In a plain, sterile office bathed in soft white light, two people sat facing each other.
Seated across a large oak desk was Jack—a 22-year-old college student with messy black hair and ember-colored eyes. He looked average at first glance, but there was a charm to his features that could pass for handsome in the right eyes.
"So, let me get this straight," Jack said, narrowing his eyes. "I died. And now I'm standing in front of you—a self-proclaimed 'God'—who just so happened to run a cosmic lottery that picked a random dead human to either enter Heaven or send to another world, for free?!"
Behind the desk sat a refined man who appeared to be in his thirties. His slick, shoulder-length black hair gleamed under the room's glow, and his sharp blue eyes shimmered with mischief. Dressed in a black suit that looked tailor-made from stardust, he leaned forward with a soft smile.
"Exactly, young man," the said God said with a cheerful tone. "You see, when you put your noodles in the microwave, you forgot to remove the metal fork. That, tragically, caused the explosion that killed you. And if you can't remember it, well… I deleted that part. Didn't want to traumatize you."
"You're lying, I… I can't just die like that," Jack stammered, trembling in his seat. "I have a family! I was also almost done with college. I was so close—just one year left..., I have so many things left to do, things to experience, I have people waiting for me, I… I can' just die like this out of nowhere" His voice cracked, and tears welled in his eyes. The weight of his death hit him like a crashing wave.
The god raised a hand and snapped his fingers. "I'm sorry for you, my child. Here, drink this."
Out of nowhere, a delicate glass filled with glowing blue liquid appeared beside Jack. It gave off a sweet, calming scent—like wild berries in a sunlit forest mixed with fresh rain.
Jack flinched at the sudden appearance, but the divine presence before him radiated a strange comfort. Something about the god made him feel... safe. Worshipful, even. As if he were standing before a being woven from peace itself.
Hesitantly, Jack reached out and took the glass. He drank.
A soft "Hmm~" escaped from his lips. The drink was ambrosial—cool, silky, and sweeter than anything he had ever tasted. Almost immediately, he felt the tension in his body melt away.
"That's... incredible. I feel amazing. All the sadness, the panic... it's just gone."
"Haha! That's one of the Nymphs' creations," the god beamed. "To mortals like you, it's a thousand times more effective than your best calming meds." like a doting grandfather, The god looked clearly pleased with himself by impressing this young ignorant mortal.
"As I mentioned earlier, every year I choose one deceased soul. They can either pass on to heaven—no judgment—or be reborn into another world with a blessing. So, Jack... what's your choice?"
—— POV: Jack ——
I can't believe I died. And because of a damn microwave? I knew that fucking piece of junk was gonna blow up someday. But to think i won a lottery, of course, my one stroke of luck comes after I die.
Heaven or another shot at life... Ugh, my head's spinning. Wait—I need to ask him something first.
"Hey, can I choose the world I go to? And you said something about a boon... is it like a system, or is it some anime-style power-up thing?"
Heaven sounded boring. Overrated even . But another world? If I can choose my power...
Jack's mind raced. Saiyan in One Piece? Omnipotent in Marvel? He grinned like a kid in a candy store just thinking about how overpowered he could become.
"Sorry to crush your fantasy," the god chuckled, "but it's all still random. You'll spin two wheels—one for the world, one for the power."
Jack deflated like a balloon. "You've gotta be kidding me."
'Please' he begged silently, 'just not zombies or some shitty apocalypse crap. Give me something I know!'
"Well then," the god said, clapping his hands. "Let's see where you're headed."
With a casual snap of his fingers, the room vanished. The sterile office dissolved into a stunning void—a cosmic expanse of swirling galaxies, distant stars, and shimmering light. Jack floated weightlessly in space, surrounded by nothing and everything at once. Before him stood two enormous wheels, each the size of a mansion, glowing with magical inscriptions.
"This first one decides your world," said the god warmly. "Give it a spin."
Jack cracked his knuckles. "Alright. Please, just this once... don't screw me, luck."
**Sweeetch!**
The wheel spun violently, its glowing symbols shifting too fast to read. Names of worlds flickered: 'Ben 10, Inception, Regular Show...'
'Come on. Give me something doable!'
The spinning slowed. Time itself seemed to stretch—each second dragging as the wheel's movement decelerated.
And then—it stopped.
"Genshin Impact."
Silence.
Jack held his breath.
'Genshin? I... I can work with that.* He clenched his fists. *I've spent hundreds of hours into that game. I know the story up to Natlan. There's a war with the Abyss coming up in later updates and I didn't complete all of the chapters , but I remember most of the plot before that. If I play it smart... I can survive, maybe even thrive.'
The god's eyes sparkled.
"Ah, looks like you're familiar with it. Don't worry—even if your power's not great, if you impress there, there's still the chance you can gain a Vision."
The second wheel rumbled forward. It was even larger, its surface covered in glowing icons: devil fruits, JoJo stands, elemental powers, and character names from every corner of fiction.
Jack stepped closer, his heart racing.
'Please... not some garbage ability. I'm not trying to get One-Shoted by an Anemo Slime on day one.'
"Oh, by the way," the god added with a mischievous wink, tilting his head like a giddy anime girl, "your power will be between F– , and SSS+. Anything higher is locked, so no divine skills. Tehe~"
"DON'T 'Tehe~' ME!" Jack barked. "Knowing my luck, I'll end up with E-rank [toe regeneration] or something."
He spun the second wheel.
It roared to life. Sparks flew. Powers blinked across the surface—*Dragon Slayer Magic, Stand: The World, Devil Fruit: Mera Mera...*
Then, with a final *thud,* the wheel stopped.
'Template: Gaara'×2
The god clapped. "Not bad! That's an [A–] pull. You get Gaara's abilities from Naruto, though not the full [A]-rank version. You won't be able to use elemental ninjutsu outside of sand manipulation, but still—he was the youngest Kage in history. There's a lot of potential there."
Jack clenched his fist.
'YES! Even nerfed, Gaara's a beast. Sand manipulation, auto-sand defence, flight. I'll take it.'
"Alright, this is where we part ways," said the god, standing. "I'll drop you into Teyvat about one month before the Traveler awakens. Where you'll land... well, that's part of the fun."
Before Jack could protest, the void warped. Gravity returned. He began plummeting downward like a meteor.
"NOOOOO—!" he screamed like a child who'd just lost their candy, his voice echoing into the cosmos.
The last thing he heard was the god's laughter.
Then—darkness.