Chapter 1

At first, it's heavy, but only at first.

October 2016

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The trauma of death has been erased by God.

Hibiki Shinjo was confused. He didn't understand what was happening.

His heart was filled with those thoughts.

"Computer room..."

Hibiki muttered softly. The place where he was now. It shouldn't be a place he should be, yet it looked exactly like the computer room he used in high school. It was so similar.

Looking around, he saw classmates sitting in chairs, desks, monitors, mice, and keyboards on the desks. It wouldn't be strange if an information class were about to start.

However, there was one odd thing.

It was the person at the teacher's desk. There should have been a teacher there, but instead, a blonde-haired boy, who looked like a middle school student, was floating on the desk, sitting cross-legged, grinning and observing them.

"Can't stand up!"

"What the hell is that...!"

"Where the hell are we!"

Voices overlapped, and it was impossible to tell who was saying what. The only thing that was clear was that no one understood the situation except the person in front of them.

"Ah, you're so noisy. I'll explain, so be quiet."

The boy snapped his fingers, and all the screams, angry voices, and confusion disappeared.

Hibiki couldn't speak either; his lips wouldn't move.

"Good, it's quiet now. Well, I'll explain. How much do you remember?"

The person in front of him spoke with a smile.

...

The smile was friendly, but there was an undeniable pressure.

Hibiki hurriedly tried to remember.

Yes, that's right. They were on a school trip. It was the second day. They were supposed to choose one of ten tourist spots and do sightseeing or experiential learning there. It was an unusual level of freedom for a school trip. Normally, they would act in class or group units, but this time, they could choose freely and even act with friends from other classes, which was popular.

Hibiki didn't really care which one he chose, but he was half-forced by his childhood friend to pick one. It was supposed to be a cave exploration. He wasn't sure about his memory, but it didn't matter much.

The cave was on an island, so they had to take a boat. They should have taken a bus to the port.

And then...

"Yeah, yeah. Did you remember? You guys were on a bus. And then, an unfortunate accident happened. Poor you. A drowsy driver crashed head-on into you. Then, the bus rolled over. The location was bad. And then, it fell off a cliff. Boom!

...So, you guys died. Ah, don't worry. The drowsy driver who caused your deaths is dead too, but I thought that wasn't enough, so I made his soul disappear. Revenge is served! ...That's the kind of thing!"

The blonde boy laughed and explained.

Hibiki was stunned. They were dead, and the existence of the person in front of him.

What was this person in front of him?

A being with power beyond human.

"Oops, don't misunderstand. I'm not a cheap existence like a Grim Reaper. Of course, I'm not a Buddha either. I'm a god. I'm great, you know."

The self-proclaimed god declared, chuckling.

He looked like a middle school student, a mischievous kid. There was no dignity that could be called godly.

"Brilliant school trip! The sun is shining brightly, and the sky is blue! It was a perfect day for a trip. But on such a day, an accident happened because of a drowsy driver! Can that be forgiven! Other students wouldn't be able to enjoy their trip either... A memorable school trip turned into a day they'd rather forget. So, as a god, I thought I should do something about it! Filled with compassion, I, the one who is full of love! For you, the most affected! Ah... Agape (laugh)"

It felt like watching a particularly bad play. Hibiki was exasperated but continued to listen to the god's theatrical monologue.

"So, you guys will be reincarnated into another world!"

Hibiki didn't understand why that would happen.

But he couldn't argue.

"Well, I can't just send you flying right away, so I'll prepare you first. The world you're going to is similar to a fantasy world. Swords, magic, monsters, nobles, guilds, spirits, skills—anything you can think of! It's exciting, isn't it? Everyone on Earth has wished for it at least once. Ah... Agape (laugh)"

Hibiki vaguely understood. It was like being sent to the world of games, novels, and manga. But he thought some of his classmates might not understand, especially the girls who were not familiar with such entertainment.

