Cozy Issekai Craftsman, ch 2

Joe groaned as he opened his eyes to a magnificent sight. The bright blue sky stretched out endlessly, framing not one, but two enormous suns. His neck felt stiff as he sat up and surveyed his surroundings. He found himself in a vast expanse of emerald grass, flanked on one side by a dense forest, and on the other, a boundless ocean that seemed to shimmer with a brilliant radiance. The warm sea breeze carried the tangy scent of salt and summer, caressing his face with its gentle touch, and he inhaled deeply, savoring the sensation.

Getting to his feet, Joe was relieved to discover that he wasn't naked in this strange new world - he wore a simple tunic and long pants, secured by a simple string. He strolled over to the rocky shoreline and found a tranquil pool that mirrored the dazzling light. Leaning in closer, he was reassured to see his own face staring back at him. The thought of waking up with a completely different appearance was daunting - he couldn't help but feel grateful that he was still himself, even if it was a younger version.

Joe's dark brown eyes and tousled black hair were the same as they had been on Earth. He might have been considered average-looking by some, with his unremarkable features and unassuming demeanor. He preferred it that way - he relished being an ordinary person with a normal life. Despite the unnerving circumstances of his arrival in this new universe, having his familiar appearance brought him a sense of comfort and stability.

Joe stretched his arms above his head, his gaze scanning the stunning landscape. In the far-off distance, wisps of smoke rose from what appeared to be a bustling town, and the outlines of buildings and ships dotted the coastline. He grinned in excitement, a thrill coursing through him at the realization that he had truly arrived in a whole new world.

As he surveyed his surroundings, Joe suddenly remembered that the Goddess was likely listening in. He paused, uncertain of how to offer his gratitude to her in this unfamiliar universe. Tentatively clapping his hands together, he spoke into the ether, "Hey Quinn, thanks a bunch."

Joe closed his eyes in reverence, and when he opened them again, the Goddess was there before him, perched on a giant boulder with her feet submerged in the crystal-clear waters of the ocean. Waves washed over her ankles, their steady rhythm soothing and tranquil.

She turned towards Joe as if seeing him for the first time, a small smile curving her lips. "Glad you made it," she said, and Joe couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth emanating from her.

Joe shrugged, still awestruck by the magnitude of his journey. "Was there ever a chance that I wasn't going to make it?" he asked, the uncertainty in his voice betraying his nerves.

The Goddess shook her head. "No, but I'm glad you're here, that you took my offer," she replied, a twinkle in her eye.

Joseph's mind raced as he processed the weight of the words that had just been spoken to him. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure of what lay ahead. "So what now? What do I do?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

The woman before him regarded him with warm eyes, her gaze penetrating his soul. "Well," she said, her voice soothing and melodic, "Well, at this point, you just live your life however you want it. I trust that from the fact that you are a pure soul, you're not going to do anything to mess up my universe.."

She sighed, and now looked like a young mother.

"You don't have to do anything," she continued, her voice firm but kind. "I don't want you to try to live up to some invisible standard that I haven't set out for you. Just be yourself, Joseph."

Relief washed over Joseph's face as he exhaled deeply. "Okay," he said, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Thank God, or Goddess. I really need to work on my language there."

The woman chuckled, her laughter like the tinkling of bells. "Don't worry about it," she said. "You can call me by name directly. Everyone does. But don't expect me to appear before you like this all the time. I have other responsibilities I need to take care of. This is a special moment."

Joe nodded and said, "Thanks for coming by. Anyways, I didn't expect you to be here again. I thought that once I came here to this new world, I would be left to my own devices. So I appreciate your time."

She replied, "Not a problem. So, what we're going to do right now is give you your power." Joe felt his excitement bristle up his arms, and he saw the hairs on his arm sticking up. He could feel his cheeks tightening from his wide smile.

"Powers? Wow. I might be able to fly," he exclaimed.

She laughed and said, "Let me give you some options before you decide. There are different kinds of powers here on my Earth."

“This place is also called Earth?”

Quinn nodded, splashing her toes against the waves. A few fish came up to kiss her toes, which made her giggle. She said, “Yes. You’ll find many similarities between your new Earth and your previous one, and hopefully enjoy our differences.”

Joe was giddy from excitement. He couldn’t wait to explore this new Earth, his new home. Joe found an equally large rock nearby and sat on it, willing to listen to her lecture.

Quinn’s toe touched one of the fish, and its scales changed to be more radiant. She continued, “There are different powers available to mortals here on my Earth. There is sorcery, which is the most common of the powers here. The primary one is called Star Sorcery, which is regulated by the local universities. There is also the power of faith, but you have to pledge yourself to be a priest or priestess of a god or goddess.”

“Like me?" Joe asked, concerned that he may have already pigeonholed himself to a faith-based power.

She shook her head and said, "Your deal has nothing to do with your devotion and your faith in me. So far, we have sorcery, the main one being Star Sorcery, and the next is faith, which has various different powers, but you have to be a priest or priestess to do that one. Next is the power of the primordial flame, although I wouldn't recommend that one because you would need an incredibly powerful body. For now, you have the same physical capabilities as your previous body. There are other powers, but they would need the sanction of other gods."

