Creation (3)
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the GM made the earth and the heavens—on the day he did not yet send rain upon the land... (excerpt) ...and planted a garden in Luddera, placing there what he had formed. The GM saw that it was good.
The carriage, which had been rattling violently, suddenly began to glide smoothly.
They had left the unpaved road and entered a well-maintained one.
"We're close to the academy now."
Adelina Bernier sensed that their arrival at the academy was imminent.
This was her third year at the academy, but this time, her one and only little brother was with her—a change from before.
Doze... doze...
She gazed at her brother, who was slumped against the window, head drooping as he slept soundly.
'A genius beyond comparison to me.'
She herself was a prodigy famous at the academy for her talents, but in her eyes, she was no more than a firefly before the sun compared to him.
'He created magic that shook the entire continent—no, that's not even it. He straight-up created an entire world.'
The power of a creation god, a realm beyond the grasp of mere mortals.
And her brother, at just over ten years old, had achieved it.
Ever since Luddera appeared, the whole continent had gone mad trying to claim something from within it.
At first, people dismissed it as a mere virtual world.
A flimsy illusion with no real impact on reality—nothing worth much attention. At best, a few mages studied it for magical insights.
But as time passed, people realized the insane value of this world called Luddera.
You could train or experiment in ways impossible in reality, since dying there didn't kill you for real. You could enjoy thrilling adventures safely, unlike the real world. Endless delicacies were yours for the taking inside.
Once the continent's powerhouses grasped Luddera's true worth, they poured everything into seizing it.
Its lands and resources were up for grabs, like ownerless wilderness.
First come, first served.
The ensuing tangle of factions kept the fights raging endlessly inside, but it had the silver lining of quelling real-world conflicts.
And then, even more absurd discoveries followed.
The special power called a 'Class' that you could acquire within Luddera.
Those who gained it could wield that power in reality too.
People without mana awakened it. Sword novices swung blades better than knights with decades of training.
Even elixirs consumed inside started affecting the real world, sending the continent into a frenzy over Luddera.
The empire's noble houses projected their might into it, vying for every scrap of influence.
Our house, though, got a late start.
"Damn it. The other families already snatched up all the prime real estate. No land left around our entry point at Perlayno."
At a family dinner, Father clutched his head in frustration.
Delayed intel meant the others had claimed the starting zones first.
Our late entry left us with a pitiful foothold in Luddera.
Our house's power made it manageable, but it was still a headache.
"Then I'll just clear those lands and make them ours."
That was when the youngest, Albus Bernier, spoke up.
"...What?"
"No big deal. Transfer ownership of those territories and ship the old owners elsewhere."
We all sat there, dumbfounded, listening blankly.
"Transfer ownership...? What are you even talking about?"
"...Huh? Oh! I forgot to mention."
His eyes were hollow from pulling all-nighters on who-knows-what.
"That world. I made it. So I can tweak it however I want."
"...?"
Back then, we figured the kid was delirious from sleep deprivation.
He looked half out of it, after all.
And a ten-year-old creating a whole world? Even I, a twelve-year-old brat at the time, knew that was impossible.
But the next day, impossibly, countless territories had flipped to Bernier family ownership.
"I-It... was real."
"Our little guy... what the hell did he do?"
I'd thought he was just following my footsteps toward magehood, studying magic from the tower's wizards.
Never dreamed the world shaking the continent was his handiwork.
At just ten years old. While I barely hit Sword Expert upper class at that age, he'd created a world.
Luddera drew eyes from empires and republics alike.
The world couldn't know its creator and god, 'GM', was a powerless kid in reality.
Who knew what kidnappers might do to him.
Our family vowed to keep it secret.
Albus stayed holed up in his room anyway, oblivious to the world, too young to grasp the scale of his feat.
He offered to hand our house Luddera's resources, but Father forbade using his power for family gain.
We could've aimed beyond ducal status with it, but Father hated the grind—and no parent wants their kid in danger.
Our house was strong enough without it anyway.
"Mm..."
Albus squirmed, the window lean uncomfortable. Drool trickled from his mouth.
Too adorable—I nearly wiped it off on reflex.
In that world, he was the omnipotent god 'GM'. But here? Fragile little brother.
So.
'I'll protect you in reality.'
Nothing at the academy would threaten him on my watch.
"Albus. Albus. Wake up."
"Mm..."
I opened my eyes to my sister Adelina's voice calling my name.
"Huh... Sis?"
"We're here."
"Whoa. Suck."
I roused my drowsy body and wiped the drool from my mouth.
"Here, hold my hand."
Adelina hopped out first, then took my hand to help me down—like a knight escorting a noble lady.
Word was, she was popular with girls. No surprise: a beauty who'd hit Sword Expert upper class so young.
"So this is... the academy."
With her help, I stepped onto solid ground and took in the surroundings.
Monumental, ornate buildings dwarfed anything from my past life's schools.
A neutral education hub for the whole continent, not just the empire.
This was Lichten Academy: a massive academy city built in a border neutral zone.
I'd spawned countless grand structures and landscapes in Luddera, but even I had to admire Lichten Academy's beauty and grandeur.
'...Design inspo right here?'
I was mulling building styles for the next Luddera update. Referencing these could work.
No matter how much I could tweak my world at will, without outside input, it'd stagnate into a closed bubble.
"Dorms first. We'll unpack, then I'll show you around."
After stowing our luggage at the dorms, Adelina and I wandered the academy.
"This is the research lecture hall."
"Training grounds here."
"Mirror Lake."
Thanks to her, I learned the newbie spots quick... but.
"Hey, Sis."
"Yeah?"
"Why's it so empty? Enrollment tomorrow, right? Where is everyone?"
One day to term start, and barely any people? Weird.
"Oh! That's 'cause."
Everyone arriving tonight?
"They're all logged into Luddera. Probably sprawled in their dorm beds with headsets on right now."
Ah. Game addiction.
My fault, huh? Youths who should've been buzzing with pre-term chatter, glued to the game instead.
...Kinda guilty now.