Death.
An object of fear, contempt, and dread—yet also the very core of life itself.
Death gives life meaning. In the same way, the fear of death drives people to seek purpose, to search for understanding.
What is beyond death?
What is death? Is it the absence of life? The absence of being?
Is there heaven? Rebirth?
Does anything happen at all?
Such thoughts, however, hold no place in death itself.
"Are you done with all that narration?"
The voice rang out from every direction. If one tried to listen closely, it would feel as though it spoke from beside you, in front of you, behind you, above you—everywhere at once.
"Huh…?"
Pulled—no, dragged—back to awareness, a youth of ordinary features looked around, dazed and confused. He found himself standing in an endlessly grand hall. As far as the eye could see, white marble pillars stretched into the distance, holding up a ceiling adorned with gold. Beneath his feet lay an immeasurably large red carpet, yet despite its size, it still felt insignificant compared to the vast marble flooring surrounding it.
His eyes stiffened.
His mind trembled.
The sheer impossibility of the place assaulted his senses. His brain struggled to process information it was never meant to handle—an infinite hall where every detail felt impossibly massive and impossibly small at the same time.
"Oh right, your mind's probably gonna break at this rate."
The imposing voice returned, followed by the sound of snapping fingers.
In an instant, the infinite hall shrank. It was still grand—still awe-inspiring—but no longer something that completely defied dimensional logic. It now existed, bound within three-dimensional space.
Following the red carpet, the boy cast his gaze toward what he assumed to be the source of the voice.
There stood a figure clad in something that could only vaguely be called armor… or perhaps robes… or a suit. Its appearance shifted constantly—at one moment an old man, then a child, then a woman. It never settled.
"Ah… who… are you?" the boy asked nervously.
"Hm. You can call me many things," the being replied. "Truth. Lies. Facts and fabrications. Abundance and lack. The closest term your kind can correlate me to would be… God."
The youth felt shocked—yet strangely, not as much as he thought he should. Perhaps his mind had already been half-maddened by overload. His emotions felt distant, muted.
"May I ask… why am I here?" he said.
"Well, it's because you are. And because I want you to be," God replied casually.
"You see, even I get bored sometimes. Despite seeing everything, it all grows dull when the worlds I govern stagnate. Your world was one of those."
The god tilted his head, amused.
"So I thought of introducing a bit of excitement. While my gaze was there, you—poor old you—decided to die. Funny thing is, like most humans, you wished to live, yet also accepted death."
He smiled.
"And by chance, there's another world I want to make more interesting. I need a protagonist for that tale. That would be you."
The god spoke in a jovial, almost childish tone.
"Ah… I'm not quite getting all of this," the boy said slowly. "My mind's still a bit shaken. Let me get this straight—you're going to isekai me?"
"Yeah. More or less."
God shrugged.
"Since you don't know much about the world you're heading to, I'll let you have some advantages. Three wishes. Nothing too absurd, and nothing too boring."
The boy stood there, dumbstruck. His mind, already overwhelmed, failed to react rationally. He accepted those words far too easily.
Three wishes… what should I wish for?
He said I don't know much about the world I'm going to—does that mean I know at least a little? Otherwise why mention it?
And why give me such an advantage if he wants things to be interesting?
Is the world dangerous?
Should I ask for immortality?
His thoughts were cut short.
"No immortality. That's boring," God said flatly.
"No stakes, no fun. Besides, things close enough to immortality already exist in that world—though never as absolute as something I grant."
God continued before the boy could speak.
"Let me be clear. I want you to raise humanity up. That world has great powers and supernatural forces, yet most humans remain oblivious. Those with power are either born with it or gifted it."
His voice grew excited—yet somehow still apathetic.
"I want to see what your kind can do. Your goals are simple: get stronger, make humanity stronger, drag them to the top. Fight. Struggle. Shatter ignorance. Expose the hidden reality of the world. And fight some more."
Silence followed.
"…Okay," the boy said at last. "If that's the case, I have my wishes."
He took a breath.
"First, I want access to a way to grow stronger—something anyone could use. Like martial arts and inner energy cultivation from wuxia or murim novels."
God nodded.
"Second, I want some kind of inventory. A space to store and carry things."
Another nod.
"And third, I want the ability to ask you questions. I want access to information—from you."
God hummed in thought.
"Sure. I'll give you martial cultivation. Advancement will be tied to your second wish. You'll get a mental realm—usable as storage. Time doesn't exist there, so nothing rots."
He raised a finger.
"As for cultivation, each realm will require you to face a trial within that mental realm. Your performance will determine the reward you receive to help you progress."
Then he smiled.
"As for your third wish—you can add me to your contacts. Just perform a ritual. Use your blood to form a link. After that, you can ask questions."
His eyes gleamed.
"Every question has a value, though. You'll need to offer a sacrifice. If I'm satisfied, I'll answer as thoroughly as you want."
As those words left his mouth, the boy's vision began to darken.
"Oh, and don't worry," God added lazily.
"All your legal stuff will be taken care of. Don't bore me with that crap."