The Path To Perfection

Chapter 20: A Hundred Years

* In an unknown area*

On a seemingly vast plain filled with bright green vegetation, a small wooden cottage stood firmly against the fresh and calm breeze. Inside the cottage was an empty living room with a brown bear rug next to a lit fireplace.

"Stylaff, why is your realm so dry and lacking activity? It has only one layer, you should make it more lively one of these days." A deep booming voice rang out from nowhere in particular place inside the cottage.

*BUZZ*

A particular space turned blurry for a moment and vibrated before a crooked figure blended into existence. It was an old woman who was putting on a fantastic and luxurious green gown. On her head filled with pristine white hair was a crown made from vines, adoring her wrinkled face was a pair of glowing lemon-green eyes that had green tear marks beneath them and on her elbows were brown thorns that tore through her sleeves like they were growing out of her arms.

As she appeared, she gave a small bow and said. " Greetings Lord Jurdelious and Lady Krene. I've not paid attention to my realm for the past decades and I had to send out all my spirits to assist in managing my new territory."

*BUZZ BUZZ*

Two more figures blended into existence in front of the old woman. It was krene, and Jurdelious whose brown leather jacket could barely handle the size of his muscles. Krene had a stoic expression while Jurdelious had a very relaxed smile on his face, both stood on the bear rug as the fireplace cast long shadows in front of them.

If Al'ravee was here, he would definitely be shocked because even though Jurdelious could be considered very tall, the old woman was nearly double his height. Even at that, her head was lowered in submission towards these two smaller figures.

" Oh, I think you're paying too much attention to your followers. Anyways the mortal experience plan for my son has already been completed, I hope you're aware?." Krene said to Stylaff.

Hearing this, Stylaff nodded her head in understanding. "I am aware lady Krene, I have taken note ever since I received news of your son's birth. I made sure that besides you two and Ozia, no one knows... not even the spirits. After all, if word got out that powerhouses like you were investing so much time and emotions in raising a mortal god, it would draw some unwanted attention."

Jurdelious walked towards a chair that just materialized in front of him as krene smiled. After sitting down he spoke out. "That's good, I just hope it's worth it in the end. Now it's all up to Al'ravee, too bad that we can't assist him directly."

Stylaff nodded again. " If I may ask, what is our next step concerning the pantheon formation?."

This time it was krene that answered. " The next step would be the official establishment of the Pantheon realm. For now, let's just wait for Al'ravee to become a transcendent god."

....

*HUFF HUFF*

The sound of someone gasping for air was the only thing that could be heard inside the dark place.

Al'ravee was confused. Why had he woken up in such a cramped space? why was he finding it difficult to breathe why does his head hurt so much?

He tried to recall what happened the last time he was awake. ' I'm supposed to be at the elderly home, where is this? The last thing I remember is laying on my bed... and then... I fell asleep... then... then.'

He soon came to a shocking realization. ' Fuck, I died'. He tried to remain calm but there wasn't really anybody that could remain calm if they were in his situation.

*HUFF HUFF*

' Wait, if I'm dead then why am I running out of air to breathe where the fuck is this?.' Al'ravaee thought to himself as he tried to move his limbs around. There was little to no room for any movement to be considered comfortable even if whatever he was laying on was soft and comfy. He reached out in front of him and noticed that there was a barrier of sorts a few inches from his face. Without thinking too much he slammed hard against the surface of the barrier.

*BAM!*

Even with all his power, it didn't budge one bit. He continued hitting hard, at least even if he couldn't break out of this confinement, someone would hear the noise and come to his aid.

An entire hour passed like this. If it was any other person, they would have fainted from lack of oxygen or stopped moving from the exhaustion of such continuous heavy hitting.

" AHHHHHHHHH, SOMEBODY HEEEEELP" The pride of being an old man could no longer stop him from shouting. Although as he did so, he was forced to stop due to a lack of oxygen.

' Huh, why does my voice sound so different.' That was what was running through his mind at that time even as he struggled to breathe

*RUMBLE-CRACK-RUMBLE*

Al'ravee heard the sound of stones breaking apart and soil shifting against itself. It was then followed by a strange feeling of weightlessness.

' What's happening, did someone hear me and is trying to get me out? Thinking this, he began to hit the barrier harder with newfound vigor. It had only been over an hour but it felt like forever to him.

After some seconds.

*THUMP*

Whatever he was contained in fell to the ground. Al'ravee got excited as the barrier above him was no longer showing much resistance. He was a bit scared but he still pushed upward.

The bright morning sky with pure white clouds was what met his eyes. A cool breeze brushed upon his face as he greedily took in deep breaths of air.

Al'ravee hurriedly sat up to take a look at where he was and saw that around him were tombstones of different sizes on a large piece of land.

Stunned, he looked down and saw that he was putting on a black ceremonial suit. The only time he had ever seen this type of cloth was on dead people at funerals. He looked further down to see that he was sitting in a half-opened white coffin.

' Hmmm so this is my coffin and this is where I was buried. I guessed so hehe.' Now that he could finally breathe normally, he was able to think properly and asses the situation that he was in.

He opened the second half of the coffin's top cover and tried to step out of it. As soon as his legs touched the ground, he fell with his face kissing the dirt.

To him it was like his legs were made of jelly, he didn't know that it had been long since he last stood on his two legs.

He grabbed onto the edge of the coffin for support to stabilize himself. After some time, the familiar feeling of his legs came back to him and he was able to stand upright by himself.

Al'ravee took a proper look around him. He saw a six-foot-deep pit which he suspected was where he was previously. There was a grey gravestone in front of the pit with the name ' Al'ravee Divera ' with a record of when he was born to when he died. From the record, he wasn't still able to ascertain when he died because he didn't know the date he was waking up.

"How long have I been dead exactly?." He asked himself, not expecting to receive an answer.

"Five years." A calm soothing masculine voice sounded in his ears. Al'ravee instinctively looked at an area not too far from his grave. Standing and looking lonely on the graveyard ground was a familiar-looking figure. " Let me rephrase that for you, you thought you were dead... for five years."

Al'ravee focused his eyesight on that person. He got the feeling that if he didn't look in that particular spot he would never be able to pinpoint his exact location like the man could receive the highest form of ignorance and neglect ever known to mankind.

Al'ravee narrowed his eyes at what the man said. A lot of questions ran through his mind but only one came out of his mouth. "Who are you?!" he shouted.

The man didn't answer him, instead, he turned back and started walking away. Al'ravee immediately didn't like this at all.

" Young man, I'm very confused right now, and saying some mysterious shit before walking out on your senior is very rude and unhelpful," Al'ravee shouted again at the mysterious man.

The man came to a halt, without looking back " Young man? Senior? hehehe. Between me and you, who is the young man, and who is the senior?"

Before Al'ravee could retort, the man started walking away again. ' What's with this guy, can't you just answer the question? No one is here to see you act mysterious you know.' He thought to himself. He didn't yet notice that even from such a distance, he was able to hear the man's voice perfectly.

"Ugh, I'm sure you have a lot of questions, you should have watched a lot of movies to know by now that this is the part where you follow me. Do I have to tell you everything?" The man said in a harsher tone.

Al'ravee had a constipated look from getting such an insult from his supposed junior. But he didn't think too much about it, the questions on his mind were more important right now.

" Wasn't I supposed to be dead?"