1 Selfless Even in Death

"Where am I?"

Waking up in a huge throne hall where everything is white except for the long red carpet below him that seemed to expand endlessly, a soul in the form of a white, fist-sized orb was floating freely while seemingly trying to look around trying to identify the place where he is in.

"Hmmm?... Oh, you're awake!"

A woman's melodious voice soothingly echoed around the place when she noticed that the soul orb that was in front of her was regaining consciousness.

The soul's consciousness turned towards where the voice came from and there he saw a very well endowed voluptuous woman of peerless beauty. Wearing a long white dress that hugged her alluring figure sitting on her grand white throne exuding a gentle and regal aura.

She has flawless snow-white skin which amplified her mature beauty, white, long, and silky smooth hair that reached her waist hanging freely at her back. Her blue phoenix eyes could be described as clear as an untouched ocean intently gazing at him.

Her well-defined face, pointy nose, rosy cheeks, and her most attractive feature aside from her seductive figure, her pointy ears. The soul could not find any word that could describe the mature charm of the woman in front of him or more like, words alone aren't enough to define her beauty.

"An.... elf?"

That's the first thing that came to his mind. His consciousness was too focused on her face and couldn't help but wonder 'Why do I feel like I have seen her somewhere before?... She looks familiar.'

"Ara~ how rude..."

Eyes, still fixed on the floating soul in front of her, she continued while sounding playfully "Fufufu~... you barged into my domain from out of nowhere and dare to compare me to a lower being?... perhaps I should punish you for insulting me, the strongest Goddess in the multiverse like that~..."

Hearing what the Goddess in front of him said, he wanted to cover his mouth before he can say anything more inappropriate but forgot that he has no physical form.

He just sighed inwardly and thought 'What am I even thinking?... do I even have a mouth? eyes? nose? ears? limbs?... Well, she did hear me earlier. So I guess that's some kind of telepathy...'

He looked at her again and asked as politely as possible because he knew that in front of him is the Strongest Goddess, at least according to her words.

And he knew that Gods/Goddesses are fickle beings, and although he was in the presence of one harmless Goddess... at the moment, he might get obliterated the next second for a stupid mistake.

"Umm... forgive me for my blunder Ma'am. I didn't mean it..."

The Goddess just looked at him for a while and smiled elegantly and said "Fufu~... I'm just jesting. Anyway, what brought you here in my domain?"

The soul contemplated for a moment before saying "Well... all I could remember is that I died. Not sure how by the way. Also, as for why I'm here... I don't know either. Other than that, I only have bits and pieces of memories."

"Oh, I think I can help you with that..." She said and waved her hand towards him.

The next thing he knew, he was encased in a kaleidoscope. Instead of seeing mirror pieces of colored glass, each reflection shows how he lived his entire life until the moment he died.

A short while later, everything began to slowly crack and eventually crumbled. Every scattered fragment gathered and was absorbed by him one by one. By the time the last fragment was absorbed, he remembered everything.

While waiting for him to calm down and sort his mind out, the Goddess was having an inner monologue on the things she saw about him. She couldn't help but empathize at the same time commend him for how he lived his life.

'Jumping from different orphanage since he was but a child. Struggling to make ends meet and survive at such a young age. And... growing up without the warmth of his supposed parents.' She couldn't help but sigh.

'But still, despite how hard he struggled for the whole eighteen years of his life, he held his head up high and was able to move forward maintaining his pure heart and mind. Despite how... sad his life went, he was still able to smile and even spread happiness around him.'

While thinking of how he helped and took care of the unfortunate children in the orphanage. How he stood as a good role model for the younger ones, even with his busy schedule due to school and different jobs. How he bought toys even with what little money he had just to see the children smile.

Thinking of all the good things he did and how he showed kindness even for strangers he never met twice in his whole life, she couldn't help but curl her lips and show her most genuine and heartening smile.

But the next second, almost instantly, when she remembered the last scene that showed how he died, her blood begun to boil.

Her aura began to flare up that causes the surroundings to tremble. And although she maintained her composure and elegance, the raging emotion she felt inside could not be hidden from her face.

'Betrayal huh...'

She remembered the scene where she saw him going out from the orphanage with the intention of visiting his long-time girlfriend only to bump into her on the way hugging what looks like a rich guy leaning on the car while making out and surrounded by his goons.

And when he tried to confront her about it, they just laughed at him. While his supposed girlfriend just scorned him and insulted him for being an orphan and being poor. She then dropped the bomb to him that she's been cheating on him for the whole time.

Then the Goddess saw how the guy's goons crippled his legs, dragged him to an abandoned area beat him up to death, and just left his body lying lifeless on the ground.

She almost couldn't contain his rage that caused her to leak out her divine energy when she noticed that she almost obliterated the soul in front of her to nothingness.

"Ahem... do forgive me. I quite lost myself back there. Fufufu~"

"Umm... it's okay... I guess..." He awkwardly accepted her apology while thinking 'Don't mess up! don't mess up!'

Although he already knew that she could read his thoughts, he couldn't help but repeat those words in his mind like some sort of voodoo incantation.

Noticing the awkward silence between them, he decided to convey his thoughts to her and ask "So... Goddess?"

"Yes?"

"What's going to happen to me now? will I get reincarnated, go to heaven, or what?"

"Well... Technically, you're not supposed to be here. You're supposedly in the netherworld now undergoing the process of reincarnation." She paused for a moment that seemed to ponder on something and continued...

"However, although I don't know how and why you got here and seeing as my first guest for eons now, I shall grant you two wishes before I send you back to the netherworld. This is your chance to fulfill any of your desires before reincarnating."

"Oh by the way, it would be unfair of me to pry into your mind and hearing your thoughts so I severed our telepathic connection but we can still converse freely..."

"Thank you..." he said.

And upon hearing what she just said about the wishes, he couldn't help but feel giddy. "Can you give me some time to think about what I should wish for?"

"Of course!... Take your time~" She said maintaining her playful tone while smiling at him.

---

After moments of contemplating, he finally decided on how he should spend the two wishes for.

"Alright Goddess, I'm ready now..."

"Well then... state your first wish" she said.

"My first wish would be... I wish for you to send someone to the people in the orphanage and donate enough money that would last for a long time. It should stabilize the orphanage financially and be enough for the kids to live fully satisfied. Also, please make it so that no harm will come to them."

When she heard his first wish, she couldn't help but be dumbfounded. She couldn't comprehend his selflessness. She could only smile and think...

'Even in death you're still worried and even trying to help them. I gave you a chance to fulfill your desires yet you unselfishly used one wish so that others could live happily...'

'Truly a remarkable man...' She looked at him and gave him her most charming smile. She only snapped her fingers and said "Done!... Now for your last wish..."