It has been a long time since I came here. To be honest, a lot of my past life has been lost to me, not that I mind. I mean, sure, I might have left behind people I cared about, but it’s really hard to care about that if you don’t even remember them. And I’m sure they’re fine, everything’s been taken care of. Right now, what’s important is to keep on looking ahead.
I still remember what happened when my friends and I got transported to this new world. I don’t know the exact details of it, but I do remember that I was with my three friends when a magic circle appeared, big enough to catch us all. I don’t know if it was due to fear or because of its magic, but I was unable to escape. As the magic engulfed us and the light surrounded us, I began to slowly lose consciousness, and when I came to, I could hear a voice inside my head, at first dull, as if it were a dream, but slowly, it had gotten a lot clearer.
“You’ve finally woken up,” the voice said.
I had my eyes wide open, yet it felt like they were still closed. It was really dark, or rather, it seemed to be dark, as when I instinctively looked at my hands, they were clearly visible to me. There wasn’t any source of light, as neither of my hands would cast a shadow on the other. Strangely, I was calm. It felt like a dream. Not a pleasant one, but also not a bad one either. Still, this wasn’t a dream, I was well aware of that.
I wanted to ask her who she was, but before I could say a word, she already replied.
“My name is Elverde. I am what you could call a Goddess.”
“So I must have been summoned to another world,” I said, though without actually having to say a word.
“That is correct, though, not by me, and not as a hero, I’m afraid.”
“Wait, what did you just say?”
“You have been, as they call it, abducted.”
“Why? What use do they have for someone like me?”
“People who are summoned to another world, to one of these worlds, they have to pass through the space you are now, the God Realm. When they do, things change, they change. First, their bodies have to accomodate to the new world they’re into, since the rules from their own world don’t apply in this new world, and to prevent any pathogen from doing any harm to the body.
“But there are other things that get changed as well, things that allow people to gain powers, to harness magic, to learn special skills. However, the God Realm is unpredictable, unstable even, even staying for a short while will have drastic consequences.
“When that happens, they either gain a new skill, a unique skill, or they unlock an innate skill or ability, something they could have always done in their original world, but were unable to unlock due to the rules of their world, or the limitations of their body. In some cases, a God or Goddess like myself will bestow a skill or blessing to an individual instead.”
“And in my case?”
“Your case and that of your friends is no different. All of you will either unlock one or more unique skills, or gain them when passing through the God Realm.”
“My friends? They’re here as well?”
“They too were summoned to this world, a lucky summon really, the spell to summon you was only meant for one random individual, but occasionally more than one will get caught in the spell.”
“But are they okay?”
“That I cannot confirm. You see, you four were summoned for one reason, and that is for your unique skills. You were summoned by people of this new world to be sold as slaves.”
“What?!”
“It’s unfortunate, but at the same time you should call yourself lucky. Generally Gods don’t care about people like you entering this world, or rather, it’s rare for us to notice anybody entering the God Realm or passing through it. Fortunately for you, I happened to notice each and every one of you. Unfortunately, I was only able to intercept you.”
“So what now?”
“Well, what happens now is up to you. Lucky for you, before everyone left the God Realm, I was able to help them out a bit. I gave them some small protections and blessings. One thing I was able to do was hide the effects of the God Realm. I had to do this quickly, so the protection also prevents them from using their own special skills as well. On top of that, I’ve reduced their ages quite a bit. The average lifespan is quite a lot higher, but it helps quite a lot if you could mingle with a lot of younger adventurers in this new world.”
“So they’re younger now?”
“You all are. Once you enter the other world, your age will be set back to 18 years old. You will look younger, slightly different perhaps, but you’re still going to be you. It’s not like you’re going to be completely reborn. Don’t worry, by the way, I’ve made sure they are close to your age. Well, I wish I could guarantee that, though.”
“Is there anything wrong?”
“Unfortunately, I could only do this for two of your friends. In my attempt to intercept you, I’ve set one of your friends on a different course. I’m not sure if they’ll make it to this new world, since I don’t even know where they are. Chances are high that they’ll make it there, but there’s still a small chance they didn’t.”
“Then I’ll make sure I’ll find them. I’ll find them all.”
“That’s good to hear. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss some things. I have a few… favors I’d like to ask.”
