Ch. 1..10

Chapter 1 Prologue

"I see things others can't."

A blazing inferno raged across the capital city that once stood on the continent for thousands of years.

"Hear things others don't."

The sound of warcries, curses, and dying screams spread across the entire city as the invaders mercilessly attacked anything and everything in their path.

"Shed tears when others won't."

The sound of babies and children wailing in their mother's arms could be heard everywhere, as their parents desperately looked for a safe place to hide in order to save themselves from the one-sided massacre that was happening around them.

"And fight when others don't."

A red-headed boy looked at the vast hordes of monsters that were about to destroy everything he held dear in his life. Even so, he walked towards them fearlessly as several men and women marched alongside him.

"I seek the monsters you fear the most," The Half-Elf said softly as he raised his hand, summoning countless Undead to fight for his side. "I chase the nightmares that plague your sweetest dreams."

"I walk in the darkness so that others may see the light. I fight the creatures that threaten this world with all my might."

A giant bone dragon landed in front of the Half-Elf and bowed its head in respect. The red-headed boy patted its head before jumping on its back, preparing to fight alongside his Undead Legion.

With one mighty flap of its tattered wings, the bone dragon soared towards the sky and uttered a deafening roar of defiance. Its Master stood straight on its back like a sword, looking at the countless monsters that were slowly advancing in his direction.

"In a world where my existence has long been forgotten…" The Half-Elf stated as his bone dragon opened its mouth to unleash its Dragon Breath.

"I will let you know the error of the path you have trodden!"

 

Chapter 2 Character Creation [Part 1]

If you were given the chance to live that one perfect life you had always dreamed of… would you do it even if there were strings attached?

Some would gladly take this chance, while others would feel more cautious or even ignore it completely.

Lucien chose the first option and decided to accept an Angel's offer to join the Heaven's Gate Project.

He believed that this was an opportunity to live a life that was different from the pitiful one that he had lost just a few hours ago.

With that said, Lucien found himself somewhere in the vast multiverse inside a shady office, being watched in disdain by a drop-dead gorgeous Angel, who had picked him up from Earth after he died.

The Angel then brought him to the Celestial Realm. The chubby twenty-year-old was asked to fill up a character creation form that would be used as his template for his next life.

—--

"Hair color?" Lucien gazed at the options that were in front of him. The form was like a multiple choice questionnaire. He simply needed to shade in the small circle beside his choice and his answer would be finalized.

"Blonde is good… but that is too common. How about silver, or white?" the chubby young man mused as he scratched his head.

This was only the first choice and he was already having a hard time choosing what he wanted for his next life.

"Let's go for red," Lucien said with determination. He then shaded his choice using the pen that was given to him by the Angel behind him.

After making his choice, the other hair options were grayed out, which meant that he couldn't take back his choice anymore.

After answering the first question, the chubby young man scratched his head for the second time because the next one was just as difficult as the first.

—-

< Choose Eye Color >

– Blue

– Green

– Hazel

– Red

– Gold

– Gray

– Brown

– ….

– ….

—--

"My hair color is red, so should I also go for the red eye color? Hmm… oh, they also have the option for heterochromia."

After thinking for a few minutes, Lucien finally decided on green. For some reason, having red hair and green eyes reminded him of that handsome protagonist that he had read about in one of his favorite novels.

"Sex? Of course it should be Male," Lucien muttered as he shaded in his option. 'I still plan to reincarnate as a man in my next life. In my past life, I accomplished nothing. This time around, I want to live my life to the fullest!'

Weight…

Height…

,m Body Build…

Skin Color…

The chubby young man answered them all to his liking before glancing at the next set of choices.

—

< Facial Aesthetic >

( Plain )

( Average )

( Cute )

( Attractive )

( Handsome )

( Casanova )

( Hideyoshi )

( Astolfo )

—-

'Umu, all of these options are good, but the last two choices seem dangerous,' Lucien thought. 'Just to be on the safe side, I'll just choose Handsome. Next!'

—--

< Race >

( Human )

( Elf )

( Dwarf )

( Demon )

( Beastkin )

( Dragon )

( ….)

( …. )

—--

Lucien's first choice was, of course, Elf. Being good looking was a default characteristic of the Elves and they also had a very long lifespan, but after thinking things through, he decided to choose a different race.

Why? The answer was simple. Because of diversity. If everyone was handsome and beautiful, wouldn't that make the Aesthetic Option lose its value?

Elves had long lives.

He also wanted to live a long life. However, he preferred to mingle with the Humans as well, so being a Half-Elf was a good option.

Although he was worried about discrimination, he knew that it was a risk that he needed to take if he wanted to stand out from the crowd.

In order to maximize his future good looks, he decided to choose a race that had the best of both worlds and that was Half-Elf.

As the chubby young man shaded in his choice, all the other races grayed out.

For some reason, he felt a sense of relief knowing that he couldn't change his decision after picking his desired race.

—--

< Lineage >

( Royalty Bloodline )

( Noble Bloodline )

( Influential Clan Bloodline )

( Commoner Bloodline )

—--

Lucien stared at these four options with a serious expression on his face. Having a Royal Bloodline was a tempting choice, but he had read many novels in which being part of the Royal Family was not only difficult but dangerous as well.

Infighting for the throne and being backstabbed by his own brothers and sisters wasn't the life he wanted to live.

'If I want to stand out like a hero, going for the commoner route is a good choice, but I don't know anything about the world I will be reincarnated into,' Lucien thought as he rubbed his chin. 'It might be dangerous or hard for a commoner to rise up in society. It's a very risky choice too since I might be born as the son of a farmer or the son of a gangster.'

Since his next life was precious to him, he decided on the Noble Bloodline so he would at least be able to live a life of comfort without being too high profile.

However, when he looked at the next set of choices, he almost dropped his pen in disbelief because he didn't expect something like it to be included in the form he was filling up.

—

< PP Size >

– Take note that this option gives additional bonuses when you reincarnate into your next life. Please choose wisely.

—

'Damn! They are giving me the power to freely choose the size of my "Ahem", and I can even get bonuses?' Lucien's eyes widened in surprise. 'Bro, this is the best thing ever. I'm going all in on this one!'

—

( 2 Inches )

– You will be given 6 Legendary Items of your choosing.

( 3 inches)

– You will be given 3 Legendary Items of your choosing.

( 4 inches )

– You will be given 1 Legendary Item of your choosing.

( 5 Inches )

– You will be given one rare item of your choosing

( 6 inches )

– You will be given one pack of tissue papers.

( 7 inches )

– You will be given two packs of tissue papers.

( 8 Inches )

– Omaewa mou…

( 9 Inches )

– Bruh…

( 10 Inches )

– Are you planning to reincarnate as a horse? If yes then choose this option.

( 11 Inches )

– Hey, that's hell you're walking into.

( 12 inches )

– … Dear mother of

—-

The chubby young man almost spat blood after seeing the diabolical choices laid out in front of him.

'Wtf man? Baiting me with Legendary Items in exchange for my happiness?' Lucien gnashed his teeth in anger. 'Not cool bro, not cool.'

After considering his future happiness, and his little brother's happiness, the chubby young man finally made his decision and shaded in the bubble next to his choice with gritted teeth.

It was at that moment that he heard a chuckle filled with ridicule come from behind him.

Lucien turned his head and gazed at the beautiful Angel who was looking back at him with a teasing smile. For some reason, he felt like he had made a mistake when he chose his PP size.

'Should I have chosen a bigger one?' Lucien thought as he continued to gaze at the Angel who continued to look at him with a teasing smile.

Using all of his willpower, he averted his gaze from the beautiful Angel who made him feel a little salty.

More questions came after that, and the chubby young man answered all of them to the best of his abilities.

'This is like creating a character in a game,' Luciel mused. 'Unfortunately, they don't have the preview option. It might have been easier if they had this option, what a shame… truly a shame.'

 

Chapter 3 Character Creation [Part 2]

There were a few more questions on the list, but they were only minor questions. After double checking to make sure he had answered everything correctly, he gave the form to the Angel behind him.

The Angel took it and gave it a quick glance to ensure that every question had been answered.

