"Gif? That is not how you pronounce my name, little child."
Gyro's soul was in a place filled with darkness. This soul looked like a blob or a sphere of luminous light.
There was nothing around this sphere.
"Gyro?" asked Gif.
But Gyro did not respond.
He did not respond because how could he respond?
Even though 15 years is a small time for someone who used to study the universe as a job, the villagers he met and the memories existing were forever eternal.
If Gyro were to have a physical body present, his eyes would be blank.
"It can't be helped," said Gif.
SWOOOOSH!
A portal was opened in the darkness.
And the sphere of light was transported, that being Gyro.
In another place, somewhere in this world.
The land had grasses which were black in color and in the skies, there were several dragons flying about. Even though these creatures could be called dragons, these creatures had many eye-opening features that a dragon normally couldn't have.
One dragon had wings for ears and its wings were absent.
Another dragon had loads of hair and looked more like a flying yak than it did a dragon and it did not have any wings.
One of the core features of the dragons was that their wings were absent.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
SHAKE!
The portal was again opened in the black-grassed land.
And a body was thrown out.
It was an individual who was naked. This individual had a well-toned body with sharp features; his beauty truly looked like one in billions.
It was Gyro.
Gyro was given a physical body by Gif.
Traveling through the portal, the body was constructed, and his soul was transferred.
Right as he was traveling through the portal, the memory of what happened before he died was playing back. Gyro's mind could recall everything that had happened.
Naturally, being the greatest scientist in the world couldn't have been possible without his photographic memory. But just having a photographic memory wouldn't do. He had the natural-given ability to playback any given instant in time with 100% accurate details.
In other simple terms, Gyro had a video recorder and computer in his own mind, pre-installed by his genetic code.
However, this was a curse in itself. The brain can surely withstand solar masses of pressure, but the heart is fragile. Being the greatest scientist doesn't mean you are a sociopath or a cold-hearted person.
Gyro had lived two times and died.
Adding on his insane memory made him feel nostalgia for his previous home even more.
He couldn't forget. The details of people being crushed right before his eyes.
How could he forget.
Neon dying, the villagers dying- seeing the fountains of blood would haunt him more in the future.
An ordinary person would have crumbled and would have thoughts that were "self-harming". Gyro was no different from an ordinary person on this matter, but the difference was he was not emotionally capable of being a coward.
It did not matter if he was a scientist, a figure of the village, or any other titles or having any different experiences.
All the times had changed, and it changed Gyro, but Gyro was always Gyro.
Gyro lay on the ground and looked at the sky. He closed his eyes for a few hours. He had to process what had just happened to him. Under his closed eyes, what was happening inside his eyelids was a mystery.
After a few hours.
Gyro scoured back to the time of his memory, the time during the strike of meteorites. He had done this several times, but this time, there was something different. He saw a figure in the corner of his eyes putting up his hands towards the sky. This figure was high up in the sky.
Gyro's eyes were wide-open and seemingly his face transformed; Gyro's face turned into one that was full of rage, and his eyes were blood red. Even an idiot could tell who was responsible for the meteorite strikes. It was this figure, who was wearing a red hood.
"Marvelous," said Gif.
"You have a memory that could rival any 5th realm Transcender. See that red-hooded figure? He did indeed kill all of the people of your village," said Gif inside of his own mind.
"Who are you? What happened to me?" said Gyro, who had tears in his eyes, but the tears never fell.
"I am Gif. I am the one in the mural of your village's shrine. The one with the best body~" said Gif.
What? The Gif that I used for me to act as a messenger?
"Yes, that Gif," said the old man.
What????? You can hear my thoughts?
"Well, obviously, I am a part of your soul. Obviously, I can hear your thoughts," said Gif.
Please explain to me. What is this world? Why is this so bizarre? Who are you?
Gyro asked several questions in a second; his brain was truly like a computer. If he were to voice his speech out loud, his speech could not handle a fraction of what he thinks.
"This world is divided from 0-9 realms. The people and the monsters who inhabit such realms are known as the first Transcender, the second Transcender, the third Transcender and so on. The people of the 0th realm are not called Transcender and the same applies to you.
The village you were born into was the 0th realm. The 0th realm is the realm or 'Origin', where mortals live.
From the first to third, is the realm where the organisms are known as Low Transcender.
From fourth to sixth, the organisms are known as the Mid Transcender.
The organisms from seventh to 9th are known as the High Transcender," said Gif.
Again, Gyro asked countless questions, but the overall summarizing thought to all this was-
But why was I reborn? Why only me?
"It was only you because. Sadly all those people passed in an instant. Even though for a brief moment, you asked for help, so my authority was able to get a hold of your soul before it travelled to the....leave it, I won't say further, but other souls could not be grabbed by me. You have been made a Transcender.
Those who transcend can raise their realm and join the realm just above one's own are known as Transcenders. I transcended you by force by taking your soul and created a new body and made you transcend one realm above, so you become a Transcender. This is a totally different realm from your previous world," said Gif.
You took my soul and created a new one? What are you? Are you the god of this world?
"Haha, I am just as far from god as you are from god. I am just a High Transcender," answered Gif.
Gyro had many questions, but one thing he knew for sure was that his knowledge from the previous world or the knowledge of the village didn't seem to apply to anything this Gif spoke of. Gyro knew that this Gif was very strong even if he couldn't comprehend it.
