God’s Perspective

My head drifts in a cloud of serenity, untethered by the constraints of time. Here, in this boundless bliss, there are no worries, no distractions, no problems—just an eternal sense of peace. I’m not even sure why I’m thinking right now. Perhaps I should simply savor this feeling and wish for it never to end.

I have no idea how long I’ve been in this state. It feels like I’ve been here for decades. But then, something jolts me awake, pulling me from my tranquil slumber. Gravity tugs at me with an unfamiliar force, and in an instant, I’m elsewhere.

What’s happening? Where am I? These are the first questions I ask myself as I regain consciousness.

A sudden influx of knowledge floods my mind, as if a computer had just transferred data into my brain. I am an entity, born from a stray prayer—one without a specific deity to guide it. This prayer melded and coagulated to form an embryonic deity, one without yet a defined domain or concept.

But contrary to this knowledge, I remember my past life vividly. I am Paul Davis, a regular company employee in the 21st century, living in Earth’s bustling metropolis. I was in my late twenties, single, and found solace in comics, manga, movies, and anime. My life ended abruptly when a rogue truck struck me as I glanced at a notification on my phone. That was the last thing I saw before my world turned dark.

From my inherent knowledge, an embryonic god like me is supposed to be a freshly created deity with only basic knowledge or instincts about existence. We are meant to gain common sense and understanding through our believers' influence, and then develop from there.

As I ponder my situation, I look around. I am standing on an island, its diameter roughly 500 meters, surrounded by a vast sea of white fog extending to the horizon. This isn’t an ordinary island—it floats in the middle of nowhere, much like a lone glacier. This floating island is my divine realm, the first space formed before a deity’s true creation. I can modify and expand it, but doing so requires divine power. As my sacred domain, it’s impervious to outside intrusion unless I allow it.

My immediate concern is to find believers to sustain my existence and decide which concept or domain I should develop. I have only ten days before my divine essence is depleted, and I vanish from existence once more.

Alongside me, countless other gods were born, each with their own divine realms. We can venture out of our realms by either sending our original bodies or a fragment of our consciousness. I decide to use a portion of my consciousness to explore the astral realm. If Earth is nearby, this might be my only chance.

I expend nearly a day’s worth of divine energy to separate this fragment of my consciousness. Hoping I’m not too late, I grasp for anything that might lead me back. As my consciousness separates, it manifests as a wisp of light, floating before me. From this new perspective, I see my original self—a figure in a suit and slacks, my phone in my pocket, though my briefcase is missing.

The phone, I realize, is merely a manifestation of my imagination, not real. It’s odd to observe two perspectives of myself—one as a wisp of light, and the other as a human-like figure.

I will myself out of my divine realm, closing my eyes and opening them to find myself in a dark, limitless void scattered with colorful lights. This is the astral realm, where each light represents a cluster of consciousness connected to a world with intelligent life. The lights drift and float, not fixed in place. To access a specific world, one must establish themselves there; otherwise, one must search the astral realm.

Hoping Earth hasn’t drifted too far, I fly towards the nearest cluster of light. Traveling at the speed of light, I move for nearly a week. My divine energy, however, is dwindling fast. I’ve already consumed a week’s worth just staying idle. I need to explore this space quickly.

As I descend into a cluster of light, I find myself within a solar system. I observe a world with abundant water, much larger than the Earth I remember. The inhabitants live in a medieval setting, reminiscent of a time before industrialization. Women and children in renaissance attire play in a creek, while men wield bows and swords. This world hasn’t yet discovered industrialization.

A unique energy pervades the atmosphere—mana. Magic exists here. I focus on a nearby village, one that appears impoverished. Its central stone building is larger than the surrounding wooden and clay houses, likely the home of the village head.

I face a dilemma: should I continue searching for Earth or remain here? I sense the presence of other gods, and I can’t afford to waste time. I’ve only two days' worth of divine energy left. I must establish a source of divine energy soon, or I will cease to exist.

Creating a concept to attract believers is necessary but costly. I can collect stray prayers, but they are insufficient to sustain me. Absorbing other deities’ energies is an option, but I am too weak with only two days’ energy remaining.

I consider deconstructing my divine realm to use its energy. It holds enough power for a thousand days, but doing so would leave me vulnerable and would require a significant effort to rebuild. My body itself could provide about twenty-five days’ worth of energy if deconstructed, but I hesitate to sacrifice my physical form.

I make a decision: I will use my remaining divine energy to create something that will attract followers. A system, like a game system, might be useful. However, this medieval world lacks the concept of modern technology. 

As I contemplate this, I accidentally touch my trouser pocket and recall my phone. A phone isn’t practical here, but perhaps a system could be adapted to their understanding. I need to devise a concept that aligns with their world and attracts their faith.

My divine realm is composed entirely of divine energy. If I deconstruct it, I can reabsorb its power. Though it will leave me exposed and is a risky move, it may be my only chance. 

With determination, I resolve to use the energy from my divine realm to create a system that will ensure my survival and gain followers in this new world.