Battle Through Another World (Peregrine x CelvestianNesy)

Peregrine

Waiting for Wit
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
  3. One post per week
  4. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
On fairly regularly, every day. I'll notice a PM almost immediately. Replies come randomly.
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
  2. No Preferences
Genres
High fantasy is my personal favorite, followed closely by modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic, but I can happily play in any genre if the plot is good enough.
The figure of a woman stood alone in a space that swum in a night sky.

Laying in a blanket of darkness, seemingly infinite stars gathered together, forming streams and swirling nebulae that drifted, layer upon layer, through the darkness.

The woman’s bare feet were firmly planted on inky nothingness, which stood between her and the surrounding stars. Without any point of reference to compare to, and with the silvery currents of light moving constantly through the void, it was possible that the woman might be hurtling through space, falling into the darkness. However, somehow the woman seemed both still and perfectly in control.

It was clear at a glance that she belonged with this space, or perhaps this space belonged with her. After all, her entire body was gracefully robed in a stardust dress, which swirled around her figure in the same dense, lazy rivers that filled the atmosphere. Platinum silver hair cascaded over her shoulders in glistening waves, a perfect match for her pale skin and brilliant blue eyes.

Those blue eyes were currently staring into the distance, intense and focused as though attempting to peer past the curtain of star-studded darkness into whatever lay beyond. The faint wrinkle that marred her otherwise smooth brow gave hint to the effort and concentration she was putting into her task. Other than the slow movement of the stars, those in the sky and those upon her dress, everything was still.

And then suddenly, without any warning, a burst of movement coursed through the still space, causing every star to pulse once. In time, the woman’s hand flashed out, instantly closing into a fist. It seemed impossible that her hand could have grabbed anything from the empty space in front of her, but when she drew her hand backwards faint traces of multicolored light glimmered from between the gaps in her fingers.

The woman withdrew her hand, before carefully uncurling her fingers. A small, brightly burning, iridescent star rested in the palm of her hand, quivering slightly. For a moment, a trace of a playful smile spread across her lips, before she crouched down. With great care, she placed the star into the emptiness near her feet, before she stood once again, stepping back. And then everything was still again.

There was no way to know how long the woman watched the trembling little star, but gradually it began to change. It grew from its small size, before pieces of it began to stretch outwards. Those pieces gradually began to form into the shape of arms and legs, which further refined to create hands and feet, fingers and toes. Under the burn of colored fire, a face gradually began to take shape.

Only when the star had fully transformed into the figure of a man did the starlight begin to fade. It revealed a pale-skinned young man with straight brown hair. Perhaps out of consideration for him, he was clothed in a simple white shirt and pants. However, like the woman who still watched him, his feet were bare

The woman continued to wait with seemingly infinite patience for the man that had appeared from the starlight to wake. It couldn’t have been an easy process, dying so abruptly and then finding his soul snatched from its own dimension and brought here before her. She’d acted with all possible care, he was important to her after all, but it would still take time for his soul to orient itself after such a drastic change.

And so the woman waited.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CelvestianNesy
A flash of white engulfed his vision; everything turned extremely bright before fading into darkness. It felt like life flashed before his eyes but suddenly he felt solid ground that pushed underneath his back. His eyes squinted to a blurry sight of infinite dots and blue clouds that looped on for eternity to come. What happened? His first thoughts were. Nesy had woken up to waves of headaches at the back of his head and it had felt like he had hit concrete or something. The pain began de intensify; to which finally subsided into just a small tingle on his forehead. The scene began to become more clear for Nesy and instead of dots there were stars, what he thought were just clouds were nebulae.

...Is this...Space? This reminisced him of the time he looked through the telescope to see a ton of stars, it definitely matched what Nesy described as deep space to his standards. The void was huge and a wave of loneliness and the realisation of how tiny he felt in the vacuum of space, but he could breathe? Is this what the afterlife was? Is that what happens after a human being's death? Damn it... If he could only be more careful and not do stupid things. He had lived a good life, but something still nagged him at the back of his head.

The fact he could still breathe in the vacuum of space blew his mind up to the very top of his head. How is this possible?! Nesy felt this nightmare had to end and that he could finally go home. However, that was unfortunately not the case. Although Nesy looked gentle and calm lying on the ground, inside, panic raced through his mind. His eyes pointed towards the figure that began to clear in his vision and now he could finally see it...Or her.

Nesy saw an unfamiliar woman that stared down at him, blue eyes and silver hair is what he could see; It reminded him of a medieval fantasy celestial but this time she had a dress of some sorts that was completely unfamiliar. Though it was completely mind-blowing to him as he had never seen this kind of dress in his entire life. Questions rose about who this woman was and her whereabouts but to no avail, there were no answers. The boy rose up from the ground to face the unknown female and it made him think the floor was non-existent but at the same time, it was there! As if he had levitated on the damn floor. His eyes were wide as they were completely focused on the ground underneath him.

He quickly snapped back to the woman and a trembled voice escaped out of him. "...W-Where am I? N...And who are you?" His line of vision was just focused on the woman at this point. "...What are you-?" Nesy added, completely terrified of everything around him but also completely fascinated due to him being in deep space, or what seemed to be deep space. Nesy had always loved space and dreamt of going there ever since he was a small child. Nesy looked around for a small moment before turning to the woman. A goddess? Perhaps a prophet of some sorts? Who knows? Nesy was not the one who goes deep into mythology now did he?

"...Is this the after-afterlife?" A quadrillion questions rose through his mind as he wanted them all answered but didn't find a way to properly put them on paper. "...At that point I would be screaming around for help, but why am I not?" Nesy murmured to himself before he shifted back to the person in front of him. The terror in his eyes had also a glint of fascination and curiosity; his pupils expanding to adjust to the darkness slightly. "...Well... I am rather fascinated by this." Nesy said in a rather humble manner, also he was quite showy with his feelings to people. "...I never thought life had an afterlife, maybe they were right about gods existing or...Some higher being." Nesy mumbled to himself even further.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Peregrine
Have you collected your thoughts?

