I am Hiroy, and as of yesterday, the goddess Kokono informed me that I am her dependent. This revelation was both shocking and enlightening. It explained why I was brought to this new world after my death—it wasn't without reason. Kokono told me that if I can overcome the challenges posed by the other dependents who seek to take my place, I'll become the World God, the strongest of all the World Goddess's dependents.
At first, I was stunned, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Why else would I be given a second chance at life? I've decided to take on this task, and I won't let anyone surpass me. I asked Kokono if Shiro was also a World God's dependent, but she told me no. Then she explained something that shook me to my core.
There are ten great gods who stand above all others. They control everything in all the realms and dimensions, both above and below this one. Each god or goddess has a specific domain, but within their ranks, there are differences in power. Although they are all omnipotent beings, the World Goddess and the Destruction Goddess are currently the strongest. Kokono told me that one day, I'll be omnipotent too—a power that I know from comics and anime is nearly unbeatable. She mentioned that she currently controls over a thousand universes, which she likes to watch like TV and occasionally interact with. Essentially, I can inherit her power.
But right now, I'm nowhere near strong enough. I know that because I've faced her in a match. It was over in a flash. I tried to sneak attack her, but it didn't work. I was on my back before I could even throw a punch. It happened like that over a hundred times until I was completely exhausted. Even my scythe skill, Create Weapon, couldn't land a hit on her. My weapon creation ability can copy and trace my current weapon, transforming it into whatever I need at the time to oppose my enemy. It's an incredibly versatile skill, though I still have much to learn.
For example, I was once fighting a low-tier carnivorous monster horse. The horses here eat meat, and they're fifty times faster and stronger than the strongest horse I knew on Earth. Fortunately, it was still young and hadn't mastered the wind element, so the battle was fairly easy. My scythe transformed into a metal rope with poison spikes, something I'd never seen before. It drained my magic power to keep the poison active. This experience confirmed my suspicion that there's more to magic than the known elements. Magic can be expanded—it's all a matter of imagination.
As I reflect on this, I wonder if Shiro has a similar weapon ability. But for now, I'm on a mission from the goddess to stop a famine in the outskirts. My original goal of stopping the dimension walkers wasn't truly mine. I was only summoned alongside Shiro because it was convenient for both the World Goddess and whoever summoned Shiro. Judging by the color of his magic power and the World Goddess's closest ally, I'd bet it's the Destruction Goddess. I hope he's steady in both mind and heart. When I think of destruction, I can only picture sadness. I hope he and I can meet again at the end of this journey for another spar, once we've both grown stronger.
As I reminisce, the dry plane stretches out before me. Just a moment ago, I was standing in a bountiful forest, the likes of which I've never seen. It's said that high elves live in those forests, but right next to it lies a desert so hot that I nearly fainted upon entry. Legend has it that this was once the site of the largest, most advanced civilization. But when they experimented with spirit magic, they angered a low-tier earth spirit, and now nothing grows here. The sun devours the land. My mission is to tame the earth spirit and restore the land to its former glory.
I step down from my partner, the Pegasus Shura, and take a few steps forward before unleashing all my magic power at once. A whirlwind of golden energy engulfs my body, sending sand, dust, and wind everywhere.
"Oh, it's starting! Hiroy has such pretty magic power," Lani the fairy's voice chirps as she floats next to Shura, who nods in satisfaction.
"Hmph, of course. No one's magic power is more beautiful than my master's," the lioness Syrah declares, standing proudly as if it were her own accomplishment.
"Why are you standing like you're the one doing it?" Frana, the human girl, clicks her tongue in annoyance.
"What did you say to me, you human trash? You're not allowed to speak to me so casually!" Syrah snarls, turning a heated glare on Frana, who shrinks back in fear. Knowing that Hiroy's summoned beast is of the heavenly beast domain, Frana dares not say another word.
"Now, now, no need for hostility. It was just a little talk," the calm voice of Lilith, the beast woman, soothes, pacifying Syrah. As a beast woman, Lilith knows that Syrah is revered as a goddess among most beast demihumans.
A few minutes later, a large shadow appears before the group, and from the shadows, a bright green light emerges. A large man, resembling a more human version of the Green Giant from that vegetable company, materializes. At the same moment, a large tree sprouts behind him, its branches stretching toward me. My scythe transforms into a circular shield with chainsaw-like spikes around the edges. Dodging the slapping branches, I move my body side to side quickly, avoiding each attack. The moment the spirit hesitates, I throw my weapon at him, its blade shining with the color of a beautiful sunrise. It cuts through the branches and severs one of the spirit's arms.
"You earth beings are weak to fire, and I've already upgraded to advanced fire magic," I say with a snicker. Since arriving in this world, I've been training non-stop, and I've already broken through three magic potential gates, upgrading to the advanced magic tier. I have ten gates in total, so there's still more power to unlock.
With a twist of my body, I unleash a kick using the space element, ripping through the air next to the spirit and cutting off his other arm as he tries to retreat. In the next moment, both his arms regenerate, and a barrage of sharp leaves flies my way. Holding out my hand, I recall my weapon, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
"ERUPT: SUNSET VOLCANO!" I shout as my weapon returns to my hand. A pillar of magma bursts forth, devouring the leaves like a hungry beast. The sky clears, the ashes dispersing as quickly as they fell. The spirit's eyes widen in shock before switching to an enraged glare as the earth around him forms numerous rock golems.
"Wow, if this is the power of a low-ranking spirit, I wonder about the high-rank and arch spirits," I muse, satisfied with the challenge. Based on the world's strength, this spirit would be middle-tier. It could probably fight other monsters but would most likely lose to dragon-level creatures.
I throw my weapon as hard as I can, the flames erupting even more fiercely as it cuts through the rock golems, leaving behind burnt rocks and trails of fire. Usually, the girls would help me fight, but I asked them to let me handle this mission alone.
"Rock-a-bye EXPLOSION!" I clench my fist, and the remaining flames erupt into balls of fire, reducing the golems to rubble. "With that, this should be over," I say with a smug smile as I disappear from the spirit's sight.
Sensing its defeat, the spirit tries to retreat into the ground, but I grab its arm and slam it into the earth, making its face contort in pain. "Since my magic power is greater than yours, I didn't need to fight you. Now speak," I command, my eyes glowing faintly gold, causing the spirit's mind to go blank.
In a deep, burly voice, the spirit begins to speak. "Your challenge isn't over. I was sent here by a different dependent," it says before I make it faint completely.
"Ah, so the game has already started," I smirk, holding out my hand in front of me. "COPY MAGIC: GREAT FOREST." With a massive eruption of magic, a copy of the high elf forest next to us begins to grow. I can't make it grow instantly, but in about five years, it'll be as bountiful as the original. Depending on how things go, it might even happen sooner.
With a smile, I turn on my heels and race back to the girls. "So, who's hungry?" I ask, crossing my hands behind my back. Although I knew the path I chose was a tough one, little did I know that I would soon become a main target for elimination.