"So, you're Rain?" someone with authority asked from a floating orb. "Yes! That's me," Rain replied, a little panicked.
"I'm the God of this world, and I'm really sorry about my subordinate, the Goddess of Elements, dropping a lightning bolt on you," the God said.
"N-no, it's okay," Rain immediately replied, trying his best to reassure the embarrassed Goddess so she wouldn't feel responsible.
"Plus, this might be a good thing in the end, since my life has been full of unlucky moments. In fact, I haven't had any luck my whole life," Rain added, trying to comfort the Goddess."Uhmm, about that," the God began.
"It's this idiot's fault you've been so unlucky in the human world."
The God pointed his staff at a slender but beautiful man.
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Rain. I accidentally gave you a punishment meant for a sinner," the God of Luck said, bowing apologetically. "What?" Rain exclaimed.
"N-no, it's okay. What's done is done, so there's nothing we can do about it. Hehe," Rain said, scratching the back of his head.
"Please forgive us. This situation should never have happened in the first place,"
the God said, bowing his head. "N-no, please raise your head!" Rain said immediately.
"It's okay, I forgive you. Even gods make mistakes, right?" Rain added awkwardly.
"You're a benevolent person!" the God of Luck said, looking proud.
"Yes, indeed!" the Goddess of Elements chimed in cheerfully.
"Don't feel glad just because he forgave you two!" the God snapped, jolting them both.
"You two are adult gods how can you make such a simple mistake and not tell me?" he reprimanded, while Rain, in his floating orb form, silently watched the scene unfold. "We're really sorry, Father!" the two said in unison.
"NO! THIS WON'T DO!" the God shouted. "I'll give you two an appropriate punishment!"
"Y-yes, Father," they replied nervously.
Meanwhile, in Rain's thoughts: I can't believe I'm seeing gods act like humans like this... He watched the two get scolded, then suddenly heard his name, making him jump even as a floating orb."Y-YES!" Rain responded immediately.
"Rain, as punishment for the Goddess of Elements, I will bestow upon you her 500 years of progress. You may also choose your soon-to-be main element. And, as compensation, you can wish for anything from the God of Luck. Does that sound acceptable to you?" the God asked, making Rain's heart leap.
"Well, as their head, this is my responsibility too. So please forgive me. As compensation, I will give you a completely new body and transport you to another world. Will that be acceptable?" the God asked solemnly.
"Y-YES! That is more than enough, so please!" Rain replied, relief and excitement bubbling in his voice.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Rain," the God said with a respectful nod.
"Now, for the Goddess's punishment, I will transfer to you her 500 years of progress in knowledge, mana, and elemental conceptual attunements," the God continued, his tone serious yet kind.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH! But…" Rain's voice wavered slightly as he braced himself, a mix of awe and hesitation flickering across his face. "Is it really okay for me to take these from the Goddess of Elements... and from all of you?"
The three gods exchanged amused glances before bursting into laughter.
"You don't have to worry about that, Mr. Rain," the God of Luck said warmly, his eyes twinkling with reassurance.
"Just pick what you want, and don't hesitate," the Goddess of Elements added, her cheerful smile brightening the room despite the weight of the situation.
"In this world, there are six elements: Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Light, and Darkness," she explained joyfully, almost like a child sharing her favorite story.
"You can choose three elements for which you will have perfect affinity," she said, her voice full of hope and encouragement.
Rain took a deep breath, the weight of the moment settling in his chest. His eyes flickered between the gods and the possibilities that lay ahead. His heart pounded not just from excitement, but from the immense responsibility he now carried.
"Then, please pardon me, but I choose…" Rain began, his voice soft but steady, eyes glimmering with newfound determination as he prepared to decide the path that would shape his destiny.
"There are seven elements, and I can only choose three," Rain murmured to himself, eyes narrowing as he considered his options. "Based on my past experiences on Earth, Fire focuses on raw power, while Water is about support and healing so those two are a must. But what should the third be?"
His mind wrestled with the choice. Darkness or Light?
After a moment's pause, his expression hardened with resolve. "Goddess of Elements, I choose Fire, Water, and Darkness," Rain declared, determination shining in his eyes.
"I see. Then here they are," the Goddess of Elements said, reaching out her hand. Three glowing orbs materialized, floating gently toward Rain's soul before merging seamlessly with it.
As she approached, she placed her hands over his essence. "I will now transfer my 500 years of progress into you," she said softly.
Whoa… this feeling… it's so soothing… pleasant… Rain thought, his mind flooded with warmth and power.
After some time, the Goddess withdrew her hands.
"Now, what is your wish from the God of Luck?" the God asked.
Rain blinked, then spoke casually, "Can I have the strongest weapon you have?"
