What exactly is a god?
I haven’t really thought deeply about it until now, but I can definitely tell that this something in front of me right now is definitely a god.
It has the shape of a human, yet its body is made up of the universe itself – such a strange existence.
If this overwhelming presence isn’t a god, then what is it? Just looking at it makes me feel crushed!
“Ah, you’ve opened your eyes. You’ve been waiting quite a while, haven’t you?”
And his tone is way too familiar! It’s like talking to an old friend!
“There’s so much I could tell you, but it would be meaningless to your current self. Let me just give you the necessary information.”
The faceless god gave a sly smile.
Wait, how do I know he’s smiling when there’s no eyes or mouth visible?! What sorcery is this?!
“I’ve created a world, and I was wondering if you’d like to reincarnate into it?”
Reincarnation…? Is this some kind of god-reincarnation genre thing?
Isn’t that trend totally over?! This plotline is so outdated!
“Of course, you have the option to refuse my offer, but in that case…”
The god drew a square with his hand, and it emitted an eerie light, revealing a different landscape.
“You see, your original body is already dead.”
Huh?
“Acute heart attack. Due to myocardial infarction, you passed away in your sleep without anyone noticing.”
So… I’m dead…?
I haven’t even accomplished anything yet, and I’ve barely stepped into society…
“So, what’ll it be? Will you accept my offer?”
If I’m already dead, I don’t really have a choice here, do I? Dammit…
“Yes. Good choice. I’ve prepared the best body for you. You’re going to love it.”
But why is this god offering me this deal? Why me? Does he have some kind of purpose?
“Purpose? Nah, none of that. I just want you to live happily and enjoy yourself.”
After saying that, the god paused for a moment, then added:
“But sending you off with nothing might kill your motivation, so… here’s a condition!”
Condition?
“If you achieve something in that world that truly satisfies you, I’ll grant you one wish.”
A wish?
“Anything you desire. One single wish. If you want to return to your original world, I’ll make it happen.”
Return to my original world…?
“But, the judgment will be strict. You must genuinely, from the bottom of your heart, feel that you couldn’t possibly be more satisfied. It won’t be easy.”
With that, the god quietly clapped his hands, and the ground beneath my feet suddenly collapsed.
“Well then, have a great journey!”
As if falling into a deep abyss, my soul began flowing somewhere, losing consciousness in the endless darkness surrounding me.
—
[The creator god who made this world. While opinions vary on why the nameless god created this world, nothing concrete has been revealed.
Even the kingdom’s guardian dragon, the first creation and intelligent being, doesn’t know the god’s intentions. In truth, there’s no one in this world who understands the creator god’s purpose.
Perhaps the creator simply wanted a world where his creations could live freely as they wished.
— Historian Edward Rochus]
—
I once read a phrase in a book.
“A bird struggles to break out of its shell.
The egg is the bird’s world.
Whoever wishes to be born must destroy their own world.”
I think it was from Demian? There was more to the quote, but let’s skip that part.
Right now, I’m literally living through that metaphor.
Surrounded by this impossibly solid world, I’m pushing against it with all my might.
To be born, I must shatter this world around me.
Hmm… am I a reptile? A bird? Definitely not a snake, since I have limbs.
If the god said I’d get the “best body,” does that mean I’m a mythical creature like a dragon?
Sure, fantasy sounds far-fetched, but after meeting a god, reality and unreality become meaningless concepts.
We’ll see what this “best body” looks like after I’m born.
Pushing with all my strength against the walls enclosing me, I thrash around in this cramped space. Finally, a tiny crack appears in the shell.
A faint line, barely noticeable unless you look closely, lets in a dim light.
This is the beginning.
As I push harder, the thin crack grows wider, deeper, splitting apart.
The world surrounding me begins to crumble.
With a blinding flash of light and icy wind, I shatter the egg and step into a new world.
Hello. World!
Greeting the new world.
And with that, the frozen world starts moving again.
—
I was born as a dragon with silver scales.
Still young, my head is disproportionately large, and my wings are small compared to my body. Anyway, it’s still a dragon.
Looking at my reflection in a nearby pool of water, this silver-scaled baby dragon with horns feels like a lizard with extra flair.
What is this? Some cute cartoon lizard from an anime studio famous for mice?
Fortunately, I can move my body without any trouble.
Standing up, I survey my surroundings.
A small cave, empty except for a puddle in the corner. No traces of parents, no sound of insects or birds. Just a strangely incomplete space.
Yeah, this world feels unfinished, lacking something.
For example, the trees are all too short, barely reaching my waist. They look like saplings freshly planted.
There’s no sound of insects or birds either. Life doesn’t seem to exist here.
Is this world really okay? As I ponder this, something catches my attention in the lower-right corner of my vision.
✉️
A small envelope icon. What’s this? Like some kind of divine messenger app?
Carefully touching it with my scaly finger, the envelope suddenly opens.
┌───────────────────────────
│Congratulations on successfully reincarnating!
│This world is newly created, so it’s still barren.
│There aren’t many proper creatures yet.
│But don’t worry!
│As a bonus for reincarnating, I’ll grant you a few powers.
│
│First, the power of creation.
│You can create whatever you desire!
│Consider the entire world your playground.
│I’ll upload the instructions directly to your mind.
│Fill this world with your creations!
│
│Since creating life requires knowledge,
│your second bonus is access to information from another world.
│Remember the internet? It’s amazing stuff.
│You should know all about it from your previous life.
│I’m sure it’ll help you.
│
│Finally, your third bonus is control over time.
│Even with infinite lifespan, living day-by-day might get tiring.
│Manipulating time is dangerous, so I’ll put restrictions on it.
│Still, you’ll be omnipotent in this world.
│
│By the way, this is a special messenger app for gods.
│Introducing… GodTalk!
│Right now, only you and I can use it,
│but maybe someday other gods will join.
│
│If you have questions, ask me via this messenger.
│I’ll try my best to answer kindly.
└───────────────────────────
What is this?
Suddenly, a massive amount of knowledge floods into my mind.
Instructions for the first bonus: the godly power of creation, the ability to create life, etc., fill my brain.
Then comes the knowledge for the second bonus, and I instinctively activate it.
In front of me appears a rectangular window, resembling a familiar web browser.
Seeing the most famous search engine from my old world, I’m left speechless.
This is… a reincarnation bonus?!
