"You want to go to hell?" the judge asked, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement.
Max nodded eagerly, multiple times. "Yes, please!"
It sounded like heaven to me, he thought.
Lord Rhadamanthus exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know why anyone would want to go to such a vile place, but—"
Max leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "But?"
"But I can't send you there," the judge said in a low, reluctant voice. "Your sins are too minor. You don't qualify for hell, and there's nothing I can do about it."
Max's face fell. No hell? Seriously? What a rip-off. He'd died too early—before he could even indulge in the chaos and carnal pleasure hell supposedly promised.
Then, just as he was preparing to give up and accept the boring afterlife, Lilian glided toward Lord Rhadamanthus like a seductress on a mission. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
The judge's eyes shot open slightly as he inhaled sharply. "A-Are you serious?"
Lilian smirked. "Trust me. I think it's perfect for the kid."
More like perfect for my personal amusement, she thought with a mischievous giggle.
Max stared at the two of them, utterly lost but increasingly curious.
Lord Rhadamanthus pulled the lollipop from his mouth, loosened his tie, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Well... I suppose it can't be helped. If he's not heaven material, then... do what you will."
He leaned back in his chair, utterly defeated.
Lilian turned her attention to Max who was still on his knees. She perched herself on the edge of the judge's desk, deliberately crossing her thick thighs as she rested her chin in one hand, her tongue teasing the corner of her lips.
"You were a fan of The Lustful Conqueror, weren't you?" she asked.
Max's eyes lit up. He nodded instantly. Of course he was. That erotic game had practically been his religion… and the reason he died in the first place.
"Perfect," Lilian purred. "Instead of heaven or hell, how'd you like to be transmigrated into that game?"
His jaw dropped. Crawling toward her, he clutched her thighs and looked up like a worshipper at an altar. "You mean... I get to live in it? Like... actually be inside an eroge?"
Lilian touched a finger to her lips, teasing. "Mm-hmm. Don't you want that, mortal?"
A real eroge. Real busty waifus. No headset. No pixels. Just him and them. In the flesh.
Only an idiot would say no.
"Yes! Please! Transmigrate me into the game!!" he pleaded, his grip tightening unconsciously.
"Ahem," the judge groaned behind him. "You're getting a bit handsy, young man. These are holy grounds. Hands off the goddess."
Max flinched and let go immediately, realizing where his hands had been. His cheeks flushed. He was just… overwhelmed, okay?
Lilian extended her hand. "I'll send you to Volume Two—a version not yet released on Earth. It'll be far tougher than the first one you completed... twice. Now then, goodbye—"
A bright light flickered in her palm, but Max raised a hand to stop her.
"Wait—did you say tougher?"
She gave a devilish nod.
The women in the first game were not just pushovers. You had to spend lots of money on them first before even thinking about getting between their thighs! And now, going to live in this game where women are only attracted to tycoons? What if he becomes a background character who gets absolutely no bitches?
The thought alone made his stomach twist. Max could already imagine himself stuck in some dingy tavern, broke and irrelevant, watching the main characters walk off with all the hot girls while he cleaned tables in the background.
No. He couldn't let that happen
"I need money! I can't start with nothing!"
Lilian tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmm… fair point. Fine. Here."
A golden card appeared in Max's hands, glowing with divine light.
"What's this?"
"You wanted money, didn't you?" she said. "That card holds a trillion dollars."
A grin curled her lips. At least now it won't be boring to watch.
Max gaped. "A trillion? Are you serious?"
"A goddess doesn't lie," she said with a smug grin. And it'll make things far more fun to watch...
Max clutched the card like it was his passport to paradise. But just as the light in Lilian's hand intensified again—
"Wait—one more thing!" he blurted.
Lilian's eye twitched. "What now?"
"I think I'll need some skills... y'know, to survive?"
She groaned dramatically. "You're pushy, mortal! Fine—take a blessing. But this is the last thing!"
She was already growing impatient. In her mind, she had already made popcorn, ready to watch this pervy mortals life. She waved her hand, and a warm pulse surged through his chest. Just as she was about to send him away, another strange light began to pour from Max's body.
Lord Rhadamanthus jolted upright. "What in the...?"
Max looked down at his hands, glowing brightly. "Is this it? Am I being transmigrated?"
"No..." the judge murmured. "It's a miracle... his body—his living body—is calling his soul back."
Lilian scowled. "Tch. The brat's too stubborn to die. Damn it… I was really looking forward to this."
Max looked between the two deities, utterly confused. "Wait, what do you mean—?"
He was cut off as his body began to dissolve into the light.
"Arghhh—!!"
And just like that—zoop—he vanished.
Lilian slumped onto the desk, arms crossed. "Hmph. Came back to life. Lucky bastard."
"Language," Rhadamanthus said, shaking his head. "You are a goddess."
"Yeah, yeah..." she waved him off.
A moment later, her grim reaper entered the room. "My goddess, there are three more souls waiting you to accompany them for judgment."
She let out a sigh, standing. "Three more humans who died horny, huh? Bet none of them will be half as fun snd bold as that kid."
As she turned to leave, a sudden thought struck her.
"Wait... I gave him skills and a trillion bucks..."
A wicked grin curled across her lips.
"Even better," she whispered to herself. "Seems I'll still get my entertainment after all—even if he's back in the living world."
And with that, she sashayed off toward the next souls.
TBC