I finished work early today to go to an alumni reunion, and headed home to prepare myself, but as I opened the door, my body became heavy, and the area around me became darker and darker until I passed out.

I woke up inside an infinite white void. I looked around trying to make sense of what happened to me. I saw a round table with 3 chairs in the distance, so I got closer.

On the first chair was a middle-aged caucasian looking man with a muscular build and long silver hair. He wore a white chiton adorned with golden patterns. Next to him sat a beautiful lady who appeared to be in her late twenties, with black short hair, brown eyes and olive skin, and wore an enchanting dark navy blue maxi dress adorned with silver accents.

The weird location and their majestic aura made one thing clear, this is the after life. As a moth drawn to a flame, my body slowly gravitated towards them, halted only by a gentle, motherly voice.

“Take a seat” urged the mysterious woman.

I hesitantly sat down on the chair opposite them and asked

“Did I somehow die, and is this heaven?” [Alan Adams]

The woman glanced at the man beside her, and he responded, “Not necessarily. You didn’t die by the normal means of Earth, but a dimensional rift pulled away your soul. We pulled your soul here to try and rectify the problem” [Mysterious Man].

I felt crushed inside, and negative thoughts began to circle in my mind, but they got interrupted by the woman’s gentle voice.

“Since the rift happened due to a conflict in the godly realm, we will make up for what you have lost, so worry not. I am Olivia, the goddess of creation of planet Azure. Next to me is Viracocha, the god of your planet.” [Olivia]

Olivia set down the tea cup she was holding on the table, then continued speaking. “Now for how to rectify it is a bit complex. We can’t simply return you back to Earth since your body is too far gone, and since Earth works with a strict cause and effect system with no magic, we can’t remake or fix your body without creating distortions. I can offer you two options: either we erase your memories and reincarnate you in my world, or I can create a body for you with the same memories and knowledge, but then you will have to follow a mission.” [Olivia]

A bit of relief washed over me, knowing I have another shot at life. However, this feeling is tainted with a hint of resentment for being entangled in their problems. It's not wise to act rashly in the presence of gods, so I took a deep breath, composed myself, and responded logically.

“May I ask a few questions, please?” [Alan Adams]

“Yes, you may,” replied [Olivia].

“Is your planet similar to Earth? What kind of creatures inhabit it? Will I be bound by strict religious doctrines? Regarding the mission, what does it entail, and what are the consequences if I fail after reincarnation?”

Olivia took a sip of her tea, smiled, and answered

“The planet differs; it possesses magic and skills, making its civilization lag behind yours. Creatures range from spiritual beings and humanoid races to intelligent monsters, monsters, animals, and plants. Religious diversity exists, and as long as you act in good faith, you can live freely.”

She paused, adjusted her posture, and continued

“The main landmass is a single continent surrounded by seas and oceans. The power balance is fragile. In 12 years, a war lasting 3 years will erupt, followed by a plague that will claim two-thirds of the population. Your mission is to prevent this catastrophe. I will grant you a special power, whether it be as an archmage, hero, or something else. Gods can't interfere much, but a soul contract will end your life if you fail.” [Olivia]

Resting my chin on my hands, I pondered my options. Reincarnation would let me keep my memories, essentially extending my life, but with the added burden of the contract. On the other hand, rebirth would free me but reset my progress. Goddess Olivia didn't specify power options, so perhaps indirect methods could succeed. Correcting my posture, I looked at her and asked,

“Can I accomplish the mission indirectly, like creating a competing power to balance the empires?” [Alan Adams]

Olivia giggled, moved her chair closer, and replied

“Certainly possible. It'll be entertaining to watch. What power do you desire?” [Olivia]

Taking a deep breath, I answered

“The power to bring items from Earth.” [Alan Adams]

Olivia looked at Viracocha, asking

“Your cooperation is needed; what do you think?” [Olivia]

Viracocha leaned back, considered, and responded

“Possible, but it must be limited. Equal trades for each item, and what you can buy unlocks with special conditions. Your starting funds equal double your net worth on Earth.” [Viracocha]

Olivia smiled, raised her hand, and a screen appeared.

“In a good mood, I'll let you choose your race and age. A special maid will help you adapt and protect you.” [Olivia]

I thanked her and selected elf for a longer lifespan and 30 for age, not wanting to risk choosing an age where the brain isn’t fully developed.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I wish you luck in your next life. May you make my world more entertaining.” [Olivia]

I nodded and stepped into the portal; as I did, consciousness slipped away. I awoke with my head resting on something soft. As I moved, I noticed a pretty woman with fair skin, green eyes, and neck-length crimson hair. Startled, I sat up. She lowered her head and said,

“My name is Sara, a demi-angel. From today, I will be your maid. Please take care of me, Master.” [Sara]

Taking a better look, she wore a black and white maid outfit, and her chest size was a B cup. Wanting to introduce myself, I decided to rename in this new world. "Raise your head. I am Alanthin Igor; you may call me Alan. So, Sara, what are demi-angels, and what are you capable of? Do you have any information about my skills or the world?" [Alanthin Igor]

