Arc 1 — New Beginnings at the Stone Word
Chapter 1: Introduction to Ishigami Village (Part. 1)
You know what's the chief problem of dying besides… well, dying? It's the experience itself but the fear that there may be no afterlife—a depressing, particularly for those who have bothered to shave.
I mean, if there was no afterlife at all then that surely meant that our mere existence was nothing but a temporary glitches in the greater scope of things in the whole universe. Perhaps there is a form of afterlife but our minds wouldn't be able to grasp its true essence.
Personally, I'd never cared much of it anyway or rather I couldn't allow myself to believe. I loved to believe that when I die I will wake up soon enough as a new person or entity, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue even if it was fading echoes or hollow embers of my old flame. Nevertheless, as much as I wanted to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I thought of it as a wishful thinking.
Sure, like any other millennial of my generation, I had my hobbies and guilty pleasures like immersing myself in Anime, Manga, Comics, Videogames and LN… But at the end of the days those things were just that, mere hobbies to entertain myself.
Call me pessimistic if you want but I'd like to think I was more realistic than most, no matter how bitter and shallow I sound. A man whose world-view was highly influenced by sciences and I only believed in scientifically proven phenomenon.
That was the kind of person I was… Until I got reincarnated in another world—or, like we otaku folk like the say: "I GOT ISEKAI'ED!" Who would've thought? Henry Miller (1) was right! Suck that you moronic atheists!
Hold on, doesn't that made a hypocrite for looking down at those whose world-view was similar o mine?! Well, who care?! I'm just relieved to be alive once more!
There was just one little problem here, though… The world I have been reincarnated in was, for the lack of a better term, extremely primitive. Like seriously, these people haven't even invented soap yet! Do you know how dangerous are even the most common and harmful bacteria if you don't have the proper hygiene regulations!
I wouldn't have many troubles with this considering that most Isekai-themed adventures start in an either magical world or a functional region with proper laws, political, social and economical structures, special Items or devices, etc… But as you may have figured it out, this was NOT one of them. If anything, this new world was more akin to the Stone Age in terms of technology at least (which is a goddamn turn off if you ask me!)
Nonetheless, that doesn't necessary means my new life was a shitty one—far from it, surprisingly enough.
The Ishigami Village, my new home, has primitive yet convenient functional laws and its main food resource is the fishing method. We are "sea people" as the Chief Kokuyo and other adults always say so we have some knowledge regarding sailing, boat constructions and the likes. The villagers even have a good method for cultivation and impressive hunting knowledge so we don't need to rely solely on fishes.
We even have a primitive variation of alcohol and vinegar so I can totally say that things don't look as bad as I though. Heck, sometimes I think they are slightly more advanced than other tribes in this Era… If there are other tribes, that is.
But even with all the boons this society has, a modern man like me can help but feel nostalgia for the marvels of our modern world. I couldn't even finish One Piece, goddamnit! I tell you, I have never been so miserable in my life when I realized how utterly horrifying is to know all the things you loved, like TV-Shows, doesn't exist here!
However, there are thing that have been bugging for some time and that's it the mythology and legends of the village. While these people are believers of gods of nature and mystic phenomenon like any other primitive village of the Stone Age, there are things that definitely don't make much sense.
The first thing was the legendary 100 Stories, a collection of traditional stories that are passed through the generations with the help of the village's priestesses. Not only it gave me a bond with these people but it helped me to understand the principles and functions we have in the hierarchical system of the Ishigami Village as a whole
Sure, that in itself doesn't seem to be anything impressive but the thing is… The 100 Stories are but codified knowledge of the modern Era masked as fairy tales and folklore myths!
I'm not joking pals, all those stories are a recompilation of crucial elements of pseudo-scientific origin!
I mean, how they know what the Mt. Fuji is?! And how in the nine levels of hell these guys know what the hell a gorilla iswhen there are NO gorillas in Japan?! How they know what a SPEAKER is?!
Also, yeah! I'M HINTING WHERE I WAS REBORN IN! BECAUSE I WAS REBORN IN JAPAN OF ALL PLACES—though this one was particularly easy to explain because I could see the fucking Mt. Fuji from this place!
But wait, there is even more things that doesn't make any sense! If you think these stories are freaking creepy for how scarily accurate how their key elements are, then you surely will have a heartache the moment you see the friggin human-shaped statues surrounding the entire region!
Naturally, I grew interested in the subject and wanted to solve this mind-screwing puzzle at once so I decided to go to all the communal meetings with the priestess to know more, and surely enough, I was the one who always asked questions regarding every-single-detail, much to the ire of my peers.
"Well, children! It's time for you to heard the 100th story!" The Priestess say with a kind smile and I leaned forward, expectant to hear the name of the final tale. "Emerl, I know you want to heard the tale but please be quiet. You are murmuring again" The woman said looking directly at me.
"U-Uh! I'm sorry!" I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. Emerl is my new name by the way.
"Geez, kid! I know the wife of the Chief is beautiful but don't go being a creepy"
"Yeah!"
"Well, he is the grandson of that creepy old man so I guess it can't be helped"
"Yup, totally not my type"
"… Aren't you too young for thinking in dating someone, Saphire?"
I steeled myself as I heard the comments of my peers, trying my best to not snap viciously at them for insulting me and my grandfather. Hello! You know that this "creepy old man' like you say is the one of craft all your weapons and utensils?! Where is the respect for the artisans?!
