"Rejoice, I have chosen you to be the Messiah of my great race."
The Greater Kobold's voice boomed across the palace despite its small body. The golden pillars vibrated slightly from the force of its words while faint ripples spread across the polished floor beneath the throne.
Dennis stared at the deity for several seconds before slowly shifting his attention toward the massive kobold statues surrounding the hall.
He had to admit this place was significantly better than the creepy death cave and whatever that winged weirdo planned to do with him, but that still did not change the fact that a talking kobold was currently trying very hard to look divine.
The thing looked like a damn Pokémon.
No matter how hard Dennis tried, he simply could not find something that looked like this intimidating.
"What is a God Agent?" Dennis asked.
He was dead. He understood that much. Beyond that, he barely understood half the nonsense this kobold was talking about.
Thankfully, the Greater Kobold seemed almost excited by the question.
"A God Agent is like a Messiah to a race. They can come in the form of a prophet, a king, a conqueror, or a general. They are champions chosen by deities to guide a race toward prosperity." The Greater Kobold straightened proudly upon his throne before continuing.
"From your world, consider Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Genghis Khan of Mongolia, or the Great Prophet Muhammad. They were all individuals chosen by Heaven to bring greatness and prosperity to their people. You have been given the opportunity to do the same."
Dennis slowly nodded while scratching the back of his head. His expression remained completely devoid of the excitement the deity clearly expected. His gaze wandered across the rows of golden kobold statues before eventually returning to the throne.
"As a kobold?"
The Greater Kobold blinked.
There was something in Dennis's voice that immediately bothered him. It was not confusion or concern. It sounded suspiciously close to disappointment.
Before the deity could correct whatever misunderstanding had formed inside the mortal's head, Dennis continued speaking.
"I'm sorry, but putting kobold and prosperity in the same sentence feels weird. Unless we're talking about a world where the greatest threat is goblins. If there are humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, and all the usual fantasy races..." Dennis paused before releasing a low suggestive whistle.
The smile on the Greater Kobold's face vanished instantly.
"You ungrateful swine! You failed as a human and yet you dare look down on my people?!"
The entire palace shook violently and golden pillars trembled. The floor cracked and dust rained from above. Yet, Dennis simply rolled his eyes.
The irony of being more worried about falling debris than the deity causing the earthquake was not lost on him.
"See, I mean no disrespect, but come on. Unless I can perform miracles, I don't see prosperity coming ooh. I have warned you."
Dennis folded his arms and turned away.
Who was this god trying to stress?
He should just send him to hell and save everyone the trouble.
"Bastard! I spent five thousand years accumulating power just to give your reincarnation five percent true draconic bloodline and this is how you thank me?!"
The Greater Kobold was visibly fuming. Dennis, meanwhile, looked genuinely confused.
"Ooh? You spent five thousand years for just five percent DNA? We are dying in the trenches."
Buzz!
The Greater Kobold froze and his jaw slowly dropped.
For several seconds he simply stared at Dennis as if trying to determine whether the mortal had genuinely said those words or if he had somehow imagined them.
The expression on his face clearly translated to: What the fuck did you just say?
Thankfully, the deity was an ancient and wise being known for his patience.
"Fucking human," he muttered under his breath before forcing a smile so fake that even Dennis noticed it.
The Greater Kobold jumped off his throne. He landed with a light thud before casually walking around Dennis in a slow circle, studying him from every angle.
"Alright. We got off on the wrong foot here, but you need to understand something. You need me just as much as I need you."
Dennis glanced toward him but said nothing.
"Without me, your memories would be stripped away and your soul would be thrown back into the universe. Your next existence would be completely random. There is roughly a one in a billion chance that you become human again. You could become a bird. You could become a bug. You could become livestock waiting to be eaten. You could spend your next life crawling through mud while being stepped on by creatures too large to even notice you exist."
As he spoke, a translucent panel materialized in the air. Images began flashing across its surface.
