"So… how should I address you?"
Kael was deeply surprised. He examined the figure before him and asked:
"Who are you? How do you know my current name and my past one?"
The interlocutor did not answer, simply staring at him. At least, that was how it seemed to Kael—he could not discern her facial expression, only a silhouette resembling a female form.
"Are you going to stay silent?"
It felt to Kael as if she were mocking him.
After watching him for a few more seconds, she finally spoke:
"I am the one who has existed since the beginning of time, the one who sustains life across all worlds, the sister of light and darkness. I am the Goddess of Life."
Kael felt an immense pressure descend upon him. He nearly fell to his knees but managed to resist. Forgetting the pressure altogether, he was no longer merely surprised—he was shocked. He had never heard of gods before, let alone a Goddess of Life.
Of course, religions had existed in his previous world, and many people worshipped gods—but Marcus, now Kael, had never believed in them.
Yet now, standing before a being who called herself a god, he felt utterly confused.
Gathering all his courage, Kael asked:
"I understand who you claim to be. But what does the Goddess of Life want from a mere mortal like me?"
Seeing only simple surprise on his face, the Goddess of Life herself was taken aback.
She rarely appeared before mortals, but whenever she manifested, every single one of them fell to their knees in reverence.
Yet this boy was merely surprised.
Even if he was a reincarnator, how could he remain so calm in such a situation?
Circling around him and examining him closely, the goddess spoke:
"Six years ago, I sensed a foreign soul entering this world. Even though I am a goddess, I am not omnipotent. I searched for you for three years. Who would have thought that you would not merely be close—but right under my nose? I personally searched for you. If the people of this world had discovered your existence, they would have tried to kill you."
Kael asked:
"If you found me three years ago, why did you only speak to me now?"
The Goddess of Life replied:
"I could have contacted you earlier, but since your soul is foreign, it needed time to adapt and strengthen itself in this world after its arrival. I calculated that this would happen by your tenth birthday. Yet once again, you surprised me. I do not know how, but it seems to be the result of your constant soul training. Still, I cannot understand it. A soul cannot be strengthened or improved through training."
After a moment of thought, Kael answered:
"You said it yourself—I'm from another world. I have my own methods."
The goddess looked at him and said coldly:
"Do you dare lie to me? I am the Goddess of Life, in case you have forgotten! I am the very essence of life across all worlds! I know for a fact that a soul cannot be strengthened! So tell me—how did you bypass this law of nature?!"
The pressure intensified. Kael's back bent involuntarily, but he refused to kneel. Raising his gaze to meet the goddess's eyes, he replied:
"What will you do if I don't answer? Kill me? Go ahead. I've already died once. I'm not afraid of death."
Seeing the unwavering resolve in his eyes, the Goddess of Life withdrew her pressure and said:
"Very well. If you wish to keep this secret, then let it remain a secret. But by violating the laws of nature, you have subjected yourself to punishment."
Hearing her words, Kael asked in surprise:
"What kind of punishment? And who will punish me?"
The goddess answered:
"The punishment may take many forms, but it will always be proportional to the law you have violated. And the one who will punish you is… the World itself."
After hearing this, Kael asked again:
"And when will this punishment begin? How severe will it be, in your opinion?"
After some thought, the Goddess of Life replied:
"Your training to strengthen your soul is indeed a violation of natural law, but it has not yet disrupted the balance. However, the very fact that your soul came from another world is also a violation. The World should have erased it the moment it arrived—but it did not. That surprised me. That is why I began searching for you: to understand why you were not punished."
Kael asked:
"Then after looking at me up close… have you found the reason?"
The goddess studied him carefully before answering:
"I do not know. As I said, even though I am a goddess, I am not omnipotent. Gods, too, are bound by limits."
After thinking for a moment, Kael said:
"So what will you do now? Watch over me until the World erases my soul?"
The Goddess of Life shook her head.
"Not exactly. I can help you avoid most of the punishment."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"And how would you do that?"
Smiling, she extended her hand toward him.
"Become my chosen."