The world went black. Then, nothing. For a long, silent moment, there was just the quiet bliss of oblivion. But it wasn't meant to last.
A bright, blinding light cut through the dark, forcing Leon's eyes open. He was falling, a small, helpless thing in a vast swamp of other souls.
He felt no pain, only a bone-deep weariness as he drifted with the current. For a fleeting second, he thought it was all just a nightmare. But the sea of desperate, faceless souls around him confirmed that this was real.
This was the afterlife. 'So all of it was real?'
He had no control over his movements, just carried along like a leaf in a stream. Then, a sharp, sudden pull took him. It was violent, powerful, and in the blink of an eye, he was ripped away from the other souls.
He found himself in a place of impossible brightness, a small world made of soft clouds, floating flowers, and glistening ornaments. In front of him, lying on a plush, cushioned seat, was a woman.
No, a Goddess. She was not the one he had served, the one he had believed in. This Goddess in front wore a transparent white dress.
Leon, in his soul form, could clearly see her large, full breasts and her pink nipples through the sheer fabric. His eyes moved down her body, taking in her divine form.
The Goddess chuckled. "Tsk! A mere mortal dares to lust after a Goddess, huh?"
Leon was stunned by her arrogant tone. He knew she was right, but what could he do? His lustful feeling was like a hungry tiger given a large piece of meat—too hard to resist.
"What an unfortunate way to die," she continued, her voice laced with mockery. "Betrayed by your own people, huh? And not only that, but losing your woman in front of your eyes. That feeling must be irreplaceable."
She sprinkled salt on his wounded heart, a smile playing on her lips. "Well, I don't care. My work is to send you back to your world, as you met with an untimely death. Now, mortal, choose."
Leon's expression was angry, but what could a mere soul do? Still, his ears perked up when he heard the word "chance."
"Choose, mortal," she commanded. "A rebirth into a rich, powerful family, with unmatched talent, but you won't remember any of your past life's memories. It's a new life, a new beginning, something every being in the world craves."
She had an amused smile. "Or… choose a worthless life, transmigrating into a weak body, but you have your memories intact. As for how you live after, that will be on you. Now, choose!"
A silence fell over the small realm. Leon, distracted from the Goddess's body, thought about the offer.
He could have a new life, a fresh start, but with no memories of his painful past. Or he could have a weak life, but with all his memories intact. He asked, "If I choose the first option, will I ever get a chance to recall my memories?"
The Goddess shook her head. "No."
He then asked, "And if I choose the second option, will I have a chance to become powerful?"
The Goddess thought for a moment, then said, "I can't say yes, but I can't say no either. Now, choose!"
Without a guaranteed path to power, Leon decided to take a gamble. Any other person in his place would have chosen the first option to forget such painful memories, but Leon didn't want to forget. He didn't want to forgive those who had wronged him.
"I choose the second life," he declared.
Just as he did, a gaping hole opened beneath his feet and he began falling. The Goddess chuckled, a low, cruel sound. "Huh! A worthless life. Ruined my moment."
She then lay back down, her legs spreading wide as her hand reached between her thighs, lost in the lustful bliss as Leon tried to understand his new, terrifying situation.
Leon's world went black, a darkness once again swallowing him whole. He was falling, or maybe floating—he couldn't tell.
There was no pain, no heat, no cold. Just an endless, silent journey through nothingness. Days bled into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. He had no way of knowing how much time had passed. His soul simply travelled, like a forgotten thing lost in a cosmic void of darkness.
Then, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he felt something. It was a jolt, a sharp, searing pain that shot through his entire body.
He opened his eyes to a world of darkness, lying on a cold, damp floor inside a cave. Rough voices surrounded him, speaking a language that sounded like grating stone and cracking bone. He couldn't understand a single word.
"#shtg" "hut$jg"
The pain only grew more intense as he tried to move, just then he felt a flicker of something in front of his eyes.
[The Vengeance System has chosen its Host]
[Initialization... 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1]
[Initialization Successful]
[Demon Language has been learned]
[Demon Aura has been learned]
Suddenly, the grating words of the demons around him became clear.
"Look at this pathetic thing. It barely survived the fall."
"It's just a low-rankling demon. Not even worth the cost of a proper chain. The Lord will have it mining in the pits by tomorrow."
Leon's mind reeled. He was a demon. He had become one of the very creatures he had spent his life hunting. He felt a deep, chilling sense of dread. The goddess's laughter echoed in his mind, and he knew he had just fallen into the lowest depths of hell.