The pale blue light that enveloped Marc faded slowly, little by little. Marc was floating once more. He no longer felt the excitement he had felt moments ago; instead, he felt peace. His body descended slowly and gently toward the new world.
This feels good. I'm too calm, but at the same time, I can't stop smiling. Is this true happiness? But how much time has passed? I feel as if I have been descending for days, or has it only been a few minutes? I can't clearly distinguish the passage of time in this state, but the truth is that I'm not worried. Apparently, this God does know what he's doing.
The pale blue light disappeared all at once, and he began to descend rapidly, this time in freefall. He was falling from the sky; he knew this because there were clouds around him. He couldn't move.
"AHHHH! I TAKE IT BACK! THIS GOD DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING!"
He thought all of this, for he truly did not have a physical body yet, and therefore had no vocal cords.
At that moment, his soul spun in the air, and now he was seeing everything upside down. He glimpsed the vast world for a few seconds; the sun was rising on the horizon. This left him astonished, but he was still afraid. His descent became even faster, as if a force was pulling him down. Before hitting the ground, for a few brief seconds, he distinguished a person, dressed in black with indigo-colored horns, lying face up on the ground, precisely in the spot where his soul was about to crash.
Everything went black for a few moments.
Marc started abruptly, and his body leaned forward, lifting him from the ground.
"What the f...!" Marc gasped heavily, but only managed to emit a muffled cry.
His throat felt constricted, and breathing was difficult. He placed his hands on his neck, feeling desperation. It took him a few seconds before he could begin breathing normally.
"What was that? I almost died," Marc said, lying down again.
He stayed on the ground for a few seconds without moving. He began to look at the sky and the clouds. It must have been the first hours of the morning, as the light indicated that the sun was rising.
The sky and the clouds are the same as in my world; there's no difference there.
He began to move his head. To his left, a field extended as far as he could see, and to his right, there was a forest. Between the trees, in the distance, he distinguished a structure made of stone.
Maybe that's the temple the God was talking about.
He started to stand up, but quickly noticed that something was wrong: his center of gravity had changed. He staggered slightly as he got to his feet.
It must be because I'm taller, or because I'm not used to this body, but I feel kind of weird.
It took him a moment to stand straight without losing his balance, but after a few moments, he managed it.
Good, first step done. I'm on the right track so far.
At that moment, he noticed something he had never felt before. He lifted his arms and began to touch: something was coming out of his head, right where his hair began. It was hard as bone, and he had one on each side. Marc was startled for a moment, thinking he might have cracked his head or that something had gotten stuck in it. He quickly calmed down upon remembering that the God Amir had told him he would have horns in this new body.
Right, now I'm a full-fledged demon.
He lifted his gaze and discerned a modest yet well-built cabin a few feet from where he stood. It was made of wood and had a stone chimney; to the left of the cabin, there was a small garden. Marc headed toward the garden first. As he walked, his legs buckled a few times, but after a few steps, he began to tread with firmness and confidence: he was already getting used to his new body.
This body feels much lighter. Is it because I'm a demon now, or is the gravity less here than on Earth?
Marc reached the edge of the garden. It was not large, but it was well organized, as if someone had been carefully tending to it before his arrival. It was protected by a low wicker fence, and the rich, dark soil was free of weeds. The garden was sectioned. On the right side, one could distinguish potatoes, carrots, and various legumes (such as peas and beans). On the left side, there was garlic, onion, basil, and bushes overflowing with tomatoes. Marc looked up toward the back of the cabin; where the garden ended, there was a line of low apple trees already laden with fruit.
These are all vegetables and fruits I know. Are they native to this world, or did the God place them because they are already familiar to me? He said he didn't want me to die from eating an unknown fruit or plant, but that's why he made me immune to poison and disease. Well, all the better for me; this way I didn't have to go through the effort of preparing the soil, planting, and waiting for the harvest time. Although I guess from now on I'll have to maintain it. I wonder if I can do it with magic.
He walked over to one of the apple trees and plucked an apple from its branches. He took a bite. It was so juicy that the juice ran down his cheeks.
I've never been a fan of apples, but I must admit this one is very delicious. I guess things planted and harvested by a God are on another level.
Marc looked up at the sky.
A God, huh? Who would have thought! I wasn't an atheist my whole life. My parents were devout Christians and instilled the religion in me from a young age, but since I entered high school, I began to doubt God's existence. After entering university, I was already convinced that the existence of something like a God was impossible. Yet, just moments ago, I was casually talking to one. How ironic! I still don't know what to believe about everything I've just experienced, but I'm glad it happened; it allowed me to come to this new world.
He took another bite of the apple and headed toward the cabin.
Upon opening the door, he noticed a pleasant and familiar smell. The air inside the cabin did not smell of dampness or dust, as would be expected of an old and abandoned cabin, but rather had a mixture of polished wood and honey. It was a clean, sweet aroma with a slightly smoky note, like that of dried herbal tea.
It smells too good to be a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
He followed the scent trail to a table in the center of the cabin, where a wreath of dried wild herbs hung over a beam. But the dark wood of the walls also contributed: it had been recently treated with a layer of beeswax and linseed oil, which gave it that cozy, warm honey scent that permeated the entire space.
That God really is more thoughtful than I expected. I didn't imagine he had this level of detail.
The cabin was deceptively spacious and functional on the inside, more than it looked from the outside. Light entered through a wide window on the side facing the garden. The ceiling beams were visible and robust, and the floor was made of polished, clean wooden planks. The central table was made of rough oak, large enough to work and eat at, with two long benches at its sides.
One good thing is that I won't be uncomfortable while eating.
In one corner was a queen-sized bed, which had thick woolen blankets and a mattress that looked very comfortable at first glance.
That bed looks much better than my bed in my old world.
One of the walls of the main room was completely covered by an imposing bookshelf that stretched from floor to ceiling. There was a small ladder used to reach the books on the top shelf. The bookshelf was packed with hundreds of books, rolled scrolls, and grimoires as thick as a fist.
I guess those are the books Amir mentioned. They are... too many. The good thing is he mentioned I have food for a year.
He also had a kitchen. It had a stone hearth and a grill for cooking. Another detail was that it had a smooth wooden surface that served as a countertop, but the pantry was the most notable feature, at least for Marc. It occupied an entire wall and was organized by sections: glass jars sealed with preserves, sacks of grains, sugar, salt, and other spices that Marc didn't recognize, plus small barrels containing oil, flour, and what appeared to be wine or beer.
Thank you, almighty God.
The fireplace was located on the wall opposite the entrance. It was lit with a small fire that burned silently. For some reason, his intuition told him that this fireplace contained magic and that the fire would never go out unless he put it out himself.
I'm sure that fireplace works with magic, but how did I know that? Do I have some kind of magical perception?
Only one door led to another room; inside was the bathroom, surprisingly modern for a fantasy world. Instead of a simple bucket, there was a ceramic toilet and a copper tub with a showerhead. Once again, his intuition told him that this bathroom operated with magic.
"I guess they poop in this world too," Marc said, letting out a small laugh.
He returned to the main room and observed the bookshelf in detail.
I should start with the books containing information about this world, but the truth is that what interests me most is magic.
Having said this, Marc grabbed the first grimoire he found and took it to the table, prepared to read it carefully.