Good day! My name is Siddharth Abhimanyu. You can call me Sid. I'm an extremely ordinary guy with an average face, good grades, and currently a final-year engineering student at a reputed college in India. Recently, I landed an internship at a company that pays its interns. Quite lucky, aren't I? And to top it off, there's a girl at the company who is actually interested in me. Hehe, I hope I haven't used up all my luck for the year! Those were my thoughts, but guess what? I really did consume all my luck.
It was a Friday night. To enjoy the weekend, I, along with my girlfriend (cough, cough, my friend who is a girl), were heading to a club on my bike. Midway, an absolutely gorgeous, agate metallic grey Porsche Taycan hit us head-on! And then I died. How do I know? Because I am in the Court of Judgment. Dude, these guards are really scary. If you think you're brave just because you can watch The Conjuring alone at night, buckle up, my boy. The world is vast.
So, here I am, being judged in this court, surrounded by these scary guards. It took me some time to adjust, but now I'm somewhat okay. I can see some accountants, I guess, and there's a judge on the high platform. I can't quite figure out how they look; they're like shadowy silhouettes, continuously writing something. There's a long line of ghosts ahead of me. I can see but cannot hear or feel anything, which is a very uncomfortable feeling. I couldn't find Ashwini anywhere (you know, my girlfriend, okay, to-be girlfriend). I hope she survived.
I don't know how much time passed, but finally, it's my turn. As I was escorted to my place where I will be judged, I finally heard some scribbling sounds.
"Siddharth Abhimanyu," a cold, eerie yet domineering voice resounded in my ears.
"Yes!" Instinctively, I straightened myself as if I were a soldier. My heart was filled with anticipation and anxiety, my mind imagining hundreds of scenarios (don't underestimate the overthinking capability of an engineering student). Suddenly, everyone stopped. The accountants and the judge simultaneously looked towards me, staring without saying anything. Every second felt like a decade. Finally, the judge spoke.
"Escort him to the office."
What!?
"Excuse me, sir, I don't think I have committed any grievous crime. All I can think of is ignoring some beggars or hungry animals. I paid my rent on time, never got scolded by teachers, and didn't make any trouble for my uncle and auntie. I also did it only once a day—okay, maybe two times sometimes—but is it a crime to m-"
"Cough!"
"Sir! Sorry, sir!"
"Take him."
"At least tell me my crime, sir?"
He remained silent. The scary guards approached me.
"No need to force, sir. I'll come with you obediently. You look really cool, by the way!"
And I was taken to the 'office room.' And what an office room it is. An absolutely huge room filled with a literal garden and surrounded by flowing, pristine water. Are those koi? The atmosphere is serene and calming, with vibrant flowers and lush greenery that make it feel like an indoor paradise. At the center, there are two luxurious sofas facing each other, with a sleek glass table in between them. The table is adorned with an elegant vase of fresh flowers, and the sofas look incredibly comfortable, probably worth more than my entire salary. The entire setting feels surreal, a stark contrast to the cold, intimidating courtroom outside.
To my relief, the guards motioned for me to sit on one of the sofas and then left. Hahh... this feels really refreshing. What are these plants?
"Exquisite, isn't it?"
"Yup, totally. Wait—" I turned my head to the facing sofa, where a shiny white silhouette was sitting, legs crossed.
"Coffee?" he asked.
I looked down to see a cup of coffee in my hand. "Ah, yes, thank you, sir."
"Chai is better, isn't it?"
"No, coffee is okay—" Again, I looked down to find another cup, this time filled with chai. I tasted it, and I loved it! "Thank you very much, sir. So, are there any issues regarding me?"
"No need to rush, my boy. Enjoy your chai first."
This person is an angel, I'm sure of it.
I finished my chai, savoring its taste, and carefully placed the cup on the table. Turning my attention to the angel, he started speaking in his trademark warm voice.
"So, there is indeed an issue in your case."
F#ck!
"No need to panic, it doesn't concern your karma. You are not going to be boiled, fried, or tortured."
Phew...
"So, the thing is, after every person dies, their soul is already aligned to a new vessel where they are going to be reborn, and it is an instantaneous process. It doesn't matter how many sins you have committed; the punishment is given to your soul, which is irrelevant to time. But here's the issue in your case: there is no available vessel for you."
"What?"
"Yes, unfortunately, a certain accountant missed your ID, which was at the end of the page, so now you don't have any available vessel."
"I don't get it."
"Well, let's say it like this: imagine you mailed a letter to an incorrect address in another country before changing your current address to a new one. Though the letter is sent, it won't reach anyone because the address doesn't exist, and it won't come back to you because you have moved out."
"But isn't it a simple matter? We just need a new vessel."
"No, your vessel has been passed on to the person following you, and his vessel, in turn, has been allocated to the subsequent individual, leaving your vessel now as the 11,056,345th in line among occupied vessels. If we were to put you back in between, it would disrupt the entire order."
"Hahhh... I died before achieving anything, and now this." The angel sat silently, giving me time to regain myself.
"Sir, can I know what happened after my death?"
"Of course. Both you and your friend died. You were dead on the spot, and your friend died due to excessive blood loss. The driver survived unharmed due to the safety mechanism. He was a 17-year-old boy driving while intoxicated. Because he is underage, the Juvenile Justice Board bailed that boy after two hours and put him under house arrest. He was also ordered to write an essay of 300 words on road safety."
