《Threads of Fate: Otherworldly apostle and the divine shop》 Chapter 01: New Horizon I finished work early today to go to an alumni reunion, and headed home to prepare myself, but as I opened the door, my body became heavy, and the area around me became darker and darker until I passed out. I woke up inside an infinite white void. I looked around trying to make sense of what happened to me. I saw a round table with 3 chairs in the distance, so I got closer. On the first chair was a middle-aged caucasian looking man with a muscular build and long silver hair. He wore a white chiton adorned with golden patterns. Next to him sat a beautiful lady who appeared to be in her late twenties, with black short hair, brown eyes and olive skin, and wore an enchanting dark navy blue maxi dress adorned with silver accents. The weird location and their majestic aura made one thing clear, this is the after life. As a moth drawn to a flame, my body slowly gravitated towards them, halted only by a gentle, motherly voice. ¡°Take a seat¡± urged the mysterious woman. I hesitantly sat down on the chair opposite them and asked ¡°Did I somehow die, and is this heaven?¡± [Alan Adams] The woman glanced at the man beside her, and he responded, ¡°Not necessarily. You didn¡¯t die by the normal means of Earth, but a dimensional rift pulled away your soul. We pulled your soul here to try and rectify the problem¡± [Mysterious Man]. I felt crushed inside, and negative thoughts began to circle in my mind, but they got interrupted by the woman¡¯s gentle voice. ¡°Since the rift happened due to a conflict in the godly realm, we will make up for what you have lost, so worry not. I am Olivia, the goddess of creation of planet Azure. Next to me is Viracocha, the god of your planet.¡± [Olivia] Olivia set down the tea cup she was holding on the table, then continued speaking. ¡°Now for how to rectify it is a bit complex. We can¡¯t simply return you back to Earth since your body is too far gone, and since Earth works with a strict cause and effect system with no magic, we can¡¯t remake or fix your body without creating distortions. I can offer you two options: either we erase your memories and reincarnate you in my world, or I can create a body for you with the same memories and knowledge, but then you will have to follow a mission.¡± [Olivia] A bit of relief washed over me, knowing I have another shot at life. However, this feeling is tainted with a hint of resentment for being entangled in their problems. It''s not wise to act rashly in the presence of gods, so I took a deep breath, composed myself, and responded logically. ¡°May I ask a few questions, please?¡± [Alan Adams] ¡°Yes, you may,¡± replied [Olivia]. ¡°Is your planet similar to Earth? What kind of creatures inhabit it? Will I be bound by strict religious doctrines? Regarding the mission, what does it entail, and what are the consequences if I fail after reincarnation?¡± Olivia took a sip of her tea, smiled, and answered ¡°The planet differs; it possesses magic and skills, making its civilization lag behind yours. Creatures range from spiritual beings and humanoid races to intelligent monsters, monsters, animals, and plants. Religious diversity exists, and as long as you act in good faith, you can live freely.¡± She paused, adjusted her posture, and continued ¡°The main landmass is a single continent surrounded by seas and oceans. The power balance is fragile. In 12 years, a war lasting 3 years will erupt, followed by a plague that will claim two-thirds of the population. Your mission is to prevent this catastrophe. I will grant you a special power, whether it be as an archmage, hero, or something else. Gods can''t interfere much, but a soul contract will end your life if you fail.¡± [Olivia] Resting my chin on my hands, I pondered my options. Reincarnation would let me keep my memories, essentially extending my life, but with the added burden of the contract. On the other hand, rebirth would free me but reset my progress. Goddess Olivia didn''t specify power options, so perhaps indirect methods could succeed. Correcting my posture, I looked at her and asked, ¡°Can I accomplish the mission indirectly, like creating a competing power to balance the empires?¡± [Alan Adams] Olivia giggled, moved her chair closer, and replied ¡°Certainly possible. It''ll be entertaining to watch. What power do you desire?¡± [Olivia] Taking a deep breath, I answered ¡°The power to bring items from Earth.¡± [Alan Adams] Olivia looked at Viracocha, asking ¡°Your cooperation is needed; what do you think?¡± [Olivia] Viracocha leaned back, considered, and responded ¡°Possible, but it must be limited. Equal trades for each item, and what you can buy unlocks with special conditions. Your starting funds equal double your net worth on Earth.¡± [Viracocha] Olivia smiled, raised her hand, and a screen appeared. ¡°In a good mood, I''ll let you choose your race and age. A special maid will help you adapt and protect you.