[Leonidas' point of view]

It all happened so fast.... I thought I saved Cassandra, that there was no way that man could have survived a blow like that unscratched. I foolishly believed that this fight was over before it even began, and for a fraction of a second, I let my guard down.

That small advantage was all Alexandre Damascus needed in order to put an end to my life.

He appeared behind me in the blink of an eye and then I saw his shadow-covered hand moving towards my chest. I could see it, but my body was too slow to react. It couldn't keep up with my brain's commands.

His hand pierced my chest and grabbed hold of my heart. It was in that moment when I knew that I was going to die.

My story had come to an end...

It was a short life, but I had fun. I got to experience how it was to have a loving family and a cute little sister. Sure, they were going to be sad after I was gone, but I was sure they were going to manage somehow. It was what I innocently hoped...

Still, I had to admit... it was a bit weird to look at my own beating heart as it was being held in that man's hand right before my very eyes. My chest felt empty and cold, but as I stood there, letting those seemingly endless moments float by, I remembered that Cassandra was still here.

Ah, I should do something about her... I thought rather nonchalantly.

I had experienced death so many times in the past thanks to my luck as an unwanted hero, that right now, the very act of dying felt like it was something completely normal to me. There was no reason to be angry, no reason to scream in agony, those were futile actions that couldn't change the inevitable. All I could do was accept my fate, my demise, but for Cassandra, before I was cast out of this world, I still wanted to do one last thing if possible.

So, with the last drops of my strength, I tried to turn around, but a half turn was all I could muster. My lips couldn't move. I couldn't even breath, so before the light in my eyes faded, I sent one last thought towards her and hoped she was able to read it.

I'm sorry... Run...

Then... there was darkness...

My limp body fell on the ground with a thud. It was over.

Yet, what was I feeling sorry about in the end? If I were to put that sensation into words, I was sorry because I wasn't able to do my duty as her older brother. I wanted to see her grow up into a splendid woman and protect her from noisy useless men who fawned over her. I wanted to see her wear cute clothes like a proper lady should, but most of all, I wanted to see her smile, to see her attain her happiness with her own hands, to know that she achieved her dreams and maybe found someone worthy to share them with. I wanted to see her get married, and I would have loved to meet my nephews one day too... Yes, I was sorry because I was now going to miss out on all of those important moments in her life.

I wanted to become a great older brother for her, someone she could look up to and be there for her no matter what. In the end, it appeared as though I was the one destined to leave first... Talk about the gods failing me big time, but maybe that was just my luck?

Now, where was I?

Yes... I was surrounded by a vast darkness with no one and nothing in sight. I was alone here, floating in this endless abyss.

“This sucks...” I said as I gathered my knees to my chest.

Some time passed by in this endless darkness, but I had no idea how much. I was guessing somewhere between several hours and several days, but I could have been wrong. Without the need to eat or drink or even seeing the sun or moon above my head, it was hard to keep track of time.

“So, you died...” someone spoke, a man.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw someone there. He looked like a young man around 20 years or so, with short cut black spiky hair, thick black clothes like those worn during winter, but they had a very modern feel to them. Over his shoulders, he carried a black mantle that moved around like a living entity made out of smoke.

“Why do I have the feeling that I know you?” I asked him.

I tried to remember, but I couldn't.

“My name is Ezimuth. I am the Primary God of the Loya World. My main element is Darkness, although, I dabble a lot in Death too.” he showed me a weak smile.

“Are you one of the 118?” I asked him.

He nodded silently.

“I see... Well... I'm sorry, but it seems like I died. Are you disappointed?” I asked him.

Strange, but I wasn't angry at them for not keeping their promise to me for a happy life. Maybe it was because I was aware of the fact that these gods knew more than I did and if they wanted to, they could have easily denied my existence.

Someone once told me that not everything we experience has to make sense according to what we know and think. That was why there was no way of telling how these gods organized the events in my life or why they did so.

I wasn't angry, but I was a little sad that I couldn't continue it.

Ezimuth slowly shook his head left and right.

“That's good... I think.” I looked down at my knees.

Yes, I was sad because I couldn't continue that life, that dream, but there was nothing I could do about it. The matters of Life and Death were beyond my grasp and understanding.

“You know... Loya is the first world I made, so I was really excited about it.” he smiled, and I looked up at him to listen to his story. “I made the magic system first, which gave me a bit of trouble, I have to admit.” he scratched his right cheek with his pointing finger. “After I was done with it, I shaped the world. I made the mountains, the seas, everything as I wanted. It was like working with clay. Other gods soon joined me, and little by little... Loya took a form of its own.” he sighed and rubbed the back of his head “You see... Main Gods like me need to handle everything about the world both from the Good and Evil perspective, no matter our element of choice.” he explained.