Dennis's nonchalant eyes widened at the sight or towering mountains pierced the clouds.
Ancient forests stretched beyond the horizon.
Floating islands that drifted through the sky.
Cities carved into mountainsides sparkled beneath magical lights.
The images shifted rapidly, displaying races of every shape and size. Proud elves walked through silver cities while towering orcs hunted giant beasts. Dwarves forged weapons beneath volcanoes while strange races Dennis could not even identify appeared and vanished moments later.
The more he watched, the less he cared about arguing.
His folded arms loosened and his frown softened. His attention became completely absorbed by the world unfolding before him.
"I, on the other hand, am offering you a chance to become part of something greater. You will be reborn on the Central Continent of Athedal. A world of magic, monsters, kingdoms, and gods." The Greater Kobold smiled knowingly. "Tell me honestly. Don't you think you are better suited for a life like this?"
Dennis was floored.
This was the kind of world he had spent his entire life obsessing over. He had consumed thousands of novels, games, anime, and manga centered around places exactly like this. And now he had the opportunity to actually live there.
The only problem was the race.
Kobolds.
Among fantasy races, kobolds were practically professional victims. Their only notable trait was their weak draconic ancestry, and even that was barely worth mentioning.
Why would anyone want to be a discount dragon?
A wyvern would have been better.
A drake would have been better.
Unfortunately, it was not like he had many alternatives.
When he honestly compared this opportunity against returning to his old life, the decision was obvious. He would choose this world a thousand times over.
The modern world never felt like home. This place already felt more alive than anything he left behind.
"Alright, but I'll need more than just five percent draconic bloodline." Dennis sighed in defeat.
The Greater Kobold immediately grinned.
"Hahahaha!"
The deity burst into laughter before slapping Dennis on the shoulder and walking back toward his throne.
"Of course I know that won't be enough."
Dennis watched as the tiny deity attempted to climb back onto his throne.
The Greater Kobold failed once, twice and then a third time. Dennis seriously considered helping him. Thankfully, the deity finally managed to pull himself up before Dennis's patience ran out.
Once seated comfortably, the Greater Kobold cleared his throat and adopted a dignified posture as though nothing embarrassing had happened.
"I have taken the liberty of studying popular web novels from your world. Since you seemed particularly interested in them, I discovered a concept known as a system and replicated it to assist you throughout your journey."
Dennis's eyes widened instantly.
A system?
An actual system?
Every isekai fan on Earth had imagined themselves receiving one at least once.
Even Dennis was no exception.
The Greater Kobold continued.
"However, if you wish to improve the purity of your draconic bloodline, evolve your race, and unlock your true potential, that responsibility belongs entirely to you."
Dennis barely heard the second half. His mind was still stuck on the first part.
He was getting sent to a fantasy world with magic, monsters and now a system.bSure, being a kobold was unfortunatebbut he could work with this.
"Alright... alright. I'll take the job."
The decision came almost instantly.
"Good. Good." The Greater Kobold laughed excitedly. "You will not regret this decision."
The deity snapped his fingers.
A brilliant light consumed Dennis's vision as consciousness slipped from his grasp, the excited laughter of the Greater Kobold echoed through the endless white void.
"Good luck, young Messiah. I have high hopes in you."
In an instant, Dennis vanished and peace returned to the palace. The Greater Kobold let out a worn out sigh and rubber his temple with its small hands.
"Dividing your resources between two God agents is not very smart." A black cat strolled out from behind the throne.
The Greater Kobold paid it little attention and shrugged Indifferently.
"My kobold race has been reduced to only two colonies. I cannot afford to put all my eggs in one basket." It explained in a dull voice. "If one of them succeed, fine. If both of them succeed. Excellent."
The cat nodded slowly as it position itself in front of the throne.
"And if both fail?"
The Greater Kobold froze and it's face twisted into a nasty frown.
"Then that spells the end of the Kobold race in the universe...."