The voice of the woman was like the echo of light through a misty morning, omnipresent and beautiful. Her lips did not move. Instead, her voice seemed to be coming from the stars themselves. She had waited patiently for Nesy to finish his muttering and musing, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Only now did her brilliant blue eyes lock onto his figure, her eyes seeming to peer straight through him.

This is not the afterlife. The voice in the stars contained some mixture of amusement and expectation, as though responding to a precocious child. As for the figure of the woman, none of her thoughts were clearly displayed on her face beyond that omnipresent, soft smile. Although you are not incorrect in thinking you have died. You died, and I grabbed your soul, bringing it here. To my world.

For an instant the stars spun faster, swirling in a dizzying coil, before everything seemed to freeze. The woman was still, and the stars in the heavens and scattered on her dress froze in place. As though traveling through molasses, her lips slowly parted.

"Can you guess why? I'll give you a prize if you can get it right."
 
  • Like
Reactions: CelvestianNesy
Nesy's body jolted to an unfamiliar female voice; it echoed right through his soul as if something pierced right through him. "Holy crap-" His eyes lingered away from the woman, to the stars and seemingly tried to find the source of the voice, but to no avail there was no clear source to the sound. Of course, he realised that it was all inside of his god damn head and maybe he'll return to the real world. No, there was absolutely no way for Nesy to return. "...Uhm...Yeah, I guess I've collected myself enough." Nesy replied in a rather soft, collected way. The smile in her face was kind of creepy, but it also intrigued him.

Nesy's eyes filled with fascination over the one who wore a dress with blue eyes that seemingly could attract any sort of individual to these special features, like it was perfect. He snapped out of his fascination, returning his attention to the woman. While the stars warped around in some weird dizzying coil. No time for foolishness Nesy! When the woman asked Nesy about the cause of death or maybe why she got into his world in the first place. A rush of energy could be felt throughout his legs and slithered up by his spine and with a strong realisation of something. Nesy's vision flashed; a bright light consumed him. Nesy, think!

A flashback...

Rounds of laughter echoed in all directions, children were playing in the park while Nesy crossed the street. Nesy's mind was full of things to do, priorities to solve. One of them was the exam just 2 days away from happening. Nesy's eyes shifted towards the children in the park, a few just staring at him with their bright smiles on their faces. How lovely, it was just so soothing to see. Nesy approached the children who appeared eager to play. "Hey children. You want to play some games?" A few children rejoiced, rushing towards him with cheers and shouting that continued to amplify the echoes in his mind, during the flashback.

Everything seemed fine... Until, his eyes meet an older female in the middle of the suburban concrete road. "HEY!" Nesy yelled, but his eyes saw a car rushing the highway, honking towards the woman while it seemingly attempted to slow down. His whole body stiffened as he had decided between himself or the other person and that's where his body let go at that moment. "Fuck this! AAAAAAAH-" Nesy rushed to the unfamiliar woman in a scream, pushing her away from the trajectory of the car at the last second. Then in another flash of light, everything went dead silent and could only hear a thumping sensation, which flatlined.


Nesy's body prompted him to wake the hell up. "...I think I died in a car-crash." Nesy's voice bounced back and forwards in the void. The sound of the echoes made Nesy think that it was impossible as there were no walls. Though there are things science aren't bound to explain, really nothing is. "Yeah, I was trying to save a woman from dying and I...I ended up dying myself while managing to do my objective. " Nesy pondered about his life choices back then. "...That's the irony of all this, but atleast the female can live her life, I would have done the same to a man." Nesy said truthfully, there was no lie about it! I ain't some simp or sexist, Nesy thought.

Nesy snapped back to the answer, he knew probably why he was sent here because of the past and good deeds he has done "Maybe because I am a hero or someone who believes in equality and wants to make good for the rest of the world. Because maybe uh..." Nesy's mind reiterated back to the times where he had stood up for people against bullies, people who generally mock others for whatever reason. "As I have combated racism and discrimination throughout my very life, as many others have done? Why do you think all of the millions of people that I'm the one to uh...Do these...I don't know what you're going to do." Nesy shook his head. "That makes someone light in heart, which means that you picked me due to me being unique, or special because of my bright heart or character." The guesses flooded through Nesy's mind.
 
Last edited:
Up in the heavens, the stars laughed faintly. Distant and echoing, it was hard to tell what kind of thoughts were behind their quiet mirth.

In front of Nesy, the goddess lifted a finger, resting it against the bridge of her nose as she stared at the young man for several moments as he finished speaking. Eventually, her head shook slightly, causing her silver hair to dance around her like a waterfall.

"I will score you five out of ten," she finally said. “Half points off because you didn’t even bother to guess at why I had reason to bring you here. Two points off for rambling. Two points back for having the ego to call yourself a hero. That’s hilarious.”

The stars in the sky laughed again. Despite scoring Nesy far from full points, the goddess didn’t seem dissatisfied with him.

However, a moment later and the smile tugging at the corners of her lips suddenly vanished. Her gaze grew more intense as though she was hoping to peer into Nesy’s very depths.

“Allow me to elaborate on the part you skipped.”

She lifted a hand, and around her, the stars responded to her motion. They swirled in closer, abruptly filling the empty space that surrounded the two, transforming it into a river of stars in which they now waded.

“You were not incorrect when you called me a higher being. You now reside in my universe. I made it, shaped its laws so that mortals would have the chance to rise above their fates, and transform into lords and kings.

“But a group of old bastards reached a peak of power, and decided that gave them the right to try and grab my world. They have locked it into stasis, using their power to prevent change and transformation.”


