffered. You have grown. You have adapted. This loyalty will not be overlooked, My Agent. As such... You will have the honor of sculpting words in my favor.`]
Those worlds scrolled, different than... they had been previously. What? I was being directly addressed and whatever was 'behind those words' referred to itself as well. That's new. Like it was second nature, my body was already positioning itself to a kneel. My head lowered toward the featureless, white floor.
"As you wish. I will faithfully carry out whatever whim your divinity requires." Tasteless. Talking like this would definitely be considered bizarre, if I were still 'fresh blood', but this type of formal speech was rather abundant in a backwards world. Especially one which still treated some with 'divine right to rule'. "Despite such, My Faith. Why... has one such as myself been chosen for this? To carry out your will. I'm sure there were far more capable individuals."
The words began to shift, etching themselves through the air. If their shape was anything to go by, it could've been a smile. Though, I doubt it.
[`You aren't completely broken. I do enjoy a great deal of autonomy within my subjects. As for the answer, this may disappoint you. As one above the need to lie, I shall tell you.`] Foreboding. Instead of any relief, I felt a growing anxiety. Something I haven’t felt for a long time. I couldn’t feel like a ‘subject’ to this being. Through all my years, I’ve developed some sense of… well, sense. I felt like a toy to this being… for all I know, I may very well be.
“Please enlighten this ignorant warrior.” My head hung lower. It was something I desperately wanted to know for years, all of that time I spent. There wasn’t a single moment, in the back of my mind, where I didn’t ask ‘why’.
[`You were chosen out of countless other ordinary men and women. Those who’ve led mundane lives. Granted, perhaps it isn’t ‘mundane’ to die abruptly. Thus, with all of the pantheon’s grace, we’ve decided to repurpose your souls. Reincarnation is… fun, but when you lose ‘yourself’, is it really you?`]
As the words glowed with a mysterious power. Reading them, even though I didn’t have my eyes on them, it all stung the same. Random, basically… At the most barebones explanation, it was randomness, and perhaps pity, that brought me to ‘hell’. If I hadn’t the time to prepare my apathy, perhaps that would’ve crushed me.
[`You’ve taken that better than many others. I can still tell you’re affected, however. This is a perfect transition, actually… On how I know. You see… In a sense, you’ve lucked out in who’s chosen you. Our layer of expertise resides in, as you may know, the manipulation of ourselves; and others. Granted, you are not even close to being able to acquire this.`]
Manipulation of ourselves. Definitely. Perhaps it was this complete knowingness of myself that added in helping me stay sane. Either way… since this ‘Goddess’ seemed keen on answering the questions of her tool, then I may as well continue with what I can.
“Were the others also stripped of their previous gender?” Another question I wanted answered. There was nothing wrong with girls, women, but… It’s difficult to understand the exact need to change my original gender. In the end, I suppose It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve grown used to it.
[`No. You were a special case. A piece of yourself was heavily damaged. Once it was ‘repaired’, let’s say, then your entire base was changed in its entirety. I’m sure you can find a method to change It, if you so wish. There will be no assistance regarding it. Now. These questions have grown useless, and I shall get back to the point.`] Not that I had the idea to. Being a female or a male didn’t impact what I needed to do. Any ‘warmness’ that may’ve been portrayed in the words of power didn’t last long.
[`As stated previously - You are tasked with sculpting worlds in my image. Assisting with what needs to be assisted and destroying what needs to be destroyed. What this entails depends on what I want according to the situation. It may be as simple as assassination along with assisting the direction of a world… or all you may need to do is ‘help’ someone.`]
[`To make more sense for you, think of it like a story, a movie, a novel, whatever comparison you’d like to make. There is a ‘plot’ and I want it to happen a certain way. You don’t need to know why or how this benefits me, or if it even benefits me. Understood?`]
“Of course,” I answered. Nodding my head to relay the point. I doubt… Any sort of rest was going to befall me anytime soon. Perhaps these ‘sculpting’ opportunities will allow such a thing. Anything to breathe would be welcome.
