Chapter 2 – Pain
Mick – "Where am I? Last I remember, I was in utter pain."
Everything around him was a blur. Suddenly, his body transformed into a small, flickering light. Seven… no, eight colossal light figures appeared, surrounding him. Mick froze, his heart pounding.
Mick – "Who—who are you all, and why am I here?"
A deep, echoing voice filled the space.
"We are the gods. We have chosen you to be a hero of a parallel world. We are all various gods with various authorities. We will bless you with our power."
Mick could barely process the words. Shock froze him in place.
Mick – "These are for real… I can't believe a single thing."
Am I going to be a hero, just like in manga and anime? If they're real… my life is going to change totally… [inner voice]
Before he could think further, one of the gods spoke.
God 1: "Who can you be so simple? You are a below-average person."
Mick – "What, what are you saying?"
God 1: "I can't give my blessing to a beggar like you, I can't." [in bold voice]
God 2: "It's very absurd to think of me as the god of strength, giving my blessing to a guy like you. Just forget it." [in bold voice]
God 3 (female voice): "Don't even think about me—the god of beauty—giving my blessing to that ugly guy. Never."
One by one, the gods rejected Mick. Frustration, anger, and disbelief surged inside him.
Mick (cold, emotionless) – "Hey, aren't you all supposed to be gods? And gods are created to help people, yet here you are, judging me. Are you even gods?"
God 6: "A mere human questioning our identities. How do you think you are?" [pressured voice]
Mick remained unmoved.
Mick – "Hey, I didn't ask for any of this. You all were the ones who put me in this position, and now you are blaming me. How dare you all?" [angry, bold]
God 1: "Human, mind your words or you will face the consequences."
Mick felt a flicker of fear, but he stayed defiant.
Mick – "Now I don't even care who you all are. Just send me back if you don't need me."
God 1: "Still with that attitude? I am getting annoyed with you now, and sending you back is out of the question."
Mick's anger boiled over.
Mick – "Out of the question? Hey, god—or whoever you are—don't test my limit."
God 1: "How dare a human treat me like this? Your limit? I don't care. You will not receive any blessing, and you will be sent to Morvanyr to suffer."
Suddenly, Mick felt himself plummeting through endless darkness.
Mick's inner voice – "You all ruined my life. I will remember this, and I will make you all call me again someday. Mark my word… You trash."
When Mick regained consciousness, he realized he was inside a new body—a body that had just died in a cage. He looked around in horror.
Mick – "What is this place? Why is it in such bad condition? And why am I in a cage?"
A man appeared suddenly.
Random guy: "Looks like you're not dead yet. The boss needs a body for an experiment anyway."
Mick's inner voice – "Experiment? What are they talking about? What is going on?"
He glanced around. Corpses littered the floor, and people were locked in filthy cages. The stench, the despair… it made his stomach churn. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Random guy (laughing): "Just wait. I'll inform the boss about you."
Suddenly, a massive figure appeared. Scarred, bulky, and terrifying.
Kharz: "So you're the new subject for my experiment. Not impressive… but it will work. Bring him in."
Two men dragged Mick from the cage into a room filled with ominous tubes. They tied him to a table where a dead human had been chained. Mick's heart raced.
Mick – "Hey, wait! Wait! You… what are you going to do?"
They removed the corpse and tied him down in its place.
Mick – "Hey, stop! Stop! Please, I beg you!"
Kharz appeared, holding a large syringe.
Kharz: "Don't worry. It will only hurt at first. You will get used to it."
The needle pierced Mick's arm. Pain exploded through his body. His scream echoed across the mansion, a haunting sound of pure agony.
To be continued…
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