My eyes slowly begin to open after my ears hear the sound of applause, as if there were a large audience around me. It takes me a few seconds to shake off the slight confusion I was feeling at that moment.
Looking around, I see that where I imagined there to be an audience, it actually looks like a night sky. Most of it is a beautiful black-blue with thousands of large and small stars shining brilliantly.
Soon, in front of me, a light turns on, revealing a circular stage floating in that vast night sky. On top of it, a man(?) stands, dressed in an outfit that reminds me of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. After adjusting his tie and as the applause—whose origin I have no idea—continues, the man gives a wide smile and bows.
"Hello, hello! As you all have seen, a lucky soul has just been chosen to participate in our show, ladies and gentlemen!" The man speaks excitedly, reminding me of talk shows I used to watch in my past life.
"And what luck! This is our soul number 1000000000000000! I, your favorite host, congratulate this insignificant soul!" As he finishes speaking, the audience erupts into loud applause.
"Excuse me? Where exactly am I?" I try to ask the host. Of course, I'm not dumb enough to be arrogant with someone who is apparently powerful. After all, considering that I had died and where I was now, he was clearly at least somewhat powerful.
"Oh, oh, such an insignificant soul! I am Per'kele, the amazing host of the show created for the gods' amusement! We take insignificant souls like yours and give you the opportunity to entertain us! Feel immensely lucky." The man speaks enthusiastically, raising his arms and shouting afterward. The sound of applause returns.
It takes me a few moments to understand what is probably happening. Bored gods use weak souls for entertainment in their tedious lives. Haa… well, at least I'll have the opportunity for a new life.
"Well, it seems your tiny brain has figured everything out. So let's get to the lottery! PAM PAM PAM..." The man says, and with a snap of his fingers, three roulette wheels appear on the stage.
"As you can see, these are the roulettes that will decide your fate. Normally, there are only two—one for your gift and the other for the world you'll be sent to. But since your soul is the 1000000000000000th, you get an extra gift. Look how lucky you are!" The man continues.
Well, I guess I'm lucky then. I just hope I don't end up in an apocalyptic world. Even with abilities, starting a new life in those hostile environments would be a pain. After my little daydream, I see the host calling me, so I step onto the stage.
"Very well! Now, spin the wheels!" The host says excitedly.
Quickly, I spin all three roulettes and step back a bit.
"What will it be? Will you be a lucky soul or an unlucky one? Will your fate be happy or tragic? What kind of adventure awaits you?!!" The host exclaims.
Well, I have to admit, at least he knows how to hype up an audience.
Slowly, I watch the roulettes slow down and come to a stop.
"Two of the roulettes will determine your gifts. They can grant anything! But since you're a lucky soul, the wheels have been modified to give you even better prizes. Who's the best host of all, huh? Me!" The host says cheerfully, making the audience laugh and applaud.
Soon, the first roulette stops, and the chosen option is…
"And as the prize from the first roulette, it seems your luck was quite average. Poor soul! You have obtained a soul fragment of Alice Zuberg from the human entertainment series Sword Art Online and from world #1804y2674e95p! This fragment grants you her powers, abilities, and equipment, and as a bonus, her beautiful appearance. However, unfortunately, it's nothing too extraordinary." The host says while striking a dramatic pose. On the stage, a screen appears displaying images and information related to the character.
Fortunately, I know this character. As he said, in my old world, she was a character from an anime I really liked—SAO. Unfortunately, the season where Alice appeared wasn't something that pleased me much, but she's a good character. Not one of the best, but it's fine. And surprisingly, it seems that the story of that Sword Art Online arc exists as a real world.
Next, the second roulette stops, revealing…
"Oh, oh, oh, my dear viewers! It looks like after a mediocre prize, our dear soul has obtained something truly remarkable! The second prize is a large soul fragment from, just like before, a piece of entertainment from our soul's place of origin, and from worlds #3854yrs495, #398863idcj5596, and #0958473ap405! The King of Uruk, the King of Knights, and the strongest heroic spirit! TAM TAM TAM… GILGAMESH!!" A much louder applause echoes through the space after the host finishes speaking.
Gilgamesh! YAY! He's a really strong character. Of course, he doesn't compare to some others, but he's still very powerful. His Gate of Babylon, Chains of Heaven, and Ea are incredible. And my Fashion Souls heart is screaming at how well both characters match, with their golden aesthetics. Please, let the world I'm going to not be completely doomed…
I start paying attention to the final roulette, hoping it's not a terrible world. If I had a heart, it would probably be pounding in my chest.
"And the world our dear soul will be going to is…" The host begins, and a drumroll sounds to build tension. "'Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka?' or simply Danmachi! It seems our soul truly influenced the roulette, ladies and gentlemen! He was lucky that all his prizes and the selected world were familiar from his past life. What truly matters is—how will he follow the storyline? Will he preserve it or completely destroy it? Will he fall in love? Kill mercilessly? Save people? WHAT WILL HAPPEN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN?"
A deafening crowd begins cheering, shouting, and clapping. The gods are truly passionate about entertainment. Even when I am the entertainment in Danmachi. Well, I suppose too much free time affects everyone this way.
And well, Danmachi… it's a relatively good world. I feel lucky for not landing in One Punch Man or something even worse. But honestly, having the abilities and items from both Alice and Gilgamesh fits this world quite well. A spark of excitement ignites in my chest.
"And so, our introduction show comes to an end! Next, the adventure of our dear soul begins! Let's see how the story unfolds and… LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!" The host declares, and with one last round of applause, I feel my consciousness fading away.
Well, let the journey begin.