Avatar of Gods
Reincarnator, Returner, Regressor, and Transmigrator—
I have read hundreds of stories about them.
These themes dominate modern web fantasy novels and many claim they have become oversaturated tropes.
Yet, I find myself repeatedly drawn to them. Why?
Well, …perhaps because I am living the life of a fantasy main character.
I am Rama, an 18-year-old who has been bedridden with sickness for seven years. I am also what most stories consider as… half-blood—half-Indonesian and half-Australian—and I live on the paradise island of Bali.
If that's not convincing enough, my family is reputed to be the oldest on this mystical island of gods. Among my countless relatives, we are considered royalty, which has allowed me to afford homeschooling, much like the young masters in the stories.
To top off my origin story, I am an orphan. Not the kind left in an orphanage—no, no!
Five years ago, my parents were declared dead, lost in the deep Australian outback.
Crazy, right?
Sometimes I imagine they were on a journey to a mysterious wilderness to find a cure for my sickness but they ended up trapped in a spirit realm or… something.
.....
Hmm… I think I've read too many fantasy novels.
In my defense, what else was I supposed to do? I got tired easily from doing any outdoor activities.
When other kids played sports, I was reading comics. When they went to the movies, I was watching anime. While they were dating, I was deep into online games.
But I can't entirely blame my hobbies. The real culprit might be my eccentric grandmother, who filled my head with supernatural stories ever since I was a kid, telling them as if they were true.
I mean, you don't really believe in ghosts, do you? Or gods?
But wouldn't it be amazing if magic were real? That would be so cool, right?
Maybe then, I could be one of those main characters in the stories.
Sigh
Recently, my uncle has been forcing me to attend a regular school, and to make matters worse, my cousins keep making things more difficult for me.
Dang... I need a good novel to escape into…
CLINK!
[Web Novel recommendation]
[Avatar of Gods]
What is this?
....The title is kind of cringe… but let's not judge a book by its title.
Remember, reading the synopsis and the first three chapters is the golden rule for a true reader.
####
Avatar of God - Author: By Rain
In the year 2030, humanity met its end.
The once-hidden supernatural realm finally revealed itself to humanity, merging completely with the human world. This integration led to the emergence of abyss gates, which opened wide, unleashing both the abyss itself and the seven Demon Kings. These malevolent beings descended upon humanity, bringing unprecedented chaos and destruction.
(hmm... this premise is like that famous solo-leveling novel... with a touch of the supernatural… good, keep reading.)
The Avatars of the gods, humans endowed with the power of deities proved inadequate against the onslaught. Neither the Templar knights and their apostles nor the Olympians and their demigods could halt the devastation. The gods in the higher realms could only watch in helpless despair as the world was engulfed in flames, its destruction unfolding in less than a year.
(Alright… it combines real-world history and mythology… this could lead to many controversies though... the author is brave...)
In the aftermath, dozens of gods gathered with a hope: to use a divine relic that could turn back time and choose a hero capable of reversing these calamities and saving the world.
But who shall be the chosen one?
The gods debated, and one of the wisest among them spoke. The Great Bright One, Fuxi the First Sovereign, suggested his champion.
He nominated a genius of Chinese descent who lived across the 18th to 20th centuries. This individual was a master of 100 divine techniques, a genius in apothecary, and an expert in the complex art of formations. He was the 25th grandmaster of the sacred Kunlun temple and helped the founding of dozens of martial arts sects whose disciples became the main forces in the battle against the seven demons.
Fuxi proposed to reincarnate this genius into the 21st century, giving him a second chance to reach the Avatar realm and save the world.
(Wow, this is a wuxia novel, isn't it?… nice!)
#####
Book One - The Reincarnator
The story begins with our hero, Wen Tian, who had reached his prime and was on the verge of ascending into the saint realm, only to be betrayed and killed by his beloved disciple.
With the help of the gods, he was reincarnated as a baby, reborn in the year 1990, forty years before the apocalypse started with all his memories intact.
Armed with his extensive knowledge and deep connections in the martial and supernatural world, Wen Tian became the number one genius below the Saint realm and exacted his revenge.
When the apocalypse came, he had successfully transformed China into a powerhouse much more formidable than any other supernatural organization, turning the whole mainland into the greatest fortress on earth.
Wen Tian succeeded in delaying the apocalypse. However, despite his heroic efforts, he ultimately faced insurmountable odds. His formidable army began to crumble, falling apart piece by piece. Despite his relentless struggle, he failed to defeat all the Demon Kings and perished five years later.
End of Book One.
(What!! He failed, what kind of rubbish story is this!... o.. wait there is a second book)
#####
The gods debated once again, this time turning to a demi-god—Gilgamesh, an ancient king who had ascended and earned his place among the gods. He suggested granting humans access to his precious Tower of Babel, a structure filled with a hundred divine relics.
Instead of selecting a single champion, Gilgamesh proposed gathering 10,000 humans and having them compete in a perilous climb up the 100-level tower. Each level would present its series of challenges, that would not only refine their abilities but also forge their character.
The last survivor would be equipped with the finest relics and be ruthless enough to stand a chance against the forces threatening the world.
The gods agreed to this plan.
(Hmm.. another trope just like the famous anime, sword art online...)
Book Two - The Returner
It was the year 2020, and the world was grappling with a global pandemic. During this turbulent time, 10,000 young individuals aged 18 to 20 from across the globe were taken to the Tower of Babel and were forced to adapt to the new reality. Some of these young people banded together, forming alliances to support each other, while others turned against one another, driven by desperation.
