The cold. A cold so absolute it no longer bit, it simply announced absence. It was all that remained. No air in my lungs, for I had none. No ground beneath my feet, an eternal fall that led nowhere. No light for my eyes, an darkness so dense it seemed to absorb the very notion of existence. There had been a flash, a tearing scream, the acrid, metallic taste of blood on my tongue, then nothing. Just oblivion, a silent dissolution. But even oblivion couldn't extinguish that persistent consciousness, that solitary spark that was all that remained of me. I was Frost, or at least, my name still resonated, fragile but tenacious, in the depths of my fragmented memory.
Days? Eons? I no longer knew. Time didn't exist here, in this sidereal void, this monochrome purgatory. I was a floating thought, a sensation disconnected from everything that made a body, an entity. Unable to move, to speak, to scream the despair that threatened to consume me. Solitude was a chilling embrace that squeezed my immaterial being, threatening to dissolve the last shred of my identity, to reduce me to a mere ethereal resonance in infinity. Each non-moment was a test of endurance, a silent struggle against the void pressing in from all sides.
So, when a glimmer appeared, I didn't welcome it with the exalted hope one would expect from a being on the brink of annihilation. No. It was a disinterested, almost clinical curiosity. A speck of light in the infinite, gently pulsing, expanding with each imperceptible beat. It grew, devouring the darkness, not with violence, but with a gentle inevitability, until it formed a space. Not a room with solid walls and an oppressive ceiling, but a space defined by light itself, an ethereal sanctuary where only a throne, carved from a material that seemed to be solidified light, sat at the center.
And on that throne, the Being.
It was neither man nor woman, not even a form recognizable by human senses, yet I knew, instinctively, that it was. It was a ripple of light, a living constellation, a consciousness made visible by the billions of miniature stars dancing and swirling within its humanoid silhouette. It had no face in the way we understand it, but I felt its gaze, an immense weight of wisdom and age, probing every last particle of my floating soul. Faced with such grandeur, fear was too insignificant an emotion to manifest. There was only reverence, a deep acceptance of its overwhelming power.
"You who have crossed the veil unbidden," resonated a voice that wasn't an audible sound, but a vibration directly in my mind, a cosmic velvet caress that soothed the last echoes of the void. "You who have kept your inner flame intact despite the dissolution of your mortal coil. Your name is Frost."
My name. An anchor cast into the void. I clung to it, a lifesaver in the ocean of my lost past. "Am I dead? Am I in the afterlife?"
"Dead, yes. But the afterlife as you conceive it is a crude simplification of multiversal realities. You are at a crossroads, a drifting soul, seeking a new river to flow. " The Being of Light floated slightly above its throne, its internal stars glittering with new intensity, like a miniature universe awakening. "In the vast tapestries of the multiverse, there are souls who, through their unwavering perseverance or an unfinished destiny, are offered a second chance. A reincarnation, certainly. But a reincarnation shaped by the vows of your deepest heart, the most ardent desires of your essence."
My heart. It beat again, invisibly, a strong and new pulsation. A second chance. The word resonated with dizzying power, like an electric shock that woke me from my numbness. "A second chance... where?"
"The world of Douluo Dalu. For your resilience, for the quiet strength I perceived in you, a strength capable of defying oblivion, I grant you ten wishes. Ten opportunities to weave the path of your new destiny. Choose them with the wisdom you accumulated in your past life, however brief and tumultuous it was."
Ten wishes. Ten. Not one, nor two, but ten. My mind, initially numb from the shock and the immensity of the moment, ignited with a new light. Opportunities, infinite possibilities unfolded before me, like unexplored constellations, entire galaxies of potential. I wasn't just an ordinary reincarnated being; this was a chance to write my own story, no longer to be a pawn of destiny.
"I understand," I projected, my will finally freed from its ethereal shackles, strong and clear. "I am ready."
"Then, formulate the first thread of your new destiny."
I already had ideas, concepts gleaned from ancient tales, fantasies now becoming bricks for a tangible future. Foundations, solid and unshakeable. "My first wish: I wish my martial soul to be the Divine Aries Armor. Not just a simple martial soul, but an incarnation of divine power itself, a luminous and protective entity."
The Being's light rippled, like a sea of distant stars agitated by a cosmic breath. "A divine martial soul from the start. Its implications are vast."
"I don't know," I admitted honestly, a humility forced by the immensity before me. "But I am ready to bear the consequences. I want a power base that isn't just strong, but... fundamental, the very essence of power."
"Very well. It shall be done. Your martial soul will be the Divine Aries Armor. However, it will be a manifestation of pure energy, not a physical and impenetrable armor in the literal sense. Its resistance and power will increase with each spirit ring, becoming more and more concrete, but the true power will reside in your essence, not in raw matter. Its future evolution will be the key to its physical solidity."