As an adult man, I have to live up my reputation as a calm person who thinks things through in a logical way… Sadly, my inner child is in charge these days so…
"My, my…! If I wanted the opinion of a dumbhead like you, Magma, then I would ask a boar how to fix my hair~!" I replied with an innocent smile.
The one who I insulted, a blonde guy named Magma, turned red. "What did you say, you tweet?!" Magma shouted angrily, looking far too eager to jump and gut me alive.
"Oh nothing~! I'm simply saying a kid should know better to not voice out his stupid ideas when the adults are talking~" That was my respond, evidently unfazed by the glare of the older boy as I looked at him with a disinterred smirk.
"You are the brat here! I'll punch at your face!"
"… Hm… Did you say something?" Quoting at Kakashi Hatake (2), I merely shifted my gazed at him with half-lidded eyes and a boring look.
I could hear the kids snickering uncontrollably while some girls were trying their best to hide their giggles at the sight f this scene I schemed.
"Huh?! How dare you to look down at me, you tweet!"
"Hah~… As explosive as always, Magma. Can't take a teasing attitude, can you?" I mused while sighing nonchalantly as a held my face with my hand. "You know it's disrespectful to shout when we are listening to the priestess and yet here you are making a scene! Shame of you, Magma~!" I kept pressing his buttons with my easy-going smirk, looking in delight how the hot-blooded blonde dumb-muscle of the village was about to dig a deeper hole.
"Why you…!"
"Children"
We both stopped when we felt a dread presence and began to sweet cold the moment we heard the icy tone of the priestess.
""U-Um… Yeah?""
"I would appreciate if the both of you stop antagonizing each other and stay quiet. You can you that right~?" Again, the sense of dread! This woman is scary!
Most times she was a kind hearted individual with a beautiful smile on her face but when you piss her off, the priestess sure know how to made you regret even disrespecting her. Well, that's Chief Kokuyo's wife for you. I just hope her daughters—who are also two of my friends—won't have such a terrifying streak… Damn, I think I just jinxed it!
""Y-Yes, priestess!""
"Very good, boys! Here I thought you would made me groom you two!" The moment Magma and I bowed in the most flamboyantly dogeza style, the priestess smiled at us with her usual kindness as if nothing happened.
"The priestess is scary when she is mad…"
"For once, I agree with you, Magma…"
My self-proclaimed rival and I simply nodded at each other as we stared at the beautiful priestess with strained smile. We didn't have to wait much until she decided to start telling the tale number 100.
Well, I think it's now or never. Finally, I will know the 100th story after so many years of living in this Stone world. Hopefully, this tale will respond all question I have.
"The name of this story is 'Senku Ishigami' and is possibly the most important story out of the 100"
So its name is 'Ishigami Senku', huh? Weird name for a fairy tale but it's not like I'm one to talk about how to name folkloric stories in this… Wait a minute.
Stone Age
Human Statues
Ishigami Village
Japan
Momotaro
Ishigami… Senku?
Why all those things sounds so familiar?!
"Um… Priesstess?"
"Yeah, what is it, Emerl?"
"Did you say Ishigami Senku?"
"Of course, that's the name of the 100th Story! The tale of a quirky young man who had a love for the unknown and with a boundless curiosity! It's also the story of a person that is more than likely a relative of the Lord Byakuya himself" She responded, beaming with a bright smile.
"The dawn of the Kingdom of Science begins…!"
"This is exhilarating!"
"All human in the world turned into stone statues!"
"We're the ones that are going to do the recuing! For the enterity of humanity… All 7 billion of them!"
"I am Kohaku and it seems that I've fallen for you"
"I've got no policies, morals, or hangs-ups at all! The world's most silver tongued man!"
"This Stone World is a paradise that is not yet tainted! Let's just revive the young people, we'll live together, with nature, which doesn't belong to someone else! It's an opportunity to cleanse humanity!"
"I will be leave the thinking to you, Senku! So rely on me for the physical parts!"
"I will defeat the fantasy with science!"
"I am Senku, the Scientist!"
Before I could retort, I felt a zap in my head… And then I saw remembered! So that is! So that's why everything seemed so familiar to me! I was reincarnated in a world of fiction—albeit one which is most realistic than most but still!
I have reborn in the Dr Stone world!
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Wait a goddamn minute! This is supposedly a realistic world with scientific bases! In this universe things like souls and magic doesn't exist so how come I was reborn here out all worlds?! In fact, doesn't that means my very existence is a contradiction to all rules established by its creators?!
Ok! Calm down, Emerl! Take a deep breath… It's not the end of the world. Perhaps your presence has made many changes in the Canon's timeline… Right?
Oh, shit! I am Kaseki's grandson. I am basically bound to have a more prominent role as the old man's pupil and heir—which shouldn't be impossible because in the original timeline he didn't get one as far as I know!
Erm… No, no. Just calm down and think. Maybe my role won't be as important as the old man. I mean, I will need decades in order to reach the level of craftsmanship Kaseki has and surely, Senku wouldn't want a third-rated artisan in the Kingdom of Science… Pfft! Yeah, right! I AM SCREWED!
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FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!
← To be Continued
[1] Henry Miller was an American novelist with a polemic reputation due the mature content of his books and works. Being one of the authors who suffered the most due the ages in which he was born in, as well as a first-rated Casanova Wannabe with bad luck.
[2] Kakashi Hatake is one of othe main character of the Naruto series, being one of the strongest and deadliest ninja in all Elemental Nations as well as the holder of the legendary Sharingan despite the fact he is not an Uchiha. As the series progress he gains spotlight and some crazy power-ups that would made even the most badass mage in shame.
