Where Am I?
I am Han Yu.
My life used to be the best. No problems except academics. My family was quite rich, but I still got kicked out for always being lazy.
Now I am not lazy anymore. I have graduated as valedictorian, the highest of the highest, with a degree in civil engineering. Four years of hard work finally paid off.
"Wow, Han Yu! Congratulations!" my ex-girlfriend said as she approached me after the ceremony.
I once had a girlfriend named Mei Ling. She was beautiful and the class queen, but she broke up with me when I got banished from my house. She couldn't handle dating someone without money or status.
"Thank you!" I replied politely, though my heart felt heavy.
But this graduation was full of jealousy for me. I watched other students with their parents looking proud, taking pictures and celebrating together. But here I was, all alone. No one even cared about me or my achievement.
The contrast was painful. I had worked harder than anyone else in my class. I studied until three in the morning every night, lived on instant noodles for months, and took on part-time jobs to pay for my tiny apartment. I earned the highest honor possible, yet I had no one to share this moment with.
"Han Yu, are you alright?" Mei Ling asked, noticing my distant expression.
I could see something that looked like genuine concern in her eyes. Maybe she felt guilty about how things ended between us. Or maybe she was just being polite.
"I am alright, thank you for being concerned," I said, then continued coldly, "I have to go now."
Mei Ling looked at me, confused by my cold response. She probably expected me to be happy to see her, or maybe she thought I would beg for her attention like I used to.
As I walked away from the graduation ceremony, I heard her talking to someone behind me. "I wonder what happened to Han Yu. He seems so different now."
The voice that answered her made my chest tighten with old pain. It was her new boyfriend, the same wealthy guy from our class. The one she started dating just two weeks after she dumped me.
I may have graduated with honors, but I had nowhere else to go. No family home to return to for a celebration dinner. No proud parents waiting to take me out for a fancy meal. Just my crappy apartment in the worst part of town.
The building was terrible. It had dirty walls with cracks everywhere. It was the worst apartment ever. You could even hear the neighbors moaning and having sex through the thin walls. The plumbing leaked, the heating barely worked, and the elevator had been broken for months.
I climbed the narrow stairs to my small room on the third floor. The hallway smelled like cigarettes and old garbage. My neighbors were loud at all hours, playing music, arguing, or doing other things I tried not to think about.
I unlocked my door and stepped into my tiny space. One room that served as bedroom, living room, and study. A corner with a hot plate and mini-fridge that I called my kitchen. A bathroom so small I could barely turn around in it.
But it was mine. I had paid for it with my own money from working at a convenience store and tutoring other students. My parents never gave me a single dollar after they kicked me out.
I sat on my narrow bed and looked at my diploma. All that hard work, and for what? I was still alone. Still poor. Still angry at the world.
I was always jealous of other people. Jealous of their loving families, their money, their easy lives. I didn't even have a girlfriend anymore. I had never even done intimate things with anyone. Mei Ling and I never got that far in our relationship.
But tomorrow was a new day. I had job interviews lined up with several engineering companies. They were interested in hiring me because of my excellent grades. Maybe things would finally get better.
The next morning, I put on my only good suit and prepared to go apply for jobs. I had spent my last bit of savings on this black suit and tie. It was important to look professional for the interviews.
I walked down the busy street toward the business district, feeling hopeful for the first time in months. My diploma was safely tucked in my briefcase, along with letters of recommendation from my professors.
The morning air was fresh and cool. Office workers hurried past me, carrying coffee and talking on their phones. Cars moved steadily through the intersection ahead.
I reached the crosswalk and waited for the light to change. Other pedestrians gathered around me, checking their watches and looking at their phones. Everything seemed normal and peaceful.
The light turned green, and we all started walking across the wide street. I was thinking about my first interview, practicing what I would say about my qualifications and goals.
That's when I heard it.
The sound of a truck engine roaring louder and louder. Tires screeching against the pavement. People started shouting and pointing.
