With a sound not totally unlike a pod opening in Sci-fi, the full-body gaming capsule opened. Within was a young man in his early 20s. From a physical standpoint, aside from being relatively well-built, he wasn’t much to look at. To call him plain wouldn’t be incorrect. That, coupled with his quiet personality, made his presence greatly diminished. Marcus rubbed his eyes due to his uncomfortableness, both physically and mentally. He slightly stretched his body, but it wasn’t too stiff. He had only spent an hour, named worldwide as the Utopia Hour, in the gaming pod.

A little over a year ago, the first virtual reality game, called the Utopia Project, was released on Earth. The world was shocked by the sudden technological development as virtual reality had only become commonplace a few years earlier. However, the world quickly accepted the development of such technology. A few years ago, an event that was known as The Convergence occurred. People on Earth started to obtain strange and wonderful powers while others were abducted to other realities entirely. These realities seemed spawned from the imagination of humanity, and many of them were of fantastical settings. Those who managed to come back from the other realities had strange powers and abilities, and they often did not come back alone. This travel could be both ways became known worldwide when the advanced technological race called the Sylverings had a space vessel appear over a western city in the United States.

Along with many others, Marcus was envious of those who obtained special abilities. He was especially envious of those who came back with the women so attractive that they could only be inspired by fantasy. Particularly, his envy focused on the one who married the Sylvering Princess even though he already had a dozen other wives. However, he had no misconceptions about himself. While he was not an introvert, his calm personality never made him stand out. His average appearance had netted him only a single girlfriend, who was rather plain herself. He had the feeling that she was only using him. It seemed that he would never be able to get out of the mire that was his life, but it seemed as if that would change.

With a sigh, Marcus pulled himself out of his pod as he surveyed his rather empty room. The only sound that he could hear was the muffled sound of thunder from the storm rolling in. Next to the gaming pod were a bed and a desk with a somewhat old custom-built computer. Besides these things, he had very little because he had put nearly all of his money into the Utopia Project. Marcus gripped his fist, which now felt so powerless compared to just a few days before. The reason for his powerlessness, along with the reason why he focused nearly everything he had on the Utopia Project, was for a simple reason.

Less than a minute after the first session of the Utopia Project, the holographic GUI within the game suddenly appeared before his eyes. Not only did it appear in front of his eyes, but also every other player. It turned out that the reason why the game was called ‘Utopia’ did not refer to the game itself, but because those who played the game would obtain everything they earned on Earth. Thus, it sought to close the gap between those with and without powers by removing the latter, hence Utopia. However, this game did not come without any risk.

Every person was only allowed one account, and this account had several lives. The number of lives could be increased, used as currency, and reflected the number of times your character could respawn. If your character died with zero lives, you would lose everything but the items stored, including level. This is what happened to Marcus.

Marcus wasn’t a top-tier gamer, especially as Utopia Project was incredibly realistic to the point where it seemed to be a different reality. While his ability to fight had been above the average human, that simply couldn’t cut it. He could never join the powerful guilds and eventually accepted that he could only play with his small group of friends. One of the people he played with regularly was his girlfriend. To obtain the item she wanted, she ended up trading every single one of her lives. Though the transaction went smoothly, she ran into some ‘red players’ on her way back. In desperation, she spilled the beans that she didn’t have any lives. Instead of killing her, her assaulters caught her for ransom. They demanded five lives, along with the sixth for whoever brought them. As it turned out, Marcus had six lives remaining.

Marcus snuck through relatively dangerous territory to meet the captors and succeeded in the transaction. Though it was a gamble, the captors did not go back on their word. The reason was simple. If the captors went back on their word, they would not continue this in the future. Unfortunately, Marcus and his girlfriend had run into another group of red players, and he had died protecting her escape. This was a tremendous setback to Marcus as he had put a full year of effort into his character and had fallen back to the starting point. Though it would be easy to reach a high level again, this setback was likely permanent. To top it all off, his girlfriend had suddenly broken off the relationship, and he had heard rumors that she had already begun to see someone else. Marcus didn’t think she had ever cheated on him, but she didn’t hesitate to dump them when he was at his lowest. Since this had all been recent, Marcus was still feeling relatively depressed. If not for the fact that every moment counted towards obtaining his abilities back, he wouldn’t even bother to play. However, he found himself in a bit of a bind.

Thanks to his previous account, he had enough money for several years, and the items in his account will be more than sufficient for the next eight months. As such, he had no need to work and no desire to hang out with his friends at the moment. Already bored, he went over to his PC and booted it up. He put on the relatively new, yet now completely outdated, VR headset and loaded the game he had put way too much time into. However, the moment the loading screen appeared, his body suddenly shook as his mind cracked as the sound of lightning crashed all around him. His entire body felt like it was on fire before he became completely cold, and everything went dark.

…

“Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?”

A voice roused Marcus back from unconsciousness. He groggily moved his head as his burly eyes barely made out that there was a figure in front of him. With the shake of his head, the ring in his ears dissipated as his eyes regained his focus.