After seeing that there was nothing wrong with the form, she nodded her head and told the chubby boy to follow behind her.

Five minutes later, they arrived in an open space where countless galaxies could be seen in the sky.

It was the most marvelous thing the boy had ever seen. He just stood there in awe, gazing at the heavens above him.

"Stop gawking and follow me. What are you, a country bumpkin?" the Angel asked in irritation.

"Sorry," Lucien replied as he ran towards her. He had always thought of Angels as kind and benevolent beings. They were nowhere like this b*tchy Angel, who seemed to have a horrible personality.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at a small cottage located at the center of the amazing scenery.

"Your Excellency, Macuilxochitl, I brought the soul that you requested," the Angel said as she opened the door.

When they entered the room, the chubby boy saw an old man who had an infatuated look on his face as he gazed at the screen of his computer.

It didn't take long before the old geezer froze when he realized that he was no longer alone inside the room.

The first thing he did was immediately stand up and use his body to block their view, so they wouldn't see the image on his computer screen.

Although it was only for a brief moment, Lucien had already seen the image of a half-naked anime girl on his computer.

Unfortunately, even though the old man managed to prevent his two guests from seeing everything, his attempt was suddenly ruined by the loud moans that played through the surround sound speakers that hung all around his room.

It was at that moment when the old man realized that he f*cked up.

The Angel's expression immediately changed and she looked at the old man as if he was a piece of sh*t.

The old geezer lightly coughed as he averted his gaze, unable to endure the disdainful stare that the Angel was giving him.

'Am I really going to be fine?' Lucien thought as he looked at the old man who was doing his best to act like a dignified person while failing miserably.

Clearly, the old man didn't expect someone to barge inside his room without knocking first while he was watching something inappropriate for young audiences.

"Boy, what is your name?" the old man named Macuilxochitl asked as he pushed the power button of his computer to forcefully turn it off.

As a member of the Bros Before Hoes Brotherhood, the boy decided to play along with the old geezer's attempt to change the subject.

"My name is… Lucien," Lucien said with a slightly strained smile.

"Lucien? A good name," the old man commented as he eyed Lucien from head to toe. "Well then, Lucien. Did my assistant, Himea, explain everything to you already?"

"Yes. She said that I was chosen to participate in the Heaven's Gate Project."

"And… did she say anything else aside from that?"

Lucien shook his head as he glanced at the Angel who had her arms crossed over her chest.

"She said that this project is confidential," Lucien answered. "The only thing she asked me to do was to fill up the form for my rebirth."

"I see," Macuilxochitl said as he played with the white beard on his chin. "Very well. Before anything else let me properly introduce myself first. I am the God of Gamblers, Macuilxochitl. Since my name is a mouthful, just call me Max.

"I personally designed the Heaven's Gate Project in an attempt to send an individual to a particular world without being found out by the higher ups– I mean, to bypass certain old fogies who are sticklers to the rules."

"Are we doing something illegal?"

"Hahaha! Of course not. It's not a crime unless someone reports it to the authorities. You'll be fine… maybe."

"Hahaha... can I still back out?" Lucien asked while laughing nervously.

Max ignored his question and immediately took another form out of his breast pocket, and presented it to Lucien.

It looked similar to the form the boy just filled up, so he guessed that it might be a continuation of his character creation settings.

"Since I chose you to become my guinea pig– I mean, my hero who will participate in this glorious project, it is only normal that I give you some freebies," Max said with a smile that would put all con-artists to shame. "You may choose only one. So, take your time and choose wisely."

Lucien held the form that the God of Gamblers handed to him and read its contents without any expectations.

However, half a minute later Lucien's eyes widened in surprise as he read the amazing "freebies" that were written on the form he was holding.

—-

< Special Add-ons! You may choose only one. >

( System )

– You will be given a random System upon reincarnation. Take note that the System you will get cannot be exchanged or refunded. If you ever get the Eunuch System, consider yourself fcked for life.

( Random High-Tier Skill )

– You will receive a random High-Tier Skill at the get go. This Skill will be exclusive to you and will be bound to your soul.

( 20x Exp Gains )

– If you Reincarnate in a world where you gain experience points, you will be able to grow 20x faster than the average person.

( Charm )

– Your Charm Stat will be at its max value. Even a rock will fall in love with you if you stare at it long enough.

( Status Ailment Immunity )

– You will gain immunity to Poison, Charm, Sleep, Petrify, Paralyze, and any other abilities that will have a harmful effect on your body and soul.

( Infinite Mana )

– No matter what magic spell you cast, your mana will never run out.

(Infinite Stamina)

– No matter how many rounds you do it with your lover, you will keep going, and going, and going… and going…

(Unique Body Constitution)

– You will receive a special body constitution that will be the envy of mortals and immortals alike.

[ Example: Divine Dragon Immortal's Body, Ice Phoenix Legacy, Thunder God Physique. ]

( 10x Gacha Pull )

– Depending on the world you reincarnate on, the contents of the Gacha Pull will be modified to fit the laws of that world.

– You are guaranteed to receive one SSR Item, Artifact, Weapon, Waifu, or Husbando Companion from this Gacha Pull.

—

"S-Sh*t!" Lucien wasn't able to stop himself from cursing out loud after reading the options that were available for him.

'Regardless of what I choose, I know that I will definitely gain a massive advantage as I reincarnate to my next life,' Lucien thought. 'If possible, I want all of them, but since his Excellency, Max, told me that I could only choose one, I need to take this matter seriously.'

"Well then, have you decided what option you want to choose?" Max asked the boy who was still seriously looking at his options after half an hour had passed.

"Yes." Lucien nodded his head. He had already weighed the pros and cons of his decision, so he faced the God of Gamblers with determination. "Your Excellency, I choose…"

 

Chapter 4 The Gamble Of The God Of Gamblers

Max played with his beard as Lucien made his choice.

"I'll ask you again," Max said with a serious expression on his face. "You want a random High-Tier Skill as your freebie, correct?"

"Yes." Lucien nodded. "I choose this one, Your Excellency."

The Angel who had her arms crossed over her chest raised an eyebrow when she heard Lucien's choice. Clearly, she didn't expect the young man to choose this option.

"Understood." Max smiled and clapped his hands thrice.

----------

(A/N: I know a lot of you may be disappointed with his choice, but keep reading. A surprise is waiting in the next few chapters).

-----------

Suddenly, the form in Lucien's hand was set ablaze. The embers flew towards the young man's chest and merged with his body. However, Max wasn't finished yet.

The form that Lucien had filled up earlier burst into flames, and its remains also flew towards his body.

The young man felt his body become warm as an unknown power surged within his soul. While he was still basking in the afterglow of the surreal experience, he suddenly found himself floating in space, underneath the countless galaxies that he had seen a while ago.

Standing on his right was Max, the God of Gamblers, and standing on his left was Himea, the b*tchy angel who was suffering from her terminally bad personality.

"Lucien, do you know why I chose you out of the countless souls in the multiverse to become the first candidate to take part in the Heaven's Gate Project?" Max asked as he stared into the young man's eyes.

"No," Lucien answered. He also didn't know why he was chosen to participate in the Heaven's Gate Project.

Max smiled as he patted Lucien's shoulder. "It's because you struggled to live until the bitter end. You could have given up anytime, but you didn't choose the easy way out and end your life with your own hands."

Lucien looked back at the old man with a serious expression on his face. "That is because I am a coward. I'm afraid of death, so I struggled to live until the end. There's nothing glorious about it."

Max chuckled as he ruffled the young man's head. "Perhaps you are right, but you are not a coward. Living requires courage, and I pray that you will be courageous in your next life."

Lucien looked up at the old man who was smiling back at him. This was the first time that someone had told him to live.

When he was still alive, he grew up always hearing the words "You're just baggage. You should just die" or "You were a mistake. You shouldn't have been born."

These words were said to him over and over again. Thinking back, there were times when he wanted to end his own life in order to escape that living hell. However, he was afraid of death.

Truly afraid of death, so he struggled to live until the bitter end.

Lucien bit his lip because he felt like crying. He didn't know if souls could cry, but he would be damned if he let others see him cry.