“That sounds tough.” I said, then I remembered the goddess' weird demonic voice when I first met her and asked “Is that the reason why Sapherya sounded like she did back then?”

Ezimuth shook his head left to right.

“It's really as tough as you imagine it to be, it depends... Sometimes things are very easy to handle, but there are those moments too when we feel overwhelmed. As for Sapherya's voice back then, when she takes the role of a god of Darkness, she sounds really demonic out of her own choice, but it's not mandatory. Although, it does help in persuading the mortals that you are indeed an Evil God. As I said, as Primary Gods or Main Gods we cannot afford to pick sides for too long. We can shape the world in the direction we wish for, true, but that's something decided upon its creation. We have to handle both the good and bad events, and sometimes... we mess up as well.” he showed me a wry smile.

“I see...”

It was very confusing, but from what he told me Sapherya's job was probably more complicated than she let out to be, and her goofing around was probably just an act to make me feel at ease and not worry too much about it... probably.

“As Main Gods we create our own species of our own choosing or leave it to those other gods who wish to work with us in shaping our world. I really wanted to make one of my own, so I did. Loya got its very first sapient species, which were the demons, but then another god had to make the humans.” he said and let out a sigh.

“Was it to balance out the power?” I asked.

Ezimuth nodded.

“In worlds with magic, a counter force is needed in order for the sapient species not to destroy itself. Although, it's possible, depending on the situation, to keep them from doing so by interfering with Prophets, Apostles, Messiahs, and Heroes. Even Earth had its share of such individuals, but Earth had its magic taken away a long time ago. When mankind appeared there, it was already dwindling.” he explained.

“Was it the wish of the god of Earth for that to happen?” I asked.

“Yes.” he nodded.

“So, what happened between your demons and the humans?” I asked.

“On Loya, demons were on the good side, while humans were the evil ones... Do you know what's the equivalent of a Demon King when the demons are the good guys?” he asked me with a soft smile.

“Erm... A Prime Minister? A Politician?” I asked half joking.

“Good one. Hehe. But no. They are called a Human King. Simple, right?” he asked and showed me a smile.

For a god with the main element of Darkness, Ezimuth sure smiled a lot.

I nodded.

“Well, peace was never an option between the two of them, at least, not at that time in their evolution. Unfortunately, the situation reached a point where the demons requested a Hero to save them from the threat of the humans.” he said.

“It's a bit funny when I think about it. Demons praying to gods to save them from humans. Completely opposite from most stories on Earth.” I sighed and shook my head.

“For you and others like you, it's indeed funny or rather ironic.” he nodded.

“So what happened?” I asked.

“I got excited all over again and thought long and hard about what sort of gift I wanted to give to this hero when he would come to my world. So, when I had finally decided, I let the demons know, and helped them in their summoning.” he showed me a weak smile.

“Then I was the one who got summoned, right?” I asked.

Ezimuth nodded.

“You were supposed to be my very first Hero. When I saw your potential, I was really happy and excited, but before I could act, it all ended tragically...” he let out a sigh.

“They killed me.” I said.

“Yes... With so many 'bad marks' you were akin to an actual Human King in their eyes. The prince didn't even hesitate.” he let out another sigh. “My perfect skill... My first ever Hero... Everything ended so badly I was left without words.” Ezimuth spoke in a sad tone of voice.

“What happened afterwards?” I asked, wondering about the future of his world.

“They tried again because they thought it was a failure, but I stopped them. I was mad, furious at what they did. So for ten years, I didn't look at them or listened to their prayers. I let them fend off for themselves.” he replied.

“That must have not ended well...” I showed him a wry smile.

“No, it didn't.” he shook his head. “The humans destroyed their civilization and turned their empires into dust. When I returned, all but one kingdom was left standing. I contacted them and told them about the Hero summoning the now destroyed empire did and that they were allowed to try one as well, but I warned them that whatever came out was going to be their hero and that they should not dare do what the others did.” he said.

“What happened then?” I asked.

“A human woman came forth. She was brought to my temple, I gave her a Blessing I saw fit and then left her to do her thing. She defeated the humans, married the Demon King, and lived a happy life.” he showed me a smile.

“Nice story, but there's more to it, right?” I guessed.

Ezimuth nodded.

“The humans didn't give up that easily and until she could marry the King, she had to make sure the Prince, who was her comrade and friend, was able to take the throne. That woman was scary when she plotted something. But there were many trials and anguishing moments she had to go through. There were many demons she cared about and inevitably came to witness the death of many friends either at the hand of demons, humans, or fate. Honestly, there are enough stories about her to fill a book.” he laughed.

“The life of a Hero isn't easy, right?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Then... did I fail?” I asked and looked into his eyes.

A few tears rolled down my cheeks, and I wiped them off before they reached my chin.

