I’m currently surrounded by nothingness, if you ask me why, I don’t know what to say. The only thing that’s in my mind right now is confusion and an urge to curse the one who brought me here. I managed to calm myself under this absurd situation. First of all, let me assess the situation:

I’m currently floating on what appears like the equivalent of space if it was painted in pure white. I can move my body but no matter what I do, I can’t move away from my position. I can’t describe anything anymore because… well…. There’s nothing else to describe, literally nothing. And when there’s nothing to do, people became irritated. And that is what I’m feeling right now.

“AHHH!!! Geez, for god’s sake! How long do this thing wants to confine me here! Come on, like, there’s nothing to do in here, I can’t move away, I’m surrounded by nothing but white, at least let someone explain to me what’s going on in here. I would really appreciate even a brochure. *sigh* Why is this happening to me! I just want to read books and gain knowledge, what’s wrong with that! I guess, this won’t even work, huh. *sigh*”

Looks like nothing will happen even if I shout to my heart’s content. Looks like I can only hope for someone to find the book and somehow find a way to undo all of this. It is likely that Mom would get worried and open the door. In that moment, she would undoubtedly notice the weird book in my bed. I wish she would find it as fast as possible, I’m starting to get irritated and weird in every passing moment in this weird place.

A few minutes after that, I was returned back to my room. I don’t know what happened or why it happened but one thing is for sure, I have returned back from that dull, anger-inducing place. When I saw the blue book, I immediately throw it in the opposite side of the room. I refuse to lower my guard because something might happen for the second time.

I really am glad to be back. I wouldn’t know what to do if I were to be stuck there for a long time. I really am thankful…

…or so I thought.

It’s been three whole days ever since I’ve been stuck in this place. I tried anything I can do. I’ve shouted until my throat hurts, I cried until I can’t cry, I recklessly move my body until I can’t move anymore. I don’t even have the strength to be angry or irritated. I just feel… drained. But even if I’m exhausted, I somehow don’t feel hunger. It’s been three days so I thought that I should be near death because of hunger, but even right now, I don’t feel hungry. This place somehow trying to contain me alive and sustain me without dying. Compared to this situation, death seems to be more humane.

“Death sure sounds more appealing to me right now, than this.”

At that moment, I heard something that resembles a voice.

“Can *** **ar *e”

Yes, definitely a voice. And a deep one, if I may add.

“Can you hear me?”

I need to answer, but my body refuses to do what I want. I somehow manage to produce an answer after a few moments.

“Yes… I can”

“That’s good to know. First of all, I would like to apologize for this sudden summon.”

“You better be. You don’t know how angry, exhausted and uncomfortable I am these past 3 days. So?”

“So… what?”

“What took you so long. I ‘ve been stuck in here for 3 whole days. If you can, you should’ve done this as soon as I’ve been transported here.”

“The truth is… I’ve been so indulged in a game I’m playing that I ended up forgetting about you.”

“Huh?!”

I’ve heard something extremely important just now.

“Uhm… There is a game that I downloaded 3 days ago. I said to myself that I would just try the game and go to you after that, but I didn’t expect the game to be so immersive that I ended up completing it a day later. The game was so good that I don’t want to leave any content of the game undiscovered. So I ended up trying to have 100% completion. And it took me two days before I get 100%. After that, I remembered that you are still in the field I created and rushed in here.”

My eyes started to twitch. The energy that I thought was gone a moment ago began swelling back to me in an unprecedented speed. My blood quickly boiled and head towards my head.

“You know what I want to do right now?”

“W-w-what is i-it?”

The voice sounded shaky.

“I want to hug you and give you lots of kisses and give you a really warm welcome. I also want to give you sweets.”

“Really!”

“You really thought I would say that?”

“Huh?”

“YOU ****ING MO********ER!!! YOU FU***** CO*****ING ASSHOLE!!! YOU F***ER!!! HERE I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I NEED TO DO IN HERE FOR THREE F***ING DAYS!!! I REALLY THOUGHT THAT IT IS FOR SOME NOBLE MYSTERIOUS REASON AND WHAT I WOULD HEAR FROM YOU?! YOU SON OF A B***H PLAYING A MO********ING GAME. I WANT TO PUNCH A HOLE IN YOUR STOMACH. I WANT TO PUNCH YOUR FACE IF YOU EVER HAVE ONE. I REALLY WANT TO F***ING KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!!! YOU F***TARD!”

I tried to calm myself by inhaling and exhaling a few times. I somehow manage to lower my anger into manageable level.

“I-i-I’m r-r-really s-s-sorry!!!”

I can feel the fear and caution from the voice. I admit that I might overreacted a little. I guess all those days have gotten to my head and explode in an extravagant rampage of curses.

“Ahh Geez. Just forget about all that happened just now. I forgive you. Now? What do you want from me?”

