Dragon World: Monster Tamers

The light at the end of the tunnel beckoned me forward. 

Or at least it would have if not for the mile-long line of people standing in front of me. Everyone wore the same white gown, except for the staff. Many of them wore elaborate robes or armor of steel with gold accents. They rarely spoke so it was hard to get information about what was going on.

“Oh my god, are we in hell?” One of the girls, a few people in front of me, asked an older man. The man was staff, wearing flowing robes with gold accents, and had a pleasant demeanor. I listened intently, trying to figure out more information about the situation.

“No, I’m afraid the lines are just long,” he gestured to the line with a sweeping gesture. “Disaster after disaster has caused this. But I have a unique opportunity for you.”

“Does it involve getting out of this line?” One of the girls asked.

“Yes, yes. Do you believe in reincarnation?” The man asked. The girls exchanged looks and shook their heads and shrugged. He nodded in return and produced a clipboard from nowhere. “Well reincarnation is where you are reborn into a world, but maybe not this one.”

“Not this one?” One of the girls asked. Others had their interest piqued now and were listening in. “Like aliens?”

“Not in the sense you’re thinking,” he corrected. “It’s not in the same universe as Earth, however, it has a shorter processing speed and we can get you out of this line.”

“OK, but what’s at the end of this line? What’s the wait time?” 

“The wait time is estimated at 1 year, 6 days, and 43 minutes. Give or take a few days. At the end of this line, as traditional for your region, a variety of heavens and hells or the choice to be reincarnated as an animal to your original earth are the standard choices.”

The girls whispered among themselves and turned back to face him. They agreed. He waved his hand and a light appeared, expanding into a full-fledged glowing doorway without a door. He beckoned them through and they were gone.

Damn, I thought, wish I could get out of this line. Another world… what would that be like?”

I thought about all the video games I’d played and all the shows I’d watched. There could be other worlds out there just like that. I was missing out! What the heck! 

There was no sleep here. It was an endless line! Step, wait. Step, wait. The light was everywhere and it never dimmed. It was always bright and I was always standing. Hour after hour. I didn’t know how long I had been in line but it felt like an eternity. I reflected on my death.

There I was, on my bike on my way back from work. I lived a few blocks away and I loved biking. But not today. The weather was awful and I was in a rush to get home. I was crossing the intersection when a speeding truck collided with the back of a small truck. The truck slid forward on the icy road right as I was going too fast to stop. I collided with the truck.

I was lying there on the road for a minute. I could hear people shouting but I couldn’t look. All I could do was stare up into the gray dismal abyss that was the near-winter sky. There was the smell of burning and people shouting and yelling. I was having trouble remembering much past that.

Then I woke up here. In this line. Most people talked a little when they first arrived, but there was only so much to talk about. It had been days since I last spoke to anyone. Everyone was straight-faced, marching slowly toward whatever end awaited them. There was very little information about what was actually going on. 

“Excuse me, miss.” I heard a familiar voice from behind. It was the old man who’d talked to the other three girls.

“Yes?” I croaked. My throat was dry from not speaking for days. 

“I have a rare opportunity for you, one that will get you out of this line,” the old man said.

“OK, I’m listening,” I said, hopeful.

“How would you like to be reincarnated into a new world and skip the line?”

“Yes! but what's the catch?” I asked, mildly suspicious.

“It’s not like this world,” he leaned forward. “It’s more like a game.”

“A game?”

“Yes, a game where people fight, tame, and breed monsters.”

“Oh. Oh! I’ve played games like that.”

“You are familiar with the type of world this is, then?” The older man asked, producing his clipboard from nowhere. 

“Oh yeah, I would totally be down for this.” I was excited. I had read isekai manga and stories before. They were one of my favorite genre of stories.

“Well right this way then,” he opened another door of light. I stepped through into another well-lit room. “Sign this, then stand on the platform,” he gestured to a simple silver disc hovering above the floor.

I signed it. It looked like a basic agreement to be transferred and reincarnated into this new world. There was a bonus, I even got to keep my memories! After a once-over, I signed the agreement and stepped onto the platform. 

“Your new adventure begins, good luck!” There was a flash of light and everything went dark.