Why!? Why was this thing so desperate!? Wasn’t there anything else to eat!? Why was it so fixated on me!?

It continues sawing, like a machine, with a single directive in mind.

KILL. THIS. BOY.

“Khkhkhkhkhk…”

It lets out a groan, as if it were laughing at the expression on my face, despite being blind.

I whip my head around, desperately searching for a way out.

Come on, think, think!

The sawing intensifies.

I grip onto the branches tighter, bracing for what might happen.

Think! Think, Fuck!

Then, before I can even finish my thoughts, with a sudden creak, the tree falls to the ground.

I tumble down with it, slamming into the grass. Smoke and dust explode around me.

I quickly get to my feet, ready to run once again, desperately rearing my head around, my eyes traveling at lightning-fast speeds.

A mass crashed into my body, sending me crashing to the ground once again.

I look up.

The monster’s jaws are above me, teeth gleaming, ready to sink into my brain.

Is this it? Dying again? Not even able to figure out where I was, sent to this world, only to die again? Why was this my fate? Why am I faced with this? Why can things never go my way? Why must I suffer? Why?

“Fwip.”

The sound of an arrow whistling through the air pierces my ears. The monster goes limp, crashing to the ground.

Then lets out a final groan—air leaving its lungs. Well, if it even has lungs.

I turn my head towards the mysterious attacker.

A man stands in front of me. He wears a hood, tattered at the edges, as well as a cloth wrapped around his nose.

He’s also outfitted with a large cloak that covers a majority of his body. A leather chestplate is strapped to him underneath, and his most notable feature, a wooden bow with tentacle-like carvings on it.

He looks like a rogue. Or an assassin. Someone ripped out of a fantasy novel.

“Are you alright?”

He speaks English.

English, a language I haven’t spoken in a while. It almost feels foreign.

I can't even respond, as my gasps are in the way of my words. My words themselves are tripping over each other. I want to say so many things, yet cannot say a single one.

I’m in so much pain.

Seemingly understanding, the man nods.

“Hurry, before the rest of them follow.”

He’s strangely composed.

Without anything I could possibly do, I follow.

We begin running down the forest line, side by side, not uttering a single word.

The adrenaline’s still burning.

It’s been about 10 minutes of sprinting. I’m currently on the ground on my knees, desperately gasping for air.

Noticing my inability to go any further, the man stops, and reaches into his pocket, taking out a strange plant that bears a strong resemblance to a string bean.

“Please take this, it’ll help with the pain. Keep chewing as much as you can and avoid swallowing.”

He stands again, quickly turning and firing an arrow behind me—at something I can’t see.

“We must go.”

He wraps my arm around his shoulder and continues to run.

I'm chewing the plant violently, and can feel my body becoming more and more numb. Despite having my weight on his, he seems to be moving quite fast, something that surprises me.

His face seems to be quite focused, despite a mojirty of it being covered by a mask covering.

“W..What are those?” I ask, my voice dry.

There are so many questions I could ask. Where am I? Who are you? Why was I alone?

But none of those matter more than one:

What were those things?

“Kobolds.”

“...Huh?”

I can barely answer back.

“They are Kobolds, part of the Spiritized Beast category.”

Kobolds?

I’ve heard of them before. In stories, they were household spirits in Germanic folklore—small bearded men, sometimes goblins. Then that one franchise came along and made them reptilian humanoids that lived underground. Everyone just went with that ever since.

These, however, were far too different from the standard definition, or at least my understanding.

“Kobolds typically hunt in packs, so we are lucky. This male was alone, so I am guessing it was attempting to start its own. Although I am confused as to why it was above ground.”

His voice is calm. Too calm for someone hauling around an injured stranger through a forest. I assume he’s been in a situation like this before.

“Where… are we going?”

“There is a small mining village to the west of here. I believe we can make it there.”

I’m losing consciousness. Fast.

I’m grateful I was saved… grateful I’m not being torn apart anymore. But this pain—this throbbing fire in my head—makes me wonder if dying might’ve been easier.

“Please keep chewing!”

His voice cuts through the haze, jolting me back to reality.

Chew. Chew. Chew.

Chew…Chew…Chew….

Chew…Chew…..

Chew….