Suddenly, the darkness disappeared, and I found myself in a room, the kind you’d see in a royal palace. In fact, it seemed like a bedroom. And there she was, the Goddess Elverde, wearing nothing but underwear. I knew I should have felt ashamed seeing her like that, but, considering she was a Goddess and showed herself to me like that, I guess it was okay to look at her like that. I have to admit, she was a very attractive woman, although not exactly my type. Her chest wasn’t freakishly big like in anime or manga, and she had natural curves. I think the thing that made her even more attractive was her slight imperfections. You’d always hear that Gods are perfect beings, and that their beauty would reflect that, so it was refreshing to see one that wasn’t perfect and didn’t even try to hide it.
“I apologize for showing myself like this, when I intercepted you I was in the middle of changing.” She winked at me, and for some reason, I didn’t exactly believe that story.
“Is it really okay for me to see you like this?”
“I mean, sure, it’s just underwear, but it’s still clothing.” She quickly moved closer, almost as if she were floating towards me. “Besides, even if I was completely naked, a Goddess should never be ashamed to show her body.”
“That is true,” I said calmly, although something else wasn’t as calm. “Okay, if you’re comfortable with this, then I’ll leave it be.”
“Good, now, let’s discuss the matter.” Elverde moved back to her closet to pick her clothes. “About the favors.”
“Is it something like defeating the Demon Lord?” I asked.
“No, no, it’s much simpler. I need you to do some research for me. I take it you know a thing or two about stories set in a fantasy world, right? Well, this is such a fantasy world. Now, this world has a thing called magic stones.”
“I’ve heard about them. They’re something that certain monsters have.”
“Exactly. They contain a certain form of magical energy, essence, and with this essence, you can do various things, like powering magical items, or using them to boost your magic. But what I need is a set of special magic stones, preferably four.”
“Why four?”
“Let me explain. Usually, when one or two people disappear from a world like yours, it wouldn’t raise too many questions, it’s just a few people who disappear. Most of the time, it’s from a world that’s somewhat attuned to the rules of this world. In the cases it’s not, a substitute needs to be placed back on the world.
“In your world, more and more people keep disappearing. Fortunately, in most cases, the victims that disappeared were either already destined to die, or they could be covered up, for example, by placing a fake corpse. In your case, however, it would be suspicious to leave behind four corpses and call it an accident, and it would be weird to make it look like a suicide.”
“And you can’t bring us back to our world?”
“Unfortunately, we can’t. I can’t. The main reason is that your bodies have changed already. Your old world isn’t accustomed to this new kind of energy, and it might tear your world apart. It’s too dangerous for both you and your world. However, I can create replicas using the same rules of your world, substituting the loss of mass with a small bit of mana, small enough to not leave a huge impact on your world. When I do that, I can leave these substitutes with the memories of your past lives.”
“I understand.”
I was bummed out by the fact that I could never return to my old world, but was at least glad I could leave behind someone who could take my place.
“But in order to do that, I need magic stones, and not just any magic stones. I need the highest grade you can ever find, and it has to be filled with a special essence, one that’s as close to a human essence as possible, preferably just human essence.”
“Do I need to kill a human for it?”
“Fortunately, you don’t have to. Humans don’t contain magic stones, so that’s fortunately not an option, and besides, if they did exist you could always just harvest existing corpses instead of killing humans yourself, you know.”
She laughed. I’m glad she could find the humor in that.
“No,” she continued, “what I need for you is to figure out how to create a magic stone with human essence.”
“How would I do that? Can a magic stone even be created?”
“Not exactly. No, rather, what you need to figure out is how to imbue a magic stone with such an essence. So, I’m going to give you a few skills, on top of the skills you already had when passing through the God Realm. First is a skill you need for the skill you actually need, which is called 【Item Synthesis】. This skill will allow you to combine two or more items to create a new one. It’s a fairly easy to learn spell, though not very popular, but it is a requirement. Another skill you need is a unique skill called 【Item Creation】, which is a skill that allows you to create items in exchange of mana. You need both of these skills in order to use 【Magic Stone Synthesis】, another unique skill. This skill allows you to synthesise magic stones.”
“And you’ll need four of them, right?”
“Exactly, and since a human magic stone has never been created before, you’ll have to figure out yourself how to do that. Also note that it has to be one of the highest grade magic stones, so not just any human magic stone will do.”
“Is it really alright to have these skills?”
“Of course, especially if it could help me out a lot. They’re useful, but they each have their limitations and drawbacks. It’s not like you could upset the balance.”
“I understand.”