A few minutes passed before he finally regained his composure. He then looked up at the God of Gamblers and asked the question that had been on his mind since he entered this unknown space, shrouded in mystery.

"Your Excellency, you still haven't said what the purpose of the Heaven's Gate project is," Lucien said. "Can you please tell me what it is?"

"Lucien, the goal of the Heaven's Gate Project is to change the Fate of a world. You are the chosen one that will usher in a new era that will lead it to a better and brighter tomorrow."

"I don't think I'm qualified to take on such a big responsibility…"

"Beautiful women are waiting for you in that world! If you're lucky, you can even have more than one wife!"

"Leave this to me, Your Excellency!" his attitude completely flipped and Lucien patted his chest as if he was a general that was about to go to war. "You chose the right man for the job. I'll conquer the world for you!"

"World Conquest? Sure! I will allow it! A man should dream big after all! You either go all in or go home crying! Hahahaha!"

The angel stared at the two useless lust driven idiots with scorn as she summoned a giant cannon. Her patience was already at its limit and she wanted to end this job as soon as possible.

When Max saw the Angel's expression, a bitter smile appeared on his face as he made a gesture for Lucien to come closer.

"Come, Lucien," Max ordered. "It's time for you to start your journey."

The God of Gamblers waved his hand and a door appeared in front of them. He then opened it and walked inside, dragging the boy along with him.

The Angel followed behind the two and closed the door behind her. They were headed to the testing area where the Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon was waiting for them.

—-

"Wow!" Lucien's eyes sparkled as he looked at the giant cannon in front of him. "T-This is so cool!"

Max laughed and patted the boy's shoulder because he was very pleased with his reaction.

"This thing cost a lot to build," Max said with a smile. "Himea, dear, can you start up the cannon and check if everything is ready?"

"Okay," the Angel replied.

She then went towards the control panel and started pushing the buttons to let the cannon warm up and gather energy. While she was doing this task, Max was busy telling Lucien about how the cannon was made.

"The name of this cannon is Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon, SIMP for short," Max stated. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"Um? Sir Max, isn't it supposed to be HSMRC instead of SIMP?" Lucien asked back.

"Boy, don't sweat the small stuff. If I say this is a SIMP Cannon, it is a SIMP Cannon."

"O-Okay."

Himea rolled her eyes at the God of Gamblers who was talking crap as always. If not for the fact that Max had taken care of her ever since she was born, she might have left him to serve other Gods who were more "normal", and didn't have mental issues.

After checking the status of the cannon, Himea deemed that everything was in order.

"Your Excellency, the status of the cannon is all green," Himea reported. "We can start anytime."

Max nodded. He then patted Lucien's shoulder to tell the boy that the time had come.

"Lucien, are you ready?" Max asked in a teasing tone. "Your new journey is about to begin."

"I'm ready," Lucien answered.

"Good! Now, time to load you into the cannon."

"Um, Sir, how will you do tha—aahh!"

Lucien wasn't even able to finish his words when Max grabbed his waist and flew up the tip of the cannon.

"Fire in the hole," Max shouted as he tossed Lucien's body inside the barrel of the Cannon.

Soon, a loud thud was heard followed by an "Ouch!". Which made Max laugh out loud.

"Boy, are you fine?" Max asked, "Does it hurt?"

"I'm not fine!" Lucien shouted back. Clearly, he didn't expect that he would be tossed like a cannonball inside the cannon. "It hurts!"

"It's good to know that you're fine. Any last words?"

"F*ck you!"

Max snickered as he gave Himea the okay signal.

"Heaven's Gate Project initiated," Himea said as she started tapping on the keypads of the control panel. "Setting course…"

The SIMP Cannon suddenly turned to its right side, aiming at a purple galaxy in the distance.

After the coordinates had been properly calibrated, Himea opened the glass casing that held the firing mechanism of the cannon. "Sir, Cannon is ready to fire!"

"Start the countdown!" Max ordered.

Himea nodded. "Starting countdown. Ten, nine, eight, seven…

Three…

Two…

One…

"Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon Fire!"

The beautiful angel pressed the red button, instantly starting the firing sequence.

Lucien found himself turning into a ball of light as dense layers of concentrated magical energy wrapped around him.

Not long after, a giant ball of energy appeared on the cannon's tip. It then started to gather the power of Divinity in order to shoot Lucien's soul across the multiverse.

An electrical current snaked around the body of the cannon and smoke started to appear in some places. Clearly, this was not a good sign and it made the God of Gamblers, as well as the angel, anxious.

As if confirming their fears, a series of warning sounds started to spread across the testing area, telling them that something was terribly wrong with the cannon.

"Stop the firing sequence now!" Max ordered. He didn't anticipate something going wrong with his prized cannon at the last minute. He then raised his hand to wrap Lucien's soul in his Divinity to protect it from any form of damage.

However, before his Divinity could reach the boy, the firing sequence was completed. With a loud rumbling sound, a beam of magical energy streaked across the Celestial Realm, followed by a loud explosion.

The cannon exploded and shattered into a thousand pieces, sending metal shards flying everywhere.

Max teleported in front of Himea and used his Divine powers to create a shield to protect both of them.

After the chaotic situation calmed down, the God of Gamblers looked at the wreckage in front of him before shifting his attention toward the sky.

In the Heavens, a blue comet streaked towards the purple galaxy creating a trail of light.

"What is Lucien's status?" Max asked as he stared at the equipment that was still working.

Himea typed on the keyboard and brought out the status of Lucien's Soul.

"No… this can't be happening…," Max couldn't believe the result of the images that appeared in front of him.

Lucien's soul had received serious injury during the firing sequence and was on the verge of breaking. Only the safety mechanisms that Max had added to the cannon on a whim were keeping his soul from disintegrating completely.

"Y-Your Excellency, I'm afraid that Lucien wouldn't be able to undergo a normal rebirth in his current state," Himea started to panic. "In the worst case scenario, his soul might cease to exist."

Max took a deep breath because he was fully aware of Lucien's current situation. However, there was nothing he could do. The world he had sent the boy to was a world that had been abandoned by the Gods.

Right now, there was only one person that could help them and that person was none other than Max's best friend, Eriol, the God of Games.

"Himea, look for Eriol," Max ordered as his body floated in the air. "Once you find him, explain our situation. He will know what to do."

Himea could see the resignation on Max's face and it made her feel anxious.

"Your Excellency, where are you going?" Himea asked.

"This is my fault," Max replied as he gathered his Divinity around his body. "The least I can do is to ensure that Lucien's soul won't cease to exist."

As soon as he finished his declaration the God of Gamblers transformed into a golden comet and shot towards the Blue Comet that had started to enter the purple galaxy.

This was a race against time, and the God of Gamblers was betting everything he had to save the boy he had chosen to save this world.

 

 

Chapter 5 Let’s Go Home

The sobs of a young elven lady permeated the night as she hugged the bundle of cloth, which held her baby in place.

Her tears fell like rain, as her parents, and members of their clan looked at her with pity.

All of them stood at the riverbank, under the light of the full moon. It was a beautiful night, with the stars shining brightly above them.

Yet, the young lady's sorrowful sobs made this wonderful scenery lose its luster.

Several minutes passed, and the Patriarch of the Elven Clan patted the young lady's shoulder.

"I am sorry for your loss, Adeline," the Patriarch said softly. "But we cannot bury him in our ancestral lands. I hope you can understand."

Adeline nodded as the tears streamed down the side of her face. She knew about the tradition of their clan, but it still broke her heart to part with her child who had died not long after he was born.

Adeline's father sighed as he walked toward her daughter carrying a basket in his hands. The basket was ladened with a cloth to make it comfortable for a baby to lie down in. Unfortunately, Adeline's child would not be able to feel its softness, for it had breathed its last breath a day ago.

The young lady then kissed her baby's forehead before placing him inside the basket. She then took a wooden slate from her storage ring and used her magic to carve a name on it.

"Although I wasn't able to give you love and happiness, I will not forget to give you a name," Adeline said sadly as she finished writing her son's name on the wooden slate.

She had used the common language of the world to write her son's name in hopes that if anyone found her baby, they would give him a proper burial.

