August 11th, 2036—the day everything changed. The day humanity discovered the truth about dark matter. For decades, we thought it was just some inert, invisible substance making up most of the universe’s mass, barely interacting with anything. Turns out, we were dead wrong.
That day, scientists uncovered an entirely new quantum field—one that permeates the universe and, shockingly, interacts with fundamental forces in ways we never imagined. While I’m interested in physics and have probably watched way too many science YouTube videos, most of the technical details flew right over my head. But one thing stuck with me: human brains, with their complex quantum effects, can interact with this field. And in a twist more shocking than the Red Wedding, it explained all the supernatural phenomena we’ve recorded throughout history.
Long story short: magic is real. And it’s always been tied to dark matter.
The discovery triggered a worldwide obsession. Everyone—gamers, fantasy fans, conspiracy theorists—was trying to "awaken" their magical powers. Videos of people pretending to summon fire or move objects went viral instantly.
Of course, they were all fakes.
It didn’t take long for scientists to figure out why. Earth barely has any dark matter. It’s spread so thin here that no human could ever notice its effects—and it couldn’t even be measured until recently.
Within a few years, researchers developed a device capable of pulling more dark matter into Earth’s atmosphere. The scientific community tried to give this new phenomenon fancy names, but the internet prevailed, and "magic" became real, fueling a new era of technology and power.
After the initial excitement, I found out some harsh truths. Only people with unique neural configurations could interact with magic, and they were extremely rare—almost exclusively women. While I’m not exactly the manliest Chad out there, I’m pretty sure my, uh, “lower equipment” disqualifies me.
So much for my dreams of casting spells.
But hey, I’m a smart guy. I figured I could at least get into the research and development side of things, right? Yeah, no. Quantum physics at this level is so complex that even having a PhD in the field is just a starting point. And the competition for IT roles in this space? Less than 1% acceptance rate. Brutal.
So here I am, watching from the sidelines like a pleb, as the world transforms before my eyes.
Once again, I got home from my daily grind and plopped down on the couch, zoning out to some How It’s Made videos. “Ugh… It’s only Wednesday, my dudes.” Two more days until the weekend. Sigh.
It’s not that I hate my job or life—it’s just so… routine. Real-life magic is transforming the world, and here I am, working IT. Sure, I’ve got my distractions—videos, drinks with the bros, and a few rounds of League of Ragequit. But it’s not the same.
Magic-fueled technologies are popping up everywhere, but they’re still too expensive for people like me. Sure, it’s cool, but what I’m really excited for is the magic-computer interface that lets you link your brain to a machine.
Full dive VR—finally! I give it a few more years, tops. Hah, I bet some lunatic will create a real-life SAO.
After a quick shower, I climbed into bed. Lately, sleep has been the highlight of my day. A few weeks ago, I started having these insane, vivid dreams—the kind that leave you reeling when you wake up. Each dream is like a puzzle, challenging me to recreate technologies from scratch. Not surprising, given my obsession—err, hobby—of watching endless hours of engineering and science videos.
At first, it was simple stuff, like how to make concrete. Everyone knows it’s just crushed limestone that you bake really hot and mix with a few other things.
But lately, the puzzles have gotten more complex. So complex that… well, I’ve actually started studying for my dreams.
Yeah, I know that sounds crazy—studying for a dream test—but hey, it’s fun!
I wonder what it will be this time? The last one was creating rudimentary semiconductors from scratch, and that was quite a challenge. The chemistry behind making photosensitive coatings for lithography was right on the edge of my knowledge, but somehow, I managed. I thought purifying silicon from sand would be the hardest part, but in my dream, I can cheat by supplementing technology with magic!
A few years ago, I’d have said that using magic in industrial processes was nonsense. But hey, magic is real—so why not have fun with it, at least in my dreams?
At least in my dreams, I can use magic.
Slowly I fall asleep. There’s only darkness, and then there’s a voice inside my mind. It’s weird… like I’m not hearing it with my ears, it’s more like thoughts that aren’t mine are appearing in my head. Huh… This is not how it usually goes.
“Good job, Aurelius. You’ve passed all the tests and have been judged worthy.”
“Uuuh… Thanks?” I blink in confusion. Puzzles? Sure. But voices in my head? That’s new.
What the hell is happening? This was supposed to be a dream—one of those crazy but harmless puzzles. Now there’s a voice? Am I going insane, or is this just some next-level lucid dreaming?
“I can’t speak like this for long, so I’ll make it short and then explain everything later. Tell me, are you prepared to do whatever it takes for the sake of humanity?” the foreign thoughts appear again.
"Sure? I guess?" I try to shake off a weird feeling in my gut. Maybe I’ve been watching too much anime and it’s messing up my dreams, but I might as well play along and see where this goes.
