Monster Girl Encyclopedia Ch 01

Brightness. Blinding brightness was all Ethan Scott could remember before he woke up. It was an alien feeling, as if his body was floating in the air.

When his vision finally returned, he was confronted with an unimaginable reality. He really was floating in the air, in an unfamiliar space, and yet he was at peace. He didn't feel any panic or fear, just a serene calmness that washed over him as a soft breeze tickled his skin, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms.

The entire area was an open expanse. Wherever he looked, Ethan saw endless golden water covering the ground below him, and the sky was glowing with a similar golden hue. There were cherry blossom trees scattered about, their long and thick stems disappearing into the golden water. The cherry leaves rustled, some falling into the water and breaking its vast stillness for a few seconds, while other leaves just floated with the breeze.

"It's a beautiful place, isn't it?" Her voice was gentle yet commanding, making Ethan shiver a little.

"Yes, it is," Ethan mumbled, trying to make sense of the disembodied feminine voice that reverberated throughout the whole place. "Who are you? Why am I here and What is this place?"

"Take a breath." The speaker sounded amused. "I'll answer all of your questions, no need to hurry. We have all the time in the world because... you are dead."

"Dead?" Ethan asked.

"My apologies, this has all been my fault," another voice spoke to him. This one was also a woman, albeit she seemed to speak in an embarrassed and rather weak tone.

Right then, two feminine figures started materializing before him.

They both had red skin and jet-black hair. They had ears that ended in points and two golden horns jutting out of their skulls. One of them was wearing a large, intricately designed black gown with gleaming crystals, while the other, who seemed younger, was wearing a long black coat over a white shirt and black pants.

One of them spoke, whom Ethan recognized as the first woman who had spoken to him after he opened his eyes. "I'm Zeira. I am responsible for the safe passage of souls from life to the afterlife. In your world, I am known by many names and stories, albeit none even come close to my actual nature. The most common is the god of the underworld. And now you're in a realm where I reside and judge souls based on the life they led. This realm lies beyond life but before the afterlife."

Ethan had a lot of questions on his mind, and then it all came back to him. He had been driving his car to the director's place for a meeting about a new storyboard gig he'd gotten for a soon-to-be-produced film.

Most of his life, he'd been alone and had to struggle, but in the last six months, his life had turned upside down. He'd worked as a storyboard and conceptual artist for shows and had gotten many more jobs since then. After years of honing his skills and struggling to make ends meet, he had finally gotten himself an amazing home and was hoping to ask out a coworker who seemed to be showing interest in him too.

Alas, it all ended pretty soon. It was like waking up from a great dream before it even reached its high peaks. The black dog with raging red eyes had appeared before his car out of nowhere. He had slammed on the brakes and managed to stop the car before it could hit the dog and hurt it mortally. After that, it was all blurry. He remembered hearing a loud truck horn and a crash sound before his car started to spin, and then he lost his vision. His car was hit by a truck.

"I remember it now," Ethan spoke, looking at the red-skinned woman.

Zeira smiled warmly. "That makes my job easier." She had golden eyes and a warm smile. Although she appeared to be a woman in her 30s, Ethan felt she could be over a thousand years old and seemed pretty friendly for someone whose job seemed grim. "You may ask any questions that are on your mind, Ethan Scott."

Ethan was silent for a second. He had a clear question in mind. "Why did I have to die? I mean, I got into an accident, but why did it have to happen when everything was going so well for the first time in my life?"

"It's a mistake on our part, or more specifically, on my disciple's part," Zeira said, motioning to the other woman floating next to her.

Ethan turned his gaze to the other woman, who seemed younger and about his age, appearing to be in her early to mid-20s. "A few minutes ago, you apologized to me. What do you have to do with my death?"

The younger woman joined her hands. "My name's Yanai. I'm truly guilty of your death. It was a big mistake, one that I don't know how to repay." The woman sounded sincere, her voice weak and breaking, the very opposite of Zeira's.

She couldn't meet his eyes as she spoke. "My job is to dispatch the soul dog to Earth to bring a person's soul here. You weren't supposed to die today, but another Ethan Scott, who happened to live in the same city as you and is a criminal, was designated to die today. In my unfocused state, I accidentally sent the soul dog to you. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. You were already dead, and your body was too damaged to be revived."

Ethan was at a loss for words. Of all the people in the world, after so much pain he had gone through in his life, he got only a few weeks of happiness, and now it was gone. But he didn't freak out; in a way, he had wanted this, though not now, but a year ago, if he died back then it would've been a pleasant surprise.

A year ago, he had contemplated his wish to die and to get a chance to start everything from scratch. But then his life changed its course and got better than it had ever been. Still, there were many things he'd missed out on, many things he wanted to achieve but couldn't because of all the responsibilities he had to take up.

There were things he wanted to do differently in life but never had a chance to. If he really was dead and maybe got a chance to live again, it would be a great opportunity. "What is going to happen to me now, considering that I can't get my previous life back?"

Zeira spoke this time. "This is a very rare incident, and we're sad for you, but to make up for it, we can give you a new life in a new world. Maybe someplace you've dreamed of living in. There are countless realities in existence, and you have the chance to go anywhere but your previous life."

She continued. "Tell me, do you want to live in a world where kingdoms are fighting for dominance over each other, or do you want to live in a world where intergalactic travel is possible, and you can meet people from various backgrounds? Or do you just want to live a peaceful life as a humble farmer, marrying various women of different races and having a harem of your own like most men desire?"

"Is it all really possible?" Ethan had his doubts. At first, he wondered if he was in a coma and was just imagining everything, like one of those dreams that feel way too real to be dreams. He tried pinching himself really hard and felt pain, so he wasn't dreaming at least. And if he really did die due to Yanai's mistake and they were willing to give him a new life, he had to get one he could enjoy.