Lux.

That was the name that Adeline had given her son.

After placing the wooden slate inside the basket, Adeline's mother wrapped her arms around her daughter's body and held her tight.

"Let me send you off, my dear grandson," Adeline's father said sadly. "I pray that the spirits will guide your soul to the promised paradise, where we shall go when our time has come as well. Forgive us, for being unable to give you a proper burial."

The Patriarch of the Elven Clan of Entheas looked at the basket and sighed internally.

'Even though I want to make an exception, the elders will definitely not allow it,' the Patriarch thought. 'Half-Bloods have no place in Ashe Entheas. Forgive us, child. My hands are tied.'

Suddenly, a little elven girl started to sing. It was the song of parting that the Elves sang when their loved ones had departed the world.

Soon, the other elves joined in the singing as they sent off the youngest member of their clan on his journey to the afterlife.

Adeline's father placed the basket on the river. He gave his grandson one last glance before finally letting go.

Adeline wailed and her mother struggled to hold her in place. She had a feeling that if she didn't hold her daughter properly, Adeline would jump into the river and bring back the basket to the shore.

"Sleep, child," the Patriarch said as he cast a sleeping spell on the struggling young lady. This was the only thing he could think of to prevent Adeline from acting recklessly.

Soon, the young lady stopped struggling and collapsed in her mother's arms. Her tears continued to fall, for she knew that when she woke up, she would never see her son ever again.

—--

The basket floated on the Avonlea River and was carried away by the river currents, far from the land of Ashe Entheas, where he was not welcomed, even in death.

Several hours passed, and the basket had already traveled many miles, unhindered by anyone or anything.

Some of the creatures that lived in the river didn't pay it too much attention because they didn't detect any signs of life within the basket. They thought that it was just a piece of wood that floated on its surface, so they left it alone and minded their own businesses.

Suddenly, high above the star-filled sky, a blue comet streaked creating a dazzling trail in the heavens.

As if attracted by the basket flowing on the river, the comet shifted its course, as its body decreased in size with every passing second.

Soon, only a small orb of blue light, the size of a tennis ball, was left of the blue comet that once traveled from the other side of the multiverse.

This small orb landed on the baby's chest and merged with its body.

After a few minutes, the dead baby abruptly opened its mouth as if trying to suck up air to fill up its lungs that were deprived of oxygen.

Little by little, the baby's complexion improved, but it was still too weak to do anything. Soon, all movements stopped and the baby remained motionless inside the basket, asleep and unaware of the dangers that surrounded the basket that was carrying his fragile body.

—--

"We're almost home, Sophie," an old woman said as she softly patted the back of her mount. "Let's speed up a bit so we can have breakfast with the others."

A short honk answered her request, as the head of a three-meter tall White Hippopotamus rose from the water.

The old woman smiled as she looked at the distant stronghold that was known as Wildgarde.

As they traversed the river, they noticed two giant crocodiles fighting against each other, while the rest of the group watched from the sides.

This was a normal occurrence in the Huntdeen River during this time of the year.

The old woman and her mount, Sophie, steered clear of the two giant crocodiles fighting for dominance. It was their mating season, and these beasts were more aggressive during this time of the year.

As they passed the two fighting behemoths, a sudden crying sound reached the old woman's ears.

She turned around to search where the cry was coming from, and it was then that she saw the floating basket that was slowly heading toward the group of crocodiles.

The old woman frowned because she could clearly hear the crying sound of a baby coming from the basket.

"Sophie, turn around! Now!" the old woman ordered.

The white hippopotamus obeyed her master and hurriedly made a U-turn towards the basket that was only dozens of meters away from the giant crocodiles that were fighting for supremacy.

It was not only the old lady that heard the young baby's cries. Several of the crocodiles had started to swim towards the basket with bloodshot eyes.

For them, the baby's cry was like an invitation to a free meal.

Soon, one of the crocodiles arrived a meter away from the basket and opened its massive jaws to swallow the basket and the baby that was inside it.

However, before it could claim its prey, a foot landed on its snout and forcefully closed its jaws shut tight.

The old lady picked up the basket with both hands before jumping away, using the crocodiles as stepping stones.

With one final jump, she landed deftly on the white hippopotamus' back and ordered it to flee as fast as it could.

The enraged crocodiles roared as they charged toward the escaping thief who had stolen their prey.

The two fighting crocodiles also stopped their battle and blocked the hippopotamus's path of escape.

"We don't have to make a big deal out of this small matter," the old lady said to the two giant crocodiles whose bloodshot eyes had locked onto her small frame. "I'm taking this child with me, so get out of my way."

The two giant crocodiles roared, which made the old lady click her tongue in annoyance.

"So be it. Sophie, go forward," the old lady ordered.

The white hippopotamus obeyed and charged toward the two giants that blocked her way. When the old lady and her mount were only a dozen meters away from their location, the two giant crocodiles lunged at them with fury.

While holding the basket with her left hand, the old lady moved the fingers in her right hand in a seemingly erratic manner.

Soon, two figures materialized out of thin air and charged toward the two giant crocodiles, whose jaws filled with razor sharp teeth were only several meters away from the old lady and her mount.

A deafening cracking sound reverberated in the surroundings as the two giant crocodiles were sent flying dozens of meters away.

Their giant bodies smashed down on the river's surface, creating waves in all directions.

The other crocodiles who saw this scene stopped their advance and looked at the old lady in horror. Their thoughts of finding trouble for her disappeared completely after she had effectively dealt with the two dominant crocodiles with a single blow.

The old lady sighed and shook her head helplessly. "We're going to be a bit late for breakfast, but it can't be helped."

She then looked at the baby who was still crying inside the basket.

"Don't cry, little one. You are safe now," the old lady said.

She then used her finger to lightly caress the baby's cheeks in order to calm him down.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps it was only the baby's natural instinct, but the moment his face was touched, his small hands reached out to hold the finger that was caressing his face.

The old lady smiled when the baby stopped crying while firmly holding onto her finger. With a glance, she could tell that the baby had once again fallen asleep, so she sat down and carefully placed the basket on her lap to secure it in place.

"Let's go, Sophie," the old lady said softly. "Let's go home."

 

 

Chapter 6 I Am The God Of Games

A sixteen-year-old boy with short red hair, and green eyes grit his teeth as he ran after a horned rabbit with all of his might.

'No matter what happens, I must catch this rabbit!' the young boy vowed in his heart as he pushed himself to the limit.

Several children, as well as adults, were cheering for him from the sidelines, giving him encouragement. They had seen him challenge this trial over and over for the past few years, and all of them sincerely hoped that the boy would be able to pass it this time around.

As the stinging pain in his chest intensified, the young boy's breathing became erratic. Even so, he ignored the pain and ran as if his life depended on it.

Watching him from a distance was an old woman sitting on top of a white hippopotamus. Although she had a calm expression on her face, deep inside she was worried about her adopted grandson's condition.

"You're mine!" the boy roared as he reached out his hand to grab the rabbit who was now within reach. He had painstakingly closed the gap at the last second, using everything he had in order for his capture to succeed.

Just as his hands were about to touch the rabbit's fur, he felt his world spin for a brief moment before everything went dark.

The boy fell to the ground face-first and all his movements stopped completely.

A few seconds later, the old woman appeared beside the fallen boy and gently rolled his body over so that he could lie on his back.

The boy had several bruises on his head and all of them were bleeding. His lower lip had also been punctured and blood flowed ceaselessly.

"Lux," the old woman felt her heart ache at seeing her adopted grandson's current state. "Silly boy, why must you go this far?"

The old lady took out a small bottle from her storage bag and sprinkled half of its contents over the boy's head and facial injuries. It was a high-quality healing potion that she always carried around in case of emergency.

A few seconds later, the wounds had started to close and heal at a rapid pace.

The old lady then sprinkled the remaining half of the healing potion on the other injuries located on the boy's arms, legs, and chest.

After making sure that she had dealt with all of her grandson's injuries, she picked him up and sighed in relief.

It was at that moment a middle-aged man walked toward the old woman and looked at the boy in her arms.