“‘I guess’ is not good enough. You need to have resolve. I ask again. Do you swear to act for the sake of humanity and lead it to a new golden age?”
Fair enough. It seems like it’s expecting a hero, so I try to remember some cliché lines to get into character. “I swear. I’ll become the dri… uh, hope that pierces the heavens!” Yeah, I’m going for that heroic protagonist vibe, but it’s harder than it seems.
“You will have to sacrifice everything—your body, your family and friends, your entire present. Are you prepared to make this sacrifice to become a hero for the world?” the voice asked solemnly.
“Sacrifices are necessary. You can’t gain anything without losing something first.” Heh. Nice. I think I’m getting better at this roleplaying.
“Are you sure? This is a big decision. It means throwing everything you are aside and leaving the world you know. There is still time to change your mind. Once you agree to this, there is no going back,” the voice cautioned in my mind.
Eh. Fuck it. It’s just a dream. “I’m not gonna run away, I never go back on my word—that’s my ninja way!” Ha! NAILED IT!
“Very well, then. I see your resolve. Prepare yourself!”
Suddenly, a bright light blinds me, and a violent tugging rips through my mind, like someone grabbed it with a pair of pliers and is yanking it straight out of my skull.
“Ow—what the hell?!” I gasp, clutching at my head. But it’s no use—the pain just keeps intensifying, sharp and relentless.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Am I still dreaming? This feels way too real. Can you even feel this much pain in a dream?
The tugging reaches a breaking point. I scream, but it’s swallowed by a new sensation—like I’ve been flung into a fast-moving river. The pain dulls into numbness as I float along, but when I try to move, nothing happens.
I glance down—or at least, I think I do. There’s nothing. No body. No arms. No legs. Just my mind, drifting in an endless river of lights.
I drift along, watching the lights, totally bewildered. I’m trapped in my own thoughts, unable to move.
What the hell is going on? This is way too intense to be a dream. Could it be that someone’s messing with my mind using magic? But who? I haven’t pissed anyone off that much, have I?
I keep floating, trying to make sense of it all. Maybe I ate something weird? Or got kidnapped by a secret cult for some Cthulhu sacrifice? No, that’s ridiculous.
Then it hits me—hard. The voice. The questions. The sacrifice. My mind races, trying to catch up. I threw out some cheesy lines, thinking it was all a joke but… could it be…?
OH SHIT! AM I GETTING ISEKAI’D? I’ve always liked the trope of getting reborn as a handsome protagonist, using superpowers to gain a harem of sexy babes and all the wealth.
Oh, hell yes! I’m gonna beat up some demon lords and—oh! I wonder what superpowers I’ll get! Will there be a status screen? Appraisal? A level system?
I have no idea how long I spent thinking about this kind of nonsense. Time seems to work differently here.
Finally, something changes. A bright light and again a painful sensation like my mind was being squeezed into a tube that’s too small for it.
Aah. How I missed this. The sensation of having a body is something precious you don’t realize until you lose it. I can tell I’m lying on my back, but I keep my eyes closed and just revel in the sensations of actually being able to feel something. I feel a cold, hard surface below me, chilly air causing goosebumps on my skin, and a soft blue glow leaking through my closed eyelids.
I slowly open my eyes. Hovering above me is a dimly shining blue crystal. I blink a few times in confusion, but it’s still there. Without much thought, I reach out my hand and touch it.
Suddenly, an indescribably intense sensation overwhelms my mind. I see thousands of words flash through my mind, written down, spoken out, and images of what they represent. The mental overload is excruciating. It’s like someone is bashing you in the head with a thesaurus made of iron, and with every hit, a thousand different words attach to your mind like parasites, trying to crawl in.
I don’t have the mental capacity to even cry out in pain, instead silently enduring as information mercilessly bombards my brain.
After what felt like an eternity, it finally stops.
I take deep breaths and try to calm my mind. My thoughts are in chaos as I try to process what just happened to me.
"I assume that was probably a bit unpleasant for you, but now that we’ve got the language issue out of the way, I can explain more details to you! Hahaha."
A sudden voice echoes from the crystal, and I flinch in surprise.
Unpleasant? A BIT UNPLEASANT? MOTHERFUCKER, I FELT LIKE I’M GONNA DIE!
The thought explodes in my head, but I shove it down fast, just like always. All good, all fine. Another day, another near-death experience, right? I unclench my jaw and take a deep breath, forcing the tension out of my body, silently fuming as the voice keeps talking.
“So, first of all, I should introduce myself. I’m Allena Hirschur. Oh, and I’m not actually here. This is just a recording.” An old female voice spoke. Hmph. You pull me into another world and can’t even greet me personally?
“I initially planned to greet you personally, but unfortunately, by the time you’ll listen to this, I’ll already be dead.” … Oh. Well then, that’s fair, I suppose.
