DESTINY;DIVINE

# Prologue 

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On my 25th birthday, April 1st, 2025, I took my own life. I jumped to my death from a twenty-story building. 

I distinctly remembered the sensation of the wind rushing against my skin, the palpable rise of my stomach to my throat, and my resolute decision to not brace myself for impact.

I also recalled everything going black.

Now, I’ve found myself floating in an endless expanse, devoid of any apparent boundaries or origins. The passage of time was an enigma, as was my general state of consciousness.

I had resigned myself to this being my eternal existence until the space around me began to shift and hum. 

An inexplicable weight pressed down upon my awareness, and the desolate emptiness surrounding me was suddenly illuminated by a blinding light. 

I sensed something materializing from the ether near me. It began as an indistinguishable, undulating shape before transforming into solid form. 

It was a person, no, an empty vessel.

My consciousness involuntarily merged with the new vessel, and my awareness expanded.

During the process, the surrounding light gradually faded into an enchanting landscape with pastel hues, teeming with vibrant and dense vegetation.

I collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by a torrent of sensations—gravity, wind, sounds, and a variety of smells bombarded me.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I sat there for a while, letting the feelings wash over me. 

I, or my soul, found myself in a new body. Not just any body, but one that was in perfect equilibrium. I stood, stretched, and leaped around, effortlessly balancing on a single foot.

In stark contrast to my old sickly, and overweight body, this new one felt incredible. 

I paused, taking a deep breath. 

I couldn’t help but think of my old body and the life I had left behind.

In my new body, I was taller and stronger. My arms and legs were muscular yet toned, giving me a limber and flexible appearance. However, my shoulders were broad and heavy, while my chest was chiseled and well-defined.

I had clothes—a lightweight outfit made from a material I couldn’t identify. 

The pants had a stretchy, fitted waist and flared out in the legs before tapering around my ankles. 

The top, a sleeveless, three-button shirt with a deep V-neckline, was lightweight and comfortable against my skin. 

I also made an unexpected discovery—I had a six-pack! It was the firmest stomach I had ever felt. 

How was I not starving? 

I gasped and instinctively reached down the front of my pants, feeling around with my hand. Exhaling, the equipment was there, and bigger than I had expected.

“Is this the afterlife?” A deep, rumbling sound escaped my lips. My voice was brand new.

I absentmindedly traced my lips and then my face. My features were familiar, yet refined.

My slimmer face had sharper angles and a full beard. 

I reached up to touch my head, feeling dreadlocks braided down my back, ending at my waist.

I collapsed to my knees once more, but this time, it wasn’t because of sensory overload. Instead, it was an overwhelming feeling of excitement that consumed me. 

I let out a hearty, full-bodied laugh that resonated from the depths of my soul—a mix of pure joy and uncontrollable hysteria.

At that moment, I realized that I had transformed into an entirely new person—a better person, and it felt amazing.

The afterlife was turning out to be an incredible experience. Once I regained my composure, I stood up to take in my surroundings.

I found myself in a clearing surrounded by towering trees of every imaginable color, and then some. Perhaps a rainbow forest would be a more accurate description; I had never seen similar hues or shades in a forest before. 

The hundred-foot-tall trees stretched out as far as my eyes could see. That revelation led me to discover that my vision had significantly expanded.

Several interspersed mountains pierced the treetops, extending beyond the clouds above. 

From my vantage point, I couldn’t discern whether they were snow-capped or not. I had no way of knowing if weather and natural phenomena operated in the same manner here as what I was accustomed to. 

The grass on the ground, or what I believe to be grass, was a vibrant array of greens; however, the flowers and tree leaves displayed a spectrum of colors that eluded comprehension.

The air was a buzz with an unidentified energy. It was a thick, yet invigorating vibration that tingled my skin and made inhaling feel like gulping down an energy drink. 

In the sky, there were two, no, three suns, all different shades of yellowish-orange. 

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the oppressive heat I would have expected. Instead, the temperature was mild and slightly humid. 

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**Welcome to the Providence System. Acknowledge to Initiate.** 

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A black, translucent panel floated in front of me, displaying white text. The digital screen overlayed the world itself.

