faint rustling sounds

Ssssss..

William’s eyes snapped open as he took deep breaths filled with relief that he was alive; the last thing he remembered was getting stabbed in the back by Lux.

His body felt so weak and refused to get up, as if his back were pinned to the cold floor. His mind felt hazy as he remembered the last moment he spent laughing at his situation.

He had felt it; he had felt weak.

William’s hands clenched as he gritted his teeth. "How could I be this careless..."

How could he forget that he had lost his family because he was weak once? How could he not prepare for more? How could he remain pathetically weak?

The reason he had died laughing was not that the situation was absurd, but because, even after having something as absurd as the 100x returns system, he had failed even to stand a chance against someone like Lux.

Even though he was only 16 years old, he still felt that he needed to raise his standards; it was just a feeling, but he knew that confronting the gods would have been inevitable.

He was truly a fool through and through; he did not even know how to use such tools for his advantage. What a pathetic way to die!!.

[You are not entirely a fool; you were just mid.] Orion’s voice sounded.

"Huh?? You are still here??" William asked Orion with a surprised expression.

[Well, yeah, you are not dead yet, so unfortunately, yes.]

"Fucker!! You should be thankful you are with me."

[What are you going to do, ass?]

"F...!!!"

"Oh, our baby has woken up!!" Suddenly, a soothing feminine voice sounded in William’s right ear, taking him off guard.

He quickly turned around only to see a lady lying beside him resting her head over her folded hand, looking at him with a serene smile. She chuckled as she looked at the change in expression on his face.

A weird thing in this situation was that this lady had a strip of silk tied around her eyes, and that was supposed to obstruct her vision, yet William felt her gaze all over his body. He almost freaked out looking at this lady lying down so close to him; he almost screamed the names of Tamsya and Seraphine for help.

He had not even sensed her here before she had spoken up; moreover, her scent and her dress were too irresistible for him, and he hated this biological reaction in his body.

She was wearing midnight blue robes adorned with nets and fabric woven out of pure silver; her lips were cherry red, and her face was smooth. She wore a robe that revealed the curves she carried so gracefully. The high slit of her gown revealed the shape of her legs, making her look enticing for the hardiest of men.

"Fuck!!!" William’s teeth bit into his lips as he straightened his face and looked at the scene in front of him; it was a deep, starry sky as if he had traveled into outer space.

At first, he had not paid much attention to the dark expanse, but now, as he turned, he noticed the cloudy surface he was lying on with a light, chilly mist that was concentrated on the ground.

William immediately tried to stand up, but his back seemed unalive.

"Oh my dear, you want to stand up!!" The lady spoke in a mature voice that sounded like a blessing to William’s ears; he felt his mind calm down and exhaustion disappear.

William’s breathing calmed down, and he looked at the lady in blue silvery robes coming closer before her hands lightly waved over his face, leaving silvery glitters that landed on his skin.

The lady waved her hand over his chest, abdomen, and legs, and as soon as the silvery energy touched his skin, life returned to him; he felt his control back.

Slowly and steadily, he sat up and looked around the realm he was in.

’Beautiful’ was an understatement; this realm was literal imagery of what one would call a sanctuary. It was a vast, plain space with mist gathered over the floor, covering it whole. In front of him was a massive throne, and behind the throne was a miniature figure of the moon itself.

The lady who had been lurking around him moments ago floated towards the throne and sat on it lazily; her pristine white legs hung around the left armrest while her head rested over the right one, and her hair hung by the edge.

She moved her smooth legs to and fro like a child with a pout on her face and the side gaze with which she looked at William’s silent figure as if he were not even witnessing her antics.

Her behavior did not match the otherworldly face and mature figure she possessed.

"Who are you??" William asked, although he had some idea as he looked at her crown decorated with a silvery crescent moon.

The moon’s projection behind her could only mean she was related to the moon god, or she herself was the moon goddess.

Listening to William’s question, the whimsical goddess straightened on the throne and coughed lightly before a serious expression was etched on her face; her hands came to rest over the armrest of the throne, and her legs joined together to make her posture look elegant and charming, unlike before.

"William!!" she addressed him by the name, not as ’mortal’ or ’human’ or by any lowly names that William was used to from beings of such a level.

"My name is Nir; I am the goddess of the moon," she spoke, now looking at him directly.

"I will be direct with my intentions," Nir spoke.

"I have had my eyes on you since the day you were born," she spoke, making Williams’ eyes widen.

"Orion."

[She doesn’t know what she is not supposed to know, although yes, she has been keeping an eye on you from the start.] Orion answered instantly, making William sigh in relief.

Meanwhile, Nir continued speaking. "I have always believed that being truthful and sincere always has its benefits; that is why I won’t beat around the bush, and neither will I try to deceive you with any hidden intention."

William nodded and was also a bit surprised; she was acting opposite to a textbook goddess. She was acting gently and truthfully, and also did not consider him a lowly being. For a moment, William thought that he was being deceived, and so he kept his guard up in his heart against Nir.

Meanwhile, Nir spoke further, "William Kaiser Solaris, I want you to be my hero."

"Hero??"