'I have a feeling this is just one of the few horrible things that are going to happen to me,' Mitsuki thought as he woke up.
The sky had turned crimson, beautiful shades of orange fading into the dark horizon.
"I'm the best, and it still didn't cross my mind that having 0 MP and using magic would tear me apart."
He sat down on the grass.
'At least I'm not dead, I guess.'
He checked the tattoo again.
"But it was definitely worth it."
[
❖ Skills:
Quick Cast
Fireball Lv. 1
]
'My MP went up by one point. This isn't complete trash anymore. And I've got these two new skills. If this were a game, there'd be a section with detailed skill descriptions, but I guess this one doesn't have that. Well, the skill names already say enough.'
He got up from the ground and dusted off his clothes—a loose black T-shirt and gray sweatpants.
'Anyway, I'm starting to understand what kind of system this is. I think I once saw something similar in a web novel about a guy and his shadow army.'
He turned his attention back to the walls.
"There's nothing else around, so for now I can only head over there."
He sighed, tired.
'But I'm not sure what kind of things I'll run into. If this is anything like a fantasy world, the chances of running into high-level goblins or kobolds are… high.'
He shook his head with an ironic smile.
"I won't know until I explore a little."
Curious, he walked down the hill toward the walls. He walked for several minutes until he felt the weight of his own weakness.
He stopped, resting his palms on his knees.
"I should've listened to my manager when she told me to use the home gym. This sucks," he complained, breathing heavily.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and kept going.
'My grandfather would definitely make fun of me. A 24-year-old man getting tired from walking a few yards is embarrassing.'
At least he was aware of his own weakness and stupidity.
Being smart in video games hadn't helped him much in real life. There were a few moments when his knowledge proved useful, but it wasn't always enough.
He continued like that until he reached the wall and looked up with his mouth slightly open.
"It didn't look this colossal from far away. Who the hell built this thing? A giant with his magic horse?"
Maybe there hadn't been a Loki to interrupt the process.
"It looks ancient—like the ruins of old British castles."
There was a lot of history here.
"Or like the final boss stage from the first Ultimate Fantasy."
He walked along the wall for a few minutes until he found an opening. Large chunks of rubble littered the ground, covered in weeds and moss.
'Well, look at that. How convenient.'
He stepped through the hole in the wall and walked through the darkness toward the light at the end.
On the other side, he found hundreds of buildings and houses straight out of a dark fantasy setting. Everything was made of gray, gloomy bricks, with some rotten wooden walls and shattered doors scattered along the cobblestone streets.
Four roads stretched between the houses toward the center of the walls, where a gigantic ruined castle stood nearby. Its roofs were conical, rising in massive towers connected by high stone walls.
Aside from that, many of the houses had torn and weathered flags hanging from them.
'I've only ever seen stuff like this on a screen. It's more impressive seeing it in real life, but…'
As grand as the sight was, something else unsettled him.
Between the streets, inside the houses, and everywhere he looked, hundreds of thousands of dark human statues stood frozen as if they might move at any moment.
He approached the nearest statue and touched it with his fingertips.
"This is… ash?"
All the statues were made of the same material—each one shaped differently.
There were statues of children, women, young adults, the elderly—animals like dogs, cats, and crows were part of the gloomy scenery as well.
'What happened here? Was this place once alive?'
Questions rose one after another. As he walked, observing the strange kingdom he now found himself in, he analyzed the entire situation the same way he would analyze any game.
'If this is my "Starting City," then I'm screwed. There's nothing here I can use.'
It was also getting darker. Night was almost here.
'I don't have shelter or food either.'
He touched his abdomen.
'I threw up earlier, so now my stomach's empty. That's a problem.'
He had no idea what might happen, but he shook his head, pushing away the pessimistic thoughts.
"On the other hand, there are plenty of houses and everything looks deserted. Maybe…" he smiled—not just to hide how worried he felt, but because at least he knew what to do next.
After a few minutes, he entered the house that seemed to be in the best condition. It was a two-story building, thick as stone, dark and solitary.
With night having swallowed the land, this was better than nothing.
'The bed's falling apart. There are statues on the first floor, but I managed to find a few sheets in a chest. That's enough for today.'
He lay down on the decaying bed.
'My isekai adventure is just beginning, but I expected something better. Besides, I haven't seen another living being this whole time.'
He covered his eyes with his forearm.
'Well, it's not like I can hold a conversation with anyone other than my manager anyway. I haven't even talked to my family in years.'
He closed his eyes.
'Maybe that's why I always think too much and talk too little. Anyway, that's not important.'
This place was what mattered.
'A kingdom petrified in ash… It reminds me a bit of Emperor's Quest. I completed that game 100% with all the secrets. I think I was in high school back then.'
He kept talking to himself for a few more minutes. He thought about all the games he wanted to play but now couldn't because he was stuck in another world.
In the end, he fell asleep, exhausted from walking so much.
However, on the first floor of the house, at the small dining table with four chairs where a family of four remained frozen, a creak echoed—followed by an ethereal whisper.
The distant, silver light of the full moon bathed the kingdom in its mysterious glow.