“I summoned you here with just a single reason in my mind. Mr. Johannes Aarvold, would you please save my world.”

“Not interested.”

“Thank you so much, you don’t know how… wait, what did you say?”

“I said, not interested.”

“Why!”

“First of all you dragged me into this without my permission, then you let me suffer here for three whole days and you expect me to save your world which has no connections to me or whatever? I hope you’re not getting your hopes up when you asked me to save your world.”

“But that would be for a noble cause.”

“Don’t care.”

“You will be famous!”

“Don’t like.”

“You will be rich!”

“Don’t want.”

“You will have a lot of girls!”

“Not interested.”

“I can’t really convince you?”

“Yes, you won’t be able to convince me. So, hurry up and return me to my own world.”

“Uhm, there would be a little problem about that.”

“What?”

“The truth is, once I summoned you, I can’t return you back. I really am sorry.”

“That is too big to be called a ‘little problem’. *sigh* Ok then, I will help.”

“Wait, why’d you suddenly agreed to help me?”

“Well, I kinda expected this to happen when I heard that you summoned me. Some of the books I read have this kind of plot so… there’s that. But I’m not saying that I don’t want to go back to my world. The moment you discover how to return me home, tell me immediately. If you were to keep the information, I will come back to you and personally hit you. By the way, you are still not entirely forgiven for keeping me inside this space for 3 whole days, remember that.”

“I understand. I would love to share everything to you. But even if you want to hit me, you wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Huh? And why is that?”

“It’s because I do not exist anymore. I’m just a fragment of my former self lingering and waiting for the right time for the right someone to read that book.”

“And by the book, you mean the Blue Book?”

“Yes, that’s it. I used the little power I have when I am living to send that book into your world, For someone to read it.”

“But the content of the book is just my story. It isn’t even finished.”

“That’s the point. The one who would read their story up to the point in the present will have a path opened for them. A path that can change their lives. A path that can make even the wimpiest of the wimp into a hero. That’s what the book is all about. Knowing your journey from the start and uncovering another possibility for the future.”

“You kind of make it sound dramatic that it normally was. I bet that the truth is the book has a certain condition. The condition being that the user should be able to reach the end of the book so that they can be deemed ‘worthy’. Am I right?”

“That is the general idea, sorry for making it complicated as it is.”

“I knew it. Then? What should I do now that I accepted your request. By the way, I don’t want to go where I don’t have the knowledge on where am I going. Can you tell me anything about your world?”

“Veneofel, That is my the name of my world. A world full of luscious sceneries and occupied by several races. The Dominant races are Humans and Lareans, or what you call elves in your world. There are other races such as Beastmen, Mnesians, Drageans, Demonkin, Aruvians and Phaerax, eight races in total. That’s the all the basic knowledge that you need to know about my world. You will learn more about my world once I send you there.”

“Ok, I get it. So… I have a few questions in my mind. First is, I want to know the current situation of your world, and why am I going to be sent there. I already have a guess about why, I just want to confirm if my assumptions are correct.”

“Well you see, Laotea, the largest continent in Veneofel, was once a peaceful continent. When I say peaceful, I don’t mean ‘peaceful’ that there is no fighting. Of course, there are some disputes between humans, interracial disputes and war among the eight races, that is what shaped our history. I said peaceful because, the races are now cohabitating with each other. That changes when the Demons wages war in against the continent. Those demons are living in a separate continent below the Laotea, the name is Balros. Balros is dubbed as ‘Dark Continent’ by everyone because it is occupied by demons. After the demons waged war to Laotea and the kingdoms and empires in there, they began to advance their forces and start conquering every settlement that they pass by, ravaging the villages and making its citizens slave. They have already conquered the Kingdom of Thalirr, the nearest kingdom in the south. Those demons follow a leader, The Demon King. There are many instances of the united kingdoms and empires trying to kill the Demon King by sending their most powerful troops and adventurers, but no one succeeded and returned. The leaders are already at their wit’s end because their greatest warriors have been defeated. That is why I summoned you here, so that you can help Laotea and defeat the Demon King.”

“If that so, then why am I not being summoned by the kingdoms, why am I summoned by a petty ghost?”

“You know, it hurts me when you call me petty. Anyways, the kingdoms and their mages are simply not capable enough. They might be powerful but they lack knowledge about summoning. Even if they were to succeed, I doubt that they can return those that they summoned back to their respective worlds. I on the other hand is a capable ghost. The truth is, I died approximately a thousand years ago, back when magic is abundant and knowledge of it is still new. I studied about it and learned so many things, including this summoning.”

“So up till now, you still care for your land and continuous to observe them and help them? What a nice guy.”

“Stop, I’m flattered.”

“I’m just being sarcastic, you know.”

“*sigh* I thought so.”

“Anyways, my second concern is about the language of that world. Is it different from the language in here?”

