Will of chaos

I was on the balcony of the Star Palace, lying down and admiring the stars visible between the branches of the Universal Tree. It was a fantasy vision I had dreamed of in my past life, and now I can see it every day.

“I brought her, but Karina and Kira didn’t like it. They said it’s too early to force things.” (Xerxes)

“They’re not wrong, but as you said, we don’t have time.” (me)

I raise my upper body and sit cross-legged, watching the two people arrive. Xerxes was in front, and Hana was a few steps behind.

“Did she tell you why I asked for your presence?” (me)

“She did, but I didn’t quite understand. In my memories, these magical things are still a mystery.” (Hana)

“Simply put, we’ll be in a shared dream where we’ll spend a few months, but in real life, only a few hours will have passed.” (me)

“There’s no risk at all, as far as I understand.” (Me)

“The only risk would be the mental strain, after all, this item overloads the minds of its users, which means there are no risks for you, who are at least at the Divine level.” (Xerxes)

“Then let’s begin…” (Me)

I remain seated while gesturing for Hana to sit in front of me, while Xerxes takes a Grimoire and places it between us.

On the cover of the Grimoire was a four-petaled flower that looked like blades; the book itself seemed to emanate the power of a Concept. I didn’t know which one, but it was clear it was an Artifact of origin.

“I will be here to watch over you both and ensure that no one interferes, as well as interrupt everything if a risky situation occurs.” (Xerxes)

“It seems that up to four people can use this item at the same time, but this time it will only be the two of you.” (Xerxes)

“You have lived 4 lives together in 4 different scenarios; these will be 4 acts of a survival anthology.” (Xerxes)

1. Metropolitan Capitalism

2. Savage Survival

3. War

4. Persecution

“In each of these scenarios you need to survive for 6 months, totaling 2 years of time, which is equivalent to 20 hours out here.” (Xerxes)

“(Something is wrong, what is this item really for? It seems too complex to be used like this.)” (me)

“(It seems to be a trial of the Dream Concept, a test to choose your Avatars, one among many.)” (Xerxes)

It was clear that there was something special about this Grimoire, but I didn’t expect it to be a trial to choose Avatars for an Entity I’d never heard of before.

“I’m starting…” (Xerxes)

“[Activate]” (me)

Xerxes places his hand on the book, activating the entire ritual while nodding and pointing to the petals. I act first, cutting one of my fingers, which turns the petals red. Something similar happened to her, and soon I feel my mind fading.

I could have resisted relatively easily, but I let myself fall asleep. I felt something pulling at my consciousness before I even had the will to open my eyes.

———————–

When I looked around, I felt like I was in my old world: a simple room with a worn-out mattress, a bookshelf with three random books and some trinkets, and a table with a computer that clearly has seen better days.

I stood up and looked at the mirror on the wardrobe that must have come from an old woman’s house. It was my appearance: young, with red hair and eyes of different colors, but the non-human features had disappeared—no pointed ears, horns, tail, wings, claws, scales, or sharp teeth.

I glanced around the rest of the house while trying to understand my current state. I was weak, like a powerless person; my strength and speed were completely normal for a young person of my appearance, with no energy in me or the environment.

The house itself seemed to be an old apartment with mismatched, worn furniture. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, and the living room and kitchen occupied almost the same space.

Looking out the window was a complex of buildings with dozens of floors, busy streets with floating cars, and small aircraft flying in the sky.

“It took a while to wake up.” (Me)

“I feel strange… weak…” (Hana)

Just like me, Hana seemed completely human. As we talked, information surfaced in our minds: we are father and daughter with bank debts and no jobs, facing eviction from our apartment in a few days if we don’t get money.

It was a situation that could have been desperate for me in the past, but now it was very simple. All I did was sit at that old computer and search the internet for books. I found many and could even sell books online, proving I was right.

In any world, entertainment is always a need that people create. Painting, literature, and music are universal forms of entertainment, even if there are variations, their existence is almost guaranteed.

On that very first day, I started writing a book, and Hana did the same. We chose different themes to maximize efficiency and to avoid competing with the same type of audience.

I wrote a fantasy book based on everything I’d lived through, while Hana wrote a crime novel based on her memories. Since they were real experiences, we were able to write easily, altering the events only slightly. In the first three days, we each sold dozens of books.

For the next six months, we lived like normal people. We both worked from home, wrote books—I wrote six books and Hana wrote four.

We moved apartments twice, the first time to a normal apartment without anything old, and the second time to a luxury apartment. With our combined income, it was easy to live in this world.

And I even started talking to her more normally, but I still saw the shadow of that woman in her, and after six months, everything we had built had come to an end.

———————

When we opened our eyes again, we were in the middle of a forest. I was inside a vehicle, sandwiched between two seats, with some crushed bodies around me.

The sight of dead people doesn’t faze me; in fact, seeing the red blood even whetted my appetite.

After getting up and struggling to escape where I was trapped, I found Hana waving at me with three bodies on top of her, and I helped her free herself.

We were in a vehicle resembling a raft that was wrecked in the middle of a vast jungle. I could understand what was coming next.

Searching the jungle for food and such, searching the raft—it was clear that the stored food and water had been lost during the impact—but this situation was even easier than before.

For the next few days, we ate the flesh and drank the blood of the victims to nourish ourselves while exploring the area. We needed a source of water and real food since that mountain of meat couldn’t be preserved for long.

Eating people was no longer a matter of morality; I wasn’t even human anymore. My daily food had been blood, meat, and sweets for years. There was no need to despair about being in the forest. Compared to the blood forest in which I was reborn, this place was paradise, with only cute animals like wolves and some tigers. Compared to the monsters I had to face, like leeches or goblins, that was easy with a few traps or by hitting them in vital points, like gouging out their eyes and piercing their brains.

Life for the next few months was simple for both of us. Hana didn’t mind eating human flesh in the first few days, but she showed a great fondness for fruit; she even started cultivating a small garden.

But everything had its end, and after 6 months, that end came once again.

——————–

When I opened my eyes, waking up once more in an unknown place, I saw that the ceiling was a tent, and beside me were dozens of folding beds, half of them occupied by men of various ages sleeping.

Looking around, I saw a shelf with swords that had electronic circuit patterns glowing, right next to it was a shelf with dozens of what looked like futuristic pistols, and beside my bed were clothes that looked like military uniforms.

It seemed that this was the war scenario in which I would spend another 6 months, but by far this would be the easiest of all.

Leaving, I saw that Hana was already looking around, and as soon as she spotted me, she came running to me in a tight hug. In this last year, she has become increasingly attached to me, to the point of becoming anxious when I’m not around.

In that place, a war raged between two nations using different technologies. One nation wielded high-tech weapons and armor, while the other used technological prosthetics and physical modifications. Their ideologies were completely different: one nation advocated using technology to aid humanity, while the other advocated using it to evolve humanity.

For the next six months, we not only survived but also massacred the battlefield. Hana fought like a criminal, employing ambush tactics, explosives, and even using the bodies of others as shields.

I, on the other hand, even without my usual physical capabilities and powers, still possessed combat experience—far more combat experience than anyone there, having fought every day with my life on the line since my rebirth.

Those were the easiest six months of all, and I no longer thought about that woman when I looked at Hana.