— I had always heard that there was something after death, but I never believed that the first thing I would see would be my own lifeless body.
Luke stared at the body lying motionless on the operating table.
— Ever since I was born, I was a child who was constantly getting sick. Most of my life was spent in hospitals. Doctors always said I had a very rare illness that weakened me; others claimed it was something neurological. To be honest, it wasn't the doctors' fault—my parents were always searching for a second opinion. Eventually, everything revolved around medicine and surgeries. In the end, my body couldn't endure it anymore… and finally gave in.
Lost in thought, Luke gazed around the operating room he had entered so many times before. He looked at the surgical tools, remembering how often they had been used on him. He watched as they closed his body and covered it. All of it—every detail—was now nothing more than a memory of the life he had lived.
He looked down at his hands and noticed he was still wearing a hospital gown. He also realized he wasn't transparent, nor could he float or fly. He tried touching his body, tried moving objects around him, but his hands passed straight through everything. When nothing worked, he sat down near the entrance of the operating room.
As Luke watched the room being cleaned, he could hear the voices around him.
"Was he really just a child?"
"His parents won't be able to handle the news."
"They always approved every surgery."
"Did they truly love him?"
He let out a quiet sigh and stared at the ceiling, thinking about their words. He wondered how his family would react, what his life would be like now. Countless thoughts swirled through his mind. Eventually, he stood up and left the operating room in search of his parents, walking through endless hallways until he finally spotted them in the distance.
As he approached, he saw the surgeon deliver the news. His parents' reactions were immediate, especially his mother, who collapsed to her knees as she cried, while his father held her tightly. Her wails echoed through the corridor as Luke slowly drew closer.
Standing in front of them, Luke crouched down to look at his mother's face. He tried to touch her cheek, but it was pointless—his hand passed right through her. Yet, in that moment, Luke noticed something strange.
— Even though my heart has stopped beating…(Luke placed a hand on his chest.)-- I thought I would still feel something. In a situation like this, I should be crying… but I don't feel sadness. I don't feel anything. It's as if my emotions are gone.
Luke stayed there until his parents finally left. With nowhere else to go, he decided to follow them.
— The house feels empty. I can't remember the last time I was here… but… something feels off. I don't know how to explain it…
He went upstairs and entered his room. It looked exactly the same as it had eight years ago, posters on the walls, a laptop on the desk, and a shelf filled with fantasy and horror books.
He walked through the entire house, just as he used to when he was a child, searching for something different. But nothing had changed. He watched his parents as they continued to grieve his loss. His father went to work, as it was the only thing that distracted him from his pain. His mother tried to do the same, but in the end, she would always fall asleep after crying too much.
— I don't like seeing them like this…
Luke approached his mother, who was sleeping on the living room couch. He tried to take her hand, even knowing it was impossible—but this time, something was different.
— Aghhh!!
Without any explanation, the moment his hand came close enough, Luke was struck by a shock that sent him stumbling backward a few centimeters away from the couch.
— What the hell was that?!(Luke shouted in shock.)
He quickly steadied himself, trying to understand what had just happened.
— I'm supposed to be dead. Why did it hurt? What does this mean?
Slowly, he approached her again and tried to touch her hand. But when he was just two steps away, that strange sensation returned—this time far stronger. The impact threw Luke backward so violently that he found himself outside the house.
— Cough, cough… that was too much… I don't understand any of this… cough…
Despite everything, Luke didn't feel fear. If anything, he felt calm, perhaps a little surprised. Still, he hesitated to get closer again. He wondered if that strange sensation was some kind of barrier preventing him from approaching her. In the end, he decided to stay outside until his father returned from work.
Hours passed. Luke sat there, gazing up at the sky as the moon slowly rose. A gentle breeze began to blow, yet he felt nothing. After a long wait, his father's car finally appeared. Luke stood up and entered the house alongside him. His mother was still asleep. This time, the barrier didn't appear. He tried again, but nothing happened, his hand simply passed through hers.
With no idea what any of it meant, Luke went back to his room and lay down on the bed, just as he used to years ago. Since he couldn't eat or drink, he wondered if he could at least sleep. He decided to try.
That simple act… marked the beginning of a new life for him.
***************************************
Marked by the Gods: The Awakening of Chaos
Chapter 1 – Reincarnation
*********************************************
— I can't move… I can't see anything, everything is dark… and on top of that… it feels like my body is floating in water…
*Ploc*
— The only thing I can hear is that sound, like something dripping somewhere and the echo reaching all the way here. At this rate, I'm going to lose my mind.
*Ploc*
— How long have I been here?
*Ploc*
— I only remember trying to sleep, and then… I ended up in this place.
*Ploc*
— I thought my emotions were gone, but… it seems that's not the case here… I… I don't know how much longer I can endure this.
*Ploc*
— I'm tired… I want to leave.
I can't take it anymore…
*Ploc*
[Do you want to leave?]
A message appeared before him.
— What is this? It looks like a notification…
[Do you want to leave?]
The message appeared once again.
— (I don't know… something feels strange. I don't know if I can trust this… but right now I have nothing to do. I have nowhere to go, and I don't want to stay here either. There's no other choice.)
— Yes, I want to leave.
[Is there something you desire?]
— (What… something I desire?) I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean.
[Processing response:
Response found:
Example: Power, wealth, fame, wisdom, love, luck
Or something else]
[Is there something you desire?]
