Sanat Pandey was completely focused on his screen.
The room was dark except for the bright glow of his monitor. Empty snack packets and soda cans were
scattered around his desk like the remains of a small war.
His headset was on, and he was shouting at his teammates with full confidence.
"Bro! WHY would you rush there? I told you to wait!"
His character on the screen died instantly.
Sanat slammed his keyboard.
"Unbelievable. I'm playing with absolute idiots."
Outside his room, a very different scene was unfolding.
His parents stood quietly near the door holding a birthday cake. His little sister and two of his friends
were trying not to laugh.
"Is he still playing?" his sister whispered.
His father nodded.
"Completely absorbed."
His mother smiled.
"Good. That means the surprise will work perfectly."
They all stood together and counted quietly.
Three. Two . One!!!
The door burst open.
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Sanat jumped so violently that his chair rolled backward.
"What the—?!"
His headset flew off. His foot tangled in a wire. The chair slipped.
And before he could recover—
BANG.
His head hit the corner of the desk.
The room became silent.
Sanat lay on the floor.
Not moving.
---
Darkness.
Then silence.
Then… nothing.
Sanat slowly opened his eyes.
He was floating.
There was no floor.
No ceiling.
No walls.
Just an endless black void stretching in every direction.
"What the hell?"
His voice echoed strangely.
"Did I… die?"
Before he could think further, a calm robotic voice echoed through the emptiness.
"Correct."
Sanat froze.
"…Who said that?"
"Your death was unexpected."
Sanat looked around but saw nothing.
"Great," he muttered. "I die and now I'm hearing voices."
The robotic voice continued.
"As compensation for the irregular termination of your life, you will be transferred to another world."
Sanat blinked.
"…What?"
"A new life will be assigned."
Sanat scratched his head.
"You know what," he said slowly, "I knew it."
The voice remained silent.
Sanat crossed his arms.
"All those religions arguing about heaven and hell… turns out the truth is much simpler."
He looked around the empty void.
"This whole universe is just a giant simulation, right?"
The robotic voice responded immediately.
"This is not a simulation."
Sanat pointed upward dramatically.
"Yeah sure. That's exactly what an AI running a simulation would say."
There was a brief pause.
Then the voice answered again.
"The divine administration currently uses artificial intelligence for management tasks."
Sanat stared into the void.
"…Wait."
He blinked twice.
"Hold on."
"The gods… use AI?"
"Correct."
Sanat ran a hand through his hair.
"This is the weirdest afterlife briefing I could have imagined."
The voice continued calmly.
"You will now be transferred to Astra Prime."
"Astra what?"
The void around him began to distort slightly.
"Your new life parameters have been assigned."
Sanat suddenly felt a strange pulling sensation.
"Wait wait wait," he said quickly. "Before you send me somewhere random, do I at least get powers or
something?"
"You will inherit an existing life."
"That sounds suspicious," Sanat said.
The darkness began to fade.
"Transfer beginning."
Sanat sighed.
"Well… I guess complaining won't change anything."
Then he paused.
"Actually… one more thing."
The voice remained silent.
"If the people in that world don't know I came from Earth… I'm not telling them."
No response came.
The void shattered like glass.
---
Pain.
Sanat's eyes snapped open.
Bright white light flooded his vision.
Machines hummed around him.
His body felt strange.
Stronger.
Healthier.
Different.
But instead of shouting or panicking, Sanat stayed still.
He slowly looked around.
A futuristic medical room.
Advanced machines.
A humanoid robot standing nearby.
And an elf girl with silver hair.
Sanat thought quietly.
Okay…
So the weird AI void thing wasn't lying.
He looked down at his hands.
Definitely not his old body.
He examined them calmly.
New body.
New world.
Unknown situation.
Sanat took a slow breath.
If these people don't know I'm from another world…
Then there's absolutely no reason to tell them.
He looked up at the robot.
And simply said,
"Where am I?"
Chapter 2: A New Body, A New Game
Sanat did not panic.
That was the first thing he noticed about himself.
If this had happened a few hours earlier—when he was still yelling at teammates in a video game—he would probably be screaming right now.
But instead, he stayed quiet.
Very quiet.
He slowly looked around the room.
The ceiling above him was smooth metal with faint glowing lines running through it. Machines hummed softly around the bed he was lying on. The air smelled clean, almost sterile.
Definitely not a hospital from Earth.
To his right stood a tall humanoid robot with smooth silver plating and glowing blue eyes.
To his left stood a girl.
A very strange girl.
She had long silver hair, bright eyes, and—most importantly—pointed ears.
Sanat stared at her.
Elf.
