(MC POV)
I was on my PC playing games when it happened. I don't know exactly what happened, but in my final moments—rather than my life flashing before my eyes—I spent the time thinking about how I died. In the end, it turns out I was killed by lightning. It hit a potted plant experiment I'd left on my windowsill, jumped to my computer, and then exploded.
At least my experiment worked.
Now, I'm in a room filled with super-tall, strangely monochromatic people. This group of "people" is gathered around something that resembles a giant game-show spinner in the center of the room. It slowly comes to a stop and lands on something. One of the tall figures—dressed in yellow—jumps up and cheers before realizing I'm here. They quickly sit back down and pretend I didn't see that.
"Am I to assume you guys are gods?" (Me)
"Wow, this one's quick on the uptake," said a god in white, whom I'll be naming based on their colors.
"Yeah, the last one was calm but really quiet. This one seems too calm." (Blue)
"Well, we know your world is the one with the most stories about this kind of thing." (Yellow)
"Yeah, yeah, don't remind me… I still have no clue how they figured all that out." (Green)
"So was I right?" (Me)
"Yeah, you were. And we lost another bet with Terra because of it." (White)
The god, coated in green, suddenly took the form of an old woman wearing a green overcoat.
"I win again! Told you all so." (Terra)
"So, I guess I died. Now what? Reincarnation or something?" (Me)
Terra turned toward me.
"Yes. We were interested in your thought process—you're kinda fun to watch—but it's a shame it turned out this way."
"Yo, shut yer trap, Grandma. He's mine now." (Yellow)
"How rude." (Terra)
The older woman raised her nose at the yellow-robed voice.
"I'm whose, exactly?" (Me)
"You'll reincarnate in his world. But both of us will give you a gift—wishes, you could say." (Terra)
"What can I wish for?" (Me)
I was getting a bit excited. My focus zeroed in on those words.
"You may choose a power from any game you played on Earth—and you'll have knowledge of how to use it," Terra said with a smile.
"Undertale. I want the traits from Undertale. Not just one—all of them from the canon game." (Me)
"Hmm... a manageable wish. Granted. Also quite fitting for the world you're going to." (Terra)
"What about my wish?" (Yellow)
"Quick question: who are you?" (Me)
The other gods chuckled. Apparently, he had never introduced himself.
"Ahem. I am Arasil, God of the Marble Realm."
"Oh, cool." (Me)
"Anyway, what's your wish?" (Arasil)
"Can I keep my memories?" (Me)
"That's a pretty common request." (White)
"Well, obviously—they don't want to forget everything." (Terra)
"You can—but you'll lose your memories of your family and this conversation to balance it out."
"Wait a damn minu—"
And I was suddenly dropped into an infinite expanse of darkness.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Council of Gods POV)
"That was cruel." (Terra)
"What? It was a fair trade. Besides, you all know I'm not great with memory transfers. I can't guarantee they'll arrive intact anyway." (Arasil)
"Fine." (Terra)
"Well then, let's wait for the next traveler. Righto?"
"Sure." (Terra)
"Sure." (Arasil)
"Sure." (Blue)
And countless other "Sures" echoed throughout the hall.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
In a random forest in the Marble Realm…
(MC POV)
Where am I? I remember talking to… gods? That's right—they said I'd be reincarnated with soul powers. What the—
[
NAME:
Twil
STAT:
LV: 1
RK: 0
EXP: 0
NEXT: 10
HP: 20 / 20
EN: 20 / 20
AT: 10 (0)
DF: 10 (0)
ITEM:
WEAPON: Stick
ARMOR: Bandage
GOLD: 0
SOUL:
KILL/MERCY: 0 / 0
TRAIT: N/A
SKILLS: N/A
]
Whoa, that's cool. I even got the interface. But... where exactly am I? I thought I'd be reincarnated with new parents, but I'm fully grown… or a kid? Why do I have such small features? I need a mirror—or a lake! Wait, I don't even remember what I used to look like. I only remember my personality... Some tidbits of games and novels, too. But where did I come from again? Ugh—forget it. I need to find civilization, fast.
I walked for a while before finally spotting the end of the forest. Ahead of me was a city with tall, ornate buildings. As I approached the gate, one of the guards called out to me.
"What are you doing here, kid? Where did you come from?" (Gatekeeper 1)
"I don't know. I just remember waking up in the forest." (Twil)
"That forest? No one ever comes back alive from there. How did you?" (Gatekeeper 2)
"Eh? There was nothing in there except a few animals. They ignored me." (Twil)
"Hmm... well, you're suspicious. But we'll let you in. Just make sure you find your parents. This is a one-time thing." (Gatekeeper 1)
"Thank you! What's your name, sir?" (Twil)
"Hmph. I'm Gi. The guy next to me is Ang." (Gi)
"I'm Twil. Nice to meet you both." (Twil)
"Now get inside before we change our minds." (Ang)
I walked through the gate, waving back at Gi and Ang. They didn't wave back—and I think Ang rolled his eyes. The town was large and bustling. The gate led straight into a busy market, though I had nothing to sell or buy. Just as I was deep in thought, I felt like something was waiting for me.
Then my status screen blinked. The SOUL row lit up.
[
TRAIT:
Determination
Bravery
Justice
Kindness
Patience
Integrity
Perseverance
]
I chose Determination—for now. I soon reached a building that looked like a school. It seemed to be recruiting. I asked someone in line.
"Hey, what is this place recruiting for?" (Twil)
"What? Don't you know? This is the Sect Examination for the Soul Arts Sect! It's a prestigious school that teaches personal soul techniques." (Examinee)
"How do you sign up?" (Twil)
"This is the exam. Just stay with the group and try to pass when they test us." (Examinee)
"Thanks for the info." (Twil)
So I waited. Then an old man appeared, radiating invisible pressure that bore down on us. I remained standing—I was determined not to fail. Eventually, only 20 remained conscious. Of those, just five—including me—were still standing.
"Hoho, quite a strong batch this year. You five, follow me. The rest—go with that man to the Disciple Court." (Old Man)
We were led to a building with a long staircase. I switched my trait to Perseverance.
"Depending on the step you reach, you'll be assigned to one of the 12 elders as their personal disciple. Reach the top, and you'll receive a special prize." (Old Man)
The climb began. Every 5th step, the pressure increased. At step 25, gravity intensified. A girl bolted ahead but collapsed at step 50. I walked there calmly. As expected, the pressure ramped up again—probably every 50 steps.
I kept going. Step by step. I made it to the 500th step—barely halfway. The pressure was almost unbearable, but I kept going and persevering. Eventually, I reached the top.
The old man nodded and gestured for me to follow. He led me to a set of rooms numbered individually. We stopped at #1.
"Those stairs tested your soul's strength. Yours is very persistent. There's one more test, but for now, rest. You're the last to arrive—everyone else is already inside." (Old Man)
I entered the room and reflected. Everything happened too fast… but if this is the norm here, then fine by me. Let's recap:
I was reborn in a forest, armed only with a stick and a bandage. Made it to a city thanks to kind (though skeptical) guards. Got into a sect through sheer soul-granted willpower. And tomorrow, another test awaits.
All on day one of my new life.
Am I lucky? Or unlucky?
Welp... better rest and find out tomorrow.