Reincarnated as an Elder: I Became the Strongest Summoned Beast in Another World

Chapter 16 I Made a Deal with the Gods

"If meeting her was a dream, I would rather never wake up."

The sentimental copywriting that was once scorned is now being tasted by Mao Die.

He woke up, feeling somewhat lost, confused, and a mix of relief and a sense of loss.

He watched a tragicomedy movie like a revolving lantern, the theme of which was his strange encounter with his heavenly home—

From nothing comes something, then something comes again, and then nothing remains; a dream of wealth and glory ultimately comes to nothing.

"What am I doing...?"

He was brought back to his senses by heartache, and slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a sight he had never seen before.

He wasn't at his workstation, nor in a hospital bed, and he wasn't lying on Yvonne or Furlyn's lap.

He lay there in a soft, cotton-like black mist, surrounded by swirling, purplish-black miasma, like a chaotic dimensional space.

In front of him were two white doors that stood out against the backdrop of the wall.

"O elemental apostle who descended to this world in response to the call, have you awakened?"

A fleeting ghostly figure flashed past his eyes, then suddenly lunged closer, pressing against a large, transparent face whose outline he could only see.

"Huh?!"

Mao Die was startled, but only for a moment. He quickly recovered from his confusion and quietly observed the other person in thought.

Looking at this place and listening to her tone... Could she be a god who manipulated her here?

"Did you bring me here?"

"Yes."

"Are you a god of this world?"

"Yes."

The continent of Tesolawat is inhabited by gods, which is a setting in the game, and since Modie entered it by mistake in a dream, he wouldn't be overly surprised.

Having witnessed a god that existed only in legends, Mao Die felt only novelty and at most took a closer look at its appearance.

The speech is like a human-machine interface, and the modeling is a pure illusion.

People often say that "God has no form," and perhaps it is this mysterious image that attracts so many devout believers.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, what is my current situation?"

Mao Die was a free man without faith, so he did not need to be overly humble and could sit up and talk openly with God.

"You will face a choice between life and death. I am very curious about your thoughts, Narukami. This time, I will return the choice to you."

The illusory shadow drifted away from his body and then suddenly reappeared between the two doors.

"My left, your right, can allow you to return to your original world and rekindle the pulse of your body, which was being saved by doctors on the sickbed."

A hospital bed...rescue? Hearing His words, it seemed as if he wasn't dreaming, but had actually died and entered this world while on duty?

"What?! Am I really not dreaming?"

When he thought of his "bold words" when he was caught by his supervisor, Mao Die felt full of regret and even covered his face in shame.

"Even if he were to die, sucked into the door, he wouldn't do a single thing—"

As it turned out, he really didn't have to work anymore, because he really died, and his words came true, making him look like a clown.

It's best to cut off the imperial voice broadcast in your mind as soon as possible.

"But you have come back to life here. I see that you had the potential to save the world in your past life, so I have granted that girl permission to summon you again in this cycle of reincarnation, so that you can correct the timeline and make up for the regrets of your past life."

The deity spoke casually, but Mao Die seemed somewhat bewildered.

Things have come to this point, and he's experienced quite a few new things. He believes whatever the gods say, but he's also struck by the tired clichés that everyone uses so often in real life—

The will of Heaven has intervened.

"So you're destiny's arrangement?"

Perhaps while he was watching Zhebangye's videos and laughing heartily at the seemingly absurd "divine will" theories of Liu Bei in the new Three Kingdoms, the gears of fate had already begun to turn.

In another world, also considered virtual, fate found him, and his expression upon realizing this was even more comical than Yu Bei's—

Both obedience and rebellion are human nature. On his face, the only bitter smile after realizing he was also a clown was more intense than eating a lemon.

"You may think that way, but more than my identity, you should focus on the choice you have now. This underworld, where life and death meet, is not a place for souls to linger."

