The Last Life

Book: Gilsend Estate

 

Hello.

 

I would introduce myself with a name, but it'd take a while to list 'em all.

 

Here's a couple for reference.

 

Cheon Ya Seun, 3rd Heavenly Demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Evangel Lysa, Lord of the Cosmos.

Agron Serbitus, Dark Sovereign.

One Who Consumes All

Omnipotent King

Plum Blossom Swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect

Overlord of Shadows

Mercenary King

World Eater

The King

King of…

Lord…

 

You get the idea.

 

If 'everything' was a person, that'd be me.

 

Strongest, oldest, omniscient, omnibenevolent, King, Emperor, Lord, Ruler, Sovereign, Monarch, Sect Leader…

 

…slave, knight, servant, butler, innkeeper…

 

…nobleman, blacksmith, shoe-shiner, corporate CEO, hunter, assassin…

 

…and yeah, God. More than a couple times.

 

So please don't ask the question, 'who are you?', because I won't be able to give you a proper answer.

Actually, on second thought, I probably can.

 

I'm just a dude who got cursed/blessed/gifted/bestowed with a thousand lives.

 

I was all over the place. I was a bunch of people in Murim, I visited a lot of fantasy worlds, had fun across several versions of Earth, waged intergalactic wars, conquered universes, took over the world as a necromancer, became the greatest knight, greatest mage, greatest assassin, yada yada.

 

Currently, I'm in the "Inbetween" - the empty void between my reincarnations… after I've just peacefully passed on from my nine hundred and ninety-ninth life.

 

I wonder if I should I throw a party or something.

 

Haha, just kidding.

 

It's my last life.

 

***

 

I've met many people, beings and creatures across my lifetimes. Most of those don't stay around. Some of them, like summons, do. Others, primordial beings that existed since the dawn of time, are pretty nice dudes too.

 

But there's one guy who's been with me every step of the way.

 

Who, you ask?

 

Well, who else? God, of course.

 

He resides in the Inbetween, watching over all reality, the creator of this storyline. What does he look like? He's a young teenage boy in blue flip-flops, a white T-shirt and army green baggy jeans. He has short, fuzzy yellow hair, a supermodel face to die for, and clear, blue eyes.

 

Seriously, what did you expect?

 

What exactly defines a God? Some people say God is the strongest being in existence, or the wisest, or the one who created it all.

 

'God' is the most diverse single belief that all living beings search for.

 

But in truth, 'God' is just the freest person in the world.

 

Bound by no laws, no barriers, no restrictions, none of that matters to God. He can do whatever he wishes, whenever, wherever, and to whoever.

 

That's 'God'.

 

And from living a thousand lifetimes, I think I've come to understand a little about 'God'.

 

"Everyone has something that drives them forwards," God once told me. "Even me. But when nothing matters to you and you exist without a worry in the world… you just end up chasing fun. You'd know that."

 

And now, as I'm in the Inbetween, here we are.

 

"This is your last one isn't it?" he asks.

We're lying side by side, face-up, on the blank white floor of the Inbetween, which is just an endless expanse of nothing.

"…yeah," I reply.

In the Inbetween, I have no body, I'm just an 'avatar', a soul without a shell. In simpler terms, I'm this black featureless human-like thing. Like an uncreated avatar in a game.

"It's strange," I say. "If I die after this round, I die for real. But I really don't feel anything."

I stretch out a solid black hand, like I'm grabbing at the empty nothingness before me.

"…I'll miss you," God says. "Even if it was only a short time… I had a lot of fun with you."

"Me too."

"Well, it's in the rules that I set, and it'd be cheating if I changed it now. For your last life, we should let you have the time of your life, right?"

I laugh softly.

"I wonder what else there is to do?"

"Would you like a challenge?"

"A… challenge?"

"Even for you."

I grin at this.

"Sounds fun. Let's do it!"

God smiles knowingly at me; he knew I'd accept from the start.

"I'll change the settings."

He pulls out a mobile phone from Earth out of thin air, and starts fiddling around with a game interface.

 

[Difficulty: Max]

[World: Chyraea]

[Would you like to start the game?]

 

Max difficulty, huh?

 

[Would you like to start the game?]

 

I don't remember every one of my lives, and what I did.

 

[Would you like to start the game?]

 

I don’t remember everyone I met, and all the connections I made. I don't remember all the faces that meant something to me, and I don't remember all my names.

 

[Would you like to start the game?]

 

But if I had one regret, it'd be…

 

[Would you like to start the game?]

 

…my first life. I remember it clear as day, even across a hundred thousand years.

 

[Would you like to start the game?]

 

"One last life," I say. "Let's make it worth it."

"I'll be watching," God says, giving me a little salute. "Good luck, my friend."

 

[Starting the game.]