Chapter 75 Chosen - Daichi (Part 2 of 2)

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Still smiling as if Daichi really had said the funniest thing he’d ever heard… “I am you. I am literally you even as I am now, except at the moment I still possess the knowledge of my previous life…And so I am you but I am not. Although all of this will fade away as I integrate into you. I’ll disappear soon so you better pay attention, you won’t get all of this useful information for free anywhere else.”

“Now!, i’m going to explain to you about the trials that are going to occur on your world and what exactly it means.” the other Daichi said as he explained the trials the gods would now undertake and what it would mean for humanity as the gods raged a competition against one another with their representatives taking the helm.

“So what’s the big deal? I don’t much care about what happens either way, it’s not like I have a stake in any of it. Although it does sound like a pretty awesome way to get stronger. Should I find a god to sponsor me?” Daichi commented only to draw an annoyed but weary gaze from the other him.

The other Daichi stared right at him and giving him a somber expression, “Now pay close attention. I told you all of this for a specific reason… Under no circumstances are you to become a representative of a god.”

“Eh What gives?” Daichi was a little surprised by that. He’d just been told all of the benefits and amazing things that he could get and achieve if he were to become eye-candy for one of these gods and fight for them. Now he was being told to do the opposite.

Sighing. The other Daichi finally took an amorphous form and then disappeared back into the mist as if he was part of it.

Words were instead instantly transmitted into the entire space surrounding them “No god is going to tell you the truth but I will. Aside from the difficulty of each dungeon no matter which god makes it. A god dungeon isn’t some trip into a cave and back Daichi. A dungeon made by a god is an entire realm. A dungeon made by the essence of a god is a world created by them, their imagination and the horrors they can imagine. These gods are vying for power as well, do you really believe any of them will create a weak dungeon if their future power will be based on how difficult their dungeon was before it is conquered?”

Daichi considered that point. It made sense but he also felt that with no risk came no reward. He was willing to risk his life if the benefits matched the risk.

“Once you enter a dungeon you won’t be able to exit until you defeat the guardian of that area. You are far from being able to even defeat one creature in any dungeon as you are now. I am telling you now, until your power is comparable with a demigod. Do not enter a dungeon. Otherwise you will for nothing.”

Daichi only looked more annoyed “Yeah but won’t becoming a representative make me stronger? It seems like the quickest way to get to that point. Besides there doesn’t seem to be any real downsides if you ask me.”

“Do you think such a beautiful and wondrous thing like Divine Protection really exists and is that simple? Being “chosen” by a god means willingly becoming their slave. You receive their mark and become theirs. You give up the freedom to choose your own path. Moreover regardless of what benefits a chosen reaps, their god will reap even more benefits because of them.”

Daichi’s expression changed at that. That touched on the one thing that mattered greatly to him aside from knowledge and that was his own free will. He’d already done plenty of stupid things all in an effort to feel as if he wasn’t something or someone else’s puppet. There was no way he’d enter into a relationship with anyone else where he was a slave. Regardless of the benefits. Then Daichi wondered “Why is it called a divine protection in the first place if really it seems like the gods call it being chosen?”

“That’s because we made the status screens for you humans. It’s a magic in place by the gods. The status screen was a tool originally created to help you get stronger and also to mark our own and allow other lesser beings to recognize our marks. Only demigods and above can recognize it based on the divinity alone.”

Daichi gaped at that. This entire time he’d always wondered about the status screen everyone was born with and now he was being told it was a tool created by the gods!

“What kind of astronomical amount of power do you have to have to create a spell like that that anyone can use at anytime!” Daichi thought. He’d always found it strange that people could innately use such a useful ability and yet never waste any mana in doing so.

“Don’t worry about it. It won’t matter much longer anyways. I am telling you not to become a representative, but that doesn’t mean I am telling you not to defeat the dungeons and get the goodies inside. Anyone can enter any dungeon and defeat it. Except the god who made the dungeon won’t receive anything if his representative isn’t the one to defeat it. In essence it’s a death sentence for them, but the one who clears it will receive wondrous things. Aside from whatever benefits you get from inside, you’ll also get something from that god as he fades away.”

Even as he was hearing this, Daichi’s eyes had already lit up. He wanted to compete in these trials the second he’d been told about them. He’s always been interested in dungeons even growing up and now he was being told there were incredible, god-created dungeons, whose size spanned entire worlds! Being told he couldn’t compete was already something he wasn’t sure he could agree too but now things were different. He was being told not to do it for someone else.

