Chapter 3 – The Smiling God
That was the first thing Chris noticed. Not darkness, not light. Just… nothing. An endless void of white stretching infinitely in every direction. No ground beneath his feet, yet he stood. No sky above, yet he looked up.
Am I dead?
He remembered the truck. The blinding lights. The impact. Then nothing.
Yeah. Definitely dead.
He looked down at his hands. They seemed normal. Solid. He patted his chest, his face, his legs. Everything intact. No blood, no wounds, no pain.
"This is weird," he muttered.
His voice echoed strangely, bouncing off walls that didn't exist. The emptiness swallowed his words, leaving behind an unsettling silence.
Chris took a step forward. Then another. The white void continued endlessly, unchanging. No landmarks, no direction, no sense of distance.
Is this the afterlife? Heaven? Hell?
He stopped, frowning.
If this is heaven, I want a refund.
"Hello?" he called out. "Anyone there? God? Devil? Customer service?"
Silence.
He waited. Nothing happened.
"Great," he sighed. "I'm dead and stuck in an empty loading screen. Fantastic."
He sat down—or at least, his body mimicked the motion of sitting. There was no ground, yet he felt supported. Physics had clearly left the chat.
Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. Time felt meaningless here. Chris stared into the endless white, his mind drifting.
I never finished Eternal Cultivation.
I never told Mom I loved her.
I never did anything worth remembering.
The thoughts hit harder than the truck. His throat tightened. Was this it? Was this all his life amounted to? A boring job, lonely nights, and an unfinished novel?
Pathetic.
"Indeed."
Chris jumped, scrambling to his feet. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, soft yet overwhelming, like whispers amplified a thousand times.
"Who's there?!" he demanded, spinning around.
"Behind you."
He turned.
And froze.
A figure stood before him—no, floated. It had a humanoid shape, but everything about it was wrong. Its body was pure white, almost translucent, like mist given form. No features, no details, just smooth blankness where a face should be.
Except for the smile.
A wide, curved smile stretched across its featureless face. Too wide. Too perfect. Unmoving, like it had been carved there permanently.
Chris's blood ran cold.
"What the—"
"Hello, Chris."
The voice came from the figure, though its smile never moved. It tilted its head slightly, an almost curious gesture that somehow made it more terrifying.
"I've been waiting for you."
Chris took a step back. His heart pounded—which was strange, considering he was pretty sure he was dead.
"Who are you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "What are you?"
The figure spread its arms wide, a theatrical gesture.
"I am what your kind calls a God."
Silence.
Chris stared.
Then he laughed.
"Yeah, okay, Sure" He shook his head, rubbing his temples. "Im hallucinating. That's it. The truck scrambled my brain and now I'm having some kind of near-death fever dream."
The God tilted it's head the other way.
"You don't believe me?"
"Buddy, I don't even believe in horoscopes, Chris said flatly. "You expect me to buy that you're God? What's next? You'll tell me I'm the chosen one?"
The God's smile seemed to widen-impossible, since it was already frozen in place-but Chris swore it did
"Not the chosen one. Just a chosen one. I do this quite often, actually
Chris blinked.
What?"
The God drifted claser, its white form rippling like smoke
"You died. Unfortunate, really. Wrong place, wrong time. A truck, was it? Terribly cliché" It sighed or made a sourid resembling a sigh. "But death is merely a door, Chris. And I am offering you a new one."
Chris's mind raced. This felt too real to be a dream. Too vivid. Too coherent
What if..
No. Impossible. Things like this only happened in novels. In stories. Not to average, boring nobodies like him.
Let's say I believe you," he said slowly. What do you mean a new door?"
The God clasped its hands together, clearly pleased.
"Another world. Another life. Another chance."
Chris's heart skipped.
"Another world?"
"Yes. A world called Eldoria." The God's voice carried a strange weight when it spoke the name "A land of magic, monsters, kingdoms, and chaos. Far more interesting than your previous existence, I assure you."
Chris opened his mouth, then closed it. His brain struggled to process the information.
Isekai. This is literally isekai
He'd read hundreds of these stories. Ordinary person dies, gets sent to a fantasy world, gains powers, becomes a hero. It was fiction. Fantasy. Escapism.
It wasn't supposed to be real
"Why me?" he asked quietly.
The God paused
Hmm?"
"Why me?" Chris repeated, louder. "I'm nobody. I'm not special. I have no skills, no talents, no ambition. I spent my life reading about heroes instead of
being one. Why would you choose someone like me?"