For a moment, darkness seemed to swirl in the depths of the woman’s eyes, so at contrast with her elegant features and the beauty that surrounded them. It was hard to guess exactly what emotion could have caused such a reaction in her, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be pleasant.

"I've waited for someone to rise up, to bring together the fragments of fate that have been scattered through time and space, and overhaul those at the supposed peak, replacing and perhaps even exceeding them. Such a journey against all odds is the best kind of tale.

“And yet, I've waited in vain. Every time someone gets close, those fools crush them, stealing away the fate and using it to further consolidate their power, further binding the world into chains of stagnation. I am done waiting. When a system falls into stasis, it needs a drop of stimulus from the outside to stir things up again.

"It would be far too boring, too anticlimactic, to stir it up myself. Instead, I want you to enter my world and shake things up."


Her eyes abruptly focused again, and that faint smile returned to her lips as she stared at Nesy. “Do you think you can do it?”
 
  • Like
Reactions: CelvestianNesy
Nesy's chest felt hollow, a wave of chills that slithered up his spine after her response. Though Nesy understood that this was life and that there was certainly some philosophy behind it. Then Nesy had a thought in his head about what she had told him about being a hero. "...Sorry, then what I was meant to say is that our definition of being a hero is saving someone's life by putting yourself on the line. Of course, saving one person is a gold thing, but to be a true hero you must earn it through and actually mean it." Nesy exclaimed to the woman.

Nesy philosophised, " A hero or a coward... may I wonder." Nesy nodded, of course, she had a point about his ego and explained his actions quickly enough to not waste her time. Nesy rambled about that being a hero is not always about saving a life for the sake of just saving someone but you have to actually mean it. Nesy argued that people need a lot of bravery to save lives but not everyone had this fire inside of them to actually pull it off. Nesy excused the amount of egoism he perhaps had thrown out. "Yeah, that's like... What I think a hero should do and stuff." Nesy exclaimed.

Does it really require one hero to be brave, one actually may wonder...

Nesy's eyes then locked with hers as everything around him seemed compact and powerful all of a sudden as the scenery changed. "There's just a question if I can carry myself this far, there is new territory to explore as there are certain things that I myself cannot explain." Nesy scratched the back of his head, sweat ran down his forehead. The only thing he could hear was the throbbing sensation in his head. Everything around them transformed into a river of stars as if everything dramatically took its turn. It...Looked like a liquid but at the same time it was not really a liquid, it didn't even make him wet. "...Holy shit." His eyes gazed at the stars and it appeared his legs were sucked into the void but he was fine!

It appeared that the goddess looked to his soul, during his eye contact he felt quite uneasy about the story which made his eyebrows peek up in interest over this. "Hmm. That sounds pretty interesting as I've thought about why you'd bring me here... You know. I really do not like the idea of people stealing and imperialism at all!" The anger poured through Nesy's veins as his brows furrowed while he continued. "Why? Due to the way I was raised to not showe people down their throats. Which is why I would hate the idea of these bastards forcing their ways into your world, even your own people mayhaps." Nesy's smile returned and a feeling of energy rushed through his body. "You know what. I'm up for that task." The light of confidence flashed in his eyes.

"Despite me, sounding so overly confident. But I must not be fooled by being too prideful as overconfidence can be deadly! Why? There are still dangerous things on the way and there's absolutely hardships I have to come by. You see if I succeed this task that means all of the stuff of being a hero wasn't a fluke. That I could have everything it takes to liberate the world from these imperialist bastards. This would be proof that I have what it takes but if I fail then that's it. There's just one chance. Do I have what it takes to be a hero? I can't decide that, but you could change your destiny as I believe everyone can do that... If they do the right choices." Nesy nodded, his pulse rampaged inside of him and was ready for some adventure!
 
Last edited:
The goddess' eyes never strayed from Nesy as he spoke, as though every scrap of her attention was devoted to his words. Naturally, there was a high chance this was nothing but a façade, an illusion. After all, how could a truly divine being put all of their focus onto a single thing. However, there was no denying that she had placed and would continue to place great importance on this conversation.

Perhaps no mortal had ever gained as much of her attention and focus as she was giving Nesy at this moment.

"A hero's tale, hmm," the goddess said, her voice mingling with the continued light laughter of the stars. "Very well. I like that description. I intend to see this venture succeed, so long as you do your part properly. I shall do my part as well. I'll be there for the entirety of your journey, observing from the background, giving you pieces of guidance, twisting fate to ensure that every danger you are able to overcome will have a suitable reward, and a touch of... What is it the people of your world call it? Plot armor?"

This time it was the goddess herself who giggled, her small smile momentarily blooming into a dazzling smile. "Yes. We shall consider that our premise. But, all tales must have rules. Here are the two placed upon you.

"One, you must always put in effort. Never expect anything to be handed to you for nothing.

"Two. I am under no obligation to assist you with anything. It's just like you said. You have one chance. If you blindly back yourself into a corner without thought or consideration, I will allow you to fall."


She stared at Nesy for a moment, making sure her conditions had sunk in, before a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "Of course, there's no true hero's tale without a little bit of theatrics. If you have a request, you can always ask. I might even play along.

"If you have any questions at this point, ask them now. Otherwise, I will continue with my introduction."
 
Last edited:
A chuckle escaped him, the laughter of stars filled his ears. Nesy's rubbed the back of his head. "Uuhh.....Plot armour? You mean when a character cannot die because he cannot be removed from the story." Nesy launched into reasoning where not being removed is a reward and not a penalty as it seemed to be a reasonable reward. "Alright then! Seems very much good!" It seemed that Nesy was going to do his part and in result, he nodded to the woman.

