Of Cowards And Heroes
Chapter 1: (Mis)Fortune
If you had told me that I would get transported to Remnant, a fictional planet in a web-series, I would have probably called you insane. I'm not so sure now though...
To give you some context, we have to go back about an hour before the shenanigans.
My family is part of the higher middle class so I didn't need to worry about food, shelter, or school fees. That being said, I moved out when I was 17 so that I could be closer to my college.
Pursuing a career in programming meant that I wouldn't be physically active but I still took care of my body, both physically and mentally. I work out sometimes albeit I'm not buff by any means and I couldn't fight to save my own life, unless you count those entry level boxing lessons my best friend gave me when I was 16. Even then, I still got ran through by my junior two years younger.
I sat in my room, which was situated in a cheap apartment I rented out, and worked on my school project that was due the following day. I had not slept for the past 26 hours and it had been a haze going through it and I started to hallucinate. I must have dozed off in the middle of my work because as soon as I had woken up, I was most definitely not in my apartment back home.
I was lying on concrete in between two buildings and some dumpsters, which I presumed was an alleyway. It wasn't the first time I lucid dreamed and it certainly wouldn't be the last. As soon as I got up though, the most painful migraine decided to hit me which forced me to sit back down and lean against a wall.
I opted to instead observe my surroundings which gave me clues on where I was. The buildings were of European inspiration and the air smelled different compared to the CBD back home, even with the stench of garbage polluting the air. Who knows though, maybe this was a part of the CBD and I just haven't seen it yet? I couldn't explain how I got here though.
After a few minutes of rest and recollecting my thoughts, I got up and decided to trudge my way out of the alley. Though as soon as I reached the entrance, I was forced to squint and shield my eyes from the sun's rays. What I saw when my eyesight recovered shocked me to the core.
Humans. Not just any normal humans, but humans with animal features. At first I thought it was some sort of cosplay event but a few things clued me in that told me it definitely real. First off, I was in some sort of shopping district which was absolutely NOT holding any sort of event. Secondly, those ears and tails of theirs twitched ever so often, like it had a mind of its own. Lastly, everyone seemed to go about it so... normally, like it was an everyday occurrence. Perhaps it was? I seem to have woken up in what looks to be another world... What the hell is this? A shitty Isekai manga?
This was what lead me to believe that I was in a fantasy world. An honest-to-God fantasy world that was probably filled with magic and monsters and- I'm getting ahead of myself now, I'll need to collect my thoughts first and think of some sort of plan to survive in this world. However, as soon as I stepped out of the alleyway and saw the storefront across the road, I instantly knew I was going to be in for one hell of a ride in this planet... Or should I call it Remnant now?
From Dust Till' Dawn
Ah shit...
I made my way to a relatively unpopulated area, not without knocking in some people and getting cursed out first though...
The first step of my master plan on surviving Remnant, which I will now somewhat dubiously call it the 'Interplanetary Survival Guide' or the 'IGS' for short, will be to figure out if I have any sort of ability or 'cheat' that will increase my chances of survival by tenfolds. From 'I will get killed the moment I meet an enemy' to 'If I use this correctly, I may just survive this skirmish' kind of survival chances.
Alright, time to try out ways to unlock my full potential!
First step, the 'cheat' skills which was unsuccessful. Whether it be calling it out in my mind or physically, I had no such ability like that of a Gamer which basically crippled me immensely. The ability to infinitely scale in terms of power was so valuable its basically priceless compared to other abilities I could have gotten...
Nonetheless, I'll forge onwards and seeing that the day still to be abit past noon, I have plenty of time to discover my true potential. Shame that I didn't get Gamer-like abilities though, would've basically made me a god given enough time.
After hours of trying to figure out the ability that came with me when I got transported into this world, I can conclude that...
I have no such ability.
Sad, I know. From meditation to trying to feel a muscle yielded no results and only gave me an upset stomach. Though I won't let this slight mishap deter me from achieving my goal of 'kicking ass and chewing gum' as Duke Nukem would put it. One theory I have yet to put into action is the one regarding Aura.
Mysterious and not well known enough to have a scientific explanation for the phenomenon, Aura is believed to exist in every living creature expect Grimm. From flora to fauna, every living being has it. What I'm trying to figure out is if it's everything or everything on Remnant. It makes a huge difference knowing this cause if it is everything, the only problem would be to draw it out somehow.
Either via intense training, a traumatic event, or someone else with Aura unlocking it for me. The third way would be the easiest without a doubt and the first way I would do if I had no other choice. Let's not even talk about the second way because no way in hell I'm intentionally letting myself take grievous damage just for a chance to unlock Aura.
On the other hand, if there is no way for me to unlock Aura due to interplanetary restrictions, I'm kind of screwed with my plans of becoming an badass hunter. Actually, since it's getting quite dark I'll have to find a place to stay for the night. Tip 1 of the IGS, RnR is crucial for otherworld explorers. Luckily, there is a public park nearby where I can take refuge for the night.
With my 'training', if you could even put it that way, all said and done, I made my way to the park and searched for a suitable place to sleep. I was in luck though as I found an unoccupied bench that I could sleep on.
As I lay there on the bench looking up at the night sky with it's broken moon, I thought of home. Thought of my friends and family that I left behind. Would they be sad that I was gone? Or would they be glad that I'm no longer bothering them with my existence? Banish those thoughts idiot, you know they miss you!
Melancholy seems to follow me at night even off world, a sense of hopelessness filled me knowing I couldn't just go back to the warmth of the ones I loved.
Somewhere deep inside me, a part of me hoped I'd be back home when I wake up.
Ah, it seems to be raining today...
That's a wrap everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this hot piece of garbage that took me a week to write. Anyways I'll probably disappear again for another 2 years before writing a new story LOL. Damn my old story was so cringey. Ugh.
Don't count on me making another chapter, even though I may have a general idea of what I'd write for this story in the future FML
~Respectfully, I am in tears,
PM