People say that fate plays tricks on people, and the gods who watch the human world are probably only interested in watching for fun, just like the one in front of Mao Die.

He spoke only a few words, as if he were in a hurry to clock out, which in a way could be considered anthropomorphic.

"To your left, to my right, you can return to the world before you fainted... Door Open (Apocalypse) —"

Both doors were wide open. Behind one door was his projection in the emergency room, and behind the other door was... him enjoying Yvonne's lap pillow?

This choice concerns the fate of him and his relatives and friends in the second generation. In such a serious situation, the cynical god actually projects such an abrupt image... What a perverse sense of humor!

"Let me state in advance that life and death are common to both paths. No matter what choice you make, you will be born in one life and die in another."

In other words, Mao Die had to make a life-or-death decision—

Return to reunite with loved ones, or stay.

"Can I choose all of them?"

The two doors slammed shut, and the handles made an incessant clicking sound as they locked.

"The greedy will surely be punished by the gods."

It seems that it is impossible to have the best of both worlds, and he must make a choice.

"I……"

He loved Furlyn, was grateful to Ivinel for her frequent help, and was also fascinated by this fantastical continent.

But this could not stop the wanderer from returning home. Outside the emergency room in the real world, his parents were still pacing and waiting.

As children, we haven't even had a chance to take care of our parents in their old age, so how can we let the white-haired bury the black-haired?

"I can't let my parents worry any longer; I must go back there..."

Going home is the deepest longing of every traveler.

Before receiving a response, he suddenly let out a long sigh, as if he had made up his mind, and looked resolutely at the god who decided life and death.

"But it's not the right time yet."

"Narukami, you have no room to bargain with me."

The monotonous, robotic reading really lacks any emotion.

"Door Open..."

With a series of unlocking sounds, the door back to reality suddenly opened, while the other door remained tightly shut, as if urging him not to hesitate any longer and to leave quickly.

"What if it's an equal exchange? I mean, I don't greedily demand, but instead offer myself as compensation."

Mao Die stood up, but did not leave.

He recalled famous scenes from the light novels and anime he had read and seen, his gaze fixed on that formless silhouette, as he uttered the lines only the protagonist was entitled to speak:

"I want to make a deal with you, a life for a life."

The gods were stunned; it was only a fleeting moment, yet it was equivalent to a thousand years on earth.

No one dared to speak to Him like that; this kid was the first.

Although He didn't want to admit it, it was true: Modi was a different kind of guy, someone who could impress God.

"Interesting. How would you like to exchange them?"

"Give me seven more days, and I will leave after seven days."

He doesn't expect it to last forever, because that would be too unfair to the other lives lost in accidents.

All he wanted was to realize his long-term plan in as few days as possible, and to make a perfect exit on May 20th of the Mana calendar, Furlyn's birthday.

"You gained seven days for nothing, what will you give me in exchange?"

"The longer I'm half-dead, the greater the risk of an accident, and I have no room for error."

Mao Die wasn't exaggerating; he was indeed making a huge gamble, a gamble that would result in a happy ending for both worlds.

Despite the risks and regrets, those regrets belong only to those who were willing to dedicate themselves.

Both worlds are beautiful enough, and he is willing, and she is worthy; no further reason is needed to make this decision.

"Returning seven days late could very well mean your demise in that world. Are you truly willing to gamble with your life?"

"What is there to be afraid of?"

Mao Die personally closed the door to go back.

"I swear to reverse the regret of the last reincarnation; breaking an oath is a knight's disgrace."

"Door Open..."

He opened the door for Maud to return to Tesolawat with a divine incantation, but stood in his way as he eagerly tried to step in.

"May I ask if there is anything else, Your Majesty?"

"I don't understand your way of thinking, Naruto."

Nothing more.

Mao Die smiled calmly and resolutely as he passed through the transparent divine body, leaving only a fleeting, elegant silhouette in front of the door.

There is also a vow that is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold:

"Only one person for one lifetime."