Nesy's attention was also focused on the goddess just as much as she was focused on him. Alright, time to hear what premise she had to require. The fact that Nesy had to put in effort was a very reasonable thing, even for a hero. Of course, not everything was to be handed to him like a silver plate as that would be rather outrageous. "Sure, I agree with that. Why should I be handed with a silver plate? I mean I put effort into studying and got high grades. So why should this be any different?" Nesy concluded.

Nesy also agreed that Nesy had one chance in life, of course technically he was given a second chance to live somewhere else. So that was the price to pay huh. "No problem! Life is hard to time to time and there sure are unexpected twists and dangerous things that I have to watch out for." So Nesy launched other conclusions, it seemed to be rather scary but of course, failure happens but it depends on how large the failure is anyway. However, backing away without a damn fight? Were she kidding him around or was she serious? Anyway, it had sunken in and Nesy chooses to agree.

He opened his mouth to speak, "I agree with your premise." Nesy felt like he had to do accept the offer. At least it could have gotten worse and not any better. When she mentioned about dramatic outcomes and requests he could do, his eyebrows raised in interest. "Theatrics? I mean... I sure got a lot of theatrics in my brain." Nesy explained to the goddess that his opinions(political as well) may be controversial because the time he was going to be sent was the medieval times he presumed. Yes, Nesy looks to the person as an individual and judges them based out of some factors. Despite biological differences among people, he respected that everyone was different and to be treated in a way of social equality.

Did Nesy have any questions? Nope, there were no current questions as Nesy understood this. "Nope, everything is pretty much like butter." Nesy joked, understanding what she had told him all the way. "Alright then. Just continue introducing yourself then." Shrugged Nesy, his ears and eyes were all to her attention. The thumping in his chest intensified, sweet soaked his armpits just a tiny bit but not enough to be smelly or anything.
 
Last edited:
"Then I shall continue with the introduction."

The Goddess lifted her hands in front of her, moving them in a spherical pattern in front of her chest. Misty light gathered in front of her, before forming into a crystal orb. Colored lights swirled within its depths, vague and indistinct. The goddess' eyes finally left Nesy, instead turning towards the depths of the orb she had just created.

"At the most surface level, you will find that my universe resembles yours. The sky is blue, trees and animals cover the earth. A heart beats in each human, pumping blood through their veins." Within the crystal orb, a brilliant, red heart appeared in the center, beating endlessly. "However, despite the apparent resemblance, you will quickly realize that their resemblance ends at a surface level. The rules that guide my world are completely different than those that guide yours. Your world is based on a few number of atoms and particles, combining in endless chains. Mine is based on near endless variations of mana."

The image of the heart in the crystal ball suddenly began to grow, zooming in. The image in the crystal ball zoomed in, until it seemed like an endless ocean of red flesh instead of the heart. As it grew greater and greater, the heart gradually began to change into overlapping points of radiant light, some red, some faintly green, some slightly orange. They swirled around each other in mysterious patterns, incomprehensible and constantly changing.

"I shall not go into great detail on the true nature of mana. After all, it is far more complicated and mysterious than even the laws of your own universe, and it is that very process of learning that will allow you to reach that 'untapped potential' of humanity. What I shall say instead is that mana is the basis of all things, and certain things will have a much stronger inherent understanding of some types of mana over others.

"This is called an aptitude, and it appears in all things. Aptitudes can be strong or weak, and can cover broad or narrow aspects of mana. They can even be trained or induced, to a certain extent. The greater your aptitude for a type of mana, the easier it will be to sense and control it."


The goddess paused and smiled. "And that shall be the prize I mentioned earlier. I will allow you to choose your aptitude, and when your soul is reborn into my world, I shall shape your body accordingly. However, because you only got half credit, there will be limitations upon what you can request."

The swirling network of mana in the crystal orb faded out, before being replaced by groups of glowing orbs. They were gathered together by color, bright sky blue next to a deep rich azure, brilliant red next to a faded crimson, vivid white adjacent to the palest shade of lilac. Seemingly every color under the spectrum appeared within that orb, each separate but distinct. The goddess' eyes finally lifted from the orb, returning to Nesy. It seemed, at least for now, she intended to speak no further, but her eyes were still relaxed and playful.
 
Nesy's eyes looked at the weird introduction to the world he had soon to be reborn in. Nesy imagined it to be so similar to Earth with its lush forests and green fields. However, on the surface level, everything seems to be rather abnormal to his own mind. His eyes perked in interest over the fluctuations of mist and colours that changed inside of the circular shape that was shown to him. Nesy launched into an analysis of what this thing even was and how mana even worked. Nesy could have guessed mana was the source of all energy, just like the atoms in his world.

So...Instead of molecules, there would be mana as a source of life. Are there any periodic tables though? There was really no way to understand it in the first place because the goddess did not tell him about it. Nesy had hoped that he had a medium or maybe a high aptitude of mana because then he could finish the job easier and make a path for him in his destiny. However, diplomacy was also important to try to understand people, since furthering strength should be the same priority as that. Fighting alone was bad, to getting allies were much better as it could lead to the job being easier.

A true hero, should not prevent himself from getting potential like-minded allies as doing everything by yourself is not a viable option. Strenght by the numbers, by the brains of many. Is a very important thing for Nesy at the earlier and the late stages of his adventure. "This means that I have to get viable allies, strength by the numbers and by the brains. Doing everything myself is not a good idea so maybe finding like-minded allies out there can help each other out very much." Nesy said to the goddess. "That's my dream team."

"Exploring the world should be also a priority that is important as that could lead to the finer detail of how dangerous it is." Nesy said, launching into an explanation where getting allies was also justifiable once again. Then Nesy drew his attention to the orbs that changed from many colours. "You know, I'd like something that can manipulate elements but there should be a range of it, maybe when I get stronger it increases and stuff." Nesy then explained what he wanted to request. "I think element manipulation should be a good thing to start off. I prefer manipulating many elements, it could range from..."

