"So, you're telling me I'm dead?" The boy stood frozen, the words sinking in. He looked at the man sitting across from him, utterly bewildered.
The man shifted in his seat, scratched his cheek, and nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was patching through the latest update for your universe and, well, I seem to have made a mistake." He took a long drag from whatever he was smoking, then closed his eyes, lost in thought.
The boy, who couldn't have been more than fifteen, laughed, a little hysterically. "Just my luck, huh? So, what happens now? I can't be the only one this has happened to, right?"
"Ah, well… I'm sorry to say, you are. You'd think God would have this whole 'managing the multiverse' thing down to a science, wouldn't you?" the man said, standing up.
"Now, I must apologize for this error. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
"Why would God want to fix his mistake? It's not like anyone would know, or judge you," the boy said, a tremor in his voice. The life he'd known had ended so abruptly.
God nodded and moved closer to the boy. "Sure, I could just move you on to the afterlife, but that's not how I operate. In all of creation, this is one of the few mistakes I've made."
He patted the boy's shoulder and gestured toward the couch, taking a seat himself. "So, Adrian… I know things weren't exactly a walk in the park in your previous life. How would you feel about starting over, somewhere new and exciting? As an apology, I'm willing to grant you a couple of wishes."
The boy, Adrian, perked up at that. It's true, he thought. My childhood was pretty awful. Dad remarried right after my mother died, and I can count on one hand the times I've seen him since. My stepmother never wanted me around; she was just after Dad's money.
Tapping his fingers on the armrest, Adrian took a minute to consider. "Sure, I'd appreciate that. Will I be reborn in the same world, or somewhere… more fictional? I caught that bit about the multiverse."
God chuckled. "It'll be somewhere new. I've taken a peek at your memories, so you don't have to worry about safety or, shall we say, enjoyment? Now, about those wishes…"
Adrian smiled. He wasn't planning on asking for anything crazy, like godlike powers. He wouldn't even know what to do with them.
Thinking hard, he weighed his options. "Would I be pushing it if I wished for Alucard's powers from Castlevania—the game—but with some kind of growth mechanism?"
Adrian looked up, a bit sheepishly, waiting for God to shoot him down. The silence stretched, God peering at him as if he were reading his soul.
Maybe I should have asked for less… That kind of wish is insane, right? Adrian thought.
"Granted," God said. "I've looked into your very essence, Adrian, and I know you won't abuse this… too much. But I will be making some slight modifications. And, having seen your future wishes, I thought we could streamline things a bit."
Adrian's mouth hung open as God outlined the conditions.
"First, you'll get a simple system interface, like in those novels you read. It'll show your progress, like a template system, and it'll have its own inventory. You'll have to train to raise your assimilation; there's no automatic increase while you sleep or relax. Every 5% you progress, you'll gain one of Alucard's items."
Adrian just nodded, trying to absorb it all.
"Second, your growth will come through consumption. You can drink the blood of… things… to increase your power. If you're still assimilating Alucard's powers, it'll boost your assimilation percentage. Once you've reached the cap, it'll push you past your limits. There's also a chance you might gain additional powers from what you consume."
"Holy shit, thank you," Adrian breathed, overwhelmed by God's generosity.
God laughed. "I assume you don't shit. But if I did, they would be holy." He smirked. "Lastly, once you complete the main storyline of the world you're sent to, you'll have the option to move to another. And I assure you, you'll never hit your template cap in a single world."
Completely satisfied, God leaned back, and a glass of what looked like alcohol appeared in his hand. He took a long sip, sighing contentedly.
This is everything I could have wanted, and more, Adrian thought, running through God's offers in his head. I could have wished to be Saitama or Goku, sure, but I spent most of my childhood playing games. Castlevania was always my favorite. Besides, vampires are cool. The real ones, not those sparkly ones…
Finally pulling himself together, Adrian picked up the glass of water God had conjured and drank it down.
"I don't have any more questions, God. Thank you for making this even better than I could have imagined. Could you tell me where I'm going to be sent?"
God just chuckled. "Nah, I think it'll be more fun for you to figure it out on your own. You'll have an identity in each world, but it's up to you to discover where you are."
Standing up, God brushed off his pants and looked Adrian in the eye. "Again, child, I apologize for my mistake. Now that we've sorted things out, I'll send you on your way. I'm… interested in what you'll do, so I might be watching from time to time."
Adrian opened his mouth to ask what God meant by that, but before he could get a word out, God clapped his hands. The sound was like thunder, followed by a light so bright it blinded Adrian.
Just before he lost consciousness, he heard God's voice one last time.
"Good luck, and have fun. Who knows, maybe someday you'll be—"
And then darkness took him.