I was dead. Utterly, unequivocally dead. How it happened remained a frustrating blank, but in the grand scheme of the animal kingdom, I'd always been a mere worm anyway. So, perhaps it didn't truly matter.
Lost in this vast, silent expanse of nothingness, my morose contemplations were shattered by a sudden ripple in the fabric of… well, whatever this was. A humanoid form coalesced before me, radiating a brilliant golden light.
Blind to everything but this luminous figure, I resorted to the classic opener. "Who are you?"
"Hm," the golden figure mused, his voice resonating with a gentle power. "I anticipated your surprise, yet your reaction still holds a certain… novelty."
A tick mark threatened to appear on my non-existent forehead. He'd dodged my question. Still, no use in being a brat. I tried again, a touch more formal this time. "Sir, would you be so kind as to tell me who you are?"
"By your human standards, you can call me God," the figure replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "And the reason I appear before you is, as you are aware, your current state of… non-being."
"Since I am dead," I stated, my voice surprisingly even, "what's the verdict? Hell, heaven, or are you going to reincarnate me?"
"The choice is yours," God said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Knowing your likely aversion to eternal damnation, I can offer you paradise, or reincarnation into a fantasy world of your choosing. And yes," he added, preempting my unspoken question, "those worlds do indeed exist."
"You've probably already guessed my answer," I said, a flicker of excitement stirring within me. "But I have to ask… do I get any cheats?"
"Indeed," God confirmed. "Three wishes. However," he added, a touch of mystery entering his voice, "there is a catch."
"And what might that be?" I asked, confusion coloring my thoughts.
"Wherever I reincarnate you, you will become that world's guardian," God explained. "In the vastness of the multiverse, there are entities whose sole purpose is destruction. Should any such being threaten the world you inhabit, you will be its de facto protector. But fear not," he reassured me, "I will safeguard the world until you are powerful enough to fulfill this role."
I pondered for a moment. Guardian of a fantasy world? With cheats? What the hell. "I'm ready," I declared, a newfound resolve hardening my voice.
"Very well then," God said. "State your wishes and the universe of your choosing, young soul."
After a brief internal deliberation, I announced, "I want to go to the world of Martial Universe, as Yang Kai, after he assimilates with the golden skeleton. My first wish is to have the upgraded version of the Shadow Monarch's powers from Solo Leveling, without any limitations. My second wish is to possess my own personal universe within my dantian, where I can be a god. And my last wish is to have one hundred times the inherent talent of the most talented individual in that universe."
God considered my requests, a thoughtful silence stretching between us. "Granted," he finally said. "However, regarding your second wish, you will not be able to create any sentient life within your personal universe until you possess the inherent power to do so. Until then, the universe will generate empty husks of beasts, driven solely by instinct."
I nodded my understanding. "Now then," God said, a hint of finality in his tone, "off you go. I have other matters to attend to." With a wave of his hand, the golden light intensified, and consciousness slipped away.
When awareness returned, I found myself sprawled on a hard wooden floor, my body slick with sweat. The memories flooding my mind confirmed my successful transmigration. I was Yang Kai, sometime after the fateful encounter with the golden skeleton.
Pushing myself to my feet, I examined my body. An incredible, boundless strength coursed through me. This wasn't just the raw power of the Body Tempering Realm; it was the overwhelming might of the Shadow Emperor's abilities. An endless torrent of qi flowed through my meridians, a direct consequence of these unrestricted powers. I instinctively knew that my current strength defied any conventional realm classification.
Willing it, a full-body mirror materialized before me. Gazing at Yang Kai's familiar features, a strange sense of detachment washed over me. It wasn't that I craved a harem or the typical protagonist's life. In my previous existence, I had been a solitary soul, unburdened by deep attachments. Yang Kai, despite his flaws, possessed a certain groundedness that I appreciated.
I then focused my will, and the black book appeared in my hands. I swiftly absorbed the records of the Body Tempering Realm contained within its pages. The influx of information, coupled with the lingering effects of the transmigration, finally took its toll, and I succumbed to sleep.
The next morning, I awoke well before sunrise, allowing myself a scant thirty minutes for practice. As the first rays of dawn painted the sky, I began the fundamental stances. Unlike the agonizing bone-crushing pain described in the records, I felt only a persistent stinging sensation. Within two minutes, I effortlessly broke through to the 4th stage of the Body Tempering Realm. The increase in strength was noticeable, yet still felt insignificant compared to the sheer power thrumming within me.
I continued my practice, and by the end of my self-imposed training session, I had already reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm. Nine minutes of pre-sunrise darkness remained. As the sun finally crested the horizon, I began my assigned task of sweeping the training grounds. While diligently sweeping, a subtle shift in the surrounding energy alerted me to a hidden observer. I knew it was Su Yan, but for now, I chose to ignore her presence.
With my chores completed, I made my way towards the treasure allocation hall. Upon entering, I found Treasurer Meng ensconced in his chair, a lecherous grin plastered across his wrinkled face as he perused a well-worn book. In my opinion, the old man looked utterly repulsive.
'Damn old bastard, always thinking of something perverted with young girls,' I thought with a mental grimace as I approached his desk. "Treasurer Meng, what are you reading?" I called out, my voice deliberately loud.
Treasurer Meng startled, snapping his book shut. "Oh, it's you, boy."
"Yes, it is me, Yang Kai. And what were you staring at so intently? I assure you, I don't swing that way," I quipped, adopting a mock-defensive stance.
A vein throbbed in the old man's temple, but he visibly controlled his irritation. "Did something happen to you, boy? I sense a… distinct difference about you today."
"What are you talking about? I've always been like this," I dismissed his keen intuition with a wave of my hand. "Just give me my forty silver pieces."
Treasurer Meng raised a bushy eyebrow. "Not saving anymore? Aren't you still aiming for a Tempered Essence Pellet?"
I shook my head. "I don't need it anymore." With that, I collected my meager earnings and turned to leave, the weight of the silver coins negligible in my hand.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Meng watched my retreating figure, a thoughtful expression replacing his earlier lecherousness. 'So, he can finally cultivate… good for him, though.' A flicker of something unreadable crossed his eyes before he returned to his book, though his earlier enthusiasm seemed to have waned.