[Chapter 2: The Rigged Game, Empty Portal]
Seven felt like his chest was going to explode. The unfairness of it all was like a physical weight, it was heavier than the building that had collapsed on him back in his world. For a long while He stared at the being behind the crystal desk, with his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. Grrr. The absurd injustice of the situation was overwhelming.
"A punishment?" Seven's voice cracked with tears. "I died saving people! I didn't ask to break your precious 'balance.' I just did what any decent person would do. And you're telling me I get zero powers? No system? And No hidden potential?"
The godlike being didn't even blink. He just leaned forward, the galaxies in his eyes were spinning with a cold, and metallic light. Hummm. The godly entity seemed to enjoy Seven's distress.
"It's worse than that, actually," the being said, while tapping a translucent pen against the desk. Tack. Tack. "I'm not just leaving you without a Divine Essence. I'm locking the doors. You will be unable to cultivate, without entering the spirit dimension. You won't grow stronger by killing beasts because you can't even step in the dimension. Your body will stay as weak as a wet paper bag while everyone around you is flying through the clouds and shattering mountains."
Seven felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Drip. "What about the other dimensions? You said they hunt there."
"You won't even be able to step foot inside them," the being said with a cruel, and thin smile. "Those dimensions are linked to the Divine Essence. It's like a biological key. That's why the aliens. the ones that invaded, the sworn enemy of humans. couldn't just level up like the humans did. They didn't have the key. And now, neither do you. You'll be a stranger in a world of monsters, stuck on the outside looking in."
Seven felt his knees go weak. Thump. He slumped back, with his mind racing. "This is a death sentence, he thought. How am I supposed to survive in a xianxia world where even the grass can probably kill me? I'm just a normal guy. Less than normal." He immediately felt a sense of profound hopelessness.
"This is garbage!" Seven suddenly roared, While pointing a finger at the being's face. "You're just a bully with a desk! Why even send me there? Just erase me! If you're going to rig the game this badly, why bother letting me play?"
The being let out a long, and bored breath. Sigh. He was clearly done with this pointless conversation. He stood up, and the hall of reincarnation seemed to shrink around his massive presence. The white floor began to glow with a blinding, flickering light that smelled like burnt ozone and old books.
"I don't care about your feelings, Seven. I care about the rules. And the rules say you go there." The being straightened his robe, which looked more like it was woven from the dark spaces between stars. "Do you have any questions before I get rid of you? Make it quick. I have a billion other souls waiting who for good reasons didn't ruin my afternoon."
Seven looked around the vast, and empty hall. His brain was a mess of sensory overload. the hum of the crystal desk, the smell of the being's starlight skin, and the terrifying realization that he was about to be dropped into a nightmare strock him.
"Yeah," Seven spat, his voice trembling with rage. "When I find a way to break your rules again... don't act surprised."
The being didn't even get angry. He just looked at Seven like he was a bug under a boot. "Cute," he muttered.
Snap!
The sound of the being's fingers was like a gunshot. CRACK! Before Seven even could say another word, the floor beneath him vanished. But He didn't fall; he was simply deleted from the room. His vision twisted into a kaleidoscope of colors. purples, blacks, and neon greens. Vruuuu-shhh! His skin felt like it was being peeled off and put back on backward.
Ugh! Argh! The heavenly hall, the crystal desk, and the bored God were gone. Seven's body had turned into a trail of light and disappeared into the void, heading toward a world where he was already a loser before he even arrived.
.....
*****
Sixteen years had already crawled by like a slow-motion nightmare. Seven sat at a sleek, and metallic desk. He was in his Sci-Fi Xianxia history class. The air smelled like ozone and old incense. He looked down at his arm. It was smooth, and tanned, and completely blank. No divine mark. And No glowing lines. Nothing. In this cultivation world, being born without a Divine Mark was like being born without a heart.
Swipe. Tap. Swipe.
Seven flicked his fingers across his cam-brace. A bracelet that acted as a phone in this world. The holographic screen projected a bright blue light onto his face as he scrolled through the Galactic chat rooms.
"Look at him," a girl whispered behind him. The girl's name was Miki, and she had a Mark that looked like a tiny, burning sun on her neck. "Still no Mark. My mom says people like him are cursed by the heavens."
"Shh, don't let him hear you," a boy named Kael muttered. Heh. "He can't cultivate, but he'll still break your jaw with his fist. Remember what he did to that bully from the Upper District? One punch and the guy was eating through a straw for a week. He's a body building freak."
Seven tightened his grip on his cam-brace. Creak. He had heard every word. He didn't need a divine Mark to know he was strong. He had spent Ten years training his body until his muscles felt like steel cables. But in this world, muscles weren't enough. You needed the Divine Essence.
He thought about his father. Everyone called him a war hero. A man who fought the alien swarms with a sword-type spirit armament made of starlight. But then he vanished. No body was found, and no grave. Just a missing person's report and a son who was born "broken."
"Is this the hell that bored God promised me?" Seven thought. He stared out the window at the sky, where massive floating islands hung between the clouds. If it is, it's a pretty place for a cage. I'm going to kill those bastards. One day, I'll find a way back to that Hall and tear that crystal desk apart.
VROOOOOM!
The windows rattled as several massive, and sleek aircraft descended onto the school's landing pads. They looked like giant white birds with blue jet engines. The Awakening Day had finally arrived.
"Everyone, line up!" the teacher shouted. "Move! This is the moment that determines your entire future! Don't trip over your own feet!"
The students filed into the Awakening Hall. It was a massive room with a high ceiling that showed a live map of Hope City. In the center of the room stood the Awakening Ring. It was a floating circle of white metal that pulsed with a soft, humming light. the top of the ring would display the awakened divine essence. Hummm... hummm...
One by one, students stepped through the ring in anticipation.
"Sato, Ken! Divine Essence: Holy Flame!" the machine boomed. A boy stepped out, his hand glowing with a bright, and golden fire. Fwoosh!
"Li, Meilin! Divine Essence: Hyper Speed!" A girl vanished and reappeared at the edge of the stage in a blur of blue light. Zip!
"Chen, Bo! Divine Essence: All-Seeing Eyes!"
Seven watched them. His stomach felt like it was full of cold lead. Gulp. He didn't want a legendary divine essence. He didn't care about "Phoenix Flames" or "Thunder Calamity." He just wanted something. Even a power to change his hair color would be enough. Without a divine Essence, he couldn't pass through the dimensional gates. He couldn't hunt and get stronger. He couldn't grow. He would be stuck working in a factory or cleaning the boots of people who were "blessed."
"Next! Seven!"
The room went quiet. The whispers started up again, like the sound of dry leaves rubbing together. Sss-sss-sss.
"The Markless kid is going up."
"Waste of time. The Ring won't even turn on for him."
"Watch him fail. It's going to be embarrassing."
Seven stood at the edge of the stage. He took a deep breath. Sigh. The air felt thin. He stepped forward, with his boots clicking against the hard floor. Click. Click. He reached the edge of the Ring. The white light reflected in his dark eyes.
He slowly stepped into the portal.
Everything went white.
[End of Chapter]