¡± [Olivia] I thanked her and selected elf for a longer lifespan and 30 for age, not wanting to risk choosing an age where the brain isn¡¯t fully developed. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°I wish you luck in your next life. May you make my world more entertaining.¡± [Olivia] I nodded and stepped into the portal; as I did, consciousness slipped away. I awoke with my head resting on something soft. As I moved, I noticed a pretty woman with fair skin, green eyes, and neck-length crimson hair. Startled, I sat up. She lowered her head and said, ¡°My name is Sara, a demi-angel. From today, I will be your maid. Please take care of me, Master.¡± [Sara] Taking a better look, she wore a black and white maid outfit, and her chest size was a B cup. Wanting to introduce myself, I decided to rename in this new world. "Raise your head. I am Alanthin Igor; you may call me Alan. So, Sara, what are demi-angels, and what are you capable of? Do you have any information about my skills or the world?" [Alanthin Igor] Sara raised her head and looked at me ¡°Demi-angels are creatures with a human soul mixed with angelic essence. While low in rank, we help in mundane tasks in heaven. I can do house chores, use intermediate fire magic, beginner earth magic, and have basic martial arts skills. Regarding the world, I have limited information, but for general knowledge, saying ¡®status¡¯ or thinking intently of it will show your status and from there, you can check your skills and abilities. Currently, we are not near any settlement, and no monsters are close, but we only have 6 hours until night.¡± [Sara] Thanking her, I opened my status screen. Basic info like race, age, and name appeared. Under those were my skills: ¡®memories from the other world,¡¯ ¡®language comprehension,¡¯ and ¡®otherworldly store.¡¯ Next to it was a text saying ¡®Balance: $450,000.¡¯ I thought of the skill name ¡®otherworldly store,¡¯ and a different window opened up. Inside, I saw buttons for different categories: ¡®Food,¡¯ ¡®library,¡¯ ¡®stationer,¡¯ ¡®agriculture,¡¯ ¡®kitchen appliances,¡¯ ¡®house appliances,¡¯ ¡®Medicine,¡¯ ¡®hygiene,¡¯ ¡®communication,¡¯ ¡®production,¡¯ ¡®vehicles,¡¯ ¡®defense,¡¯ ¡®Clothing and textiles,¡¯ and ¡®sell items.¡¯ All had a lock icon except for food. I clicked food, and it showed ¡®level 1,¡¯ ¡®level 2¡¯ (locked), and the third was just a locked item. I selected ¡®level 1¡¯ and bought basic ingredients. For now, I bought: I pressed ¡®buy cart,¡¯ and a message showed ¡®total price: $12. Buy: yes/ no.¡¯ I pressed yes and set the delivery location to be the ground next to me. With this, we should have enough food to figure out this new world safely. What''s left is cooking tools; we need pots and a stove. I clicked ¡®kitchen appliances,¡¯ but it said ¡®Unlock for $5,000: Yes/ No.¡¯ I pressed yes, realizing I needed to be careful about which categories to choose first since I had limited funds. Now that I unlocked it, I bought from its level one: Total expenditure was $5056. I handed over the purchased items to Sara, explaining how to use the stove, then asked her to make a simple lunch. Meanwhile, I thought of building a base; the best option is to unlock ¡®production.¡¯ It cost $10,000. Since we didn¡¯t have time to search for a forest, cut trees, and process them, it was a no-brainer to buy the wood from my skill. After buying the wood and hand tools, it cost $1,500. While Sara cooked, I started drawing the outline of the shed on the ground, ending up with 4m*3m space. I started cutting the wood and took a break when lunch was ready. Sara prepared a humble meal of boiled red lentils and rice. Surprisingly delightful considering the simplicity of the ingredients. The addition of milk infused a creamy richness into the dish. ¡°You mentioned demi-angels having a human soul inside them. Does that mean you have memories of a previous life?¡± [Alanthin Igor] ¡°Some do, but most don¡¯t. I myself don¡¯t have memories of life before working in heaven.¡± [Sara] ¡°Oh, that¡¯s sad to hear.¡± [Alanthin Igor] ¡°It is okay, Master. It is also convenient not having those memories.¡± [Sara] ¡°Convenient?¡± [Alanthin Igor] ¡°Yes. Demi-angels who don¡¯t awaken their memories can focus on their work without their emotions getting in the way.¡± [Sara] Feeling a twinge of irritation, I spoke sternly, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to have that mentality with me. I want Sara to have autonomy over her emotions; work comes second.¡± [Alanthin Igor] ¡°I will try my best to live up to your expectations, Master.