God's Successor?!

"Awaken!"

I jolt awake and immediately find myself in an untainted white place. Everything is white here. If there is a taint in this pristine place, I'll be that taint. I am floating, and apparently lacking a physical body. In other words, I am in a spiritual state, a mere soul without a physical body.

I am not alone here: an unknown humanoid entity is floating in front of me, and this entity is white like this strange place. I presently have no eyes to see in the biological sense, yet I have no problem perceiving this entity's appearance!

(He looks like Truth from Fullmetal Alchemist, doesn't he?) I think so after realizing how similar its appearance to Truth. At the very least, the entity doesn't give me disturbing grin like that fictional god.

"Randy Quartz," the unknown entity calls me, its voice emotionless and genderless. I wait for it to continue, silently. I don't dare to interrupt because of the existential dread that I am feeling from it.

"Before we move on to the main issue, I will introduce myself first. I am the Absolute Supreme Ruler of Cosmos, also known as God."

(So, he is actually God. Well, I shouldn't be surprised. I have died, and my next schedule is meeting God to be judged.) I muse and then question God, "So, what's next? Am I going to go to heaven or to hell?"

Although I lack larynx and vocal cords, I somehow have produced sound. And despite my curiosity, I never thought deeply about it.

"I have an offer for you."

(An offer? What's it?) I am speechless for a while. God's response has surprised me.

"What's it?" I ask after recovering from my surprise.

"Would you like to be my successor?"

"Huh?!"

Once again, God has surprised me, and my surprise lasts a while. After recovering, I regard God in a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Could you kindly repeat it? I'm afraid that I've misheard it," I ask politely.

"Would you like to be my successor?" God repeats his absurd offer.

"Your offer flatters me, but why have you chosen me? I was no one special, just an average person," I say carefully.

"Truth be told, you were chosen randomly."

I 'look' at God in disbelief. If I presently have a physical body, I'd likely have a deadpan expression.

"For real? What if an evil person was chosen?" I ask.

"Nothing will happen if the chosen one is an evil person," God replies, "After all, by accepting this offer and inheriting my position, my successor will be bound by the absolute cosmic law and will be forced to maintain the continuity of the cosmos."

Or so he's said. I nod mutely.

"So, would you accept my offer?" God asks.

Holding back my immediate answer, I begin thinking things through.

To be honest, I am tempted to accept this offer. Who wouldn't find this offer enticing? Anyone would find this offer enticing! After all, all sentient beings have this subconscious drive to be better than the rest of their peers. At the very least, they want to become better to stroke their fragile ego.

I am not an exception. I want to have more in my life: to be famous, to be rich, to have a pretty girlfriend, and to be better than my peers. I want this and that, and I want what I don't have. I am extremely selfish.

Despite the strong temptation, my doubts hold me from accepting God's offer. After all, the offer is too good to be true.

"Why would you do this? Why don't you create someone or something more fitting to take over your...job? Isn't that simpler?" I ask God.

God is silent for a while as if contemplating his answer. Then, he says, "To be honest, I felt tired of living. I have been living since the beginning of the cosmos and have done everything that I could think of. After repeating the same things countless times, they lose their freshness."

God pauses briefly before he continues, saying, "Anyway, I discovered that there is nothing to stop my boredom, and I have decided to end it all. In the past, I've prepared to do what you suggested. However, I felt a desire to have a successor to inherit my position and authority. And here we are..."

(So, it's only a sudden whim, huh?) I ponder while giving him a deadpan expression.

"What's your answer?" God asks.

"What will happen if I refuse this offer?"

"You will be judged and pass on to the afterlife."

"Only that?"

"Ay."

"So, there's nothing else?"

"Ay."

"What will happen if I accept your offer? Am I going to replace you just like that?"

"If you accept, you'll inherit my position and authority. Effective immediately."

I weigh my options carefully, but something pops up in my mind abruptly. (I wonder if I can do that after becoming the New God...) I wonder silently.

"...Those worlds and universes of fiction in your original world exist indeed, but you can't go there after inheriting my job." God says as if he has read my mind.

(Eh?! Did he read my mind?) I think, pretty shocked.

"...Ay," God replies easily.

"Sorry for thinking some rude things about you. Please, don't smite me!" I apologize desperately, afraid of receiving a divine punishment. I cannot imagine God's punishment, but I am certain that it'll be utterly horrifying.

"No need to worry. I don't care about your thoughts about me." God replies easily.

"Thank you for your mercy." I'm glad for his mercy, but let's return the main issue. "So, why am I unable to visit those worlds of fiction after inheriting your position and authority?"

I thought about visiting worlds and universes of fiction to have an exciting Isekai Adventure like those Isekai Protagonists in the novels and fanfiction I've read. Knowing those worlds and universes exist makes me feel excited, yet God's statement kills my excitement off. Hence, I want to know why I am unable to do visit those worlds and universes after becoming the New God.

God answers, "After you became my successor, you will become omnipotent and omniscient but be bound to the center of the cosmos. You need to manage the entire cosmos from that place and can't leave it unless you hand over your position and authority like what I want to do."