He caught the subtle worry flickering across the faces of the gods and goddesses. Looks like the strongest weapon isn't possible, he thought.
"Then how about making me immortal?" he added, his tone light but hopeful.
"Hmm, making you immortal is no problem. Consider it done," the God of Luck said with a confident snap of his fingers.
"Done!" he announced.
"Whoa, that was fast!" Rain said, genuinely impressed.
"Then let's proceed," the God said. "Now I will transfer you to the new world and give you a body worthy of the gifts you have obtained."
"Thank you, everyone!" Rain said, his voice filled with gratitude as a brilliant white light engulfed him.
But then, suddenly, the entire place shook violently.
"WHAT?! WHAT IS GOING ON?!" the God shouted, confusion and alarm cracking his voice.
Before anyone could react, a massive thunderclap struck Rain's soul then, just like that, it vanished without a trace.
After a heavy silence, the gods and goddess exchanged uneasy glances.
"For something like this to happen in the Divine Realm, it must be the work of a higher being," the God said grimly.
"Yes, it must be... but why?" the God of Luck asked, his voice laced with concern.
"We won't know... at least, not yet," the Goddess of Elements replied, her tone guarded and thoughtful.
"I just hope that Mr. Rain is okay," the Goddess added softly, worry flickering in her eyes.
As Rain opened his eyes, he was greeted by an endless field stretching out in every direction. The sheer beauty of the place took him by surprise.
"This… this place is so beautiful!" Rain exclaimed, his voice filled with awe as he looked around. Behind him loomed a dense forest, its shadows promising mystery and danger.
I hope there's nothing dangerous here, he thought warily.
After exploring the area for a while, Rain settled beside a huge rock, sitting down as he gazed up at the sky.
"Judging by the sun's position, it must be about ten in the morning. I still have some time I better find shelter, food, and water," he reasoned thoughtfully.
And what about that lightning that struck my soul? Rain wondered, a frown creasing his brow. Was it part of the reincarnation process, or something else entirely?
Standing up, he shook off the lingering questions.
"For now… let's see how magic works!" Rain said excitedly. Closing his eyes, he focused all his willpower on the elemental progress granted by the Goddess.
But nothing happened.
I have the Goddess of Elements' progress, yet nothing is coming up, he thought in confusion. Then, suddenly, he raised his hand and shouted, "FIREBALL!"
Silence followed.
Looks like incantations don't work here… or maybe they use a completely different language, Rain mused, frustration mixing with curiosity.
With a determined sigh, he turned and began walking toward the edge of the forest.
After hours of walking and gathering random things, Rain finally stopped in a breathtaking clearing.
Multiple flowers bloomed all around, painting the meadow with vibrant colors. A clear lake shimmered nearby, its waters feeding a gentle river that wound through the landscape. The open space stretched wide beneath the vast sky, framed by distant mountains.
"This- this place is the best location for a survival game," Rain muttered to himself, a grin spreading across his face. "I will definitely stay here. Even if it's a little deep in the forest, I can see the mountains. No, I don't need to justify it this place is just the perfect retirement spot. HAHAHAHA."
He chuckled quietly, feeling a strange mix of relief and excitement.
"All right, for now, let's build a shelter and find some food," Rain decided, scanning the area. His eyes caught sight of a tree heavy with fruit that looked remarkably like apples.
"Is… is that an apple?" he asked, running over eagerly.
Taking a bite without knowing is stupid, he thought carefully. Better find something I can feed this fruit to first.
Spotting some rabbits nearby, he smiled. "Looks like I have food covered."
With determination, Rain began chasing a lone rabbit, weaving through the grass until he finally caught it. Gently, he fed the apple-like fruit to the rabbit.
"Now I just need to wait and see what happens," Rain thought, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
He glanced around once more and then up at the sky. "I really need fire, though," he added softly, eyes drifting over the stunning scenery that surrounded him.
After some time, Rain was startled by a familiar voice echoing in his mind.
"Mr. Rain?!"
"Huh? Who's there?!" Rain shouted, spinning around as his eyes scanned the clearing.
"It's me the Goddess of Elements," the voice replied gently. "I contacted you because I'm… a little concerned about what happened during your transfer to the human world."
"Oh, Goddess of Elements. You don't have to worry, I'm safe. Nothing bad happened to me… it's just that" Rain hesitated.
Sensing his pause, the Goddess's voice softened. "Go on, tell me what's bothering you."
"Uhmm… I tried casting magic, but it didn't work. Could this be because of that lightning that struck my soul?" Rain asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Hmm…" the Goddess mused. "I'm looking at your status panel, but there's nothing wrong with it. Perhaps you simply don't know how magic casting works in that world. It's different from what you may have expected."