“Exactly. Do it for yourself. Represent no one but yourself.” Both Daichi’s seemed to have the same thought and feelings at that moment. They wanted power, they wanted adventure, they wanted to feel alive in the way that only risking your life for something incredible and nearly out of reach can make you feel!

“I want you to remember this feeling of excitement. You’ll have a lot of time in here to train and grow stronger. It’s only by remembering what motivates you that you’ll be able to continue and keep a clear grasp of your sanity.”

Ignoring Daichi’s curious expression at his words, the voice in the mist transmitted his final pieces of advice “Lastly, while I won’t go into detail I feel like you should know… You should be very careful as you choose your evolutionary path. There are a lot of options that will become possible for you due to your chaotic mana. You should know this, a lot of paths are dead ends to someone with your potential. Paths that are limited and eventually reach a wall that can never be broken. Then there are very strong paths… Paths that could turn your physical body nearly impenetrable and indestructible. Those are useful for staying alive but will make your rate of growth near stunted. Choose wisely.”

Even as the words were still ringing the mist near him was dispersing and mixing in with the rest of the mist. All the while Daichi was beginning to grow disappointed.

“How useful would it be to have this big ball of knowledge with me all the time? If I can somehow keep it…” Daichi began to think as a few extra words drifted into his mind “I’m going to be fully integrated soon. Don’t believe you are so lucky as to have an all powerful companion by yourself guiding your every step of your journey. That would be far too easy and not the path I would let you walk on. This is the first and last time we speak. Best of luck.”

Even as the mist faded away from Daichi, he didn’t give it too much thought as he tried to stifle a deepening sense of loss. Daichi felt like he’d just lost a big encyclopedia he’d only had the chance to read a few pages from. Giving himself some time to get over the feeling of loss and then focus on what he’d been told.

Daichi began to digest all of the information swirling through his brain at the moment.

Thinking about how to leave this place was secondary to deciding what he would do once he left. Even if he could leave, if he didn’t have goals and a purpose he’d be just get himself into more trouble… This was a safe place to think and he would be a fool not to take advantage of it.

Daichi relaxed and began to think about everything he’d experienced in the past few weeks, everything he’d done, everything’d felt and everything he’d just learned.

The world was so wide and vast. There were so many things he’d yet to experience and so many creatures and things to see and learn. He hadn’t even stepped into the world. He’d left his home town only to wander through part of a forest and likely made no progress with all the things he’d gone through.

Moreover his mind was finally at ease for the first time in the past few days. He had an explanation as to why he’d felt different. He couldn’t say that he was pleased with things as they were…. But he’d certainly gained some benefits. Moreover, it didn’t seem like there was anything he could do about it, and this god didn’t seem to want to take over his body or control him. He seemed intent on just experiencing the world through Daichi and that much he could deal with.

Now that he'd remembered why he'd pushed his father and everyone else away, and had a realization that he himself had distanced himself from everyone he knew out of fear Daichi felt freed. Freed of every worry he'd had for a long time. He was free.

Even as he thought about all this, he considered his previous goal of reaching the capitol and joining their academy in order to enter their library. Now it just seemed like such a small ambition. Everything he’d just heard gave him the urge to want to aim higher, and see the world from above.

Daichi spent days sitting in the air letting this feeling fill him as he gained more motivation. Sleep was unnecessary and he felt energetic despite no sleep or food.

While absorbed in this feeling he thought about the various details of the world before him. I will join the academy and gain all the knowledge I can from their library. I will make that capitol city my first goal… Then I’ll go to each existing city and learn from the strongest and wisest people there except I won’t discriminate! I’ll learn from the strongest and wisest creatures, whether they’re human or not!

Feeling the urge to do something incredible with his life for the first time.. Daichi finally came to the realization of what he would do with his life.

“I will find my way out of this place. I will leave that god forsaken forest. I’ll change the mindset I’ve had up to this point and acknowledge how weak I am. Only by doing that can I move forward… I’ll make friends with those who can help me, whether they’re human or not! Only equals can truly become friends. I’ll make them acknowledge me and I’ll do the same and I’ll kill whoever and whatever stands in my way! I’ll finally step into the stage of the world and I’ll make this small world my stepping stone as I aim for the very top. There’s no point in aiming small anymore… So I’ll aim to become God. I’ll set my ambition towards the very top!”

Finally for the first time Daichi was filled with an ambition great enough to match his potential.