Zen woke up to the sound of a loud scream right in front of him. Slowly, he opened his eyes. A girl in a Japanese-style school uniform stood before him, her face filled with panic.
*Some girl?*
"Who are you?" Zen asked, his voice still hoarse. A strange feeling enveloped him. He should have been sleeping in his quiet classroom, but now… he was lying in the middle of a vast, unfamiliar forest.
"Yumi Tachibana!" the girl answered, her voice nearly trembling.
Zen was wearing a white school uniform with black pants, while the girl wore a gray school uniform with matching gray shorts.
*Japanese?* Zen just realized they were speaking in that language, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Are you Japanese?" he asked as he sat up, using his hands to support his still-weak body.
Yumi let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness you can speak Japanese. I thought I was alone here."
Zen nodded, then stood up. His eyes scanned the surroundings—tall trees, a bright blue sky, but no trace of civilization. The rustling of leaves and the calls of unfamiliar birds deepened his unease.
"Hmm."
"By the way… where are we?" he muttered.
"That's what I wanted to ask you!" Yumi clutched her bag tightly. "I was just entering my classroom when suddenly, a weird light appeared beneath my feet, and the next thing I knew, I was in this forest!"
Zen frowned. *I was sleeping in class, so I didn't see any light. But… this is definitely not Earth.*
*Were we summoned by someone from this world?*
"Ah!" Suddenly, he stiffened.
"What is it?" Yumi whispered nervously, positioning herself behind him.
Zen raised a hand, signaling her to stay quiet. "Something's approaching…"
*Crack!*
A branch snapped.
Five short figures emerged from the bushes—green skin, pointed ears, yellow eyes filled with malice. Goblins. They gripped crude wooden clubs, snarling as drool dripped from their mouths.
Yumi immediately hid behind Zen, her body trembling. But Zen remained calm, his sharp eyes locked onto the creatures.
*Just as I thought… We're trapped in another world.*
The goblins growled, stepping closer with sadistic grins. Their yellow eyes gleamed with ill intent as they tightened their grip on their wooden weapons.
Zen steadied his stance, his body poised and ready. "Stay a little behind me," he ordered Yumi, his voice calm but firm.
"O-Okay…" Yumi nodded quickly, taking a few steps back, her eyes never leaving Zen.
The first attack came. The lead goblin lunged forward, swinging its club at Zen's head. But Zen moved faster. With agility, he sidestepped, his right hand seizing the goblin's wrist.
*Crack!*
He easily wrested the wooden weapon away. Without hesitation, Zen kicked the goblin square in the head.
*Thud!*
The goblin collapsed to the ground, motionless.
The remaining four goblins snarled in rage, attacking simultaneously. But Zen didn't falter. His body moved fluidly, dodging every strike. With the stolen wooden club, he struck the second goblin in the chest, sending it flying backward.
The third and fourth goblins tried flanking him, but Zen spun swiftly, his foot sweeping one of them off its feet. The last goblin attempted to flee, but Zen hurled the wooden club at it.
*Thud!*
The goblin crumpled, unconscious.
Yumi stood frozen, her eyes wide as she watched Zen effortlessly defeat five goblins alone. "I-Is this real?" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Zen exhaled, then glanced at his now-dirty school uniform. "Ah, my uniform…" he grumbled, slightly annoyed.
Yumi stepped closer, her face still etched with worry. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Zen nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Suddenly, a screen materialized before them. Glowing text appeared clearly:
**[Level Up!]**
"Huh?" Zen and Yumi gasped in unison, staring at the screen in bewilderment.