I used to be an ordinary person.
Well… mostly ordinary.
I was the kind of guy who spent way too much time reading fantasy novels, watching anime, and diving into fictional worlds that were far more exciting than my own. I loved mythology, especially Greek myths. I had read the entire series of Percy Jackson & the Olympians more times than I could count.
Despite that, I wasn't some lazy shut-in. I was actually pretty intelligent. I worked hard, went to university, and eventually graduated.
For the first time in my life, things were starting to look stable.
Then I died.
And the way I died was… suspicious.
One moment I was walking outside, thinking about what I wanted to do next with my life.
The next moment—
Lightning.
A blinding flash tore through the sky and struck me directly.
Pain exploded through my body for a fraction of a second… and then everything went dark.
No hospital.
No afterlife gates.
No dramatic final words.
Just instant death.
Which, looking back, didn't seem normal at all.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing in a black void.
There was no ground.
No sky.
Just endless darkness stretching in every direction.
Floating in front of me was a glowing orb of light.
My brain immediately came to one conclusion.
A god.
Or at least something very close to one.
The orb pulsed gently, like a heartbeat.
"Ah… good. You're awake."
Its voice echoed directly inside my mind.
I blinked.
"Okay," I muttered. "Either I'm dead… or I'm hallucinating."
"You are dead," the orb replied casually.
"Well that's unfortunate."
The orb flickered slightly, almost like it was embarrassed.
"Yes. About that… I would like to apologize."
"…Apologize?"
"You see," it continued, "your death was… technically my fault."
I stared at the glowing orb.
"You're telling me a god accidentally killed me with lightning?"
"Correct."
"That feels like a pretty big mistake."
"Yes," the entity admitted calmly. "It was."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then the orb continued.
"To compensate for this unfortunate incident, I will reincarnate you."
My brain froze.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
"Back in my world?"
"No."
My shoulders immediately slumped.
"Then where?"
"You will be reincarnated in the world of the Olympians."
My eyes widened.
"The world of… Percy Jackson?"
The orb pulsed again.
"Yes. That universe."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
Out of every fictional world…
I was going to end up in Greek mythology on steroids.
The entity continued speaking.
"I will also grant you one wish. Within reason."
Now that got my full attention.
A wish.
My mind started racing.
The obvious option would be to become a demigod.
Maybe the child of Hades or Zeus.
But that idea immediately fell apart.
Demigods were strong… sure.
But compared to the actual gods?
They were ants.
If I was going to live in a world where beings like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades existed…
Then I needed real power.
My thoughts raced through dozens of possibilities.
Anime characters.
Mythological beings.
Overpowered abilities.
Then suddenly—
I remembered someone.
A character so absurdly powerful that it almost felt unfair.
From the anime series Campione!.
"Verethragna…"
The orb seemed curious.
"Explain."
I took a breath.
"Verethragna is the Persian God of Victory. In the series, he grants the protagonist ten divine incarnations. Each one represents a different power."
The orb glowed brighter.
"Continue."
Excitement started building in my chest.
"If I had those abilities… I'd basically have control over wind, lightning, the sun, speed, strength, and even resurrection."
I began listing them.
Gale — the power to become a raging wind.
Bull — overwhelming physical strength.
White Stallion — the power of the sun itself.
Camel — endless stamina.
Boar — unstoppable destructive force.
Youth — divine charisma capable of dominating the will of others.
Raptor — incredible speed capable of creating storms.
Ram — resurrection.
Goat — control over lightning.
Warrior — a golden sword capable of severing divine powers.
By the time I finished explaining, the orb had gone completely silent.
Then it spoke again.
"…That is quite the ability set."
I nodded.
"If I had those powers, I'd at least be able to survive in a world full of gods."
The orb flickered thoughtfully.
"…Very well."
My heart skipped a beat.
"I grant your wish."
For a moment I couldn't process what I'd just heard.
Then the entity added something else.
"As an additional adjustment, I will reincarnate you as a god within the Greek pantheon."
My jaw dropped.
"A… god?"
"Yes."
"There is one more matter," the orb continued. "Verethragna originates from Persian mythology. To avoid complications within the Olympian system, I will remove that mythology from this universe entirely."
That was… unexpectedly convenient.
But there was one more thing I wanted.
"Wait."
The orb paused.
"Yes?"
I hesitated before speaking.
"If I'm going to become a god in Greek mythology… I want one more change."
"Explain."
I thought about every myth I had ever read.
All the stupid mistakes the gods made.
All the wars.
All the disasters.
Most of them came down to one thing.
"Remove my lust."
The orb flickered in surprise.
"…Interesting request."
"I've read Greek mythology," I said. "Half the disasters in that world happen because the gods can't control themselves."
The orb went silent for a moment.
Then it spoke again.
"Very well."
A surge of light surrounded me.
"It shall be done."
The last thing I heard before everything faded away was the entity's voice.
"Let us see… what kind of god you will become."