It was a fair trade-off, a comprehensible limitation for such initial power. I mentally nodded, already feeling the thrill of this future energy. "My second wish, then. I wish this divine martial soul to be embedded in my bloodline. May my descendants, through the purity of their blood and their mother's heritage, not only inherit my martial soul, but also manifest other divine armors of Athena's knights, or even gold, silver, and bronze armors from Saint Seiya. And I desire that, in certain very particular cases, through a unique mutation of their martial soul, they may even give birth to entirely new armors, expressions of celestial power never before seen. I know the concept of constellations is foreign to Douluo Dalu, but my bloodline will become the exception, a bridge to these energies."
The Being of Light extended a hand made of stars, as if validating my wish, the threads of destiny I sought to weave. "A wish of inheritance. To build a lineage."
I felt a pang of ethereal sadness embrace me, an echo of my past life. "In my previous life, I often felt the lack of an inheritance. I had no family in the broader sense, no deep roots to cling to. I read stories, legends, where divine bloodlines are the pillars of the Divine Realms, the foundations of entire civilizations. I don't want to be a simple meteor that shines then disappears without a trace. I want my life, my power, to have a lasting impact, a foundation that can support generations. If I don't achieve divine apotheosis, I want my descendants to have this path traced, this chance to succeed where I might fail. I want to be the beginning of something great and enduring."
"A noble vision," the Voice murmured, its echo filled with an approving resonance. "Interesting." The Being rested its hand. "And your third wish?"
"For my third wish," I said, a shiver running through me at the thought of the danger I sought to avoid, a fear more tangible than the void itself, "I wish that I be the origin of this bloodline, not my future parents. And that my martial soul, the Divine Aries Armor, be considered by the world as a simple random mutation, the unexpected and inexplicable fruit of the fusion of my two parents' martial souls."
The Being of Light pulsed with increased curiosity, its internal stars stirring like a swarm. "A concealment. An illusion projected onto the world."
The fear, this time, was palpable, an icy grip around my immaterial heart. "The Spirit Hall. Their methods, their obsession with unique talents, their tendency to break what cannot be controlled. If they discovered the true nature of my martial soul, the purity of my bloodline from my birth, they would never leave my family in peace. My future parents are simple people, I hope, ignorant of the machinations of power, the greed of organizations. I don't want them to be used, tortured, or worse, killed, to get to me. Having a family, a real family, is a dream I've carried since my past life, a nostalgia I didn't know was so deep. Losing them because of my own divine nature would be a wound that would never heal. It's a sacrifice, a lie for protection. It's my price for the love I never had."
Silence returned, but it was different this time, imbued with deep meditation, with tacit recognition. Then, the Being of Light nodded, with a slow and majestic movement that made the billions of stars within it sparkle. "I understand. Very well. Your martial soul will be perceived as a unique and inexplicable mutation by the world, a quirk of fate, the fault of chance. And to anchor this 'mutation' in the fabric of your new reality, you will be reincarnated within a loving family of average financial status. Your father will possess a star-patterned armor martial soul, and your mother, a golden ram. Your future wings, if you manifest them, will also be justified as a simple extension of this mutation, an outgrowth of your martial soul. Your requests for the first, second, and third wishes are granted."
An immense weight lifted from my being, as if cosmic chains had just broken. Gratitude overwhelmed me, warm and sparkling, a pure and powerful emotion I hadn't felt in a long time. "Thank you! Thank you infinitely!"
"We have seven wishes left, Frost. Continue."
"My fourth wish," I resumed, my mind swirling with ideas, pragmatism taking over, "I wish to possess an innate domain intrinsically linked to my bloodline and my martial soul."
The Being of Light vibrated softly. "A domain, huh?"
"The fifth wish: an innate soul ring that will manifest as my eighth ring. A ring that will be born with me, that will be part of my being from the beginning, without requiring the hunting of a specific spirit beast for my initial progression."
"A ring that will be born from your essence."
"It's a matter of stability and foundation," I explained, my mental voice imbued with relentless logic. "In Douluo Dalu, acquiring spirit rings of the appropriate age and attribute match is not easy. An innate ring would give me an unshakeable foundation, a certainty of power that I could develop, especially if my ideal configuration is achieved. A guarantee that even if things go wrong, I'll have this fundamental pillar to rely on. It's insurance against the unforeseen."
"A quest for fundamental security. I understand." The Voice of the Being of Light expressed silent approval, like a whisper of stars. "Very well. And for your sixth and seventh wishes?"
