AN: Inspired from a certain japanese web novel...
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It's Saturday evening. I just left work and I'm on my way home. I need to take the bus for a 30min ride. It's past 7, and the bus is full. I'm eager to get home and relax. It's not like my job is hard, I'm just in charge of making files for the new subscribers of the phone company. But it is kinda boring...
Well, at least I have money to live. I can pay my rent, the water and electricity, my food, internet and some gaming and streaming accounts. I can watch animes, series and movies on streaming sites, play multiplayer videogames, sometimes buy additional content. I also have money to pay for my jujitsu and taekwendo classes, I'm aware sport is good for the body, and I always found martial arts cool, so I decided to learn it.
Anyway, I'm standing in the bus, with a whole bunch of people around me, when shit happens. A gas truck ran the red light and collide full force with the bus I'm in.
With a terrifying noise of twisted metal, the bus is nearly split in 2. I see several people getting crushed by the truck while the rest of us are seriously injured and thrown around within the bus. The truck is leaking a large amount of gas both within and outside the bus. The initial impact had already created a small fire, and the gas leaking from the truck quickly ignited.
The flames outside quickly spread around the bus and the truck, keeping anyone from getting close, or leave for those who had survived and had hope to get away. The fire also rapidly spread within the 2 sides of the destroyed bus. A few people are screaming and crying for help. Soon, the bus is filled with the horrifying screams of people getting burned alive, me included. Thankfully, we don't have to sufer long, as the gas tank finaly explode, swiftly killing us. Killing me...
When I regain consciousness, I find myself in a white space. And I'm not alone. Around me are many other people, we are around 30. And we are all naked, floating around in the white space with nothing else in sight. As the women realise the situation they are in, they scream and try to hide their sensitive parts.
“KYAAAA!! WHAT THE HELL?!”
“MY CLOTHES!! WHY AM I NAKED?”
“Jesus Christ! Just what the hell is going on?”
“Wait! Everyone wait! The accident!”
As some people are lamenting about their lack of clothes, a middle aged woman suddenly remind us about the situation we were before. When we heard her, we all stoped and focused on her. I even forgot to hide my own elephant.
“... That's right! We were on the bus, then the truck hit us... The fire...” says the middle aged woman, with an expression of horror and deep grief.
“And we are all floating in empty white space” I add. An expression of surprise and realisation spread on the faces of everyone present. “I think we can all assume that we have died” I say in a desperate and defeated tone.
“Correct” says a voice that is filled with power and make my body freeze.
In fact, everybody froze on the spot. I can feel an incredible presence looking down on me, looking down on all of us.
“All 30 of you have died in that traffic accident. However, you aren't going to the afterlife yet, for I have a mission for you.”
“... No way... We, we really have died? Then, my wife? My son?” asked a young man.
“That's right! Our families...”
“Have our lives, really ended? Wait! You! Who are you? Are you...”
“Silence!” All the people who were crying, sobbing or trying to reject reality suddenly stop what they were doing. The power contained in the voice leave no room for resistance.
“Just as you have guessed, I am a god. And as I have said, you won't go to the afterlife yet. For those who have left behind loved people, rest assured for I have made arrangements for them to have a proper life. You can think of it as a payment for the mission I have for you.”
I don't really have any loved one. My parents are already dead for a few years, I don't have much contact with my uncles and aunts. I don't have any girlfriend either. I did have 2 in the past, but I never stayed long enough with them to even lose my virginity.
When I think about it, I'm happy. I'm glad because I know I have the chance to not remain a 20 year old virgin. I've read a lot of novels on the net, and if it is like some of them, then we will be sent to another world with some kind of ability. Meaning a new life, and new opportunities, including popping my cherry. No sane guy want to go to the netherworld without doing the deed.
“I will send you to another world, or an alternate universe if you prefer those terms. The reason why I want to send you there is because that world has become too chaotic. Wars, corruption and crimes are too rampants there. Your mission is to help restore the balance of that world.”
