Slowly, Rey's eyelids started to open just as if he were waking up in the morning. But instead of feeling relaxed from a good night's sleep, He felt dizzy and he could feel a throbbing pain in his head. His bones were also sore from the uncomfortable position on the hard ground of the alleyway he slept on.
"Ughh, What...What happened"? Rey said as he sat up against the wall, consciousness slowly returning to him. He then took a deep breath as he tried gathering his thoughts so he could remember what happened before he went out cold; as a result of his attempt, memories of what happened before hit him like a brick.
'Oh yeah, I remember now; I was walking home from the convenience store when I heard a woman's voice telling me to save someone?. Then there was a purple mist that went inside me, at least I think that's what happened. Also, I wonder what that woman meant when she said to help him? And what gift did she give me? Well, whatever. I probably won't be getting any answers soon. But Damn that really hurt; I thought I was a goner', Rey thought now recalling the events before his unconsciousness.
"Come to think of it...Why is it not dark outside? I swear it was the afternoon before I got knocked out. Shouldn't it be evening already"? Rey said as he noticed that it was daytime although he felt like he was out cold for only a couple of hours.
sigh* 'Instead of worrying about what happened I should probably worry about finding a new job' So with that in mind, he stood up from the wall as he got ready to leave the alley and make his way home.
But as soon as he faced the dark alley's exit, he suddenly felt his whole body freeze while his eyes widened from the sight he was seeing.
'WHAT THE HELL!'
This was his only thought as he noticed the unfamiliar setting outside. The quiet street that Rey used as a shortcut to his apartment was gone. In its place was a street that looked like it belonged right off a fantasy novel. He could see many carriages being pulled by animals he would have never thought existed. The animals pulling the carriages looked like a cross between a lizard and a horse. But what really caught his attention were the people present. Most of them looked nothing like the people he was used to seeing. Most of them had some animalistic feature that set them apart from the average human. Rey assumed they were demihuman to some extent, as they shared a familiar appearance to the demihumans of fantasy novels he's read before. The clothes on those demihumans looked like they were from the medieval period, and the same could be said for the architecture of the buildings he could see along the street.
'Okay I am definitely not on earth anymore' he thought to himself as he was still taking in the unfamiliar scenery.
'Alright, based on everything I've seen so far, I have only one conclusion as to what happened and where I am right now'...
"I think I've been transported to a fantasy world"!. He said to himself with an expression of excitement and joy on his face.
"Now I can start a new life where I don't have to worry about working a full-time job or being in debt back home"! Due to his current excitement, he accidentally shouted all of this out loud. Which resulted in him getting some weird looks from the people crossing by; who also happened to hear everything he said. Finally noticing the looks he was getting, he started blushing from embarrassment as he was not used to being the center of attention. Especially when it's because of something embarrassing he's done.
"S-Sorry," he said quietly to everyone giving him looks. In response to his quiet apology, most of the people rolled their eyes in response and said nothing. Or they probably just didn't care at all as they continued what they were doing before Rey's interruption.
'O-Okay I don't know why I just shouted out loud? But still, I'm in a new world so I finally get to have a chance at a new and prosperous life', He thought with joy and excitement.
But still, what am I supposed to do here. Isn't there like... someone who's supposed to greet me in this new world and tell me about what I need to do'?
Like the average introvert, he was familiar with many anime, and he loved watching them in his free time when he didn't have work.
A common genre of anime he watched was the isekai genre. An oversaturated genre sure. But for Rey, it was still pretty enjoyable to watch nonetheless. Although as many more isekai released they soon began to follow a certain pattern. It usually started with the main character being reincarnated and summoned into some sort of divine realm. Then either a god, goddess or a powerful being of some sort would summon them to a new world, usually giving them a mission to save that world from a certain evil. Also, on that journey, the main protagonist would usually have some broken ability that would always make them win every fight. The protagonist would also usually have a harem usually filled with girls they collected throughout the series as if they were collecting pokemon cards. As more types of this carbon-copied Isekai became adapted, they started to become too predictable and boring for most people. As there was no thrill or intense moments in these series. Although on some occasions, there were Isekai that ignored and diverted from these common tropes in some way. But these Isekai were mostly rare to come across.
'Actually, what if the woman who was talking to me back home was the one who summoned me to this world? I mean... that would make sense because she told me to help someone. Whoever that may be'.
Now moving from the alleyway with nothing but his chips and soda; he began walking around the city, and at the same time, observing all the details of his surroundings. While he was exploring the city, he would usually come across the occasional weird look from people as his appearance was unfamiliar to the people there. He was currently wearing a purple crewneck sweatshirt with black sweatpants and along with some purple tennis shoes. His medium-length, brown hair contrasting well with his attire. Back home is looking like this would be considered normal. But in this new world, He stood out like a rose among a field of daffodils. Even though the weird looks were expected, he still felt uncomfortable being the center of attention.