¡± [Sara] . . . After lunch, Sara helped me cut the wood, and by night, we finished outer walls only, with an open ceiling and door space. I unlocked ¡®defense¡¯ ($10,000) and ¡®clothing and textiles¡¯ ($5,000). From defense, I got: They cost $1,050. From the clothing menu, I got: For $228. I set them up, and we prepared the shed as our bedroom, placing the futons close to each other. As I laid down, Sara sat on the edge of the futon and didn¡¯t seem like she was going to sleep. ¡°Sara, why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± [Alanthin Igor] With a firm voice, she answered ¡°I can¡¯t sleep and leave Master unprotected.¡± [Sara] Now it hit me; I am not living in a modern society anymore. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t sleep well knowing you are fully awake. How about we take turns?¡± [Alanthin Igor] She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that; a maid shouldn¡¯t...¡± [Sara] I interrupted her, placing my finger in front of her lips ¡°That¡¯s an order. If you really care about your duties as a maid, then you must take care of your body. Since I woke up later, I will take the first turn and will wake you up after I get sleepy.¡± [Alanthin Igor] She felt a bit hesitant, but at the end she complied. I took over the watch while carrying the spear and had the blanket over my shoulders. After 4 hours, I got sleepy but resisted; at the end, I woke her up after 5 hours and went to sleep. It seems like she prefers the sword. It felt comforting to have her with me; it would have been lonely to be alone in a different world outside of the cities. I thanked the gods for sending her with me and prayed to them, then slept. This concluded the first day on Azure. Total expenditure: $32,846 Menus unlocked: -Food level 1 -Clothing and textiles level 1 - Production Level 1 - Defense level 1 - Kitchen appliances level 1 Time left for mission: 5478 days Companions: 1 Chapter 02: Surprises Day 2 I awoke, still groggy. After rubbing my eyes and stretching, Sara caught my attention with her serene presence. A subconscious smile crept onto my face. ¡°Good morning, Sara.¡± [Alanthin Igor] Her response, accompanied by a smile that could thaw the chill of sleep, set a pleasant tone for the day. ¡°Good morning, Master Alan. Here''s some warm milk to start your day.¡± [Sara] Accepting the cup she offered, I took a few sips, surprised by its sweeter taste compared to Earth''s milk. Expressing gratitude, I fought the urge to pat her shiny crimson hair, resisting any impulsive actions. After finishing the cup of milk, I unlocked ''Hygiene'' ($10,000) and the ''Agricultural'' tab ($5,000). I purchased the following items for a total of ($92): These acquisitions would suffice for our basic hygiene and bathroom needs, though far from ideal for someone accustomed to modern living. Fortunately, a nearby river spared us from using precious drinking water for cleaning. Taking turns keeping watch for potential dangers, we accomplished our tasks and returned to the camp. Since were starving, I splurged on essential food items for $27: Sara''s culinary skills transformed these basics into a feast. The aroma wafting from the pots was irresistible.We decided to dine inside the shed today. Curiosity got the better of me. ¡°What''s your favorite dish?¡± [Alanthin Igor] Sara''s response struck a chord. ¡°Anything that Master likes.¡± [Sara] Shaking my head, I pressed for a personal preference. ¡°I like many things, but that¡¯s unrelated. I am asking about what you personally like.¡± [Alanthin Igor] After a brief pause, Sara met my gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t remember when I ate it, but I like cheeseburgers.¡± [Sara] A shared fondness for the same dish brought a spark of connection. ¡°I like it too. I know what to buy for dinner now.¡± [Alanthin Igor] . . . After lunch we headed to the river to fetch more water using the empty buckets while carrying our weapons with us. Suddenly, Sara halted, placing her empty buckets on the ground, unsheathing her sword, and whispering, "Master, please be careful; there is a boar nearby." [Sara] Mirroring her caution, I readied my spear, offering a smile as I said, "Good work noticing it. Now let me help you hunt it." [Alanthin Igor] The boar, massive with imposing tusks and mahogany fur streaked with white, became our target. Slowly advancing, I instructed Sara to agitate it with a magic pebble. As the enraged boar charged towards us, Sara chanted ''quagmire,'' immobilizing the creature. Seizing the opportunity, I thrust my spear into its head while Sara slashed its neck. With a final cry, the boar succumbed. Unable to sell the entire boar as is, I surmised that breaking it down into specific products would be more profitable. We dragged the boar to the riverbank, strategically placing stones to elevate its rear end and facilitate blood drainage. ¡°I''ll bring some items from the camp; please stay here and watch over the carcass.¡± [Alanthin Igor] Sara agreed, so I went back to the camp. The main reason I kept her is that she has higher combat ability and can use magic. After a couple of minutes, I brought back the gloves, soap, and dish soap. I handed the smaller gloves to Sara, and she wore them. I then purchased additional items we''ll need ($45): ¡°Sara, please cut the head. I want to try something out.