Prologue: My God is a Calculating Bastard

“Let’s see here, Hugh Carters was it? Young and active soul, 42-years-old, mechanical engineer, a big world traveler, all the seven continents? not bad, what was the cause for traveling?…seems to be wildlife photography, that’s always beautiful…But you died too young wouldn’t you say? Well maybe not too young for your perspective but rather for mine, the question is how you died.

Euthanasia, such a sad and disgusting way to go, was the lung cancer too much for? You couldn’t wait around for another year or two before going out the way I had planned it out for you? Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

In front of me there’s a well-trimmed man with inquisitive eyes looking towards me. Despite his high-handed tone towards me, he actually looks younger than me by at least 20 years. So, the question is, why is a 21-year-old man treating me like a little kid why he’s just sitting on the floor on top of a pillow while reading some papers. Might as well keep the talk for now and see if I can get some answers, because as this man says, I should be dead.

“N-no, I don’t believe I do, but rather who are you and where am I?”

“Ah, excuse me where are my manners. I am God, or rather the God of your world”

“The God of my world?”

“Indeed, did you truly believe that there was no such thing as God or even worse that there aren’t multiple worlds like yours? Stop fanning your ego and look objectively at me.”

“From my perspective it seems like you’re the one boosting your own ego. But even if you tell me that you’re God, isn’t still a bit farfetched to believe?”

“*Sigh* I suppose you’re right but I’ll use two things to make it clear right now. First, look where you are at right now, this is God’s office but for you, this is Purgatorium. Welcome to the afterlife and don’t too used to it because your judgement is yet to come, hence why you’re being bathed by my presence. Second, see these papers? These are your life records, everything that was ever in your life’s history, it’s here. I only listed some of your crucial moments that controlled your late life, but if you need further proof I also know how you cancelled your marriage plans or your abnormal love for Japanese media, shall I continue?”

With a semiserious but teasing tone, the self-proclaimed God revealed two things that are close to my heart but not many love. Of course, I know this is not enough to prove those are my life records, but just thinking about my failed love life it brings nothing but inner pain.

“Please don’t, I’ll listen to what you have to say but I beg of you, don’t talk about my marriage again.”

“…Understood, at least you seem to understand a bit better. I’ll say I’m sorry, but whether you believe my apology to be honest or not is up to you.”

When he said that, his eyes were closed and he lowered his in a form of apology.

“It’s fine, so what is it that the God of Earth needed with the idiot that asked to be killed? If I remember correctly, God doesn’t like people who take away their own lives”

“Indeed, in all honesty I’m disgusted of having to see you in front of me right now. However, the way you lived your life and how this one ended is one so unfair that you’re chosen to get a second chance.”

“A second chance?”

“Yes, in a way I’m acting upon my powers to choose you to become a Wanderer.”

“Why would I be given a second chance out of the billions of people on Earth, and what’s a Wanderer?”

“One question at a time please. To start with, why were you of all people be given a second chance…do you have any ideas as to why?”

“…absolutely none…”

“Well you should think a little bit higher for yourself then, especially for that greed you hold within you”

“Greed?”

“Yes, greed. Although it is part of the 7 Great Sins, greed is the only reason why anybody gets an audience with me. Sure everyone has greed, after all, greed is the driving force of all life, but it is the way that greed materializes and what that person has the greed for that makes them different. The source of your greed however, is comparatively clean, your greed isn’t one after money or fame, and it isn’t even a greed linked to the other sins like lust or hunger.

Your greed is the dissatisfaction of having to asked to be killed to take the burden from your family members, your greed is weakness that the goal you set out to do with your hobby was never accomplished, and most of all, pardon me for bringing it up again, your greed is for not living a fulfilling life with a wife and raising a kid. You’re a very greedy person, but you hold the type of greed that is welcomed in my eyes. The greed that at one point in time it life to sprout and evolve in your Earth.

What? Did you think because I was God, evolution never existed? Hell no, I gave your planet the push for life to happen and I guided it until it reached the where you are now, my final goal was a sentient race that I could interact with, it just so happens that human beings were the first ones to achieve my goal…Does that answer your question of why you’re chosen for a second chance?”

“I’m a bit overwhelmed but yeah I understand now. But what is a Wanderer?”