As I turned my head, the panel moved with me in the corner of my vision.

“Providence System?” I said aloud, furrowing my brows and reaching out to touch it. 

My hand passed right through the panel.

 

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**Providence System Initiating..**

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“Whoa! Hold on a minute! What is this?” I exclaimed, confused.

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**Congratulations, you’ve been granted the privilege of deity training through the Providence System! Embark on a journey of transcendence. Cultivate spiritual energy, vanquish spiritual beasts, forge and refine your physique and bloodline, and create a divine spark within. Death is not the end! Revive, persevere, and strive for apotheosis.**

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I was so lost. Gods were real? There was more than one? I could become one? What was a divine spark? Or a spiritual sea? Death wasn’t the end? Was this some kind of game, or worse, a roguelike? 

I shuddered. 

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**Training Commences in: 3, 2, 1.**

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Suddenly, the air was filled with vicious snarls and growls, reverberating through the forest. A deep sense of dread welled up within me.

Where was the manual? Who the hell decided I wanted to be a god in the first place? 

I had sought peace, hoping to find an end to my suffering, only to be ensnared in some twisted nightmare. 

“Where is my peaceful afterlife?!” I cried out in frustration.

Maybe I could just find a place to hide and..

Before I could even finish my thought, a searing pain pierced through my neck, causing my body to seize up and lose consciousness.

***

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*”I’m afraid I have some difficult news to share with you. We’ve run some tests, and the results are not what we had hoped.”*

*”What is it? What’s wrong with me?”*

*”Your body is experiencing a significant decline in function. Your organs are not working as they should, and we’re seeing signs of failure in several systems.”*

*”I.. Am I dying?”*

*”I’m afraid your condition is terminal, and we’re not sure how much time you have left.”*

*”Months? Weeks? What can I do?”*

*”I’m afraid there’s not much we can do at this point. We can try to manage your symptoms and make you as comfortable as possible, but we can’t reverse the damage that’s been done.”*

*”So there’s nothing.”*

*”We’ve explored all options, and this is the reality of your situation. What we can do is focus on making the time you have left as comfortable and meaningful as possible.”*

***

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A dream? A memory of my last visit to the doctor, before I had made up my mind to never go back.

I awoke in a different part of the forest and instinctively reached for my neck. To my relief, it was still intact, but I could still feel a lingering phantom pain.

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**Death Count: 1**

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The system panel materialized before me.

“What the fuck!? Did I really die? Again? What killed me? How do you die in the afterlife?” I exclaimed aloud in a mixture of astonishment and anger.

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**Task Completed: Initiated (Die & Revive 1x)**

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**Rewards:**

- **Basic Survival Knowledge**

- **Fire Starter**

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The system rewarded me for dying? Of course, it did. Why wouldn’t it?

I took a moment to calm down and orient myself. 

I used the system rewards as a distraction from the new trauma I was experiencing from having literally just died.

Knowledge of how to live and survive in a wilderness had just appeared in my brain, like an innate ability that I always possessed. 

There was no learning process or book to read; the information was simply at my disposal.

The other reward I received was a mechanical fire starter. My newfound survival knowledge told me that it was an absolute necessity along with shelter and water. 

Initially, I considered just staying where I was and enduring the elements, but I eventually decided against it.

After regaining my composure, I cautiously rose to my feet and quietly ventured into the dense, otherworldly forest.

As the sky grew darker, my heart pounded with a mixture of fear and curiosity. 

The three suns had set, and two twin moons hung opposite each other in the night sky, one a calming soft blue and the other an energetic indigo.

The towering multicolored trees seemed to whisper secrets to each other, swaying in gentle winds with their branches casting eerie shadows across the mossy ground.

I ventured deeper into the forest, and the air grew heavier with more unexplainable energy.

My anxiety surged as I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling of being watched.

A rustling in the undergrowth behind me caught my attention. 

I quickly spun around to find myself face-to-face with a huge boar—the largest boar I had ever seen. 

It was the size of a horse with huge jet-black tusks that dripped a thick red liquid. 

