章節 4: Deceptive Mishap
"What could be the matter? Surely it cannot be 'Adaptation Deficiency'? This youngster's aptitude should not lead to such an occurrence, should it?"
In a volume audible to Tyler, the Benevolent Deity murmured to itself, while simultaneously waving its fingers, as if to inspect something.
However, the deity's actions were tardy. The sphere of light enveloping Tyler elucidated the previous anomaly following the warning sound. This time, it declared...
"Warning: adaptability surpassing maximum threshold.
'Pseudo-Supernatural Eye' automatically escalating to match.
Commencing bestowal of the 'Divine Eye of Transcendence' now..."
"What... what?!"
The Benevolent Deity was aghast, the situation unfolding in complete opposition to its predictions. Before it could react, an intangible force brutally gouged its right eye from its socket, subsequently forcing the golden, gem-like orb into Tyler's eye cavity. Tyler's original right eye was instantly obliterated by this divine ocular, the excruciating pain penetrating his very marrow, compelling the usually stoic youth to cry out in anguish!
"Aaahhh!!!"
Amidst the pandemonium, only the sphere of light continued to impassively announce the progression of events.
"'Divine Eye of Transcendence' bestowal complete. Original curse, 'Thorn of the Heartless', automatically elevated to 'Purgatory of the Heartless'. Initiating reevaluation of target parallel world difficulty value now..."
In a matter of mere moments, the name of a new parallel world appeared upon the temporal tunnel:
"Parallel World No. 77: Prison Star"
"Difficulty: Impossible"
"Pre-teleportation preparations complete, commencing in five seconds: five, four, three…"
"Wait, wait a…"
Attempting to halt the teleportation process, the deity, still reeling from the pain of losing its right eye, could do nothing as Tyler vanished alongside the luminous orb at the entrance of the temporal tunnel.
In the end, Tyler never heard what further words the self-proclaimed divine glowing humanoid had to say. Astonishingly, Tyler's pain had dissipated; he felt no foreign sensation in his invaded right eye, and his vision had returned to normal.
Within this unfamiliar passage, the inky spirals enveloped Tyler entirely as the radiant orb propelled him forward at a breakneck pace. Then, after an indeterminable duration, a dazzling point of light appeared in the distance, presumably the exit of this enigmatic corridor.
*
The camera returned to the enigmatic, monochrome space where, after confirming Tyler's teleportation, The Benevolent Deity slowly lowered its hand from its right eye.
Gone without a trace was the frantic disarray of mere moments ago.
Subsequently, The Benevolent Deity emanated a brilliant light, dividing itself into six distinct yet similar entities, each resembling a humanoid luminescent figure.
"What a distasteful charade, performing such a clumsy act at the end. I wonder if the boy even realized that 'we' intentionally spoke aloud for him to hear," one luminous figure grumbles as the others join the conversation.
"Nah, he definitely didn't notice. You're overthinking it."
"True, and if we didn't do that, 'we' wouldn't have been able to plant 'Seven' inside the condemned one."
"Exactly, efficiency is crucial. If Tyler is a useless condemned soul, it's best to hasten his demise and free up the spot."
"Aw, so heartless! I think this Tyler we drew might be promising. Can't we have some hope?"
"Who knows? We've encountered many who appeared golden on the outside but were rotten within."
"But, don't you think the cost of embedding 'Seven' is too high? We ended up with 'Parallel World No. 77: Prison Star,' an 'Impossible' difficulty! Going there is basically handing over lives to the 'Malevolent Faction'!"
"It indeed was a miscalculation. We initially intended to discreetly place 'Seven,' but we didn't expect the boy's adaptability to be so high. In the heat of the moment, we had to make the best of a bad situation."
"No need to waste breath on this. He's merely a pawn. Whether he dies himself or is dealt with by 'Seven,' there are plenty more pawns to come."
"True. Instead of idle chatter, let's recruit more truck drivers to help 'select' more souls. And our puppet corporations can be even more ruthless – the more employees that 'suddenly die,' the better."
At this, the luminous humanoids burst into laughter, unaware that within their cackling, the seeds of their own comeuppance had been sown.
*
When Tyler regained his senses, he found himself standing amidst a dense forest, with a single sun in the sky, suggesting it was morning. Trees surrounded him, but there were no signs of human habitation.
The first thing Tyler did was ensure his immediate surroundings were safe. Next, he examined the vegetation, discovering that most plants were familiar species, with only a few appearing unlike anything found on Earth.
(So, this is what they meant by "parallel world.")
Tyler had previously learned about the concept of parallel worlds, and he surmised that he had been transported to an alternate dimension of Earth, where the butterfly effect of ancient times had led to different outcomes. Hence, encountering objects similar or identical to those in his original world was not surprising.
Having established this, Tyler examined his own physical condition. His body was essentially in the same state as before his sudden death at home, still clad in his high school uniform. Fortunately, the fatigue, hunger, and the illness that caused his death had not carried over, likely due to the deity's intervention.
Finally, Tyler unrolled the parchment scroll to review his assigned tasks. The text on the parchment was not written in any Earthly language, but somehow, Tyler could comprehend it. The specific tasks were as follows:
=====
Task 1: Kill the "Singular Demon God - The Unutterable Name";
Task 2: Make the "Singular Demon God - The Unutterable Name" dissolve the Abyssal Empire, or surrender unconditionally to the Alliance of Light;
(Note: If Task 2 is accomplished, Task 1 is considered fulfilled, regardless of completion.)
Task 3: Make the "Singular Demon God - The Unutterable Name" sincerely confess their love for you and agree to return to your original world (Earth) together;
(Note: If Task 3 is accomplished, Tasks 1 and 2 are considered fulfilled, regardless of completion.)
Task Completion Rewards:
Difficulty Level 1: Complete one task, return to your original world and gain a second life;
Difficulty Level 2: Complete two tasks, and in addition to Level 1, select one acquired skill to bring back to your original world;
Difficulty Level 3: Complete three tasks, and in addition to Level 1, bring back all acquired skills and soul-engraved equipment to your original world;
=====
Having read the tasks, Tyler was about to ponder them when a sudden pain shot through his right eye, blurring his vision momentarily before everything returned to normal. A voice accompanied by text appeared on the parchment:
"Please choose the difficulty level you wish to complete."
"Please note that once selected, the difficulty level cannot be changed."
"You have 10 seconds to choose. If no choice is made, the highest difficulty level will be the default."
"10"
"9"
"8"
…
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