The God was silent for a moment
Then it laughed.
The sound was wrong-hollow, echoing, like wind through an empty cathedral. It sent shivers down Chris's spine.
"You want the truth? the God asked, leaning closer. Its frozen smile filled Chris's vision. "I was bored"
Bored?"
"Incredibly bored. The God floated backward, spinning lazily in the void. Eternity is long, Chris, Unimaginably long. I've watched countless worlds rise
and fall. I've seen heroes triumph and villains conquer. After a while, it all becomes... predictable
It stopped spinning, facing him again.
So I decided to make things interesting. I pick random souls-ordinary, unremarkable souls and drop them into Eldoria. Give them power. Watch what happens." It tilted its head. "You'd be surprised how entertaining it can be
Chris felt a chill.
"So I'm just... entertainment to you?"
"Essentially, yes."
The honesty was brutal. No sugarcoating, no pretense.
That's messed up," Chris said.
Perhaps. The God shrugged-a strange motion for a being with no real shoulders. "But does it matter? You're dead either way. I'm offering you a second chance. A new life. Power beyond imagination."
Chris hesitated.
Power
The word echoed in his mind. In his old life, he'd been powerless. A cog in the machine. Invisible Forgettable.
But in Eldoria...
"What kind of power?" he asked cautiously
The God's smile seemed to gleam.
I'm glad you asked."
It raised one hand, and shadows gathered around its fingers-dark, writhing tendrils that seemed to swallow the white void around them.
1 grant you the power of Shadows."
Chris watched, mesmerized, as the darkness danced.
Shadows?"
"Control over darkness itself, the God explained "You will command shadows as extensions of your will. Bend them. Shape them. Move through them."
The shadows twisted, forming shapes-a blade, a shield, a claw
"With training, you will learn to teleport short distances through darkness. Step into one shadow, emerge from another
Chris's eyes widened.
"And most importantly..
The shadows collapsed, reforming into something new. A shape. A figure. A creature made entirely of darkness, vaguely wolf-like, with glowing eyes.
Shadow Necromancy. Every creature you kill, you may raise as a shadow servant. Their strength becomes yours. Their numbers grow with every victory."
The shadow wolf dissolved, fading into nothing.
Chris stood speechless.
This is insane.
This is amazing.
This is terrifying.
"Why shadows?" he finally asked.
The God tilted its head.
"Why not? I find darkness fascinating. So misunderstood. Mortals fear it, yet it is everywhere. In every comer, every crevice, every closed eye. Shadows are patient. Quiet. Deadly. It paused. "Much like you, perhaps
Chris wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult
"Now" the God continued, before I send you off, you may ask questions. Three, to be precise. Choose wisely."
Three questions. Chris's mind raced.
What should I ask? There's so much i don't know
He took a deep breath, focusing.
"First question," he said. "What is Eldoria like? What should I expect?"
The God nodded approvingly.
"A sensible start. Eldoria is vast. Continents, kingdoms, empires-all in constant conflict. Magic is common but varies in form and strength. Beasts roam the wilds, some harmless, most deadly. Survival is not guaranteed. It paused. "You will arrive in a remote location. What you do from there is your choice
So basically... dangerous fantasy world. Got It.
"Second question." Chris hesitated. Is my power rare? Will people recognize it?"
"Shadow magic exists in Eldoria, but true Shadow Necromancy is exceedingly rare. Most will not understand your abilities. Some may fear you. Others may hunt you." The God's smile seemed sharper. "Use that to your advantage"
Great. So ill be a target.
One question left. Chris thought carefully.
"Last question." He looked directly at the God's frozen smile. "Will I ever see you again?"
The God laughed that hollow, echoing sound
"Perhaps. If you entertain enough. It spread its arms. "But don't count on my help, Chris. I am a spectator, not a savior. Your fate is your own."
Figures.
The God drifted closer, raising one hand.
"Our time is up. Eldoria awaits."
Chris tensed.
"Wait-I'm not ready-"
"No one ever is"
The God pressed a finger against Chris's forehead.
Cold, Absolute, bone-deep cold. Shadows erupted around him, swallowing the white void. Chris screamed, but no sound escaped. The darkness was everywhere-inside him, around him, becoming him.
And through it all, he heard the God's voice, faint and fading.
Entertain me, Chris.
"Try not to die too quickly."
[End of Chapter 3]