Heaven's Spirits by Nick Venom (bookreader txt) 📖

Episode One "Heaven's Spirit"

A drunk driver swerved onto a residential road, hitting mailboxes and trash cans as his vehicle slid from lane to lane. The driver was intoxicated off several bottles of alcohol. Passed out on the driver’s left was a friend of his, his head laying on the dashboard. 

The driver then pressed on the gas pedal, flying down the road. One sixteen-year-old kid named Mace looked at both sides of the road before taking his time to pass. He saw the car a good enough distance away before crossing, confident enough to cross without worry. 

He was halfway through the road when the car roared alive. The driver fell asleep and put all of his weight onto the gas pedal, allowing the car to reach its maximum speed and smack into Mace, dragging his body for another four blocks before being torn apart; left on a corner of his block. Mace died on impact with the car and the driver and passenger were later charged with manslaughter and sentenced to life sentences without parole.

“What happened?” Mace asked out loud, surrounded by white clouds. His words weren’t directed to anyone in particular.

“You’ve died,” A voice boomed. Mace glanced around and noticed a man standing behind him, dressed in a white robe that covered the majority of his body. The man was triple his size---Mace being around 5’10---and had the features of an elderly man in his seventies. 

“You were killed by a drunk driver, a hit and run.” The man stated.

“I-I-I died? B-but how? Why?”

A drunk driver killed you.” The man said. “Now you’re in heaven.”

Mace hesitated to open his mouth, his throat hanging a few inches down. “What do I do now, then?” Mace asked the mysterious man.

The man turned away from Mace and moved his arms in separate directions; Mace recognizing it as a person manually opening elevator doors. Then, the cloudy landscape changed from white clouds to a holy town of perfect structures and clean roads. The holy image surrounded Mace, nearly suffocating him. 

“You have two choices. Either rest here and your soul will return to the life cycle or work as a Spirit and guide someone from this world.” The man said, motioning to their surroundings.

“I can’t reincarnate into that world?” Mace asked.

The man shook his head before bursting out laughing. “Why would I send you to another world if I can put you to work, instead.”

“B-B-But, I thought I was getting the isekai treatment,” Mace muttered. The man shook his head while smiling.

“Ha! Not in this world!” He exclaimed. “Now choose your path before I get bored.”

“Well… I get to keep my memories if I become a Spirit?” Mace asked, tilting his head to the right. The man nodded his head. “Then I’ll become a Spirit!” He declared. 

The man nodded his head before making a staff appear in front of him. He gripped the staff and waved it around; four orbs appearing next to his head. 

“Choose one of these candidates.” He said as the orbs expanded into a rectangle of orange light. The first one displayed a merchant who was dealing with financial troubles as he attempted to continue his dying trading business. The second screen displayed a bartender who poured drinks to arrogant adventurers who treated him awfully. The third screen showed a weak adventurer who was struggling to climb her way up the ranks with dreams of becoming the strongest adventurer. The fourth and final screen displayed an enslaved demi-human, chained to a post in a barn, with tears staining the barn’s dirt floor.

Mace inspected each screen carefully before choosing his candidate. “I choose the chained up girl as my candidate.”

“Perfect… you’ll become her Spirit immediately. Your job as her Spirit is to look after her and protect her from danger. If she dies, then you’ll receive a punishment of being sent to hell for thirty days. Do you understand?” The man asked. Mace quickly nodded his head. 

“Well, I hope you’ll enjoy your new life.” He said as Mace began to sprout small wings on his back.

“What is happening to me?” Mace shouted as his small wings extended to two feet in length on each side.

“You’re becoming one of Heaven’s Spirits!” The man declared.

 

TBC…

Episode Two "Mortal Realm"

Mace was given his first day of instructions immediately. As soon as he made his decision, he was directed into the city, passing by other Spirits and Souls---people who decided to be reborn or the ones never given the offer---and entered a five-story building. The man who he was introduced to, known as Eleos whose wings reached twelve feet in length, led him into the building and up a few flights before entering a large room. Inside the room was a series of Spirits, who were all different races, ages, and genders, hooked up to virtual reality headsets and wires. Multiple wires connected into their bodies and wings, one large one connected to the headset. 

“Woah… what are they wearing? What is this?” Mace asked, taking a step backward. “Did you just trick me? Are you trying to make me a slave?”