"Vera, I'm sorry but I can't allow Lux to enter Elysium," the middle-aged man said. "Sending him there is akin to sending him to his death. He is a hardworking and kind boy, but Wildgarde will forever be his home."

Vera sighed and nodded her head. "I understand, Gerald. Thank you for accepting Lux's request to take the trial."

Vera gave Gerald a brief bow before walking away while carrying her grandson.

The residents of Wildgarde looked at the red-haired boy on Sophie's arms and sighed.

"He failed again this year."

"Poor Lux. He has been training everyday, but his weak constitution won't allow him to succeed."

"Such a shame, but maybe this is for the best. Even if he can't enter Elysium, he is still a member of our stronghold."

"That's right. So what if he has a weak body? I know people stronger than him that have died inside Elysium. No matter how strong you are, it won't matter if you're dead!"

—-

When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a familiar room.

It was the room where he had stayed up for most of his life and this discovery made him feel helpless.

'I failed again,' Lux thought as he covered his face with his left hand. Not long after, the sound of the boy's sobbing spread throughout the room.

'Why was I born a failure?'

'Why was I born useless?'

'The others were able to enter Elysium when they were fourteen. I'm sixteen now and I'm still here! Just what is my purpose in life? I failed Grandma again. I'm too embarrassed to face her now…'

Lux's tears flowed without stopping as the shame, embarrassment, and helplessness in his heart burst forth like a raging river.

He had done everything within his power to make his grandma proud, but due to the unknown disease that plagued his body, he would often lose consciousness even if he was just standing still.

Because of this, he was unable to train and study properly.

Usually, in the stronghold when kids turned twelve, they would officially begin their training regimen in order to enter Elysium.

The Elysium Fields, or Elysium for short, was the world's primary source of resources. Only those that had met the necessary requirements were allowed to enter this special place and help their stronghold expand in that strange, yet beautiful world that was so different from the world that they resided in.

The veteran warriors of the Wildgarde Stronghold would then train these young children in order to prepare them for their exploration of this new world.

When Lux turned twelve, he too trained alongside his friends. He thought that he would be able to join them on their adventures in Elysium, but reality gave him a hard slap to the face.

He suffered several injuries and injured many people due to his tendency to faint during training.

When he was fourteen he fainted while swinging his sword and sent the weapon flying. Thankfully, he didn't hit anyone, but it had made others refrain from sparring against him.

Stamina training—AKA long distance running—was also a problem. Sometimes in the middle of running Lux would faint, forcing his friends to carry him until they returned to the stronghold.

At first, they were able to tolerate it, but after it happened several times they politely told him that running long distances was something he shouldn't attempt without supervision.

The last incident he had was during bow practice. He fainted and accidentally released the arrow, hitting the instructor's butt in the process. Because of this, he was banned from participating in archery training again.

Although he begged and pleaded with his instructors, all of them shook their heads and politely told him to just train under his Grandma's supervision.

Vera was more than happy to train her grandson, but because of Lux's unstable condition, there were times when her grandson almost lost his life in the middle of training.

In the end, Vera told Lux that being a warrior was not suitable for him.

But Lux didn't want to hear this truth. Just like everyone else, Lux also wanted to go to Elysium. He wanted to make his grandma proud.

Lux wanted to become a High-Ranker and show his grandma that she hadn't wasted her time raising him from infanthood. He didn't want to be labeled as a failure or a useless person.

She was the only family Lux had in the world, and he wanted to show her that he was not useless. So to prove himself, he would train in secret.

Since then, it had become a normal occurrence in the stronghold to see kids dragging Lux's unconscious body back to his house every day.

After half an hour, Lux finally regained his composure. He wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and stared out the window of his room.

"Maybe I'm not really meant to enter Elysium," Lux said softly. This time, he really felt like giving up.

Elysium was a place where one can acquire many amazing things. Anyone who entered this world could gain riches, fame, glory, as well as realize their wildest dreams.

This was a strange world that had appeared many years ago, right after the Hundred-Year War that had razed the world of Solais to the brink of collapse.

It was a new frontier that had the key to saving their world.

This was why many people young and old wanted to enter and explore this unknown world. Lux was one of them. And yet, he was once again denied the opportunity due to his weak body that was unable to keep up with the desire in his heart.

Just as he was trying to convince himself into giving up his dream, a hearty chuckle spread throughout his surroundings.

"You've struggled all this time, and now you're giving up?" a teasing voice said by his ear.

Lux almost jumped off his bed from fright due to the unexpected voice that came out of nowhere.

He then hurriedly looked around his room to try and find where the voice was coming from.

"Just where are you looking?" the teasing voice asked. "I'm right here outside your window."

Lux walked towards the window and came face to face with a little boy with short, dark-blue hair and gray eyes, who seemed to be around ten years old, floating in the air in front of him.

"Who are you?" Lux asked as he stared at the little boy he'd never seen before in the Wildgarde Stronghold.

"My name is Eriol," Eriol said with a friendly smile that made Lux feel as if he had found a long lost friend.

"I am the God of Games and I came here to help my best friend, Macuilxochitl, finish the task he started."

 

Chapter 7 Do You Want To Enter Elysium?

"The God of Games?" Lux looked at the floating boy in front of him in confusion. "Who is Macuilxochitl? Are you sure you didn't visit the wrong person? Are you perhaps looking for my Grandma?"

Eriol sighed as he looked at Lux who had no recollection of the God of Gamblers, from the Heavenly Domain.

"It seems that the damage to your soul is quite severe," Eriol said. "You didn't reincarnate properly. This is why your current body and your soul are not synchronized and you keep fainting. They're not compatible."

Lux frowned as he listened to Eriol's words. "Huh? What are you talking about? Are you sure you're not talking to the wrong person?"

"Does the name Lucien ring any bells to you?"

"Lucien? Who's that? My name is Lux."

Eriol smiled bitterly when he realized that Lux had no recollection of anything prior to his rebirth. He was like a slate that had been wiped clean.

'Looks like I have to start from the beginning,' Eriol thought. He then looked at the red-haired boy in front of him who his best friend had chosen to take a gamble with.

"Neh~ Lux. Do you want to enter Elysium?" Eriol asked.

"... I do," Lux answered. "But I don't have the qualifications to survive in that world."

Eriol nodded. "True. The current you will just die a miserable and pitiful death if you enter Elysium now. However, what if I told you that I could help you meet the requirements to set foot in that world that you've always dreamed of?"

Lux narrowed his eyes as he focused his attention on Eriol who was looking back at him with a sad expression.

"What do I have to do in return?" Lux asked.

He knew that there was no free lunch in the world. Although he didn't feel any kind of malice coming from Eriol, he was still someone Lux had met for the first time. He couldn't possibly put his trust in a stranger so easily, right?

"What I want you to do is struggle," Eriol answered. "Struggle to the bitter end. Regardless of whether you become a Hero or a Demon Lord, all I ask is that you do everything in your power to live. Can you promise me that?"

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"You're not going to ask me to give you my soul when I die?"

It was at that moment a smile appeared on Eriol's face.

"Well if you want to give me your soul I can accept that too," Eriol said in a teasing tone. "Do you want to?"

"No way." Lux firmly shook his head. "I hear that those who sold their souls to the devil all had untimely ends. I don't want to suffer the same fate."

Eriol smirked as he waved his hand.

​ Suddenly, Lux found himself standing on top of a clear blue sea that reflected the blue sky above.

Before Lux could even do anything, he heard Eriol's voice behind him.

"This is a special domain I have created," Eriol said. "In here, no one will be able to hear our conversation. We don't have to worry about prying Gods who have too much time on their hands. I'm sure that you have a lot of questions, but sadly I can't answer them all. My time in this world is limited, so for now please listen to my explanation. Okay?"

Lux nodded his head. He wasn't sure where he was, but he had a feeling that if he didn't obey Eriol's words he would be stuck in this strange place for a very long time.

"First, let me help you recover your memory," Eriol stated as he pressed his hand on Lux's head.

A few seconds later, Lux's pained screams spread throughout the beautiful blue world that Eriol had created.

Eriol didn't bat an eye as he continued to pour his Divinity through his hand in order to repair the memories that Lux had forgotten.

