Game In Middle Earth

It was mid-December and our protagonist, a twenty-six-year-old boy, was on his way to Christmas business lunch from home. He was playing a smartphone video game as entertainment. He stopped before crossing the street, he looked at the light to make sure it was green and then he crossed.

The last thing he saw is a light and the sound of a truck was whistling and braking...

Time later, the young man opened his eyes... Or he tried, until he realized that he had no eyes. He also noticed his body, or rather, his lack of one. He had no arms or legs, no limbs at all.

He looked around, reflecting on why he could see but he had eyes. Everything was black, with no light anywhere. From what he could see, he was in an apparent absolute vacuum.

"Where am I? Is there someone there?" - The young man did his best to scream, but no voice came out of him.

"Yes, young. Take it easy. Everything is fine". - Suddenly he heard a voice.

"Who said that?" - The young man asked quickly with a trace of fear in his words. - "Can you hear?"

"Here, boy". - While the young man was looking around, the voice began to answer him. - "Although you can not make a sound, I can listen to your thoughts when you want to transmit them".

The young man looked forward, and suddenly, everything he could see was white. - "W-what is this place?" - He looked around, it seemed heaven. There were harps and little angelic babies with their limbs shaking.

"Look here, boy". - He turned his head towards the disembodied voice until now.

The young man was surprised by what he seen. - 'If I had to describe it, I would use the word divine'. - He thought. What was a before him is a middle aged man with a long beard and gray hair.

"Who are you sir?" - He asked calmly. He did not know why, but all the fear he felt before had vanished.

The perfect man in front of him smiled at him. - "I'm your god, boy".

His words baffled the young man. - "God? Like the biblical god?"

God nodded. - "I called you here, before your eternal sleep".

"It's an honor, but... why?"

"You know, boy. Normally, when you die, what happens is that you go to heaven or to hell. But in your case I'd like to give you another use".

"Oh! And what use does God have for me?" - The young man could not help asking with enthusiasm.

"Well... do you know the typical story of the struggle between good and evil?"

"If you mean the typical of God against the Devil, angels and demons... Yes of course, there are many stories about that. Why?" - God nodded while the young man was speaking, stating that what he was correct.

"Well, in reality, those stories do not differ much from reality. You see kid, in truth there are multiple gods and infinite worlds and we all compete in games for... let's say entertainment and prestige. Gods can not play the game directly. What we have to do, is to select players from among our worlds and enter them in the game. Depending on their results, one god or another wins". - God explained.

"So... you mean you have selected me from all your worlds, to play the game in your name?" - God nodded when he heard his question.

"It seems more entertaining than to stay dead, really, but what do I gain from this?"

"Well man, do not you think it is enough that God himself asks you?" - The young man remained in silent, wanting to express that his disagreement. - "Okay, how about this? If you manage to win the game, I'll let you reincarnate wherever and however you want. How about?"

"Deal". - The young man answered immediately.

"Great, then, just stay informed about the game".

"The world in which you have been assigned the game is Arda. You will enter the side of the forces of good and you will have to make it prevail in the face of darkness. I will implant an interface system that will have three functions; inventory, status and quests".

"This is great! I will be in the world of 'The Lord of the Rings'!" - When the young man heard God's explanation, he could not help but become euphoric.

"I'm glad you like it. So, without further ado, I say goodbye, give everything. I hope you have fun, but... YOU HAVE TO WIN!"

"W-wait, what? How? Are not you going to explain anything else?"

God smiled at him and disappeared suddenly with all the light. The darkness had returned. In that instant, the young man heard a mechanical voice in his head.

"Ding! Detecting the new starting user".

"Ding! User detected Starting installation of the system".

"Installation at 10%... 20%... 30%... 100%".

"Ding! Installation completed. Greetings user. Avatar creation function".

"Ding! What race does the user want to select?"

'So I can choose a race and choose my appearance. It is really like a real video game'. - Thought the young man, and instantly went to the system. - "Good system. What breeds can I select?"

"Ding! The breeds that the user can choose are those which belong to the faction of the good. You can choose among the following: High Elves, Sindari Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Men, Dunedain of the North and Dunedain of the South".

'I think the Hobbits are completely discarded. The Dwarves, although they are much better, I do not feel like measuring less than five feet. Being a normal man... without any advantage... I think not. Then, among the elves, he would choose High Elves and among the Dunedain... those of the North. What to do, I do not know what to decide...' - The young man began to meditate his choice in his head.

"System I choose the Dunedain of the North". - After a while he made his decision and indicated it to the system. - 'Elves have always seemed too arrogant'.

"Ding! Selected race".

"Generating random avatar".

The system showed him a new look of the young man. The avatar was a man of 1'80m, with fair skin, dark hair and gray eyes. In general, he appeared to be between twenty-five and thirty years old.

'I have no complaints with this avatar. The truth is that it is quite attractive. At least much more than my old self...' - The young man thought when he saw it.

"Ding! What name does the user want for the new avatar?"

'Hmm ... I think I should choose a good name, but I do not know any name of Dunedain'. - Thought. - "System, can you select a random name that belongs to the Dunedain?"

"Ding! Selecting random name".

"Ding! Selected name: Aldarion".

"Well, it does not sound bad. Yes I like it". - The young man told the system.

"Ding! Generated character. Introducing the game".

"Ding! Loading 10%... 20%... 30%... 100%".

"Ding! Started game".