Hearing such a story could not make me help but wonder What if in all those 117 worlds, I could have done something like those other heroes. What would have happened if I wasn't killed or chased away by them? Could I have made friends and raised a family? Could I have grown strong enough to protect those around me?

It was a bit ironic that when I was finally given the chance to do so in this 118th world, I died before I could reach adulthood. What else could it be if not my own failure as a hero?

That was why I was sad.

“No...” Ezimuth replied in a caring tone of voice as he shook his head.

“But I died...” I told him.

“True.” he nodded.

“Then?”

“Do you know what happened to that Blessing I wanted to give you back on Loya?” he asked me with a gentle smile.

I shook my head. There was no way I could know what happened to it.

“I gave it to you.” he smiled. “In the end, my Blessing reached the Hero it was meant for, and I have the feeling I'm not the only one of the 118 who did this.” he said.

“What Blessing is that?” I asked with a confused look on my face.

“[Blessing of Endless Life] from Ezimuth the God of Darkness.” he smiled.

“What?” I blinked.

I was even more confused now.

“I think it's time for you to use it, Leonidas. You are the Hero I chose back then and which I approve of right now. Honestly, souls like yours are rare to find.” he said and once more I was surrounded by countless particles of light which shined brightly in this endless darkness.

The bright light forced me to close my eyes and when I opened them again, I saw the starry sky of the world I was born into, Sapherya's world. My lungs took a deep breath in, and I could feel the fresh air burning away the state of oxygen deprivation I was in. Looking down, I saw my chest healing at a remarkable speed, and once more I could feel my heart beating in my chest.

Without a moment to lose, I chanted in my mind the spell for [Status Window] and cast it on myself.

 

[Name]: Leonidas Drakarys

[Age]: 10 years (0 months and 2 days)

[Species]: (Evolved) Human

[Level]: 5

[Strength]: 118+50

[Speed]: 100+50

[Cognition]: 138

[Magic Energy]: 4050+50 / 4100

[Magic Affinity]: All Elements

 

-The following data is available only to the caster-

 

[Divine Skills]: [Oracle Eyes]; [Divine Contract]

[Known Magic]: [Status Window]; [Fire](+); [Water](+); [Wind](+); [Darkness](+); [Light](+); [Nature](+); [Spirit](+); [Summoning](+); [Holy](+); [Martial Arts](+); [Sword Fighting](+); Temporary: [Light Beam];

[Hero Potential]: 428 out of 12870466 (This skill will not activate until the previous value has been surpassed)

 

-Special Window-

 

[Binecuvântarea a 118 Zei] – 3 out of 118:

-[Blessing of Endless Life] from Ezimuth the God of Darkness

-[Blessing of the Emissary of War] from Druzan the God of War

-[Blessing of the Healer of the Gods] from Shaker the Goddess of Nature

 

It appeared as though two other gods beside Ezimuth decided to give me a helping hand for now. I could only give my thanks to them, but I was starting to wonder if maybe there were special conditions I had to fulfill in order to unlock other Blessings. I definitely told them to make my life a bit challenging and not just grant me unreasonable power from the beginning, it was just that... well... I hoped kicking the bucket wasn't going to be one of the said conditions.

Maybe the other Blessings aren't as merciless... I thought.

But while looking through my skills, I notice something odd, the Temporary: [Light Beam] one.

Since when do I have one of those? I wondered as I selected it to look at the details.

The moment I did so, I received the following message:

 

[Light Beam] – A Temporary Skill granted by Sapherya the Goddess of Creation;

-Instant cast;

-Continuous Magic Energy consumption;

-A temporary skill meant to remind you that your BELOVED Number 1 Goddess in the Universe is watching you! That's why you shouldn't use weird names to call her, alright?;

 

That last one was an unnecessary detail. My skill window wasn't the goddess' personal chat window!

But overall, it appeared as though the gods did in fact kept their promise. Maybe the difficulty of my new life wasn't set on Easy, and I definitely didn't want to receive everything on a silver platter, but at the very least, now I knew for certain that they didn't forget or abandoned me.

Because of this, I was happy, but now was not the time to be overcome with joy. There was another more urgent matter to attend to.

As I pushed myself off the grass, I became aware of the battle that was taking place not that far away from me. Cassandra, my little sister, was currently engaged in what I could call an unbelievable battle.

Before my eyes, I saw her covered in a fiery red aura. Her hair had turned from blonde to bright red like heated metal, and her movements were like those of a wild beast.

My guess was that Cassandra succeeded in activating her own Blessing and turned her fangs against Damascus, probably seeking revenge because as far as she witnessed, I died at his hand. Still, as her older brother, I couldn't stay out of this battle. I played the dead man long enough.

“Time to see what these Blessings of mine can do!” I said with a smirk as I clenched my hand into a fist.