[`Good. You will depart soon, but I want you to begin with the most basic form of ‘looking’ my subjects can utilize. You are a different existence, one capable of looking at the fundamental aspects of things. Somewhat, of course. This will allow you insight into those around you, which should prove very, very useful in completing the tasks I lay out for you. Look at yourself.`]
You are reading story Tired, but not finished. An attempt at an Omniverse. at novel35.com
Doing as I am commanded. I stood up straight, still in this expansive, white space with no details in sight. I stared at the skin on my palm. Obviously, it wasn’t something so simple. I felt more so than I looked, ‘spread my senses’ around my own body, and ‘forced’ it all to project itself. There is no way to explain this process completely.
[ {“Linia.”}
Agatha’s Angel.
`You.`
Proficiencies - | ‘Seeing’ F | Swordsmanship B | Body E | Soul S | Mind A |
`These are not a full representation of yourself. You are still immature in the art of sight. Yet, these will prove adequate in understanding a situation. I’m assuming you’re smart enough to realize the grades. S… is only because your soul belongs to me. As for your Mind, however… mildly impressive.`]
Homing in on these words provided a slight comment regarding them. That should be useful.
[ Swordsmanship B > `Ha. Do not find any sort of confidence in this technique. A blade specialized solely to kill with no personality of its own. There is no love in this form. It has but one objective.`]
[`As you may know, My Subject. There are deeper meanings other than a ‘grade’. B could still lose to C, or even D. It is an overall evaluation that doesn’t look into the countless ways to use a blade in combat. An example being - Each world how its own definition or usage of ‘Magic’, how can you categorize it as one thing?’] It made sense, when viewed that way. Although, my mind didn’t wander and overlook these ‘achievements’ of mine. Remembering that one Hero, strangely enough, I believe his Swordsmanship couldn’t be ‘evaluated’ with something as vague as this.
I doubt even an S, or SS, or SSS, could quite determine it. Thinking of such absurd things gave some ‘humor’ in this monotone life. I assume the low ranking body is an overall estimate of my physical state. Which makes sense, considering all of that prior ‘work’ forging my existence is gone. It will inevitably come back. Things always do.
[`While I do enjoy our conversations… It must come to an end, like everything. I will see you again. Results… I expect them, after your performance in the preliminary round. You will receive objectives at different times during this outing. Farewell, My Servant.`]
As I felt everything become nothing, felt my senses too fade into the oblivion I’ve started to grow accustomed to, there seemed to be no passage of time. It felt like forever, but instantaneous at the same time. How long had I ‘been here’, ‘existed’? ‘Thought’. I don’t know. Yet, again, just as fast as it came… It went.
“Welcome to the Empire, Pearl. Your designation is Facet - 3W0C, Cut - 0NQ. Proceed to the next station, so that you may be sent to a reef. There, you will await your new owner, and serve our Empire well.” A voice, an authoritative voice that didn’t allow me to embrace the sudden introduction of the surrounding area. It belonged to a woman, or what I believed to be a woman. Hard to tell with the purple skin. Oddly… white colored hair with various blotches of white interlaced between the strands. The most striking part were her eyes, or pupils to be exact. Shaped… differently compared to anything I’ve seen.
“Well, are you going?!” Her voice raised. Snapped from the brief adjustment period, I nodded. Her eyes rolled at the action. She was annoyed, not that I knew why. It didn’t matter. I should just listen.
“...Of course,” I muttered. Female, again. It made sense, considering the ‘God’s’ comment toward my situation. Before I could even start moving, I suppose the escort begun. Now that I could actually get my bearings… all I could see was dead terrain for miles, we were in a crater of some sort. Hills layering this ‘grotesque’ sight offered slight glimpses of life into this dreadful area. This was going to be a long journey, I had a feeling.
“You’d do best to pay attention to the briefing you’ll receive, and… call me ‘Your Clarity’,” The authoritative voice stated as I was pulled away; to presumably where I believe this ‘briefing’ will take place.
…And If my feelings were anything to go by. I was hundred percent right or It’d be incomparably worse than I initially believed. Only time will tell.