Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

Now that he had used the [Skill Creator Scroll] to craft a new Forbidden Skill, [Universal Orbs], Alex had significantly reduced the number of skills in his arsenal.

A quick glance at his updated skill list confirmed it:

[Skills: Poison Resistance (Passive), Aura of Death (Undead Skill), Aura (Passive), All Elements Fox Summons (Max-Tier), Bleeding Dragon Claws (Max-Tier), Hatred's Fury, Celestial Judgment (Max-Tier), Flames of Oblivion (Max-Tier), Universal Orbs (Max-Tier)]

That left him with just five skills he could actively use in combat.

"Good enough," Alex nodded to himself, "This should be enough to handle most beings... even gods."

Despite losing many of his previous skills, he didn't feel weaker.

If anything, this refinement made him more focused.

He had already reached a point where sheer quantity wasn't what determined strength, mastery was.

And he was confident that the skills he had kept were more than enough to deal with anything thrown his way.

With that settled, it was finally time to meet Kaelios.

The God of Destiny had requested his presence, and Alex had no reason to delay it any longer.

Opening his [World Map], he navigated to the Domain section.

Two locations were listed there:

[Garden of Destiny] and [Abyss].

Alex's eyes narrowed.

'The Abyss?'

It was still there?

That made no sense.

He had personally destroyed it, watched the very surface it had once been connected to collapse in on itself.

There shouldn't be anything left of it.

'Weird...'

His curiosity flared for a moment, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

Teleporting to a place that no longer existed sounded like the fastest way to get himself killed, or worse, trapped in some void where no one could reach him.

He had the [Crown of Calamity], but even then, taking risks like these was idiotic.

Shaking his head, Alex tapped on [Garden of Destiny], initiating the teleportation.

The moment his surroundings shifted, he felt his feet touch the soft, grassy ground of Kaelios' domain.

"I'm back~" he grinned, scanning his surroundings.

The familiar sight of the Garden of Destiny stretched out before him, a large expanse of vibrant greenery, with a single stone pathway leading to the towering structure in the center.

The air carried the faint scent of flowers, and the atmosphere was as serene as ever.

Alex followed the path, his footsteps light against the polished stone.

He had walked this path before, and as expected, the moment he neared the structure, he spotted Kaelios resting on his usual hammock.

But this time… something was different.

Kaelios wasn't simply lounging around like he usually did.

The moment Alex got within twenty meters...

"Finally," Kaelios grinned, snapping his fingers as he floated up from the hammock thanks to his four wings, "I was waiting for you."

"My bad, I had things to do," Alex shrugged. "You said you wanted to talk—" Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

That was as far as he got.

Because as soon as he laid eyes on Alex, Kaelios' grin vanished.

His eyes widened in shock, his body stiffening.

Then, in an instant—

Destiny Swords!

The sky above them flared with golden light.

Two massive swords, each nearly two meters in length, descended from the heavens with terrifying speed, crashing through the structure's ceiling.

They landed directly in Kaelios' hands, causing a shockwave of divine energy to ripple outward.

The swords gleamed brilliantly, their golden edges shifting like liquid metal, moving in hypnotic waves.

Their hilts pulsed with an aura so dense that the very air trembled under its weight.

Before Alex could react, one of the swords was pointed directly at his throat.

"...Are you okay?" Alex took a cautious step back, his expression unreadable.

Kaelios didn't respond.

His grip on the swords tightened, his gaze locked onto Alex like he was looking at a complete stranger.

But then, the tension shattered.

Kaelios' aura rapidly calmed, the overwhelming divine pressure dissipating.

He sighed, lowering his arms as the golden swords dropped, their impact sending another small shockwave through the ground.

"Shit, human…" Kaelios muttered, shaking his head, "Something weird just happened. The second I looked at you, it was like… a demonic aura completely engulfed you. I didn't even recognize you."

"...?"

"Not only that," Kaelios exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple, "but for some reason… I didn't get the notification that you entered my domain."

Alex frowned, "Isn't your domain supposed to be impossible to enter without your permission?"

"It is," Kaelios gave him a long, unreadable stare before shaking his head, "Never mind. Let's talk about what I actually called you here for."

With a snap of his fingers, reality itself shifted.

Two chairs appeared in the air, facing each other.

Alex sat in one, and Kaelios took the other.

"I'll get straight to the point," Kaelios said, his voice turning serious, "It's about the [Chosen Games]."

Alex expected as much.

He had already heard from Varyn in the Abyss that now that every god had chosen their champion, the Chosen Games were about to begin.

A battle where only one would remain.

"You talked about a previous life," Kaelios continued, summoning a series of floating golden panels in the air to illustrate his words, "So I assume the Chosen Games didn't happen before?"

"I wouldn't know," Alex admitted. "I never even heard of them back then."

Kaelios nodded, "No, they didn't. And I can tell you why."

A new golden panel appeared, displaying an image of Earth.

The view zoomed in, revealing a world ravaged by destruction, burned-out cities, crumbling nations, entire landscapes reduced to wastelands.

"The Chosen Games are a world-scale event."

"The moment they begin, the information will be broadcast across every single world we've conquered… including Earth."

Kaelios smirked.

"An event with over 50 billion spectators."

Alex's expression darkened.

"Twenty-five worlds," Kaelios continued, "and in each one, the gods selected the strongest among them. That's how they chose their Chosen Ones. Of course, as you already know, I simply… didn't choose anyone."

He paused, his smirk fading slightly.

"And that is why the Games never started before."

"The rules state that the Games cannot begin until all gods have a champion, but now that I've chosen you…"

Kaelios snapped his fingers again.

A timer appeared before Alex's eyes.

[Time until Chosen Games:]

[1 Month, 24 Days, 2 Hours, 38 Minutes...]

Alex's fists clenched.

"They're imminent," Kaelios confirmed. "And as you can see, they begin at the exact moment when the gods and monsters of Universal Descent are supposed to descend upon your world."

"...This is insane."

"That's one way to put it," Kaelios chuckled, "But it might not be entirely bad."

"How so?" Alex asked.

"Well, instead of pure chaos breaking out the moment they arrive, the Chosen Games will provide structure as no monsters nor gods will be able to enter… for a while, at least."

Another panel appeared beneath the timer.

It displayed twenty shadowed figures, the gods themselves.

Only two of them were fully revealed: Varyn, the God of the Abyss, his portrait crossed out, since he was dead, and Kaelios himself.

The rest were nothing but ominous silhouettes, their eyes glowing faintly.

"These are our enemies," Kaelios muttered.

For once, he had dropped his usual carefree demeanor.

His expression was cold, calculating.

"It's time I explained the rules of the Chosen Games."

Alex felt the air shift around them. The weight of what was coming pressed down on him.

The real battle was about to begin.

And this time, there was no running from it.