If someone else from Kelly’s previous world had been standing here, the situation might have unfolded very differently. Some would have immediately argued with the woman, rejecting her claims outright. Others might have laughed in disbelief at the very mention of something as unrealistic as a god. There would have been endless debates. Some might have believed her and clung even more tightly to the religion they already followed. Others would have stubbornly insisted that science was the only real truth in the universe. And, of course, there would have been a few fools who would have immediately labelled her a devil.

Though, considering her presence, that accusation might not have been entirely untrue. But Kelly was different. From the very beginning, he had believed every single word she said. Not because of logic or some evidence. But because something deep inside him refused to doubt her.

Every fibre of his being. His instincts. His gut. Everything screamed the same conclusion. The woman was not lying. What she spoke of was the truth. This was the reality he now lived in. A world where something like godhood wasn’t just myth or fantasy. A world where he could become something people from his previous world couldn’t even dream of.

Then,

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The woman burst into laughter again, her voice echoing through the vast darkness.

"You truly are the funniest mortal...I have ever met."

Her amusement was clear. Though after a brief pause, she added with a faint hint of curiosity

"Actually... perhaps that is because you are the first mortal...I have ever spoken with."

Her blurred figure shifted slightly upon the throne.

"After all..."

Her voice returned to its calm indifference.

"...mortals were seldom worth my concern when I was alive."

The woman fell into quiet contemplation for a short while. Kelly didn’t interrupt her. He simply stood there, waiting, watching the hazy figure seated upon the throne as silence filled the dark expanse once more. Then, after a moment of thought, the woman lifted her gaze toward him again. This time, something felt different.

For the first time since their conversation began, Kelly felt as though she was truly looking at him. Not merely acknowledging his presence but actually focusing on him. As if she had finally decided he was worth paying attention to.

"Do not concern yourself with that for now."

Her voice echoed calmly through the void.

"First, complete your foundation. That is more important than anything else."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"The rest... you will come to understand with time."

Her indistinct gaze remained fixed on him.

"Once you reach Level 100, I would like to see whether you still possess the same determination and confidence when asking that question."

A faint hint of intrigue slipped into her tone.

"Perhaps then, I will answer you."

She leaned back slightly against the grand throne.

"But for now..."

Her voice softened just slightly, though it still carried its usual composure.

"...is there not something more important you would like to know?"

Kelly wanted to argue. The words were already forming on his tongue, ready to challenge her refusal. But something deep inside him warned him to stop. Pushing this woman too far didn’t feel like a wise decision. So instead, Kelly took a slow, steady breath. The air filled his lungs as he forced the storm inside his mind to settle. Gradually, clarity returned to his thoughts. Once he felt composed again, he finally asked the questions that had been burning inside him from the very beginning. Questions he had been dying to know the answers to.

"How are you here...Who are you, anyway...Why is my skill apparently yours...And do you have any idea where in the fucking hell we are..."

His voice grew sharper as he continued.

"And whose trial is this supposed to be?"

Kelly fired off every question in rapid succession, releasing everything he had been holding back in one breath. When he finished, silence returned. He stared at the woman, waiting...Hoping...Expecting answers. The woman, in turn, simply looked back at him.

Her demeanour remained frighteningly calm, her blurred figure unmoved upon the grand throne. Then she spoke.

"My name is..."

Kelly held his breath as the woman paused. For a moment, anticipation gripped him. His eyes remained fixed on her hazy figure, waiting for the name that seemed just about to leave her lips. However, to his dismay, she continued differently.

"...not worth the time anymore."

Her voice remained calm, yet something faintly distant lingered within it.

"It is nothing more than a relic of the past now."

She paused briefly before adding,

"Just like me."

For a moment, Kelly thought her presence seemed... different. Though her figure was still blurred and indistinct, there was a faint trace of nostalgia in her tone something quiet and reflective. It was subtle. But unmistakable. Then, as if brushing that thought aside, the woman continued speaking.

"As for why I can access your soul..."

The woman paused briefly before continuing.

"...that is simply because of my...no, our skill."

Her voice carried the same composed calm as before, as if she were explaining something entirely ordinary.

"It is a rather long process to explain, but I will simplify it for you."

Kelly listened intently as her words echoed through the dark expanse.

"When a person dies, it does not mean that their soul perishes alongside them."

Her hazy figure remained seated upon the throne as she continued her explanation.

"After shedding the body, the soul also sheds the character and personality it acquired during that lifetime."

She spoke slowly, ensuring the meaning was clear.

"In simple terms, what happens next depends on the world in which the individual dies. Every world possesses its own laws governing such matters."

She tilted her head slightly.

"In some lower worlds, the next destination of a soul is determined by the karma it accumulated while alive."

Her indistinct gaze seemed to settle on Kelly.

"Most likely... your previous world functioned under such a system."

Then her tone shifted slightly as she continued explaining the laws of this world.