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Multiversal Babysitter

作者: SalveYing

章節 1: The Void

[The Void - ??? 00:00]

In the dark and silent infinity, a solitary soul floats peacefully, lost in what could be eternity.

"Ground Control to Major Tom... ♫"

It's been like this for a week. Or at least, that's what it believes. Time is relative when you're dead.

"Take your protein pills and put your helmet on... ♬"

It has no body, no mouth, but somehow, it keeps singing. It's the only thing it has left, the only comfort in this vast abyss of nothingness. In the end, with not many alternatives, it decides that if it's going to be here for eternity, it might as well spend the time remembering and singing.

"Commencing countdown, engines on... ♪"

At first, it struggled to accept that it was dead. There was something unsettling about the idea of having no control over anything, being trapped in nothingness forever. But over time, it came to terms with it. There's no rush. No urgency. No mundane worries. Just it and the infinite void, floating aimlessly, like a tiny speck of dust in the vast cosmos.

"This is Ground Control to Major Tom... ♬"

As the lost soul continues with its song, something begins to change. It's subtle at first, barely a feeling in the air. But then, that feeling intensifies. A portal. It appears before him, swirling and expanding in a spectacle of light and shadow. Still, he doesn't stop singing. Without resistance, the portal swallows him, taking him to an unknown place.

"And I'm floating in a most peculiar way... ♬"

All it can see is an explosion of colors, a storm of light completely enveloping it. As if the entire universe were passing before it in a chaotic succession of lights and shapes. And, as quickly as it began, it ends.

Suddenly, it finds itself in a new place. It's in what appears to be a throne, majestic and ominous at the same time. Sitting on it is a woman with white hair, young in appearance but with a strong presence. The lost soul easily assimilates that she is a goddess.

[Image]

"WELCOME, LOST SOUL!!!" The goddess's voice resonates in the hall, reverberating with such force that it seems to shake the walls.

"I AM NANNYRA, GODDESS OF CARE AND LOVE!!! BOW BEFORE ME!"

Upon hearing the goddess's command, the lost soul does what anyone would do in the presence of a god—submit.

"I bow before you, my Goddess!" it says, its voice heavy with submission and reverence, hoping for mercy from the deity.

"YOU'RE NOT BOWING!" the goddess shouts upon noticing that the soul remains unmoved.

"My goddess, I have no body to bow!" it replies, somewhat confused. Realizing its mistake, the goddess coughs lightly, "Cough, cough. Sorry, I forgot about that. Anyway…"

"I have pulled you from the void to offer you two options. As the first option, I can send you back to the void, where you will wander until you lose your sanity." As she says this, a portal opens to her right, destined for what it assumes is the void.

"OR, listen to this! You can choose the mystery box." A box with a question mark appears to the left of the goddess.

"The Box! I want the Box!" says the soul, without a second thought.

"Good choice," the goddess replies. Out of nowhere, a mist begins to surround the mystery box. The light in the room dims, and some spotlights, seemingly appearing from nowhere, begin to make the light dance around the room, finally focusing on the box.

"And as a reward, you have…" A drum roll sounds to heighten the moment.

"...to be my apostle and fulfill my desires! Yayyyyy!" The soul says nothing, simply staring at the goddess.

The goddess, waiting for a reaction, asks, "What's wrong? Aren't you excited?"

"Do I have another option?" the soul asks, careful not to offend a goddess.

"Of course you do. You can accept, or I'll kick your nonexistent ass back to the void from where I pulled you," she says, pointing to the still-open portal.

"I would love to be your apostle," the soul finally says, resigned.

"Good. For your mission, I need you to go to different worlds and take care of some girls," the goddess explains.

"Wait," the soul says, incredulous. "Is that going to be my job? Playing babysitter? Is that it?"

The goddess pouts, frowning. "DON'T INTERRUPT ME!"

"I need you to take care of them properly; you understand what I mean," the goddess emphasizes, making a gesture with her lips as she pronounces the word 'care.'