" Fire, Electricity, Earth, Wind. " Those were the elements he wanted to manipulate. "Yeah, I'm going elemental!"
 
Greedy, the stars teased. Around his knees, the river surged for a moment, climbing up his knees to pull at his waist, before subsiding back down into the same starlit current that covered the ground between the two.

In front of Nesy, the goddess shook her head. Her hands dropped, allowing the images that had formed in front of her to fade away. "No," she replied, laughing. "I said you may choose one aptitude, not four."

Her hand lifted again, and four shapes appeared above it. A brilliantly orange tongue of flame in the upper left. A bright, yellowish arc of lightning, darting around in a confined space at the top. A twirling whirlwind stained a translucent green just to its right. Under it all, an amorphous sphere of dark brown, which slowly revolved on the spot. Gradually, they began to spin around each other, like cars on a ferris wheel.

"You must understand, an aptitude is not a super power. It is a gift of genius, of innate understanding towards a certain type of mana. An aptitude is not magic. It does not allow you to anything, merely to dig into the depths of a type of mana.

"What is more, mana is not an action. All things can be created, and all things can be destroyed. All things can be summoned, all things can be tamed, all things can be enslaved. All things can be manipulated.

"Instead, mana is an existence, a concept with distinction. No matter how hard you try, a pebble will never become a gust of wind, a bolt of lightning will never transform into a drop of water."


The goddess' hand lowered once more, and the four, swirling shapes vanished.

"Try again."
 
Nesy's eyes peered down to the dots that surged for a moment. This definitely frightened him a little because if the river was truly alive, how it make any sense!? Then he opened his mouth to speak after it subsided. "Riiight..." Nesy put his hands on his face and cupped them together, attempting on another thought process. Nesy sighed, nodding to the thing he knew he was going to take. "You know... I rather want the idea of mana manipulation. Since things are made out of mana. How about being able to manipulate that existing matter." Nesy explained to the goddess, but maybe this would be rejected.

Nesy explained what kind of idea he was getting at. "So, I can manipulate existing matter and try to make a sort of mana - chemistry. You see, I love engineering and innovating stuff." Nesy decided to also request a second thing just in case if that was rejected. But Nesy realised something, it wasn't just a superpower it was literally something of a mana type! "You god damned idiot! Nesy!" Nesy whispered to himself, he slapped himself in the cheeks as a signal to wake up. "Then! I realised something...Yeah, that might be too large? I don't know."

Nesy rubbed his cheek, realising his utter stupidity in this kind of situation. "In case you are rejecting this, I would like electric manipulation. Thus, I am willing to manipulate electricity as just the element only, cause that's also one right? Anything pretty much related to electricity is fine, but more options may be available of course." Nesy thought, unless if he did not understand how amplitudes work but he decided to trust himself that he could understand it. It always works right?!

Nesy hoped, that this would be the final resolution.
 
The goddess stared at Nesy for a moment, before she sighed. For the first time since they had met, there was a trace of disappointment on her face. When she stared at him, there was reproach in her eyes.

“You,” she said, voice heavy and somewhat severe. “Are trapped in the thinking of your old world. And either it is distorting your thoughts to the point that you cannot see beyond it, or you simply cannot be bothered to try and learn from what I’m saying.”

The river of starlight that flowed around the two abruptly began to recede, flowing away before it began to curve back up into the sky. A moment later, and the two once again stood in the middle of a dark bubble, surrounded by the night’s sky.

“I shall forgive your first request as simple habit. You were born and raised in a world that is made up of simple building blocks, repeated over and over, and that is your normal. However, as I have already told you once, that is not the case in my universe. Chemistry, as a study, does not exist here.”

She stared at him for another moment, before her head shook back and forth. “On the other hand, it is your second request that makes me think you are throwing things out with absolutely no clue what you’re asking for or what I’m offering, and I have no intention of letting you get away with it.

“So, here’s your chance to redeem yourself, and your next test. You previously scored a five out of ten, so you now have the chance to ask me five questions. At any point during that, you have one chance to explain why what you are asking for is incorrect, and what is, instead, correct.

“Think carefully, because if you still get it wrong, or don't answer at all, I’ll take away your chance to ask for your aptitude and leave it up to chance, same as all other living beings. And don’t try and hedge your bets by asking multiple questions in one sentence. I will count that as multiple questions.”
 
Nesy's questions soon raised to mind; "Then are aptitudes a school of magic? Nesy uttered the words out of his mouth, trying not to panic like an idiot he was. His heart slammed around his chest like a hammer thrusting around in his cavity.

[The goddesse's response was:"Magic is performed when a person has a sufficient understanding of a type of mana to be able to direct or change its behaviour. In order for someone to light a fire using magic, they must first be able to recognize and then subsequently be capable of moving fire mana. The greater the spell, or the more radical the change, the harder it will be to successfully move the mana."]

Then Nesy had another question, something that was really important in the heart. "So, then what's the name of all the aptitudes of magic there?" Then a third question began to pop into his mind, which was kinda foolish.

[ The goddess' head shook once again. "I shall not count that as a question, because it is impossible for me to answer. There are more types and variations of mana, and therefore more aptitudes than even I would ever wish to list."] Nesy's heart rate was increasing, at least she didn't count that in or otherwise he'd be doomed!

Then, Nesy asked the third question while the other one not being counted. "So, then aptitudes are basically meaning the type of mana you are controlling, yes?" Nesy asked. Though, that was also resulting to a no and Nesy would need to change strategy. He decided to go through the definition of alptitudes, so finding that there was something else instead...

[The goddess reply was: "No," the goddess replied again. "Theoretically, all people are capable of controlling all types of mana. Aptitudes and magic are not directly related. A person could have an aptitude for ice, yet never cast a water spell in their life. Few would do such a thing, though." ]

Then Nesy thought... "So, Aptitudes are basically a talent/potential of what kind of element(magic) you're specialised in?" Nesy asked.

