Unfair. This was too unfair! What did he ever do to deserve such a death? All civilian #3207 wanted was to live a meaningful life. He always tried to do the right thing even if the world continued to wrong him. He always believed that if one person persists with the act of kindness, eventually someone else will be touched by the act and pass it on. All it took was a spark to light the forest ablaze, or so he thought.
Drifting through time and space for an unknown amount of time, civilian #3207 wondered what he would do now that he was dead. There were no more customers to serve, no more bills to pay. No more starving nights, no more living in fear. No more worrying about paying his bills or if his landlord was going to evict him.
For the first time in his busy life, civilian #3207 was bored. There was absolutely nothing to do in the afterlife.
“Civilians are humans too! Why does God favour the mafia over civilians? What have I done wrong? This death is too unfair!”
As if God had been waiting for this moment, a bright light stabbed his non-existent eyes. Civilian #3207 wasn’t expecting to see his feline friend and wanted to go over when Celine scowled at him.
“Insolent one! What do you know?”
For a moment, civilian #3207 was too stunned to do anything. Celine was talking? Moreover, Celine sounded like a man! Did he mistake his feline friend’s gender this whole time? Was this why Celine gave him a hot and cold treatment? No, wait! That shouldn’t be the first thing on his mind… his friend was talking! His feline friend… was God?!
The cat that looked like Celine also behaved in a similar manner, licking its paws and cleaning its ear.
“Civilian #3207, I’ve been watching you.”
God looked disinterested, and the cook wondered if there was a purpose to this meeting.
“Are you going to pass judgement on me? Where am I going? What am I going to do? I’m dead now, this has to be the afterlife right? Where are the pearly gates to heaven or the barbed wire fences leading to hell? Surely I have to go to either one of these places, right? Did my karma points fail the requirements to enter heaven?”
God rolled his eyes and jumped up, kicking civilian #3207 in the face. The startled civilian fell backwards and landed on his bottom. Fortunately, he was already dead and couldn’t feel any pain.
“You fool! Do you think your measly karma points will allow you to enter the pearly gates so easily? People have reincarnated thousands of times to gather the necessary karma required to enter those gates. You’re a thousand years too early for that! Besides, your soul is incomplete. You have unfinished business.”
Confused, the civilian asked why his soul was incomplete.
God yawned. “You have a twin soul in the mafia. This is him.”
With a flick of his tail, God created an image in a milky way. The boy looked no older than fifteen and was Asian. He looked very innocent for someone part of the mafia and civilian #3207 wondered how this had anything to do with him.
“His name is Zen. He is one of the few that I chose as the alterer of fate. I’m sure you know about the Godfather of this world. The Godfather stands on the opposite side of the mafia as an individual power.”
Civilian #3207 nodded even if he didn’t understand what everything meant. However, he was excited. He had a twin soul brother! After being alone for so long, it was nice to know that there was still someone he could call family out there. Even if he wasn’t part of the underworld, this was common knowledge. The Godfather was the only person the mafia feared and revered. They didn’t know why, but the reason wasn’t as important. Choosing the next Godfather was a significant decision for the civilians. Typically, civilians were usually not allowed to participate or know anything about the underworld. However, every few decades, the Godfather will host a huge event for the civilians to choose the next Godfather. The last Godfather election event was over fifty years.
Celine smirked. “There you have it. This child is my top candidate for the next Godfather. As his twin soul, you’ve gathered enough experience and karma to assist him. That’s your true purpose and why your soul was split. I’m sorry kid, but it’s still too early for you to go to heaven. Maybe if you did a good job as a Godfather, I would put in a good word for you to be accepted after you die.”
Before God could blast civilian #3207 back onto Earth, the panicked cook yelled out to wait.
“I can’t just go back there!” he cried.
The Godfather elections were always cruel and brutal, even for top mafioso. As a civilian, he had no skills or abilities. They’re just going to kill him before he could do anything, much less become the next Godfather.
God thought it over. Unlike the other Godfather candidates, Zen’s case was slightly special. God split his soul at the start because he thought Zen could awaken the blood in him to listen to the inner voices of others, including his twin soul to gather information telepathically. However, the Taro family that Zen was born into neglected him so much that the gift was incomplete. Thankfully, his twin soul met an early end. By fusing the two souls and their experiences together, perhaps Zen would be able to quickly master that ability.
“I guess I can’t just send you there without anything. The challenges ahead of you will be difficult. If you were to become the next Godfather, you’d need some help. How about this? I’ll give you a blessing to make up for what you lack. This should give you an equal footing as the other candidates.”
