Receiving a spray of cold water in the face, I emerged from the depths of my grave.

"...!"

I saw the empty water jug that the shop owner was holding over me. It seemed that after I had lost consciousness, he had taken care of me in his own way.

Sitting on the rocky ground, I shook the water out of my hair and clenched my teeth. The scene of that torture still danced through my mind with an almost tangible intensity. The sadistic tormentor's vile cruelty filled me with fear, and the scent of my own blood trickling down my throat and nose had left a lasting mark on my heart.

I gagged at the memory of my earlobe dangling, the unsevered half of my thumb, and the image of my cheek split open, the strands of flesh tearing with each agonized scream.

"Ugh..."

My life had been completely ordinary until now. The thought that I could be subjected to such a terrifying and hopeless state felt almost hallucinatory. I truly didn't want to dwell on it any longer. I yearned to lock away all that suffering in a drawer and cast it into the dark void of my mind's corner. But the more I tried to forget, the more vividly the scene returned, haunting me.

I wanted to scream. I needed to plead for help. I longed to weep in my mother's arms, seeking solace and the assurance that my father would shield me from all evil.

However, reality dictated that I was alone, unable to express even a fraction of my agony. I had to swallow the pain and endure. I couldn't allow my inner turmoil to be apparent; instead, I had to continue doing what I had grown to despise.

I had to think logically.

「I should assess the situation around me first. I mean, this is another world, isn't it? It's possible that everything I've witnessed is nothing more than an illusion—an affliction suffered by all inhabitants of this world at least once in their lives. Perhaps it's a kind of genetic disease, inherent to humans or maybe not. Nonetheless, the most rational approach is to consider this possibility.」

While contemplating the various scenarios, my thoughts returned intermittently to the dark alley near the main street.

This place felt more constricting than before; the walls seemed to possess eyes that acknowledged my arrival. My gaze darted back and forth. Yet, even though I hadn't consciously chosen to come here, I knew it was inevitable. Reconstructing the events was the most effective way to gather information.

However, a problem accompanied this data.

Standing before me, blocking the entrance to the alley, were three shadows. Three thugs with tattered clothing and a menacing, rough demeanor. I had unwittingly stumbled into their hunting ground.

It was the second encounter I had with them on the same day.

"Why again...?"

Naturally, I took a step back, seeking refuge in a corner on my own.

Just like the first time, we found ourselves in a dimly lit alley. Three against one. It seemed inconceivable that after revealing such despair and treating me with such hatred during our initial encounter, they would now greet me with smiles as if nothing had happened.

"What's with that frightened expression, bitch? Ha! Your legs are already trembling with fear, and we haven't even said a word to you."

"It was three against one last time... How can you be proud of your wretchedness? Even a starving beggar would show more decency in a street fight."

Despite my words, the only response I received was more insults and taunting. It was inevitable for me not to bite my lower lip in frustration. I didn't want to waste any more time with them; I wanted to avoid them if possible and escape from this place.

「Then all I have to do is comply.」

"I'll give you everything I have on me. That's what you're after, isn't it?"

A whirlwind of mixed emotions engulfed me. A lump of anger, frustration, and fear slowly descended down my throat to my stomach. As a result, my voice carried irritation, although my eyebrows furrowed with a tinge of concern.

Upon my surrender, the thugs exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"What are you doing? If you were that scared, you could've just said so!"

"Acting like a filthy whore. Don't spout your bullshit if you're going to back down later."

"No matter what, if the bastard understands, it's easier for us. Although, yes, you do sound like a pathetic coward."

Now, annoyance superseded my distress. It was an unusual insult to be belittled by individuals intellectually inferior to me. But at that moment, all I wanted was to continue my journey undisturbed and for these ruffians to leave me alone.

Just as I reached into the plastic bag to pull out what was left of my stuff, I froze.

"Eh?"

From everything I had experienced so far, I had managed to come up with a logical answer. There were even questions that seemed impossible to answer, but deep down I knew I would eventually find an answer. However, what was happening to me at this very moment was the most disturbing.

"How is this possible...?"

I grabbed my hand and inside the plastic bag that I had brought from my world, there was a cardboard bowl with instant noodles. They were my favorite because of the convenient way in which one could simply twist and fold the container, and then throw it away.

When I was allegedly tortured, the bowl of noodles had slipped from my hands and, due to its brittleness, ended up in pieces. The same thing had happened with the soda can and the coin from my world that I was playing with.

