"Mhm 5 more minutes..." Sharp pain kept shooting from the side of his body.
"For Christ's sake! What!" His eyes opened and a face of an old goat, chewing on grass appeared infront of him.
"Beee" It said... and poked his side.
"What... wait... what the fuck?" Just like in his previous life, profanities flowed freely from his mouth.
War, fire, smoke and demons filled his vision, overlapping with the calm green pastures spreading before him.
The goat kicked a book that was lying beside him, hitting him in the head, hurting the man's pride ever so slightly.
The cover had a very peculiar title.
The Greatest Priest of Pleasure
Confused but intrigued, the man opened it.
Welcome to afterlife! Well not the one you were promised but a one of my domain. My name is Euphoria and I am a Goddess of Fate that oversees my creation.
"Blasphemy" He scoffed.
I know it's hard to believe but your God in his infinite wisdom sent your soul to my domain so that you may earn the rest you yearn for!
My faith and domain isn't bound by the same restrictions and rules as his world is. So even if you sin a little bit (drawing of smiling face) its absolutely possible to reach my version of paradise!
May you work hard and follow this book as it will be your guide in my world. I will transport your new body and soul to the City of Euphitia, which contains the seat of power for my religion.
I am sad to say that it had been corrupted as my attention was elsewhere but now I have you to fix it! Become my champion and lead my world to victory! I hope it isn't an impossible task!
Got it? Okay Bye!
Euphoria
P.S it wouldn't be fun and fair if I gave you everything so... gamble a little, fate is fickle!
The old soul that resided in this new young body sighed heavily while rubbing his temple.
"This must be my Lords way of rewarding me in a roundabout way. Okay, I will mark this world with my deeds... and I might live more freely than before..."
The priest turned the page and a set of dice rolled out from beneath the page, it was a d20 and d6.
Please roll d20 for your basic body capabilities! Remember fate favours the daring!
"I swear there used to be a game on Earth just like this..."
Ex-priest grabbed the dice and rolled it a few times.
Thank you! The results have been recorded and are final! Your class had been chosen for you! Skills and Perks have been randomly assigned based on your current soul level!
Warning foreign influenece detected.
Blessing of Archangel Michael added. Finalising. Close your eyes and please, enjoy your second chance...
And the world went dark.
/////////////////
Heavy rain was coming down, battering the rundown shack, sneaking through any gaps and holes it could find.
There was a body of a child, who's breath was long gone, it suddenly twitched, air coming back to its lungs, startling the two, near death parents.
"M-miracle! Mark look, Our son breathes again." The dying woman painfuly said.
"For how long... this bitch really wants to extend Travis's suffering." Hunched over man weakly spoke. "What have we done to deserve this." He kicked a book that he didn't even know was here.
"Don't say that! We will find a way out of this!" A coughing fit stopped her words.
"You need to rest and so does he. I earned a little so I will go to the Chapel to buy more herbs."
"Don't waste money on me, we both know it's too late. Buy food for our son, he needs to be healthy." Her head spun from high fever.
Listening to the conversation of his now clearly parents, a tightness gripped his chest. Hearing his old name spoken with such emotions awakened something inside of him that as an orphan, he had never felt before.
'I do not know who this body belonged to and what caused you to be in this position but as a proud priest of Christ, I Travis Beckett, promise you to save our parents. May your soul find peace and comfort in this knowledge.'
Easier said than done though. His body was in terrible shape but he had a plan, as always he would put his faith in the one above.
"Father, my book, please." Travis weakly said. Confused, Mark slowly grabbed the book but being in a dark room with no light, he couldn't have seen the brass symbol of Euphoria on it.
"This sickness ends here. As a new priest of Chr... Euphoria I declare it." Confused by his way of speaking, his parents were at a loss for words.
Travis opened the heavy book and began reading an incantation.
"Curing is our purpose and spread of pleasure is our calling, restoration."
Somewhere, in another plane of existence a d20 dice had been rolled, landing on a 3... before a golden hand turned it over to a 20, leaving behind a dissolving white feather.
Grand, pink light began emanating from his hand, soon filling the chamber, submerging the trio in its holy power.
While impossible for it to fix malnutrition, it cured the terminal illness his new mother suffered from and treated any hidden diseases that the three suffered.
"Oh this might have been too much.." Travis muttered as his vision went dark.
"H-holy power! Mark it's the Goddess! She hasn't abandoned us!" The mother cried tears of joy as she carefully hugged her sons passed out body.
Mark breathed heavily.
"We need to be careful now Ada. Things like that do not go unnoticed." He subconsciously rubbed an old and rusty symbol of Euphoria on his neckless. "I... i know a faithful priest that still adheres to the tenets."
"But it's our son we can't just trade him in!" She protested.
"Listen to me woman, this is his and our ticket to escape these slums. If he stays here, the underworld will find him and they will twist him to their power, we have experienced this exact fate years ago."
Footsteps creaked in the other room, multiple pairs.
"They already know. Grab him! Help me carry him to the one person I trust in this God forsaken city!" Understanding the gravity of situation, Ada sorrowfully helped Mark sneak their son out of the Slums and the three made their way to the Chapel of Pleasure.