[The goddess reply was: "That's closer, but still not entirely correct. Aptitudes are unquestionably a form of talent. However, they do not directly grant you the capability to perform a type of magic." ]


[The goddess told him: "You have one question left." ]


Nesy had to get his god damn belly bottom cheese nugget lookin' ass straight on the topic, quit being such a dummy Nesy! You are an intelligent man! "Alright then!" Nesy stood straight up. "Then I'm going to ask you one last question, so aptitudes are a talent basically, so if I have an aptitude for lighting/electricity, it may actually potentially be so that I have it easier to control that type mana, right?" Nesy asked.

[Finally, the goddess' head nodded slightly. "Yes, although I don't think the relationship is quite as straightforward as you are expecting there. In the same way that a person in your world may have an aptitude, or talent, for learning a language, or talent for math, an aptitude makes learning and discovering and understanding mana more natural and intuitive. Whether or not you are then able to use that knowledge to successfully cast magic is an entirely different matter.]

["You've used up all your questions. Do you know why I could not grant you your previous request now?" The goddess said.]



Nesy, you better get your god damned ass straight! YOU KNOW THE ANSWER! SAY IT! JUST SAY IT Nesy's mind screamed at him to just say the god damn answer and Nesy got a rush of energy to say it quickly. As if his life depended on it.

Nesy decided to step up like the man he was. "Yes! To an extent I do, so I shall explain why. I think that is because you are trying to grant me a potential, a more natural approach to learning this specific element or something. I asked for a power such as electric manipulation which is not a talent(aptitude), as you explained it was a talent for something, but it adds more potential for that element of my choice, but does not mean I will be able to succeed guaranteed, it will just raise my ods. So, I should have said I wanted an aptitude for electricity/lighting! Not manipulating it straight out of the batch like a power! You don't grant me power, that's your point. You grant me a chance or a potential to make it more natural for me to fit into electricity." Nesy said, explaining to the goddess.

"So what you wanted me to say, it was magic potential all along!"

Now it was time to get panzershrecked, or plant the nuke into the beast and get away with it. Let's go Nesy!
 
Slowly, a beautiful smile blossomed across the goddess' face. "Correct!" she replied, her hands clasping together in front of her chest. "Rule one, you must always put in effort."

The goddess nodded softly, before her hands spread in front of her. However, rather than forming a crystal orb this time, they were drawing a flat plane, like the surface of a table. Underneath them the infinite black, starry sky seemed to twist, as though something was trying to rip its way through space. The invisible whirlpool began to swallow up the stars, before nothing remained below them but blackness. It was only then that land began to appear under their feet, the familiar greens, browns, yellows, blues, and whites of a habitable planet.

"In my world, it is always a person's own effort that allows them to rise up, to exceed their current fate. You will have to start at zero, just like everyone else. However, your aptitude will grant you a blessing when you begin to explore the mysteries and secrets of lightning mana.

"You shall need the advantage it provides you. After all, even locked in stasis, my world is not a peaceful one. It is one where individuals are capable of becoming so powerful that they could kill anyone from your world with nothing more than a single thought. It is a world where strength reigns supreme, and if you aren't strong enough to have your way you can only yield to those stronger than you, try to take shelter under another power, or..."
the goddess paused, her smile growing broader and far less gentle. "Fight for every opportunity that presents itself, and become one of the strong yourself.

"Of course, that's assuming that those in power will allow you to grow that strong. And so it goes full circle."


On the ground below them, things began to rise up from the ground. At first they were nothing more than blurred shadows, but they quickly began to resolve themselves into massive cities, towering and beautiful, each of them unique. In the north, a graceful domed city of ice was carved into eternal glaciers, water so blue it looked like liquid sapphires flowing between the buildings. To the west, a city of stone rose from the cliffsides of a massive mountain, with walls so tall it would be impossible to see the top standing at the bottom. In the center of a shadowy forest to the southeast, a city was built on bridges that were strung between the sculptures of wooden giants that towered a thousand feet tall. And these were only a few of the countless massive cities that sprawled under their feet.

"This is the world you will struggle in. I will tell you more about it shortly, but first I'll confirm. You are happy having an aptitude for lightning? Aware, as you now are, that there will be differences between the lightning mana of my world, and the electricity of yours?"
 
Nesy rejoiced in happiness. Relief began to strike through him as the realisation of being correct settled into his heart. He felt a warm sensation that waved through him. "Wooohooo!" He escaped, doing some movements with his body to indicate dancing. "Alright then. Let's see some action." Nesy's eyes then locked with the goddess and looked to what she had done. Everything around them shifted into permanent darkness it seemed, but then everything began to change. Nesy's eyes would dart down towards the beautiful and lush world that was presented to him. Then there was darkness, for what seemed to be an eternity.

Until the world began to show it's true colours. "That's truly remarkable, uhh..." Nesy did not know what to call her so he shut his mouth. "Like this is a true beauty right there." Nesy chuckled, his eyes widened and muttered about the beauty of this place. "Fields, forests and all that! It's all...Feeling like a utopia that's bound to be deadly."

Nesy's lips curved upwards to a childish grin, eyes locked with the woman in the dress. "Of course, becoming the strongest person seems to be a good thing. However, do I need to overbuild myself? I think I should get allies, but also train myself! I must not get wrapped up, because Egoism can be harmful sometimes but it may also be benifical." Nesy nodded. Then Nesy told the goddess about that he would try to train hard, to try to balance himself properly during this journey. "To be rational always helps me in this journey. I definitely must be wise." My body is definitely fragile and it needs care too." He said, willing to take care of himself as well.