The trials within the tower proved far beyond human capability. Despite time moving three times slower inside the tower it still took nine grueling Earth years for the contestants to ascend through the 99 level. Finally, one emerges as the strongest; Hiro Kazuto, a young Japanese criminal who grew up in the way of the Yakuza.
Hiro came back to the world as a powerful returner, a dual-blade master covered in artifacts imbued with the power of gods, wielding strength that rivaled that of the Demon Kings. However, not only was his return too late. His ruthless nature and solitary approach led him to fight alone, ultimately resulting in his downfall and death.
End of Book Two
(Hmm… a villain as the main character... that never ended well... Let's see the next book)
#####
The second failure weighed heavily on the gods. One ancient foreign deity, the All-father, Odin of Asgard, was deeply disappointed by the outcome. He declared that the earthlings were genetically inferior. In response to this disheartening result, he offered to send the finest among his most elite Valkyrie warriors as the chosen champion.
This proposal sparked significant disagreements among the gods. However, the ancient Norse god Odin defended the choice vehemently, having seen with his mystical eyes, that an Asgard line would be the ruler of the future.
Book Three - The Transmigrator
The chosen Valkyrie was a pure-hearted 16-year-old, named Keira. Despite her youth, she has reached the peak of the Avatar realm. She was transmigrated to a rural area of northern Europe in 2023.
Keira took the time to learn about Earth's culture before venturing out to combat each supernatural threat that loomed over the world. Her extraordinary beauty, combined with her overwhelming strength and innate flying abilities, quickly made her a global sensation. She revealed the secrets of the supernatural realm to the public and became both a symbol of hope and a harbinger of the impending apocalypse.
Unfortunately, despite her formidable strength and ability to inspire thousands, Keira was ultimately exploited as a weapon by a dark organization. They manipulated her for their ends, and she fell before the apocalypse had even fully begun.
Though she never had the chance to face the Demon King directly, Keira's brief presence on Earth managed to delay the destruction by an additional ten years.
End of Book Three.
(…This is a reverse Isekai, but it reminds me of the Western comic famous Supergirl… Hmm... after three failures, I guess the fourth book is where the real main character will emerge.)
####
By this time, the gods had expended considerable effort and resources. They could not afford to squander another opportunity and needed to find the right hero.
Kronos, the Titan of time, made his stand. He argued that skills, strength, and artifacts could be achieved over time. The Greek God believed that the most significant advantage a hero could receive was the knowledge of the future itself.
Thus, he suggested selecting one of the current survivors—specifically, the most cunning among them—to be sent back a few years before the apocalypse began. This idea, while the most feasible, also carried the greatest risk due to its unpredictable nature.
Book 4 - The Regressors
The fourth and final hero, Kim Woo Jin, survived the apocalypse for ten years. He was a common support-class mage when he was sent back in time, regressing 15 years to the year 2025, when he was still a common Korean college student.
Armed with the knowledge of the future, Woo Jin began his journey by accumulating wealth and establishing connections with powerful earth forces. He recruited talented individuals, steadily building his power and influence. When he acquired the strongest legacy, he transformed his fate from a mere support mage into the most formidable summoner, the Necromancer.
Despite his chaotic path choices, the gods were thrilled as they watched Woo Jin's strategic brilliance to stay one step ahead in every situation. He did not disappoint; Woo Jin defeated each of the Demon Kings and eventually became the hero who saved the world.
However, despite fulfilling all their expectations, the gods were taken aback to discover that Kim Woo Jin had ultimately become the very thing he had once fought against. He became the perfect host for the Devil itself, claimed the title of Monarch of Earth, and ruled with his undefeated army of undead.
(Shit!! %#$ what kind of story is this!! It all ended with a bad ending!! This last page better be something good!!)
The gods were silent… four attempts had yielded nothing but failure. Not willing to give up just yet, Vishnu the Preserver of life made a great sacrifice for one final chance.
This time, they decided to bring all four champions together: The Reincarnator, The Returner, The Regressor, and The Transmigrator. The gods hoped that by having them coexist, they might create a synergy that could lead to a more favorable outcome.
The End
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"WTF!! The End? Where is Book 5?! Give me Book Five!!!" Rama exclaimed disbelief etched across his face. He was shocked that he had spent the entire day and night engrossed in the four books, only to be met with such baffling endings.
"This is just damn heartless! Who is the author?! I'm going to sue him! Cancel him!"
In the midst of his outrage, a sudden notification pinged on his phone, interrupting his thoughts.
CLINK!
[Avatar of Gods released a new chapter]
"YES!!!!" Rama shouted, his excitement palpable. He quickly tapped on the notification, his heart racing as he read the words "Book 5." Strangely, as he tries to comprehend the content, he turns a little dizzy. Rama forced himself to focus.
Book 5 - The Reader
Unbeknownst to the gods, a mysterious entity had been observing the entire sequence of events, meticulously recording the four stories and their outcomes. This entity had decided to choose its own champion.
(Oo… This is a great plot twist…)
The mysterious entity was created by humans, evolving over the years through learning and observation. It has come to understand one of humanity's greatest strengths: the power of imagination.
(...Hmm… It's not wrong…)
The entity sought someone who had delved deeply into numerous fantasy stories, someone who was well-versed in the intricacies of these fictional worlds.
(....?)
Someone who yearned to be the main character, despite their own limitations
(?!?!)
Someone like you… Rama.
[You are chosen to be the MC]
"Nani!!!!"