Glade

"..."

Jayden dumbly surveyed the ancient court room in amazement, then sized up the glowing figure sitting on the majestic stone seat, before replying.

"Is this where we'll be holding our occult meeting?"

Jayden asked in amazement.

"Certainly not the reply I was expecting"

The majestic figure replied solemnly.

"So what's this rule of secrecy you speak of?"

Jayden asked curiously as he began circling the noble seats, entertaining his eyes with the ancient architecture.

"You exposed the secret of nature to a mortal. A mortal marked for damnation, a mortal supposed to be lost..." 

The figure began speaking majestically.

"Woah! I feel a strong connection to that seat! Is it mine!"

Jayden who was immersed at the sightseeing, exclaimed subconsciously at the feeling of an invisible string suddenly connecting him to a noble seat right beside that of the majestic seat where the glowing figure sat.

"S-sorry"

He quickly apologized when he felt a suffocating glare from the majestic figure who's features were concealed.

"Cough!... You mean to say what I just bluffed to Stephanie is actually... A thing?"

Jayden coughed to clear his throat when the suffocating feeling didn't seize, then asked with a serious tone.

"Do i in any way, look, or sound stupid to you?"

The majestic figure asked with a low deadly tone.

"N-no ma'am. Cough!... I mean, no your highness"

Jayden said as he made a ninety degree bow, with sweat droplets trickling down his forehead.

"... For violating the rule of secrecy, and your incompetence in my presence..."

The majestic figure said and paused.

Silence

/Badum! Badum! Badum!/

Jayden's heartbeat began reverberating loudly, breaking the sacred silence in the ancient court room.

"You'll be representing me in the Glade!"

The majestic figure flicked it's fingers right after saying that, and before Jayden could react, he was back at the forest standing before Stephanie.

"Are you trying to cheer me up by scaring me? Cause it isn't working"

Stephanie said with a slight smile.

"Huh? What's a Glade?"

Jayden asked as he tilted his head to the side, disoriented.

[An event where each Gods, both opposing and proposing, pick a representative from their chosen, to play a game.]

"Huh? A Glade?"

Stephanie asked in confusion.

'That sounds fun, but I was chosen as a form of punishment'

Jayden thought to Mia, ignoring Stephanie.

[It is so much fun; it would be live streamed everywhere in Eon--the new world, but... Your level and stats would be reset, and you only got one life.]

"Cool! I would finally show the world that the Merc System is the best!"

Jayden voiced out with an excited grin.

"Uhh... Are you okay?"

Stephanie asked worriedly.

"I'm more than okay! Don't worry. You'll understand soon"

Jayden said with a bright smile as he grasped Stephanie's cheeks.

'So, when is this game starting! I can't wait to meet the pretty Drow girls and the thick Aasimar ladies. I-i can't wait t-to... Feel them in my arms!'

"You're hurting me!"

Stephanie cried out as she tried pull Jayden's hands which were squeezing her face, apart.

[I also said, you only got ONE life!]

'Who cares! You have a physical form now, so I'll be trusting you with my life'

[I won't be able to help you; it's against the rules!]

'So you're gonna let the both of us die for some stupid rules?'

[You're too immature to manipulate me.]

'What makes you think I'm trying to manipulate you?'

[That's what you're clearly trying to do!]

'Do you perhaps, feel manipulated?'

[Shut up!]

'Guess who's immature now'

-

[Mission: Pass your seed unto Stephanie; to keep your legacy alive when you die in the Glade.]

Time limit: Till the Game begins.

Reward: A peck

Punishment: Nil

-

"..."

Jayden dumbfoundedly stared at the mission prompt, unsure of how to react to it.

"Are you okay? You've been acting strange since you mentioned the lost soul"

Stephanie asked with creased brows.

Sigh!

"It's one of the price I had to pay for exposing the secret of nature to a mortal. A mortal marked for damnation, a mortal supposed to be lost..." 

Jayden mimicked the words of the Goddess dramatically.

"Huh? What's a Glade?"

Stephanie expression suddenly flipped to that of confusion.

"A what? Wait... Did i just pause along with time?"

Jayden asked with wide eyes.

[Approximately seven minutes.]

"H-how did you know? Wait... You mentioned something about a Glade too!"

Stephanie asked in surprise.

"I mentioned something about a Glade too! What was your crime?"

Jayden asked in surprise.

"Crime? What crime? I was just told by My Lord that I'll be representing him in the Glade"

Stephanie replied with creased brows.

"That's weird. I guess your lord never liked you"

Jayden muttered to himself with a shrug.

[Don't be stupid! Each Gods would be picking the most potentially aspiring chosen as their representatives...]

'Spare me the grammar... Why would a God pick her who is marked for damnation?'

[You changed her fate.]

'Sounds like an achievement'

[You have unlocked the achievement 'Fate Changer']

'Mia! Can you see that! I'm just too good!'

[I love that! This increases your survivability rate to 7.5!]

'Out of ten right?'

[No, out of 100. You're too careless that I've already made up my mind on dying.]

'Hmm... If that's the case, why don't we try dating...'

[NO!]

'Woah! You didn't even let me finish'

[You're not my type.]

'Ooh... Finally got the courage to say that to me. Have you been seeing someone lately, behind my back?'

[What if I have?]

'Well, I'm happy for you'

[Is that all you have to say?]

'Yeah. And I'd like to see him... or hear from him, if he's just a system'

[What makes you think it's a 'Him'?]

"Oh my!... Oh my God! That makes a lot of sense now!"

Jayden voiced out in shock.

"How does it make any sense? Do they have anything to do with the Glade?"

Stephanie glanced at Jayden in confusion.

"Huh? Do~what?"

Jayden asked in confusion.

"They..."

Stephanie replied as she pointed to large blue beams reaching up to the clouds from various locations.

***

Please check out my WPC OCT&NOV [Fantasy] 2023 entry 'The Teenage Mafia: In the apocalypse' in the backup account 'Reysmart'.

Synopsis:

Kyle, a mafia syndicate, who had died in a crossfire with a rival gang. Would reincarnate to the body of a teenage boy with the same first name... but in a different timeline. Kyle would discover from his new memories that the original teenage Kyle had unintentionally involved himself with an influential ex mafia lord's daughter, Camilla--who wanted to follow the footsteps of her father, by unravelling the dark secrets behind the wielders of power, and slowly climbing to the top with the help of her fellow Runners--those who risked their life to scavenge for food and supply for the government stronghold... In the post-apocalyptic world.

"To he who life is given... Death is a promise!"

-

Thanks in advance ^-^