"Ambition is a healthy thing I agree, but one must be careful..." Nesy thought to himself, still extremely hyped for this journey. Then he saw more things, such as buildings that seemingly was carved by ice. Wooden buildings that were giant, even as so they towered like a thousand feet! It's so remarkable. So many environments, what seemed to be endless definitely. The goddess was correct, of course it was her own world after all...Or was it now? A Mountain was so tall that it seemingly could be the size of mount Everest itself! Nesy began to jump all around and squeel. With danger comes rewards, with danger comes with rewards, Nesy repeated in his mind. "Hehehe... Sorry for getting too excited...."

Then the topic was changed to his aptitude. "Excuse me. I'm just too excited. Yes! Of course, I would confirm it to be my aptitude." Then when she asked him about the electricity, easy peasy! This was no hard question to answer. "Yeah! Electricity in my world uses electron flows to maintain itself." Then Nesy launched into an analysis of mana. "So, the electricity in your world is mana based. There are no electron flows, there's just a flow of mana it seems..." Then Nesy thought, is mana flowing in the states of solid and liquid? Time to find out yes?! It's time to do a ton of big brained stuff, non-casual things that he loved to do in an other world and try to apply them to this world.

Lets do this Nesy! Hardcore mode! Maximum!
 
"Very well," the goddess agreed, nodding her head with finality. "When you are reborn in my world, you will have an aptitude for lightning mana."

As though in response to her words, purple lightning unexpectedly sparked across the stars, flashing brightly for a split second before fading away, leaving behind nothing but the memory of its existence.

"With that settled, we must continue on to other important matters."

The goddess gestured to the world below her feet, where the towering symbols of society and culture still rose proudly from the ground.

"My realm is one of factions. Each of the forces capable of claiming a swathe of territory are propped up by at least one powerful individual, a titan of mana whose every action can raise a storm. And yet, these forces hold each other in check, each of those titans fearing the disastrous consequences that would come about should they ever truly go to war with each other, or the circling vultures who would gladly tear them apart if they weaken too far.

Here, you won’t be judged by the color of your skin or the shape of your body, but you certainly will be judged for the faction you belong to. Even those smaller forces, who might seem completely independent, almost always pay tribute to a stronger force for protection.

Symbols began to appear on the map of the world, connected to the large presences, and then to other, smaller symbols. The whole thing spread outwards, until it seemed that the entire map was covered in a maze of connections and relationships. As the pattern spread, the goddess paused, watching Nesy for a moment.

"You used the last questions I gave you well," she finally said. "If, and only if, you wish it, I will give you more questions to ask about the details of society that I have briefly laid before you."
 
"Alright." When Nesy responded, his eyes settled on a purple flash within the stars. All it left behind was just the light that remained in his vision, fading away into nothingness and the memory of it's existence still became stuck in his mind. Nesy's chest felt lighter, a flash of hope through his eyes.

"Then it is settled." Nesy uttered, agreeing with the goddess to change the topic. His throat became tense as if it held some feelings back. A preconception sparked in his mind about what she would bring up, what would she bring up for topic? What was in her heart that she wanted to place on the planning table? Was it something important? A million ran through Nesy's mind about the subject, branching into many conclusions.

When she introduced him about her realm, a ton of ideas began to form in his mind about just precisely what her realm contained. Of course, there was going to be many things. Of course, it sounded all cliche but when given some more thoughts, it was truly remarkable how one individual can change things because this is true! Ideas come from one individual, they spread like wildfire if applied well enough. Nesy launched into an analysis of how individuals change.

(Collab-post)


Nesy's question: "Alright, so... I get you were talking about cultures and factions. But can you tell me what ideas/beliefs these factions have? Like, why do you get judged for being in a different faction, and what ideas do they contain?"

The goddess considered for a moment, before speaking gently. "My universe is large, and there are countless factions contained within it. Therefore, while there are some factions that are made around an ideology, that is not the case for the majority of them. The reason people are judged for their faction is because the faction you belong to becomes a part of your identity. Just like few countries in your world are born around an ideology, but when they go to war, you will still be drafted to fight for the nation in which you belong.


"f you wish to know specifics about a faction, I could tell you. However, there is no guarantee you will ultimately end up in, or near, its sphere of influence."


Nesy said, nodding. "You are absolutely right. I have no doubt in my mind that what you're saying is true. Then may I be able to understand the specifics of certain factions? Since your universe is big, I wont waste your time by asking all of them as you don't want to state absoloutly every faction."

"Very well," the goddess agreed. "Tell me a faction you would like to hear about."

Nesy nodded. "I well... Don't know the names but I can try to match them up by my interests. I'd love factions who root for peace, those who want as less blood shed as possible. While still having interests in defending themselves against anybody who threatens them, basically anti-imperialism. Egalitarianism(equality) is given. The faction could pretty much be friendly, a family-like structure or whatever." Nesy shrugged. "As long as everyone with similar ideals with also differing opinions can get along."

For a moment, the goddess' eyes closed. Behind her eyelids, it was possible to see her eyes faintly twitching. After a moment of silence, her eyes opened again. "There are no factions that meet all of those criteria," she responded. "While there are some factions that do not want to shed blood, there are no factions that promote complete equality. After all, in order for a faction to gain the strength and resources required to raise a titan, it must subordinate other, smaller groups. Any faction that tried to treat every one of its members as a close family would long have torn itself apart from the inside, or been exploited by those with far less moral qualms."

Nesy's eyes had a glimpse of disappointment. "Then there's no guarantee I can get along in these factions... But should I be optimistic? There can be one man or many who can change the world if played his/theirs cards right." Nesy said, but scratched his head. "Is...Is this world truly hopeless? No, I wouldn't think that way."

The goddess replied, "That is to be expected," Her voice unexpectedly filled with a trace of laughter. "The ones you are going to overthrow naturally have ties to the most powerful of the powerful factions. If you got along with them, it would entirely defeat the purpose of sending you into my world in the first place!"


