There was once a priestess who experienced doubts about her faith. So, she used her vast knowledge in the arcane to cast a powerful spell that would divine the answer to her simple question – “God, do you exist?” She received no answer and was thus unsatisfied.
The priestess was fearful about her growing doubt, afraid that she will lose faith in her god. She devoted herself to the endless pursuit of knowledge and understanding the scriptures of her faith. Eventually, she became powerful enough to be considered the head of her religion, awarded the title of ‘Hierophant’.
Even then, she still had doubts about her faith. She once again tried to divine the question, this time calling out to the very world beneath her – “God, do you exist?” She received no answer, and was thus unsatisfied.
She could still not control her growing doubt, eventually delving into fields of profound magic no man has dared to even comprehend. From this thirst, she discovered immortality, allowing herself to devote her time into demystifying the heavens with her people.
Even then, doubts about her faith were still seeded deep within her eternal being – this time, she would call out to the countless stars that dotted the boundless heavens themselves to divine the answer to her question - “God, do you exist?” Still, she received no answer and was thus left unsatisfied.
She grew weary of her growing doubt, and took drastic measures to control it. She devoted her eternal life into understanding the secrets of the universe, essentially sublimating and becoming one with the heavens.
In all her knowledge and understanding, with the wisdom of the stars themselves, she still had doubts about her faith. Tugging at the very heartstrings of reality, this time, she was sure she would divine the answer to her question – “God, do you exist?”
“Now, God exists.” And she was finally satisfied.
The tattered note flew from a girl's outstretched hand.
“I’m tired.” Two words left the lips of the girl seated on a plastic chair amidst a never-ending darkness. Despite that, her discolored, unnaturally smooth skin was bathed in a glow from a light that came from above.
With the eye-catching amber brooch hung around her neck, It was almost like a scene on-stage, with the spotlight on the main heroine.
The whirring and clicking of a machine reached the girl’s ears, followed by a clatter. There was then a ‘thwoop’ and finally the whooshing of something falling from the air.
The closed eyes of the girl opened, revealing yellow irises that complimented her white hair.
“I’m not bored, just tired. Let’s try something new.” The corners of her lips curved up into a faint smile, and her eyes emanated an almost golden glow.
The machine went through its motions again, the sounds once more filling the seemingly boundless space. As if the audible fluttering at the end was her cue, the girl continued to speak.
“Yes, I contradicted myself. No need to be pedantic.” She yawned and shifted in her seat, ruffling her the lower half of her robes.
The girl closed her eyes once more, politely waiting for the machine to finish its part. Only when it was done, would she play her own.
“Huh? There are changes? That’s good, I already have a brilliant idea. Certainly, they would also find it amusing.” She paused, giving way for the machine.
One would wonder how the girl did not grow irritated at its constant churning.
A chuckle escaped the girl’s lips.
“Don’t worry; you have your part in this too. I hope you don’t miss me too much~”
In response to her teasing words, the machine merely played its repeating tune.
“I’ll always be nearby, anyways.”
There was one more exchange between the girl and the mysterious machine. The girl then raised her hand, her long sleeves lifted alongside the length of her arm.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s get this started.” Upon the snap of her finger, fifteen stars peered through, unfurling the black curtains of the space.
All at once, they started to fall.
Their golden trails of light spiraled downwards as their bright heads raced against each other. A dramatic scene played out as the fallen stars all converged on the girl’s spotlight.
The yellow in her eyes turned grey, and along with it her entire body, attire included.
She slumped down on her chair, going into a sort of torpor. The machine once more started clattering, only it did not cease as quickly as it did before. This time, who knows when it will stop?
BLUE
Shit, isn’t our group supposed to meet up for an activity today? Ah, but I’m already eating with the gang, not sure if they’d appreciate me checking out so early. Though with how lost in thought I’ve been, they probably already noticed.
Ahh, whatever, I’ll just find an excuse as to why I didn't go to the meeting. It’s not like we’ll get anything accomplished, not when it’s still one week before the deadline.
Huh? Where is everyone?
First of all, I am now standing, not sitting. Dunno why that was the first thing I noticed, cause there is certainly a lot more to notice around here.
No longer was I in the crappy, mosquito-infested lounge of our school. I was in a rather neat room, about the size of an apartment bedroom.
The soft, orange light of the sunset shines past the windows to my right. I always liked the color of the sunset, being in it was like the sun putting you in its comfortable embrace. It was unlike the searing heat of the noon or the artificial lights that obscured the night sky.
I approach the windows, examining their lime green frame and admiring the blue curtains neatly rolled up to their sides. I knew for sure I could not maintain my room this well, it was most likely the room of a woman.
Speaking of which, for sure, this was for sure the fabled ‘isekai’. There was no other explanation for suddenly being transmigrated here.
