Chapter 1: I Just Wanted to Die in Peace...

The music pounded through the walls of the club while violet and red lights illuminated the smoke hanging in the air. Women danced around the poles beneath the whistles of customers, while the smell of alcohol and cheap perfume blended together in the atmosphere.

Tyler sat in front of the bar, slowly spinning a beer bottle between his fingers.

The bartender raised an eyebrow when he saw him arrive so early.

"Back again, Tyler?"

"Is Jessica working today?"

The man let out a laugh as he cleaned a glass.

"You don’t even say hello first."

Tyler pulled several crumpled bills from the pocket of his jacket and dropped them onto the counter.

"I brought enough money to spend the whole day with her."

It wasn’t like he had anything better to spend it on. The money kept coming thanks to his adoptive father’s fortune, even after years of disappointing him.

Gambling.

Alcohol.

Women.

His life was one giant spiral of trash.

But Jessica...

Jessica was different.

She smiled when he talked. She listened to his stupid stories. She even remembered little things about him.

That was more than anyone had ever done.

The bartender set the glass aside and frowned.

"Now that you mention it... I think I saw her leave a little while ago."

Tyler looked up.

"Leave?"

"Yeah. I think she was having trouble in the back alley."

Tyler’s relaxed expression vanished.

He grabbed his beer and immediately stood up from his seat.

"Thanks."

The cold air hit his face the moment he stepped outside. The noise of the music faded behind him as he walked toward the alley behind the bar.

The walls were damp and covered in graffiti. Garbage bags were scattered everywhere.

Tyler moved forward slowly, holding the beer bottle in his hand.

’Maybe I should take her shopping tomorrow.’

Jessica always wore the same clothes to work.

’I’m sure she’d love trying on new dresses.’

After all, he couldn’t think of a better way to waste his father’s money than on the only woman who had ever been kind to him.

Then he heard shouting.

"You’re a useless whore!"

A man’s voice echoed through the alley.

"You never bring enough money home, Emma!"

Tyler frowned.

He quickened his pace and turned the corner.

Then he saw them.

Jessica was pressed against the wall, breathing heavily. Standing in front of her was a massive man, nearly two heads taller than her, holding a knife.

"I told you we needed more money!"

Jessica tried to pull away.

"Leave me alone!"

The man raised the knife.

And Tyler reacted before he even had time to think.

"HEY!"

He charged toward them and slammed directly into the man.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The man growled furiously while Tyler grabbed the arm holding the knife.

"Let go of me, asshole!"

Jessica let out a sharp scream.

"TYLER!"

The three of them crashed against the alley wall. The beer bottle fell to the ground and shattered.

Tyler tried to wrench the knife from the man’s hand.

"Run, Jessica!"

The man bared his teeth in anger.

"Don’t call her by her stripper name."

Tyler froze for a split second.

"What?"

"HER NAME IS EMMA!"

Tyler’s eyes widened.

Jessica...

No.

Emma.

That single moment of surprise was enough.

The knife pierced through his abdomen.

Tyler felt something hot spreading inside his body.

"Dgh...!"

The man violently shoved him onto the ground.

"Shit!" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He stumbled back a few steps before running down the alley.

"Don’t call the cops!"

Emma dropped to her knees beside Tyler.

"TYLER!"

He pressed a hand against the wound while feeling blood spill through his fingers.

Emma trembled as she frantically pulled out her phone.

"An ambulance! Please, hurry!"

Tyler let out a weak, choked laugh.

"I guess... this is pretty pathetic."

She was crying.

Tyler silently looked at her.

Even while crying, she was beautiful.

"Why...?" Emma asked through tears. "Why did you do that?"

Tyler felt his vision growing blurry.

’Good question.’

Why had he done it?

For a stripper he barely knew?

For a woman who was probably only nice to him because it was her job?

Maybe because she was the only person who had treated him like a human being in years.

Maybe because he was tired of feeling empty.

Or maybe...

Tyler smiled faintly.

"Because... I think I’m in love with you."

Emma went still.

"That was... really sweet of you."

She kept desperately talking to the ambulance operator while pressing against the wound.

"Please hurry! He’s losing a lot of blood!"

But Tyler could barely hear her anymore.

The cold slowly began spreading through his body.

The sounds of the city faded away.

And finally...

Everything went black.

◇◆◇

’...So this is what dying feels like.’

Tyler slowly opened his eyes.

There was no pain.

No blood.

No alley.

Only an endless white space stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Well... I guess my shitty life is finally over."

"What a curious way of looking at it."

A woman’s voice descended from above.

Tyler looked up.

And froze.

A gigantic woman floated above him in the middle of the void.

Long golden hair.

Eyes shining like stars.

A white dress flowing through the air.

She was absurdly beautiful.

The woman smiled softly.

"Interesting. You weren’t exactly a good person."

Tyler frowned.

"You spent years wasting your adoptive father’s money on gambling, alcohol, and women."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it already."

"But in the end, you died acting more human than ever before."

She slowly descended.

"You protected and saved a poor soul even knowing you could get hurt."

Tyler stared at her in confusion.

"Who the hell are you?"

The woman elegantly spread her arms.

"I am a goddess."

"...Right."

"And I am going to give you a second life in another world."

Tyler blinked.

"No thanks."

The goddess tilted her head.

"No?"

"I don’t want one."

Tyler let out a tired sigh.

"I’ve had enough already. I just want to rest in peace."

The goddess smiled.

"I don’t care."

"Huh?"

"But it’s not all as bad as it seems."

A glowing screen suddenly appeared in front of Tyler.

[You have obtained a new skill.]

[Skill: Fallen Genesis]

[Description: Allows the user to strengthen allies and grant them a title and a "Fallen Form."]

[Additional Description: The user may learn an enhanced skill derived from each converted ally.]

Tyler stared at the screen without emotion.

"I’m not interested."

The goddess let out a small laugh.

"That skill will depend on the relationships you build in this new world."

"Great. Relationships. Exactly what I wanted."

"The other gods and I will be watching to see how you perform."

Tyler suddenly felt a strange warmth spreading through his body.

Then it began.

His arms started shrinking.

His skin turned reddish.

A sharp pain pierced through his head as small horns slowly grew from it.

Tyler stared at his new tiny hands in horror.

"I just wanted to die in peace..."