I never would have thought it possible, but here we are. I’ve written a few isekais in my career as an author, and even one story that was half LitRPG. But now some kind of karma has struck, and not only am I transported to another world with a system to help me learn the ways of that world, but it’s a very familiar world. I mean, it should be, right? I made the damn thing. Nearly everything in the world is my creation.

 

Well, I’m here, and there doesn’t seem to be any way out of my situation. So I guess I’ll make the best of it. Since this is a story, I can only assume that I’m writing it. Or some version of me. I got sucked into my own world, so I’m going to have some fun and break the magic system.

_________________________________________________________

It started just like all the stereotypes say. I was crossing a street, not paying any attention. That’s saying something because I normally have excellent attention to detail. And I did in fact spot the truck, but with how poor my health is, I had no chance of dodging it. In that split second, I had to accept that I was going to die. As the lights rushed at me, I closed my eyes, and let go.

 

“Not the most comfortable way to arrive, is it?”

 

I opened my eyes, surprised at the lack of pain. Maybe the truck had killed me instantly, I thought. That was good. I was used to pain, but nobody really wants pain, right? I glanced around me. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was, but I could tell that it wasn’t heaven. For one, I was on a boat, surrounded on all sides by the ocean. I enjoyed the chill ocean breeze like any Alaskan, but this isn’t what I would categorize as heaven.

 

It didn’t seem to be the other place, either. For one, there was another person there. She was tall, taller than me, and wore a warm, welcoming smile. There was something motherly about her, I thought, and she seemed vaguely familiar. Where had I seen her before? I didn’t know any red-headed women in my life, did I? There was something familiar about the boat too.

 

“Sorry,” I said out of habit. “What did you say?”

 

She flashed that warm smile at me again and smoothed the front of her long green dress. Not that there was anything she could do to improve it. It was pristine. Wait a second, I thought. Green dress, red hair, and a motherly air? That was the description I’d made for Ahya, who I had nicknamed The Mother. For she was the Mother of the world that was named after her, and the Mother of the Ancients and all beings that lived on it.

 

“I had a sense that you would arrive to visit me,” she said kindly. “I didn’t think you’d arrive in such a painful way.”

 

I couldn’t believe my eyes, even if my brain was telling me that what I was seeing was true. This had to be a dream. “Ahya?”

 

Her smile widened, and her green eyes, the exact same shiny shade of her dress, flashed with quiet humor at me. “I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out.”

 

“Well, it wasn’t that hard,” I mumbled, glancing around. “I recently wrote a scene just like this one. Except that I wasn’t the one you were talking to.”

 

She nodded her understanding. “Young Eric. He is an exceptional being. Capable of great things in life.”

 

It was a little weird to hear one of my characters praising another right to my face and without the hint of a compliment. What could I do but agree? “He was. I, err, I think he was put through quite a lot to get where he is now, though.”

 

I’d almost revealed my identity by accident. I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing for a character in a story to meet their creator, but I wasn’t about to roll the dice on that. What if she killed me? It was certainly within her power, that’s for sure. I was just a weak human. Then what would happen? Would my death be permanent, or would I be sent back to Earth? If this was truly Ahya, then that meant that I might actually get to visit the world I’d created.

 

“There is no need to worry,” she said, flashing me another motherly smile. “I know very well who you are. It was your hand that created me. But I cannot despise you, for the worlds are beautiful.”

 

“Ah,” I said, at a loss for words. “Thanks, I guess.”

 

“Well, you find yourself in the world that you created,” she said, pointing around. “This very closely resembles a place between the two worlds. On one side, you can see your old home.”

 

I followed her pointing arm, and sure enough, I could see a busy street, just off in the distance, a street on which there was built a blue house. That was the house I’d just moved into. That was a depressing thought, I mused with a laugh. I’d just earned enough with my writing to escape the homeless shelter. And my first journey across that street killed me.