I looked to my left and saw a massive delivery truck speeding toward the intersection. The driver was pulling frantically at the steering wheel, but the truck wasn't slowing down. Something was wrong with the brakes.
People began screaming and running in different directions. Some ran back to the sidewalk they came from. Others tried to reach the other side faster.
But in the middle of all this chaos, I saw something that made my blood run cold.
A small child, maybe five or six years old, had dropped his toy car in the street. He was crouched down, trying to pick it up, completely unaware of the danger rushing toward him.
The truck was only seconds away from hitting the boy. His parents were on the far sidewalk, too far away to reach him in time. Other people were running away from the danger, not toward it.
Time seemed to slow down as I realized what I had to do.
I didn't think about my job interviews. I didn't think about my future or my dreams. I didn't even think about whether I might get hurt.
I just ran.
My legs carried me forward as fast as they could. The truck's horn was blaring now, a terrible sound that filled the air. I could see the driver's terrified face through the windshield.
I reached the little boy just as the truck's shadow fell over both of us. With all my strength, I grabbed the child and pushed him toward the sidewalk. He flew through the air and landed safely in his father's arms.
But there was no time for me to get out of the way.
The truck hit me with the force of a mountain. I felt my body being thrown through the air, everything spinning around me. Pain exploded through every part of me, and then everything went dark.
But instead of dying, something strange happened.
The world around me suddenly stopped moving. The screaming people froze like statues. The truck hung in the air, not moving forward anymore. Even the birds in the sky stopped flying.
Everything turned gray and silent.
"HOHOHO! What an interesting fellow!"
A woman's voice echoed around me, elegant and mysterious. I couldn't see where it was coming from.
"WH—" I tried to speak, but no sound came from my mouth.
"Hup!"
With a snap of fingers, I found I couldn't move my mouth at all. My whole body was frozen in place, but I could still see and hear everything around me.
"HOHOHOHO! I like you!" the voice continued cheerfully. "You're an engineer, right? Perfect! I need someone exactly like you!"
I wanted to ask what was happening, but I still couldn't speak or move.
"You know you're about to die, don't you? So I came here to help you! Consider this your lucky day!"
Another snap echoed through the frozen world.
"I can talk now!" I said, relief flooding through me. "What was that about? What's happening to me?"
I could speak again, but my body was still frozen. Then I saw her.
She appeared in front of me like she had been there all along. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Tall and graceful, with long black hair that seemed to move even though everything else was frozen. She wore flowing robes that looked like they were made from the night sky itself, covered in tiny stars. Her skin was pale as moonlight, and her lips were deep red like blood.
"I am Chang'e! Goddess of the Moon, Wife of Hou Yi!" she announced proudly, her voice filled with divine authority.
My eyes widened in shock. "Woah! You— You look stunning!"
She smiled at my compliment, looking pleased. "Thank you, but I am already married. Though you look more handsome than my husband. Maybe you could take a shot with me! He is always busy anyway, probably hitting on other girls in the gods' realm."
She waved her hand dismissively, then her expression became more serious.
"But let's continue our conversation! I will transfer you to another world where it's peaceful too! I will hand you my blessings and give you other abilities! I will transfer you to their god first. Goodbye!"
Before I could ask any questions or object, strange ethereal lights began covering my body. Small moons appeared and started swirling around me like a cosmic dance. The lights grew brighter and brighter until everything turned completely white.
When the blinding light faded, I found myself standing in what looked like a beautiful garden made of pure energy. Flowers that didn't exist in my world grew everywhere, glowing with their own inner light. The air itself seemed to sparkle with magic.
In front of me stood another goddess, completely different from Chang'e but equally beautiful. She had golden hair that shined like the sun, and her dress looked like it was woven from rainbow clouds. Her eyes were the bright green of spring grass, full of life and energy.
"Hello!!!" she said excitedly, bouncing on her feet like a happy child. "I am Serenya, Goddess of Life and Creation of my world! Welcome to my divine realm!"