“I’m getting to that, for someone who is already dead you sure are in a rush…A Wanderer is someone that has had the fortune of being given a second chance. They are called Wanderers because their souls have moved on from their original bodies and they’ve taken home in a new body. How a Wanderer chooses to live their new life is up to them, but I’ve yet to see a case that the soul didn’t improve their previous life choices. That isn’t to say all are good, because for some their improvement meant to become assassins and thieves; how you choose to live your new life is up to you, but remember, you only get one chance to do this. Does that answer your question?”

“…Yeah it does, thank you very much. So what am I supposed to do now?”

“Fufu, I’m glad to see you’re up to speed with it all. Well now I’ll ask you a few questions and these will help me decide where to send you to.”

“There are multiple options?”

“Of course there are, there are planets where the sciences of your world are advanced by centuries, while other planets are ones that you could see as in a typical fantasy novel from your world. Along with that, there are planets controlled by a different sentient race, while in others all of them coexist. It’s really fun actually, so before I ask any questions, do you have a preference?”

“So I can pick anything I want and there’s a world for it?”

“Well, not quite, but I can tell you that there’s enough worlds out there fit almost any setting you’ve seen in the entertainment media of your world.”

“…if I’m given so many options than I don’t know what to say except that I don’t want something like old world and life.”

“So you want a fantasy like world? With magic and various sentient races and such? No cyberpunk or futuristic cityscape?”

“That sounds about right. So do you have any more questions to ask me or should I just leave it to your free whim?”

“Fufu, I’m having fun now. Fine, I’ll pick as is from what you told me, I think I have the best place for you. By the way, what would you do if I sent you to a world where there are multiple entities that are equivalent to Gods within it?”

“I’d probably ask if that makes any difference, because otherwise, I’d rather just avoid them.”

“Interesting. I’ll give you a bit of push then, where I plan to send you, Gods are important figures that mess with the world, the complete opposite of me and Earth. However, by befriending, making them fall for you or even harder, slaying them, your lifespan gets expanded.”

“…Why would I be interested in slaying a God?”

“Because the moment you heard of the idea of living a longer life you started smiling”

He was right, when I touched my face I had an almost contorted smile, one that felt like if I was a wild animal that had finally found his newest prey.

“I’ll tell you this Hugh. After you’re sent to this world, I won’t be able to contact you ever again, however I can still see you since you were originally born in my world. What I’m saying is, create a strong goal like this one to push you forward, if later on you change it that’s fine. However, an ambitious goal is the only way to fulfill your inner greed. So, go to this world, live a new life and find a way to beat the expectations you had in your original life.”

“I understand what I benefit from, but why would you want me to take down a God?”

“I never said to take one down, however I want you to aim for them, shake the foundation of that world. It’s been centuries since I last had a Wanderer appear from your/my world, and the next one will take at least 3 more millennia before she appears, so until then I want to have a great form of entertainment, i.e. you. So would you do it?”

“…You just want me to change the world, not do something as drastic as killing a God correct?”

“Yes, if you accept such a life, then I’ll begin to send you to be reincarnated, within that period your memories will be treated and anything that is linked directly to your memories of individuals will be gone”

“Wait, so I’ll lose all memories of my parents and even the woman I loved?”

“That’s correct, after all those will nothing but baggage once you start a new life. Do you have a problem with that? If you do, I can just lay you to rest right here and now and you’ll keep those memories.”

“No…it’s fine like that, please give me my second chance”

“Good man, then let’s get started”

When the God said that, my senses began to dull and I couldn’t feel my body. A strong light appeared from beneath my feet. Within my last few conscious moments, the God said to me.

“By the way, I’ll also implant within you the necessary information of that world, after all many of the rules and ideas are different from yours. It will mostly be info about the magic and the races within the world.”

“I am grateful for that…is there a reason for your smirk just now…?”

“? Ah yes, there is a small thing. Since you will go out of your way to make everything change into this new world. I decided to give you a small handicap.”

“A handicap? What is it?”

“Oh nothing big, don’t worry about it. You won’t notice it in the least.”

…When he said that, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about it…well nothing I can do about it now.

…the light fully envelops me and my consciousness fades. Within that time, I feel things disappearing from my mind, while something new is added. My consciousness remains in a dormant state for 10 months.

End of Prologue