Civilian #3207 didn’t reject God’s blessing and accepted it without knowing what it was. After all, a gift from God couldn't possibly be a bad thing, right?
God didn’t give him any time to find out about his abilities. Instead, he took a look at the time and kicked him down onto Earth to be reincarnated and fused with his twin soul.
“Just in time for the games, all the best my golden child! Let’s watch you change this shitty world.”
Celine, no, God didn’t have to kick him twice! The first time, there was no pain. The second time, it hurt like crazy. Shouldn’t God be a little more caring about his soul before sending it back to Earth?“You’re finally here!” a young voice greeted, and civilian #3207 turned around. The child that he saw earlier in the milky way! What was he doing here?If civilian #3207 heard himself, he would definitely blame God for that kick. Of course, the kid would be here! They were twin souls. God already said that this child’s ability was weak, and he was here to assist his twin soul brother to succeed as the next Godfather. Naturally, civilian #3207 would never pass up the chance to become someone capable of improving lives!In-person, Zen Taro looked no older than fifteen and was on the shorter side. He was scrawny, had fluffy chestnut brown hair and didn’t look like a young master of a mafia family. His warm brown eyes
For some reason, Zen felt as if he’d slept for a very long time. While he was somewhat stiff, he felt more rested than he ever remembered. The mattress beneath him was also soft and smooth. Did his bed sheets ever feel this smooth? Wasn’t it itchy and scratchy after so many washes that it looked more like a rag?Bolting upright, Zen snapped back to reality. That’s right! After that speech, they were transported into the VR game where only a hundred would live.“If I made it, that means four hundred have died…”The number of deaths seemed weightless to Zen. After all, he didn’t see their bodies. People were born to die, and they die every day. These four hundred were just unlucky, and Zen didn’t spend too much time thinking about it. Now that he was within the top hundred who made it, he shouldn’t throw this chance away. There was much to be done.First, he needed information.The ro
Zen wanted to cry. The invigilator at the cafeteria taking meal orders looked like he ate children for breakfast. Initially, Zen wanted to ask if there was a way he could have a discount. Even if he drank tap water and risked a stomachache, the 300 credits will only last him one meal.The cheapest food item was that ugly tuna and cheese sandwich slapped together by some other invigilator. It costs 200 credits. The can of cola was the most affordable drink item, and it costs 150 credits. A regular set meal costs 500 credits. This was going to be impossible. Anyone ranked 90 and below wouldn’t be able to afford to eat with the skyrocket prices!“Uh… do you have any leftovers I can have?” Zen grinned awkwardly at the stone-faced invigilator who observed him with a cold, calculating look.“No leftovers. If you cannot pay, go away.”Zen made a face. “Possible to get a discount? I’m on a very tight budget here?&r
There were some real monsters in this school. Zen found out that not everyone had accurate rankings. The more famous individuals didn’t show their full potential in the starting game. It was a wise decision, and those individuals were the ones Sasha advised Zen to stay clear off. They were simply too dangerous to handle.“They’re usually within the top 20 for the benefits. Class A and Class B are very far from our reach, even for me. If you see them coming close, run away. Immediately. Understand?”Zen nodded. So far, Sasha told him about the three scariest students in the academy. The first was “Death Princess” who was currently ranked 5. The second was a crazy psychopath, better known as the “Terrorist”, who ranked 11. The third was a blind and effeminate man with the nickname “Seer”, ironically. He was ranked 9.“Do you have their character profiles card?” he asked, and Sasha shook her he
Nobody who saw the Seer smile ever lived to talk about it. Yet, as unbelievable as it was, Liu Feng was seated beside Sasha with a very contented look as Zen took his order. The sniper almost fainted when Zen didn’t immediately do as told. Instead, he demanded something in exchange.“My character profile card? Sure. I have nothing to hide so you can see it first.”===Name: Liu Feng (Wind) “Seer”Age: 18Abilities: Bone CrushingCredits: 9,200Items: NARank: 9===Zen raised a brow. “Bone crushing? What kind of skill is that?”Then, he paled. The title of “Seer” and rank 9 belonged to one of the three monsters in the academy that Sasha told him to be wary of before they came to the kitchen. Why was one of the three terrors acting like a coy kitten, sipping on oolong tea before him?Liu Feng was surprised to know that someone in this academy didn&
“An omerta is a verbal promise similar to the “Oath” ability of a Godfather. However, it usually takes three people or more to make an omerta valid. Assuming that you and the Seer are the parties involved in the vow, I’m going to be the observer of this vow. The vow can only be rendered invalid in one of two ways. The first is if there is a mutual agreement to nullify it, and the second is to kill the observers before taking actions. You usually make a vow and state a sacrifice if you break the vow.”Liu Feng was more interested in Zen now. The child grew up as the third young master of the Taro family. Why did he not know about the omerta? The Taro family must be hiding a lot of secrets. In that case, they must have really sent Zen to this school, hoping for his death.“I’ll start. Liu Feng, second heir to the Lau Triad Family, vow to take Zen Taro under my protection from this moment forth. If the omerta is broken, I will cut