She gestured around at the amazing garden surrounding us. Everything here felt alive and vibrant in a way that was hard to describe.
"I have my own world, though I'm still a lower god compared to others. I need you to go there and create other stuff with your imagination! I will grant you all abilities! Good luck!"
She raised her hands, and they began glowing with warm, golden light.
"WA—" I tried to say something, but she was already casting her spell.
She snapped her fingers, and everything went white again. I felt myself being pulled through space and time, traveling faster than I could imagine.
Serenya's Perspective
After Han Yu disappeared in the flash of light, Serenya clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily.
"AAAHHHH!! He is so handsome!! Well, can I mate with a mortal?" she wondered aloud, her cheeks turning pink. "Maybe when he gets more powerful... No, no, I shouldn't think such things! But still..."
She shook her head, trying to focus on more important matters, but couldn't help smiling as she thought about the handsome engineer she had just sent to her world.
Back to Han Yu
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
You're probably wondering why I was screaming at the top of my lungs. Well, I had just been teleported high up in the sky with no warning whatsoever. Below me was a small village that looked like a toy model from this height.
I was falling fast, and the ground was getting bigger and bigger every second.
That's when a blue translucent screen suddenly appeared in front of me, floating in the air like some kind of video game interface.
[Welcome to Eldoria!]
[You have been granted all abilities!]
[Chang'e has granted you maximum stats!]
[Listing all abilities...]
The list of abilities that appeared was incredibly long:
Instant Build (Lv. Max) Hide Stats (Lv. Max) Slash Equal to Heavens Shapeshifting (Lv. Max) Mana Control (Lv. Max) Master Builder Universal Language Understanding Enhanced Physical Abilities Magical Barrier Creation Elemental Control Advanced Healing Magic Teleportation Time Manipulation Space Manipulation Divine Crafting Monster Taming Plant Growth Weather Control
And many, many more. The list kept scrolling way off the screen.
"It's too many!! It's way off the screen! But help MEEEE!!!" I screamed as I continued falling toward the village below.
Another screen popped up:
[Listing the User's stats...]
Stats:
Name: Han Yu
Age: 22
Height: 190.5 cm (6'3")
Talents: Builder, Greatest Engineer, Jack Of All Trades
Strength: MAX
Agility: MAX
Durability: MAX
Mana: MAX
Intelligence: MAX
Wisdom: MAX
Charisma: MAX
Luck: MAX
Everything was maxed out!
"What the hell!!" I shouted, but there was no time to think about it anymore.
I crashed down in the middle of the small village's square with a tremendous impact. The force of my landing created a huge crater in the stone ground. Dust and smoke exploded everywhere, covering the entire area.
But amazingly, it didn't hurt at all. I felt perfectly fine, like I had just stepped off a comfortable bed instead of falling from the sky.
As I stood up in the crater, I noticed that my clothes had completely changed. Instead of my cheap black suit, I was now wearing magnificent robes that looked fit for a prince or emperor. The fabric was pure white with intricate gold embroidery that seemed to glow with its own light. I looked like nobility from a fantasy story.
People started coming out of their houses to see what had caused the loud crash. Men, women, and children gathered around the edge of the crater, staring down at me in amazement.
When they saw me standing there completely unharmed and dressed like royalty, their expressions changed from fear to wonder.
The women looked at me with wide eyes, whispering to each other. The men seemed impressed but also a bit intimidated by my appearance. Children pointed at me and tugged on their parents' clothes.
"Ah... H-Hello everyone!" I said awkwardly, raising my hand in what I hoped was a friendly wave.
That was apparently the wrong thing to do.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" People started screaming and backing away from the crater.
But then the questions started coming:
"Are you a noble? Or perhaps a god?"
"You look so handsome! Where are you from?"
"Man, you are so tall. I can't even reach your shoulder!"
"Did you fall from the heavens?"
"Are you here to help our village?"
"What kind of magic was that?"
