There was no brilliant flash of light, no final thought. My end was as unremarkable as my life had been. One moment, I was crossing the street, lost in thought about a project deadline; the next, a screech of tires, a brief, shocking impact, and then… nothing.
It was a perfectly mundane, forgettable death.
The nothingness that followed, however, was ….. It wasn't darkness, which is just absence of light. This was an absence of everything.Damn I thought I would go to hell or something maybe making jokes on insta reels isn't that big of a crime .
I waited
For a long time or it's just my attention span,doing nothing can make you …. uncomfortabe.Maybe I really am addicted, mom was right I will die in 5 minutes without that darn phone.
Then, after an eternity or perhaps just an instant.
A presence bloomed in the void.
Shit, I spoke too soon.
No No no, I'm gonna be judged.
tsk, I am experiencing those 7 minutes after death now.....it's ...it's just pathetic, why did I live so timidly? Who was gonna hurt me? It feels so small now, my problems, my life.
This is hell. My own life, my own choices make me feel sick.
....
What is happening. Why is nothing happening? Am I not gonna get sent to hell or something? Maybe I should be a little positive, maybe I will be sent to heaven, well I didn't hurt anybody in my life and even helped people.
Ooooor, I am getting reincarnated as an isekai protagonist. hehe.
Well, it was a living dimension, you can say that, it looked beautiful, a sentient law of physics.
To see it is to feel like watching maths being alive, a harmony, a flow of cosmos so right you feel a breakthrough in your comprehension talent. Hmm, this young master is enlightened.
It was magnificent, terrifying, and so far beyond me that I could only label it as my seniors in this scenario, called a ROB. A Random Omnipotent Being.
Ooh I feel the protagonist luck oozing from that sentence.
The voice was a chorus of collapsing stars and silent, perfect equations.
My thoughts went to places. What? Suitable for what?
Images flooded my mind: cosmic storms of raw potential, whirlpools of unformed realities, a sea of infinite that could erase anyone, no matter how powerful.
The sheer, mind-boggling absurdity of it all was starting to sink in. I was going to be a divine paperweight. A cosmic good luck charm.
Yes, this is it, this is what I was waiting for, finally.
Three wishes. The classic, monkey's-paw-laden offer. But my mind, sharpened by years of devouring fiction just like this, was already racing. This wasn't a trick; it was a transaction. I needed the best possible start. I couldn't ask for omnipotence, or can I? I should confirm this
"Excuse me, first of all, I want to say thank you, thank you for being kind and giving me this choice. It may sound a little audacious, but can I wish for omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence?"
The ROB's primary optical sensor, a pulsating orb of cerulean light, seemed to dim infinitesimally. A flicker of something akin to amusement, or perhaps mild disappointment, resonated through the neural interface.
A subtle pressure returned to the neural link, a silent command for me to recalibrate my expectations. The ROB was patient, but not infinitely. I needed to think smaller, more strategically. I needed to think about what would give me the most leverage in a chaotic multiverse, not what would make me a god.
"Understood," I said, a little deflated but also invigorated by the clarity. "My apologies for the overreach. I will refine my choices."
I closed my eyes, picturing endless possibilities. What would truly serve me? What would give me an edge against the unknown?
"My first wish," I thought, focusing my intent with all my might. "I want an ability I'll call 'Origin Acquisition', the power to perfectly copy the abilities, physiology, and memories of any being I choose."
My non-existent heart sank.
'I am pretty sure it's a nerf.'
'Tsk, I can feel the author working against me.'
'Seriously, if Deadpool shows up, I'm coming for your ass, you hear me, author?'
Well it was still incredibly powerful. Copying a power at its initial state meant I couldn't just tap Thor and get the powers of a thousand-year-old god. But I could, theoretically, tap him and get the potential of an Royal Asgardian. The seed of power. And if I had a way to nurture that seed...
"Alright," I conceded. "For my second wish, I want the ability of 'The Gamer.' The power to live my life as a video game, with stats, skills, levels, and limitless potential for growth."
There was a pause, a feeling of deep analysis from the ROB.
One wish left. I had the potential for infinite powers and a system for infinite growth. What was I missing? A processor. A way to manage the torrent of information and abilities I would acquire. I needed a way to analyze, strategize, and optimize. There was only one choice.
"For my third and final wish," I stated, my consciousness trembling with anticipation. "I want the Unique Skill, 'Great Sage,' from the being known as Rimuru Tempest. The ultimate analytical and computational mind."
<...Astute,> the ROB's voice held a tone that might have been approval.
The void around me began to twist, pulling my consciousness toward a single, brilliant point of light.
The light consumed me, and for the second time, my world dissolved into nothing.