[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DIED!]
[WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF HOLSTEIN!]
"What?"
'What do you mean I died?!'
After opening my eyes, I looked around the place and noticed I was standing on a stage. All around me there were several figures staring down at me.
Some of the more intimidating ones sat on the first row seats leaving the smaller weaker beings behind them.
When I turned my head I saw a figure standing next to me on the stage looking out at the audience.
I was going to ask about the situation but the man quickly spoke to the crowd.
"And for the next soul on the list we have a very special candidate! Thomas King!" He shouted to the audience.
'Wait, am I being in an auction? Wait no, am I being sold?!'
The figure turned his head to me smirking and whispered, "Relax kid. This isn't a slave auction. This is a blessing auction."
I was still confused but something about the way he spoke made me feel like this was a good thing for some reason.
"This particular candidate is a battle hardened soldier and leader. With multiple [Skills]! Some even being unique and… Two [Ultimate skills]."
The people in the crowd all gasped!
"Is that true!?"
"Do you have any idea how rare it is for somebody to already show up with an [Ultimate skill]?!"
Upon hearing that comment everyone began to argue and threaten each other in hopes of claiming the grand prize.
"He will become my apostle! Not yours!"
"No! I need a new pope for my church!"
The fighting continued until one being spoke up in annoyance. His voice commanded the rest to stay silent.
"You all forget, this man is both human and a soldier. Loyal maybe, maybe not, and still human. Who is to say he will be loyal to you?"
After that everyone contemplated the situation and calmed down, sitting back in their seats.
The announcer started to sweat a little. Clearly not expecting someone to speak logically.
I looked over at the figure and had to squint my eyes just to gaze at him. Even then I could barely see his blurry face.
I was going to say something but the announcer interrupted me.
"I will now announce his status board."
The announcer shouted out the list and I couldn't help but want to listen.
[Name: Thomas King]
[Level 1]
[Class: NULL]
[Ultimate Skill: Will Of The Universe]
[Ultimate Skill: Immortal (NEW)]
[Unique Skill: Luck Meter, Space Law]
[Skills: Leading lvl 6, Negotiation lvl 6, Shooting lvl 6, Survival lvl 5]
[Blessing: King Progenitor]
I just listened in on the announcer and I was even more shocked! What's with these crazy skills?! Sure I had some lucky moments but I also had some unlucky ones as well.
Space law must be related to my time as a metahuman but the first two skills are odd.
Last I checked I'm not immortal so I guess that's probably why it says (NEW). As for the first one… I have no idea what that means.
The audience on the other hand…
"12,000 TONS OF RED GOLD! TAKE MY MONEY!"
"NO! 15,000 TONS OF RED GOLD AND A SINGLE DIVINE ARTIFACT!"
"20,000 TONS OF RED GOLD AND TWO DIVINE ARTIFACTS!"
The auction was finally in full swing and Thomas had no idea what he was being sold for. He didn't even know what red gold even was.
All he knew was the excitement was as real as it was intense.
And thanks to my years of experience I knew an opportunity when I saw one.
I looked over at the announcer and spoke up, "Give me a piece of the cake and I'll lend a hand."
The announcer looked back at me with a bit of compilation before he nodded.
"Tell them you'll set up a grand temple in their name and swear it on Holstein and you can have a single divine artifact."
I smirked, "Three artifacts and 1 percent of the red gold."
He looked at me with disgust, "Fuck you. You get one pound."
This greedy bitch!
"100 pounds!"
He looked away for a second and shrugged, "Fine."
Damn, I should've raised the number. Oh well.
"I will swear upon Holstein that I will build a grand temple in the name of whoever wins."
GASP!
A chorus of shock wrung through the audience and the number immediately began to rise.
The numbers kept growing larger and larger until the man from earlier who I assumed was the leader spoke up once again.
"1 megaton of red gold and 50 divine artifacts."
Holy fucking shit.
The last bidder said 100,000 tons. That's a whole 900,000 tons of this mysterious metal, never mind the amount of artifacts he dropped.
Everyone stayed silent, too scared to speak up until finally the announcer spoke with visible excitement.
"Congradulations to Lord Agumon! The god of harvest, wealth and king of this very pantheon. Two kings working together. As insignificant as one is, it's almost poetic!"
I scrunched my brows.
'Gods? These people are gods?'
"Of course. What else did you think we were?" The announcer chuckled.
Not gods.
Just as I was about to ask more questions I blinked and found myself in a garden away from the crowd and the announcer.
Confused I turned around and I saw the man who I now knew as the King of the gods sitting in a gazebo. Clearly waiting for me.
Once I walked up to him and sat down he began explaining the situation.
"You probably already know this but you are dead. You will soon be reborn or summoned or transmigrated or whatever Holstein chooses in a few minutes. So I will make this quick.
I did not buy your services for me. I do not need you to spread my religion or build a temple in my name."
I just looked at him in confusion.
'Was that not the reason I was bought for such a high price?'
The king spoke again, clearly reading his thoughts, "No, I bought your services for my only son. Sadly my wife was killed by an enemy god, leaving my son Dredan without a mother or followers. He will likely fade into oblivion without help."
I finally started to understand the problem and asked myself how I could milk this wonderful cash cow.
He continued, "The deal can be rescinded but I want you to promise me that you will help my son."
I leaned back in my chair and considered what he was saying. As beneficial as this might be, I knew nothing about the boy. He could very well be trash.
"So where is he? I can't make any promises without meeting him or knowing more about him."
Lord Agomon crossed his arms in frustration.
"He is trapped on an island on Holstein. I can influence your descent so that you land near him but that's as much as I can do. He is too weak to leave his temple. As for his personality… He considers himself the god of Knowledge and libraries. So he is what you would call a nerd."
I scrunched my brows at the word 'Library'. I couldn't help but think about how I ended up in this world in the first place.
Agomon just looked on with patience, hoping I would agree to his proposition.
Eventually I just shrugged.
"I want to make one thing clear. Your son has to admit that he is my equal until the end of time, god or not."
The man looked at me with wide eyes until they shifted to anger, but before he could say anything I spoke up.
"I know humans better than you. Gods need prayer and acknowledgement as sustenance right? What better story is there than the story of a king and a god working side by side to elevate a kingdom and its people?"
Agomon narrowed his eyes in contemplation.
Slowly forgetting his anger.
"You have a point."
After a minute of thinking I had felt something like vertigo. A weird dizziness that almost made me fall out of my chair.
Agomon just sighed before speaking.
"It seems Holstein is calling you. That means it is also my time to agree to your terms."
I looked at him in confusion, wondering if his son was aware of this deal or not but too dizzy to think straight.
"He will agree to your terms. He respects authority unlike you."
I just scoffed before falling out of my chair and I could feel the ground slowly sink under my feet.
"Goodbye Thomas King. Enjoy your new life on Holstein."
'Damn! I didn't even get to state my other conditions!'