In a moment, a goddess will greet me. Yes, a kind, beautiful goddess. Who else would go out of the way to give me such a comfortable ambiance?
Still, I can’t help but shake my head.
I ain’t really like the regular isekai ‘Main Characters’, I had a perfectly normal life. If anyone ever told you a weeb can’t be somewhat popular, they were lying out of their ass. I may not be the student council president, but I’ll have you know I interact with a couple dozen people on a regular basis.
No family issues, either, I had a good and stable relationship with my parents. Even if they were sometimes disappointed, that was just a part of being Asian.
Financial problems? Maybe a little, but not crippling. Bullying? Hah, as long as I didn’t show too much weakness or awkwardness, no one will bother with me.
Point is, I live a perfectly normal life, well, lived one at least. So, I really see no reason I some god would take pity and reincarnate me, nor did I exactly have any traits that could save a fantasy world.
Obviously, that meant I somehow died, and it can’t be help. I shouldn’t be mad at anyone who gives me another chance after an unfortunate incident. It’s not like they were the ones who ripped me away from my loving family and reliable friends.
I crossed my arms and tapped my feet.
What’s taking this goddess so long? I already made up a reasoning for my transmigration all by myself! Is this the type of thing where I have to explore the room a bit to activate a plot device?
I approach the window, curious to see if I have a reflection here, wherever I am.
As soon as I see it, I recoil in shock. The figure in the window did so too, proving that it is indeed my reflection.
I know people joked about me being a hentai protagonist, but this is a little too much! My face was literally greyed out, black and white like a manga panel!
I raise the bangs on my forehead, confirming there are no more raging pimples or acne there. It was the reason I grew them in the first place.
I couldn’t quite make it out since this wasn’t an actual mirror, but my face had aura of mystery to it too. Can’t even say if it belonged to that of a male or female, it didn’t help that my hair was now quite long. The two locks of hair that reached to my chin didn’t exactly help in figuring that out.
Wait, I was naked, so I just had to look down.
Ah, nothing there, not even nips.
Maybe this was the ‘default’ state for a human body? Well, that’s a bummer, I was feeling a little pent up from all of the sudden stress.
Eh?
A schlong literally popped up down there. Like no notification, no warning, no nothing. It just made its way into reality as if it was always there.
Testing equipment, function… rigidness… it totally works as normal.
My head starts to spin, drifting into a dangerous area. I look to the left, then to the right. If this was a trial, I would’ve been kicked out, alright.
Yep, that’s a ravine and some alps going out there. Controlling my heavy breath, I switch things back to the default mode.
My concern here far outweighs my horniness; this place is giving me the creeps. Sunset didn’t usually last long, but here the orange that dyes the room does not change in the slightest.
My foot falls on the wooden floorboard as I examine the pieces of furniture inside the room. In one corner was an oh-so-familiar appliance, a black electric fan. It is so common that I don’t even notice the ambient sounds it produced.
What was uncanny was the lack of wind that breezes my way. Not that I needed it, my body seems to keep itself at a pleasant temperature. I don’t even feel any itches or joint pains that come from being a human.
I brush my hand past the numerous books that neatly line up in the shelves across the room. They feel and smell real, but I know they aren't. They only come in three colors: Yellow, red and blue. Whenever I try to retrieve one, I lose my grip on it.
The figures lined up on the shelves nailed to the wall are just as uninteresting. They look like ripped off versions of pop culture in our universe. Seriously, an Italian electrician? Capman? Pilot Ceres?
The only thing that I like are the whips hung on parts of the wall, I was always a huge fan of a certain vampire slaying game.
Of course, I wouldn’t be able to afford such a nice room unless it is provided to me by the Chinese. My soul probably clocks in at around that price anyways.
Finally, I turn my head to the most interesting piece of equipment within the room. It was the place where most of the light from the window rained on. Motes of dust seems to circle around it, as if telling me ‘go here! go here!’
I had asthma, so they all had the opposite effect, matter-of-factly.
I approach an office chair that you’d find at a buy one take one sale. It sports a single cushion as a small mercy to the ass of the occupant. Its elongated shadow looms over the room, foreboding.
In front of it was a mahogany desk, quite classy.
What truly caught my eye is a Cathode Ray Tube monitor bleached in a dirty white. Had it not been for my grandparents, I would have not recognized it at all.
I do not see anything paired with it, so I do not know if it is meant to be a television or computer.
Well, there is something out there in front of it, said something is a blue spiral notebook and that conveniently came with a ballpoint pen, but it didn’t feel right to pair those together with a monitor.
What am I supposed to do with these things, huh? Smash them together like a civilized starfish?