Joe’s mind whirled with possibilities. He was like a kid again, dreaming of which cool power would best suit him, but now, he would actually receive it. He thought about it for a moment and asked, "What about super strength or really cool Kung Fu skills?"

She tapped her finger on her chin and hummed to herself for a little. She said, "There is something like that, but it's not like your martial arts back on your Earth, or at least your old Earth. Martial arts in your new world are embedded within weapons and armor. There are different names for it, but most people refer to these weapons as enchanted weapons or martial powers."

Joe looked intrigued and said, "So if I pick up the right sword or something, I can learn that martial art and become a proficient swordsman?"

She teetered her head back and forth as if he were half right. She said, "Yes and no. Instead of a power you could summon, I would give you a weapon or item. I'll only go into detail if you choose that option. I can't get into too much detail before that because a lot of that you'll have to learn on your own.  If I explain everything, I fear I would rob you of the opportunity to create interesting memories while you discover things for yourself."

Joe had to agree with her reason. He loved the process of figuring things out on his own or with the help of a friend. It was one of the many small things in life that felt like real magic.

He asked, "Is there anything else, or are those the only options?"

She frowned and gave him an apologetic look, "Are you underwhelmed?"

Joe shook his head and said, "No. I just want to know if there's another option that I can do because it seems like the magic and abilities so far rely on either a god or learning magic or education and magic or specific weapons or items. Is there any kind of power that just relies on me where I don't have to rely on other things, something I can use right away?"

She listened for a little bit longer, and her eyes widened as her expression brightened, struck with a memory that she had long forgotten. Even though Quinn was probably older than the universe itself, she expressed the sudden delight of a young woman eating something new and tasty for the first time.

"You know what?" she said. "There is a way we can use your soul power."

Joe waited for her and cleared his throat, trying to remind her that he was just a lowly mortal being, albeit on a second life. He wasn't omniscient like she was.

She said, "Oh, right, sorry. Your soul power is using the power of your soul to energize and create your own unique ability. How that manifests will rely on your own experiences and personality. And the benefit of it is that the more you live in tune with your soul, the more powerful your ability becomes."

Joe said without hesitation, "That one. I want that one."

She gave him a curious look and said, "That's it? No hesitation? How do you know it's the best fit for you?"

He shrugged and replied, "I don't like the idea that I have to rely on learning a lot of new things to use my ability right away. I like the idea that I can just do something immediately. You know, like if I wanted to jump over a tree, I could, if that was my ability. I wouldn't need a special sword, or to cast a certain spell, or specific knowledge, or praise. This is more flexible to me. I like being self-sufficient."

She nodded and said, "You know, that's a good answer. I guess I should have expected that from you."

She got up from her rock and walked over to him, realizing she wasn't walking on the rocks at all, but on the waves. The waves seemed to move under her feet like steps on stairs, pleasing themselves, but eager, as if they wanted to be the steps to her feet.

Finally, she stood right in front of Joe, who was still sitting down.

He waited patiently with his hands on his lap and asked, "Do you need me to do anything?"

She said no and lifted a finger, gently touching his sternum.

Heat rose up in his chest. It wasn't a blazing inferno or the searing heat of an oven. Instead, it was a welcoming warmth, like the gentle heat of the sun on a cool day, or the inviting glow of a candle in a dark room. The heat surged through his entire body, spreading out from his chest, expanding to every extremity of his body. He felt the light of the twin suns above him, and he savored the warmth that filled his entire being.

Time seemed to stand still, as the heat within him continued to grow, slowly and steadily. He was oblivious to the rising water, which had crept up from his ankle to halfway up his calf. The tide was coming in, but he was fixated on the energy coursing through him. He felt something within him transform, though it wasn't physical.

At last, he sensed it was time to open his eyes, and he did so. The sky was ablaze with the colors of the evening, not yet turned to night. Quinn was nowhere to be seen; she had departed long ago. He was certain, though, that if he prayed to her, she would hear him, if not respond.

The ocean had surged higher, as the warning sign had predicted. Joe scrambled off the rock and made his way to the side of the road, where a pair of shoes with sharply pointed toes and a striking blue flower awaited him. A deep sense of gratitude surged through him, as he realized how fortunate he was to have someone like Quinn in his life. Without those shoes, the trek to the nearest town would have been arduous, to say the least.

He gazed down at his unusual footwear, clasped his hands together, and bowed reverently to the sea. Uncertain if he was performing the proper gesture, he closed his eyes and whispered, "Thank you for the shoes."

Although Quinn remained silent, Joe had a strong feeling that she heard his words. Slipping on the pointed shoes, he reached deep within himself, searching for the warmth he had felt earlier. He expanded the heat outwards, letting it spread to his hands, and then released it with a burst of power. The sound of a gentle chime, similar to a notification on his favorite video games, chimed in his ears. Suddenly, a translucent blue screen flickered to life in front of him, reminiscent of the update screens he had seen in countless RPGs.