 

“And here, we have the world that you created,” Ahya continued,  pointing in the opposite direction. I glanced over her shoulder to see the coast of a new land. The shore stretched out of sight to the left and right, so it had to be one of the big continents. I tried to figure out which one it was by looking, but it was impossible. Even if I’d described it in one of my books, there was no chance I could recognize the place.

 

“It almost looks like I have a choice,” I replied with a laugh. “I can go back to where I came from, or take this chance to explore Ahya. Err, the world, I mean.”

 

“Of course, you have a choice,” she beamed. “Aren’t you the one that made free will in our world?”

 

That was an uncomfortable question. I’d never thought of myself as a god before. Sure, I’d made the world and everything in it. I’d even made the gods. Well, most of them. But I didn’t feel particularly god-like at the moment, with my feeble body. The average Ahyan human could beat me with one hand, I bet.

 

“Well, I might as well take the chance now that it’s here,” I decided. As if I’d go back, I thought with a snort. No way in hell I was passing this chance up. “I’ll explore the world I made. Maybe, if I have a chance to return to Earth later, I can get some new inspiration for a story.

 

“It pleases me greatly,” Ahya said. “A gift, then, to help you get accustomed.”

 

She leaned forward and lightly brushed my forehead with a finger. Her finger was cool and soft, but I could feel the heat that I often described as magic. It was almost burning hot, but tolerable. She’d marked me with something, I thought, though I couldn’t be sure what it was. Almost immediately, words began to show up in my vision. Oh fuck. A system.

 

Welcome to Ahya, Outsider!

 

Please select your starting weapon(s):

-Twin Daggers

-Dagger and Bow

-Sword and Shield

-Longsword

-Quarterstaff

-Unarmed

 

I glanced back at Ahya with a raised brow, and the words in front of me moved to follow. “A system? Really?”

 

If she could shrug, she probably would have. But that wasn’t in the nature that I’d written for her. Instead, she gave me a solemn nod. “This world may come as a shock to you. I believe that it will help.”

 

I could shrug, and I did. “Alright then. I guess I’ll just pick the one I’m most familiar with.”

 

I tried to reach out and touch the option I wanted, but my fingers went through the words. Alright then. I focused on the word, trying to will it into existence. At once, the list disappeared, and a longsword, still in its sheath, appeared on the left side of my waist. Just in front of my hip on the right, there were two pouches. The smaller one clinked as if it held some coins, and the larger one was empty.

 

“Huh. That’s handy.”

 

You have picked [Longsword]

 

Please pick two stats from the following list. These will be added to your proficiencies:

 

-Strength

-Dexterity

-Constitution

-Intelligence

-Wisdom

-Charisma

 

So it was just like D&D, I thought. Well, that was a relief. I didn’t fancy the idea of trying to learn a brand-new system. I’d played this game since I was 8 years old, so I was more than familiar with it. And as an added bonus, it was classless, so I could build myself up the way I wanted. I selected Dexterity and Intelligence. It wasn’t a hard choice, as my favored style had always been sword and spell.

 

You have selected Dexterity and Intelligence.

 

Please select 5 skills from the following list. These will be added to your proficiencies:

 

-Acrobatics (Dex)

-Arcana (Int)

-Animal Handling (Wis)

-Athletics (Str)

-Deception (Cha)

-History (Int)

-Insight (Wis)

-Intimidation (Cha)

-Medicine (Wis)

-Nature (Int)

-Perception (Wis)

-Performance (Cha)

-Persuasion (Cha)

-Religion (Int)

-Sleight of Hand (Dex)

-Stealth (Dex)

-Survival (Wis)

 

That was another easy choice. Acrobatics, to tumble, Arcana for the magic, Athletics for combat, Insight because it was useful, and Perception to protect myself from surprises. I considered switching Arcana for Religion for a moment, because the system I’d made for the Divines was powerful, but decided against it. I wasn’t the type to rely on a god or gods.

