Sword God in a World of Magic Chapter 4 - Death

~5 minute read · 1,353 words
Previously on Sword God in a World of Magic...
Alex awoke disoriented in a vast black-and-red hall, facing a smirking young man on an enormous throne. Shocked by his suddenly healed leg, he insisted it was a dream, even as the man warped reality, severed his foot to prove otherwise, then restored it amid Alex's agony. Growing impatient, the young man kicked Alex repeatedly while explaining he had seized his soul after death and transported him to his personal realm. Alex dodged a blow and punched the man in the face.
Time appeared to halt the moment Alex's fist smashed into the young man's nose."Argh, fuck!" Alex yelled out suddenly while shaking his hand. He glanced at it and noticed his index and middle fingers were snapped. pᴀɴdᴀ nᴏveʟ Alex had slammed his fist right into the young man's nose, but it felt exactly like striking a steel nail!The young man just grinned with malice. "And that's exactly why I chose you!" he declared. His voice carried a calm yet superior tone now.Alex stared at the young man in shock. What in the world was happening?!"Any normal person," the young man explained with a sweeping gesture toward his hall, "who witnessed what you've seen would shrink back from me in terror. All I've displayed so far—my command over space, my power to sever your leg instantly, even this hall itself—would fill anyone's heart with awe, dread, horror, and reverence.""However!" the man bellowed, his tone filled with delight. "You aren't like ordinary folks. No, you're unique."The man advanced a step as sweat beaded on Alex's skin. His survival instincts surged—fight or flee. He typically picked fight, but right now, running seemed wiser."Everyone else would have collapsed at my feet, pleading for me to stop toying with their lives."Another step forward."That's so dull," the man remarked flatly. "I crave thrill, battle, someone who won't bow to anyone.""I want chaos!" the man declared with a grin, locking eyes intensely with Alex. Alex swallowed hard. "Chosen for what?" Alex questioned, masking his rising fear."Chosen to transform the world!" the man replied smugly. Then, he let out a short laugh, spun around, and strode back to his throne that had materialized behind him. He settled into it and eyed Alex once more with that same smirk from when Alex first entered.Alex stayed quiet for several seconds, steadying his nerves while assessing everything.'Clearly, this isn't a dream. The agony is far too vivid, and considering it might be real sharpens my thoughts remarkably. In dreams, I rarely spot the illusion because much of my mind slumbers.''I must discard old ideas of reality and embrace that this is genuine.'Alex gazed at the seated man.'That implies he's real too. What is he? Definitely not human.'"At last, you're truly pondering your predicament," the man noted. "Took you long enough."As Alex composed himself, he realized the man had responded to his inner thoughts multiple times. 'Can he read minds?'"Yes, I can," the man confirmed. "A human mind may seem incredibly intricate to you, but to me, it's straightforward. Minds and souls obey patterns, and with patterns, prediction becomes possible if you possess enough computational might to factor in every detail."Alex drew in a steadying breath.Too much bizarre had unfolded in these recent minutes, leaving him certain only that his existence was on the verge of drastic upheaval."What happened?" Alex inquired, more composed now. He'd grasped that this young man had no intent to slay or torment him. Otherwise, why waste time proving Alex's presence in this true realm?"Look at you," the young man said smirking. "You accept this as reality, and you recognize my strength vastly outstrips yours. You know I could squash you like an insect anytime.""Yet here you stand, not groveling or fawning," the young man added with a laugh. "No, you're speaking to me as an equal."The young man's grin broadened. "I scored a prime pick today."Alex knit his brows. "Fine, but what happened?" Alex pressed.The young man laughed and reclined on his throne. "Death," he stated.Whoom!Abruptly, the hall dissolved, depositing Alex in a shadowy alley. For an instant, Alex wondered if it had all been a dream, but that notion vanished upon spotting the enormous throne in the alley, the man lounging upon it."This is your death site," the man announced, pointing to the ground.Alex inhaled deeply and peered downward.The sight sent chills through his core.In the dim alley lay two bodies.All memories of his demise flooded back instantly.One body was the man he'd unintentionally slain, the other his own. Just these two corpses remained now. The wounded dog had likely dozed off, perished, or passed out—Alex couldn't tell."How did I die?" Alex wondered aloud. He recalled nothing of his killer, but the mangled rear of his skull offered clues."Your victim had a backup pal in case things soured," the young man clarified. "Spotting you slay his buddy, he rushed in swinging a crowbar—you can picture the outcome."Alex regarded the corpses with mixed emotions. "Ironic, right?" the young man probed. "Your foe perished from a head blow, and so did you. You met the same end as your victim.""I never meant this," Alex murmured. "I didn't aim to kill. Just disable him."The young man snickered. "Precisely why this mess is so captivating. Plenty crave to murder, and it's straightforward. But accidental killing? That shifts the flavor entirely.""Now there's depth. No clear villain to curse. A misfortune struck, yet fault lies nowhere—no target for rage.""What becomes of this man's kin? Blame you? But you're dead too, in peril yourself. Can't fault you fully. Blame him? Partly, but does it justify instant death?"The young man chuckled once more. "No simple resolution here. That's the thrill.""What occurs next?" Alex asked. "Your bodies linger through the night—few wander these paths after dark," the young man detailed. "Come morning, a chatting middle-aged lady spots them and dials the cops."Then, the young man frowned slightly, twitching his fingers—like mental arithmetic.Alex recognized the calculating motion."Your slayer bolts to a distant city," the young man continued offhandedly. "But capture comes in roughly four weeks. Trial for first-degree murder follows, downgraded to second since revenge drove him.""He draws 25 years."His words slowed as focus deepened."Post-sentence, he returns to streets, ultimately overdosing."The young man eased back, relaxed. Alex, meanwhile, breathed deep. Clearly, no true foresight—else instant recitation. Hard thought meant pure computation.Yet that terrified more.Whoop!Surroundings shifted anew, restoring the majestic hall."Back on track anyway," the young man said. "While you killed and died, I scoured for candidates. Earth yielded about 2,000 potentials; I picked you as the first to drop. A few days' delay, no arrival here.""Lucky break?" he queried smirking.Alex inhaled deeply again. Adapt to the shift. Death claimed him, afterlife awaited—yet this entity intervened. Forward, not back."Candidate for what?" Alex repeated."As stated: world-changing," the young man reiterated.Alex's gaze sharpened."Which world?" he pressed.The young man's smirk grew. "Sharp catch, huh?" he remarked. "Surprised you pieced it so fast.""Can't you compute it all?" Alex countered. "Why surprise at me?"The young man laughed. "True, I can—but I tweaked rules for you," he admitted. "Shielded your future from my sight. Current thoughts visible, next moves not."He reclined further. "I could shatter it anytime, naturally. But where's the excitement?""I prefer unfolding surprises over instant knowledge," the young man added.Alex nodded. "Makes sense," he agreed. "So, which world?""Mine," the young man answered. "My primary one—not Earth."Alex studied him briefly."Your world?" he echoed. "So you're a God of sorts?""Spot on," the young man confirmed, propping his head on his right hand. "I forged a realm where supreme might awaits all. Infused it with unique energy absorbable by lifeforms, skyrocketing their strength.""Theoretically, you could ascend to my heights there," he claimed. Alex linked ideas swiftly.'Like a fantasy realm from anime or games,' he mused.The young man chuckled. "Spot on view," he agreed. "And my role in changing it?" Alex asked. "Just a mortal, unlike your godhood.""Now the fun begins," the young man said.