Chapter 1: Prologue
Nerd in a World of Magic
A genuine account of the extraordinary adventures of Arthur, narrated with the unvarnished truth of his magical mishaps and triumphs.
Written by: Arthur, the protagonist of this story.
Volume: 1
***
It would seem that I died.
Not a particularly original way to kick off an isekai adventure, I know. But hey, when life throws a literal truck at you, you either dodge (which, tragically, I did not), or you embrace the isekai welcome wagon with open arms.
However, before we delve any deeper into the great beyond (or the respawn point, depending on what kind of isekai this is), let's rewind a tad.
My name's Arthur, and the closest I get to magic is the occasional Google search that pulls up a dubious website promising to teach me levitation in 10 easy steps.
I wasn't exactly living a life begging for isekai intervention.
Sure, my apartment was a shrine to all things nerdy, with figurines lining the shelves like a plasticine army and enough manga to wallpaper a small library.
But hey, a man's gotta have his hobbies. Besides, I had a decent job fixing laptops, a loyal (albeit slightly neurotic) cat named Schrödinger, and a social life that consisted of bi-weekly board game nights with the guys.
Life was simple.
Tuesdays meant leftover pizza. Thursdays meant mandatory team-building exercises that morphed into impromptu video game tournaments.
Not exactly a rags-to-riches fairytale, but it was comfortable, familiar. Kind of like that worn-in pair of sweatpants you refuse to throw out—slightly embarrassing, undeniably functional.
Actually, sweatpants might be a good metaphor for my entire life.
Safe, predictable, with the occasional existential crisis stain that wouldn't quite budge. See, while I devoured isekai light novels with the same fervor most people reserve for pizza, I never truly believed it would happen to me.
Truck-kun seemed like a myth, a literary device to whisk away the protagonist from their mundane existence.
Maybe that's why, when I saw the headlights bearing down on me as I absentmindedly crossed the street, my first thought wasn't Oh crap, but a bewildered, Wait, seriously? followed by a surprisingly calm, Huh, well this is… unexpected.
Now, I'm not saying I wasn't scared. Staring death in the face, even the fictionalized kind, tends to have that effect.
But there was also a strange sense of acceptance. Maybe it was the years spent analyzing isekai tropes, or maybe it was the sheer shock due to the absurdity of the situation, but a part of me was weirdly excited.
As a certified isekai enthusiast, I knew exactly how these things went.
Clueless protagonist gets yeeted into another world, magically gifted with unimaginable power, and tasked with saving the princess/defeating the demon lord/collecting a harem the size of a small city. All while looking fabulous in ridiculously impractical clothing.
Nope. Not for me.
I'd likely just live a chill life. Leverage my knowledge of generic fantasy tropes to build a cozy little cottage on the outskirts of a friendly village, maybe open a bookstore (because every isekai needs a bookstore), and spend my days reading, sipping tea, and befriending adorable animal companions.
No world-ending quests, no damsels in distress, no questionable fashion choices. Just pure, unadulterated bliss.
Back to my death, when I got run over by Truck-kun, my vision swam back into focus, revealing a landscape of fluffy white clouds stretching out beneath me. Not exactly the fiery underworld I'd envisioned for the afterlife, but hey, who was I to argue with the celestial interior decorator?
Then I saw her. Sprawled next to me, propped up on an elbow like she was lounging at a pool party, was a woman with hair like moonlight and eyes that twinkled like constellations. This, I presumed, was the goddess responsible for my current predicament.
"Ugh, another boring one," she muttered, tossing the book aside. "Truck-kun? Really? How derivative."
I raised an eyebrow, the inner redditor in me already formulating a comeback in my head.
A truck-shaped isekai entry point was a cliché, sure, but at least it was a familiar one. This whole situation, however, was anything but standard.
However, I decided not to mess up my chances in case she turned out to be one of those annoying goddesses in those revenge stories.
"You can see me?" I asked, playing it cool despite the hollowness in my stomach. A lifetime of devouring isekai light novels had at least equipped me with the necessary vocabulary for this bizarre afterlife interview.
"Please, darling, I'm a goddess. Seeing dead people is practically in the job description." She scoffed, a sound that somehow managed to be both regal and utterly bored. She propped herself up further and regarded me with a sardonic smile. "How delightfully…" she trailed off, searching for the right word, "uninspired. I can't believe He chose you."
Now, I wouldn't call my life uninspired. But compared to the epic adventures I'd spent years vicariously living through fictional heroes, it probably did seem a tad… beige. Still, self-deprecation wouldn't get me anywhere.
"Look," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "I—"
"Nuh-uh." She shook her head. "Spare me the explanations. I skimmed your memories while you were busy contemplating your navel lint in the afterlife express lane. Now, onto more important matters."
She snapped her fingers, and a holographic screen flickered to life, displaying a nightmarish vision of a world engulfed in flames, monstrous creatures rampaging through cities, and a giant, horned dude cackling maniacally in the center.
"That, my friend," she said, her voice laced with amusement, "is what happens in 100 years if we don't do something about the whole Demon Lord situation."
"A Demon Lord?" I murmured to myself, tasting ash. Admittedly, I'd expected this development. However, I'd still have liked it if it were a cozy fantasy Isekai. I repressed a sigh.
"Bingo!" she chirped. "Been sealed away for centuries, naturally. Due for a comeback, terribly inconvenient timing and all that."
"And you want me to...?" I asked dryly.
"Save the world, obviously," she said, rolling her eyes. "Though, between you and me, the whole chosen hero trope is a bit overused, don't you think?"
I stared at her and a nervous laugh escaped my lips. "Uh, about that... I don't exactly have any experience with demon-slaying or world-saving. So, maybe send me to some cozy fantasy."
The goddess stretched, a bored yawn escaping her lips. "Well, you won't get better by sitting on your rump all day. Besides, it'll be a good story. How the average Joe became the unlikely hero. Pitch it to the right publisher after you save the world, and you'll be rolling in royalties. We gods love reading. Cliche as anything may be to us, there's still certain charm unique to each story."
Well, I might as well. "Refer one to me later, I suppose." I shrugged.
With a flick of her wrist, she shoved me through a swirling portal. "Good luck, Arthur. Try not to die too horribly. It would reflect poorly on my impeccable isekai-world-building skills."
And just like that, I was falling. Headfirst. Into a world of magic, monsters, and a very real, very angry Demon Lord. All because a bored goddess decided to spice things up.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
nectarnovels
nectarnovels This is an original (However you can imagine it as A Novel's Extra in a fantasy world if that helps). WN's original side's reach is trash so I'll be posting here.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone