"Huh? What?" Silak answered, but not with his voice.
The events leading up to when the light flashed in his eyes replayed in his mind. Instinctively, he tried to reach all over his body to check for any injuries which made him realize that he didn't have a body.
[Calm down boy.]
The voice was a mess, it wasn't anything he could understand, like it wasn't from anything found on his planet. Although, he could still understand it for some reason.
[I have chosen you to be a suitable vessel for my burden.]
"What? Are you talking to me?" Silak asked. "Where are you even?" He tried to look around.
It was like he was in a void, in a realm that didn't exist in his reality. There was no light, but it wasn't dark.
[I am here]
A hulking figure emerged from the void, barely visible as Silak couldn't discern color in that realm. It was as big as a hill, maybe even a mountain. A beast that seemed to stand on four legs. It reminded Silak of a bear so he started thinking and seeing it as a bear.
Apart from its size and beastly appearance, the most eye-catching thing about it was the thousands of weapons stabbed and lodged into its back. From swords, spears, and axes, to weapons that his mind couldn't even process.
[Bear my burden or die.]
"Is that some kind of pun? Besides, I think I already died," Silak said.
[Are you mocking me boy? I do not make jokes!]
"Well, you know, you're some sort of warbear and you said 'bear my burden'. I don't know, it seems like some kind of elaborate joke," Silak explained.
[Ah, the form that you see before you is something created by your own mind. You cannot yet hear my real voice nor can you experience my real form, it would be too much for your brain. The first three I chose couldn't create their own interpretation and it melted their mind.]
"Chosen? Hold on, is this how people get Blessings? Am I also one of the chosen?" Silak asked.
[Suddenly your tone changes, boy. 'Blessing,' is that what you call it in your realm?]
"Yes, sir!"
[It is not a blessing, it is a burden, a challenge, it is not something that an average person could carry. But, after conversing with you now, it seems I have made the wrong choice yet again.]
"What do you mean, wise and great War Bear God Beast," Silak attempted to flatter the divine being before him at the slight chance of receiving a Blessing for himself.
[Your body is strong and ready, yet your heart and mind is still weak. Nevertheless, those two can be learned and developed. It is much too rare to find someone physically capable of my power, burden, and mission.]
"I'll do anything for the chance to live again as a Blessed!" Silak said enthusiastically. "So, what do I have to do? What's the mission? What's the power?"
[You are too young and green to understand just yet. Perhaps it isn't even in your vocabulary. For now, you just need to survive while carrying my burden.]
Silak started having second thoughts about it. Even through his excitement, he finally started to pick up that it might not be all that positive.
"Wait, wait, wait, do I even get a choice in this matter? Like, can I refuse?" He asked.
[Yes, you can refuse. But do you really want to die?]
"That's not much of a choice then is it? Why would I die if I refused the Blessing?"
[You're actively dying right now. Well, your flesh vessel is. If you refuse now the healing process would stop.]
"What the hell. Then, I already gave you my answer. I'm not dying," Silak said.
[Good, I am sick of trying to find another. I'm not quite sure how the others find suitable ones.]
"Okay, do I need to do anything? Do I do some sort of trial?" Silak asked.
[No trial for now, since I've deemed you worthy. So, you've passed the first one. Though, there will be in the future. So, prepare yourself if you want to tap into more of my power. Now, I will choose a suitable weapon for you.]
The beast before him groaned and roared, but it stayed completely still. From a distance he could see the weapons on its back shift and move. They made distant sounds of metal clanging against each other.
A large slab-like object emerged from the thousands of weapons. It flew high up before it changed directions and went towards him. Silak wanted to flinch, but he didn't have a physical body in that realm. But, the object stopped right before it reached him.
It was a large sword, a few inches taller than him. The beast's blood dripped from it and into the void until it was completely clean. Crude, large, and unwieldy, it wasn't a sword that a human could use. Perhaps one of the humanoid beast races with a rare mutation could wield it like a regular greatsword.
Looking at the edge of the blade, it wasn't even sharpened. A slab of blunt metal. There were even cracks and chunks of it missing in some places. And, the handle was made out of the same piece. It looked more like the tang of the sword rather than a handle.
[This is perfect for you. Simple, large, and heavy, just like you. No technique needed or skills to worry about either, just lift it up and drop in on your enemy.]
"But, it's so ugly," Silak complained. "Also, is this all the power is? I got a sword that I can't even lift?"
[It's ugly like you. And, it's better than dying. So quit with the whining and the questions.]
The bear-like figure raised one of its paws. The sword responded, pointing the end of it right at his chest. It pierced Silak's chest even though he didn't have a body in that realm. He still felt the pain. As it went inside him, he could feel the weight of it in his body, mind, and spirit, slowly getting heavier and heavier. The pain gnawed at him, a pain he couldn't reach. The feeling persisted even after he had fully absorbed the gigantic sword.
"Ugh, what's happening? Will this feeling be there all the time? What can I even do with a power like this?" Silak asked.
[You're going to carry that weight.]
The beast in front of him stomped its foot, causing the thousands of weapons on its back to vibrate. A deafening wave of sound drowned him. Sounds of screams, swords clashing, and death all in unison. An infinite amount of wars all at the same time.
[You're going to carry that weight.]
The voice played again in his head.
"Hey, I think this guy's still alive," someone said, someone right above Silak. It was a Phiskian soldier.