I notice the blue irises and pupils in my eyes reflecting off the curved screen of the monitor. It is so uncanny. Were they always there in the first place? I could have sworn I didn’t notice them in the window.
I see something in the corner of my vision, my eyes widen as I shift them towards its direction.
Is that an Ep*on dot matrix printer?! How the fuck did I not notice it there before? Hell, I feel like the desk was somehow a little longer now.
On the top of it is a black record book, which was beckoning to me. I feel as if my very soul was drawn to it. My being threatens to pull itself out of my body if I did not get ahold of it. Yes, I must open the record book and see what was inside.
Beside the record book is blue sticky note, written on it are these words in a red, permanent marker.
"Of all my creations, this... is one of them. Take good care."
Wait, does this mean I'll be staying around here for a while? Sweet, this crib looks cool enough, but that message is really ominous. Do I take care of the printer, the book, the computer or this entire damn room? Like bitch, why leave such a vague message?
Enough dawdling. I’m running out of time.
I casually take hold of the record book and sprawl it out on the table, as if this was a regular motion I am used to.
Two names are written neatly on the blue lines within.
[>Anne Maria Macapagal
>Kevin Arnaldo Dizon Villaneuva]1I don't think I'll be doing custom windows for anyone other than our MC, unless they get popular enough with the readers
These are names… from my country?
I grasp for the ballpoint pen, removing the cap and placing the end on the thin sheet of paper. However, even if I try to write, I cannot alter anything.
All of the sudden, the printer whirrs to life, shocking me out of my stupor.
A loud noise reverberates inside the small space I was in, zapping my ears like an object of terror. It is followed by the low pitched hammering of the internal mechanisms.
The two sounds alternate for nearly half a minute before finishing up with a demonic thrum.
I am glad we don’t use these antiques anymore, my ears would bleed were I to hear that all day back home.
A plain listing paper materialized outside of the printer. Written on it is the following text in a telltale dotted font.
[Archivist Protocol “An eye out for everyone”
---
It is the archivist’s duty to monitor and record all notable events that occur in the world. Whoever is assigned to this post must practice minimal interference may interfere however they want, as long as they make it interesting. The record book keeps track of notable individuals, upon interacting with these; their tales will be displayed on the monitor. All Interesting actions carried out by these individuals shall be recorded in the notebook provided.
Failure to carry out the protocol will result in a citation.]
Once I am done reading it, it disappears in a poof, along with whatever remains of causality in the room.
Why did they even bother putting in the crossed out text? It’s not like it is written in permanent ink, could have just not sent it to me.
It’s in my best interest to carry out this ‘protocol’ or whatever. I do not know what a citation entails, but it sounds pretty scary. I don’t want to lose my reality bending powers or have my family sent to a labor camp, y’know!
I tap ‘Kevin’ with the non-business end of my pen. If I was going to record someone’s biography, it may as well start with a guy. I feel as if it would be too awkward prying too much into a girl’s life, at least this early on.
I call forth a bowl of chicken skin in front of me, watching the old-school monitor hum to life.
The distorted art of a yellow eye greets my face, the screen glitches and distorts. I shudder, this all reminds me of the analogue horror videos I watch.
I flip open the notebook in front of me, shifting my hand in the proper position to get writing.
Wait a moment, how the hell I was supposed to write real-time?!
The glitching of the monitor seems to stop, it seems it can wait a moment for me after all. Nice.
I was no writer, the fastest I could write a three paragraph essay was in ten minutes, and that was if I’m not thinking about what words to write.
Do I get a system to help me with this or something?
Once more, I jump from my seat as the printer beside me begins its obnoxious screeching. Did I trigger a citation this early?
My worries are immediately put aside; as I come to the realization that it answered my query to the system. Excitedly, I take out the piece of paper and excitedly scan over it.
Huh, this wasn’t right.
It was almost like a tabletop character sheet, with my name at the top and numeric stats down below. There are a few odd things described in the dotted text.
First of all ‘The One Who Presides Over the Temporal Records” is more a title than a race. Heh, but I didn’t complain, it’s a pretty cool thing to be I’d say.
Secondly, all my stats define themselves as ‘Immeasurable’ except for intelligence which was ‘T3 79 - Abysmal’. Look, I know 79 is a barely passing grade, but no need to call it abysmal!
Finally, this system was completely useless, because my rank simply reads ‘MAXED’, and my “Skills and Abilities” read “A lot, ok?”
It feels like someone just made these parameters for shits and giggles.
I relax, deciding that if my DEX was indeed immeasurable, I would have no trouble writing quickly. My only trouble was with figuring out how to juggle between the so-called notable individuals, but thankfully I only have to write about interesting events. Not all of them.
The picture of the yellow eye warps and disappears, giving way to a traumatizing image of a woman giving birth.