Then Nesy's voice changed with a trace of heroic tone "Then a new age is upon this world. If this world wants to me to go independent without a faction, being hated but raised to be powerful... Then this is perfect... But... Maybe I'm not supposed to get along with them?" Nesy smiled. "Then choosing my own path can solve issues, with the guidance of others too. I can meet companions, who can bond with me, your world could be this huge. There is a new age coming upon your realm, goddess. The age where people bond together and fight for what is right. Which is of no guarantee, but could I die for that dream? Yes." Nesy said.

The goddess continued to laugh slightly, her eyes slanted in a smile. "So long as you can achieve my requirement of you, you are free to go about it however you would like. I wish you luck."


Nesy asked, curious. "Remind me again, your requirement was to defeat some really powerful people to take the realm back? Maybe, this could be a common goal for a faction...Maybe." Nesy said.

"That is correct. A small group of people have reached what they believe is the peak of my universe." The smile abruptly vanished from her face, replaced with an intense look that had only graced her features the previous time she had discussed these people. "In order to ensure that no one threatens their control, they have chosen to make sure that only the people they choose to reach a level close to them, and none truly ever reach their level. I find that absolutely unacceptable. They are not gods, whatever they may believe, and they do not get to reign as such."


"...I just hope not to die. That's all. It's of no guarantee that I will live. Then I apparently must work hard, to fixen up my damn reflexes too!" Nesy's eyes shook with realisation. "...That means...Pressuring myself to the maximum, with care." His mind had a split mindset, one dying and one prevailing. The path is his own. "...I'm not a fighter maybe..." Nesy said to himself, wanting to be a better fighter!
 
The goddess watched Nesy psyche himself up, laughing slightly, before she nodded. The motion caused her silver hair to ripple over her shoulders like a waterfall. "Very well then," she continued. “With your questions answered, all that remains is deciding how you’ll enter into my world, and where your journey will begin. I rather like some of those stories from your previous word. Shall we use those as reference, perhaps?”

Her hands spread before her, creating a small plane vertically between the two of them. As she spoke, text began to appear on the board, outlining her words. Despite the fact that the letters would be completely unfamiliar to Nesy, looking like curved and swirling chicken scratch, it would still be possible for him to easily and clearly understand each entry.

The cleanest method would likely be to simply reincarnate you into the body of someone who recently died, and give you some basic information on their history. There’s lots of different possibilities we could discuss here.

Or we could do a genuine reincarnation, where you are reborn to a family in this world, reawakening more and more of your memories as you age.

We could also get you mixed up in a summoning or transportation ritual. Although they aren't the most common, summoning rituals unquestionably happen. I will also ensure you are not magically bound to your summoner during the summoning.

Finally, I suppose I could just recreate your body as it was before you died, and place it in my world."

The four possibilities appeared on the board, one towards each corner. "Each option has its benefits and detriments. The final choice is up to you."
 
Nesy's eyes directed towards the letters, his head tilted to the side and his fingers rubbed his bottom jaw, "Hmmm... I wonder what this is." thoughts spread around in his mind like a cobweb of links. His chest throbbed less; the waves of energy flowed more subtle.. The blood hummed through his veins. His body began to feel more hinged, more relieved. His eyes would then scan at the options that were presented to him, what options could be done and what to avoid? Should he start minimalistic or perhaps it should be the option of being himself, perhaps it's a lot better to start minimalistic because maybe to avoid screwing things up, perhaps he can start like this anyway!

Forging myself form the iron and the strength, but also my own emotions forge me. A true hero should show the iron and start minimalistic, to show your true dedication. His thought echoed in his mind, a glimpse of dedication from the final option seems to be a good route, but unfortunately, he had made his decision.

[Collab post]

“So, what if we took a route of reincarnating into a body who recently died? Hmmm… Or maybe the second option of being good as before might be good to me. What do we really start out with? Can we discuss the second option, if it does not fit me then we can do the option where I am re-created before I died?” Nesy suggested. “Or maybe I could just end up being re-created before I died actually.”

The goddess’ head tilted for a moment, before she nodded slightly. “Very well, we can discuss the options in more depth, if you wish. Which of the four did you have questions about?”

“Sure, I had questions about the route of being reincarnated into someone else's body, compared to being on my own. Yes, stuff has its own advantages but like… What’s the advantage of having the same body as before?” Nesy thought, rubbing the back of his head. Nesy asked.

“There are a few.” As though in response to the Goddess’ voice, the square in the lower right corner illuminated slightly. “Perhaps the most obvious one is initial familiarity. The length of your arms and legs, how you take a step, how it feels when you move. All of those habits of your soul will still match with the body you are using.”

“Oh, that’s at least a good thing. Well I am glad that I am at least intact, maybe learning history fresh out of the bat might be a good idea for me. Who knows what wonders I can learn from looking through this reality, not just theory upon theory but it has to be backed by reality but anyway. I think learning the world from a fresh start is a good idea, that’s why I am going to pick my body, instead of something else as learning things myself has given me different observations entirely but I’d have to be careful with such.” Nesy shrugged. “So I choose, that I’d be recreated accordingly, as you said.” He added.

The goddess considered his words for a moment, before nodding slightly. “If that is the choice you believe is the best for you, then I shall watch with interest how it plays out.” The lower square glowed brighter still. “Are you ready to begin? Or do you have any final matters you wish to address?”

“None at all. May the gods of philosophy guide me.” Nesy said, a chuckle escaped out of him. “I’m all ready.” Nesy said while his lips curved upwards, his chest began to throb faster while the blood rushed through his veins even more intensely. A rush of energy went through his marrow, inching its way down deeper in his body. His head became fuzzy, images flashed his mind while a million thoughts appeared, reiterating the time he died and hit by a car as an attempt to save an old lady, or was it younger? “I wonder how my path might end up into.” Nesy thought, only time will tell.