Chapter 2: The Interdimensional Bazaar

The ground was cold and hard against Talon's cheek. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find himself lying face down on a stony floor. Groaning, he sat up, a fleeting memory of Eren’s fiery attack flashing through his mind.

“How am I still alive?” He inspected his body in disbelief. His broken arm and mangled hand were completely healed. His clothes, once charred and tattered, were restored as if nothing had happened.

'But where is this?'

The surroundings were unfamiliar. Darkness enveloped him, save for a single beam of light illuminating his position. The stone floor felt alien, unlike anything he’d ever seen or touched.

“Hello?”

A synthetic voice responded, echoing in the emptiness. "Welcome to the Interdimensional Bazaar, where infinite realities meet."

Talon staggered backward in shock. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” he demanded, his hands instinctively raised.

"I am the Admin, the consciousness of the Interdimensional Bazaar. I cannot manifest myself for your own good."

The voice was emotionless, unnerving Talon. “How did I get here? I remember dying. Is this hell or the afterlife? Are you the Devil?”

"I transported your soul here and reconstructed your body and personal effects to their optimal state. Yes, you died. No, this isn’t hell or any afterlife. This is the Interdimensional Bazaar, and I am not the Devil. I am the Primal Treasure of the Universe, existing to maintain balance between good and evil across infinite realities. I give second chances to those who die before their time to help protect the world. You were chosen at random."

Talon calmed slightly, processing the information. He knew he had died; there was no mistaking that. Reflecting on his death, he clenched his fists, “Those bastards really killed me. They squashed an ant with a sledgehammer. Shameless, so shameless.”

"Now that you are back to life, you have two choices. Accept a contract of employment with me, or return to your previous state."

A cold shiver ran down Talon's spine. The Admin’s emotionless delivery was unsettling. “Let’s not be hasty,” he chuckled nervously. “I have a sister waiting for me back home. If I accept your contract, will you send me back?”

"Yes."

"That’s all I need to know. If I can go back home and expose the Verdant Brothers to the Duke, they’ll get what they deserve. Let’s do this. Where’s the contract?”

A light blue screen appeared before him, startling him. He stepped back involuntarily.

"Read the contract and accept it."

Talon moved closer to read the screen. Despite its surreal appearance, he reminded himself that this Admin had the power to resurrect him, so a floating screen was trivial by comparison. He read the straightforward contract, grateful for his literacy skills learned in the orphanage. The terms were clear: he would become a Hero, undertaking missions to support the forces of good against evil. He had to complete at least one mission per year.

Accepting the contract, he vowed to fight those like the Verdant Brothers. As he confirmed, the screen vanished.

"As a new hero, you must undertake a mission now. It will help you understand the job and allow you to earn rewards. New heroes receive preferential rewards for their first three missions. Each mission completed will earn you System Coins. Each monster you kill in your own world, as long as it threatens humanity, will grant you System Coins. Each evil force you quench in any world will grant you System Coins. The Interdimensional Bazaar is both a marketplace and a nexus of realities where you can trade, buy, and sell once you have enough coins. Now, your mission awaits. Here are your mission details."

Another screen appeared, and the Admin began to explain.

[Mission Description: Evil individuals worshiping one of the outer deities, Egermont, are planning to create a path between their world and Egermont’s domain. If this occurs, many innocent lives will be lost and the world may fall. Your mission is to find and kill the person with the talisman before they can start the summoning.]

[Mission Rewards: 

- 100 System Coins.

- 20 Karma

- 3x Fortune Ticket.

- Awakening Baptism]

[Penalty: If you fail, you will need to choose between the following:

- Paying the price in System Coins. If you don’t have enough System Coins, you will be exterminated.

- Engaging in another mission without rewards, of which another failure would lead to extermination.]

[Accept Mission] [Decline Mission]

Talon’s eyes widened at the rewards. 'Awakening? Will I become Awakened?' he wondered, skepticism and awe warring within him.

"Yes. Only Awakened can survive missions for long. All heroes are investments of the System. As the Admin, I aim to make the most use of each asset."

Taking a deep breath, Talon marveled at the opportunity to become Awakened. It felt like a dream come true. Even if this Admin was the devil, he was prepared to take the risk to fight against evil.

He accepted the mission. A white portal materialized behind him, illuminating the space. Talon, heart pounding, stepped into the portal. Blinding white light enveloped him, and then everything went blank.