Chapter 3: a whole Different world
I slowly opened my eyes, groaning as something cold brushed against my cheek. Damp grass.
For a few seconds, my mind was completely blank.Then everything came rushing back at once.
A splitting headache slammed into me so hard I nearly curled into a ball.
"That bitchy diva…" I hissed through clenched teeth, a twitch appearing on my forehead.I forced myself upright and finally looked around properly.
A massive forest stretched endlessly in every direction. Sunlight filtered through towering trees with grey-colored bark, their leaves glowing faintly lime whenever the wind passed through them. Strange little creatures darted through the bushes, too fast for me to identify. Somewhere in the distance, birds chirped in melodies that sounded almost musical.The air itself felt different.
Cleaner.
Lighter
Almost… alive.
{
A feminine voice echoed inside my head.
"Huh?" I looked around but saw no one. Just then A transparent holographic screen materialized in front of me.
"…A stats window?" The gamer inside me instantly woke up. I tapped the floating screen cautiously.
{Name: Shiori Komori}
{Age: 17}
{Species: Demi-Human}
{Profession: None}
{Title: None}
{Achievements: None}
{Charm: Lv 10}
{Luck: Lv 18}
{HP: 50,000/50,000}
{MP: 50,000/50,000}
"…Demi-human?" I blinked slowly.
Then froze. Something fluffy brushed against my leg.
"…What.?"i turned around. A large white fox tail swayed behind me.My brain stopped functioning for a moment.
"…WHAT?!"
I grabbed the tail in both hands, staring at it in utter betrayal. It was soft , Warm and disturbingly sensitive. The moment I squeezed it too hard, my entire body jolted.
"AH—!" I instantly let go, face burning red.
Panicking slightly, I stumbled through the forest until I heard running water nearby.
Pushing through the bushes, I arrived at a beautiful waterfall pouring into a crystal clear pond.
And then I saw my reflection.
My breath caught.
My face was mostly the same… but softer somehow. My pale down colored hair now carried a faint silver glow under the sunlight, and sitting atop my head were two fluffy fox ears twitching cautiously.
But my eyes… Tiny star-like patterns shimmered within my irises.
"…Beautiful," I whispered unconsciously.
I'd always joked about becoming an animal girl someday, but this was beyond anything I imagined.
My fox ears suddenly twitched. Every sound around me became sharper. The rushing waterfall. The rustling leaves.Tiny footsteps beneath the dirt.
It was overwhelming. I clutched my head.
"Too loud…" I muttered
Even the wind sounded amplified. After several deep breaths, the sensory overload slowly became manageable.
"…Okay, I'm okay now..." I sat beneath a nearby tree and searched through my backpack. Thankfully, my paranoia had paid off.
"Phone, PSP, tablet, solar power bank, charger cables, headphones…" i smiled weakly.
"Good job, past me."my stomach growled loudly.
"…Right. Food." But the moment hunger settled in, another thought immediately followed.
Sanemi.
Was he okay?
Was he even alive?
Was he scared?
My chest tightened painfully
"We've never been apart this long…"For a second, the confidence I'd been forcing cracked apart completely.
What if he got summoned somewhere dangerous?
What if he was hurt?
What if—
"No." I slapped my cheeks lightly.
"Crying won't help him." i stood up decisively.
"If Sanemi's in this world too, then I'll find him." My ears twitched again. Nearby, several strange orange fruits hung from a tree.
I plucked one carefully.
{Analyzing…}
{Cuta Fruit}
{Properties: Edible}
{Effect: Slightly enhances reflexes when consumed repeatedly. Restores stamina.}
"Oh thank God." i bit into it. Sweet juice exploded in my mouth instantly.
"…Woah." Warm energy spread throughout my body.
"So good…"i moaned as i ended up eating way more than intended.
A screen appeared.
{Skill: Reflexes increased by 4}
"Oh. That's actually useful."Suddenly My fox ears snapped upright. Something was nearby.Branches crunching.
Instinct took over before my brain could react. I grabbed several fruits, stuffed them into my bag, then leapt upward.
CRACK.
"…Too much force."
I accidentally launched myself nearly twenty feet into the air before crashing awkwardly onto a branch
"…Ow…" I rubbed my aching temple. Peeking downward, I spotted two enormous bear-like creatures covered in yellow fur and crackling electricity.
They looked like Pikachu and a grizzly bear had a cursed child.
"…Absolutely not."The creatures sniffed the air aggressively. One of them growled.
Electric sparks danced around its claws.
My body immediately stiffened. Danger. For the first time since arriving here, reality finally hit me.This wasn't a game.
If that thing caught me, I could actually die.
I slowly backed away along the branch.
"…Okay. Calm. Think smart."
Maybe I had useful skills. I opened the status menu again.
{Basic Skills}
{Bite Attack: Lv 1}
{Claw Attack: Lv 1}
{Sensitivity: Lv 1}
{Stamina: 5000/5000}
{Strength: lv 1}
{Stealth: lv 1}
{Speed: lv 3}
{Agility: lv 3}
I had no idea what counted as "normal" in this world. My eyes moved downward.
