Nothing. That's what was surrounding Arthur at the moment. Not a single molecule anywhere in sight. Wait sight? How could he see if there isn't even light in this void? Perhaps there are things nearby that he just can't see?
Arthur tries to reach around to see if he can feel something; instead, he realizes that he can't feel his arms, or any part of his body, for that matter.
"M-my arms w-where'd they go!? W-wait, I can't feel any part of my body! Did I die? Am I in hell?"
[Somewhat and no.]
The voice sounded deep and assertive. It was as if just hearing the voice made Arthur want to kneel; in fact, he might've already knelt if he weren't incorporeal.
"S-so I am dead, but this isn't hell?"
[Partially correct, this is the liminal space between life and death, your body has already died, but your soul still lives, normally you would just pass through this place into "Death" and your soul would be recycled back into energy and sent back into your world, which would mean death of your soul, however I decided to do something else much more entertaining. After all, your world has mostly achieved peace, there are no more major wars, cancer is now a preventative disease, world hunger has been eliminated, in other words, it's boring…]
"And, um, what does that have to do with me?"
[Why of course you'll be my entertainment for a while, I'm going to reincarnate you into a random world from a book, show, maybe even a game, I haven't decided yet which one.]
"W-wait, what if I get reincarnated into DOOM or, or AOT, there's no way I can survive that, a-and if I'm dead, you won't get any entertainment out of staring at a corpse, right?"
[You are correct, that's why I'm going to grant you 1 wish before I reincarnate you, but no asking to become a god, no asking for infinite wishes or more wishes in any way shape or form, and no instant powers like immortality, you have to work for your strength, or it won't be entertaining at all. So, what's your wish child?]
"Can I think about it for a moment?"
[Of course, we have all the time in existence, so think about it for as long as you want]
After a few minutes, Arthur speaks, "Okay, I know what I want."
[And what is your wish?]
"Can I ask some questions first?"
[Ask away.]
"Since you seem to be all-powerful, can't you just read my mind and know what I want?"
[I could, but again, that would be boring; most of the fun comes from the surprise. Would a book be as fun if you knew everything that was going to happen? Of course not, so as such I haven't read your mind.]
"Okay, Next question, do you know what story you are going to reincarnate me into, and if so, can I know which one before I make my wish?"
The god is silent for a moment before speaking.
[I can tell you that you will be sent into a very well-known anime in your world, and that the average person lives comfortably without worry of an untimely death. Although they are lacking a lot of the comforts and knowledge that your world has, you might be dismayed at some aspects of your day-to-day life in that world.]
The god lets out a soft chuckle.
"Okay, last two… no three questions, can I know what type of environment I'll be in when I get reincarnated, and will I take over a random person's body or get my own body, and if I get my own body, can I choose how I will look before you reincarnate me?"
[You will be put in a small town during winter. Because I am curious about how you will change your appearance, I will allow you to create your own body. I will also reincarnate you with the belongings that an average person of that area has, so that you won't freeze to death.]
"Okay, thank you for answering all my questions and allowing me to create my own body, as for the wish, I want a copy system that allows me to copy any skill I see being used, I also want it to have a shop, inventory, stats page, skills page, and a knowledgeable AI that I can talk to and ask questions."
[Hmm, that would make you quite overpowered, I'll give you two options, Option 1: You can copy any skill you see, but you don't get the shop or AI; Option 2: You can only copy the skills of someone you've beaten, but you get the shop, Ai, and I'll even throw in a quest system that give rewards upon completion. I'll give you as much time as you want to decide.]
(I really want the AI. In every novel where the protagonist had an AI built into his system, they were always extremely useful; however, it would be more op to just copy anything that I see. If I were going to get reincarnated into "That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime," I would just find Rimuru and copy Great Sage, but based on the fact I'll be reincarnated somewhere cold, I doubt that will be the case. It's so hard to decide!)
"What does it mean by beat? If I challenge them to a game of chess and win, do I get to copy their powers? What if I challenge a blind person to a fight? That doesn't seem very fair to them."
[It is situational; if you challenge them to something they excel at and win, then you will get to copy their powers; however, no matter who it is, if you beat them in a fight, you get to copy their powers, even if they were holding back or already injured. So while you could challenge a blind person to a fight, it might ruin how those around you perceive you, so you would probably want to settle for a game of chess.]
"I choose option two."
[Perfect, now for your appearance. What would you want to look like?]
"When it comes to looks, I would like to be male, six feet tall, with black hair and deep blue eyes, as well as being very attractive. For my body, I want to have an athletic body that would match that of someone who practices swordsmanship, martial arts, and regularly stretches to ensure flexibility, also with a low body fat percentage."
[Is there anything else before you are ready to start your journey?]
"That's all."