"For the sixth, I desire to be able to use the techniques of the other Gold Saints, on the condition that I obtain the appropriate soul ring. My Aries Armor is powerful and unique, but the repertoire of the other Gold Saints is vast and varied: Gemini's Lightning Plasma, Scorpio's Scarlet Needle, Capricorn's Excalibur... This would greatly expand my abilities, making me unpredictable and versatile against any opponent, a complete arsenal at my disposal."
"A quest for versatility. And the last of this group?"
"My seventh wish," I concluded, my determination burning like a distant star, "that my innate soul power be compressed to Level 10, instead of the usual Level 20. I want it to be of such purity and density that I will never have to feel inferior to the power of a Level 30 or even higher Soul Master. I'm not looking for brute power quantity initially, but excellence from the start, an unparalleled quality that will allow me to overcome obstacles without needing a gargantuan amount."
"Quality over quantity. These wishes are granted, Frost."
I felt a strength growing within me, an anticipation that made me vibrate with new energy, as if my immaterial being was already taking shape. "We are approaching the end of my requests. My eighth wish: I desire that my martial soul can evolve. By fusing with a divine armor forged from my soul bones, it would become a true golden divine Aries armor, but even more powerful, surpassing even legend. A perfect union between my spiritual essence and my divine equipment, a total symbiosis of power."
The Being of Light vibrated with profound intensity, a silent oscillation that filled me with a joy that was not of this world, a cosmic exultation. "A perfect symbiosis. A quest for ultimate fusion. I grant it to you. However, this will come with a significant requirement: you will have to use soul bones of over 100,000 years old exclusively. Furthermore, in addition to the six usual pieces (head, torso, left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg), you will need two additional soul bones. One must be a weapon and the other wings."
Seeing that the being still said nothing, I continued, my mind overflowing with ideas, pragmatism mixing with ambition: "For my ninth wish, I want a support system. A true assistant, a digital consciousness capable of processing information at incredible speed. It will help me choose my soul rings, devise the best cultivation techniques for myself and for others I choose. It will assist me in the complex training of the soul core and the bloodline ring. And, a crucial detail, it will help me locate the most appropriate spirit beasts for my soul bones, particularly that soul bone that will serve as a weapon, guiding me to the rarest and most powerful specimens."
"A tool to navigate the complexities of a world of power. Very astute."
I suppressed a slight smile, an inner satisfaction while thinking, "Other systems like gacha, while promising wonders, are inherently random. Too dependent on luck, and the items obtained often become obsolete as they don't adapt to the host's growth. Mission systems force you to follow a fixed path, removing autonomy and discovery, turning life into a game where the character is just a puppet at the whim of the provider. Shops, on the other hand, depend on currency that is often the result of repetitive and boring tasks, and the scarcity of resources would make it a bottomless pit. I need a reliable partner, a guide who allows me to grow organically, through my own efforts and intelligence, without forcing me into arbitrary quests or playing with my fortune and my life. I am not a pawn in a video game, I am a being who must build his own destiny, who wants to understand and master. I am not the Son of Heaven. I will not gamble with my life or that of my future family."
A silence of approval followed, deeper and more vibrant than anything I had felt so far. The Being's light vibrated in a way that, if a Being of Light could smile, would have been a cosmic smile, a rare satisfaction. "It seems I have accurately discerned your essence, Frost. Your choices are imbued with rare pragmatism and an unshakeable will to master. So, tell me your last wish. This final choice will seal the foundations of your future existence, a pillar for the world to come. Choose wisely, for the consequences will be vast."
I took a deep breath, the last and most audacious of my requests. A vision of power, of limitless potential, formed in my mind, an ambition limited only by the cosmos. "For my last wish, I desire that you grant me the power to allow the world of Douluo to host seven additional gods: a god-king, two first-level gods, and four second-level gods. And all this, without needing permission from the other established god-kings or the constraints of the existing Divine Realm. Of course, the god-king position will fall to me, or one of my descendants if I ever fail in this quest. For the others, a simple divine test will suffice to seal their ascension, provided they are worthy and I choose them."
The Being of Light radiated monumental power, a silent but profound laugh that shook the foundations of space itself, making the inner galaxies dance. "An audacity that defies the cosmic order itself! This is a grandiose request, Frost, an ambition that will reshape the heavens. But you yourself will have to succeed in the test to create this god-king seat. Fear not, if you fail, no one else but your descendants will have access to it. This is a risky gamble, Frost, but the reward is immense. The foundations are laid. The time has passed. Make this world... more fascinating."
Before my consciousness could even grasp the full scope of its last words, the light intensified to blindness, then darkness swallowed everything. My non-existence shifted into a new void, this time filled not with emptiness, but with dizzying promises, unexplored mysteries, and the heavy responsibility of a chosen destiny, a destiny I would forge with my own hands.