Life Through Death

In a faraway land, filled with flying vehicles of every kind you can imagine, buildings that scar the sky, and masses of humans walking along each other, a man stood at the edge of a building. He seemed like an empty shell, without a trace of a soul in him. This came with a reason though. 

"Why do things never go the right way, everyone blames me when stuff doesn't go well, but am not rewarded when I make things right." He felt like the world and it's people just didn't want him breathing the same air as them. 

He knew that by jumping he would be doing what the world wanted, and he hated that idea. Not jumping itself, it was pleasing the world in the process what he detested. 

"It's fine, I don't care if the world becomes a better place without me, I'm doing this for me, not for them." Following these words, he spread his arms as if to hug the wind. Instead, he embraced death as he willed his body to just fall. It was all so smooth, a perfect execution with barely any doubting. 

'I hope those who I detest burn in the lowest level of hell, for they did me wrong without a good reason.' He knew that the world wasn't to blame for his suffering, but he also hated it for it was the home of the monsters that haunted him. He hoped for a better place to live in. 

"Wake up!"

The man opened his eyes, though he couldn't see very well in the dark place he found himself in. As if the place was alive, torches lit up, letting him see his surroundings in a new light. The stone walls, the dark sky seen through the crystal ceiling gave him the creeps as he stood up, a bit nervous. 

"Behind you"

After hearing the old voice, the man turned around. In a throne made out of seemingly dark metal of some kind, an old man with a cloak and long beard sat with his hands resting in the throne's arms. 

"Do not fear"

The old man spoke again, still sending chills down the man's body. The first thing the man could tell about his whereabouts was the cold. It was really cold, which didn't help his current state of anxiety.

"Do you have A/C here?' Even though the man was scared, he still had his current priorities in mind.

Tick!

The old man snapped his fingers, causing the environment to turn much warmer than previously. It was magic. The man could tell that it wasn't some type of technological instrument that caused the hall to turn warm. 

"How did you-"

"You've spoken enough, it's my turn" The old man did not waste any more time before resting his gaze upon the man. 

"You are here because I have summoned you. My name is Atreus Deviculus, I am the most powerful mage, in this world at least. You are here because I need a champion, someone who can succeed my position since am at a breaking point."

"A champion?" The man pondered over this words. At some point, he believed this to be a dream but it felt way too real for this to be one. He had all his five senses working at the moment, meaning that this was reality. 

"Yes, a champion. You have been appointed here, by me, to make a deal. I give you a way to make something out of your pathetic existence, while I continue my legacy. It's a good deal if you ask me."

"What's the catch?" The man started thinking rationally despite the whole situation feeling unreal. He knew that if this old man really was a mage, his powers would not come at no cost. 

"There are countless world out there, in the multiverse, mine is just one of them. Nothing but a speck of sand in a beach, however, there is a competition for the throne of the one that reigns above all.

I myself failed at obtaining it, but it does not sadden me because I know that if I can pick the right champion, my name will live on. I won't disappear if someone inherits my legacy."

"You still haven't told me the catch old man"

"Hahaha, I like you kid, you do not seem to fear me even though am the closest thing to a God you have seen, but yeah, there is a catch. You will have to survive my world to inherit my name, which will give you great powers that you won't be able to obtain in my world  unless I give you my last name. You have to conquer this world in order to enter the higher realms where you will be able to fight for the golden throne I spoke of before."

"So you want me to be your fighting dog?" The man did not seem convinced just with the promise of great magical powers. 

"Yeah, temporarily though. I told you that in the end, if you succeed, you will inherit my last name, along with my powers and position in the great multiverse."

The old man spread his arms as he spoke with great enthusiasm. He had been interviewing countless souls for a long time, they never accepted his request. He gave the souls two choices. 

"I will give you two choices kid, wait, what's your name?"

"For a powerful being such as yourself, you can't just look through my mind?" The man started to doubt the old man's position.

"Well, even I have to follow the rules set by the current king of the multiverse, you know? Every being has free will and a mind that no divinity can go through in search for answers."

"Sure, if you say so. My name is Kai Lauren, nice to meet you." 

"Nice to meet you as well, Kai."

"What is my second choice?" He was curious as to what the second choice would be, eternal doom, heaven, or a new life? 

"Your second choice is reincarnation. You won't remember this meeting, or any past business you went through or did in your past life. It would be the much safer choice if am honest. Being a champion will make you go through life and death scenarios that most can't break through. What's your choice, Kai Lauren?"

Atreus didn't show it but he was a bit worried. It and been millennia since he ascended to his current position, and since then, no one had accepted the position of the champion. Mostly because it meant great struggle. The reward was great but it did not guarantee victory over the throne of the multiverse. His hopes went downhill the longer Kai remained silent.

"Sure, I will be your champion, old man" Kai pondered over what choice he would make. One guaranteed a new life, while the other posed a great challenge that he would have to overcome in order to get the old man's powers and it didn't even end there. He would have to fight his way to the throne of the multiverse. 

