Opening his eyes, Perseus saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life sitting on a throne and reading a book.
"Uhh...hello?"
Suddenly, realising that she wasn't alone, she looked towards the sound of the voice.
"Ah..hello young man. Are you ready to start your new life?"
Without waiting for an answer, she started speaking again
"Here's the deal. I send you to Solo Leveling with some gifts and abilities... and in return, you shake things up a bit, upset the status quo and give me something interesting to watch! Sound good?"
Thankfully, it wasnt some fucked-up universe like Attack on Titan where horrible death was a constant companion. Although it's been awhile since I've read Solo Leveling, it's essentially a generic power leveling world.
A/N: Please don't crucify me. I'm not wrong
As long as you're not an idiot, surviving comfortably wouldn't be too difficult.
Suffice it to say that, even if this was a dream, Perseus wasn't in any particular rush to wake up.
The world of Solo Leveling, the land of hot waifus, where strength rules supreme?
Sign me the fuck up!
"Okay, so what are these gifts and abilities we're talking about here?"
"Naturally, we'll have to construct a new body for you. Or I can simply put your soul inside of someone who died just a few hours ago. Take your pick." The Goddess spoke like a true professional and flicked her imaginary glasses with her forefinger.
After overthinking all the possible scenarios & their consequences, Perseus finally made up his mind. He looked towards the goddess with a resolute gaze and said,
"First Choice!" Perseus said and folded his arms together.
"Really? Why not the Second? It is the most beneficial and will save you the hassle. Why start from the beginning when you can start from the top?" the Goddess asked as she was puzzled by Perseus' choice. She too was new at this because her previous chosen humans all decided on the easy & smoother way. But to her surprise, Perseus chose the most unconventional way.
"Too many complicated reasons. I'd rather do this whole thing on my own terms.
In the first choice, I'll have complete freedom. And I won't have to look after anyone else but myself. And I definitely won't be making the same mistakes as my past life where I let my feelings get the best of me." Perseus said, his expression was oozing out his determination.
"Strange indeed. If any of your predecessors were in your place, they would've chosen the 2nd option. You on the other hand, taking an unconventional turn is surprising to me as well." said the Goddess.
The Goddess returned her gaze to Perseus and said.
"Fine. Let's begin."
_________
A blue holographic screen appeared in front of Perseus with a few boxes that were empty
[Body Creation]
=Base=
???
=Blessings=
Amaterasu
Remark: Depending on what base the user chooses, he will be nerfed accordingly.
'Ah fuck. Well there goes Saitama.'
Wrecking my brain for the perfect base for my new body, I suddenly thought of someone.
Scrolling through the long list of characters provided, I selected the one I was looking for.
______
Yoriichi Tsugikuni
______
was a legendary Demon Slayer who lived nearly 500 years ago during the Sengoku Era (the Golden Age of Demon Slayers), as well as the strongest Demon Slayer to have ever existed. He is also the inventor of Breathing Styles, being the one who created the first ever Breathing Style.
[Model Yoriichi Tsugikuni - The Strongest Demon Slayer has been selected as the base body]
[System is running checks on your choice, Please wait patiently]
[Ding, Base Body has been approved. Traits remaining after Nerf are:
Immeasurable -> Immense
Demon Slayer Mark
Extrasensory Perception
Immense Durability
Immense Regeneration
Immense Speed and Reflexes
Indomitable Will
Slaughter Intent
Tactical Intellect
Unparalleled Swordsman -> Master Swordsman]
[Do you accept?]
Looking through the list, one ability caught his attention the most- Demon Slayer Mark. The Demon Slayer Mark drastically improves the abilities of an individual, making them much stronger and faster than what they can achieve normally, though at the cost of being cursed to die at the age of 25. However, Kokushibo was not affected by this cure after turning into a demon and gaining immortality. But the current Perseus was only a human. Unless he found a way to turn himself into a demon or gain immortality, he was destined to die at the age of 25.
In the end, Perseus still clicked accept. He was confident that he could find an item that gave him eternal life from one of the dungeons. After all, Sung Jin-Woo managed to do something similar and saved his mother from Eternal Slumber.
Closing the holographic screen, Perseus brought his gaze back to the Goddess again.
"You're Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun?"
"Indeed. Not that it matters. If you're done with choosing your body, let's decide on your Skills next."
"We don't have much time left."
As soon as she finished her sentence, a familiar blue holographic screen appeared in front of Perseus again.