After some time of aimlessly wandering around the city, he realized that he was making no progress just wandering around. Knowing this, he decided to stop by a nearby bridge so he could rest and think about what his next move should be.
"Argh, okay what is actually happening right now! It feels like I just wasted an hour of my time wandering around! Shouldn't there be some adventurers guild that I have to go to where I receive my first quest or something like that"? He said to no one, frustration evident in his voice.
Perhaps using Isekai logic wasn't the smartest idea overall. But considering the similarities of this world to some of the isekai he's watched, his knowledge of isekai was the closest thing he had to a guide. But at the moment, that knowledge was proving useless as he was making no progress whatsoever on finding what he was supposed to do.
'Actually... I think I may have an Idea' he thought with a slight grin present on his face. "Ahem, e-excuse me lady in my head?, c-can you please tell me where I am and what I need to do"? He said out loud in hopes that the woman from before who spoke to him would be nice enough to answer his question. Unfortunately, after asking his question, no response could be heard.
'Damn, I see how it is, lady!. First, you decide to force me to agree to whatever it is you wanted me to agree on, and then you proceed to summon me to another world I don't even recognize! Keep in mind you summoned me with no previous warning whatsoever, and with no information on where I am. Now you won't even answer any of my questions'! He thought with annoyance toward the girl who brought him here in the first place.
sigh* "Well, complaining isn't going to get me anywhere so I might as well find information by myself", He said as he started heading toward what he assumed to be the marketplace of the city.
While he was passing by the area he noticed a familiar fruit being sold in one of the stands.
'Hold on, there are apples in this world'? He thought, now stopping in front of the stand that held the fruit. As he looked around to see if he was right, He noticed a sign he couldn't read next to the apples.
'Well I can't read the sign in front of me, but now that I'm taking a closer look, I'm 100% sure these are apples. Ok well, now I know that there's a language barrier. Now I just need to see if anyone can understand me, at least I hope th-'
"Hey kid... you are alright there. You've been staring at that appa for a while now"?
Suddenly, a voice calling for his attention interrupted Rey from his internal monologue. His eyes suddenly darted toward the voice in front of him. The voice belonged to a man who he assumed to be the one selling the apples. He had green hair and blue eyes, and he had a muscular physique. His clothes were unfamiliar to Rey, but that was expected as the culture of this world was different from earth.
"Huh? Oh yes I'm fine, s-sorry for bothering you". He said to the vendor before realizing his good opportunity to get information.
'Wait!... This is the perfect chance to ask a couple of questions before I leave'.As much as I don't like talking to new people, It's the better option as of right now instead of having to figure things out by myself. So won't let this opportunity go to waste. And besides… I would rather ask someone I'm already talking to. I'd feel much more comfortable than having to awkwardly ask a random person on the street ', He contemplated.
"Um, e-excuse me, sir"? Rey said nervously toward the vendor.
"Yeah, what is it"? Said the man.
"Um, do you know where we are right now"?
"Again... are you okay kid? cause you should obviously know that we're in the capital of Lagunica right now".
'Ok, so this place is called Lagunica. Wow... That name actually fits this place really well'. Rey thought as he took in new information. 'Ok now it's time to ask my second question', he thought as he took a deep breath ready to ask something else.
"Y-yes I'm still fine. Also is there some sort of adventurer's guild around here somewhere"? He asked the vendor waiting for a response to his question.
But instead of responding to Rey's question a look of confusion could be seen on his face.
"Kid...What the hell are you talking about? what even is an adventurer's guild"? The vendor replied, now starting to get annoyed by Rey's weird questions.
"Anyways kid, can you stop asking me these weird questions. Just tell me what you want to buy already. Cause I have a business to run, and I don't tolerate window shoppers".
"Oh uh s-sorry... I-uh, I actually don't have any money at the moment". Rey said apologetically in hopes that the vendor would not get angry at him.
But after Rey said those words, the vendor's reaction was the exact opposite of what he hoped for.
"If you're not buying anything then get the hell out of my shop instead of wasting my time with these weird questions"!! The vendor shouted with clear anger toward Rey.
" I-I'm S-Sorry Mr. B-But I promise I will buy something the next time I visit," Rey said nervously while he was being scolded by the green-haired vendor. After his scolding, Rey left the shop so he could return to wandering around the city once more.
'Well...that went differently than what I expected. Nonetheless, I still got really useful information from that guy. Turns out I was wrong about there being an adventurers guild. That's probably the second time today my Isekai knowledge failed me. Now… I just need to find out what I'm supposed to do in this place' he thought.