Its bright yellow eyes and blood-red irises gazed into the very depths of my soul.

Was that what killed me?

The boar snarled, emitted a bone-chilling squeal, and lunged at me in a sideways goring motion. 

Without any hesitation, I scrambled back, stumbling over my feet and barely managing to dodge. The tip of its nasty tusks still managed to graze my arm, drawing blood. 

If I hadn’t acquired this new body and quick reflexes, I would have died instantly.

Wincing in pain, I turned and sprinted at an astonishing pace, completely disregarding my old body’s limitations. 

The wind and trees whipped around me as I desperately tried to evade the pursuit of its heavy footsteps echoing behind me.

Gradually, I heard the clomping stampede fade into the distance as I bumbled through tree roots and underbrush. 

Just as I thought I had escaped the beast, something else emerged from the shadows of a tree, blocking my path.

I skidded to a halt, my eyes wide with terror. 

Before me stood a massive ten-foot, silver, and black bear, growling menacingly.

Before I could take another step, a giant, clawed paw slammed down on me.

I felt intense pain for the briefest of moments before the world went dark.

Once again, I found myself in another part of the forest, unharmed.

Shaking in shock, I sat up, hugging my knees for comfort. 

Fear, anxiety, and stress gripped me tightly, causing me to jump at every faint sound.

Mentally exhausted from everything, I just sat there until I eventually fell asleep.

***

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*”Welcome to our session today. How have you been feeling lately?”*

*”Honestly, I’ve been feeling really down. I just can’t seem to shake this feeling of sadness and hopelessness. It’s like a weight is just sitting on my chest all the time.”*

*”I’m so sorry to hear that. It sounds like you’re experiencing some symptoms of depression. Can you tell me more about what’s been going on? When did you start feeling this way?”*

*”Just everything? I don’t know.. it’s just been building up over time, I guess. I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed by bills, deaths in the family, my health, and life in general. I just feel like I’m not good enough, like I’m failing at everything.”*

*”That sounds incredibly tough. I’m hearing a lot of self-doubt and criticism. Have you noticed any triggers that make you feel worse?”*

*”Huh? Yeah... I guess when I’m alone, I tend to get really caught up in negative thoughts. And when I’m around others, I feel like I’m just pretending to be okay, like I’m putting on a mask.”*

*”That makes sense. It sounds like you’re struggling with some social anxiety as well. We can work on building some coping strategies to help you manage those feelings. But first, I want to acknowledge that it takes a lot of courage to admit when we’re not feeling okay. You’re taking a huge step by coming here and talking about this.”*

*”I just feel so stuck. I don’t know what to do. I want to move forward but there’s just so much happening at once and I can’t do it all.”*

*”We can work together to find ways to help you feel more grounded and confident. We’ll explore some techniques to help you manage your negative thoughts and build a more compassionate relationship with yourself. And we’ll take it one step at a time, okay?”*

*”I guess? I don’t know I just feel like I need a new life. Like this one has failed and I need to start over.”*

***

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I was suddenly jerked awake by a piercing pain in my leg.

I jumped up to see a fiery-red squirrel with jagged teeth gnawing at me. I quickly kicked it away, only to realize that I was surrounded by small, beady-eyed squirrels staring at me from every direction.

I tried to get up and run, but my effort was futile. I was swiftly pounced on. 

Hundreds of tiny, sharp teeth tore into my flesh before I eventually passed out.

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I awoke gasping for breath in another part of the forest. This wasn’t my peaceful afterlife; it was a nightmare, unlike anything I had ever encountered. 

Before I could even comprehend the sensation of being alive once more, a low growl emitted from behind me. 

Turning my head, I was met with a sharp claw to the face that instantly blinded me.

Dead, again.

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I found myself trapped in an endless cycle of death and resurrection—a fate I had considered or never desired.

I was helpless prey in a forest teeming with aggressive predators.

I was quickly forced to accept the grim reality. 

Running and hiding forever were not options. I had to take decisive action to end the cycle. I had to be more than prey.

I had to fight. 

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**New Task: Kill Spiritual Beast 1x**