The bells of monastery tolled six times, time for lunch.

Arden drew a big breath and sat down, next to the other workers. Half a bell, then back to work. The fields of the monastery were fertile, but still needed to be ploughed and cared for.

He waited for the orange robed monk to pass by, dispensing the mana fruits and the holy water. Soon, he wolfed down the meal, and washed it down. A feeling of vigor and wellness spread through his body, refilling his depleted reserves. Half a day more. Then three more years. Then he should have enough to leave, to try for a better life in the city. If only...

"You, the blonde one!" the monk called. Arden tried to become smaller, but it didn't work. He raised his eyes cautiously, meeting the piercing gaze of the monk.

"Yes, your holiness?" he replied cautiously.

"There's no need for you to work in the fields, boy. You have the holy touch. The monastery will be happy to let you join, even as an inner disciple." the monk said in a honey voice, almost mesmerizing.

Arden fought the temptation, again. "This lowly one thanks your holiness. But I am happy right here."

The monk humphed with disdain and left, his eyes glinting with an unpleasant promise.

Arden rose to his feet, and started heading towards his spot in field. Then the sky changed.

His eyes rose incredulously toward the strange sight. A trio of people, flying just above him, and surrounded by the most amazing holy aura he had ever seen, even among the highest ranking monks.

The holy ones exchanged a few words in some melodious language, similar to the desert tribes tongue.

Then, disaster struck, the arrogant monk ordering them to land and pay homage. Followed by a crack of holy lightning striking the middle one right in the face. Customary death for those who opposed the monastery.

A trill of laughter was the only result of the monk's attack. Then the person flashed his eyes, and a helical bolt of white and silver flew back in slow motion, hitting the monk in the chest and extinguishing his holy light.

The body of the monk fell to the ground, dead and soulless.

Arden was torn. These people were powerful, and more importantly had killed the overseer monk. He could run, reach the city, perhaps. The other workers were already running, most towards the monastery, a few towards the city. That did seem the clever thing to do.

Arden drew a deep breath and prepared to follow. He never got to run though.

He woke up sometime later, woken the by angry toll the bells. His clothes were now clean, and he was resting on a magnificent bed, which had somehow appeared in the middle of the field. Fantastic beasts and warriors were fighting each other on the headboard, the detail of the artisan amazingly detailed.

The few seconds of art admiration passed, and he became aware of being stared at.

Beside the bed, a table and a couple of leather covered chairs had appeared. Two of the chairs were occupied. A woman, with strange green hair, more beautiful than anyone he had seen or dreamed about. And a man.

The one with deadly eyes. Arden began to panic.

"Sit with us, new friend. Lia will take some time to return, sorting out the cult and all." the man spoke in a mildly amused tone, gesturing towards a seat, then glancing toward the monastery.

The bells had fallen silent.

Arden gulped and almost stumbled to obey, jumping from the luxurious bed and sitting at the table.

"Your holiness...what can this lowly one do for you?" Arden asked in a wavering voice. His eyes were drawn towards the green haired woman, who was peeling a mana fruit with a curious face.

The black haired man scratched his cheek in thought.

"I've decided to start a branch of the Legion here, and you fit the profile. Gold aura and all." the man replied after a few seconds of deliberation.

"Hmmm. But which Legion will he choose, I wonder?" the green haired woman said without raising her eyes, still focused on the fruit.

"Very funny, Gaia. One starting with a V, no doubt about it." the man replied amused, while slicing another mana fruit with a thin knife. Arden blinked, trying to remember where the fruit and knife came from.

"Same place as the furniture, young one. Storage rings." the woman called Gaia answered his unasked question, while tapping gently on her companion's ring. The gem on the ring twinkled and expelled another mana fruit, which then floated magically towards him.

"Are you gods?" Arden muttered with disbelief, as even the highest monks didn't expose such marvelous powers.

"Well...there's some dispute on that. What special properties would your gods have?" The black haired man asked with an innocent voice. Then he bit into the fruit, splashing himself with juice.

Arden wasn't a monk, and in fact he kinda feared and despised them, for claiming sainthood or even godhood for the highest ranks. His education on theology and other holy matters was mostly hearsay and village gossip. But he knew the monks were not.

He hesitated and tried to answer honestly. "Gods are immortal and eternal. They can create and destroy, give life or kill. They have mastery over elements and can fly faster than a hawk. And...they embody virtue and morals." He kinda added the last part, a result of his own thoughts and hopes.

The black haired man sighed. "There are no gods like you dream of. There are only degrees of power. As for morality, it doesn't matter at all. A brutal demon, with a million of planets full of slaves and torture pits would be just as likely to become a god as the most virtuous priest, if not more. The manner of achieving power isn't important."

"Just because you think it so, doesn't make it true, Pef. Your own predicament of being born with a heaven defying skill is called balance, not indifference." Gaia added with a small smile, making Arden blush.

Such an otherworldly beauty, plus the holy timbre of her voice. The green haired one was definitely a goddess, not that this Pef denied it himself.