Now that he had a goal in mind he roamed around the city, but with barely any knowledge of the location, he instead walked aimlessly for about 3 more hours which resulted in no success getting any more information.
After exploring the city for that long his legs started to become tired. So once Rey noticed the sun setting, he decided to go sit down by a nearby alleyway to rest his legs for a little while. At the same time, he decided to finish the rest of his chips and soda as he became hungry from all that walking.
Sigh* "Damn it this officially sucks!, I've been walking for a long time and I still don't know what I'm supposed to do. Aren't I the hero that's supposed to save this world from an evil being? If that's the case then where are the people that are supposed to greet me!? Also, why have I not started my first quest yet!? I swear, this world just keeps getting worse and worse"! Rey exclaimed in anger.
Ever since Rey came to this world, he hoped this would be his chance at a new life. He thought that he wouldn't have to worry about getting a new job that could cover his expenses. As he never finished his high school education because of the little money he had. His mom's death was also a major reason that he dropped out of high school before he could even finish 11th grade. Ever since his mom died, the happiness in his life that he once had as a kid, suddenly disappeared. He felt even more lonely than before as the only person he could talk to was gone. Nevertheless, The only thing that kept him from giving up on life was his decision to live a prosperous life that his mom could be proud of. But with a lack of education, the only thing he could do was find a job and hope that it pays enough to cover all of his expenses and necessities. So when got transported to this new world he felt free from having to be a work slave. He felt like it was the perfect opportunity to live a new life that his mom wouldn't be disappointed in. He felt like nothing could stop him from achieving his goal. But so far, this world has been nothing but a total letdown for Rey. Nonetheless, he doesn't want to give up on the possibility that his new adventure will give him a better life like most Isekai he's watched.
Suddenly footsteps could be heard entering the alleyway.
"Hey you there, if you don't want any trouble then cough up everything you got"! Said a new voice in the Alleyway. As those words were said Rey's eyes darted toward the new voice that caught him by surprise. The voice belonged to a man with short purple hair with dark brown eyes. He had a muscular build similar to that of the fruit vendor from earlier which made him look pretty intimidating. Though, unlike the fruit vendor, his clothes were ragged and worn out. So Based on his appearance alone, Rey assumed that the man was a part of the lower class of society.
"Hey you, I won't repeat myself, if you don't want any trouble cough up everything you got!" the man said again now sounding more intimidating.
Now understanding the situation he was in, a grin formed on Rey's face.
Now, normally a person would be scared if a mugger appeared right in front of them ready to rob them. But Rey on the other hand was excited as he still desperately believed that he was supposed to be the hero of this world.
'This is it… this is usually the moment where the Isekai protagonist usually tries out their overpowered ability! But I have to admit, it's kind of cliche because of the mugger but who cares', he exclaimed internally, his confidence now building up in him.
'Ok let's see if I have magic first, let's start by trying an explosion spell'
"Ahem, EXPLOSION"!! He shouted out loud with a confident tone in his voice; while at the same time, positioning his arms out in front of him to "activate the spell".
But instead of a massive explosion, all he got was silence and a weird and confused look from the mugger.
"What the hell did you just do right now?" said the mugger with a look of confusion on his face.
'Shit…so magic must not be my power, instead of trying to use magic, how about I test my physical abilities'… He thought as he warmed up his hand now getting ready to punch the mugger.
"Hey, big guy"! Rey shouted at the mugger.
"Huh"? The mugger replied not expecting Rey to make the first move.
"TAKE... THIS"! He shouted as he sent his fist flying toward the face of the mugger. But as soon his knuckles made contact with his face, a great pain in his hand shortly followed as he's never punched anyone in his life before.
"Oww...Damn that hurt!". Rey said, now starting to regret his previous action.
But even with the pain, that punch wasn't that bad as the mugger now had a bloody nose. But instead of scaring off the mugger or knocking him out, that punch made the mugger pissed off more than anything.
"Why you little, Argh!" the mugger said, frustrated at Rey. But then a mischievous smile appeared on his face as his frustration disappeared. "Heh- heh, I guess I'm just going to have to take your stuff by force since negotiations won't work". The mugger said, now revealing a small blade from his pocket that he kept hidden.
At that moment, Rey's confidence and his hopes of being the hero of this world finally died down, as he felt himself become the same shy and timid person he was on earth.
"I-I-I don't have anything valuable on me right now". Rey said, now trembling in fear.
