All my life, I'd skim through endless isekai novels and binge-read every single one, but I never really paid attention to the details that made them tick. Or rather, even if I did, I didn't deem it important to remember those finer details when finishing the stories and moving to the next.
I used to both enjoy and at times laugh at the idea of a guy getting the truck-tun treatment and a sudden, overpowered ability or an item delivered by some mysterious or divine intervention. Even if I occasionally gave it some thought and wondered on what ifs, I always dismissed those "secret cheats" as nothing more than tropes—a few well-worn clichés scattered across countless tales that were just that: Tales. Fiction. Not reality.
In hindsight now, I realize I should've paid more attention. Should've taken notes, even. But hindsight is a cruel teacher, isn't it? Even if this lesson was uncalled for and came out of the blue.
Because it never occurred to me… that one day I'd also end up in a story like that.
…
There was just one tiny problem…
The ROB who Isekai'd me forgot to give me a fucking cheat!
-x-
As I lie here now, staring at an impossibly blue sky that shouldn't belong to February day, I can't help but feel a pang of worry and regret for all the missed hints. Maybe there was actually a reason why the Anime and Manga industry was flooded with Isekai stories and fanfics. Maybe they were more than just stories after all…
… Of course, this is after I've gone through the phases of panic and confusion at my sudden change in scenery.
Anyhow, I thought I was somewhat smart, too savvy for the usual Isekai traps. That, if I was ever thrown into a world of a story I had seen, I'd thrive.
Yet, here I am—thrown into a world that feels both eerily familiar to the one I've lived my entire life in and yet feels utterly foreign. With not a ROB, God or a System in sight to explain my predicament.
Instead, fate, with a twist of irony, handed me the Subaru treatment: a moment-long blink and a complete shift of my entire world.
As for why I keep saying it's not my world… well, that huge ass dungeon-like tower in the distance was a pretty easy indication of that. But let's come back to that in a bit.
I try to recall the last time I looked up at such a beautiful sky. It's not that I hadn't seen blue skies before—there was always a part of me that remembered summer days or crisp autumn afternoons. But this…this was different. Today, the sky was a dazzling canvas of cerulean blue, punctuated only by a few lazy, drifting clouds. The sun's rays bathed everything in a gentle, golden light, a stark contrast to the cold, overcast February I was accustomed to a few moments prior. At least, I feel it was only a few moments ago, but who knows anymore. Not me, that's for sure.
I blinked, still somewhat disoriented, and tried to make sense of my surroundings. I wasn't in my room, surrounded by all the furniture and items I know. Instead, I found myself at the base of a solitary tree, its trunk weathered but steadfast, standing atop a modest hill— more like a large mound of dirt and grass.
Around me, delicate wildflowers danced in the breeze, their colours vibrant against the lush light green backdrop. It was as if the earth itself was celebrating the arrival of an unexpected spring.
For a long few moments, I had simply lay there, my heart thudding in my chest as I absorbed the surreal beauty of the scene. Was I dreaming? I pinched myself, the sensation as real as the rough bark against my fingertips. The air smelled sweet and fresh—a stark departure from the urban smog and fading winter chill of my hometown.
Panic began to nibble at the edges of my thoughts.
"This can't be real."
I whispered to myself, trying to cling to some remnant of normalcy. But deep down, a nagging certainty stirred: nothing about this felt normal.
I sat up slowly, taking in every detail of my surroundings with unprecedented care. The hill was small, yet it offered a clear vantage point of the surrounding plains. Beyond the tree, the terrain rolled gently into a patchwork of fields and meadows, dotted with clusters of shrubs and small groves. In the distance, emerging like a sentinel from the horizon, loomed an enormous tower. Its top so high that it looked like it reached for the sky and even from—what I assumed to be— several kilometres away, its presence was impossible to ignore. It was as if the tower was calling out, promising answers—or perhaps more questions.
Or maybe I was overreacting and being overly dramatic. But I think I'd be forgiven for that given my very precarious situation.
My mind raced.
The more I thought about it, the more every piece of evidence pointed in that direction.
I'd actually been whisked away to another world. This wasn't a dream.
The undeniable warmth of the sun on my skin, the fresh, vibrant colors of the flora, and most importantly, the distant tower that looked like something straight out of an ancient myth… I was no longer in the world I'd known.
Yet, even as the reality of it began to sink in, I couldn't help but feel a surge of defiance and worry-filled anger. I was not ready to resign myself to the fate of countless protagonists before me. I had read enough Isekai to not be fooled by these tropes—hadn't I?
"If you're listening… which I feel like you are, I don't know why you thought it was a good idea to Isekai me, but… if at all possible, I'd really appreciate it if you could send me back to my world. I am not MC material, trust me. I'm boring, uncreative and an overall lame person. You won't get any entertainment or world saviour material out of me. Can't you see?"
The words were spoken to the void and to a clear lack of surprise I didn't get a response.
"Yeah, thought so. It rarely, if ever, works."