_______ Athedal Continent, Evergreen Forest_____
When the light finally faded, Dennis found himself beneath a vast night sky.
A cool breeze brushed against his skin, carrying with it the scent of damp earth, wild grass, and distant trees. The air felt clean and alive in a way he had never experienced back on Earth. There were no city lights, no humming electronics, and no sounds of civilization. Everything felt peaceful.
Dennis slowly looked upward and his breath caught in his throat.
Two massive moons hung in the sky.
One shone with a pale silver glow while the other radiated a faint bluish light. Thousands of shooting stars streaked across the heavens in every direction, painting brilliant trails across the darkness.
The stars themselves seemed brighter than anything he had ever seen before, forming vast rivers of light that stretched endlessly beyond the horizon.
For a moment, he forgot everything.
The death.
The Greater Kobold.
The reincarnation.
The prophecy.
None of it mattered. The sight before him was simply too beautiful.
Dennis instinctively tried to reach toward the sky as though he could grasp one of the falling stars but his arm did not move.
Confused, he tried again.
Still nothing.
A strange feeling settled into his chest as Dennis attempted to sit up.
Yet, Nothing.
He tried turning his head.
Nothing.
Panic immediately followed. His heart would have been racing if he still possessed the body of an adult.
Dennis opened his mouth.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Instead of words, only strange squeaks and chirping noises escaped his mouth. His eyes widened and he tried again yet he only produced more gibberish.
His vocal cords felt weak and underdeveloped, incapable of forming proper speech.
Only then did he become aware of the sensation beneath him.
Someone was holding him. Dennis froze and his gaze slowly shifted downward.
A pair of clawed hands carefully supported his tiny body.
Below him stood dozens of reptilian creatures.
Kobolds to be exact.
Dozens of glowing eyes stared upward toward him. Their scales varied in color from brown and gray to dark green, yet every single one of them wore the same expression.
Hope.
Several of them were openly crying while others had fallen to their knees. Some clasped their hands together while muttering prayers under their breath.
Dennis's panic intensified.
'What the hell is going on?'
Before he could think further, a familiar notification rang inside his mind.
Ding!
A translucent panel appeared before his eyes.
[Greater Kobold System Booting...]
[Congratulations, Greater Kobold System Booted Successfully]
[Activating Passive Skill: Beast Translation]
A warm sensation spread through his mind. The incomprehensible noises surrounding him suddenly began making sense.
Dennis's eyes widened.
Standing atop a large stone platform was an elderly kobold dressed in ceremonial robes woven from leaves, animal fur, and brightly colored feathers. Strange symbols had been painted across his scales using red and white pigments, while a necklace made of polished teeth hung around his neck.
The elderly kobold held Dennis high above his head for everyone to see.
"According to the prophecy, under the eyes of the Twin Moons a child will be born. A child bearing the sacred link to our draconic ancestor, and we shall name him Ka'z, meaning Ruler. For he shall lead the Kobold race to prosperity. To think our generation and our clan would be the ones blessed with the opportunity to nurture this great ruler!"
The priest's voice trembled with emotion.
Tears streamed freely down his aged face and the crowd erupted with cries. Every kobold present reacted differently, yet they all shared the same overwhelming relief.
Every kobold looked at him as though he were the answer to all their problems.
As a member of a nearly extinct race, it was not surprising for them to become emotional when a prophecy passed down since the beginning of their history had finally come true during the darkest period of their existence.
Watching these people's strong reaction to his birth steered something deep in Dennis's soul. As someone who didn't matter in his past life, the feeling of suddenly becoming the most important person in the room was quite overwhelming
He stared at them face by face, registering each emotion in his heart displayed on their faces.
Before he came here as an unwilling Messiah to these people but now, Dennis truly wanted to be the one who would change their lives.
[Welcome to Athedal Continent, Ka'z. A new adventure awaits you.]
'So this is real...' Dennis drew a cold breath.