Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Death and the Deal
The world was a blur of sounds and chaos, then silence. Daniel blinked, or at least he thought he did—everything was black. A single thought ran through his mind: "Is this what dying feels like?"
The void around him began to shift. It wasn't cold or warm, but it felt… alive, like it was aware of him. Suddenly, a shimmering figure materialized in front of him. Tall, radiant, and vaguely humanoid, the being exuded an aura of calm yet overwhelming power.
"Ah, there you are," the figure said, their voice both male and female, neither loud nor quiet. It was perfect. "Welcome to the afterlife. Sort of."
Daniel stared, his voice caught in his throat. Finally, he managed, "Who... are you?"
The figure smiled. "I go by many names, but you can call me ROB. Stands for Random Omnipotent Being. Not very creative, I know, but hey, it works."
"So... I'm dead?" Daniel asked, piecing together the fragments of his last moments: the rain, the truck, the screeching tires.
"Yep. Quite a quick one too. But don't feel bad; your death, while accidental, serves a greater purpose."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Greater purpose? I died because of a truck. How's that a purpose?"
ROB chuckled. "Let's just say, I've got plans. You see, every so often, I like to select someone for a special role. Consider it… a gift for entertaining me. And lucky you, Daniel, you're my latest pick."
"Pick for what?" Daniel asked, skepticism lacing his voice.
"To become a god of sorts. Don't worry, not the God, but a god. Specifically, you'll oversee worlds. I'm giving you the World Creation System—think of it as the ultimate sandbox game. You'll have the power to create, merge, and modify worlds. Bring in characters, tweak timelines, build civilizations… you name it."
Daniel blinked. "You're joking."
ROB tilted their head. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Daniel hesitated. "So, you're offering me a chance to play god?"
"Exactly. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. You'll need to earn points to make changes—points you'll get by setting challenges, creating conflict, or guiding your world to greatness. You'll also have limits, at least at first. Consider it a probationary period."
"Why me?" Daniel asked.
ROB shrugged. "Why not? You're average enough to be relatable, curious enough to keep things interesting, and frankly, I like your imagination."
Daniel thought about it. His old life hadn't been much to brag about: a dead-end job, no real family ties, and no dreams left to chase. This… this was something else.
"What's the catch?" he asked.
ROB grinned. "Smart question. There's no real catch, but you'll be responsible for whatever happens in your world. You can guide it or let it run wild, but either way, the consequences are on you."
Daniel took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm in."
"Good choice." ROB snapped their fingers, and a glowing interface appeared in front of Daniel, like something out of a sci-fi movie. "Here's how it works. As a welcome gift, you can choose one existing world—anime, movies, books, anything—to be your starting point. You can tweak it as you see fit, but major changes cost points. Choose wisely."
Daniel scrolled through the options, each one filling him with excitement. He could choose Attack on Titan, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or even Star Wars. But his heart settled on one world: the Marvel Avengers universe.
"Marvel," he said firmly. "Post-New York war."
ROB raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice. Earth's ripe for change after that invasion. Good pick."
Daniel grinned. "I've always wanted to see what I'd do differently in their shoes."
"One last thing," ROB added. "As a bonus, you get one significant addition to the world's history. It can be a new character, a timeline shift, whatever. What's it gonna be?"
Daniel didn't hesitate. "Goku. As a child. He crash-lands on Earth around the time Tony Stark is born.and picked up by monks from K'un-lun"
ROB burst out laughing. "Oh, that's a good one. Saiyan meets Stark? K'un-Lun involved? I'm sold. Done."
With a wave of their hand, ROB began to fade away. "Have fun, Daniel. And remember, I'll be watching."
Before Daniel could respond, the void around him dissolved, replaced by a swirling cosmos of stars and galaxies. And at the center of it all was his new creation: Earth, waiting for his touch.
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End of Chapter 1.