Chapter One #3
“See? You even remember a random, skippable NPC’s quest added in an update that almost nobody even noticed was there.
That quest didn’t even offer good rewards, you know.
There was no reason to do it. All I wanted was to try my hand at a bit more story writing since the reviews complained about the story. ”
“And that hasn’t stopped me from completing the quest every single playthrough since it was added. There’s no way I would skip even a single second of content from my favorite game. Now then, for the first of my endless interview questions, what was your inspiration for—”
The god smiled and, once more, shook his head. “One question is all I’ll answer, alright? Look, I wish I could talk to you for weeks straight about the game as much as you do—”
“Months straight at the minimum.”
“Yeah, that. But seriously, I’ll answer one question, then I’ve got to finish this.”
I could only ask the most interesting person in all of existence a single question. That was, to put it frankly, absolute bullshit and unfair.
There were a few questions that came to mind, but they were too cheesy or sentimental to waste on the only question I could ask.
There was only one question that really mattered.
That was why I asked, “Did I miss anything?”
The god chuckled and said, “Not a single damn thing. You even put the dataminers to shame. That’s why I’ve made sure to include some surprises for you this next time.”
I cracked a smile in response. “Guess I’ll have to put another few thousand hours in.”
“More than that, but there’s a condition. You only get one try this time, so make your choices matter.”
“Wait, wait! Hang on, only one?!”
“You’re going to a real world, not a game. There’s no new game plus this time.”
A real world.
I looked down at my legs.
I was able to stand on my own two legs for the first time in nearly twenty years.
Seeing as how I was familiar with isekai stories and enjoyed them myself, it was pretty obvious that was where the conversation was leading, but… still.
“Is… it really alright if it’s just me?” I asked. Even if it felt like a dream scenario come true to me, part of me felt guilty that I was the only one going forward. What about everyone else who was in a position like me who wouldn’t get to start over with a body that actually worked?
“You’re a good guy,” the god said. “But you need to learn to be a little selfish every now and then. Besides, look at it this way. I’m a selfish god forcin’ some random human to go be an adventurer in a fantasy world without his consent.
” He shot me a wink. “You don’t need to worry about bein’ selfish when you look at it that way, right? ”
I raised my hand in objection. “But there isn’t a single bone in my body that doesn’t consent.”
“Yeah, well, I already signed you up for it without getting your consent beforehand.”
“You knew I would consent.”
“That ain’t the same. Ah, shit. Alright. Time’s up. Seriously this time. Gotta go, bro.”
“Hang on! Can’t we—”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Enjoy the world we both love so much for the two of us, alright? It’s out of my control now, so they’ll be depending on you.”
Even if I only knew him for a few minutes, I wanted to—no, I did cry.
Just a little, but still. He was the one who created the world who brought me so much joy and made my miserable life worthwhile.
As silly as it sounded, he gave me a reason to live, and now he was giving me something beyond even my wildest dreams.
I owed him everything.
“The name’s Seth, by the way,” the god, Seth, told me.
“That’s surprisingly human,” I replied.
“I told ya, we’re not that different.” He held his fist out toward me.
That was something the male characters in Custom Dungeon World all seemed to love. Fist bumps.
So, I gave him a fist bump.
Seth showed me a wide grin before fading away. I had no idea what was happening, but I knew our time together was up.
Then I looked down and saw myself fading away. Maybe it was just a dream after all and I was finally starting to wake up.
I closed my eyes, not knowing what to expect.
And the next time I opened them, I found myself in a familiar place.
It wasn’t the hospital-like room I spent most of my life in, though.
Instead, that brown, rocky cave entrance before me surrounded by trees was the start of one of Custom Dungeon World’s starter dungeons.
I was in the starting position that every new character found themselves in after character creation.
For a game all about clearing dungeons, it was only natural to throw the player against a dungeon at the very start of the game. No build-up. No tutorial. No cutscene.
In my left hand was a burning torch for light, and in my right hand was the starter sword that every new character had. An old, rusty but reliable sword that was more than enough to last until a weapon dropped in the dungeon. “I’m in your care once again, Rusty,” I said to the sword.
Why would I not name the starter sword after playing with it so many hundreds of times before?
This time, though, I’d make sure to give it a nice little shrine to rest on after replacing it. Rusty deserved that much.
Now then.
It was time to get started.
[Entering Dungeon]
[Cave of New Beginnings]
[Recommended Levels: 1 – 5]