Why reincarnate as a useless skeleton?

The sky was black. There was no sign of any stars, only the lone silver moon rising high above, illuminating the entire forest with its dim light.

The forest was shrouded in a thick silver mist and was so silent that it seemed to be dead. Although to be precise, the forest wasn't alive, it couldn't die either.

The trees, devoid of leaves, were as white as ivory, and on their branches, there were only a few flowers as red as blood and strange fruits as black as coal.

Beneath the treetops, the forest floor was covered with grass and leafless bushes as white as tree trunks. On the ground, there were also some crimson flowers and more black fruits on the bushes.

Through the forest, there were also rivers and streams coming from the mountains that formed different waterfalls and cascades until they flowed into lakes and lagoons of scarlet waters.

But if one got close enough to the blood waters, one could distinguish the presence of different animals. Frogs and toads, trout, salmon and eels, ducks, otters, and beavers along with other creatures of indescribable nature.

Beyond the thick silver mist, different figures lurked among the sea of white trees. Among them, the easiest to identify were the simplest, such as raccoons, skunks, deer, opossums, bears, wolves, badgers, lynxes, mice, snakes, and birds such as crows, eagles, herons, and starlings.

There were also other beings not so ordinary, some of which had humanoid forms.

However, all the beings in this peculiar forest had one thing in common and that was that none of them possessed any kind of skin, scales, plumage, flesh, or organs. They were all skeletons.

This was a forest, a garden where undeath reigned. Forever unchanging, unperturbed by the passing of time and eternal.

*Crack Crack Crack Crack*

At that instant, the peace of the Eternal Garden was interrupted when the space began to crack, forming a white fissure through which two men in black suits passed.

One of them was a white-haired, English-looking man. The other man was tall and his hair was black as were his eyes and the two small curved horns on his forehead.

Without much thought the two men began to walk through the forest as the fissure behind them began to close, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

"Ugh, this place gives me the creeps." Ivan said as he looked back and forth across the forest.

A flock of skeleton crows flew overhead and landed on the bare branches of the ivory trees and began pecking at the black fruit on them.

" Come on Ivan, it's not that bad. We've both been in worse places than this. Compared to many universes this place is quite nice. In fact, it's quiet, so you could meditate or read a book peacefully."

"Just because you say that doesn't make this place seem any less creepy... Do we really have to see him?" Ivan asked with some discomfort. "You know I don't like that guy."

"There's nothing we can do about it." That was all Edward said. He wasn't too bothered by the subject.

They both continued walking along a garden path for a few minutes until they came to a glade in the forest.

The glade was surrounded by all sorts of skeleton animals and in the center was a large black tree over thirty meters (98.42 ft) tall, with no leaves, flowers, or fruit. At the base of the tree was a carved throne upon which sat a figure.

A being wrapped in cloaks and thin dark torn robes, his face was shrouded in shadows, only his hands and his skeletal feet of crimson red were exposed, and on his head sat a crown made of ivory.

To the left of the figure was a small round table made of bone, on top of which was a plate of nachos with some types of sauces such as guacamole, tomato sauce, nacho cheese, pico de gallo, and other dishes such as quesadillas and burritos.

"Hahaha, this guy sure is funny." Said the figure in a somber voice as he took a nacho and dipped it into the guacamole and then brought it to where his mouth was supposed to be. Then, as he chewed, he turned his head to the side and finally saw the two men in suits approaching him.

"Oh, gentlemen of A.T.I.R. Welcome to my humble divine realm, the Eternal Garden!"Instead of being surprised by the sudden appearance of the two, the Monarch of the Eternal Garden didn't bother and simply greeted them in a cordial and friendly manner.

"As always it is a pleasure to see you, Lord..." Edward began to say as he made a slight bow. But the black figure stopped him before he could utter another syllable.

"MONARCH OF THE ETERNAL GARDEN!" Bellowed the black figure and the whole forest seemed to tremble with his voice. But as suddenly as it began, the trembling stopped and the forest returned to its original calm. "Only the beings of this universe have the right to call me by my name. But outsiders and especially members of A.T.I.R must address me by that title. Remember that." He said seriously and curtly.

"Of course. Forgive me if I have offended you, Monarch of the Eternal Garden. I promise it won't happen again." Edwar replied in his usual polite tone.

The Monarch's mood seemed to mellow once he heard Edward's sincere apology. Then, he snapped his fingers, and two ivory white seats sprouted from the ground a few steps away from the black tree.

"Can I get you anything? Tea, coffee, liquor, some of this fabulous Chinese food?" he asked as he pointed to the food on the circular table to his left.

"Excuse me, but I think you're wrong. That's Mexican food." Ivan said as he and Edward took a seat.

"Well, I guess in some universe it is Mexican food. But if we think about it, it could also be Chinese food, Indian food, Turkish food, or anything else. But I think it's better to say it's Chinese food than to just call it 'Matter with a hint of flavor,' Don't you think?" He said mischievously.

"Since when do gods, and especially you eat food?" Ivan asked.

"To tell you the truth, due to a series of events, I have recently acquired a great curiosity and taste for the food of mortals from other universes. And since using a little energy to create something as simple as these dishes is so easy, I decided to give them a try. Although I must say that there are certain things I find disgusting, like the pineapple and ham pizza."

"Well, at least we agree on that." Ivan replied, trying to hide his displeasure.

It was no secret that he hated pineapple and ham pizza or any kind of pizza that would have fruit on it other than tomatoes. But Ivan also didn't like the idea of agreeing or having anything in common with the black-robed figure.