He could hardly contain his excitement. "Unbelievable! This is real!" he exclaimed.

The screen before him displayed the message, "Congratulations, Joe! You have unlocked your soul power. It is a unique ability possessed by only a select few on this continent and across the world. Your power is called Transference."

He reached out to touch the screen, but nothing happened. He realized it wasn't like an interactive prompt, like a touchscreen phone. Instead, he tried willing it away, asking for more information with his thoughts.

Another screen appeared, replacing the original one. This one said, "Transference: the ability to transfer the properties of one item to another."

Joe leaped into the air in excitement. He said aloud to no one in particular, "Let’s gooooooo! I have a superpower! I have a superpower! I have a superpower!"

He jumped up and down, not caring if anybody was nearby to look at the crazy man celebrating to himself. He bent down to the ground and picked up a rock. He found a small twig nearby as well. He held one and turned two screens up in his vision.

One said "rock" above the rock; the other said "twig" about the twig. In the twig screen, there were several question marks, same with the rock. Most of them were question marks except for a couple of words on each screen.

Joe said to himself, "Hmm, it looks like it doesn't give free information completely. If I don't know what type of tree this twig came from, it won't provide me that information for free. But it does provide me with other properties. That's cool."

One of the properties from the rock was "toughness." Joe decided to test his power. He willed the idea, transferring the toughness of the rock to the twig in his left hand.

He felt the heat in his right hand slowly warping and morphing to the heat in his left hand. New words appeared on a screen to his left: "Toughness +1."

Joe looked to the screen on his right.

"Toughness: -1."

Joe grinned. "Cool. Let's see if it actually works," he said.

He cracked the modified rock onto a larger rock on the road, and the rock in his hand split in half. There was a dent on the other side of it as if it had been slammed by a hammer.

"Wow," Joe said to himself. He felt like a kid exploring the wilderness again. Everything was new. This power was his, and he could use it whenever he wanted.

He dropped the broken rock and slammed the twig against the large rock on the road. The twig was thin and would have snapped easily if he hadn't transferred the power. But all he got was a simple thud in response.

Joe picked up a small red flower on the ground and held it. A new screen appeared as he willed it. It said several properties appeared for the flower, ones that he didn't know about beforehand.

"Hmm, that's weird, “ He said to himself. “I thought I needed to know about the specific properties for me to have access to them. But apparently my ability can provide information I didn't have about the item before."

On the screen for the flower, Joe saw the color of other flowers that he could transfer to the twig, which he did next. Instantly, the twig turned to not the exact same color of the flower. On the twig's screen, it said, "Color: Red +0.5."

Joe blinked.

He wondered why the entire color of the flower didn't transfer over. He was greeted by another screen. "The more dissimilar one item is to another, the more difficult it will be to transfer its properties over."

"Ohhhhh," Joe said. "Okay, at least I have a limitation. If I was able to transfer any properties willy-nilly, that'd be a completely broken power from the outset. And I only just started using my soul power.”

He shivered and realized that it was getting dark. Even though the entire place looked safe, he was pretty certain that the goddess Quinn would not drop him into a dangerous territory. He realized that he needed to start moving to the nearest town down the road. Staying outside at night was not a good idea. Maybe it wasn't completely dangerous here in this area, but it was going to be cold.

And he was excited to meet the residents of this parallel Earth. He couldn't believe he was in a parallel world, and his excitement bubbled up inside him like a pot boiling over. He was hoping for a majestic name for this world, but it was just called Earth. However, he didn't let it dampen his spirits, as he was too busy reveling in the fresh air, which seemed to fill his lungs with ease.

It wasn't just because he was twelve years younger than he was back on his original Earth; it was because the cancer was gone too.

As he jogged, he felt the wind splashing against his face, carrying the tears from his eyes across his cheeks.

The cancer was gone.

Joe’s chest grew tight, but he still ran down the long path with abandon, pumping his arms and legs faster than he had in over a decade.

He wasn't going to die over the next couple of months, as long as he could help it.

Of course, he left his family and loved ones behind. He would have to ask if he had just disappeared from the world entirely or if he had left his body behind. But all that mattered to him now was that the cancer was gone. He could breathe easily. He was young again in a completely different world filled with magic and new wonders. On top of that, he had his own magical superpower.

He thought about all the regrets from his previous life, all the things that he didn't do.

In this life, he would do everything he could to live well. He never wanted to live a great life that would mark the pages of history, whether it was his old life or his new one. He didn't want to reach amazing heights or trek new lands.

He just wanted to live a good life. For Joe, that was true happiness.

As he ran down the road, he picked up speed, exhilarating himself in the pure joy of being able to start over fresh and new. The tears splashed against his cheek first out of mourning for the life he’d left behind, then quickly into gratitude for the new life he had yet to live.

He was here on this new Earth, this new self, and he would make it count.


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What do you all think so far?