Stein peered at the flawless lady before him, trying to make sense of her words. "Ascended?" he repeated after her. What did that mean? Was he dead? Was this heaven, and she an angel?
"Yes, ascended," she nodded. "The Ascension is a process that starts from conception. Adventurers like you acquire stagnant EXP and reach Level One on your sixteenth birthday."
Stein frowned. Was this what happened to some kids on their birthdays? Even still, what was she saying: EXP? Level One? Those words belonged in a video game, not from the tongue of such a divine-looking being.
The woman's smile faded into a thoughtful frown. "The system uses these terms because they are familiar to most minds of the Alterverse," she said. "Even if you have never heard them before, they are easy to understand. Growth is measured in EXP, and progress is marked by levels."
She continued, "Every world has a level limit. In your previous world, Earth, the limit was zero. Anyone who surpassed Level Zero ascended to the second world—Razaaham. There, the level limit is twenty-nine. Surpass that, and you will ascend to the next world."
Stein swallowed. So he wasn't dead. He had just left earth. Apparently, he was going to a world called Razaaham, but where was he right now?
"Limbo." The woman waved a hand. "The space that exists between worlds."
Stein frowned. This woman could read his thoughts. What was she, a god?
The woman's lips curled into a tight smile as she softly glided higher into the air.
"I go by many names and titles—Hermit of the Old, Scholar Maiden, Pandora, Goddess of Information, Goddess of the Curious—but I prefer Solovay, Lover of Nerds, Seeker of the Lost, and yes, Goddess of Information."
Stein raised a finger.
"If you are the Goddess of Information, then you must know a way to get back to Earth." Could it be that easy? His ten year old sister needed him. If there was a way to go back, he had to take it.
Solovay studied him for a moment before replying, "Indeed, but it isn't free. What are you willing to exchange for such valuable information?"
Stein blinked. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy. "What do you want?" he asked.
Solovay chuckled. It was the most pleasant sound Stein had ever heard.
"New information. Tell me something I don't know."
There was nothing he could tell her from his life on Earth that would interest her, and even if there was, information from Earth must be the most accessible thing to her, as people from Earth came here every day and there was no case of anyone being returned.
"If that's all, then it's time to send you off," Solovay extended a hand in his direction.
"Wait," Stein stepped forward, raising his hands. He still had a lot of questions. "Why was I chosen? What am I supposed to do?"
Solovay waved a hand at him. "The process is random and far above your comprehension. As for what you are supposed to do, you'll have to figure that out for yourself. Most Ascenders seek a stable, comfortable realm to continue their lives, some seek to return to their past world, Others seek power or acknowledgement.
Stein felt a chill shoot through him. A lot of people were also searching for a way home, and no one from Earth had succeeded from what he knew. But he wasn't most people. So long as there was a way, he would definitely make it back to Lindsay.
"Goodbye, adventurer."
The ground beneath Stein's feet ceased to exist, and he found himself suspended in light. Solovay was gone, and he was alone once again.
Beads of sweat began to form on Stein's forehead. It was as though there was a raging ball of fire hidden somewhere within the light. Why was it so hot?
The light around him began to dim, and shapes began taking form around him. The sky was blue and clear without a single cloud in sight. Stein thought it looked like a normal day—until he saw the sun. It was a colossus. He gaped at it in surprise while shielding his eyes. It was almost three times as large as the sun on Earth would look.
He cast his gaze down as they began to hurt. A dull dirt carpet stretched in every direction. Sand. He was in a desert, which wasn't surprising. How could any plant survive with such an aggressive sun looming above? Stein hadn't been here for a minute yet, and his shirt was already soaked in sweat.
Stein frowned at the dirty brown sack he wore. It looked like it was made from long pieces of straw tied together with rope. He wore similar trousers, held up by thick straw rope around his waist. His legs, however, were in brown boots.
Distant voices caught Stein's attention. He glanced behind him and saw a group of people. One of them was wearing a sack similar to Stein's. He was sitting on the sand, surrounded by three figures who were almost covered from head to toe. They wore multiple layers of loose clothing with scarves, hats, and turbans to minimize exposure to the sun and heat.
Stein hesitated before taking slow steps toward them. He had to at least know what they were talking about.
"I said menu, idiot, menu!" a girl shouted before slapping the head of the boy sitting on the sand.
"Now say 'materialize reward.'" A different voice spoke this time around. A boy's.
The boy in the brown sack slowly looked up. "Are you… are you trying to rob me?" he stammered.
The girl took a palm to her face
"No shit, Sherlock," one of her male companions replied before kicking the boy in the gut. The sack boy doubled over into a fetal position, and the trio began kicking and punching him. One of them spared a glance at Stein. It was the girl.
"Wait for your turn, brownie," she grinned at him before kicking the other boy right in the nose. A second later blood was gushing out of it and getting everywhere.