Come to think of it, he wondered what it would feel like to have a lot of girlfriends. His love life had been pretty non-existent in his previous life, and if what Zeira said was true, then he would be really lucky.

Yanai nodded. "Yes, it is. I believe you deserve a second chance, a chance to perhaps live a more fulfilling life."

It was an interesting offer. It's not like he had anything to lose. "I accept. I want to live in a world that isn't in a wartime era, but I would like to fight and help people and, as you mentioned, have a harem of beautiful women."

Zeira clapped her hands. "It's settled then. There's this world called Ardalon." As she spoke, a three-dimensional projection of the planet appeared between them. "It's very much like Earth but also more... mystical. There are hundreds of races in this world and many states and countries."

"It's relatively peaceful compared to many other worlds. There are no major wars happening, and there doesn't seem to be a chance of any occurring. But that isn't to say it's safe. The world is filled with dangerous creatures who wouldn't mind killing others to fill their bellies or pockets."

The world seemed to have around ten or eleven continents, some archipelagos, and various islands. There were rocky desert places, verdant and ripe forests, large cities, small towns, and much more he thought would be fun to explore.

Zeira paused for a moment and then smiled at Ethan suggestively before continuing, "There are plenty of races of women to choose from. Harems are pretty common in this world, if you wish to spend your life here, you can marry as many women as you want or maybe just have sexual relationships with them."

"Sounds like a great place." Although the thought of not being able to fulfill his previous life's aims made his heart ache a little, the prospect of living a life he'd always dreamt of in a fantasy book-like world seemed greater. "I choose this world, but I hope I won't have to be born here as a child. I don't want to start my life from the beginning."

"Surely, we can send you to that world at your current age, which is 23."

"I'd like that. What else do I need to know?" he asked.

"Ardalon is filled with magic. The world works on a simple leveling system, wherein you gain experience points through killing enemies, gaining proficiency in abilities, completing quests, and exploring the world. Most people in Ardalon grow up knowing all these things and are trained from childhood to survive in this world. But you'll be a newcomer here, and to aid you in your new life, we offer you a few gifts."

Zeira snapped her fingers, and Ethan was bathed in a warm golden light. He had to close his eyes, but when he opened them, he noticed that nothing had changed.

"I've given you an ability called True Vision. When a person in this world reaches over Level 70, they gain this ability. To activate it, you just have to say the word 'vision' in your mind while looking at what you want to find information on. Try it on Yanai."

He turned to the young woman who blushed slightly as he gazed at her and thought the word "vision." Like Zeira said, a game-like window appeared before his eyes, where he could see the details, but they were very general and limited.

Name: Yanai

Race: Maelor

Gender: Female

Zeira had a knowing look on her face. "I know what you're thinking. There isn't much to read there because we don't abide by the laws of that world. Only those who live in the world can be properly assessed with the True Vision. It will be really handy for you while fighting. You'll know your opponent's race, their level, and their attacks too."

"This is an incredible ability, Miss Zeira," he said. "Thank you."

Yanai was the one who spoke this time. "I should be the one thanking you, as it was due to my actions that you ended up here. But you didn't lash out at me and accepted your fate."

"Okay, that brings us to the second gift I'm bestowing upon you. What would you like your body to be?" Zeira asked. "You can be anything you want, but once you've chosen, you'll have to live with it forever."

"Hmmm... anything." He pondered over it. In his previous life, he wasn't a bad-looking guy. He wasn't handsome like a model, but he looked good and did get some great looks from women a few times. But it wouldn't hurt to become more handsome, and if he was going to get with many women, he also needed a bigger cock to satisfy them. He blushed a little before speaking, "I want to become more good-looking and also, um... have a bigger dick."

Yanai didn't meet his eyes but smiled shyly, while Zeira was smiling warmly as usual. "I grant you these wishes, Ethan. You'll also retain memories of your previous life and any skills you have gained, but this new body will be better than your previous one." He didn't feel any changes in his body yet, so he'd have to wait till he reached Ardalon, he thought.

"May you live a fulfilling and righteous life, and the next time we meet, I hope you'll be ready to accompany me to the afterlife. Yanai will lead you to Ardalon now, and she will bestow you with a third gift as well. Until we meet again, Ethan Scott." Zeira reached out a hand, and Ethan shook it.

And with that, she was gone. Just as she disappeared, Yanai took a sigh of relief. "She can be a bit scary," Yanai said. "I'm sorry again for leading you to this."

"I accept your apology, Yanai."

His words seemed to put Yanai at peace; she calmed down a bit. "Thank you, Ethan. Shall I take you to Ardalon now?"

"Yes, please, but don't kill me again. Well, at least not until I'm an old man in my 90s and have fulfilled all my dreams." He laughed for the first time since coming here.

Yanai got the joke and giggled. "I won't. I promise."

The Maelor woman's finger glowed with the same golden light. She stretched her hand forward and drew a large circle in the air. When she finished drawing the circle, it floated there and started glowing brightly like a portal. "Once you step beyond this, you'll be in Ardalon. Let's begin."

Yanai reached out a hand to him. He looked at her and then grabbed her hand, clasping it tightly as she pulled him into the circle. He was once again bathed in the same golden light. He closed his eyes and assumed he would levitate in the air like he had back in Zeira's realm, but he was surprised to find something beneath his feet. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in a forest with Yanai.

It was very similar to a forest on Earth, yet it looked distinct. There were various familiar trees and many unfamiliar ones too. "Welcome to Ardalon, Ethan."