After a quick shower, Zen crashed onto his bed. He was exhausted after a long day, and the adrenaline was finally wearing out. Several years ago, Zen wanted to open his own restaurant. To think that his dream would finally be fulfilled in the least likely places! He fed a total of fifty people because, after a while, the word got around and even the invigilators wanted in even though they did not have character profile cards to show. Instead, they traded a meal for some of their interesting stories or tips for better survival odds. Zen had never felt more grateful for his civilian upbringing.“Let’s see, I have 600 credits to spend. I don’t want to waste it all on any character profiles. Besides, my big brother and big sister should know most things about the other participants even if I don’t. I need to review my game highlight clip before anyone else’s!”Logging into the system, Zen entered the home lobby of the VR game. It was hig
How did he get into this situation? For the first time in his life as an unwanted young master and a civilian, Zen was rubbing shoulders with many famous and important people.Death Princess Akiko was seated in his room with his newly made big brother and sister. The room was far too small to accommodate all four people, so the boys decided to take the floor while the ladies sat on the bed.The Death Princess looked nothing like what Zen imagined her to be. Compared to his big sister, she looked like a very demure and fragile doll. Sasha had a fierce look in her cold blue eyes, and it wasn’t difficult to believe she was a killer. However, the Death Princess, who had a higher body count under her name, didn’t look like she belonged to the underworld.Zen stared at the Death princess for a very long time, and Akiko did the same. Akiko Kanzaki… the name was very much Japanese like his. However, Zen had mixed blood in him, giving him a lighter hai
It was a shame Zen was not with them. Sasha would have gone for a few more rounds, using the cowardly werewolf as a punching bag after Zen healed him. The more they dug information out from the pervert, the worse Sasha’s temper was. Damian did not stop her. The draconian needed somewhere to vent her anger, and it was best for it not to come his way. In truth, the cyborg felt a little sorry for Gabrielle, even if she were just a fictional character created for this virtual dungeon game. The cowardly cousin of the floor boss was no different from lowly thugs borrowing the influence of their powerful relatives to cause mayhem. Whimpering in fear and pain with his tail tucked in between his legs, the werewolf defect who could not transform into a human no matter the moon cycle kept a close eye on Sasha. Under the watch of the merciless draconian female, there was nowhere for him to run. He told them what they wanted to know and was alive for now. Given how tightly they w
Using hand gestures, Sasha signalled the countdown and Damian prepared his stunning spells silently. They only had one chance to catch the secret admirer off guard. Whatever he was doing was disgusting enough. Han wasn’t lying about the obsession. The stalker werewolf was plucking flower petals and chanting Gabrielle’s name to see if she would love him back. Each time the flower petals ended on a no, he would crush the flower, stomp on it and pick a new one, confessing his disturbing love to her before plucking off the petals of a new flower.“Oh, Gabrielle! What sweet rosy cheeks you have, all the better for me to bite into them when they are ripe! They were pink when you were a babe. They were red when you had a fever. I wonder if they’d bleed if I bit them… would you cry in pain and fear? It makes me so excited to think about it! Just wait a little more, my angel. You’d soon be an adult, and we could finally be together!”Disgu
As soon as Zen and Liu Feng departed, the remaining assassins pulled themselves together and got to work. Oritha opted to remain in the same room as the sleeping mother and daughter. However, Akiko went outside to share the information she learned last night about the stalker while patrolling the perimeter.“More brown hair?” Damian asked. “I could examine the cuticle to determine its genetic composition.”Handing the tuft of brown fur or hair over, Akiko also told Sasha the stalker’s route. Liu Feng only sensed the area where the unknown man was hiding last night. His lack of vision made him miss out on the obvious tracks. The stalker was not an expert. It must be how Han knew the foot size of Gabrielle’s secret admirer.Showing Sasha the tracks she found in the night, the Death Princess explained her hypothesis. The night hounds and wolves did not approach the house due to an invisible barrier.“It was as if they were t