 

You have selected your skills.

 

Please assign points to your stats. You have (27) points available!

-Strength: 8 [+]

-Dexterity: 8 [+]

-Constitution: 8 [+]

-Intelligence: 8 [+]

-Wisdom: 8 [+]

-Charisma: 8 [+]

 

Please be aware that after 13, each stat increase will cost 2 points.

 

That took about ten minutes to figure out. I could have spent more time on it, of course, but I didn’t want to take too long. Quite apart from keeping Ahya waiting, I couldn’t wait to get through this and start exploring the world just visible in the distance. Finally, I’d assigned my points, and let out a long sigh.

 

Congratulations!

 

Your basic character sheet has been created!

 

Here are your basic stats.

Tuck Initiate Primordial Fledgling Fighter 1st Level  STR +1 12 DEX +2 15 CON +1 12 INT +2 15 WIS +0 11 CHA +0 10 Skills   Health 11 / 11 Armor Class 12 Speed 30 Acrobatics (dex) +4   Arcana (int) +4   Animal Handling (wis) +0   Mana 4/4 Ki 3/3 Aura 2/2 Athletics (str) +3   Deception (cha) +0   History (int) +2   Insight (wis) +2             Intimidation (cha) +0   Saving Throws   Longsword  To hit: +4 Damage: 1d6+1 Range: Melee Weapon 2:  To hit: Damage:  Range:  Investigation (int) +2   STR +1   Medicine (wis) +0   DEX +4   Nature (int) +2   CON +1   Perception (wis) +2   INT +4   Performance (cha) +0   WIS +0   Persuasion (cha) +0   CHA +0   Religion (int) +2   Heal per Hour 1d10+1   Sleight of Hand (dex) +2     Stealth (dex) +0     Survival (wis) +0             Bold = Proficient  /  Bold * = Expertise PROFICIENCY Tools Weapons Armors Languages   Martial Light Common Ancient

“Well, looks like that’s done,” I muttered, looking back up at Ahya. “What’s next?”

 

“Next, I send you out into the world,” she replied, her smile full and warm again. “But before I do, I must make one request of you.”

 

I waited patiently for her to ask, sure that whatever it was, it would have been something that I’d think of myself.

 

“Please do not reveal your identity or your true nature to any of the people you encounter. There may be some who discover it naturally, but you should understand the shock that would come of learning that someone else is your creator.”

 

I nodded my understanding at once. Not only was it self-explanatory, but I didn’t want the weird events that would come with that sort of discovery. It was hard enough to write in the reactions of characters who discovered that Eric had been from Earth. It wasn’t an experience I was keen to repeat.

 

“I’ll do my best to keep that a secret,” I assured her.

 

“Then let me keep you no longer. Good luck, and enjoy. I do hope we get the chance to speak again.”

 

“That would be nice,” I agreed. “Well, until that happens, err, have a good one, I guess.”

 

She inclined her head slightly in my direction. Now a bow, but close. “Well wishes, then.”

 

And without warning, my vision went black, as if I’d just passed out after a long day. It was an uncomfortable sensation but didn’t last long. Before I knew it, my eyes had opened to see a massive expanse of trees in front of me. I was deep in the middle of a forest, though I had no idea what kind or where I was. It could just as easily be the Dagorra Forest in Tyrman, the Giniro Woods in Nihon-Ja, the Martial Forest in Attos, or one of the other many collections of trees that I’d put in the world. It seemed that the only way to know for sure was to explore.

 

Except that, as was usual in any story about Ahya, I wouldn’t get that chance. Not right away, at least.

 

“Oi! You there! You’ll regret showing up in our camp!”

 

I whipped around to find that I was indeed at the edge of a clearing, and not deep in a forest as I’d first thought. And the four or five people camped out in that clearing were an unruly, scruffy bunch. There was no mistaking who and what they were. Bandits.