Several minutes later the red-headed boy panted on top of the blue sea, staring at his own reflection.

"Do you remember now?" Eriol asked as he crouched down beside Lux.

"I do," Lux answered as he panted for breath. "The Heaven's Gate Project… Max, and Himea."

Eriol nodded. "Because of the cannon's malfunction, your soul suffered irreparable damage. Do you remember anything after you were shot from the cannon?"

"No."

"I see..."

Eriol rubbed his chin as he pondered his next move. After Lux regained his composure, the God of Games eyed him with a serious expression.

"Okay, before anything else, let me tell you how you were born in this world," Eriol said. "After your soul survived its long journey, it didn't have the ability to be reborn the natural way. This is why the Divinity that Max gave you decided to look for the best next substitute to comply with your character settings.

"Since a normal rebirth was impossible, your soul merged with the body of a newly born… I mean, a newly-dead baby Half-elf. That is the current vessel that you are possessing right now."

Eriol patted Lux's shoulder, making the red-headed boy look back at the God of Games in disbelief.

"I know, it's hard to believe, but it's the truth and nothing but the truth," Eriol stated. "This is also the reason why you sometimes feel disconnected from your body. Every time you exert your will, your body rejects you.

"The reason for this is because your body and soul are not synchronized properly. Don't worry. I will fix that problem. Right here, right now."

Eriol tapped his finger on Lux's forehead and the boy's body stiffened. It was at that moment a series of words appeared inside his head, surprising Lux.

—-

< Starting Body and Soul Synchronization >

< Incompatibility Ratio is 78% >

< Looking for solution… >

< Solution Found! >

< Looking for Compatible Body Physique… >

< Compatible Body Physique Found! >

< Immortal Conqueror's Legacy >

< Synchronizing with Special Body Physique >

< Synchronization Rate: 1% >

< Synchronization Rate: 18% >

< Synchronization Rate: 39% >

< Synchronization Rate: 78% >

< Synchronization Rate: 100% >

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! Immortal Conqueror's Legacy had been set to become your primary body constitution! >

—--

A blazing fire engulfed Lux's body and instantly incinerated his clothes until nothing was left.

The red-headed boy started to panic because he thought that he was going to be burned alive. However, after flailing his hands for half a minute, he realized that he wasn't feeling any kind of burning pain.

Instead, he felt a soothing pleasure wash over his body.

It was a very surreal feeling that he couldn't put into words. All he knew was that every fiber of his being was rejoicing as they were born anew, shedding their weak and pathetic selves behind them.

When the blaze disappeared, Lux's body appeared sitting cross legged in the air with his eyes closed. He was basking in the afterglow of his rebirth and trying to understand the changes that happened inside his body.

In the past, whenever he tried to do anything, his body felt heavy as if it was weighed down with stones. There were also minor delays when he executed actions. Growing up, he thought that it was a normal thing.

But now things have changed. He no longer felt burdened, the invisible shackles that held him back had all disappeared. He felt that if he challenged the trial again he had an 80% chance of succeeding.

When Lux opened his eyes, the happiness he felt was evident on his face.

Eriol smiled in satisfaction after seeing that Lux's rebirth succeeded.

"Now, take out your Soul Book, and see the changes that have been made to your body." Eriol urged.

Lux nodded and summoned his Soul Book. Every person in the world of Solais could summon their Soul Books to check their progress. Only the owner of the Soul Book would be able to see their stats.

Of course, others could see them as well if the owner gave them his permission.

—--

Name: Lux Von Kaizer

Age: 16

Race: Half-Elf

Rank: (None)

Strength: 4

Intelligence: 5

Vitality: 4

Agility: 5

Dexterity: 4

Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX]

Special Body Constitution: Immortal Conqueror's Legacy

Title: None

Note: You're still a mob character. Don't think too highly of yourself, weakling!

—--

< Skill Evolution [EX] >

– This ability will allow you to evolve your skills once.

– Certain requirements must be met in order to evolve the skill of your choosing.

< Immortal Conqueror's Legacy >

Rating: F

Progress: 1/100

Conquest is not all about claiming lands and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.

Abilities: (None)

Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.

 

Chapter 8 Isn’t This Item A Little Too OP?

Lux stared at his Soul Book with excitement.

Although his stats had remained the same, he acquired a special ability as well as a body constitution that he never had before.

After reading the information in his Soul Book, Lux held Eriol's hand and thanked him profusely for what he had done for him.

"Thank you!" Lux bowed repeatedly. "With this, I can repay Grandma for raising me. I am no longer useless!"

Eriol could only smile at Lux's passionate act of gratitude.

"Lux, I think you're having a very big misunderstanding here," Eriol replied. "Those abilities were rightfully yours from the start. However, due to what happened in the Heavenly Domain your soul was damaged, preventing you from using the blessings that my best friend, Macuilxochitl, had bestowed upon you. I am merely setting the record straight."

Lux still held Eriol's hand firmly as he stared at the boy's gray eyes that held a kind of maturity that didn't match his young appearance.

"Even so, without your help, the legacy that Max has left me would have been all for naught," Lux stated. "If you need anything from me, just say the word and I'll do my best to achieve it."

Eriol glanced at the hands that were holding his own. It had been a while since a human had touched him, and a complicated feeling rose in his heart.

"Don't worry. I have a task for you to do," Eriol said as he raised his head to stare at Lux's light-green eyes. "But for that to happen, you need to get the qualifications to enter Elysium. Even if your body has now synchronized with your soul, you are far too weak to accomplish anything in that world.

I also know that you're starting late when compared to your peers, so I'm going to give you a freebie as well to help you catch up," Eriol said as he summoned a golden ticket in his hand. "Are you familiar with Gacha Games?"

"Gacha games?" Lux blinked. "Are you talking about those games where people gamble with their savings in order to get those Super Rare Characters and Weapons in order to become strong? Those P2W Players (Pay to Win)? Those bastards who use money to brute force their way into clearing the game and challenging F2P (Free to Play) players in PVP and trash talk them when they win?!"

"Bruh, chill out. The saltiness in you is strong. It's not their fault that they're rich, okay? What is wrong with spending money on gacha games?"

"I'm an F2P, you know? I believe that you don't have to spend anything to enjoy a game. We demand equality!"

Eriol looked at Lux with a pitiful gaze. Although he didn't say any word, his "another salty F2P player" gaze made the red-headed boy's liver itch.

"Well anyway, the reason why I asked is because this golden ticket in my hand will allow you to do a free pull on a gacha draw," Eriol said. "Of course, since this is a golden ticket, you are guaranteed to get one SSR weapon, artifact, or character."

"You're giving it to me for free?" Lux stared at the golden ticket like a hungry beast. Only those who had played gacha games would understand how tempting it was to get a free gacha draw with a guaranteed SSR Item.

"Yes," Eriol nodded. "I'm sure that you already know that there are three types of rarity that you can get from Gacha games. Rare (R), Super Rare (SR), and Super Super Rare (SSR). If we are going to convert the rarity of these items to the terms used in your world, they would be called Rare, Unique, and Mythical.

"Just like normal gacha games, these items correspond to colors as well, which are blue, purple, and gold respectively. The good news about these items is that you can use them inside and outside Elysium. Now, here is your golden ticket."

The God of Games handed the ticket to Lux, and the latter held it with both hands. He stared at it for a while before shifting his gaze back to Eriol who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Can I use it now?" Lux asked.

"Of course," Eriol replied with a smile.

The red-headed boy pressed his hands together in a prayer with the golden ticket between them.

After finishing his prayer, he threw the golden ticket in the air and looked at it with expectation.

The golden ticket glowed brightly and turned into a golden orb of light.

Suddenly, the orb shattered and ten smaller orbs of different colors descended from the sky. They stopped two meters away from Lux and hovered around him, forming an encirclement.

Lux looked around him and saw five blue orbs, three purple orbs, and two golden orbs.

As a Gacha Gamer, the first things he checked were, of course, the two golden orbs that contained Mythical Items.

When his hand touched one of the Golden Orbs, it immediately changed its shape and transformed into a golden book with intricate design.