His brain immediately supplied the word.
He almost laughed.
So fantasy races are real now?
But he kept his face calm.
If the people here didn't know he came from Earth, there was no reason to tell them.
The elf girl leaned forward slightly.
"Lord Sanat, are you feeling alright?"
Sanat noticed something immediately.
Lord.
So the body he inherited belonged to someone important.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He slowly sat up on the bed and stretched his arms.
The movement felt… amazing.
His old body on Earth had spent most of its life sitting in a chair.
This one felt stronger. Healthier.
Almost like he had upgraded to a premium version.
"I'm fine," Sanat said calmly.
The robot beside him spoke in a smooth mechanical voice.
"Vital signs stable. Neural reconstruction successful."
Sanat glanced at the robot.
"Neural reconstruction?"
The elf girl nodded.
"You were severely injured earlier. The medical systems had to rebuild some neural pathways."
Sanat pretended to think.
"Ah… that explains it."
Inside his mind he was thinking something very different.
Good excuse.
"Some of my memories feel a little blurry," he added casually.
The robot immediately responded.
"Memory disruption is a known side effect."
Perfect.
Sanat almost smiled.
Now he could ask questions without looking suspicious.
He looked directly at the robot.
"What's your name?"
"My designation is Boba."
Sanat blinked.
"…Boba?"
The robot remained completely serious.
"Yes."
Sanat scratched his head.
"Okay. Not judging."
He swung his legs off the bed and stood up.
The elf girl quickly stepped forward.
"Please be careful, Lord Sanat."
He ignored the warning and walked to a nearby mirror.
The moment he saw his reflection, he paused.
The person staring back at him was definitely not the same guy who died in his messy bedroom earlier.
Sharp jawline.
Clear skin.
Bright eyes.
And clothes that looked expensive enough to buy ten gaming PCs.
Sanat slowly turned his head left and right.
"…Not bad."
He flexed his fingers.
The strength in this body felt natural.
If my old teammates could see me now…
He looked back at Boba.
"Alright. Let's start with something simple."
Boba stood perfectly still.
"I am ready to answer."
Sanat crossed his arms.
"What world is this?"
The robot replied instantly.
"This planet is known as Astra Prime."
Sanat nodded slowly.
The name sounded familiar from the void earlier.
"How many people live here?"
"Approximately two trillion intelligent beings."
Sanat nearly choked.
"Two trillion?"
"Yes."
The robot continued.
"Astra Prime is one of the most densely populated advanced planets in the sector."
Sanat whistled quietly.
This place makes Earth look like a village.
The robot continued speaking.
"The planet is divided into five primary layers based on economic and social status."
Sanat leaned against the table.
"Layers?"
"Yes."
Boba projected a holographic map into the air.
The planet appeared as a massive sphere divided into stacked levels.
"The Zenith Layer houses the most powerful noble families."
"The Crown District contains high-ranking officials and academies."
"The Middle Grid contains ordinary citizens."
"The Rust Zone contains industrial sectors."
"The lowest layer is commonly known as the Underworld."
Sanat nodded.
So the world had a clear hierarchy.
Very game-like.
He liked that.
"Alright," he said. "Now tell me about power."
The robot's eyes glowed brighter.
"All humanoid species on Astra Prime evolve through five tiers of power."
Sanat raised an eyebrow.
"And monsters?"
"Primal beasts evolve through six tiers."
The robot displayed images of massive creatures.
Dragons.
Giant wolves.
Serpentine monsters.
Creatures that looked like living mountains.
"These beasts possess powerful biological energy cores," Boba explained.
"Civilization on Astra Prime relies heavily on these cores for technology and power generation."
Sanat stared at the holograms.
"So people hunt them?"
"Yes."
The robot nodded.
"Elite hunters and noble houses control most primal beast hunting operations."
Sanat looked down at his hands again.
Then he asked the question he had been waiting to ask.
"…And who exactly am I?"
The room became quiet.
Boba answered calmly.
"You are Lord Sanat Virel."
"Heir to the Virel Noble House."
Sanat slowly leaned back.
A noble house.
On a planet with two trillion people.
A small smile spread across his face.
So I died from a birthday surprise…
And respawned as a galactic noble.
He folded his arms and grinned slightly.
"…Honestly?"
"Best respawn ever."
Chapter 3: The Rules of This World
Sanat stood beside the large window of the medical chamber.
Outside, the city stretched endlessly.
Floating highways.
Massive towers piercing the clouds.
And in the distant sky, several enormous ships slowly moved between buildings.
Sanat whistled quietly.
"Yeah… this definitely isn't Earth."