“There we go. I’m glad the process went well.” The middle-aged man said.

“What process.” Marcus blurted out before he noticed that he could see through his body. “I… Am I dead?”

“You catch on quick. Yes, you died of natural causes, though you are extremely unlucky.” The middle-aged man replied.

After taking a few seconds to absorb the information, Marcus slumped back in his chair as his head fell back to the ceiling. He glanced around the room and wanted to be similar to an office but felt rather ethereal. However, after glancing out the window, it seemed as if the office was located in the sea of stars, further leading him to a conclusion. “Is this heaven, hell, or have I been Abducted?”

“I believe the term would be Abducted. We are going to have a discussion, and I’m going to customize a world for you and send you to it.”

“Customize a world? You can do that?”

“Yes, it’s a new feature that I obtained after ascending his position. Oh, but where are my manners? Before now, I was known as The Overload of Dremora and Dragons, but you can call me Todd for short. As for the reason you’ve been brought here.” Todd began as he pulled out a clipboard from nowhere. “Marcus, while you haven’t put the most time into Skyr*m as you have a life, you have been a great suc- *ahem* supporter as you have purchased every single version of the game. Coupled with the circumstance of your death, with death being a condition, you have been selected to be the first person to test out our new game, Skyr*m: Real-Life Edition.”

Marcus ignored the obvious job as his thoughts spun. “Why me? Why do I get this world?”

“Well, the timing worked out,” Todd said before he pointed out the window. “You see all the stars? The stars are all rules that I can manipulate and combine to create a world, and there is no limit on the number of worlds I can create with these rules.”

“What are these rules?”

“Besides the fundamentals included in every reality, rules specific to Skyr*m, the entire world, and mods. I can manipulate them to a certain extent, but not too much. However, everything has its limits. You aren’t going into a game, but a real world. Because it is grounded in reality with a setting, there are limits. For an example of the fundamental rules, there are no NPCs but actual people. For an example of setting rules, I can’t put firearms into Skyr*m, even if someone created a mod for that purpose.”

“I see. Then, should we start?”

“Of course. Firstly, do you want a vanilla experience or a modded one?”

“Modded, definitely modded.”

“Understood. We will be setting the overall parameters here. After we are done, we will send you to a pocket space where you will have an infinite amount of time to make small changes on your own. Choose carefully because the amount you can change after will be minuscule. You can also try to contact me during that time, but I can make no promises as I will be rather busy with other players. Next is the difficulty:

Ultra-Easy, where you will be born 18 years before the game begins. Easy, where you will start three years early and require 75% experience to level up. Normal, where you will start three months before the game begins. Hard where you will start the day of, either as a separate character or the protagonist. Ultra-Hard, which is the same as hard, but Leveling takes 125% experience.”

“Are those the only differences?”

“For the Ultra-Easy difficulty, you will have zero skills and won’t be able to start leveling until age 8. Otherwise, only differences you make.”

“In that case, besides going to childhood again and not fully controlling my fate for that time, the only ones that tempt me are Ultra-Easy and Easy.”

“You can finalize this on your own after we go over the rest.”

“How does Leveling work?”

“More or less the same as it would be in-game, but takes into account actions and thoughts that could previously not have been accounted for. You have a few mods that change how that works, and unless you change that at the beginning, that’s how it will be. This Leveling System will also help you individually. For example, if you level up one-handed, you will automatically learn how to fight more proficiently. However, this affects everyone. Additionally, as you have some fighting experience yourself, you can use that knowledge to quickly level. The System will take into account more than just the damage you deal.”

“Do the inhabitants have access to the System as well?”

“Not to the extent that you have. Besides making smaller changes to mod settings even after you start, you also have a full display as if you are in the game. This knowledge is installed directly in your psyche. You don’t have to worry about seeing it unless you want to for ease of use. The other inhabitants have access to the Leveling System. However, they cannot see it or freely distribute their stats or perks. This is done subconsciously, if at all. You could do that for them if they become your followers, as outlined by one of your mods. Do you have any other questions regarding these rules?”

“Crafting items? Spellbooks? Inventory? How customizable will my start be?”

“To reiterate, you are not going into a game, but a world. Hence things that you could complete instantaneously in the game can no longer do so. Crafting will not be instantaneous. You will have to go through the process, but this is fast compared to the world you come from. Your relevant skills will automatically give you the knowledge you need, and studying will help to that end.

“You will have to read a spellbook, but you don’t need to thoroughly understand it. Once you finish, the basic knowledge will automatically be instilled in your mind. However, depending on your prowess, that will not be a limitation, nor will the spells in the world.

“For the inventory, you have two options that you can decide on your own. You can make it realistic, or everyone can have an inventory skill to automatically store and carry items to the same specifications as the game.

“For your start, unless you pick to start as the protagonist, it will be completely customizable.”

“I understand. If I don’t choose a start as the protagonist, can I still have their abilities, and will they still exist?”

“That is a yes on both unless you change it.”

“How do the mods work?”