¡± [Alanthin Igor] Sara nodded and used the sword to chop its head off. Curious about how it will go, I pressed ¡®sell item.¡¯ It asked me to touch the item, and a message showed ¡®Sell boar head with long tusk for $400: Yes/ No.¡¯ After pressing yes, the head disappeared. After that, I asked her to cut the boar in half. Together we removed the hide. I did the same as what I did for the head, and it sold for ($200). Then we butchered the boar, and I checked the price of 60 kg of boar meat, and it was ($600), so I sold it. After 4 hours, we were finished, but it looked weird since all there is around us is blood. Thankfully, since Sara knew about my ability, there were no misunderstandings. After that, I upgraded ¡®defense¡¯ ($15,000), and when it became level 2, I got access to ranged weapons like bows and crossbows, tents, and more advanced survival items. So I bought one of the new items ($150): We cleaned off the blood from the knives, cutting board, and the weapons in the river and made sure the rubber gloves were clean, then packed the supplies in the camping backpacks and headed back home. When we arrived at our camp, I was tired and wanted to take a nap, but it wouldn¡¯t do to stay dirty. We don¡¯t have a clean water source other than water bottles and the river. Using bottled water would be a huge waste of money, so the river is the best option. ¡°Sara, empty the contents of the backpack, then put in the camping burner, laundry detergent, and soap. We will go to the river to clean ourselves¡± [Alanthin Igor] Sara nodded and replied ¡°Yes, Master. I will get it done immediately¡± [Sara]. As she was doing that, I bought ($12): I wiped down the dry sword and spear tip with the oil to make sure they don¡¯t rust. By the time I was done, I saw Sara waiting behind me, so I handed her the sword. Then we each grabbed a bucket and headed to the river. After some walking, we arrived at an area that has a flat land next to the river, so I stopped and dropped the bucket next to me. ¡°I will get some supplies we will need to clean ourselves, so please keep on the lookout¡± [Alanthin Igor] Sara nodded and was checking the environment around us, but it seems like there is nothing dangerous nearby. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I bought ($102): ¡°Please help me build this tent here¡± [Alanthin Igor]. Sara swiftly held the tent from the other side and helped me unpack it. After some fiddling around, we were able to set it a few meters away from the river. ¡°I will now buy a change of clothes for us, but we don¡¯t have the measurements to get the correct size. I will take yours, and you take mine. Is that ok with you?¡± [Alanthin Igor]. Evil thought, begone; I am just doing it to avoid buying the wrong size. ¡°Yes, Master, I am fine with that¡± [Sara]. On the first day, since I was busy thinking about basic survival, I didn¡¯t pay too much attention to how charming she is, but I need to keep some boundaries. The last thing I want is to break the trust of my only companion. I cleared my naughty thoughts and got closer to her, then got her measurements. After that, I handed over the measuring tape to her, and she took my measurements. After we were done with that, I bought: Since functionality is the most important thing here, I would rather not risk buying something with tiny pockets. While the maid outfit was cute, this outfit would be more practical. As for myself, I got: For the showering tools, I got: In total, I spent ($982). I set the delivery location to be inside the tent and showed them to Sara. ¡°Oh, this feels like new year¡¯s shopping¡± [Sara] She had a happy expression Seeing her smile made me smile, but under my smile lies a bitter expression. ¡°It sure does; it brings back many memories¡­¡± [Alanthin Igor]. A worried expression clouded her face, so I interjected to ease the tension. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; it is just about my previous world. Let¡¯s focus on what we have on hand instead¡± [Alanthin Igor]. With a bitter expression, Sara nodded her head. Next to the tent, we installed the two burners and filled the kettles with river water. Waiting for them to boil, we lined up the buckets in front of the tent and half filled them with river water. With this, we are done; all we have left is to wait for the water to boil. I looked at Sara with a grin and said, ¡°Hey Sara, want to play tic-tac-toe?¡± She looked at me and tilted her head in confusion and replied ¡°Is that a game from master¡¯s world?¡± [Sara] I looked at her proudly ¡°Yes! We make 9 squares, and one of us will have the symbol of ¡®X¡¯ while the other will have ¡®O¡¯. Each turn, one of us places their symbol in an empty square, and the winner is the one who gets 3 of their symbols vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.