"That's kinda hard to believe when you're dressed in fancy-looking clothes right now!", the mugger shouted as he now sent his fist flying toward Rey. With not much time to think, and with no knowledge of fighting. Rey decided that the best option for the defense was to put his hands over his face and hope that the punch doesn't damage anything vital in that area. But unfortunately, the fist made contact with his unprotected chest instead of his face. Which as a result, caused him to clutch his chest in pain as he just got the wind knocked out of him. Seeing Rey's vulnerability right now, and without giving Rey time to regain his breath, he sent another punch flying towards his now unprotected face. When his second punch made contact with his face, that punch knocked Rey to the ground making him landing on his back. As well as giving him a bloody nose. After landing those two successful hits, he once again got ready to beat up Rey in his new vulnerable position on the ground.
Now on the ground, Rey attempted to block the hits that followed with his arms but that effort proved futile as the mugger then sent a kick toward his waist. As that kick made contact with his waist, Rey was now left defenseless as his arms moved to cover where he got hit. Now with Rey left defenseless, the mugger then continued to beat up Rey as he was now once again vulnerable. Bruises started appearing on Rey's face as
The mugger sent punches in his direction. But Rey was in his thoughts at the moment; ignoring the pain that came from each punch and kicks from the mugger'.
'Why am I so pathetic'
Punch*
'I just wanted a better life'
Punch*
'I just want to make mom proud'
Kick*
'But even in another world, I guess I'll always be that same quiet, weak, scared, and disappointing person'.
Punch*
'I don't want to suffer anymore'
*Kick*
'Use your gift'
As Rey was self-loathing, he was brought back to reality as he heard a familiar voice appear in his head once again. The voice was of the same woman that Rey heard before he got transported to this world.
'Huh? Y-Your back!' Rey thought surprised at the womans sudden return.
'Use your gift', the voice said once again.
'B-but how thought'
'Tell him to stop,' the voice instructed.
'O-okay I'll try', Rey agreed.
Now on the verge of unconsciousness, he gathered all the remaining strength he had left and then prepared to say the words that the woman wanted him to say.
"Stop" he finally said with a tired and weak voice.
But as he said those words, the color of his iris suddenly changed from amber to a dark and mysterious purple. Rey then felt an unusual sensation go through him as if something were being unlocked inside of him. After, he started feeling something unleash from that previously unlocked place. What came was that same dark shadowy mist that went inside Rey before he was sent to this world. But as it was being revealed it didn't go unseen by the mugger as he started slowly backing away in fear.
"W-W-What the hell is that"?! The mugger said as he stopped beating up Rey the moment he noticed this mist appear.
"Shit, I need to get out of here!" the mugger said as he noticed the mist getting closer to him.
But the mugger was too late as the mist quickly entered the mugger and as a result, the mugger fell on the ground and started to suffocate similar to Rey when the mist entered him. But the only difference was that the mist that attacked the mugger was suffocating him more aggressively as if it were trying to kill him.
"*Hrrrk* *Hack* *Hack* *Hack" were the only sounds that came out of his mouth as he was slowly being asphyxiated. But meanwhile, the weakened and injured Rey could only watch in shock, as he witnessed the mugger slowly choking to death. Then finally, the mugger went silent and his body went limp, leaving only a corpse behind.
Still shocked at the event that just took place, Rey could only stare at the corpse in fear as his irises returned to their original color, and as the mist left the body, and slowly returned to him without a problem.
"I-I killed him," Rey said weakly, tears starting to form in his bruised eyes as he just realized the crime he just committed.
"I-I killed him" he repeated once again.
"I-I have to get out of here," he said, still in shock and now afraid of the consequences of his crime.
He then tried to stand up from using the wall as support but ultimately failed to do so because of his injuries from earlier. He then decided to lie down on the flat hard floor of the alleyway to rest.
Now knowing that he was stuck here, the only thing he could do was hope that no one enters the alleyway and sees the body next to him. But his chances of that happening were low as the sky became dark.
After about an hour later of being in physical pain and emotional turmoil, he slowly started to calm down a little from the initial shock. So for now, he decided to try to get some shut-eye first as his body was exhausted from getting beat up by the mugger. But even as he calmed down and his eyes were slowly closing, he still felt an immense amount of guilt and dread that couldn't go away.
'I don't know how or what I did to kill him... But tomorrow I'll make sure to question that woman in my head about everything'. Rey thought, while his consciousness slowly faded away once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N
Hi everyone so I finally released chapter 1 and as promised, It's a lot longer than the last chapter. I know I'm not the best writer, but I hope you've enjoyed everything I've written so far. Also, make sure to give me constructive criticism on this chapter as I want to keep getting better as a writer. The next chapter may release in a week or 2 because I have Final exams on Friday. But still, I hope you have a nice day and see you all next chapter.
:-)