'>1/01/01 16:00'
Plain white text flickers on and off at the rightmost top of the screen, displaying what I assume to be the date. 1600... so 4pm... of the first day of the first month of the first year, huh. But on what calendar?
I shake my head. Regardless of what it meant, I have to pick up the pen and write about this; it seems that Kevin is being brought into the world. Definitely an interesting event if he is a notable individual.
The screams of a woman are heard throughout the birthing room, the local healer spoke some encouraging words to the woman, perhaps hoping it would ease her pain. She was there to deal with complications in the aftermath of childbirth and not during it.
A rough-looking fellow in a brown vest also joined in giving moral support. He seems to be a caring husband.
The woman endured through her labor, living through the curse that God2Please don't murder me. These are the characters thoughts, not mine. placed on women. In the end, she endured, giving birth to a healthy baby boy.
The healer congratulated the woman and promptly left the room after checking up on her and the baby for any complications.
The couple seems to happily chatter and celebrate over the joyous birth of their child. At least, the soul within the child assumes it to be so, for he did not understand the language of another world.
That’s right; the glint of intelligence in the baby’s eyes was no sheer coincidence. This was in fact, the second life of Kevin. And this was the beginning of his journey.
I made most of that up, but I seem to have not gotten any citations, so I seem to have guessed right. Call it my instinct, but something was off about that baby. Well. aside from the usual things that were off about the cosmic horrors know as 'babies'.
Anyways, boo, I always hated the types of isekai that started from the birth of the main character. They had little to no agency, and when they did, it made no sense!
I munched on my chicken skin, enjoying the feeling of crunching against my teeth and the greasy taste of fat.
Fuck, he started to cry. His mother and father laughed like idiots, too.
Don’t tell me I have to watch this baby bumbling around for months? I would go insane. If only I could speed things up.
Static lines appear across the surface of the monitor, followed by a low hum. The '>' sign on the date flickers to that of a '>>'.
Suddenly, the screen appeared to speed up. No, it didn’t appear to speed up, it actually sped up. Sceneries changed, day and night cycled and shit flew from the infant's ass. Did I just straight up will time to speed up?
A chuckle tries to escape my lip, but I realize that I do not have a voice here. I’ll just have the maniac laughter stay in my brain then, what a spoilsport.
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA.
BOW DOWN TO ME, FOR I AM THE GOD EMPEROR OF TIME.
I calm down and make sure to pause to record the "important events". Turns out they have baptism here too, although it seems that their god did not have a humanoid form, all I see are esoteric symbols.
It seems that Kevin was named "Castor" in this life. How could I tell? Well, it was quite obvious from the glowing text that highlighted it.
In a few months, he learned to crawl. In a year, he could walk. In three, he had completely learned the language of the world. For a reincarnation, I did not know if that was slow or fast.
'06/24/04'
Right now, I am watching Kevin at the age of four. Truly, they grow up so fast. He is now beside his mother and father, doing what his small body of a child could do to help him harvest the fields of wheat
I could actually tune in to thoughts now, but the only station available was his. His thoughts were really worrying. I would call him a little... air-headed? Still, one day, he will certainly grow into the type of figure to embark on a grand adventure.
‘Hah, I’ve always wanted to be a farmer, a relaxed life where all you have to worry about is working enough to live the next day is the best~”
What?
With a smile of a man that has achieved everything he needs in his life, he reaches down to put a stalk of wheat in his mother's woven basket. His parents were obviously joyous to see such a satisfied face.
‘My parents in my past life pressured me so much to be an engineer, but I always barely lived up to their standards in math class. For sure, living in the countryside like this is my true calling. I was living in the wrong era.’
WHAAAAAT?
I am at a lost for words about this man's conviction.
“Ma and pa said I would unlock the “Heaven’s Blessing” when I reach the age of six, but I don’t really care. Maybe I’ll take some advancements that improve the harvest and help me take care of the livestock!”
But what about the intrigue? The tension? The conflict? The adventure!
'Ahh, when I get older I’ll get married to Chelsea. She seems like she’d grow up to be a beautiful woman. We’ll take care of chickens together with three, no five children. In fact, I heard my parents are already making plans for our marriage.'
Woah, you can’t just define the love interest at the very beginning like that, you have to keep the readers blue balled! Also, she's four years old, dude. That's concerning.
Was he drooling?
That’s it. Dropped, one star. Critical review. This is no longer something worth archiving. I’m not breaking the protocol since none of this is interesting. If it ever does get interesting, then I'll happily accept the citation!
I let out a sigh.
Fine, let’s check out ‘Anne Maria’.
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Yes Votes: 3 18.8%
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No Votes: 3 18.8%
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I don't even know who Anne Maria is but she sounds more interesting than Kevin Votes: 10 62.5%
Nice