¡± Her eyes lit up, and she answered ¡°I am looking forward to playing it!¡± [Sara] The first match I wo¨C, I wanted to say I won, but the truth is the first was a draw, then I lost 3 times in a row to her. I am kind of feeling bitter, but seeing her smile washed that bitterness away. By the time we were finished playing, the water was boiling, so I mixed it with the cold water until it became warm. After that, I refilled the kettles with river water and put them on the burner for the next person. Since the water is still inside the bucket, I can somehow see a reflection of myself. I haven¡¯t bothered to see how I looked like with this new body, but it was a bit out of my expectations. When people say elf, they picture a blond person with fair skin, but my hair is black, in fact, the same color and shape as what it looked like on earth. Even my facial features are not too different from what I originally looked like, minus the long pointy ears. I am a bit worried that I am the only elf with dark hair, but I guess it isn¡¯t the end of the world. Behind the tent, Sara is keeping watch, so I took off my clothes and washed my body, using the small bowl to scoop the water on my body. It felt refreshing to wash away the dirt with warm water. After I dried myself, I remembered I forgot to buy a roll-on; I guess it is a bit greedy since I am on a different planet, but smelling fresh is worth it! I quickly bought: I changed into the new clothes, then put my used roll-on inside the backpack. I put hers unopened next to the shampoo. I come back to Sara with the towel on my head, I wave to her ¡°I am done, it felt so refreshing! Now it is your turn; I will watch over the surroundings¡± [Alanthin Igor]. She smiled but then got a bit closer ¡°I am glad to hear that, Master. Now you smell really good; I really like it¡± [Sara] I got flustered and taken back slightly as I wasn¡¯t expecting her to do that randomly, but I quickly regained my composure and smiled ¡°Thank you; I am glad you liked it. After you use the products, we will smell the same¡± [Alanthin Igor] Then we arrived at the tent, and I showed her where each one of those products was and where her clothes were. I went behind the tent to look out for dangers while she cleaned herself. Thankfully, it went well, actually not completely since when she came over wearing modern clothes and with her damp red hair and smooth skin, my heart went on a rampage. ¡°Sara, you look pretty and smell great too¡± [Alanthin Igor] She blushed and smiled ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± [Sara] We washed our clothes inside the bucket, then squeezed the water, put them in the empty buckets, and packed our supplies. I was a bit surprised to see her using everything since I forgot to explain how to use them, I guess she is really smart. After that, we headed back to the camp. It was already getting late, and the sun was almost setting. With a mischievous smile, I looked at Sara ¡°Look forward to today¡¯s surprise!¡± [Alanthin Igor] She tilted her head and looked at me confused ¡°Surprise?¡± [Sara]. I nodded and continued walking with a grin until we reached the shed, got inside after taking off our boots, and sat down on the futon. I leveled up the food menu to level 2 ($5000), which unlocked cheap packaged goods and some fast food items, so I bought ($50): I placed the items near us, except for the candles. I placed them around us to improve the atmosphere of the room. ¡°Sara, can you ignite those candles, please?¡± [Alanthin Igor]. She nods and ignites the five candles with high dexterity. Her fire magic control is truly beautiful. When she was done, I handed her a cheeseburger and a can of cola. She took them from me then took a bite of her burger. As she did that, her eyes lit up, and she looked like a kid getting their birthday present. ¡°Thank you so much, Master! I don¡¯t know why, but this burger feels very nostalgic¡± [Sara] ¡°Nostalgic, you say? Wasn¡¯t it something you ate while working in heaven?¡± [Alanthin Igor] She shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember when or where I ate it; I just remember eating it and loving it¡± [Sara] Her answer took me by surprise, but I smiled at her. ¡°Maybe it is your human soul¡¯s memory reacting to it; if that¡¯s the case, it makes it all the better¡± [Alanthin Igor] . . . Sara seemed to be in deep at first, but she was trying to hide it. I guess that topic is a bit hard to swallow for her. After that, we munched on the snacks. Our feast lasted a couple of hours where we enjoyed delicious food and snacks and laughed. It was a blissful night. Total expenditure:wrong: $69,278 Menus unlocked: -Food level 2 -Clothing and textiles level 1 - Production Level 1 - Defense level 2 - Hygiene level 1 - Kitchen appliances 1 Time left for mission: 5477 days companions: 1