"What makes you so sure that you can do this, Kai" Even though Atreus was filled with happiness, he couldn't understand why he didn't chose reincarnation. 

"Nothing"

"Huh?"

"There is nothing that makes me confident, however, am tired of being just another face in the crowd, I have been just another man in the lot for way too long. I suffered, but I also realize that I never did anything to stop it. I didn't stand up to my bullies, I didn't confess to my crush, letting another man take her even though it was my fault, I failed to see that. Now that I see that I also took part in my own failure, I don't wan to live like that ever again. Plus, it sounds cool as shit,' The one who rings above all in the multiverse', I want that throne and title. 

"Hmm, I understand you. I was once a mere mortal like you as well, however my greed took me to planes higher above my own and I loved that feeling. I hope you can achieve what I couldn't."

"Don't worry, old man, I will carry your name all the way there."

Kai was making bold statements but at this moment, he felt as if anything was possible. No, it's wasn't that, there was just no other way for him to actually feel proud of himself. 

"Before you do that, you have to defeat my world. Take the throne of that world if you want to take on my name, Kai Lauren." As he spoke this last words, Atreus clapped his hands, making everything go black. Kai had just made a decision that he couldn't back out from. Not that he would back out willingly anyways. 

Kai couldn't see anything around him. He felt as if he was floating in, since there was no base under his feet. No, it wasn't that he was floating, but that he was falling!

"Aaaaahh" Kai looked below him as he kept falling. He managed to see light at the end of the tunnel. He went right through that light which momentarily blinded him. It took him a few seconds before he regained his vision, which allowed him to see that he was still falling, however, now there was more than just darkness. 

He could see the moon, and the stars above him, along with the spatial hole he just fell through, below him there was a great forest that expanded as far as his eyes could see. 

"Old man!" He called out and a holographic screen appeared Infront of him. In it, he could see the old man sitting in his throne. 

"Yes?"

"Aren't you gonna do something about this?!, Kai spread his arms showing the old man Atreus how he was falling seemingly to his death. 

"You will be fine, you are in your spiritual form right now. You are a soul without a body, and I chose a body for you. Your soul is just sort of sending itself towards the body like an iron to a magnet."

"You could've done it in a less alerting way, you geezer!"

Kai stopped panicking but still didn't stop cursing the old man who just laughed at his tantrum. 

"I'll be watching you, Kai" That's all the old man said before he made the screen disappear." 

'Dammit, how long is my soul gonna take before getting to the body the old man chose.' Kai's soul kept traveling at great speeds through the trees. 

After a while, he finally could see some human structures in the distance. He sighed in relief as he went into the body of a kid laying in an ally. 

The kid had been beaten to death, however when Kai's soul made it's way into it, the body regained it's color and the injuries healed in a span of seconds. 

Kai stood up, his new body was 14 years old, it had barely entered puberty. He had good features, not a heartbreaker but not ugly at all. He had grey hair and black pupils. He was five foot and 5 inches tall. A good height for a 14 year old. The rest of his body was quite unhealthy though, with arms and legs extremely skinny, due to starvation and dehydration. His tongue was dry and his stomach craved for food. 

He walked through the empty and dark streets of the town he city when a screen appeared In front of him. 

[Hello, champion]

"Huh" Kai was a bit taken aback but he remembered his meeting with Atreus and just shook it off. The screen was just like the games he had back in his original world. 

[I am the champion system. The champion system is given to all the champions across the multiverse since you are completely different beings than those of the worlds that you are sent to. Since you are a champion, your power scaling and growth is different than those of this world. You have infinite potential. 

However, this just makes your task of conquering this world a bit smoother. This isn't the same out there in the multiverse where there are more champions just like you, it's not about talent, it's about hardwork and determination. If you lose, you can't blame no one else but yourself for not making the right move or not working hard enough.]

"Sounds good"

[As a champion, you will have levels. The higher you go, the more skills and powers you will gain. Right now, you can only make one power]

"Make a power?"

[Yes, as a champion, the only limit is your imagination. Just imagine the kind of power that you want to have. The higher your level is, the more crazy you can get with the powers you want to make] 

"Is there any limitations?" The system inferred that lower level champions can't make crazy powers.

[There is one power limitations that apply to everyone, including the current king of the universe, you cannot just wish somebody's death, you have to be there and kill whoever you want to kill personally, with your own hands.]

"What about for lower level champions like me?"

[The only powers you can obtain at this moment are elemental powers.]

Kai now had a better grasp of his options. He though for a while before deciding on the element of Earth. 

"I want to control the Earth" Kai chose lightning out of all the elements in the book. 

[You have acquired the Earth element] The screen changed, showing Kai's current stats.

Name: Kai Lauren

Race: Human

Title: Champion of Atreus Deviculus

Level: 1

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Speed: 12

Perception: 13

Thought Process:

Powers: 

-Earth: (Level 1)