Arc I: Red Masquerade
Summary:
On a seemingly hot golden day of April, a young man – disillusioned, lied and bored by all and everything – dies. A Garden of Oblivion should have awaited him at the end and yet— the Garden of Lies welcomes him instead. It welcomes him into a seemingly familiar world, one he knows it all too well, now as a Doll. And so, the curtains fall, and a new adventure begins! (SI OC)
Keywords:
Isekai; Fantasy; Adventure; Politics; Military; Psychological; Friendship; Gore (R-15 or more)
Archaeology; Dungeon hunting and crawling; Team exploration; Sea exploration; Underwater exploration; Upper plane exploration; Realistic relationships; Magical studies; Game-like Skills (there is balance of course)
SI OC; Semi-AU (world building expanded, no change to canon normally); setting is 10 years before canon; use of OCs if suitable canon characters aren't found
Non-Human, doll-like MC; Tomgirl/otokonoko MC; Distorted MC (not dark one)
AN:
I decided to reboot the whole story of Alternative as the current iteration of it no longer pleases me – after all, I can't even read past the first chapter as everything makes me cringe so hard – and a military and political saga certainly isn't my main focus nowadays. As such, I repurposed it all to a due reboot, which is rather turned towards adventure and exploring the vast world of Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken, ten years before the advent of Rimuru and a couple of years before Yuuki – while of course preserving the character of the Doll (Astellia) with some tweaks.
The original version is to remain as archives, alongside maybe the unpublished chapters. If you want the want the follow-up of that version, I can publish the last of it. I leave it up to you.
Prologue: Sweet little lie...
There is nothing but the sweet embrace of darkness upon death.
A mantra, a principle – maybe even a lie – I long have told myself. After all, I can't possibly dream to hope more, more in this senseless and meaningless world. There is nothing after, and there should be nothing.
And in a way, there is nothing more fitting than this ramble of unimpressive words to describe the situation I find myself in. Indeed, my person is rapidly approaching the garden of the cold and monochrome – the garden of oblivion, where emptiness reigns supreme.
I then touch the tip of my torso before bringing my very hand in front of my face.
I see. I see a scarlet liquid trailing upon my fingers to ultimately reach the very ground. It is viscous, putrid, slimy, smelly and yet... I find it intimately beautiful.
«Confirmed. Unique Skill [Sangvis Regnvm]...successfully acquired»
Evidently, there is an unbearable and incomprehensible pain from being stabbed in a random street but– there is beauty in death, there is beauty in blood. All of it represents the cycle of life – a beginning coupled with an ending – and all of its never-ending possibilities. Truly, it is an enrapturing and beautiful scarlet.
«Confirmed. [Piercing Weapon Resistance]…successfully acquired».
And what's even more beautiful is that no one is looking at me, no one cares. No one dares to call an ambulance, no one wants to intercept the soon-to-be murderer. I am dying alone, all but alone without the presence of my few friends and my family, because they are all but hapless cowards.
It is a pitiful and miserable experience that no respectable human being should ever, ever encounter...
«Confirmed. Unique Skill [Lone Puppeteer]...successfully acquired»
But there is nothing more that can be done, and even if professionals were to come – it would be too little, too late.
It is the end.
A small and weak smile, adorned with blood, makes its way. And I can't help but be resentful, be resentful at my inability as a human being and my inability to do more to bring an end to the achromatic boringness that plagues my entire being.
«Confirmed. Constructing a superior and unfeeling body...successfully acquired»
Then—
The sweet lie of nothingness comes to enwrap me.
«Confirmed. Unique Skill [Alternative – Garden of Lies]...successfully acquired»