Opening his eyes, Zac saw an empty void deep blackness surrounding him. A sense of weightlessness overcame him, and panic began to set in as he wondered how he had ended up in this endless emptiness.
Then Zac heard a voice from behind him. Quickly turning around, he saw a man wearing a well-tailored navy-blue suit. A blinding light shone behind the figure for a second, as if he had just stepped through a portal.
"Ah, hello Zac. As you may have noticed, you've died."
Zac stared at the figure before asking, "Who are you?"
The man responded with a smirk. "Does it really matter? But if you must know, I am one of the gods of death and the forgotten."
Zac nodded, his curiosity satisfied and tried to remember how he had died. Now that the light was gone, he could see the figure clearly, he had a handsome but forgettable face.
The god spoke again. "I have spoken with the others. Your death is special, though not unheard of. You died before your time."
The figure gave Zac a moment to process before continuing. "So, the other gods and I have decided to give you two options, Zac. Since you were a decent person but not exactly a saint. The first option is to live out your afterlife like any other soul. The second is to be reincarnated into another world, like the novels you used to read."
Zac didn't hesitate. "I'll take reincarnation. There really isn't much to think about."
The figure grinned, the smile reaching his eyes. "Very well. Let's make this a little more interesting then."
The environment shifted, and Zac found himself standing in front of a massive wheel covered in names of fictional worlds.
"Step right up and give the wheel a good spin," the god said in a presenter's voice.
Zac spun the wheel, watching as the names flashed by. It slowed, barely passing the Warhammer 40K universe before landing on the Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss world.
Zac let out a relieved sigh. "That was too close."
The god chuckled deeply. "Now, as decided by me and the other gods, you will receive three spins on the gift wheel."
Zac jumped back in surprise as a massive wheel snapped into existence out of nowhere. He gave it a strong spin, making it rotate even faster than before. Eventually, it slowed and stopped on Gacha System.
"Hm. That seems a little cliché," Zac said. "But I'm not complaining."
"Let's speed this up a bit," the god said, snapping his fingers.
Two more wheels appeared, along with a large red button. Zac smashed the button, spinning both wheels at once. When they stopped, the first landed on Safi'jiiva – Monster Hunter World.
Zac looked at the god with a questioning expression.
"This is one of the better blessings, in my opinion," the god explained. "Simply put, your true body will be that of Safi'jiiva. You will also have a human form, with traits inherited from your true body. Also, by the way you will have the instincts of a dragon so that's up to you to control them… or don't."
"And for your final blessing," the god continued, "you have won Void Vessel. It grants you control over the void space and the cosmos themselves. To be more specific, you will be able to manipulate space and the void that comprises it. Should you ever face someone who wields spatial powers, your authority will surpass theirs. It will integrate well with your new body, but I'll let you discover what that truly entails."
Zac grinned from ear to ear. "This sounds almost too good. Is there a catch? Someone who dies before their time wouldn't normally get all this."
The god returned a devilish grin. "You're smart. There's no such thing as a free meal. In this case, the other gods and I will be watching you for entertainment as well as assigning quests through your system."
With a wave of the god's hand, everything went black. His final words echoed as Zac faded away.
"We've spent long enough talking. It's time for you to begin your new life, Zac."