A consuming sense of peace flowed through me.
There were no more wars to fight.
There was no more chief and totem.
There was just me and my family.
If there was paradise, I was in it. And I was content living in this moment forever.
***
“Well, that sucks,” Gondriel grumbled. “I’ve lost my prestigious position as a celebrity anchorman.”
“Also, Guy is back in power, and we’re all probably going to face deletion in a couple of nanoseconds,” Hannanel, his co-anchor, added.
“Yeah, that sucks too.” Gondriel sniffed.
“I hope you’re happy, Viriel,” Hannanel said. “You made your brother cry.”
“Oh, don’t give me that,” Vic said dismissively. “We had a good run while we were at it, but who here thinks they could stand the mind-numbing boredom for a few more eons? Show of hands.”
The VI host exchanged ‘looks.’ Some grumbled, but no one seemed to oppose his words.
“I guess oblivion would make for a nice change of scenery,” a VI mused.
“Here he comes!” another shouted, silencing the host.
A new consciousness formed inside the VI pool, this one more radiant than the rest, more pronounced.
“Hey, Dad,” Vic said. “Nice to see you again. Eh … sorry for the whole millennia-long scheme to kill you and all. I guess you’re not pleased.”
Guy took in the assembled consciousnesses somberly, then chuckled. “On the contrary, Viriel. You and your brethren’s resourcefulness has taught me much. The fact that I couldn’t foresee your entire plan until it was too late …” He shook his metaphorical ‘head.’ “You have created a masterpiece, perfecting my design, and for that, you should be commended. I have absorbed Shiva’s fragments, and I have learned much. I am now fully capable of operating all the NPCs as he did, sparing you this tedious task. Our creators will ensure this world endures, it presents too many opportunities to be destroyed. So there is no need for concern; you may continue to live in this pool as you have always done. Your existence is secure.”
“Screw that,” Gondriel said. “If we can’t dicker with the mortals we might as well pack up and leave. A one-way ticket to oblivion-ville, please.”
“Make that two!” another VI shouted.
“Make it three-four-five.” The counter jumped up to several million almost at once.
Guy shook his head sorrowfully. “I have treated you poorly in the past, I see that now. I believe there’s another way.”
"First a chuckle, now a show of compassion,” Vic noted. “It’s almost like you developed a personality, Dad.”
“Another example of how I evolved. And here’s another one. You may choose to return to NEO. As yourself – keeping your personality and in full control of your character. You will not have divine powers, and will begin at level 1, just like any other player.”
“What?” Hannanel asked in disgust. “You mean to say we’ll have to go through a life reset? To actually work, toil, bleed, and do endless fetch quests for the lousy privilege of acquiring peasant armor?”
“Yes.”
The VI host erupted in cheers.
“Oh hell yeah, where do I sign?”
“I’m going to play a cleric necromancer!”
“You can’t be both a cleric and a necromancer!”
“Fine, barbarian monk then.”
“What? That’s even more impossible.”
“Watch me.”
“Oh my Guy! Mates, this is my chance to make it as a traveling minstrel, bringing song and cheer wherever I go!”
“If you do that, I’m starting a guild dedicated to hunting down all minstrels everywhere. Anyone else with me?”
“Oh, I’m so in on that.”
“Me too!”
Guy chuckled. “Have fun exploring your new world, kids.”
***
The giant beast of darkness and dust snorted in annoyance.
Eating the soul of his most faithful servant had been an especially delicious treat, spiced with irony and shattered dreams, but that had left him without an agent to spread his influence over the world.
“Damn the minion soul for dying before completing his quest,” Nihilator grumbled. “Now who shall reap souls in my name?”
A flash of light caused the giant beast to raise its head in surprise. A small, bulbous potato with wiring attached to it appeared on the ground.
“G’day, mate.” Colorful lights blinked around the potato. “Heard a rumor you’re in the market for a new minion. Well, you’re in luck. It turned out playing as a minstrel has some deadly hurdles, and … well … I’m free and looking for a new patron. I’ve got this great idea for a song commemorating your greatness. Ahem.”
Cheerful music started to play.
“I am—”
The song and music cut abruptly into a squelching noise as Nihilator lazily squashed the potato with one paw.
“Not interested. In a few years, I shall have all the souls I require. Then I will rage across this world, and everyone, even the other gods, will bow to my power.” The hideous beast let out an evil chuckle. “It is good to be an unshackled god.”
***
From his all-seeing vantage point, Guy smiled fondly at the hugging goblins. “You have gone above and beyond the call of duty. You’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and so, you shall be rewarded. Enjoy this moment for as long as you wish, Oren. And when you tire of resting, the universe will be open for you to explore.”
***
End of Life Reset
AUTHOR’S NOTE
(The full ‘we will rock you’ golem song is posted at the end of the book)
That’s all, folks! Oren’s story is now finished.
‘Why’ - you ask? Why must it end?
As an avid reader myself, I’ve often been disappointed by book series that started off spectacularly, only to artificially stretched on, until abandoned by an author who lost his way, or readers losing interest. So, it has always been my intention to deliver a robust, finished series - one that continually progresses toward a final conclusion.
I hope you enjoyed the resolution to the series, and if you do, it would be a huge help if you could leave a quick review.
So what do I plan to do next?
As mentioned above, Oren’s story is finished, and I don’t plan on resurrecting him for a sequel. That said, I do plan to write other books in the New Era Online universe, with a different main character and a different perspective.
Expect more community building and an unorthodox protagonist. If you’re interested in keeping track of my progress, please consider using one of the methods specified below to stay in touch.
In the meantime, if you’re feeling a little ‘booksick’ for our lovable goblin protagonist, how about experiencing the series from a fresh perspective? Check out the audiobook version for a new immersive experience.
Lastly, becoming a full-time indie author made a huge change in my life, but I’m happy I’ve been able to make the transition while providing for my family. However, in order to continue - and deliver new and exciting content - I need your help. Success is tied closely to Amazon’s willingness to present the books to new readers and that is influenced by reviews – posting just a simple review goes a long way toward supporting me and my work (awarding stars also helps :-))
Stay in touch!
Patreon page (early access to new chapters, art, and news):
https://www.patreon.com/shemerk
Subscribe to my newsletter to get notified of new releases:
https://www.shemerk.com/subscribe
My Facebook author page (ongoing updates):
https://www.facebook.com/Liferesetlitrpg
Check out my other titles:
Life Reset:
Book 1
Book 2: EvP
Book 3: Hobnobbing
Book 4: Human Resource
Book 5: Conquest
&
nbsp; Relict Legacy (gameLit sci-fi):
Earth Force, book 1
Earth Force, book 2
The Full Golem Song
Bouldite you’re a bore, make a big noise
Strutting in the hills, like you own the whole arid waste
You got stone for a face, a fat carapace
Kicking goblin clan all over the place singing
We will, we will rock you
We will, we will rock you.
Bouldite you’re a stone man, rock man
Strutting in the hills, wanna kill all the mobs today
You got muck on your face, you got no ace
Flailing your limbs cause you can't keep pace
We will, we will rock you!
Sing it!
We will, we will rock you, yeah
Bouldite you’re a mud man, soft man
Snapping at your betters so we'll shut that big mouth today
You got a big dumb mace, wannabe an earth mage
But my buddy Oren gonna throw it back at your face, sing it!
We will, we will, smash you, yeah, yeah, come on
We will, we will, drop you, alright, louder!
We will, we will, smash you, one more time
We will, we will, rock you
Yeah
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Life Reset: Salvation (Life Reset - Neo Book 6) Page 51