Turns out fairies were even rarer—and harder to deal with—than mermaids. If Aerisse weren't a literal goddess, she might've reincarnated again from the sheer frustration.
"Why go for the hardest ones, Boss? So many easier options out there..."
He never gave up. But neither did she.
After all, this was supposed to be her dream world—her vacation utopia! And how could it be the vacation of her dreams without the iconic childhood fairies?
Okay, attempt number one thousand (lucky number, good vibes this time):
"...I might accept relocation to Skethera..."
Why could no one pronounce it right? Was it really that hard?
"...under certain conditions, of course!"
Bold. But smart. She knew her cosmic rights. A bit of a hassle for Aerisse, but negotiable.
"Name your terms, Lesser Soul. Today is your lucky day!"
Aerisse stood from her comfy celestial throne chair, letting her height do some of the talking.
"First, I want to retain my memories."
Hmm, not exactly protocol, but Aerisse could bend a few rules.
"Second, find my family and reincarnate them too. Their memories can be wiped."
...Oddly specific. But not a big deal—actually pretty convenient.
Was that it?
Of course not.
In fact, Aerisse sat back down mid-negotiation, nearly dozing off while the fairy continued:
"And I also want (insert chipmunk-speed demands here) and (more rapid chipmunk-ing) and (endless add-ons)..."
"That's it, Lesser Soul—your time's up."
Aerisse jolted up, startling the cat-system mid-nap.
"For more requests, please apply in your next incarnation. Safe travels."
Flash of divine light.
Startled expression.
And poof—gone.
One down. Or one added, depending on how you count.
System: Congratulations. You've just acquired an Original Soul for your Creation.
Rewards: +10 million Divine Authority
+1 million Intuitive Affinity Points
Amazing. Way more than the mermaid.
Apparently, recruiting rare souls was the fast-track to divine promotion.
And why was Aerisse handpicking souls for reincarnation, anyway?
Well, technically… she didn't have to.
But leaving it to natural order would take literal billions of years. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Instead, she took matters into her own hands, tracking down unfulfilled souls still drifting through existence.
Efficiency. Optimization. Productivity.
Her Soul Reception System was already her second-favorite creation, just behind the dream world she was creating.
So far, so good:
Mermaid population? Check.
Ocean kingdom forming? Check.
Fairy sanctuary? Gorgeous. Complete with Roman pillars, glowing mana fields, and an enchanted dark forest guarded by shadow unicorns that vanish in fog and confuse intruders with illusions. (Creepy—but very on-brand. She didn't even know they existed until she deep-scrolled the control panel options.)
Everything was nearly perfect.
Just missing one more thing...
She collapsed back onto her mega-sofa, watching more of her past-life dramas for inspiration.
"This one's so good, System!"
The hero was exactly her type.
"System?" she called, but he wasn't responding.
She turned her head—
—and saw the man of her dreams standing beside her.
"Boss... don't tell me... you changed your internal preference settings...?"
That voice. That face.
Too familiar.
"SYSTEM???!!!"