Sara raised her head and looked at me

“Demi-angels are creatures with a human soul mixed with angelic essence. While low in rank, we help in mundane tasks in heaven. I can do house chores, use intermediate fire magic, beginner earth magic, and have basic martial arts skills. Regarding the world, I have limited information, but for general knowledge, saying ‘status’ or thinking intently of it will show your status and from there, you can check your skills and abilities. Currently, we are not near any settlement, and no monsters are close, but we only have 6 hours until night.” [Sara]

Thanking her, I opened my status screen. Basic info like race, age, and name appeared. Under those were my skills: ‘memories from the other world,’ ‘language comprehension,’ and ‘otherworldly store.’ Next to it was a text saying ‘Balance: $450,000.’ I thought of the skill name ‘otherworldly store,’ and a different window opened up. Inside, I saw buttons for different categories: ‘Food,’ ‘library,’ ‘stationer,’ ‘agriculture,’ ‘kitchen appliances,’ ‘house appliances,’ ‘Medicine,’ ‘hygiene,’ ‘communication,’ ‘production,’ ‘vehicles,’ ‘defense,’ ‘Clothing and textiles,’ and ‘sell items.’ All had a lock icon except for food. I clicked food, and it showed ‘level 1,’ ‘level 2’ (locked), and the third was just a locked item. I selected ‘level 1’ and bought basic ingredients. For now, I bought:

* 1kg of rice

* 1kg red lentils

* 3 1L bottles of UHT milk

* Salt container

* Spice mix

* 6x 1.5L bottles of water

I pressed ‘buy cart,’ and a message showed ‘total price: $12. Buy: yes/ no.’ I pressed yes and set the delivery location to be the ground next to me.

With this, we should have enough food to figure out this new world safely. What's left is cooking tools; we need pots and a stove. I clicked ‘kitchen appliances,’ but it said ‘Unlock for $5,000: Yes/ No.’ I pressed yes, realizing I needed to be careful about which categories to choose first since I had limited funds. Now that I unlocked it, I bought from its level one:

* 2x medium aluminum pot

* Spoons set

* 2x Aluminum cup

* Camping burner

Total expenditure was $5056. I handed over the purchased items to Sara, explaining how to use the stove, then asked her to make a simple lunch. Meanwhile, I thought of building a base; the best option is to unlock ‘production.’ It cost $10,000.

Since we didn’t have time to search for a forest, cut trees, and process them, it was a no-brainer to buy the wood from my skill. After buying the wood and hand tools, it cost $1,500. While Sara cooked, I started drawing the outline of the shed on the ground, ending up with 4m*3m space. I started cutting the wood and took a break when lunch was ready.

Sara prepared a humble meal of boiled red lentils and rice. Surprisingly delightful considering the simplicity of the ingredients. The addition of milk infused a creamy richness into the dish.

“You mentioned demi-angels having a human soul inside them. Does that mean you have memories of a previous life?” [Alanthin Igor]

“Some do, but most don’t. I myself don’t have memories of life before working in heaven.” [Sara]

“Oh, that’s sad to hear.” [Alanthin Igor]

“It is okay, Master. It is also convenient not having those memories.” [Sara]

“Convenient?” [Alanthin Igor]

“Yes. Demi-angels who don’t awaken their memories can focus on their work without their emotions getting in the way.” [Sara]

Feeling a twinge of irritation, I spoke sternly, “I don’t want you to have that mentality with me. I want Sara to have autonomy over her emotions; work comes second.” [Alanthin Igor]

“I will try my best to live up to your expectations, Master.” [Sara]

.

.

.

After lunch, Sara helped me cut the wood, and by night, we finished outer walls only, with an open ceiling and door space.

I unlocked ‘defense’ ($10,000) and ‘clothing and textiles’ ($5,000). From defense, I got:

* Basic spear

* Short sword

* Reinforced Wooden Palisade

They cost $1,050. From the clothing menu, I got:

* 2x futon

* 2x blankets

For $228. I set them up, and we prepared the shed as our bedroom, placing the futons close to each other. As I laid down, Sara sat on the edge of the futon and didn’t seem like she was going to sleep.

“Sara, why aren’t you sleeping?” [Alanthin Igor]

With a firm voice, she answered

“I can’t sleep and leave Master unprotected.” [Sara]

Now it hit me; I am not living in a modern society anymore.

“Still, I can’t sleep well knowing you are fully awake. How about we take turns?” [Alanthin Igor]

She shook her head.

“I can’t do that; a maid shouldn’t...” [Sara]

I interrupted her, placing my finger in front of her lips

“That’s an order. If you really care about your duties as a maid, then you must take care of your body. Since I woke up later, I will take the first turn and will wake you up after I get sleepy.” [Alanthin Igor]

She felt a bit hesitant, but at the end she complied. I took over the watch while carrying the spear and had the blanket over my shoulders. After 4 hours, I got sleepy but resisted; at the end, I woke her up after 5 hours and went to sleep. It seems like she prefers the sword.

It felt comforting to have her with me; it would have been lonely to be alone in a different world outside of the cities. I thanked the gods for sending her with me and prayed to them, then slept. This concluded the first day on Azure.

Total expenditure: $32,846

Menus unlocked:

-Food level 1

-Clothing and textiles level 1

- Production Level 1

- Defense level 1

- Kitchen appliances level 1

Time left for mission: 5478 days

Companions: 1