“There’s another thing I need to discuss with you, though,” Elverde said.
“And that is?”
“The kidnappings. I need them to be investigated.”
“Why’s that? Aren’t you a Goddess?”
“It is true that I am a Goddess, but I have limits. For one, I can’t interfere too much with any of the worlds, I can only do the bare necessities, and I can’t see everything, I can’t do everything. Which is why I need you to solve this. Aside from the fact that I won’t be able to cover up everything, each time someone gets summoned from your world, it runs the risk of leaking mana.”
“Which means?”
“In the worst case, it would probably result in the implosion of your universe. And this wouldn’t have been troublesome were it a regular summoning ritual.”
“What do you mean? How is this different from any other?”
“For some reason, the circle they used targets your world specifically. Normally, when a person gets summoned, that person is picked from the infinite worlds, though circles that specifically direct one universe have the advantage that these people can eventually be sent back.”
“Wait, didn’t you say that returning me was dangerous?”
“It is, which is why a responsible summoner, like a king or a God, would pick compatible worlds. However, not only is your world at the moment incompatible, the summoners don’t have the intention of returning their captives to their home world.”
“I see, that is troublesome indeed. So, my job is to find them and stop them?”
“Preferably, yes.”
I felt like the Goddess was hiding something, and I was pretty sure she knew I was suspicious of her.
“You’re wondering if perhaps I know who the supposed perpetrators are.”
“Right now I’m fairly sure you know.”
“That might indeed be the case, however, I can’t just tell you what it is.”
There was a smile, not a devious smile, but a knowing one. I don’t know why, but it did reassure me.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to understand,” I said, “but I also feel like there’s a good reason you’re not telling me anything. Excuse me for my rudeness, I will not pry any further.”
“No, it’s not a problem, being sceptical is a good trait.”
“There is one question though. Stopping them, stopping the rituals. Does that mean I have to kill?”
“Maybe. The world you’re going to, it’s relatively safe. A long war had just ended, so the world is at peace for now. But there are still dangers down there. Eventually you might need to take a life.”
“Man, that’s heavy. I really don’t want to think about it.”
“If it’s any comfort, it seems like the God Realm made some small changes to your personality. Not too major, but you do seem a bit braver, less afraid. Taking the life of somebody else will put a huge toll on the soul, but I’m certain you can recover from it more easily because of the changes.”
“I just hope it doesn’t make me reckless.”
“It doesn’t, as long as you keep using your head. You’re smart, and you have a moral compass. As long as you hold on to your own morals, you won’t stray from the righteous path, I’m sure of it.”
“I’m not as noble as you think, you know.”
“Maybe. You need to have a bit more confidence though, you’re capable of more than you think.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“On another note, though,” Elverde continued, “let’s talk about your friends. I need you to find them, especially those two. They might have already been caught and taken away.”
“Shouldn’t I go down there to save them?”
“You shouldn’t. You’re not strong enough, even with your increased strengths, you won’t be able to beat them.”
She was right. Even if I was stronger, I had no fighting experience. I’d be dead before I could even rescue one of them.
“Don’t worry though, eventually, you will find them. I’m sure of that. And when you do, I need you to do one thing for me as well.”
“Which is?”
“Lead a good life, one that’s just as good if not better than the life you previously had. And that’s not just for you, it’s for the friends you have now and the new friends you make along the way. But, right now, the most important person is you. I’d like to give you a blessing?”
“Didn’t you already bless me with those skills?”
“True, they’re handy gifts, but these gifts are merely for you perform the other tasks I’ve given you. No, this blessing is purely for you.”
I decided to think about this first. I couldn’t just make any rash decision. Sure, being a hero sounds cool and all, but it also requires me to put my life on the line. So, maybe just a really strong adventurer? Do I want to be a magician? Or do I want to have a slow life? Do I want to live like a noble?
“If you want, you can look at your status screen. I’m pretty sure you’ve read some of those manga.”
“Well, how do I open it?”
“Just think about wanting to see it.”
I didn’t have to focus hard. Just like in those manga about other worlds, a status screen just appeared in front of my eyes. It looked like one from an RPG, with various stats. For now, I left it at that, but I did notice an empty space at the top.
“Back in the day the status screen didn’t say a lot of meaningful things aside from the name. Nowadays, with all the people coming from worlds where video games are common, it seems that the status screen is now mostly modeled after RPGs.”
“What about leveling up?” I asked.