……….

The world goes dark.

My eyes snap open, and I try to sit up—pain instantly flares through my body.

“Ah, it seems you’re awake.” A voice calls to me.

The sound of fire crackling fills the air gently. The embers float around, without direction, or any motive. Distorted sounds of what seems like this world's equivalent of crickets ring.

To the right of the fire, sits the man, his hood and mask still drawn. He’s sharpening his arrow, using a small dirk perform the action.

Gazing down, I notice my shirt is missing, just a large bandage on my chest area, as well as my arm being neatly wrapped with bandages.

I’m lying on a conveniently shaped rock, my legs dangling off.

It’s… peaceful. A strange tranquility hangs in the air.

But then—

The moon.

The moon is black, streaked with golden highlights like cracks in porcelain.

The man walks over to me, carrying what seems like a small fruit. It’s full of holes that don't pierce it. I can’t see the color, but it's certainly a light one. It’s shaped like pear, but with the stem poking out like jagged twig.

“What is that?”

Is all I can do ask questions?

“A Bora fruit. It is efficient in allowing the mind to soothe. I would prep a tea using it, however, I lack the necessary tools at this moment.”

He hands it to me.

It’s light, almost like an apple.

I grimace for a moment, but I’m starving. I can’t wait any longer. Bracing for the worst, I bite down on it.

Chewing, an assortment of flavors fills my mouth. Expecting it to be sweet, I am met with the opposite. It’s savory and salty.

The closest thing I can compare it to would be a pretzel. Its texture is like bread that has been left out for a day. Not too tough, but not too soft.

I scarf it down like a starved animal. I’m almost embarrassed by my manners, but I cannot handle it.

Surprisingly, despite it being salty, it quenches my thirst.

I truly am in another world. A world where the laws of logic do not apply.

Finishing the fruit, if I can even truly call it that, given the conventional standards of the word, I glance back at the man.

Creepily enough, he’s staring at me.


“I apologize for not letting you speak before. We were in a dire situation. To hesitate would’ve meant death.”

He pauses.

“So now… please ask me anything.”

Wait, dammit. Let me process what just happened.

This is the first person I’ve met in this world. There’s an assortment of questions I can ask, so again, I ask him the most appropriate one.

“Where am I?”

“?”

Obviously, he’s confused by such a question. After all, if one found someone, said person would not ask how they would get there.

As a result, he asks a question I guessed he’d ask.

“Have you lost your memory? No, wait… You were just attacked by a Kobold.”

“No,” I answer slowly. “I haven’t lost my memory. I’ve been…”

I don’t want to say transported.

This is real life.

Don’t say transported.

That’s ridiculous. That’s fiction.

“I found myself here.”

I can’t believe how calm I sound. Is it the plant? Did he drug me? Or am I just broken already?

No, I’m being too critical.

The man looks at me for a moment.

“...You are in Soraya, specifically the Nyassareth province.”

…

‘Haha, dumbass, we’re on earth!’

Is what I wished to say.

I’m sure if I were to see my facial expression from a third-person view, I would have died from laughter.

I can’t think.

Despite the calmness I had earlier, the facade has crumbled to pieces. I’ve been transported to another world after dying.

Thinking about it feels surreal.

Most people’s reactions to such information would be celebration, that their fantasies have been answered, and they were in a world where the cold logic of reality would not apply. That would have been the reaction for the vast majority. Then, afterwards, they would suddenly be consumed with a strong urge to go back, scared of abandoning the people closest to them.

This was not the case with me.

After rubbing my face, I prepare to utter a phrase so sophisticated, so unorthodox, it would cause even the most seasoned of human scholars to shout in bewilderment. Something that goes against the very essence of any human being. Something that even shocked me to my very core.

A calculating answer belonging to an intellectual.







“Ok.”





Am I numb already?!

Without even registering my answer, the man nods to himself and stands up.

“I see, you are not familiar with your surroundings. No matter. When we reach the village, I will provide you with all the information you seek.”

“...Why not just tell me now?”

“All you must know is that I cannot right now. Such a long explanation would be too lengthy and we will be attacked by creatures.”

Too lengthy?

Can’t he just give me a basic rundown? Also, he’s set up camp, for what I assume to sleep here, so how is an explanation too lengthy for him?