“I was one of the greatest mages on the continent, and my specialty was time manipulation. So I pulled your mind to this timeline, because you proved yourself useful during the dream tasks.” Sigh. I could tell the dreams were a bit suspicious but… Isn’t this a bit much?
“I should give you some context. I think I pulled you from around the year 2040, so you should already know, but—magic is real. In the century following its discovery, humanity entered an unprecedented golden age. We don’t have the exact details, but it is said that artifacts of unfathomable power were created, capable of transforming the planet itself.”
Wow, for real? I’d expect everyone to just keep playing full-dive VR games and society collapsing because of it.
“During that time, the concentration of magic in the world skyrocketed to unprecedented heights. Then something happened. Maybe a war or an accident, we don’t know. What we do know is that an apocalypse wiped out the vast majority of the population. The population never really recovered from the losses, and during the following hundreds of years, most knowledge was lost.”
As the news sinks in, a creeping sense of loss edges its way through. My family, all my friends… The city I lived in, the restaurants I used to eat at—everything is just… gone.
I feel the weight of it for a second—like the air’s been sucked out of my lungs—but no. Not now. Not yet.
I grit my teeth. There’s no point in going down that road. Not now.
“While humanity still survives, I fear that things are getting dire. Monsters roam outside, and while some cities still prosper, without safe trade and lands to tend, a steady decline is inevitable.”
Wait—what monsters? Where do those fit in? Did humans create them or did they just start spawning by themselves? Before I could gather my thoughts, she continued.
“And that’s why you were summoned. You proved your knowledge and swore you would act for the sake of humanity. I wanted to meet you personally, but… sigh, I miscalculated a bit and sent you quite a bit further into the future than I intended. I expect you’ll arrive somewhere around the year 2800 or so.”
Whaaaaat? 800 years into the future?! My mind spins, trying to grasp it.
No. No, no. This can’t be happening. It’s impossible. There’s no way this is real…
A tremor runs through my chest, tight and cold. If this is real… if I really got sent into the future… then I’ve lost everything.
No. Nope. Not happening. I clench my fists, forcing the trembling to stop.
I grit my teeth, suppressing my emotions. There’s no point in going down that road. Not now. Focus on something else. There’s no point in wallowing. Think about the good stuff. That’s how I’ve always gotten through, right? Yeah. I’ll get through this. I always do.
“However! Don’t worry. Even if I can’t meet you personally, I’ve prepared everything you might need in the adjacent room. You’ll find everything from information crystals regarding common knowledge, to history, geography, and even accounts of all that I know about magic, my diaries, and so on. And of course, gold and other materials that might be useful. It really is a treasure trove, so don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll manage just fine!”
Screw the bad stuff. Focus on the positives. That’s always been my game plan. It’s what keeps me sane.
Oh damn! Now this is how a transmigrated protagonist starts off. I’ll be rich, I’ll have the knowledge of one of the most powerful mages, and then… I just need to save some sexy ladies from mortal peril and build my harem. Heheheheee.
“Oh. And I also created the body you are in right now, you’ll find clothes in the next room as well. I got a bit bored after summoning you, so I… kept making more and more improvements, but… hopefully it’s to your liking? I didn’t really get a chance to get any details about your previous form, so I’m… not sure if it’s… exactly the same kind that you’re used to but… well. You did say that you’re willing to make sacrifices. Oh! And the magic compatibility is extremely high! I had a ton of time to fine-tune the body, so you should be able to use magic without any issues.”
I can use magic?!
WOO! This is the best thing that ever happened to me! Screw everything else—this is it. Magic! Me?! Holy shit!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
“Alright, this is just a brief introduction, so you don’t get disoriented after you arrive. Go to the next room, and you’ll find crystals with everything you need to know.”
The crystal dims, then falls to the ground with a sharp clank. Silence crashes over the room like a wave, leaving me in complete darkness—except for a faintly glowing sigil on the wall.
That’s… probably the door? I push myself up, but my new body feels off—like it’s not mine. Everything’s stiff, unfamiliar. I take a few tentative steps, feeling my way through the darkness until I reach the sigil, my fingers brushing against its cold surface.
A gap appeared in the wall, and a beam of bright light briefly blinded my eyes that had already gotten used to the darkness. I staggered a bit from the sudden brightness and braced my hands on the wall next to the door.
After some squinting and blinking, I finally open my eyes—and immediately notice two very crucial things that are missing… and two very large things that are very much not missing.
First, where the treasure trove was supposed to be, a hundred-meter-deep chasm gapes at me, like a bad punchline to a joke I’m still processing.
And when I look down…
Oh no.
Two breasts. And—oh god. It’s gone.
A feminine voice slips from my lips in a panicked whisper: “I’M SO FUCKED!”