— (I can't believe this… Is this what comes after death? Is this what people call reincarnation or something like that? …Hmm… if that's the case…)
— Wi… wisdom and… love.
[Wisdom and Love, processing…]
— I guess all that's left is to wa
[Congratulations, process completed]
[Enjoy your new life]
— Wai..
A blinding light engulfed the dark space where Luke was. His body and everything around him was consumed by that light, until at last the place returned to a deep, endless darkness.
— Mmm…
(…)
Luke awoke to rays of sunlight filtering through the trees. He stretched out his hand, only to realize he could once again feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. With a faint smile, he sat up and noticed he was in the middle of a forest.
Looking around, the first thing he noticed was a dark leather bag lying beside him. He observed that he was wearing clothes instead of a hospital gown: dark trousers, a white shirt, and a dark overcoat that reached down to his knees.
The next thing he noticed was his surroundings. He was completely alone, with only the sound of birds and the natural ambience of the forest as his company.
— I really came back to life… My body feels a bit heavy. I used to be very thin, but now that I look at myself, I'm quite healthy. Hahaha… I feel completely different… This is incredible.
(Luke did some basic stretching, trying to get used to his new body.)
— Now I should check this backpack… bag… it looks more like a trash bag… whatever.
Luke opened the bag, but it was empty.
— This is definitely another world. There's nothing inside, but it looks pretty bulky. Let's see… Oh, there is something… What's this? There's writing on it: "Scroll of Wisdom." It looks very old. Alright, I'll leave this here. What else… hmm… got it, this is another one, but it's different. It's heart-shaped. This one says: "Scroll of Love." Okay… umm… there's something else… I've got it… this… what is this… scissors?
Luke pulled out a pair of scissors with a strange shape. The blades were curved in such a way that they resembled the zigzag pattern of a serpent.
— Looks like that's everything. There's nothing else in this bag.
— Alright, I'll check this one first. "Scroll of Wisdom."
He said this as he placed the scissors back into the bag.
When he unrolled the scroll, a message appeared.
{Break this scroll to permanently increase your Wisdom by 100 points. Do not forget to select the type of wisdom you wish to obtain.}
— Select? Oh, I see.
{Sword WisdomBow WisdomMagic WisdomCreation WisdomMana Wisdom}
— I understand. To be honest, I can imagine what most of these mean. Sword and bow are out—I've never fought before, so they wouldn't be very useful. As for magic, I don't really know how it works. From all the fantasy stories I've read, if I use too much, I could pass out at best, and being in the middle of a forest, that wouldn't be a great idea.
— Mana wisdom might mean a better understanding of it, and maybe I could create my own spells… though that might also be possible if I choose magic. But Creation Wisdom really catches my attention, not just because of the name, but because of its use. What could it be? Potion crafting? Something like an alchemist? If that's the case, it would be very helpful, especially since I appeared in this forest.
Luke tore the scroll in half. As he did, it transformed into a purple trail of light that flew toward his body, covering him until it completely vanished.
— Wow… that was really strange…
{You have absorbed "Scroll of Wisdom"}
{Intelligence has been replaced by Wisdom}
{Base Intelligence will be added to the 100 points from the scroll}
{Changes completed. You may now check your status}
{Keyword: "Status"}
— So… I really do have a system. It still amazes me. Let's see… "Status."
A dark blue window with green decorative edges appeared in front of him, displaying his personal information and statistics.
[Name: Luke Afroth]
— Afroth? Why do I have that last name?
[Answer found]
[You received the blessing of the Egyptian god Thoth upon absorbing the scroll. As this is your new life, only your first name was retained.]
— I see… If that's the case, then the other scroll must be related to the gods of love.
Luke tore the scroll apart. This time, however, it transformed into the shape of a heart that slowly drifted toward his chest. Unlike the previous scroll, it released a sweet fragrance. When the heart finally disappeared into his body, his stats changed.
{You have absorbed the "Scroll of Love"}
{You have received the blessing of the goddess Aphrodite, the god Eros,the god Anteros, and the god Himeros}
{Combining blessings…}
{Process complete}
{Skill acquired: "Total Comprehension"}
{You can now understand the feelings, emotions, and thoughts of others}
— I think I just obtained a ridiculously powerful skill… "Status."
— Let's see… let's see…
Wisdom: 230
— Whoa… my base intelligence was 130. Mom always said I was smart, but… I didn't think it was actually true.
Strength: 80 Speed: 50 Agility: 40 Perception: 30 Defense: 10 Magic: 30
—There's still more…
Age: 18
— The same age I was when I died…
Race: ?Human?
— That question mark… Is it because I died once? Or is it something else… maybe related to the blessings. I'll think about it later.
Level: 1
Skills: "Total Comprehension", "Creation Wisdom"
Blessings: Aphrodite, Eros, Anteros, Himeros, Thoth.
— That seems to be everything. There's a lot to process, but now isn't the time. For now, I need to see if this wisdom actually works. How should I test it?
Luke carefully examined his surroundings. He looked up at the sky, stared at the sun, and narrowed his eyes to focus his vision.
— Hahaha… I think I more or less figured out how it works. Whether it's luck or wisdom, it doesn't really matter.
A new window opened in front of him, displaying the current date.
{Time: 12:00} {Day: Wednesday} {Year: 5,320}
-- Perfect. It's only noon. I still have time to explore a bit before night falls. Let's see what this place has to offer.