Do you know who killed everyone in the village? Since you have read my thoughts, you must know I am not from this world; I was reborn into this world. Are you the one who brought me to this world?
"Child, I may be strong according to the rules set by this world, but I am not omnipotent nor am I omniscient. I do not know who that red-hooded figure in your memory was. In fact, your village is one of the countless places in various realms which falls under my domain and authority, so I was obliged to check which high-sequence Transcender is causing destruction. But the thing is, even if I felt the aura of a high-sequence Transcender, the abilities he used were from the first realm.
Again, I do not know why you were brought into this world. It has probably got something to do with the "Black hole" that you were researching," said Gif.
There are far too few things that I know of my existence. These realms, all these Transcender bullshit does not follow logic or any science at all. I do not care about the abilities used by this red-hooded bastard, but I know one thing for sure. I must kill this bastard.
But why are you in my soul?
"A price is always exacted for what fate bestows, isn't that so? I pulled your soul and gave you a body. For doing something against the current of fate, I have received the punishment for my actions," said Gif.
Gyro felt a large guilt. Because of himself, Gif had to sacrifice something. Even though he didn't know if Gif had a body or a physical manifestation, he had to sacrifice himself for it.
"Do not feel guilty, oh dear child of mine. The fault is mine too because I couldn't respond and act upon my own domain and stop the red-hooded Transcender. I have sinned, so I must serve," said Gif.
I truly thank you for giving me this life and freedom to pursue my goals of returning home and avenging my friends.
"I appreciate it, haha, but about that freedom part....." said Gif with a serious tone.
***
It has been several months since Gyro has arrived at the first realm.
Even though Gif seldom speaks, Gyro has learned a lot from the very times they have interacted.
To transcend, one must drink the Nether potion of the respective realm. This potion is only obtained if one earns enlightenment in the realm that they are placed in, and it is fated to appear in the journey after gaining enlightenment.
Simply put, a potion appears as a fated encounter when one gains "enlightenment". In Earth's terms, the tooth coming out would be the enlightenment and getting something from the tooth fairy would be the Nether potion.
Transcender could find the Nether potion, be it in their dreams or even in the normal water they drink. It simply appears in their life.
When Gyro tries to ask about this "enlightenment", Gif says that Gyro can't comprehend it, but when it is the time for him, he would know. Gif says it could take eons or even a single day for someone to gain enlightenment.
This enlightenment has been renamed as many things as possible by people; some call it an experience; others call it a divine opportunity.
But the common thing called by many Transcender is - "Nirvana".
When Gyro presses Gif about his Nirvana, and how he did not drink the Nether potion but still came to the first realm, Gif did not answer but responded, "you will know."
Gyro has survived for two months and slayed countless monsters.
In the present time.
"Yes, kill this elf child," said Gif.
I refuse
The more time Gyro spent with Gif, the more he questioned whether this Gif really saved him or merely enslaved him.
Gyro was wearing Black Armour which he made from the skeletal remains of an elephant. It is called a black grass elephant by Gif. He was face to face with an elf child. This elf child had long ears, wore a green outfit, and had shiny golden hair. She was too scared to run from the human she had just encountered.
"This elf has seen you; your existence would be spread throughout the entirety of its clan. The forest is the home of the elves; if word goes out that a human Transcender is here, you wouldn't live past midnight. Quickly kill this elf and steal the lightning hare it has hunted," said Gif in an angry tone.
I refuse
"What are these morals that you bear? Look at the big picture. Put yourself over other creatures. The things that I instruct you to do are for your own benefit. This is your last chance. Quickly kill this elf child and steal its flying lightning hare," said Gif.
Gyro knew that doing what the old man had instructed him to do was a thing that would indeed save him.
But Gyro was a human.
Human?
What is being a human?
Is it the genetic code that makes us human?
Is it the ability to think?
The genetic code can be replicated and modified, and a robot programmed with a circuit similar to a human can also think.
But what makes a human is not the biology that defines it.
The indomitable human spirit.
The indomitable human spirit is what makes a human.
I REFUSE
His thoughts could not reflect his volume, but the tone was the embodiment of the indomitable human spirit. Gyro did not yield. The elf in front of him was different from the animals that he slew, ate, or wore.
This elf was closer to human than these animals were.
This elf was more human than the old bastard who shouts inside Gyro's mind.
This elf was more human, so it is more understanding.
This elf is more understanding than this bastard who lives inside of my brain.
"Ah, sigh. It can't be helped," said Gif.
In the next moment, Gyro felt a pain which someone would not even wish upon their greatest of enemies. It was not a physical pain but rather something that inflicts the soul. It felt as though Gyro was poked with a needle everywhere in his body and, at the same time, had lava pouring on him non-stop.
It lasted for a few seconds, and Gyro screamed.
His scream carried agony and pain.
After the grueling torture was over, Gif asked, "Was that a fitting lesson for you to learn?"
Gyro could not speak after that pain, and neither could he think.
One of the things that Gif could do was read the emotions of Gyro.
In this moment, his emotions felt as though they said, "I would do it over once again rather than the things you instruct me to do, you old fucker."
If Gif had a face, he would have the most disgusted face one could imagine, with infinite wrinkles.
The elf girl ran away by the time Gyro's screaming came to a halt.
And Gyro survived the night.
***
"Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto."