Hello, World!
Hello. World!
What is a god, anyway? I hadn't given it much thought before, but whatever stood before me now was unmistakably one. It had a humanoid shape, but its body was composed of the universe itself—a bizarre entity. If something that crushed and overwhelmed me just by existing wasn't a god, then what was?
"Oh, you're finally awake. I waited quite a while, you know."
And its tone was casually familiar, like chatting with an old buddy!
"I've got tons I want to tell you, but it'd be meaningless right now. Just the essentials, then."
The faceless god grinned. No eyes, no mouth—how the hell did I even know it was smiling? What? Seriously?
"I made a world. Wanna reincarnate there?"
Reincarnate...? One of those divine transmigration stories? Weren't those super outdated? This plot feels way behind the curve!
"Sure, you could say no... but in that case..."
The god waved a hand, tracing a square in the air. It glowed eerily, revealing a new scene.
"Your original body? Already dead."
What?
"Acute cardiac arrest. Myocardial infarction. Happened in your sleep—no chance to fight it."
I... died? Without accomplishing a damn thing, fresh out of stepping into society...?
"So, what's it gonna be? Take the deal?"
If I'm already dead... no choice but to accept. Damn it...
"Good call. Got the perfect body lined up for you. You'll love it."
But why me? What's the angle? Some ulterior motive?
"Motive? Nah. Just want you to have fun and be happy."
It paused, pondering, then added,
"Still, dropping you in empty-handed wouldn't spark much drive. Alright! One little condition."
Condition?
"Achieve something in that world that truly satisfies you, and I'll grant one wish."
A wish?
"Anything you desire. One only. Want back to your old world? Done."
Send me back...?
"But I'll judge it strictly. Gotta be genuine, deep down satisfied—like nothing could top it. Won't be easy."
With that, the god clapped softly. The ground beneath me vanished.
"Bon voyage!"
I tumbled into an endless abyss like a soul in freefall, darkness closing in as I lost consciousness.
The Creator God who forged this world. Debates rage on its purpose, but no facts have surfaced. Even the kingdom's Guardian Dragon, the first creation and sentient being, knew nothing of it. In truth, no one in this world grasps the Creator God's intent.
Perhaps the Creator God simply wished for a realm where its creations could live as they pleased.
I recalled a line from a book I'd read long ago.
"The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the bird's world. Whoever wishes to be born must destroy a world."
That was from Demian, right? There was more, but not important now.
I was living it literally—no metaphor. My surroundings: an impossibly solid world. I pressed against it, pushing with all my might.
Not yet born, I had to shatter this world to emerge. A bird? Lizard? Had limbs, so not a snake.
The god promised the best body... not human, maybe beast? Best creature hatching from an egg? Dragon from legends, maybe.
Fantasy nonsense? After meeting a god, reality's irrelevant. Whatever the body, I'd check post-birth.
I shoved the enclosing wall with everything I had. Writhed, twisted in the cramped space. Finally, a faint crack appeared.
A thin golden line, barely visible, letting in dim light. That was the start.
As I pushed harder, the line spread, widened, deepened. My world shattered, crumbled.
Blinding light, cold wind—I broke free into a new world.
Hello. World!
A greeting to the new realm. And with it, the frozen world stirred to life.
I hatched as a silver-scaled dragon. Still young—huge head, tiny wings on my back.
But a dragon's a dragon. I peered into a nearby puddle.
Silver scales covered a hatchling that looked... like a horned lizard. Kinda cute? Like something from that famous mouse animation studio.
Glad movement felt natural despite the size. I rose, surveying my birthplace.
A tiny cave, bare except for a puddle. No parental traces, no bugs or birds—just eerie silence.
Yeah, this world felt off. Incomplete? Lacking? Trees were puny—none reached my waist, like fresh saplings.
No insect chirps, no birdsong. No life at all.
Is this world okay...?
Then, something popped up in the bottom-right of my vision.
✉️ A tiny envelope icon. Like a messenger app...
I poked it cautiously with a clawed finger. It unfolded.
Looks like you reincarnated safely!
That world's brand new—no proper lifeforms yet.
But don't worry!
Reincarnation perks incoming.
First: Creation power. Make anything you imagine!
The whole world's your playground. Engraving usage in your mind now.
Fill it with your creations!
But creation needs knowledge, right?
Second perk: Peek at other worlds' info.
Internet, was it? Amazing stuff. You know it well—should help.
Final perk: Time manipulation.
Infinite lifespan's great, but day-by-day grind would wear anyone out.
Pausing, speeding, rewinding—risky, so with limits.
You'll be omnipotent there.
This is a god's messenger: GodTalk!
Just us for now. Maybe future gods?
Questions? Ask here. I'll answer nicely.
What the...?
Instantly, vast knowledge flooded my mind.
First perk: God's power. Creation. Life-making. Usage filled my head.
Then second perk's knowledge flowed in. I activated it without hesitation.
A rectangular window appeared—a dead ringer for a familiar web browser from my old world. The top search engine stared back.
I was speechless.
This... is a reincarnation perk?