"Can I create an avatar and control it while managing the cosmos at the same time? You said I'll become omnipotent and omniscient after becoming the New God, right? Can I do it?"

"Yes. You can do it," God answers, "But, I will share my opinion to spare you from disappointment. I've done it, and it isn't really as enjoyable as you expect."

"Could you elaborate, please?"

"Managing the cosmos isn't as simple as you think. I suppose it's understandable that you've underestimated the scale of the responsibility. Let me tell you this: even with Omnipotence and Omniscience, you still need all your focus to manage the cosmos full time with no break at all! Can you truly enjoy the experience through your avatar if your job keeps nagging you in the back of your mind?"

I am speechless after listening to God's statement. This lasts for a while, and I have a second thought of accepting this offer after recovering.

However, I felt that this is my only opportunity to realize my old dream... to be Isekai Protagonist! If I decline this offer, I'll lose my only chance and will regret it later.

Suddenly, I have an idea. I wonder if God will agree with my idea...

"...I don't mind to go along with your idea," God agrees.

He's read my mind, has he? Yet, I don't dare to complain even if it is in my mind. Although God seems not to mind it, I don't want to test his patience and won't question his generosity either.

"Then," God says, "If you agree to be my successor, you can have your Isekai Adventure and ask three requests. But, you can only have 1,000 years. If you 'die' again before your 1,000 years ends, you'll immediately replace me. You'll also replace me immediately after your time is up."

"1,000 years?! Can I have 1,000,000 years? 1,000 years is too short because I plan to visit at least one Immortal Cultivation Universe!"

"1,000,000 years are too long. I will extend your time to 10,000 years."

"Still too short! 100,000 years! Allow me to enjoy 100,000 years of Isekai Adventure! Please!"

"Very well, them. 100,000 years. This is final!"

It seems like it is the end result of our negotiation. I suppose 100,000 years is a long time. At the very least, I have three favors from God.

"Additionally, a request like wish multiplication is forbidden. A request to be sent to a specific destination counts as one request. Now, tell me what do you want!"

(What should I ask? A system? No. Too overused. Hmmm...) I carefully ponder what I am going to ask. This lasts for a while until I find what I want.

"Well," I start, "Can you give me Denial of Nothingness, the First True Magic from Nasuverse, that can be used in other universes?"

The First True Magic, Denial of Nothingness, is my first wish. In this case, I want this power to be modified by God, so I can use it outside Nasuverse.

Anyway, this magic isn't limited to create anything the user desired. It can also destroy anything the user wanted. The true worth of this power is "denial of impossibility" and "true manifestation of the user's will and imagination."

It is a power that fits for God's Successor, don't you agree?

"Denial of Nothingness should only be usable in a universe designated as Nasuverse," God says. "Your request has changed the innate nature of that power. It can no longer be called Denial of Nothingness. Thus, the name needs to change. I will rename it as Omnipotence. Will you have a problem with this small change?"

So, only the name has been changed. I accept it. Then, I feel something clicks in my soul. It seems like my new power has been engraved in my soul.

Wasting no time, I speak my second request to God, "I want Instant Mastery!"

"Granted!"

Once again, something clicks in my soul. And just like that, I come to understand the ins and outs of my first power. I have mastered Omnipotence!

After I mastered Omnipotence, I come to realize something very important. Omnipotence is a very dangerous and scary ability.

How so? If I am not careful, I can destroy a world or universe with nothing but a simple thought.

Let's have an example! I feel annoyed by the sun in the morning, and I want it to disappear. My Omnipotence will make it happen. And the lack of the star will destroy the balance of the star system in which I live. It will cause untold chaos and calamity, and the origin of all those disasters is my annoyance.

After realizing the danger, I feel a cold dread in my stomach. I immediately use my Omnipotence to create an on-off switch with some restrictions for this power. With the on-off switch, I won't accidentally cause a calamity I will come to regret later.

With my Omnipotence safely restricted, I speak my last request, "I want to replace Itsuki Kawasumi's role in the universe of The Rising of the Shield Hero!"

"Granted!" God replies easily.

I love the world of Aneko Yusagi's masterpiece so much after reading the web novel a long time ago. Hence, I've chosen that world as the first world I am going to visit.

Meanwhile, my reason for replacing Itsuki's role as the Hero of the Bow is my severe dislike for him. The sociopath little shit has no redeemable qualities whatsoever!

Ren Amaki has some redeemable qualities in the canon. Motoyasu has redeemed his mistakes in the spin-off series. At the very least, I think so. For Naofumi, well, I like him because he is the protagonist.

All that aside, back to the present.

God gives me bits of advice, saying, "Remember, Randy Quartz! You only have 100,000 years. No more than that!"

"I understand, God. Thank you for this! I won't disappoint you."

"I will send you to your destination now," God says, and everything goes suddenly.

It seems like God has forced me unconscious before sending me off to my destination. Well, no matter!

Here I come, the first world of my Isekai Adventure!