...
"So you mean... you're a god?"
"Heh, different from what you imagine, but you could say it's close to that kind of existence." The homeless man spoke in an ancient, martial arts novel-like tone, claiming to be a god.
I should have thought he was crazy, but for the first time in my life, someone could speak so fluently about my name, age, and life experiences, so I had no choice but to sit down and listen.
"Seeing you still seem a bit skeptical, I'll show you this... Ouch!" I watched as he splashed the liquor in his hand onto the horse-gambling uncle in front of him. The question rose to my throat, but vanished before it could escape my lips.
Even after being splashed with liquor, the horse-gambling uncle didn't turn around, and even his soaked clothes dried instantly.
Could it be that only I can recognize this homeless man as a god?
It was indeed strange—a homeless man wandering around with a bottle in a no-alcohol zone, and nobody seemed to care…
"Ha, ha…is that why nobody around can't see the old man?"
"Yes, that's it."
Good heavens.
I've always thought gods and all that stuff was a lie…maybe I was half-believing when I was a teenager, but after turning twenty and becoming a complete atheist, this homeless man, proving his existence through his actions, left me speechless.
"Good heavens…th-that old man…no, Your Excellency, what do you want to say to me…"
"Just call me whatever you like. Hmm…it's nothing really, I just wanted to suggest you experience a new life."
"A new life…?"
A new life.
This deity before me had pinpointed what I craved most in my life, leaving me both amazed and doubtful.
Why would this being, so indifferent to my life, choose this place and this method to make the suggestion I so desperately wanted?
"Heh, you should be familiar with the concept of another world, right? It's basically asking if you want to start a new life in one of those places."
Oh my god, another world.
Is this the legendary reincarnation in another world?
A god suddenly appeared and said he wants me to be reincarnated into another world?
"I can't explain it to you in detail right now. There are various conditions and limitations... and so on. But I can tell you that it's a world after the gods have perished. A universe heading towards destruction."
"Living in a world that's gradually being destroyed... Your suggestion sounds a bit scary..."
Ah, I knew it.
Looks like this suggestion wasn't from a 'happy other world' genre but rather a 'post-apocalyptic' genre.
"You're asking me if I want to go to a world that's gradually dying out? That's a bit...
"Don't worry. It's not a chaotic universe, but a relatively stable one. Besides, your life right now is nothing but regret and pain, isn't it? Although it's called 'dying out,' it refers to a sudden dying out in a universe that has been operating smoothly for hundreds of years. Don't you feel a little tempted?"
"..." A sudden dying out in a smoothly operating world after hundreds of years... that's certainly tempting.
My life, which was originally going smoothly, has become a stifling existence since a woman disrupted it, filled with suicidal thoughts every day.
Although I miss my parents a little, we haven't seen each other for many years... They've probably long forgotten about this unfilial son.
"...Hearing you say that, I am indeed a little tempted. Could you answer a few more questions?"
"As long as I can answer them." Offering such generous terms suddenly makes one wonder if it's a scam. What if I thought it was a protagonist's overpowered story, but ended up in a world of beggars, and there's no turning back?
"First of all... why did you send me? I'm curious about the reason for sending me."
"Heh. Okay. You must be very uneasy. Like I said before... it's a universe where the gods have disappeared."
Prologue: Another World!
"I was planning to ask that later too... The gods disappeared? What does that mean...?"
"Literally. The gods of that universe tried to stop the impending destruction but failed and ultimately disappeared."
What... the gods couldn't stop the destruction?
So they disappeared?
"Originally, there were countless kinds of universes, and each universe had a god responsible for maintaining it. These gods weren't the gods in the religious beliefs of living beings, but rather conceptual beings... Even if you don't understand, just knowing this is enough."
Although I don't know the specifics, in short, there are many universes, and each universe has a responsible god, right?
"In a universe where the gods have vanished, the sustaining force will gradually disappear, eventually turning into nothingness at some point. But the gods of other universes can't take over either. So it can only await destruction… Sending you there was a sliver of hope… perhaps that universe could be sustained a little longer… that's roughly the level of expectation that led to the decision to send you."
"Sending me there is a sliver of hope? What does that mean?"
"I can't tell you that. You'll understand once you live there."
Hmm, I have a sense of unease…
"Well… compared to this universe, the laws of physics, or rather… the rules of the world, are different. Simply put, it's the kind of fantasy world you imagine, where magic is used and monsters are hunted. How about it?" He threw out a fantasy world condition that otaku couldn't resist the moment I had a doubt. This is truly divine, I couldn't help but exclaim. This condition is just too tempting.
"Hehehe... I'm sorry I can't tell you much due to limitations. But it should be quite interesting there. At least better than being trapped here in trauma. I guarantee you'll live the life you want once you get there."
"...Not bad."
At this point, the image of the homeless man before me completely changed.
From a homeless man reeking of alcohol, he began to appear as an omniscient and omnipotent god.
Gradually, excitement welled up, and his shoulders began to tremble slightly.
"Looks like it's decided. Then let's go and live a good life."
"Ah!? Huh!? Wait, wait a minute! There are still many things..."
"You'll understand as you live. Just keep living and you will. Hehehe..."
Hmm!?
He hasn't even mentioned what I'll be reincarnated into!?
There aren't any reincarnation bonuses or anything!?
Before I could finish speaking, I started falling into the endless bottom of the dark space.
Ah, could this be a trap?
I opened my eyes to a collapsing other world?
Is that how it is? ...(...What? Why does the teleportation feel so long? Is it loading?) Flustered, I closed my eyes, questioning the heavens, and for some reason, it felt like an eternity before I opened them again.
In the empty, dark space, I only felt myself being sucked into something.
Am I being teleported now?
After a while, my startled heart calmed down, and random thoughts began to surface.
"Ha...at least give me some time to prepare myself before teleporting...and shouldn't the reincarnation bonus be something I can choose freely?" Although I muttered these familiar facts about other worlds,
there was no other way, so I steadied myself and started thinking positively.
"What kind of place is this other world...?
Will my appearance change if I wear a mask? Lately, I've been a mess because of my beer belly and neglecting my hair, but before enlisting, I was at least a decent-looking person and a social butterfly...
Will I get even uglier? When I get to this other world, I'll have to treat women with the same mindset I had before.
I can't start a new life with that crazy view of women. Ah, I really hope the women in this other world are different from Earth women.
Ah, if I could be reincarnated into another body, I really hope my penis is ridiculously big like a horse's.
Ideally, it would be immediately useful. Are there horses or similar animals there?
The horses at the racetrack are quite cute. And..." Listing these various wishes and thoughts, I unconsciously felt light and opened my eyes.
And so, I arrived in this other world, where a vast grassland stretched before me.