As soon as that god finished whatever they had to say, I felt myself departing from that mysterious white realm.
I'm someone else's wish? What, have I become a character in a Gacha game? Am I "coming home" to their world?
A mixture of anticipation, excitement, and dread filled my non-corporeal mind as I awaited my new body's manifestation. Whoever's wish I'm responding to, I just hope I won't have to do anything too unsavory.
I got a quick glimpse of the world I'll be reborn in, but nothing about it stuck out apart from how its landmasses had no resemblance to Earth.
A myriad of swirling, shapeshifting colors passed me quickly as I felt my existence being transported. Despite my vision being assaulted sporadically with all these colors, I felt neither discomfort nor pain. It must be one of the perks of not currently having a body.
The colorful show ended when the world I was shown earlier came into view like I was being dropped into the world. Actually, I was. This experience would be my first time skydiving.
Hmm. Skydiving accidents usually end in fatal injuries or even death. Yet here I am skydiving after dying. What do I call this?
I put the peculiarity of the situation in the back of my mind as I observed the world in freefall. As I was looking around, I noticed my hand was transparent against the sky along with the rest of my body.
Looks like my body hasn't materialized yet.
I continued observing the world, not wanting to dwell on my current form. Luckily, the sun was out, so I could pick out details. From below me to the horizon was a vast land shaped by mountains, valleys, canyons, and plains. Different towns and cities were separated by lush forests and grassy fields. Nothing in the greenery stood out to me, so I focused my attention on where the buildings were.
A few buildings caught my eye. There was a palace far from the towns and cities. It had a big courtyard, and a garden, and there was another, smaller, circular-shaped building separated from the rest of its grand design. A storage room? It looked rather out of place, compared to the rest of the palace. All of this was surrounded by a river with bridges leading in and out of the territory.
The ground was getting closer, so I shifted my focus to the towns closest to me.
A big, important-looking building was in one of the towns. It was placed between the town's center and its edge. Might be related to this world's government.
How do I know it looked important? Well, the stairs leading into the building were as wide as the side of the building itself. It sort of reminded me of a landmark back in my previous life, but I couldn't be sure.
In another direction, I saw some uniform rectangular buildings with paths leading to another impressive building. The rectangular buildings reminded me of the different hotels I stayed at, while the impressive building gave me the impression of an institution. A school, perhaps?
At my current height, it'd take a few minutes for a commercial airliner to touch down. At the rate I'm going, I have at least a minute before I land...
Uh oh.
Looking directly below me, I noticed a patch of green surrounded by a forest.
I suddenly realized this was my first time skydiving.
Shit! What do I do?
I had 30 seconds until landing.
Make a trampoline? Giant airbag? What's the fabric like? Aren't trampolines hard?
At the speed I'm falling at, I'm not sure I could make something that could feasibly cushion my fall from the height I was dropped at.
20 seconds until landing.
My best bet would be to slow down. Since I'm skydiving, an optimal choice would be a wingsuit, parachute, or glider.
Glider is out of the question since it's too big. A parachute could work, perhaps I could do a rectangle shape.
A wingsuit, though.
I quickly glance at the rest of my body. It's still transparent.
Parachutes need backpacks, but wingsuits only need a body with extra fabric between limbs.
10 seconds.
I asked god for Imagination Manifestation. I don't know if I have it yet, but it's now or never.
I imagined my body donning a wingsuit. A sleek design to accommodate for drag. A sturdy, yet flexible material made to withstand high wind speeds.
I looked at myself to see if that accomplished anything. My body wasn't wearing the suit.
5 seconds.
Shit.
All I could do now was brace for impact.
Let's hope their healthcare plans can fix broken limbs.
I recalled seeing a guide video on YouTube in the unlikely event of skydiving, where parachutes weren't an option.
I positioned myself with my legs closer to the ground.
I fell through the ground, existence phasing through the patch of grass.
Huh?
In the next moment, a blinding white light filled my vision.
Now that I think about it, I didn't feel any air rushing past my body.
Wait, that means my wingsuit. It would've phased through me! Or did it not manifest since I didn't have a body?
I voluntarily fidgeted, my foot shifting against a smooth, cold, stone-like floor.
Hang on...
I shifted my foot again, only dragging it so far not wanting to risk falling since I still couldn't see a thing, only stopping when my toe hit something.
The white filling my vision was gradually dissipating. But being temporarily blind was the least of my problems.
I have a body now!
I pumped my fist in excitement.
Not taking any more chances, I stood still. Adjusting myself by making familiar, minuscule movements in my new body. Then I patted myself all over.
My face felt different. Less chubby. Chin felt more pointy.
My torso felt more lean, less body fat. My chest felt more firm.
My arms felt more skinny. I pinched both of my upper arms. It was harder to pull my flesh since it wasn't as plump. The same could be said for my legs.
As for my... my last part. I'll wait until the white in my vision is gone.
When the white in my vision disappeared, I took note of my surroundings.
Looks like I'm underground.
The room I was in had a dome ceiling. The walls below seemed to have a brick-like pattern. The floor also appeared to be inlaid with bricks in a circular pattern situated around where I stood, which seemed to be the center.
Woah.
In front of me was a black obelisk engraved with glowing green characters. The top of the obelisk seemed to be slanted away from me.
I looked toward the ground and noticed the smooth surface I was standing on. More engraving writing, and lines shone a luminescent green. As I was observing whatever I was standing on, I took quick notice of my privates.
There was certainly a difference between what I had in my past life and now.
I cut my admiration short before shifting my focus back to the sacred-looking structure I was standing on.
Near the base of the obelisk was more of that glowing writing. I turned counter-clockwise, counting a total of 3 black obelisks with shimmering green engravings at their base, all placed equidistant from each other in a triangle.
Looks like a shrine or altar of some sort. Well, enough admiring my birthplace.
I turned to look for an exit when I immediately noticed that someone else was in the room with me.
I looked down.
The whole time, someone was watching me admire the altar in my birthday suit.