“Us? Just the 30 of us? Changing a whole world filled with danger?”
“You won't be powerless, for you will be gifted with an enhanced basic aptitude and a random special ability. Furthermore, upon arrival, you will be in an area suitable enough to build your fundations.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“What kind of world are we talking about?” I ask, very interested.
“This world is less advanced than yours. However, contrary to yours, this world have magic, along with what you would recognise as fantasy creatures. A world of swords and magic with elves and monsters. Do not worry, upon arrival you will have basic knowledge about the world implanted directly within your mind, along with the common language and the knowledge of how to use your special abilities. Finally, you will have in your possession some basic necessities.”
We all relax a little after hearing all of that. I think we're all worried about arriving in that new world naked without any kind of possession and protection. After all, the god said that the other world would be dangerous.
“Remember. Your mission is to restore the balance of the world. Even though you will have some special abilities, you won't be invincible. Don't get conceited. Now it's time for you to go. Do not disappoint me.”
Then, I lose consciousness. I believe we all did. When I open my eyes again, I'm lying on the ground. Not in a plain, not in a forest, but in the middle of an abandonned village. All alone.
“... Wait, we are not staying together? It's each one his own area? … Well fuck...”
I look around. It looke like it's early morning. I realise I have clothes on, leather shoes, leather pants, linen shirt. Something from the middle age. At least it looks to be of excellent quality as it isn't really unpleasant on the skin. The village looks like it used to hold 100 people or something like that. I can see a river in the distance, there is a forest nearby, and mountains further beyond.
“... So, where am I? Hmm? I see, this is the basic knowledge the god was talking about...”
As I'm thinking about my position, I learn that the world I'm in is called the Great Lands. It has 6 continents, with the biggest one called Grandia, the central continent. This continent alone makes nearly 25% of all lands on the planet, and is surrounded by the 5 others continents, on the north, south, east, and 2 west.
I also learn that this world has humans, elves, dwarves and demons. And unlike in my previous world, the demons here aren't evil beings, but just another intelligent race, like the other 3. Grandia continent is the birthplace of the elves and dwarves, but inhabited by all 4 races. The humans and demons, having higher fertility than the elves and dwarves set foot there from their respectives natives lands, and now on this continent the 4 races roughly have the same population, with the elves and dwarves having an edge on the others.
I'm currently on the Grandia continent, in a collapsed country on the south-west part of the continent. In an abandonned village, alone. I'm wondering how I'm going to survive and start thinking about the special ability I received. When the knowledge comes in I'm so shocked I trip and fall on my butt.
“... Hey, hey... Isn't that some kind of RTS-Management construction ability? Building a command center and other constructions, gathering ressources and recruiting differents units... That's totally it!!” I say, completely surprised, and yet very excited. “I can't believe it... And here I though I would get some kind of offensive or defensive ability. Or some kind of buffing or debuffing ability. Or something like invisibility or teleportation...”
After getting more informations about my ability, I think it's really good, even though it has some limitations. Just like the god said, powerfull but not invincible. He also said we would be sent to an area where we could build our fundations, and I guess the area would depend on our special abilities. For me, an abandonned village to build my base.
However, before I can even get my Command Center, I need to gather materials for it. Thankfully, there is plenty of material around me. The remains of the village. The god said that we would be given basic necessities. Along with my clothes, I have an axe, a hammer, a saw, and some rations for a few days. Nothing else.
“... Well, it's still morning. I think that in a few hours I would have scavenged enough materials to summon my command center...”
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AN: Just like my fiction “In Another World With My House” is inspired from “My house is a magic power spot”, this fiction is inspired by from “The ability to make a town - Let's make a japanese town in a different world”.
For both of those web novels, I liked the premise, but liked neither the mc (the first one was too lazy and passive, uninterested in his new surroundings. The second was too attached to modern convinience and had poor planning ability for an adult) nor the way the cheat power worked (the first one just had to imagine things. The second one, it went far beyond the “building a town” part, with too much convinience, and some rules weren't even respected), and dropped them.