"I don't understand," the soul responds. The goddess brings her hand to her forehead, sighing in exasperation before continuing.

"Listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you. I need you to take very good care of these girls." As she speaks, her right hand forms a circle while her left finger goes in and out of the circle she created with the other hand. "Do you understand what I mean?" she asks, somewhat annoyed.

"OHHHHHH," says the soul, pausing for a moment. "But why?"

"BECAUSE I ORDER IT!" the goddess replies, crossing her arms. "I am the goddess of all gods, and if I say it's done, it's done."

"I thought you were the goddess of care and love?" the soul asks, confused.

"I AM GOD! I can be whatever the hell I want!" the goddess responds in a firm and authoritative tone. "Are you in or not?"

"I'm in," says the soul, with not many other options.

With a gesture of her hand, the goddess opens a new portal in front of the lost soul. A bright light draws it in, and, unable to resist, it is swallowed by the vortex, leaving behind the majestic hall and the goddess, who smiles as she watches it disappear into the light.

/-/

Meanwhile, in the void, amidst an explosion of mist and flashing lights, an entity in the shape of a large sphere appears. "LISTEN, LOST SOUL! I AM GOD AND I AM HERE TO OFFER YOU…!" But the sphere falls silent upon realizing there's no one around.

"Where the hell is the soul?" it asks, frustrated. The sphere spins around several times, searching the emptiness. After a while of finding nothing, it reaches a conclusion.

"It can't be, it's been stolen!" Its voice echoes through the void.

"Brazen bastards, who could have done this?!" The sphere's anger is so intense that the void itself begins to tremble. While it broods over the situation, a name surfaces in its mind.

"Surely that degenerate goddess did it! That damn bitch, not only is she a pervert, but now she's also a thief!"

Suddenly, a giant crow appears, a joint in its beak and plumage reflecting the entire universe. "Hey, hey, hey, why the hell all the fuss?" it asks softly, intrigued by the scene.

"They've stolen my reincarnated one!" the sphere replies, visibly frustrated.

"Calm down," the crow suggests. "Maybe they didn't steal it. Perhaps you just lost it. Try to remember where you last saw it."

"It was right here," it says, pointing to nothingness. "I left for just a week to do my shopping, and when I got back, it was gone! I'm sure that perverted goddess did it. I'm going to file a complaint, just you wait!" Its voice roars with indignation.

"Maybe it wasn't her," the crow says thoughtfully. "Maybe it was your ex. She said she was going to get revenge; maybe this is part of it."

"It's not her," the orb retorts, its voice a mix of frustration and resignation. "She stole my Blu-ray player."

"Alright," the crow says, trying to calm the situation. "It's not the end of the world. Another reincarnated one will surely pop up to entertain you."

"No, that's not true," the orb replies, disheartened. "Do you know how long I waited for that reincarnated one to show up?"

"How long? Two eternities or something?" the crow asks, curious.

"Wish it were! It was TWENTY-TWO eternities!" it exclaims, frustrated at the thought of all the waiting.

"I'm sure another one will show up. Just have faith," the crow insists, trying to lift the orb's spirits.

The orb sighs, feeling a little calmer. "If you're right, maybe I should chill out. Maybe it's not that bad…" But before it can finish its monologue, a lost soul floats before its eyes.

"IT CAN'T BE!" the orb screams. "ANOTHER SOUL!"

Before it finishes speaking, the crow moves at lightning speed, snatching the soul with its claws and shouting, "MINE!" Its laughter echoes through the void.

The orb watches, incredulous, as the crow flies away through a portal. "BASTARD! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!" it exclaims, furious.

The crow responds with mocking laughter: "You snooze, you lose. HAHAHA!" And with that, it departs, leaving the orb alone in the void.

After a moment of silence, the orb mutters, "Ah, whatever," resigned to its fate. "I'll go play Warhammer." With those words, the orb exits the scene.