After listening to Gabrielle’s story about her encounter with the stalker, Zen realised how Mai was growling. Her wolf instincts were boiling with uncontrollable rage, even in her human hybrid form, when she recalled her daughter’s distress.Holding onto her mother’s hand, Gabrielle did her best to calm her mother down while the adventurers thought about her story. Zen found it strange that the silver walker did not attack this stalker who had been bothering them in their territory. He was not the only one who found the situation odd. Although many things in Gabrielle’s story match what Han informed them, they wonder why the mother and daughter did not seek any help from Han or live with Laura instead.According to the teenager, she saw a glimpse of a very hairy creature with thick fur-like hair covering the entirety of its arm, chest and even face. However, it was very late, and the curtain was in the way when she saw the stalker. Gabrielle could o
Knocking on the door politely, Sasha waited for Zen to catch up to them. Apparently, the Seer had also sensed something off about the “safe zone”. The constant feeling of being watched made her unable to relax. There was nothing safe about this place.After a while, a beautiful teenager with curly matt gold locks opened the door. She bore no resemblance to Han. However, seeing a lady with wolf ears appear from behind her was more shocking. The lady with wolf ears shared the same forest-green eyes as the teenage girl. Zen knew at once they were mother and daughter.“Hello, who are you?” asked the timid girl.Smiling, Zen applied his priestly etiquette so as not to alarm the peaceful duo.“I’m Zen, a priest in an adventuring party. We were attacked by a large pack of wolves after sundown and managed to shake them off when we ran in this direction. By any chance, would you be kind enough to let us wait the night out?”N
Mentally exhausted and depressed, Damian fell silent after the first hour. His knowledge of jokes was severely lacking. No matter what he did, the cyborg could not meet his party members’ standards. It was too difficult to be a clown.“It’s in the delivery,” Zen chuckled, patting Damian on the back. “Sometimes people find others funny when they aren’t intentionally trying to be. Just be yourself.”The solid advice lifted Damian’s mood a little, and the two nerds chatted, exchanging what they knew to update the gamer guide while travelling to Red Hood’s house.Before they knew it, it was dark. The forest was full of shadows, and everyone remained on their guard as the sound of howling wolves came from every direction. Zen stood in the middle of the party formation, as Akiko suggested, while Sasha took to the skies to scout. However, the dense canopy of leaves made it difficult to spot any wolves until they wer
Coming from different directions, the party finally gathered at Han’s hut. Akiko and Liu Feng had already scouted the forest with the hunter’s help and memorised the paths to Red Hood’s house and the herbalist grandmother’s house. With all six members of the vanguard party present, even Han could not hold back his surprise at the party’s diversity.“Is this Red Hood’s uncle?” Zen asked when he arrived. Thanks to the squad’s merciless travel speed, he had to push his limits and gained two additional speed points.Studying the shortest kid in the lot who looked like he would not hurt a fly, Han wondered what he was doing in a party full of fierce fighters and psychopaths. The kid did not seem to wield any weapons and was dressed in a robe that resembled the clergyman. Could he be their healer?Introducing themselves briefly, Han confirmed that none of this party’s members were sane, not even the most innocent-l
Travelling with Damian and Oritha at a more comfortable pace, Zen read the constant updates from Akiko. Han, the hunter, is quite an interesting character. If Zen had been there, he would have asked much more about the Silver Walkers. Yet, the information they uncovered was enough for Zen to understand the hidden pieces of this strange stage. The story writers were introducing players to new elements in preparation for future stages. Nothing was ever as it seemed. Even the Shady Merchant was no longer a reliable guide as he started to fade into a side character instead of a main pillar of the questing system.Targets and objectives were now self-defined, something Zen had never really experienced as a gamer. The idea was unique and mimicked the many roads a person could take in life. Perhaps this was part of the Godfather’s intentions. When a person was given free will, what would they choose to do with it? If everyone in the world were given all the paint they could poss
The middle-aged bachelor wasn’t the most domestic person. He was the polar opposite of what Zen was when he was still a civilian, not that Liu Feng or Akiko knew. However, the one thing they did know about this peculiar NPC was his vivid backstory and tendency to talk about many other things non-quest related.From his rambles, dad jokes, and cackles, they learned that the hunter had previously lived with Red Hood’s grandmother in the middle of the forest. She was his mother, and he had a brother who was Red Hood’s father. The mother was someone completely different from what they thought she was.“They call themselves the Silver Walkers,” Han grumbled. “Pretty little things when they are human but only on a full moon’s night. During the day, they are actual animals. When the moon rises, they regain part of their sanity but not completely.”After sharing the new information with Zen, Akiko wondered what he had to say abo