With a shaky exhale, I rose to my feet, dusting off my clothes as best I could.
Time for the next item on the checklist I made on the fly.
"System."
….
Nope. Nothing.
"Open System."
…
Also nothing.
"Menu… Open Menu… Character Sheet… Status… Open Status. Activate System… Activate Menu… Activate Character? No, that makes no sense … Oh, Open Character Sheet. Run program. Show Option. Show Menu… UI Activate. Open HUD. Show HUD… Please…? .... Anything…?"
I sighed after that little test failed to get any result.
Sadly, it looked like I wasn't given a System.
And even though I said I wasn't MC material, I had kind of hoped to get some overpowered ability or System anyway. It was almost a subconscious expectation after watching and reading so many Isekai stories.
Oh well, all hope wasn't lost.
Time for check for non-system based abilities.
I spent an awkward and disappointing few minutes trying to think of powers and how to possibly activate them or at the very least get a hint of their existence.
Alas, nothing I tried worked.
With another resigned sigh, I concluded that either I had no powers or they weren't going to be activating right now. Maybe they needed an impulse or scenario to activate?
… And I was starting to think of this as a videogame now. Not good.
I needed to get my head out of that power fantasy delusion and actually think like a normal, sensible person.
Looking around, the picturesque landscape stretched out before me, a living tapestry of possibilities and dangers. My eyes were drawn once more to that distant tower. It was both inviting and somewhat foreboding.
Not seeing any point in sitting here wasting more time in this admittedly beautiful wilderness, I decided to move towards the Tower.
There were two main reasons why: One, it was the only thing that gave the impression that it was made by someone and below that tower, I could see walls surrounding it. But the walls appeared a lot further away from the apparent base of the tower, so maybe there were people living there. Secondly, despite my reservations, I could see no other place where civilization could be found. Of course, all that assuming there were humans or human-like species living here.
Oh god, I hope it's not one of those worlds where humans don't exist. That'd be… problematic.
Well, more so than finding myself in another, unknown world.
I took a few tentative steps, my legs carrying me forward almost on their own, as if the path itself were urging me to discover what lay beyond the fields.
There was a pathway that seemed to merge to a much wider manmade road which seemed to lead towards that tower in the distance.
There was a long way ahead of me and I was going to have to walk.
Huh, when was the last time I had had to walk such a distance as I was about to? I couldn't even remember. Maybe when I went on some local mountains to do some Hill climbing? That had been a refreshing experience and, after living a somewhat monotonous life in the urban jungle, this was yet again a refreshing experience, if filled with uncertainty and worry.
God, it was getting hard to not think about what had happened to me and what had been left behind due to that, but right now, I was trying my best to live in the moment, get my bearings and just… carry on, rather than sit and mope. Because the latter won't help me right now.
I passed by small clusters of trees on the way, keeping an eye out for wild creatures or… even monsters. I didn't want to meet any given my current vulnerable state, though.
But, much to my relief, the place seemed normal and safe to traverse.
The vibrant colours of wildflowers nearby, the rustle of tree leaves stirred by a gentle wind, and the occasional chirp of a bird all combined to create a symphony of life that was rather welcoming.
I kept repeating it but the nature around me was break-takingly pleasant. It was something I was really enjoying.
It wasn't a long journey, even on foot, and before I knew it, I was closing in on the towering structure.
-x-
Approaching near, I could clearly see people moving about.
It was honestly a relief to see them. It confirmed that I was at least not in some world where humanity didn't exist.
But seeing their clothes, even from a distance, it was clear that they weren't wearing modern clothing.
And as I drew even closer, I realized they were not all humans. Some had the graceful, elongated features of what I'd only read about in fantasy lore- Elves, while others sported ears like those of cats and other mammals.
I recognized them immediately as elves and other demihumans—the very creatures that populated the worlds of the stories I'd once dismissed as mere escapism. Their presence, both fascinating and bizarre, lent an undeniable authenticity to this strange new realm.
And it confirmed that I was most likely in some sort of fantasy world.
I wasn't sure what to feel about that revelation.
…
I passed a small brook, its water glistening like liquid crystal in the sunlight.
And before long, I was behind a long line of people who were lining to get an entry inside.
Even though I fretted about not having any local identity, what with me only carrying the very clothes I was wearing and nothing else, I still decided to take a risk.
Maybe I could ask for help from the guards.
…
Would it be wise to let them know I'm a lost stranger in this world?
…
My common sense told me 'No.' It wouldn't be a very good idea.
Instead, I'd have to come up with a story and hope it works.
As I stood at the end of the line of people waiting to enter, I began planning out my story while paying attention to the people talking in front of me and also at the guards giving people entry, wearing leather and metallic semi-armours.
This was going to be troublesome. I couldn't help but feel anxiety and fear that I'd be seen as suspicious and captured or something.
I hope it doesn't come to that.
My sudden Isekai would be on to a very terrible start if that happened.
-x-