Eleos shook his head. “Why would I try to make you my slave, you technically become my slave when you become a Spirit. Anyways, what they’re wearing right now is known as Spirit Gear, which resembles the virtual reality machines that you humans use. And, side note, thank Heaven that you humans designed that technology as it makes it easier to program… I mean convince Spirits and get them easily adjusted to it. A few decades ago, in my time, newly recruited Spirits were talking about wooden vehicles and sticks that shot out powder and knew nothing about this technology.”

“Okay… so why are these ‘Spirit Gear’ thingies being connected to them? Can’t they just use their wings or something?”

Eleos shook his head. “Only high-level Spirits can survive the journey to these mortal worlds. And they only survive because of their endurance and strength. Otherwise, they would burn up in the atmosphere. That’s why these low-level Spirits need this gear to communicate to their Spiritual Being. It allows them to almost physically be there for their Spiritual Being.”

“Spiritual Being?” He questioned.

“A term to describe the people Spirits care for. In your case, it’s the demi-human slave girl known as Rachel who is your Spiritual Being.” Eleos told him, walking up to the headset and handing it over. “Now are you ready?”

Mace hesitated for a brief moment before nodding his head, equipping the Spirit Gear against his gut instincts. As soon as he put the headset on and the wires were connected to him, he felt a surge of electricity run through his body that felt strangely comforting.

“Remember that she’s yours. Do not allow her to die or else you’ll be sent to hell temporarily.” Eleos warned him. Mace nodded as his figure’s data was scanned by the equipment. His body was then digitally created in the mortal realm. Every part of him was recreated to the tiniest detail, giving him an avatar to use in the mortal realm.

Mace soon awoke in the mortal realm in an open clearing. He looked down at his body and touched his face, the feeling of the headset being gone. It was almost like a highly-realistic virtual world. 

“Ahhh!” A male shouted, resembling a woman’s high-pitched scream. Mace looked over at the forests’ edge, noticing the appearance of five men. The men were kicking at somebody trapped in the middle. The person had managed to wound one of the men, leading to the girlish scream. The kicking increased harshly, blood spurting from the middle of the circle.

Mace raced over, his wings slightly picking him up. He went up to the men, who never noticed his presence, and peered into the middle. The girl that he was supposed to be caring for was trapped in the middle; Rachel, the demi-human. 

“Hey!” He shouted. “What are you doing?” He shouted, his words falling to dead ears. It was almost as if he was invisible. 

He grabbed one of the men’s shoulders and slightly pulled it back. This small movement, in Mace’s eyes, ended with the man being yanked and thrown fifty feet away. The other men in the circle quickly noticed the departure of one of their own, looking around for the culprit. However, they wouldn’t be able to find the culprit as Mace was invisible to them. 

With the men out of the way, Mace intercepted the circle and approached Rachel, her wounds pushing out blood by the gallons. He laid his hands on the wounds, trying to stop the floodgates to no avail. “What do I do?” He cried out. “My Spiritual Being is dying!”

“I wasn’t expecting this situation,” Eleos muttered, his voice seemingly coming from the sky. “Activate the store option by saying ‘store’ and buy a high-tier healing potion. I’ve already transferred the money to your account.” 

“Activate store!” He shouted, opening a game-like panel. The store opened, giving him a plethora of items to choose from. Though, he ignored them all except for the high-tier potion. He quickly found the potion and purchased it. It was brought into reality in a split second, appearing in his hand. Mace stared at the potion, almost questioning how it appeared so soon, but then quickly remembered the situation. He popped the lip off before forcing the contents into Rachel’s mouth. She gulped the potion down, her wounds beginning to seal themselves. Her fleeting heartbeat stabilized, ensuring her recovery. 

“What do I do now?” Mace asked the sky.

“You can’t do anything for now. Until she has the strength to rip the chains that bind her to her captors, you can only sit and wait.”

“Sit and wait for her death?”

“Until she declares that she wants freedom, you can’t do anything. For the time being, gather enough money to purchase more potions. You’re restricted from getting her a weapon unless she asks for something to protect herself.” He instructed him.

Mace nodded through a pain-stricken face. He was in charge of guarding her, yet he couldn’t protect her. He had to wait until she asked for freedom.

 

TBC…

Episode Three "I Want To Be Free"

The men dragged Rachel back to their land, planting her in the barn by herself, chained up. They left her with the horses, cows, and pigs while taking care of the wounded man. Unsure of who attacked them, the men sat