"What! Just that!"
"Unfortunately, yes. The boy's father was a rich man. He paid off some corrupt officers, and the case was closed." I slumped down, my hands on my head, feeling utterly dejected. "Were two lives worth only 300 words? I don't have my parents; my uncle and auntie have my cousin to support them. But what about Ashwini? She was her parents' only daughter."
I stayed silent for a long time and finally accepted reality. It is what it is, after all.
"So what will happen to me now? Will I disappear and the accountant have to write an essay of 300 words on 'How to be diligent at work'?"
"Don't be sad. The accountant will be punished. We don't have rich and poor here, and we also have a solution for you. You will be transmigrated to an alternate universe."
"Nani!?"
"You cannot return to your previous universe, so it has been decided to send you to a different universe under our jurisdiction. Because it was our fault, your negative karma will be voided, and you will be given a gift to survive in that world. Additionally, since your soul does not belong to that world, you cannot be reborn there as a child—the fate of the world won't allow it. Let's first go there and understand the situation so that you can decide what kind of gift you want."
He snapped his fingers, and the scene changed. Now, I found myself standing in a jungle surrounded by towering trees and lush greenery. The air felt remarkably fresh, as if I were inhaling double the amount of oxygen each time.
"So let me introduce you to this world first. I see that you read novels, so it will be easier for you to understand. This planet is called Aarde, and it has two moons. The solar system is similar to your previous planet, with 24 hours in a day. There are five continents on this planet, three of which are inhabited by intelligent races. The continent we are standing on is called Svar, and it is inhabited by many races such as humans, elves, dwarfs, demons, giants, demi-humans, and more. The other two continents are Tendou and Niflheim. Each continent here has a special energy related to it, like Prana in this continent, Qi in the Shiijue continent, and Mana in the Niflheim continent. You'll gradually understand everything."
"Cool! It's like a combined Western and Eastern fantasy."
"You could say that."
"Now I know you want something like a system as a reward, don't you?"
"How do you know!?"
"I just know. Now tell me, what kind of system do you want?"
"You mentioned energies like Mana, Qi, and Prana, right? Then are there really strong people who can punch mountains into dust in this world?"
"Yes, there are indeed such people in this world. An average 5-year-old kid here can easily manhandle any adult from your world."
"Then there must be cultivation too, right? So, are there also immortals in this world?"
"Yes, there are people who practice cultivation to prolong their lifespan to hundreds or even thousands of years, but there are no immortals. No one can escape death."
"I see. Then can I have a system that can help me cultivate super fast?"
"No, this is one of the restrictions. You cannot harness any of the present energies for at least five years from now."
"What! Why? Then how will I survive if a 5-year-old can beat my ass here?"
"You do not belong to this world, so it won't recognize you as its own and will try to eliminate you. If you encounter any inhabitants, they will somewhat be displeased with you. This is one of the reasons we agreed to fulfill your wish."
"I see. So will I be getting a new body or my old body?"
"Your old body was destroyed, so you will be receiving a new one. And don't worry, you're going to like it."
This person is really an angel.
"So, have you decided which type of system you want?"
"Can I have a game system?"
"Hmm..?"
"I would like to have a system that allows me to perform the same actions as in the games in the real world, like summoning characters or using shop features," I said, looking expectantly.
After a brief pause, the angel agreed. "Alright, you will receive that system, but there will be certain restrictions. You will have to rely on a single game for five years, and only after those five years can you choose to add another game."
"Awesome!"
"Alright then, I will be taking my leave now, young man. Please accept my apologies for our mistake, and I pray that you have a blissful life here."
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from my sight. "So, I'm alone again, huh? Well, it's not the first time anyway." I could slowly feel my senses coming back to me. My line of vision was a little higher than normal—I must have become taller. I checked my body. I was wearing my old simple powder blue shirt, formal black pants, and shoes. I couldn't see how I looked, but hey, I had six-pack abs now. Previously, I was on the chubbier side, but now I had a lean and perfect body. I hoped I have a jawline too.
Anyway, where is my system?
"System?"
[Welcome, esteemed host]
A voice echoed in my mind. It was neither too loud nor too soft, but it had a clear and distinct presence.
"System, is that you?" I asked, a mix of excitement and curiosity bubbling within me.
[Yes, host. I am here to assist you. Please choose the game you wish to integrate with the system for the next five years.]
"Alright, let me think for a moment." I began to ponder. Which game should I choose? It had to be something versatile, something that could help me survive and thrive in this new world. After a few moments, I made my decision.
"Alright, I choose 'Clash of Clans'," I declared, confident in my decision. The game offered a wide range of resources, troops, and defenses that could be incredibly useful. As I'm weak as chicken right if I can command troops to protect me I'm sure I can survive for the next five years easily.
[Integration with 'Clash of Clans' system confirmed. You will have access to various features such as resource management, troop summoning, and defensive structures. Please note that certain restrictions apply until you have fully acclimated to this world.]
*********************************************************************************************************[A/N: Hey there! Thank you for reading my work. I'm a complete novice writer, and I would really appreciate your encouragement through your reviews and comments. Please don't hesitate to point out any mistakes or share your ideas and thoughts. I hope you enjoy my work! ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)]