A series of texts appeared in Lux's vision as he read the information about the Mythical Item that he had acquired.

—--

< Elysium Grand Compendium >

Rarity: Mythical

– This book contains important information about Elysium.

– Information about Monster Drops and their Locations.

– Information on Treasure Chests scattered around the world.

– Complete list of Herbs.

– Complete list of Metals.

– Complete list of Precious Gems.

– Complete list of ingredients and miscellaneous materials.

– Expert's guide to managing Villages, Towns, Cities.

– Beginner's guide to crafting.

– Beginner's guide to alchemy.

– Beginner's guide to blacksmithing.

-- This Item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer

—

"You got really lucky with that one," Eriol commented as he floated beside Lux. "This compendium is like a walkthrough of Elysium. If the Humans and other races knew that you had this in your possession they would definitely send all available manpower to snatch this from your hands."

"A walkthrough?" Lux scratched his head. "You make it sound like this is a game. Only games have walkthroughs."

Eriol smirked, "Life is a game. Knowledge is power. If you can use this compendium properly, you will be amazed at how fast you can progress when you enter Elysium."

Lux could only nod his head in response to Eriol's words. He still hadn't stepped inside that strange world, so his knowledge of it was limited. With the compendium in his possession, the knowledge he lacked would no longer be a problem.

"Okay, time for the next item…," Lux said softly as he pressed his hand over the other golden orb beside him.

The orb glowed brightly before transforming into a black coffin with a golden cross embedded in its cover.

Lux's body unconsciously shuddered as he looked at the black coffin that was standing upright in front of him. He was about to run away due to fright, when he felt Eriol's small hand press down on his shoulder, holding him in place.

"Relax, that coffin is empty," Eriol said. He then looked at the black coffin in front of them with a complicated expression on his face. "Seriously, I don't know if you are lucky or unlucky to get this thing."

"What kind of item is it?" Lux asked.

Eriol sighed. "It will be best if you read the information instead of asking me"

Lux reluctantly nodded his head as he looked at the black coffin to read its information. He had been too scared a while ago and completely forgotten to appraise the item he received from the golden ticket.

—-

< Blackfire, Oath of Eternal Glory >

Rarity: Mythical

Creatures in Storage: (0/4)

Requirements to use transformation ability: 400 Combined Stat Points

– This coffin could store any humanoid type creature and randomly transform them into Higher-Undead, Fairies, Nymphs, Elementals, or Celestials.

– Only dead, or near-death creatures with complete bodies can be stored inside the coffin for transformation.

– Rates of transformation for each creature are as follows.

(Higher Undead - 40%)

(Fairies / Demons - 20%)

(Nymphs - 10%)

(Elementals - 5%)

(Celestial - .05%)

– You can offer Beast Cores as a sacrifice in order to increase the rarity of the creature you want to transform. The Rarer the Beast Core, the higher the chance for your desired creature to transform into an Apex Being.

p If your creature transformed into a Vampire, and you have sacrificed a Beast Core with high-rarity, there is a chance that the Vampire will transform into a Vampire Lord.

– All transformed creatures will be loyal to you.

– Each creature that you transform has a 25% chance to obtain the ability to evolve. This will allow them to become stronger and surpass their current forms, once certain requirements are met.

– The Blackfire can only hold four creatures at a time. If the number of creatures exceeds that number, you will be given an option to remove one creature from the storage. Creatures that have been removed from the storage would be freed from the owner's control. Their loyalty may, or may not stay depending on their personality.

– If any of the creatures you own die in battle, you can revive them by offering a number of Beast Cores depending on their rank. The stronger the creature, the higher that offering will be.

-- This item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer

—-

'Isn't this item a little too OP?' Lux thought as he stared at the black coffin that was floating in front of him. Although he couldn't use it right now because his stats didn't meet the requirements, he was confident that once he was able to use this artifact, his offensive capabilities would drastically increase.

Even though there was a limitation to the number of creatures that it could store, it didn't change the fact that it would allow Lux to have strong allies that would help him on his journey through the world of Elysium.

 

 

Chapter 9 My Legend Is About To Begin

"It is indeed a good artifact." Eriol commented. "But, you still need to reach a certain threshold before you can use it. So, work hard!"

Lux nodded. He then looked at the purple orbs of light that were glowing around him.

Choosing one at random, a black sword appeared with runic symbols embedded on its blade. The red-headed boy swung it a few times, to test it out. He had held wooden swords before during training.

Although he wasn't an expert swordsman, he still knew the basics of wielding a weapon. Everyone in the stronghold was expected to enter Elysium, so they had basic combat training at an early age.

Unfortunately, due to his fainting habit, Lux's progress was the slowest of all.

Surprisingly, the sword in his hand wasn't as heavy as he expected. Although it was slightly heavier than a wooden sword, the balance was perfect. Lux then checked the information of the sword in his hand with great expectations.

—

< Oathbreaker, Dark Blade of Eternity >

Rarity: Unique

(One Handed Sword)

Requirement: 100 Combined Stats

– Attack: 100-145 Dark Damage

– Physical skills deal 20% more damage.

– Has a 10% chance to trigger double damage with each attack. This ability works with skills as well.

–

"Not bad," Lux muttered as he once again appreciated the weapon in his hand.

After checking the sword's information he opened all the purple orbs to see what other kinds of items they held. Although the purple items weren't as amazing as the golden orbs, they were still strong in their own right.

—-

< Storage Ring of Travelers >

Rarity: Unique

Item Slot: (0/300)

– This storage ring allows you to store up to 300 items.

– You cannot store living things inside the ring.

– The size and shape of items must not be taller than two meters, and not wider than one square meter.

– This ring has an independent storage for Gold Coins and Elysium Gold Coins. The maximum number of gold coins that can be stored in this ring is ten million.

—-

< Skill Book of Necromancy >

Rarity: Unique

Type: Skill Book (Consumable)

Requirement: Dark Magic Affinity

– Allows you to learn Necromancy Magic

– Only those who have an affinity with Dark Magic will be able to learn the Arts of Necromancy.

—-

"Magic Affinity?" Lux muttered. He suddenly remembered that his magic affinity still hadn't been tested because he didn't meet the requirements to enter Elysium.

Everyone born in the world of Solais had the opportunity to learn skills by consuming Beast Cores inside Elysium. The only problem was that they could only learn the skills that matched their affinity.

There was simply no way for someone to cast the skill, Fireball, if they didn't have affinity with Fire Magic.

Fortunately, those that weren't born with any affinities were still able to learn certain skills that fell under the Non-Elemental category.

Skills like Slash, Long Jump, and Power Shot, were all Non-Elemental skills. These skills could be learned by anyone. Hence, they were often called Universal Skills.

Some powerful skills that could be obtained from Beast Cores, had a very low chance of being acquired. There were even rumors that learning skills also depended on a person's luck.

Skill Books could also be found on Elysium, but they are very rare. Most of them were found inside treasure chests, and auctioned at very high prices.

"Right, you still haven't checked your affinity." Eriol smiled. "This is a good opportunity to do so. However, since the things you acquired in the Gatcha were due to my golden ticket, there is a high chance that you are capable of wielding Dark Magic."

The God of Games took out a white crystal ball and presented it to Lux.

"Touch it," Eriol said. "Usually affinities are decided by your Body Constitution, and you acquired the Immortal Conqueror's Legacy Physique, so I'm curious to know the results."

Lux placed his hand over the white crystal ball. A few seconds later, the crystal ball glowed and shot out a beam of light.

A projection of five glowing orbs of different colors appeared in front of Lux and Eriol, and the God of Games smirked after seeing it.

One Dark Orb surrounded by four smaller ones appeared in their vision.

"As expected of an Immortal Legacy," Eriol commented. "Well, as you can see, your main attribute is Dark Magic. With this you will have no issue learning that Necromancy Skill Book.

"You also have lesser affinities to Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water. This means that you can use low-level up to mid-tier Elemental Magic of the four elements. I'm guessing that these lesser affinities of yours will get a boost once you upgrade your Body Constitution. If you don't die after entering Elysium then your future is very bright."