Rain's eyes lit up with hope. "Then… can you please teach me? Just a simple fire spell something to make fire."
"You should already know it, right? You have my five hundred years of research," the Goddess replied, sounding surprised.
Rain scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uhmm… about that… I didn't receive any knowledge from you."
"Wait… really?" the Goddess asked in disbelief.
"Yes, really," Rain replied firmly.
Before she could respond, another voice boomed into Rain's mind.
"What are you doing?"
"EEEK! F-Father! N-nothing! I was doing nothing, hehe…" the Goddess stammered nervously.
Looks like she got caught, Rain thought, struggling not to laugh.
"Are you contacting a human right now?" the God asked, his tone sharp.
"N-NO! That's against the rules! I just broke one already why would I break another?" the Goddess said in a rush.
"Hmm… is that you, Mr. Rain?" the God asked suddenly.
"Y-YES!" Rain blurted out before he could stop himself.
"I KNEW IT!" the God roared.
"EEEEEK! F-Father! LET ME EXPLAIN!" the Goddess squealed.
"Go on," the God said, his voice dropping to an icy calm.
"Look, I was concerned about Mr. Rain. But then he told me… the knowledge I gained over five hundred years wasn't given to him at all," the Goddess explained quickly.
"What do you mean?" the God pressed.
"He knows nothing, Father," she admitted.
"Hmm… it might be because of that thunder," the God muttered. Then, after a moment, he sighed. "Why does everything go wrong concerning Mr. Rain?"
"I don't know, Father…" the Goddess said quietly.
The God fell silent, thinking. "And there's still the problem concerning that rift…" he murmured to himself.
Finally, he spoke decisively. "All right. Give him your blessing and transfer the five hundred years of your knowledge to him again. I'll also give him something."
"Mr. Rain! Did you hear that?!" the Goddess said excitedly.
"Y-yes, I heard loud and clear! Thank you very much!" Rain said, bowing deeply even though he knew they couldn't physically see him.
"Mr. Rain, it's me God," the deep, commanding voice resonated in Rain's mind, this time establishing a direct connection.
"I'll give you something… but in return, I want you to do something for me," the God continued, his tone serious. "Normally, we do not interfere in human lives. But you are different you are immortal. That means you can act as our sword in the human world."
"M-me?" Rain stammered. "If you think I'm worthy… then please, tell me what it is."
"First, I want you to keep out invading creatures from other worlds. Second, I will give you orders from time to time. Each mission will come with a reward scaled to its difficulty," the God explained.
"I see… that sounds easy enough. I accept your proposal," Rain replied with confidence.
"Good. Then, as a reward for accepting, I will give you the Soul Library a treasure that will allow you to store and access all forms of knowledge directly within your soul. I will also grant you my blessing. And… as compensation for the thunder that struck your soul, I will allow you to request one skill of your choosing."
That last part made Rain's heart leap in excitement.
"Then… can I have a buff that allows me to ignore spellcasting once I reach a certain mastery over an element?" Rain asked quickly.
"Hmm… ignoring all spellcasting for an element is difficult," the God mused. "In that world, magic is heavily dependent on magic circles. However… I can adjust your request. Instead of ignoring an element's entire casting process, I will make it so that once you master a specific spell you can cast it without drawing its magic circle."
"That's still great, Sir!" Rain said, grinning. "So… I just have to master a spell to the point I can cast it instantly?"
"Yes. That's correct," the God confirmed.
"Then please grant me that ability!" Rain said with determination.
"Very well… then please, get stronger," the God replied.
With that, the connection between them faded, leaving Rain alone once again but now with the weight of a divine mission and gifts that could shape his destiny.
Not long after, a pillar of divine light shot down upon Rain."I–IS THIS THE BLESSING?!" he exclaimed as a translucent status panel appeared before his eyes.
Name:
AetherialRank:
Resonance Path:
Blessings:
High God: Level 2
Goddess of Elements: Level 5
Affinities:
Fire
Water
Darkness
Skills:
Soul Library
"Alright… looks like I've received it all now," Rain thought to himself. He closed his eyes, and not long after, a book materialized in front of him, floating in the air.
"WHOAA! IT REALLY WORKS!" Rain exclaimed in excitement.
"For now, let's study how to summon a small fire," he decided, placing the rabbit on his lap and gently stroking its fur.
"Huh… looks like I don't even have to hold the book," he mused.
"First, let's learn this elementary spell called Fire Light. According to this, it summons a single fireball to illuminate the surroundings."
"Hmm… first step is to lay down my canvas, then draw my base, then the foundation, and finally the elemental glyph…" Rain paused, then let out an awkward laugh, scratching his cheek. "Looks like I'll need to study the basics of spellcasting first."