Yet, that bowl of noodles was there, along with a brand-new can of soda and the coin.

「If it hadn't been an illusion, I shouldn't have any of this in this state. So doesn't this confirm my theory?」

Why was everything in its place, perfectly sealed? It should not be possible for such a thing to happen under any theoretical hypothesis. It just wasn't possible.

However, there was still a hazy idea in my mind. A thought completely removed from the norm, and that would only be possible in a world with magic. Still, even though the idea was in my head, thinking about it didn't do me any good. As soon as it occurred to me, I immediately rejected it. My sense of reason refused to accept that possibility.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Suddenly, I heard a shrill voice next to me. It was so irritating and unpleasant that it made me react.

It was one of the thugs, the shorter one. It seemed that while I was lost in my thoughts, that dwarf had come up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

I moved forward and brushed his dirty hand away from me.

"Get out of my way."

"What did you say?!"

"Are you deaf? I said go away."

I urgently needed to check what I had discovered, and my anxiety told me that I wouldn't have enough time.

The moment I tried to move past the dwarf, the other two blocked my path.

"Don't you get it? Get out of my way! I have to go somewhere!"

I had to dismiss the idea that was quickly becoming a theory.

「Such a stupid and absurd theory should not exist...」

Faced with my excessive shouting, the group of thugs looked at each other with wavering eyes for a few seconds. I just had to push them aside and reach the main street to escape in the crowd. With that in mind, I began to walk forward with firm footsteps.

However...

"What's wrong with me...?"

Just as I took the first step forward, my foot twisted. My legs had lost strength, and I fell to my knees. Moments before hitting the ground, I spread my hands to avoid the humiliation of hitting my face, but it was inevitable for me not to curse the idiocy that consumed me at the moment.

When I tried to push my body with my arms to get up, my arms began to shake. I had no strength. It was not possible to lift my body.

When my left arm couldn't hold the same position any longer, it simply arched and forced me to fall to one side on my back. Then I realized what had happened.

A knife was protruding from my abdomen.

The moment my eyes sent the image to my brain, I felt a pang of pain that no illusion had ever made me feel. I choked on my own saliva as a natural reaction to the agonizing pain.

「...Has he stabbed me? Me?」

When I raised my head from the wound, I was met by the same guy I had dubbed the 'sadist,' however, I knew his true nickname: Chin.

He had been the first and the last to hit me. I hadn't realized that he had drawn a knife, and when I had tried to push my way through them, he had stabbed me.

This pain was equivalent to everything I had suffered during the torture hours before, but no matter how many times I experienced these illusions, it was impossible to get used to the pain.

"Chin! Why did you stab him?!"

"Shut up! Don't you think about the consequences of what would have happened to us if he managed to get out on the street?! I did it for us!"

"You've taken it too far! Ugh. Wait, don't touch it! His guts must be in pieces... he's going to die."

The one I had dubbed the 'Wall of Meat,' pulled the knife in an attempt to 'improve' the situation.

"Ugh...!"

But instead, he caused the wound to open even wider, making me squirm even more.

I couldn't scream for help or beg for mercy; the pain was so unbearable that I couldn't speak. I could only breathe raggedly as I writhed on the ground, feeling the blood choking in my throat.

I felt like a candle about to go out. I began to lose feeling in my fingers, as well as in my feet. My consciousness was slowly fading away.

Once again, I found myself in the same situation. Just like last time, this was my end.

「What do you mean by 'last time'?」

The fact that I now had to cling to an illogical idea, which until a few minutes ago I had flatly refused to accept, made me want to cry blood out of rage.

But if I had nothing else to hold on to, I would hold on to it with all my might.

「It doesn't matter what happens to you now because every second that passes is the past. What matters is the present and what you decide to do with it. Do not think that you are going to die. Make the illogical logical and find the answers you seek. Your arms and legs are gone. Only your eyes and nose remain. Who needs legs and arms? With your sensory senses, you should take this opportunity to analyze. I smell the mud of the street, the iron in my blood. I have lost my sense of smell. I doubt my ears will last much longer...」

I could see how the three thugs ran away. They were blurred and distant images.

It was fine to have analyzed their reactions, but it was of little use since the part of my brain that could analyze had already died.

This was my final moment. Everything that happened to me from here on out was out of my control.

And thus, I lost my life for the second time.