{Complex Skills}
{Magic User}
{Sprint Enhance}
{Foxy Form}
{Elite Skills}
{Predator}
{Insight}
{Power of the Mind}
"Right… definitely overpowered. Classic protagonist crap."
Still, having skills and knowing not how to use them were completely different things.
Magic sounded dangerous to test blindly.
Predator sounded horrifying.
Foxy Form sounded embarrassing.
Which left…
"Sprint Enhance."
I crouched carefully on the branch.
"Just a tiny boost…"
{Sprint Enhance Activated}
BOOOOOOOOM—!!
The branch exploded beneath my feet.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH—?!"i shot forward like a missile. Wind tore against my face as the forest blurred past at terrifying speed
"TOO FAST—!!"
I slammed through several branches before suddenly realizing.
"…Cliff."
A massive cliff edge rushed toward me.
"This is bad this is bad THIS IS BAD—!!"
I flailed midair desperately. I have no options here! Oh wait!
{Foxy Form Activated}
My body shrank instantly. White fur engulfed me. My limbs twisted unnaturally as I transformed into a tiny fox cub.
"…Kyuu?!"
The sudden reduction in size barely saved me. I narrowly missed the cliffside and instead tumbled into a narrow cave opening hidden beneath it. I rolled violently down a slope.
THUD.
Face-first into stone.
Silence.
"…Just my luck. Wait where's my bag?" just then the bag landed on top of my head, hard.
Darkness swallowed everything.
.......... .
Shiori slowly opened her eyes.
"…Huh?" She sat upright immediately.
This wasn't the cave.A luxurious room stretched around her, decorated in dark teal and gold. Elegant chandeliers hung overhead while massive bookshelves lined the walls.
"…Where am I?"
"Come…"A voice echoed softly from down the hallway. Shiori hesitated before following it. Roaming through the halls puzzled and cautious.
"What is this place?' she said looking around.
"Hello!" She called, but no one responded. At the end of the hallway stood a single door.
She opened it cautiously.
And froze.
"…What the hell?"
Five girls sat around a circular table. All of them looked exactly like her.
Well…
Versions of her.
"Welcome," they spoke in perfect unison.
That somehow made it worse. Shiori slowly sat in the empty chair.
"…Okay. Either I'm dreaming or I finally lost my mind."she stared at the familiar faces waryly.
"You are us," one replied calmly.
"…That explained absolutely nothing." I said blankly.
The woman at the head of the table adjusted her black suit elegantly.
"we are different versions of you, split into different entities. I represent your strategic side. You may call me Boss Lady."
Another adjusted her glasses.
"I am Intellect. Your analytical side."
A girl with messy twin tails grinned wildly.
"I'm Wild! The fun side!"
Another girl quietly avoided eye contact.
"I… represent your insecurities. Call me Spineless."
The final girl beamed brightly.
"And I'm Happy! The side that keeps moving forward no matter what!"
Shiori stared silently. "…So I really have gone insane."
"No," Intellect replied immediately. "This is the manifestation of your Elite Skill: Power of the Mind."
"This place is called Infinity Space, basically a pocket dimension exclusively under your control." Boss Lady explained. Shiori looked around again.
"…A mental world?"
"Correct."
"…That's actually kinda cool.
"Told you!" Happy grinned proudly.
"There are libraries here too!" Wild added excitedly. "it stores knowledge from Earth"
"There's also dimensional storage," Intellect added. "Potentially useful."
"And we assist with decision-making," Boss Lady finished.
"…This is ridiculously convenient."
Then Shiori frowned.
"…Wait."
A memory surfaced.
"That voice earlier…" The girls suddenly looked confused.
"Voice?" they asked together.
"Yeah. A guy's voice."
"…That would be me." A warm breath brushed against her ear.
"WAH?!"
Shiori nearly fell backward. Floating lazily above the table was a boy with colorful hair and golden eyes.
"…Tet?!"
The god grinned mischievously.
"Hello, Shi-chan."
"What are YOU doing here?!"
"I've decided to move in."
"…Excuse me?"
"You're interesting," he replied casually. "So I got curious."
"That is NOT a valid reason to invade someone's brain!" Tet ignored her completely.
"This mental space is surprisingly comfortable. I think I'll stay awhile."
Shiori stared at him in disbelief before sighing heavily.
"…Honestly, at this point I'm too tired to care."
"Aww," Tet pouted dramatically. "I expected more resistance."
"I'm stranded in another world, turned into a fox girl, almost got eaten by electric bears, and launched myself off a cliff within my first hour here. I think I've earned the right to stop reacting."
"…Fair point."
Shiori turned toward Boss Lady.
"So how do I leave?"
"Focus on your physical body," Boss Lady answered calmly. "Your consciousness will naturally return.
Shiori nodded slowly.Then closed her eyes.
She concentrated carefully
Bit by bit, sensation returned.
Her fingers.
Her breathing.
The ache in her head.
And then—
Everything faded to black once more.