"So, what do you think, most learned goddess? Is the fruit a legacy or not?" Pef asked in a more serious tone, then taking another bite from the mana fruit.

Gaia taped the fruit in front of her. "Definitely. It's not a high-tier genome like the Legion maize, but it is a modified crop for sure. Pineapple based, with beans, soy and amaranth genes added for protein and vitamin balance."

"94% percent of basic human needs. Minor mineral deficiencies, depending on soil and qi richness." Pef concluded after he finished his fruit. They both then turned towards Arden, like asking for his opinion.

Arden nodded in approval. He didn't quite get all the fancy words, but the mana fruit was indeed mostly sufficient to live on. He dug into his pocket and drew a few walnuts he kept for dinner. "Walnuts or other nuts are needed to stay healthy. Plus the holy water from the monks. Tastes of salt." he explained with a shrug.

Pef nodded back, like he had expected his answer.

"When a tier seven diety dies, they lose their form and body, and most memories. But their soul is too strong and will always reincarnate. They are also easy to recognize, as their aura is golden after rebirth." he commented as an afterthought, his voice sad for some reason.

Arden drew a sharp breath, as the golden glow around the green haired goddess suddenly gained meaning.

"He's not talking about me, boy. You have a golden aura as well." Gaia spoke in a bored tone, while focused on the brown walnut, that had somehow appeared in her hand.

"What? Am I a god? Or seven tenth of one?" Arden asked a bit confused.

"Yep. In a previous life, you have reached Tier 7 and now your soul is immortal. However, you're weak as an ant now, and your memories are mostly gone. Some faint ideas of how things should be and nothing more. If you begin cultivating and reach at least Tier 1, more memories will come back. And if you reach Tier 7 again, you'll have twice the power a normal Tier 7 has, plus both sets of memories. Neat, right?" Pef asked with a smile.

Arden fell into deep thought, his hopes now stirred by the revelation. Maybe he could remember more...

The smell woke him up, sometime later. That, and the sound of waves.

The closest sea was a thousand li from the monastery, to the north. And from he had heard, it was a rocky and cold seashore, not warm sand and palm beaches.

Voices in the distance. Arden raised his head and found himself in the same soft bed as before.

A bonfire illuminating the beach and the smell of something wonderful being fried made Arden realize he was very hungry.

He made his way toward the voices and reached some sort of open cabin.

"I want pig! My own fried pig!" a girly voice demanded petulantly.

"Sorry Aria. There are no pigs in this ocean." Pef's voice replied calmly.

"You're a god. Make your ocean spawn a pig, for me!" the girl demanded in a desperate wail.

Arden snorted at the ludicrous idea. Ocean pigs!

The world froze around him, and another green haired girl appeared in front of him. Silver aura this time. Maybe it wasn't a rare hair color, after all.

"It's the new guy! Ardent, right? Wow, you're like really weak. Did you Awaken like, this week?" the girl asked him curious. He tried to respond, but he was frozen.

The strange stand-off continued for a long minute. Then a woman with a golden aura appeared next to his nemesis and slashed a finger, making the air crack and break into almost visible shards.

A Tier 7? Probably not. Someone else like him, who died and got a new life.

"Exactly like that. I'm Lia Xi. This wild one is Aria. Don't let her gain any of your blood. You wouldn't like to survive her experiments." the kind woman explained with a pleasant smile, then somehow returned next to the fire in a single step.

"What happens if you don't survive her experiments?" Arden asked cautiously, after taking a seat at the table. More beautiful women were now around, some helping Pef to cook, other making tea or reading things.

"We don't talk about them. May they rest in peace." a woman with short black hair answered, kissing her first two fingers in a strange salute.

"Lies! Everyone I enhanced survived!" Aria exclaimed in outrage.

Arden nodded cautiously, while vowing to never be experimented upon by the green haired menace. It sounded like surviving was somehow the worst option.

"So, what metals does your planet know? Copper, iron, tin?" the short haired woman asked him in a hungry voice. Arden noticed she also had the golden aura. Was this beach something like a club for failed gods?

"Not yet. And no, we're not reading your mind. It is just very easy to simulate the thoughts of people, then extrapolate." the woman said after raising an eyebrow.

Without him noticing, the table had filled with beautiful women, all glowing gold or white in his holy sight.

Breathtaking and imposing, and most of all, powerful.

"I see. Well, we have gold and silver and copper. And bronze, I guess." Arden replied in a shy tone. So much beauty hurt his soul somehow.

Lucky for him, Pef had finished cooking and came back to the table, filling it with various types of grilled fish, then a kind of porridge and also mana fruits.

It was delicious, especially the fish. Arden had never eaten fish before, and it was amazing.

An hour later, Pef opened his palm, holding a few colored pills in his hand. Not his hand, he had a thin leather glove on it, which Arden only now had noticed.

"Pick one, recruit. Blue hurts the most." Pef said in a warning tone.

Arden mused for a moment, trying to discern the meaning of those words.

In the end, he chose the red pill. It still hurt.