Pre-Prologue(1)

Have you ever felt like your life was nothing but an ornament, devoid of true meaning or purpose? That's exactly how I felt.

The expectations society placed upon me were stifling.

"You should graduate with max scores," they said. So, I did. I excelled academically.

"You should go to a top university," they insisted. And I did. I obtained my degree swiftly, checking off the boxes of societal approval.

"You should find a good job," they demanded. And I did. With my impressive qualifications and glowing recommendations, I secured a decent job.

"You should marry," they urged. And so I did. I settled for a woman I had met at work. She was beautiful, and we even had a daughter I should be proud of.

But what did any of it truly mean? My heart remained stagnant, unresponsive to the mediocrity that surrounded me. It yearned for something more, something extraordinary.

That's when she entered my life—a character from a fictional world.

Bell Cranel, and his adventures in the world of Danmachi. But it wasn't him that captured my attention; it was the ethereal Goddess appearing to save him from a raging Minotaur.

It was at that pivotal moment of despair, a beacon of light amidst the darkness made everything else worthless. Her radiant golden hair, flowing like strands of spun sunlight, cascaded down her slender frame with enchanting grace. Each strand seemed to possess a life of its own, shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

But it was her eyes that held me captive, for they were pools of molten gold, radiant and hypnotic. Within their depths, a myriad of emotions danced, from fierce determination to subtle vulnerability, drawing me closer like a moth to a flame. They were windows to a soul both mysterious and alluring.

Although her face changed barely a few times throughout the story, I found myself enamored by even the slightest change in her expression. In my eyes, only her reflection was worth gazing over.

Yet, I knew it was all a delusion. How could I be so captivated by a mere figment of animated pixels on a screen? Still, I immersed myself in every episode, devoured the novels, and explored the manga, hoping to catch glimpses of her in different forms.

However, I kept this obsession hidden. Life was already complicated enough; I couldn't bear the thought of burdening others with my mental turmoil. So, I kept my desires locked away, known only to the depths of my own consciousness.

But now, in death, everything has changed. As I gaze into the abyss, I realize the insignificance of my former existence. No longer bound by societal constraints, I am free to confront the twisted desires that have consumed me.

A voice breaks through the silence.

[You are messed up...]

it murmurs, a reflection of my inner turmoil.

And in that moment of acknowledgment, a revelation struck me like a thunderbolt—I was not alone. Before me stood a being of divine beauty, with a visage that could only be described as a masterpiece crafted by the hands of the Gods themselves.

Every line, every curve, every feature was perfectly proportioned, as if meticulously sculpted. And yet...

My heart remained still.

She... was not her.

[...Seriously, you are so messed up.]

The unknown entity, whom I presumed to be a Goddess, continued to speak, but I remained silent. What could she possibly want from a wretched soul who had just faced his own death?

[Let's talk, Ren.]

My brows twitched in a mix of curiosity and cynicism.

"...Why should I listen to you?"

I could sense the direction this conversation was heading. Another chance at life, reincarnation into a new world brimming with possibilities... What a trite and clichéd plotline. I had no interest in subjecting myself to such a cycle again. If she dared to make me endure it once more, I would bring about the annihilation of the very world that dared to confine me.

My weary soul had grown tired, devoid of any desire to live.

[I am aware of your obsession with that "character." Don't you yearn to see her?]

Her words caused a momentary halt in my thoughts—as if an electrical surge coursed through my body. But it was a fleeting moment, quickly overshadowed by my own jaded outlook.

"...If you are proposing to create a world based on Danmachi solely to satiate my obsession and reincarnate me there, then I have no interest. Just as I found repulsion in my fixation on a mere collection of pixels, I would feel no different in loving a manufactured "toy" created solely for my amusement."

As I spoke my defiant words, a brief silence enveloped the Goddess. I struggled to discern her expression amidst the blinding radiance that surrounded her, but an inexplicable certainty told me she was smiling.

[You are mistaken. I do not possess the power to create life, nor am I that kind of Goddess. Even the Goddess of Life herself would not deign to fashion an entire world for the whims of a single individual. What I wish to convey is that she is more than mere pixels—she is real. The world of Danmachi, just like the countless novels you have read, holds tangible existence behind its fictional facade. If you are willing to lend me your ear, I would be delighted to offer a brief explanation.]

The moment those three words, "She is real," escaped the Goddess's lips, my fragile mind teetered on the precipice of collapse. Cyan hues began to flicker within my once dull eyes, as if a dormant flame had been reignited within my soul, even in its disembodied state.

In an instant, it felt as if invisible chains that had bound me for an eternity shattered into a million shards. Skepticism still gripped me tightly, questioning the motives of this enigmatic Goddess and her seemingly random proclamations. Yet, my obsession proved mightier than my own rationality.

"...Okay," I uttered, my voice betraying a faint tremor, while my lips and hands quivered in silent anticipation.

'...If there is even the slightest chance, then I...'

Maintaining her smile, the Goddess could not suppress a tremor of anxiety that reverberated within her divine being.

['...Just how twisted are his desires for me to witness this projection? Although it would be foolish to place my trust entirely in him, if we were to establish a contract, then...']

In her eyes, as she spoke, an inexplicable sight suddenly unfolded before her. The radiant light she emitted, a manifestation of her divine power, was instantaneously devoured by him—an act that defied all reason and should have been impossible. Yet, being a mere mortal in his current state, Ren remained oblivious to this phenomenon...

[Let us properly explain in a better location, then.]

With those words spoken, the Goddess wielded her divine power, transporting both herself and Ren to a nice and cozy room. It was a place where the fabric of reality thinned, allowing only the chosen few to tread upon its sacred ground. Here, in her divine abode, the stage was set for an event that would send ripples through the very essence of many existences in the future.

---

Legend:

[] = A higher being talking

[''] = A higher being thinking

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