Chapter 2: God of Transmigration

"Am I dead?"

His own voice echoed through the darkness.

"Yes."

The answer came from directly in front of him.

Leon froze.

A faint golden light appeared in the distance, growing brighter with every passing second. It expanded until it formed a vast circular platform beneath his feet, though Leon had no memory of having feet a moment earlier.

He looked down and discovered that his body had somehow returned to normal. The tubes were gone, the hospital gown was gone, and the weakness that had plagued him for months had completely vanished. He raised both hands and stared at them in disbelief before slowly turning toward the figure standing several meters away.

The man looked human.

That was the first thing Leon noticed.

He appeared to be in his thirties, with long black hair falling over his shoulders and golden eyes that seemed to contain countless stars. He wore a simple white robe, though the fabric moved gently despite the complete absence of wind.

Around him floated strange symbols Leon couldn’t understand, forming enormous circles of light that disappeared into the darkness above. There was nothing particularly threatening about his expression, but Leon immediately understood that the being standing before him was not human.

Leon stared for several seconds before pointing at himself. "So..." He looked around the empty space. "I’m dead, you’re some kind of supernatural entity, and this isn’t heaven."

The man’s lips curled into an amused smile. "Very close."

"Yeah, there really isn’t any other explanation for this." Leon folded his arms and glanced around the endless void once more, taking in the strange golden light and the incomprehensible symbols floating through the darkness. Then he looked back at the man with a deadpan expression. "Although, if this really is the afterlife, I’d like to file a complaint. The interior design is terrible."

The mysterious man laughed.

It wasn’t a quiet chuckle, but a genuine laugh that echoed through the endless darkness, causing the golden symbols surrounding them to tremble. When he finally stopped, his expression became strangely warm.

"Leon Wes, I am known by many names across countless worlds. To some, I am the Guide of Souls. To others, the Weaver of Fate. But the name most suitable for this occasion is much simpler."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"I am the God of Transmigration."

Leon stared at him.

Then he sighed.

"Of course you are."

The god’s smile widened. "You don’t seem surprised."

"Honestly? After spending six months dying in a hospital, meeting a god is barely the top weirdest thing that happened to me this year."

The God of Transmigration blinked. The faint amusement in his golden eyes seemed to deepen.

"Interesting," the god said. "Very interesting. Most souls tremble when they stand before me. Some beg. Some worship. Others demand answers about their deaths."

His gaze remained fixed on Leon.

"You, however, show no sign of fear."

"You’re the one who brought me here," Leon replied. "I assume that means you’re not planning to kill me twice."

"Kill you twice?" The god smiled. "No. Quite the opposite. I brought you here because your story is not finished."

Leon stopped joking.

The god raised one hand, and the darkness behind him suddenly transformed into a vast projection. Leon saw worlds floating through an endless cosmic ocean, countless planets surrounded by enormous stars and strange celestial bodies.

Some worlds were covered in oceans. Others were shattered wastelands. Some possessed cities far more advanced than anything on Earth, while others seemed trapped in ancient eras. Leon stared at them with growing disbelief.

"These are worlds?"

"Among countless others."

"And you’re telling me I can go to one?"

"Not only can you go to one," the god said, "you have been selected for transmigration."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Selected?"

"Yes."

"Why me?"

The god became silent for a moment. Then he smiled.

"Because sometimes, fate enjoys giving the impossible a chance."

Leon wasn’t entirely satisfied with that answer, but he had learned enough about life to understand that some questions didn’t have immediate answers. Besides, if the alternative was an eternal void, he wasn’t exactly in a position to be picky.

"Fine," he said. "What’s the catch?"

"There is no catch."

"That sounds exactly like something someone says immediately before explaining the catch."

The god laughed softly. "Every transmigrator receives an opportunity before entering their new world. You are no exception."

A translucent golden screen appeared in front of Leon.

His eyes widened, and the screen looked exactly like something from a video game.

At the top were several unfamiliar symbols, followed by a single sentence that Leon could somehow read despite never having seen the language before.

[TRANSMIGRATOR PRIVILEGE ACTIVATED.]

Beneath it appeared another line.

[You have received: Ten Lucky Draws.]

Leon stared at the screen.

His breathing stopped.

"Wait."

The god folded his arms.

Leon pointed at the words with an expression that slowly transformed from confusion into excitement. "You’re telling me I get a system?"

"Not precisely."

"I get ten draws?"

"Yes."

"Random rewards?"

"Yes."

"Could I get something powerful?"

The god’s eyes gleamed with amusement. "You could."

Leon looked at the screen again. For the first time since his diagnosis, something inside him stirred that he had almost forgotten existed.

Hope.

Not the fragile kind people offered him in hospital rooms when they didn’t know what else to say.

Real hope.

The kind that made his heart race.

The kind that made him wonder what tomorrow might look like.

Leon clenched his fists.

"So what are we waiting for?"

The God of Transmigration smiled, and raised his hand toward the glowing interface.

"Leon Wes, your new life awaits."

The golden screen expanded until it filled Leon’s entire field of vision.

Ten empty slots appeared before him.

[LUCKY DRAW: 10/10]

The god’s voice echoed through the endless void.

"Begin the draw."