"Oh, don't worry. If there were differences in prior knowledge, that would be a problem, so I've given those who don't know about fantasy the necessary knowledge. I've also cut out the excess. After all, games aren't fun if they're not fair."

He said it as if it were nothing. Hibiki had thought the person was suspicious, but at that moment, he understood that the person in front of him was a god. A being with powers beyond human. A terrifying existence...

"Well, I thought about giving you random powers, but that would be unfair, wouldn't it? It would be cruel to ignore your wishes. As a kind and gentle god, I decided that wouldn't be right!"

The god said with a strange intonation.

It wasn't strange to think he was intoxicated with himself, but his eyes were different. They were calmly observing them.

People who were happy, confused, angry, and those who had given up and were just going with the flow.

The god was observing the various expressions of his classmates.

When the god's eyes met Hibiki's, he smiled.

"......!"

Hibiki's eyes widened.

A sense of being read, a pressure, washed over him the moment their eyes met.

But the god continued his explanation, ignoring Hibiki's reaction.

"So, what should we do? The god thought and came up with an idea! Let you decide for yourselves! Character creation! Look at the monitors in front of you!"

The moment the god finished speaking, the monitors buzzed to life. The following items appeared:

==============================

・Race

・Various Parameters

・Skills

・Equipment

・Q&A

・Time Extension

==============================

In the upper right corner of the screen, it said "30:00" and "Points: 100."

Hibiki tried to move the mouse to look more closely, but the pointer didn't move.

"Whoa, not yet! No cheating. I'll start the explanation. I'll only say this once, so listen carefully. The first item, 'Race,' is just what it sounds like. You can choose your race from humans, elves, goblins, and many others."

The god held up two fingers.

"The second item, 'Various Parameters,' allows you to change your gender, appearance, and abilities. The default is roughly 1.3 to 2 times the average parameters of a typical member of that race. Not exactly, but think of it as higher abilities than a normal member of that race."

The god held up three fingers: index, middle, and ring.

"The third item, 'Skills,' offers various skills like swordsmanship, magic, cooking, and more. This might take the most time."

He added his little finger.

"The fourth item, 'Equipment,' is to prevent sending you off with nothing. I've prepared various tools, weapons, and armor. Choose what you think you need."

Finally, he added his thumb and dramatically said:

"The fifth item, 'Q&A,' is the god's kindness! Some of you might not know what to do or what to choose. I've included a Q&A section for your questions. It might be a good idea to check it first. It's helpful, but those who want to go their own way don't have to follow it."

Then, the god clapped his hands.

"Also, about 'Time Extension.' Look at the upper right corner. It says '30:00' and 'Points: 100.' The left is the remaining time, and the right is the remaining points. Points are consumed as a cost when you change abilities, get skills, or obtain equipment. It wouldn't be fun to give you unlimited time and points. Effort under constraints is important! That's how the world works, right? But for those who run out of time, you can extend it by exchanging points. That's the god's kindness."

The god took a deep breath after his long speech.

After exhaling, he looked around at Hibiki and the others with a smile.

After confirming that his explanation was understood, he nodded.

"Alright, the basic explanation is done. Any questions? But I don't want to answer them one by one, so let's move quickly."

He snapped his fingers.

Then, a white box appeared in the empty space.

The god stuck his arm into the box and started rummaging around. It sounded like there were papers or something similar inside.

It seemed like a lottery, Hibiki thought.

"Alright, I've decided! Miki Sogami. Stand up!"

The god pulled a piece of paper from the box and read the name.

Miki Sogami, who was suddenly called, stood up involuntarily.

It seemed the lottery was correct. The names on the papers were likely theirs.

"Any questions?"

The god said with a laugh.

Miki Sogami was confused and could only mutter, "Eh, um. E..."

"Come on, come on, speak up. Time is money.

Countdown starts. Five, four..."

Miki still couldn't answer. Confusion led to more confusion. She didn't know what to say. She had questions, but they came and went, unable to form words. Miki was naturally introverted and couldn't speak in such a public setting.