“Then why set up camp if—”

“Please, sir. You’re injured. Don’t speak.”

“Ah, I’m fine-”

He perks up. A subtle movement, like he’s heard something.

“We must go.”

He quickly grabs his bow and arrows, slings them over his shoulder, and extinguishes the fire with a boot.

I stand on my feet. I’ve got a slight limp, but I’m sure I can keep a hurried pace.

He’s running even faster than before. Something that surprises me, given that it would be more dangerous at night. Despite that, how is he maneuvering so well, despite it being dark?

“Hurry, it’s not much farther than here!” I hear him call out.

Branches whip across my face, unseen things scrape my arms, and I stumble over roots. But I keep going. It’s pitch black, and the only indicator of which direction I need to follow is the sound of hurried footsteps.

We break through into a clearing.

He stops.

In front of him, about 10 meters away, there is an enormous mountain, towering over us and almost penetrating the clouds. At the bottom, there appears to be a tunnel.

“I thought there was a village?” I ask. “That’s just a hole.”

“The village is located inside the mountain. Due to the ample amount of various rare ores, the mayor decided it would be best to move inside the mountain. Such a position also allowed it to step up its defensive measures.”

“Now, follow me inside.”

The sudden order catches me off guard, however, I find myself nodding.

Before I can take another step, a voice calls out.

“Hey! You two!”

The voice is feminine but packed with authority.

Turning to my left, the figure of a woman wearing a large jacket steps into view. I can‘t make the tiny details, but I can tell she’s wearing armor and wielding what I assume to be a shortsword.

Because of the simple fact that she’s holding the sword in her hand and her generally aggressive tone, I step back.

“You two! What are you doing here?! This is Kobold territory!”

I glance at the man, hoping he had some kind of explanation or excuse to get out of this situation, but to my dismay, he seems calm.

The woman’s armor clinks as she approaches.

He raises his hands.

I follow.

“Ah, excuse us, young miss. I was just showing this boy around. He seems to be lost.”

Wait, didn’t he say he would take me to a mining village? Something’s not adding up. My suspicion grows further.

“Shut up!”

She closes the distance between the man and her, stopping just a few inches away. Her stare is sharp, despite the cloak of darkness.

“Take off your hood, and come over here.”

Her commands have become much calmer, yet sterner in tone. I assume she’s realized something.

The man hesitates for a split second before pulling back his hood, revealing a disheveled, short hair.

“And the mask.”

Another pause. His fingers brush the edge of his mask, but there’s an air of reluctance.

“I said the mask, NOW!”

He slowly lowers it, and then I see a scar, a jagged mark running across the bottom of his left-

“CLANG!”

I can’t even process the sight of the woman bringing down her blade on the man’s head, splitting it in two. Blood spurts from the top of his head, dripping down.

She quickly dislodges it, stepping backwards.

“You! Get here! Now!”

I’m standing in front of a man who was just murdered. A man who had previously been alive a moment ago.

He’s dead.

“Y…You.. You killed him…”
This is the first time I’ve ever seen a human kill another with my own eyes.

The way he fell. The absence of any kind of melodramatic demise. She simply struck him, and he dropped, like a puppet having its strings cut. This man, who saved my life from creatures, having his own snuffed out so casually, it drives me nearly nauseous.

And his head, oh god, his head, it’s split down the middle, his tongue and teeth visible, there’s so much blood.

The woman grasps my arm and drags me towards her.

“That’s a mimic. If you know what’s good for you, get the hell away from it.”

I wobbled, barely catching my feet at the strength she pulled me. She’s just a couple of centimeters shorter than me, yet in every sense of the word, she is stronger than me.

“Mimic…?”

As soon as I utter those words, the body of the man begins to violently shake and convulse, as if he had been possessed. Any sense of melancholy I had has now been extinguished.

His joints begin to spin. Feet spin like wheels, legs bend in positions they shouldn't be. His limbs contort at impossible angles, joints cracking and spinning in all the wrong directions. His eyes... they melt out of their sockets, twisting and writhing like some nightmare creature.

She’s right.

This thing isn’t human.

“Iii Wassssssss SOo ClOsssee!!!”