"This is good," Lux said with a smile. "This means that I will not have trouble learning other skills related to the four elements. I hit the jackpot!"

Eriol nodded. He couldn't deny that Lux had indeed hit the jackpot when he randomly acquired the Immortal Conqueror's Legacy, as his body constitution.

"Now, it's time for the blue orbs." Lux grinned as he touched all of them at the same time.

—

< Tranquility, Call of the Wolf >

Rarity: Rare

(One Handed Sword)

– Attack: 15 - 20

– Allows you to summon one Forest Wolf to aid you in battle

(Forest Wolf)

Health: 50

Attack: 5-10

—-

< Dawne, Charm of Timeless Battles >

Rarity: Rare

(Round Shield)

Requirement: Strength 10

– Defense: 50

– You can use the skills Shield Bash and Shield Throw when Dawn is equipped.

(Shield Bash)

– Deals 10-15 Physical Damage to your target

– Has a chance to stun

(Shield Throw)

– Deals 10-15 Physical Damage to your target

– When using this skill, the shield will be treated as a throwing weapon, and won't automatically return to its owner.

—-

< Harmony >

Rarity: Rare

(Magic Staff)

Requirement: Intelligence 10

– Magic Damage increase by 5%

– Able to use the skill Magic Missile

(Magic Missile)

– Fires five magical darts at the enemies.

– Damage is equivalent to the Intelligence Stat of the caster

—-

< Dagger of Frost >

Rarity: Rare

(Dagger)

– Attack: 10 - 15 Frost Damage

– Allows you to use the skill Ice Slash

(Ice Slash)

– Deals 20-25 Frost AOE cone damage to creatures that are within five meters away from the user.

– Has a chance of freezing the user's enemy for five seconds

– Skill Cooldown: 2 minutes.

—

< Wolf's Leather Armor >

– Defense: 20

– Pierce and Slashing damage reduced by 10%

—-

Lux grinned from ear to ear after seeing the items that he acquired from the Golden Ticket. With these items in hand, although he was starting late among his peers, he knew that he would be able to catch up to them in time.

"Wait for me, Elysium," Lux said softly as he stored all the items he obtained inside his storage ring. "My Legend is about to begin."

 

Chapter 10 The Arts Of Necromancy [Part 1]

After dinner, Lux hurriedly went to the training room inside their residence and locked the door.

His Grandma, Vera, didn't find this strange because Lux would train everyday, regardless of the time of the day.

Vera's only condition was that Lux would train inside their residence when night came, so she wouldn't have to go look for him in the fields.

After making sure that the door was properly locked, Lux took the Necromancy Skill book from his storage ring and pressed it over his head.

Soon, the skill book turned into particles of light and flew towards Lux's forehead. Information about Necromancy appeared inside his mind, and the young boy immersed himself in the indescribable feeling of enlightenment, which he was experiencing for the first time.

"So, this is how it feels to learn skills," Lux thought with a smile.

Skill books were different from the skills that one could learn from Beast Cores. The skills that could be learned from Beast Cores, were skills that the monster possessed.

Skill books, on the other hand, could let you learn a single spell, or a set of spells that belonged under a Legacy.

Legacies often consisted of many spells under one branch of magic. For example, the Necromancy Skill Book allowed anyone to learn Basic Necromancy Magic, up to Advanced Necromancy Magic.

This meant that Lux didn't have to hunt specific monsters in order to gain spells that fell under the Necromancy Branch of Magic.

This was why Skill Books fetched for a high price, especially in Auction Houses. Anyone who was lucky enough to acquire one was set for life.

After learning Necromancy, Lux summoned his Soul Book and opened it to the page where the different Skills he had learned could be found.

Since it was his first time learning a Skill, he decided to read its information properly, so he would have a better understanding as to how the skill worked.

—-

< Necromancy >

– Use the Unholy Power to Summon the Undead and use Curses to weaken your enemies

– Basic Summoning Skill unlocked.

– Summon Golem (Locked)

Requirement: Apostle Rank D.

– Curses (Locked)

Requirement: Apostle Rank D.

– Intermediate Skills (Locked)

Requirement: Initiate Rank.

– Advance Skills (Locked)

Requirement: D-Ranker.

—-

< Basic Summoning Skills >

Summon Skeleton

Rating: F

Energy: 5

Progress: (0/100)

– You can increase the Progression Rating when you use Beast Cores to upgrade this skill.

– Summons one Skeleton to fight for you

– Summon duration 1 hour

– Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.

—--

( Skeleton )

Health: 10

AttacK: 1 - 5

Attack Type: Physical Damage

—--

< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >

< Since the Skill is learned from a Skill Book and not from a Beastcore, evolution requirements will be waived. >

< Choose which path of Evolution you wish to take. >

Option 1: Summon two Skeletons to fight for you instead of one.

Option 2: Upgrade Summon Skeleton Skill to Summon Skeleton Warrior.

Option 3: Give your first Skeleton a name. Named creatures will be stronger and more intelligent than normal ones. Also, you can upgrade your named creature individually if you wish it.

—-

"My Skill can be upgraded because of my Skill Evolution [EX]?!" Lux's eyes widened in shock and joy at this unexpected discovery. "Doesn't this mean that I can upgrade all my Skills by one stage once I have unlocked their requirements? Amazing!"

Lux looked at the three options carefully. The first and second options were good because he could understand what they meant.

However, the third option baffled Lux. He didn't know what Named Creatures were and what kind of abilities they possessed. Even so, he still felt that the third option was the best choice among the three.

"If you are unsure about certain terms in regards to skill, you can always consult the Elysium Compendium for more details."

A lively voice spoke from behind Lux, which made the latter jump in fright.

"E-Eriol! Don't scare me like that!" Lux gasped as his hand pressed over his chest in an attempt to regain his calm. "Bro, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Bro?" Eriol looked at Lux with amusement. "This is the first time someone has called me a Bro. Fine, I'll make an exemption this time and allow you to refer to me as such. Now, go on and check what a Named Creature is."

Lux nodded and summoned the Elysium Grand Compendium. As soon as he held the book in his hands, its pages automatically started to turn before they stopped at a certain page.

The red-headed boy looked at the page and was surprised to see that it had stopped on the page with the information on Named Creatures.

—--

< Named Creatures >

– These are Creatures that have been bestowed names by their Masters.

– Creatures who were bestowed names are more powerful than the monsters of the same species and level.

– They also learn special Skills that are exclusive to them.

– Named Creatures also have the ability to evolve and transform into more powerful forms once they meet the necessary requirements. .

– A Named Creature will always be loyal to its master.

—--

After reading the information about named creatures, Lux shifted his gaze to his Soul Book and confidently chose the third option to name a creature.

< You have chosen to give your first Skeleton a name. >

< Please choose a name >

—-

Lux rubbed his chin as he ran a series of names inside his head. He knew how important names were, and he was blessed to have been given good names in both of his lifetimes. Because of this, he decided to give his first companion a name that would make anyone tremble whenever they heard it.

"Diablo," Lux said softly. "From now on, your name will be Diablo."

—--

< You have chosen the name "Diablo" as the name for your first Skeleton. >

< Is this your final answer? >

< Yes / No >

—-

Lux clicked yes to confirm his answer.

As soon as he did, particles of light appeared in front of him and, from there, a Skeleton emerged.

The skeleton stood at 174 cm (5'7") and Its bones were extremely white. On its forehead, some kind of mark that resembled a black flame could be seen easily.

Lux opened Diablo's personal page in his Soul Book and checked its information

—--

< Diablo >

"Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"

– Named Skeleton

– Rating: F+

– Energy: 10

– Progress (0/100)

Health: 15

Attack: 3 - 10

Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.

Title: Firstborn

– Diablo is your first Named Creature and has been bestowed the title "Firstborn".

– This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.

< Firstborn >

– Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.

– Attacks made by this creature have a high chance of dealing critical damage.

– All attacks made by this Creature will deal Ethereal Damage.

– Ethereal Damage ignores armor and other kinds of defensive equipment.

– When you use Beast Cores to upgrade Diablo, its effects would be boosted by 50%

Note: Congratulations! You got your first lackey! Yohoho! Here we go!