"Three, two, one, zero. Too bad. If you think of a good question, speak up. Shame is temporary, but regret is forever. Well, let's move on! Hmm, let's see. Kozuko Monowaki. Stand up!"

The god, ignoring Miki's reaction, reached into the box again and pulled out another piece of paper.

"E, um... What happens when you die?"

"Ooh! That's a good question! When you die, that's it. This is a game, but it's not just a game. It's just reality. The only difference is that the real world becomes a fantasy world."

The god answered and continued to call on others.

By the time he reached the eighth person,

"Ah, the other people's monitors will turn black so you can't see them. It's to prevent cheating. Copying others is unpleasant for the one being copied. Privacy must be protected. Hehehe. Well, let's move on to the last one. The last one, the memorable last one, is Hibiki Shinjo! Da! Da! Da!"

The god hummed a mysterious drum roll and called on Hibiki.

Of course, while listening to the previous Q&A, Hibiki had been thinking about what to ask when it was his turn. He had also been analyzing the god's statements.

"God, I have a question. (God, I have a question.)

What happens to the points if time runs out? Do they disappear? (Is it true that others' monitors can't be seen?)"

Hibiki spoke while asking a different question in his mind.

"Yes! That's right! Everyone's questions are so good, it's a problem. Well, let's answer. If time runs out, the points are deleted. So, use them up."

The god looked at Hibiki and grinned.

It was a different kind of smile. One of genuine joy. His mouth corners twitched, and it was a smile of true happiness, not an acted one.

His face was smiling, but his eyes had a strong, penetrating pressure.

"......"

Hibiki clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms to withstand the pressure.

He had realized something more important than the pressure.

The god could read minds.

In the previous Q&A, the god's statements were odd. Why did he say, "Too bad. If you think of a good question, speak up" to Miki, who didn't ask a question? And why did he say, "That's a good question!" to the second question? If Miki had thought of a question in her mind but couldn't speak it, it would make sense.

And how did the god know?

He read minds. That was the only explanation. If he was a god, he could do that.

Hibiki thought about the god's personality. Was this god, who acted so arrogantly, a fair and compassionate being, or not?

The content of the questions didn't matter. He wanted to know if the god would answer the question he asked in his mind.

The god noticed both types of questions and answered. He concealed the questions everyone asked in their minds but made it clear to Hibiki. The first part, "Yes, that's right," was the answer to the question in his mind, and the second part was the answer to what he actually said.

"......sigh"

Hibiki sighed and looked around. Some were imagining the upcoming events, worried, while others were excited, smiling, and chatting. It was because the game world was becoming reality, and they would be given slightly cheat-like abilities.

Hibiki wanted to say it wasn't that great. He wished to return to that school trip. He wanted to live a peaceful and serene life. He didn't want to go to a world where he might have to kill.

"......"

"......"

Looking at a distant seat, he saw his childhood friend. Their eyes met. Hibiki, looking at his childhood friend, pointed at the monitor with a stern expression. Then, he looked at his childhood friend again.

He wanted to convey something. He could speak now, but saying something meaningful was impossible. The god wouldn't allow it. So, he decided to convey it through his expression. It might not reach, but it was better than doing nothing.

"Alright, let's be quiet now. The game is about to start!

Are you ready? Have you made up your minds?

Character creation starts now!"

The god snapped his fingers.

And so, the story began.

On October 8, 2016, this was published as a book by Bungeishunjū.

While there are minor differences from the web version, the main story remains the same.

However, the settings and the protagonist's actions have been changed to make it more interesting. The protagonist is more active in the book version. If you're interested, please check out the book version.

* The book is out of stock in many bookstores, so it might be easier to get it from online retailers like Amazon.

* Of course, ordering from bookstores is also welcome!

* As of June 30, 2017, the first volume is out of stock on Amazon. I recommend ordering from bookstores, Rakuten, or honto.