“Good, that’s the next part we need to work on anyway. Do you want me to add all the mods you currently use?”

Marcus nodded.

“Great! There are a few mods that don’t fit but can be semi-implemented. Because there is no limit, I’m also going to add a bunch of mods that will be convenient for you. For example, you will be affected by basic needs and elements, and you’ll be able to make some minor modifications.”

“How immersive will these mods be? Given that there are limitations to some.”

“There will be some changes to the setting. For example, you have a few mods installed that improve the overall look of the inhabitants, especially women. There will be cultural implications to this. I should also add that there are some changes culturally. For example, certain crimes can be committed, polygamy, etc. You’ll be able to manipulate some of these to a certain extent.”

“I see. Then will these mods be implemented as they are, or as intended?”

“Could you elaborate?”

“For example, I have a mod that sets up the ability to teleport between player homes. However, I also have modded homes along with other properties I can buy. Will the mod be limited as it is, or will I be able to set up something similar everywhere?”

“By default, they will be implanted and modified as intended. However, you can make specifications before you begin. Additionally, you have access to the mod database, so you can add and change any mods you would like during that time.”

“Understood. Then how does the scaling work?”

“Scaling barely exists. As Skyr*m becomes more dangerous with certain events, others will have the motivation to become stronger. As a result, as time goes on, the overall people become stronger. However, this has nothing to do with your level. Certain areas will tend to have higher-level individuals. Your world map can reflect this but won’t update unless you obtain new information. Luckily, you have mods that let you observe levels, etc.”

“What about quests and progression?”

“The System you have can track quests. However, the world isn’t centered on you. Not completing a quest promptly can have consequences. While Fate will try to follow the script, your actions will create a butterfly effect. Fate and your existence will clash, and what side wins may, or may not, be left to your devices. You should consider your actions significant actions carefully. That should cover the basics. Is there anything else you like to request?”

“Yes, will I be able to return to Earth?”

“Return is the wrong word. After all, your body will be found after some time. If you want to return, you will have to ascend to become the overlord of that reality. This requires you to reach a high enough level and complete all the main storylines. Don’t worry. You don’t have to kill any of the deities. They exist in a constant state between all the realities that I’m going to create.”

“Then, as for additional features, can I have access to the Internet?”

For the first time in the entire discussion, Todd’s smile froze. “… I can give use limited access through the System.” He said through his teeth. “However, you can only receive and not send. What would you like to assess specifically?”

“The Skyr*m wiki that reflects my world, descriptions of the mods that reflect how they were implemented, and access to survival guides and videos.”

“Very well. However, I’m afraid I can only give you the normal Skyr*m wiki.”

“Then can you make it so I can query the system for specific changes?”

“… Yes, but the answers may be vague and dependent upon the information you already have obtained to fill in the blanks. However, questions that are common sense can be freely given.”

“Can I ask for a magical spell?”

“Yes, if it’s not included as a mod.”

“It shouldn’t be. I want a spell that would perfect the body. Killing parasites, perfecting metabolism and hormones, recovering cells, adjusting bones, removing harmful effects, etc. An all-purpose health spell that I can use on anyone.”

“... Sure.”

“Excellent. But I have a few more things to discuss.”

For the first time, Todd sighed.

…

Eventually, an exhausted Todd sent Marcus to a parallel space in which time did not flow. For what felt like hours, Marcus painstakingly went over every single mod and setting. After all, this would affect his future. Next, he went over his appearance. While he made some subtle changes, he didn’t change much, other than what his race would change. Adding muscle mass would do nothing but make him larger, and he was used to his appearance. Next was his race.

Marcus had died early, so he heavily leaned toward a long-living race leading to the Elven variety. The high elves would be a good choice if going down a magical path, but there would be heavy racial tensions due to the recent war. The racial tensions would be even worse for the dark elves. This left the wood elves, but Marcus wasn’t quick to choose. Some modded races prolonged his decision.

Next was to decide his play style. If he went with the Ultra-Easy start, he would have more than three times as long to prepare as Easy, so this wouldn’t be as much of an issue. According to his memory, the shield bash was extremely powerful, but he wasn’t completely sure this would still be the case. Additionally, he was not inclined to be a frontline fighter. Additionally, since he had a chance to learn magic, why wouldn’t he? In Utopia Project, he played a roguish character, which gave him some daggers, bows, and sneaking knowledge. He could utilize these skills with the magic that conjured weapons, negating the need for ammunition. Of course, the mods had also expanded magic. Necromancy had become far more viable. Of course, he was only considering what he would focus on. With his knowledge and help from the wiki, he would be able to farm levels extremely quickly.

Finally, he set up his background. Unfortunately, he couldn’t give himself an impressive background. For example, he couldn’t become part of a noble family. However, the options and locations were highly varied and extremely important given how they would affect his progression. Eventually, he set everything, and his vision turned white.

Once Marcus disappeared, a strange look appeared on Todd’s face. “Weird. Although that was the first world I assembled, why did something feel off? Almost like something foreign appeared?”