His bloodshot eyes opened, slowly. Fluttering, batting his long eyelashes, adjusting to the change in scenery. Finally, he mustered up the willpower to fully open his eyes.
He took in the bright blue sky. There were no houses at the corners of his eyes, only open, endless grassy fields.
What's this?
He felt his body resting on hard stone.
Hell is... surprisingly a lot more comfortable than I had anticipated.
He sat up. A strange sight graced him.
Candles surrounded a chalk-drawn pentagram etched into the stone beneath him. It looked like a ritual of some sort; the stone had been worn down, and cracks had formed within it.
This isn't hell... it's… a summoning ritual to another world. Looks like they got the wrong person. And looks like I came way too late...
He dictated this by seeing how worn down the stone was. The chalk was fading, as well. It was no longer a pure white, but more of a dingy color. Many other factors made it clear to Julian that this was an alternate world.
As he inhaled and exhaled, the air quality was several times better, and incredibly unfamiliar to him. The sky was undoubtedly blue, yet it contained a strange alluring pigment to it that he would not have seen on earth.
I have to explore this new world.
...
No. That's dangerous. I don't know what could kill me. I've already died once, I don't wanna throw away my life just like that. This is a new opportunity for me to become something great.
He raised his right hand and felt around his neck, chest, and right leg. Feeling around for any holes. There was none. He let out a sigh of relief and fully got up from the strange stone.
He could go forward, toward the forest with the curved, strange trees. Or, he could go backward, toward the endless grass plains.
I really don't wanna die. That is a given.
Maybe I'm more scared than I think. Dying is painful... I want to avoid that as much as I can.
"I need to figure out my special ability, while I'm at it..."
Julian whispered to himself. He balled his fists up and ran toward the direction of the curved tree forest.
"This is so unfair. There's supposed to be a beautiful goddess who drops me into this land with an overpowered ability and maybe even a trusty, cute sidekick. But I have nothing! I have to figure this all out myself!" he grumbled.
The deeper he entered the forest, the darker it got. That was expected. He only realized the danger in this when he got deep into the forest. So he felt like there was no point in turning back.
Although my life was boring before… I didn't think I would just be thrown into a new world just like that. I couldn't even bring my glasses!
In a fantasy world… would I even need to cover my unnatural red eyes? There's one upside there.
I've always wanted to be in a world like this, but now that I'm placed into it, I want to seriously scold my former self. This is completely unnerving!
Creeeek!
Julian stopped.
The sound of stretching was heard from somewhere in the forest. It was dim, but sunlight peeked through the canopy and illuminated parts of the forest floor. He could see just barely. Yet, he didn't know where that sound came from.
His steps became careful.
Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap.
Crsh!
His foot caught onto something!
No, that's not right.
Julian had noticed it all along, yet he decided not to turn back. The trees were moving!
A vine wrapped around his leg, tightening.
"!"
Julian hopped on one leg. He was pulled by the vine violently.
"Ack!"
As he was dragged, his head struck hard against roots, rocks, and other stray objects. Bruising him and ripping his clothes apart.
Where is this... stupid root taking me?!
With each hit to the head, Julian's consciousness faded more and more. Then, it went black.
. . .
. .
.
His vision came back slowly. When he opened his sensitive eyes, he was met with an unfamiliar scenery. A large, circular room, with walls made out of burly tree trunks. The floor was covered in roots, with him being wrapped around and bound tightly by one.
In the center of the room, the only source of light emanated from what appeared to be a large, blue heart. It pulsated, the dim light blue brightness changing in intensity at each pump.
He was in the heart of the forest.
This forest… is alive. And I'm going to be eaten soon.
There were other people inside the room with him. They were all bound up as well. Speaking a different language that he couldn't understand.
Are you…. kidding me?! A day has not even passed, and I'm already going to die just like that. And I can't even communicate with these guys around me.
Julian observed the variety within the room. There were people with ash grey skin, and skin as pale as snow. Sharp ears, curved horns, third eyes. He couldn't help but stare in awe at all of these different features.
There was chatter happening within the room, but he couldn't understand it at all. It felt like an incoherent buzzing in his ear.
…
I need to get out of here. I can't just sit around and allow myself to get eaten!
Julian's eyes scanned around the room.
Besides him, there was an elven man who looked at him, with a confused face. He opened his mouth to speak, releasing words that made no sense to Julian.
Naturally, Julian raised one eyebrow.
The elf's facial expression changed. He closed his eyes.
…
[????]
"Can you understand me now?"
"?!"
Julian's eyebrows shot up.
"I can!"
The strange words that were being spoken beforehand were finally perfectly understood. Even their prior conversation that he had heard in his memory was understood, as well.