People kept asking questions all at once. More and more villagers gathered around, creating a large crowd. Everyone was talking loudly, and the noise was overwhelming.
I started feeling stressed out by all the attention and questions. That's when something unexpected happened.
Without me trying to control it, a large amount of mana began flowing out of my body. It was cold and powerful, like the energy of a winter storm. The air around me became heavy and difficult to breathe.
Everyone in the square suddenly went silent. They took several steps back from the crater, looking scared and amazed at the same time.
"What an incredible power!" someone whispered in awe.
"I can barely breathe!"
"The air feels so heavy!"
"Is he really human?"
I realized I was frightening them with my uncontrolled magical energy. This wasn't what I wanted at all.
"So-Sorry everyone! I just got stressed out!" I called out loudly, then focused on using one of my new abilities. "Relaxation!!"
A warm, gentle energy flowed out from my body, replacing the cold, intimidating mana from before. Everyone in the square suddenly looked peaceful and happy, like they had just woken up from the most restful sleep of their lives.
Villagers' Perspective on that Skill
From what I learned later, my relaxation spell gave the villagers quite an experience:
"Why am I floating on soft clouds?"
"Is this heaven? Everything feels so peaceful and beautiful..."
"I feel so alive and happy! All my worries are gone!"
"It's like being wrapped in warm sunlight!"
"I never want this feeling to end!"
The spell worked perfectly. Everyone looked calm and content now, with peaceful smiles on their faces.
Back to Han Yu
"It's okay!" a woman's voice said from the crowd.
I looked up to see someone walking toward the crater. She was clearly different from the other villagers. While they wore simple, rough clothes, she was dressed in fine fabrics and elegant jewelry. Her white hair was styled beautifully, and she carried herself with the confidence of someone used to being in charge.
She was stunning. Her figure was perfect, and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle with intelligence and kindness. She looked like she was in her late twenties or early thirties, with the kind of mature beauty that made you want to trust her immediately.
"I am Lydia, I am the noble who governs this small village named Estor," she said with a slight bow that was both respectful and graceful.
She stood at the edge of the crater, looking down at me without any fear in her eyes. Unlike the other villagers, she seemed completely calm about the fact that I had just fallen from the sky and demonstrated incredible magical power.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Lydia. I'm Han Yu," I replied, trying to remember my manners and bow back to her.
"Han Yu... that's an unusual name for these lands," she said thoughtfully. "You're not from around here, are you?"
She looked at my magnificent robes and the crater I had created when I landed.
"Actually, let me ask the obvious question. Did you just fall from the sky?"
"Well... yes, actually. I did," I admitted honestly.
Lady Lydia nodded as if this was a perfectly normal thing to hear. "I see. And that impressive display of magic you just showed us? The powerful aura followed by the relaxation spell? Are you perhaps a high-level mage or a noble from one of the great kingdoms?"
"It's... complicated," I said, not sure how to explain about the goddesses and being transported from another world. "I'm not really from any kingdom you would know. I'm from very, very far away."
Lady Lydia studied me carefully for a long moment. Her intelligent eyes seemed to be evaluating everything about me - my appearance, my manner of speaking, my magical abilities.
"You seem honest, at least," she finally said. "And you used your power to help calm my people rather than intimidate them further. That speaks well of your character."
She gestured to the crowd of villagers who were still looking at me with wonder and curiosity, but no longer with fear.
"Estor is a small, peaceful village. We don't get many visitors, especially not ones who arrive by falling from the sky and demonstrating divine-level magic." She smiled slightly. "But you're welcome here, as long as you mean no harm to my people."
"I don't want to cause any trouble," I assured her quickly. "Actually, I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go or what I'm supposed to do. This is all very new to me."
"A mysterious man with incredible power and no clear destination," Lady Lydia mused. "This could be problematic... or it could be exactly what Estor needs."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, curious about her statement.
"Why don't you climb out of that crater first?" she suggested with a small smile. "Then we can talk properly. I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting conversation."