“Well, those are things you will have to figure out for yourself in the other world. Trust me, for everything, there’s a logical explanation, but having everything explained by me is no fun. Besides, there are enough people in that world who already got the basic gist of it. See it as a motivation to get out and talk to people.”
I looked a bit more at my status screen, when I noticed something.
“What’s the empty space supposed to be at the top?”
“Well, for most people it often is reserved for their name.”
“I don’t have a name?”
“Well, of course you have a name, but your real name, your true name, might pose a risk. For some types of magic, your true name is enough to be able to control you, to manipulate you. Many adventurers don’t go by their real names, they often take an alias, or never mention their family name. And since you’re from another world, that would be especially risky.”
“But what should I go by, then?”
“Well, that’s for you to decide.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Understood. Now, have you thought about what gift you’d like to receive?”
“I think I have. As you know, I came from a world where there are modern conveniences, technology. Now I know that the world I’ll be going to is going to be a world of swords and magic, which would possibly mean that it lacks most of the technology I’m used to. Now, in some of the manga I’ve read, there were people who could use magic to create a substitute for technology. I’d like to be able to use such magic.”
“Very well. I will give you the unique skill 【Magitech Creation】, as well as the job 【Technopath】. It’s a unique job that can’t normally be acquired, and it allows you to more easily create devices. I’ll also give you the skill 【Job Change】. It allows you to change your job on the fly, though it does cost mana to do so. Though, is that everything you need?”
“Starting gear would be nice. I want to be able to blend in, not stand out too much, and I need a weapon to survive.”
“Of course. I’ll put it in your 【Storage Box】, and I’ll also give you the passive skill 【Unlimited Storage】.”
“Is that really okay? It kinda feels like cheating.”
“【Storage Box】 is a rare skill, but also a skill that everybody can obtain, and with enough effort everybody can also obtain 【Unlimited Storage】. In fact, some of the top class adventurers of this world have both skills.”
“It still feels like cheating.”
Elverde laughed. “Really, don’t worry, in time you’ll be glad you’ve got all these wonderful skills.”
I decided to take a look in my 【Storage Box】. In it was a sword, some adventurers clothes to help me blend in, and some local currency. I had about twenty gold coins, fifty silver and about twenty copper. I wasn’t sure how much it all was, but I assumed it was a lot.
“Please try on the outfit,” Elverde said, so I did as she told me to. I placed my modern-day clothes in my inventory, and put on the clothes. Surprisingly, they were pretty comfortable.
“Goddess Elverde,” I said. “Is this all really okay? Aren’t you giving me too much?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’d gladly help you out.”
The Goddess led me around her own palace. It was quiet, and quite empty as well. There seemed to be nobody here.
“Are you the only one here?” I asked.
“For now, yes, but I’m used to it. Not every part of Arvarva has a God or Goddess.”
“Arvarva?”
“That’s the land where everything lives. Arvarva is everything.”
“And what do you mean by not every part having a God?”
“Well, let’s say that Arvarva isn’t just one place, and not every place is directly connected.”
We looked outside the window, and there was a night sky. The stars shone brightly.
“Once you get down there, please take a look at the stars,” she said. “That’s all Arvarva.”
She looked a bit sad. I wasn’t sure why she looked that way, but I could guess.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything for you. I’m sorry you’ve got dragged into this. So I want to make it up to you, but you’ll have to promise me one thing.”
“Which is?”
“Bring your friends to me. Once you do, use 【God Message】 to contact me, and I’ll be right there to pick you up. In fact, whenever you have a question, don’t be shy to call me.”
“Thank you, my Goddess.”
I guess my words made her blush a little, and we laughed about it a bit.
“No, thank you,” Elverde said.
For a brief moment, she looked happy, but it faded just as fast.
“Right now, I’m a Goddess without a task, so doing something like that for somebody, to be honest, sure, I’m giving you all these gifts, but…”
“Goddess Elverde,” I said, in a reassuring tone. “Don’t worry about it. I will always be grateful to you, and I will never forget what you have done.”
She quickly cheered up. “Can you promise me another thing?” she asked.
“Which is?”
“Next time we meet, just call me Elverde.”
“Will do.”
“Well then, before you leave, there is one thing we need to settle on, and that is your name. Do you have a preference?”
I thought about it a bit, and then said, “Rivers. Rivers Neuwelt.”
“Then from today your name shall be Rivers Neuwelt.”