“Ah, yes, yes. It is different form your world, but don’t worry, I will give you the power to understand and speak all the language in my world. You don’t have to worry about that, not at all.”

“Ok if you say so… then lastly, I guess you wouldn’t send me there empty-handed right?”

“Are you perhaps talking about…”

“Yes, that’s what I’m talking about.”

“Ahh. I have the power to give you any one ability or item that you want. Be it a legendary sword, a legendary shield, a lance, the power to travel instantaneously, everything, but only one of them.”

“So, you can give me anything?”

“Of course, if it is going to help you defeat the Demon Lord. I can grant you any one thing or ability that you want.”

“Then I would gladly accept it, anyways, I already have something in my mind.”

“Ohh, what is it.”

“I want to have the power of materializing imagination.”

“…”

The voice seems to be confused on what I said.

“I guess you wouldn’t know about matter huh?”

“Yes. what is it, by the way?”

“The inhabitants of my world had a saying “The only limit is your imagination”. I just have an idea that I could literally use my imagination and materialize it. The ability to create anything from thin air only by using my imagination, modify the appearance of an object and change its composition. Much like alchemy, but greater and much broader.”

“Ok if that’s what you want then…”

“What is it, why the pause?”

“IT WAS A GODLY ABILITY TO BEGIN WITH!!!”

“If that’s what it is then, OK.”

“No, no, no. That is not OK! It’s like your saying that you want the power of creation itself!”

“It is not creation magic since everything I imagine is already existing.”

“Wait, you do know that you are from an another world, right? Then whatever you are imagining about is an entirely new thing if we were to base it in my world.”

“Hmm, you’ve got a point there. Even so, I still want that ability.”

“Wait, wait, wait. If I were to give them to you, I’m not sure if I will still exist afterwards. That requires a lot of mana. And when I say a lot, I really mean it.”

“You know, I am still pissed off about a certain someone that drags me in here unwillingly and let me suffer for three days while he is enjoying himself… You would give it to me, right?”

“O-o-of course, I w-w-would give it to you. I really am sorry for complaining, please forgive me.”

The voice sounded afraid and in the verge of crying.

“I didn’t specify someone you know?”

“Ok, ok, I will grant it, but there are limitations. First, you can’t create something that you haven’t seen before. Second, you the maximum limit that you can create simultaneously is two. And lastly, you won’t be able to use magic of my world. Those are your limitations.”

“I guess I can live with that.”

“And before I send you there, I just want to say something. Your world has a harsher environment than ours. Your world is your limitations when it comes to your physical capabilities. If you were to be transferred in my world, all those limitations are gone. To put it bluntly, you would be able to run faster, jump higher, survive a fall, and have more strength than the others from my world. You will be powerful there. Also, my world has level system, the more you work, the more level you gain. That is the measurement of strength and capability in my world. One of the limitations that comes with the ability I gave you is you would stay on level 1. It is not because you are broken. It is because the level reading mechanism in our world would not identify your ability, add to that the fact that you won’t be able to use the magic that exist in my world. Because of that, the readings will stay level 1. You will be treated badly because of your status.”

“I don’t care if I will be treated badly, I don’t care about their opinion. The only thing I want is to do my own thing.”

The voice became silent for a while then a blue sphere surrounded me. The sphere appears to have some symbols in it that I don’t know.

“I guess, you didn’t need my warning after all. Ok then, prepare yourself, I will now going to send you to my world. Hold on! Wait, there is nothing to hold on, really. Anyways, prepare yourself Johannes. And one last warning. The Demon King is not the only enemy. Be observant, everyone will try to kill you if they know that you possess such abilities. Remember, the true enemy is not the one that attacks you in the frontline. It is the one that’s pulling the strings on a safe place. And also another thing, I don’t know where will you end up after this summoning. It is because I’ve used all my mana for your ability. I can guarantee your safety but I can’t guarantee your destination.”

“Wait wha-”

Before I could finish what I’m saying, the blue sphere shined brightly that I had to cover my eyes because of it. After that, I felt the wind flowing in my face. As I opened my eyes, I saw a castle. The top of the castle to be exact and yes, I am falling right now. I panicked for a second but remembered that my survival when falling is guaranteed. Instead, I slowly look around me while I’m free-falling. I’ve lost my sense of direction in the air. As I look on the horizon, I saw greeneries everywhere. It looks like a province without any contamination from the city. The I looked at the back and I say the horizon opposite to the other side.

“So I guess that is the Dark Continent.”

After observing my surrounding, I looked down and saw the top of the castle I saw earlier. As I go near the castle roofs, I had a chance to observe it more carefully. The castle feels ominous. It is surrounded by dark land and the castle itself appeared to be twisted.

Now that I think about it, I don’t know which side I’m going to fall to, the Dark Continent or Laotea?

Then as I carefully observe the castle, something comes up to me.

“Wait, am I perhaps going to fall to-”

I fell face first.