"Hey, hey! Are you okay? Hey!"

I was still trying to process what had just happened, attempting to keep my head from exploding with immense excitement that made me want to jump down again, to observe them up close. I couldn't see anything here, just flashes of light indicating their swift movements that my eyes couldn't keep up with.

Well, at least the eyes of an ordinary human, because the person who saved me could see everything clearly, muttering to themselves about how bad the situation was now.

I agreed, there's no denying that some people had lost their lives to the rampage of the Dragon. However, there was something else that caught my attention. They seemed to have known that this would happen, including the Cafe employee who casually made coffee.

No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions.

What if they genuinely didn't know this would happen, or perhaps they knew but didn't believe it could occur. One thing was certain, the state of the world had drastically changed. With their appearance-

"I hope it's not the entire Earth that is now merged with Alterra," he whispered softly, filled with concern.

Wait, what?

What does he mean by Earth being merged? That can't be possible, right?

The world should be in apocalypse if that happened. Could it be that, somehow, Earth has become a part of another world? But...

There's no point in figuring that out right now.

The more important thing for me to master is survival.

With the presence of that dragon earlier, I'm certain that creatures that were once only found in legends, myths, films, and the like, are now real.

For an ordinary person like me, this is undoubtedly dangerous. I could easily die without any means of defense.

Sure, I know some self-defense techniques, but that doesn't mean I can face creatures with physical strength far surpassing humans. There's no way I could fight that dragon with a Low Kick, I'd end up with a broken leg instead of the dragon falling.

Then, witnessing how the Cafe employee effortlessly contained the fiery breath that could easily melt the pavement, it's highly likely that there is magic or something similar in this world. No, I'm pretty sure it exists. Well, that doesn't mean I can use magic because it could be that only certain individuals are capable of using it.

"Thank you for saving me, but I have a question," I requested to the person who was currently scratching their head in frustration. His short red hair was disheveled, his broad chest heaved up and down with emotions, and his tightly clenched fists watched the distant battle.

"You want to ask about this world, don't you? Why you suddenly ended up here, why there's a dragon—"

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"I'm sorry for interrupting you, but that's not what I want to know. How can I survive in this place? At least as an ordinary human. Because from what I've observed, all of you are far from ordinary. Though I am weak, I don't want to die without putting up a fight."

He appeared surprised, grinning and revealing two pairs of sharp fangs. "Well, well, I didn't expect to meet someone like you, someone who quickly composes themselves even though it's your first time facing something like this.

Wasn't the dragon frightening enough for you?

I don't know if you're brave or a psychopath. Ordinary people would scream, panic, cry in despair, especially when death is so close to them."

The muscular man with numerous scars snorted roughly, then stared at me sharply.

"Remember this, the world you used to live in is gone. Welcome to Alterra, a world where death always looms, even in your sleep. You won't last a day if you can't adapt quickly.

Well, I wouldn't be surprised to find your corpse the next day, considering you're a human from a world of peace without the constant struggle for survival every second.

If you want to survive, find a weapon immediately, whatever it may be. Use it only as a last resort. But if you have a chance to escape, run without looking back, keep running until you find a crowded place with people from this world. I don't need to explain further; you should understand from the way we and you are dressed.

And never trust anyone's words blindly, whether they are your friends, companions, or even your family. People's true nature will be revealed in this world. Lastly, quickly seek out the Glory. I don't know how you can obtain it, but find a cube made of glass that emits a bright light. That is the only way for you to live safely in this world.

But of course, you will encounter others, so it depends on you and your luck to obtain it. Pray that you are the main character in this story, and I hope I won't find your corpse tomorrow."

Glory? Is that how they refer to magic in this world, or is it something completely different?

I will find out later. For now, what I need to do is find the nearest town, a town that belongs to this world. Only there can I gather more information about this world and also about Glory.

"Thank you so much for your help. Can I ask one final question?"

"Go ahead."

"Where is the direction to the nearest town?"

Without answering, he pointed to his left side, then leaped down after saying, "Good luck."

Indeed, I hope I'm lucky... Now I wonder if I can really survive or not with such bad luck.

HOW DO I GET DOWN FROM HERE, HUH!? GOOD LUCK YOUR ASS!

Damn it, I can't jump down like him, I'm just an ordinary human!

Even if I have a hidden ability like the one I used to dodge the car, I'm not sure if I can survive jumping from this height.

Someone who has just trained cannot possibly win an international championship.

Is he doing this on purpose? Trying to check if I can get out of this situation?

If that's true, I will...

I don't know what I'll do, I'll figure it out later.

Right now, how do I get down? And I have to hurry, the sun is starting to set and I'm someone who's hard with directions, so if it gets dark, I'm afraid I'll get lost.

Come on, Zent, think! You have to find a way out, you surely don't want to die before embarking on an adventure in this world, right? YOU SURELY WANT TO MEET AN ELF, DON'T YOU!?

ELF!

Okay, now or never!

Without hesitation, I gather my courage, run forward, and leap towards the neighboring building with glass walls on all sides. I know this is a foolish move; I could get hurt by the glass or even fail to reach the target building, considering there's a big road separating the building I was in earlier and the one I'm aiming for.

No! You can't be pessimistic! You will make it! I will make it!

Seconds tick by, seconds that now feel like minutes, as I watch my reflection in the glass, getting closer and closer until I realize one thing. The face in that reflection is not the face of someone afraid of death but the face of someone who has just experienced life.

That's right! I have just been reborn! This is the moment! A new chapter!

MOTHER, I AM BORN-

CRASH!!

....

....

....

"Ahhh..." As I suspected, birth is painful.