Behind him, Boba the robot stood silently while Kyala waited near the doorway.
Sanat turned around.
"Alright. I think it's time for the full tutorial."
Kyala tilted her head.
"Tutorial?"
Sanat waved his hand.
"I mean explanation. Tell me everything."
Boba stepped forward.
"Beginning world briefing."
A blue hologram appeared in the air.
The image showed a massive planet.
"This world is known as Astra Prime," Boba said.
"It is the central planet of this star system and the most developed civilization in this sector."
The hologram zoomed outward.
Five additional planets appeared around Astra Prime.
"These surrounding planets are used for hunting primal beasts, mining resources, and military training."
Sanat nodded slowly.
"Alright. Now explain the power system."
Boba immediately projected a new hologram.
Five glowing tiers appeared.
Humanoid Evolution Tiers
Tier 1 — Awakened
"Individuals at this stage have awakened their internal energy and strengthened their bodies."
Tier 2 — Evolved
"Energy control becomes stable. Fighters at this stage can destroy armored vehicles easily."
Tier 3 — Ascendant
"These individuals can manipulate gravity, energy, and planetary forces."
Sanat raised an eyebrow.
"Planetary forces?"
Kyala smiled.
"Yes. Ascendants are extremely powerful."
Boba continued.
Tier 4 — Celestial
"Celestial beings can survive in space and destroy entire armies."
Tier 5 — Transcendent
The hologram flickered.
"These individuals are considered near-divine."
Sanat scratched his chin.
"Five tiers for humanoids."
Then he asked,
"And beasts?"
Boba projected another chart.
Primal Beast Evolution
"Primal beasts evolve through six tiers."
Sanat blinked.
"Six?"
"Yes."
The robot continued.
"The sixth tier is beyond humanoid capability."
Sanat stared at the screen.
"So monsters are stronger than people?"
"Correct."
Kyala crossed her arms.
"That is why hunting primal beasts is extremely dangerous."
The hologram changed again.
Massive creatures appeared.
Dragons.
Sea monsters.
Colossal serpents.
"These beasts contain energy cores," Boba explained.
"Those cores power technology, weapons, and city infrastructure."
Sanat nodded.
"So civilization literally runs on monster batteries."
"Correct."
Sanat laughed.
"This world is insane."
But then Kyala stepped forward.
"Power is not the only thing controlling this world."
Sanat turned to her.
"Alright. Now explain the politics."
Kyala waved her hand.
A new hologram appeared showing symbols.
"These are the Top Ten Guilds of Astra Prime."
Sanat leaned forward.
"Guilds?"
"Yes," Kyala said.
"While noble families control territory, guilds control power."
She began pointing at the symbols.
The Top Ten Guilds
Solaris Vanguard – strongest combat guild
Iron Dominion – military engineering guild
Aether Hunters – elite primal beast hunters
Nova Architects – builders of planetary cities
Void Navigators – space exploration guild
Stormbreak Legion – aerial combat specialists
Eclipse Order – intelligence and espionage
Titan Forgers – weapon creators
Astral Scholars – knowledge and research
Golden Caravan – interplanetary trade guild
"These guilds operate across multiple planets," Kyala explained.
"Even noble houses respect them."
Sanat nodded slowly.
"So this world runs on nobles, guilds, and monster hunting."
"Correct."
But Boba suddenly projected another image.
Five enormous beast silhouettes appeared.
Even as holograms they felt terrifying.
Sanat leaned closer.
"What are those?"
Boba's voice lowered slightly.
"These are the Five Mythical Calamities."
Sanat blinked.
"That sounds bad."
Kyala nodded.
"Very bad."
Boba continued.
The Five Mythical Beasts
Aurelion the Sun Dragon
A massive golden dragon capable of burning entire continents.
Leviathan of the Black Ocean
A sea creature larger than cities.
The World Serpent Jormira
An ancient snake deity worshipped by serpent tribes.
Titan Behemoth
A living mountain that destroys planets.
The Void Phoenix
A creature born from cosmic storms.
Sanat stared silently.
"Those things exist?"
Kyala nodded.
"Yes."
Boba added one more detail.
"Recently, these beasts have begun forming alliances with several non-human races."
Sanat frowned.
"Which races?"
"Serpent tribes."
"Snake people."
"And several underground civilizations."
Sanat folded his arms.
"So basically…"
"Giant monsters are forming alliances and planning to attack civilization?"
"Correct."
Sanat looked back at the city outside the window.
Two trillion people.
Five layers of society.
Ten powerful guilds.
Five mythical beasts preparing for war.
He slowly smiled.
"Well."
"This new game just got interesting."