The Multiverse Hunter

Ali opened his eyes to see white streaks swirling around him as he floated in a vast, empty space. In the distance, stars glimmered faintly. He turned to his side and saw Veska, the powerful being who had brought him here, watching with a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"It's been a while, Ali. How was your first journey to another world?" Veska asked.

Ali didn't immediately respond, instead examining his body. 'It's all gone,' he thought, noting how even the muscles that had transformed in the demon slayer world had returned to their original, Earthly state.

Veska waited patiently, allowing Ali time to readjust to his old form.

"You were right. It *was* fun," Ali finally said. "But now it's as if I was never there."

"That's why we need to get you into *Paradise*," Veska replied calmly. "With the ORIGIN you harvested, I can get us in without much difficulty," he continued, then chuckled. "I didn't expect you to kill them all, though. You've made a powerful being very angry—private worlds aren't exactly cheap."

"I couldn't risk them remembering me. Without a foundation in Reincarnation Paradise, it was safer to eliminate them," Ali explained. "But seeing their powers... it excited me. I'm eager to gain abilities like that, to fight people with those kinds of powers. Back home, I thought my future would be boring with a long lifespan ahead of me. But now..." Ali's voice trailed off, revealing his newfound excitement.

Veska's smile widened. "That's what I promised you, wasn't it?"

His expression then shifted, growing more serious. Ali, sensing the change, focused his attention, preparing for what Veska was about to say.

"This is just the beginning, Ali. I'll explain what you need to know before we're transported to *Paradise*," Veska began.

"Reincarnation Paradise has different levels. The lower the level, the weaker its inhabitants. I could send you to a higher level, but that would draw attention from the gods, especially my old 'friend,' who monitors everything closely. Instead, I'll place you with the next batch of souls entering Paradise. That way, you'll go unnoticed, and you can grow at your own pace, while I deal with the gods who won't be very happy at my surprise visit."

"I agree. It's better to start from the bottom and work my way up," Ali said.

"Good." Veska moved closer, gesturing for Ali to extend his right hand. Ali complied, and Veska pressed his index finger to Ali's wrist. His finger melted momentarily, reshaping itself to leave behind a small, black mark—Ali's name, written in Arabic.

"Really? My name on my wrist?" Ali asked, unimpressed.

Veska grinned. "I thought you'd appreciate it. A reminder of where you come from. This mark also allows you to detect ORIGIN in any world, without linking you to me. It wasn't easy to create."

"Thanks. That'll be helpful," Ali acknowledged, knowing the mark's true value.

Veska nodded. "Unless there's an emergency, we won't meet again for a long time. Do you have any last questions?"

Ali met Veska's gaze, his eyes cold but determined. "No questions. Let's go."

Veska's smile returned, and his form began to glow with a brilliant white light, blinding Ali. For several minutes, Ali felt nothing, floating in a void. Then, all at once, sensation returned to him.

Ali opened his eyes and looked around. Thousands of people were waking up, just as he had, each appearing disoriented. Ali noticed the varied appearances among them—some had vibrant blue or green hair, while others had eye colours unlike anything common on Earth.

'So, different versions of Earth produce different features,' Ali thought.

As the crowd fully roused, chaos quickly ensued. Children cried out for their parents, while adults shouted in confusion. The massive room they were trapped in, made of cold grey stone, was dimly lit by natural light streaming through holes in the ceiling. Around five thousand people filled the space, all searching for answers, but no one had any.

Ali stood apart from the crowd, his arms at his sides, as people instinctively gave him a wide berth.

'They've been ripped from their lives and thrown into this,' Ali thought, noticing how some were still in work clothes, others barely dressed, but no one seemed concerned about appearances now.

Eventually, attention shifted to a large stone door at one end of the room. Several men tried to push it open, but even with their combined strength, the door didn't budge. Panic spread as the crowd realised they were trapped.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling echoed from above, silencing the room. A square platform descended from the ceiling, carrying three figures who were unmistakably not human.

When the platform touched down, the crowd could see them clearly. In the centre stood a towering man with the head of a lion, his golden mane framing his face like a fiery halo. His piercing amber eyes swept across the room with a gaze that was both regal and predatory. His broad, muscular form was clad in a sharp black suit, a striking contrast to his bestial features. His golden, clawed hands rested on his chest, exuding an aura of authority and danger.

Beside him stood two women. The first had flowing golden hair and high, delicate features, her violet eyes sharp and calculating. Her pointed ears jutted out from beneath her hair, marking her as something otherworldly. She moved with an elegance that seemed almost unnatural, her expression cold and distant. She, too, wore a black suit, the formal attire only amplifying her unsettling beauty.

The second woman was even more alien. Her skin was a translucent crystal blue that seemed to glow faintly, giving her an ethereal, icy appearance. Large, sapphire wings extended from her back, each feather shimmering with an otherworldly light. Her eyes, a deep, cold blue, glinted with a predatory sharpness. Every movement she made was deliberate and precise, her demeanour calm and inhuman. Like the others, she was dressed in a sleek black suit, though it did little to mask the sense of otherworldliness she radiated.

The crowd stared, their fear palpable. As questions began to erupt, the lion-headed figure let out a deafening roar.

"SILENCE!"

The roar reverberated through the room like a shockwave, sending people sprawling to the ground and leaving them stunned into silence.

Ali, however, stood unaffected, his eyes locked on the three beings. 'Those three... they reek of death,' he thought, realising the immense danger they represented.

"I welcome you all to Reincarnation Paradise! You all were transported here from your respective homes. Unfortunately for you all, you have all died." The lion said calmly, his last word spread a wave of murmurs, they couldn't remember ever dying.

"We have erased the memories of your death and all that lead up to it, this is only to save you from the trauma of going through such a horrifying experience like death. But here in Reincarnation Paradise you are given a second chance at life. Here you are all warriors, fighters, survivors, players of Reincarnation Paradise, you will be transported to different worlds where you will complete missions assigned to you and based on your performance on these mission you will be awarded appropriately.", the lion man said as he paused allowing everyone to consume and process the strange things he just said.

The lion then looked back at the crystal women and nodded, she went on to clap her hands and a blue screen suddenly appeared in-front of each person present causing people to take a sudden step back or fall down from surprise.

Ali looked at the screen in-front of him, he looked sideways to notice that he couldn't see any other screen, then moved his hand through it to confirm what it was. The interface then welcomed them to Reincarnation paradise before displaying their name on the upper left corner of the screen, on the left hand side of the screen it showed the same thing for everyone in the room.

Body: 0

Strength: 0

Speed: 0

Intelligence: 0

Spirit: 0

Luck: 0

Except for spirit and body, the other categories were straightforward, the rest of the interface was empty except for a small button on the top right corner of the screen.

Ali looked at the button and thought about pressing and it suddenly opened, multiple options for text size, screen size and colour and other options displayed.

As always please contribute your power stones as it helps my ff massively.

Five chapters ahead on patreon.com/Rondo312