Of all the gods and cosmic beings that inhabited that universe, the Monarch of the Eternal Garden was the only one Ivan didn't like. The reason for this was due to his changeable and erratic personality.

Normally, most of the cosmic beings that inhabited the multiverse had fairly fixed and predictable personalities. Some were gentle and kind, others were sinister and wicked, though most were arrogant, selfish, and proud.

The Monarch of the Eternal Garden, however, seemed to have no definite personality. Sometimes he was cheerful, mischievous, and playful, sometimes he was grim and sadistic, and sometimes he was just apathetic and disinterested.

"Well, since you insist, I think I'll have some tea." Edward replied with a polite smile.

"Very well, tea it is." Said the Monarch, as he made the small table to his left disappear.

Next, the Monarch snapped his fingers and a large white table appeared in front of them. On it were several teapots and mugs of coffee along with some snacks such as sweet cookies, sandwiches, scones, muffins, cupcakes, and a few portions of cakes.

Edward had a wild berry tea with some scones and Ivan just limited himself to a simple black coffee.

"So, what brings you guys over here?" he asked as he stirred the tea to dissolve the two lumps of sugar he had added."I honestly doubt you guys just came for the tea."

"Certainly." Edward replied before taking a sip of tea and setting the cup down on the table."We came because of the Event and because of other things. First of all, we've had certain complaints from the other participants regarding your behavior."

"Some of the other side are concerned that perhaps you may be breaking the previously established rules." Ivan continued as he finished his coffee. "You have been interacting too much with him."

The monarch said nothing. He took a sip of tea, set the cup down on the table, and after a moment of silence spoke.

"What can I say? You know, even though I created this place, being confined here all the time is very boring. But watching him is entertaining. Seeing how he gets beaten, how he breaks his bones, the stupid mistakes he makes, and how despite it all, he gets back up again. That amuses me a lot." he said in a strangely nostalgic tone.

"Still, I should try not to talk to him too much." Ivan said.

"But that's the funniest part! Watching him get annoyed every time I talk to him or knowing that I'm part of it. It feels like an interactive movie or like breaking the fourth wall of a story. And there's nothing that entertains me more than that!" he replied euphorically. "But don't worry, I haven't commented to him about the other eleven or the Event."

"Well, I understand your point. But that's not the only problem." Edward said as he poured himself another cup of berry tea.

"Your colleagues aren't too happy with your actions either. They think you don't take the Event very seriously or that you're trying to sabotage them." Ivan said, at the same time grabbing a sandwich from the table.

"Those idiots don't know anything! They're just impatient, they want this to be over as soon as possible. They've already waited for a hundred years!!! Why can't they wait a little longer and enjoy this?!!!" The Monarch shouted furiously, while the shadows around him intensified and distorted.

"They expect you to at least do your part and unlock the rest of the system functions and provide your chosen one with the necessary resources within the terms of the agreement." Ivan continued once he finished his sandwich.

"Tell me, do I look like a philanthropist, good Samaritan, or communist? If he wants all those things he will have to earn them. That's why I unlocked the stats function that time. Besides, it's more fun that way." Replied the Monarch in a calm and relaxed tone.

His personality change had been so abrupt that Ivan couldn't even notice when it was that the shadows around the black figure had subsided.

"Hum? How strange. I thought you did that because your subordinate lost a bet." Ivan scoffed a little.

Although he hadn't agreed with the bet Edward had made, the fact that the Monarch of the Eternal Garden's subordinate had lost was something he found rather pleasing.

However, that comment did not seem to please the Monarch as at that moment the atmosphere of the Eternal Garden seemed to darken, causing the atmosphere to become heavier and all to fall silent.

The Monarch had not been happy with the fact that his trusted subordinate had made that bet behind his back and even less so with Edward who had broken the established agreement and had contaminated that soul, which he had carefully chosen, with that "Upgrade".

But since the "Update" does not represent much of a problem and after considering both Edward's past and his subordinate's intentions, he had decided to forgive the matter and not bother about it anymore.

After a few seconds, the Monarch seemed to get bored with the silence and his attitude suddenly changed again. He took some tea and after considering things for a moment spoke.

"Sigh...Alright, out of respect for you and to keep those eleven idiots quiet, I'll try not to interact with him so much and at the appropriate time, I'll give him a proper gift." He said apathetically as he ate one of the scones on the table. " Now, what are the other issues we need to discuss?"

****

After clearing up the main inconveniences, Edward and Ivan discussed other key issues with the monarch for quite a while. Once they finished, they said their goodbyes and left the Eternal Garden.

As the two men withdrew, the Monarch of the Eternal Garden snapped his fingers and all the skeletons in the glade began to retreat. Then the food on the table disappeared and in its place was a large board which had the six continents engraved on it, along with twelve ivory pieces, six white and six black.

The Monarch of the Eternal garden took the six white pieces and placed them all together in the same spot, right in the center of the Central continent. Then, he took all the black pieces and began to place them at different points on the board.

"The Plague spreads in the jungle." He said and placed a black piece on the Austra continent. "Destruction extends in the north." He placed another piece on the northern continent. "Dark Abyss grows in the ocean" Another piece in the ocean between Gamidir and the Austra continent. "Chaos rises in the forgotten mountain range and the ice wasteland" one piece in the north and another one in the northeast of the Central continent.

But before placing the last piece, the monarch of the eternal garden paused for a moment and looked at the six white pieces on the board.

"And while the chosen of light rest, Death approaches." Said the Monarch placing the last black piece in the center of the board between the continent of Austra and the Central continent "So, my dear Apostle.... we begin the second act?"