Songi lay on her bed, scrolling through her phone. It was hot, hot enough that she turned on two fans positioning them to hit her with the cool air at the same time. Grunting She sat up and flipped over to a more comfortable position to where the fans hit her back. Laying on her side she checks up her reading list on her favorite novel site, no updates. She then logs onto her favorite manga site, no updates. Frowning she goes onto her streaming platform to see if any of her shows were updated, they were not.
It was the same routine everyday for her to check these three sites. She knew the it would be futile since they updated weekly and monthly schedule but she still made sure not to miss any surprises.
Songi really liked the isekai genre, it’s recent popularity had sucked her in and she can’t get out. She’s into it because earth is lame-no fantasy but just living as a working ant. It gave her solace reading these books as she imagined herself as the character. She could relate to the fact that a normal protagonist kinda like her gets to experience a different world. Though she doubts she would have the same luck as them.
Rolling to her other side sighing she mutters “I would literally be the worst person to isekai over”
She’d have no idea what to do, also realistically the idea of isekaing over to a different world is scary since they have different cultures and customs and just ways of living
She turns on her night playlist and and tries to find a good position to sleep in. After 5 minutes of tossing and turning and making sure her dog was at the end of her bed, she dozed off into her eternal slumber.
—-
Songi wakes in what seems to be a black void. She wasn’t much of a lucid dreamer but she knew this wasn’t right.
Jingle
Songi looked towards the direction she assumed the bell sound came from. Still in the mindset of ‘in a dream’ she confidently starts doing a swimming motion to get to the bell noise.
As she swam she saw a little red dot floating in the distance, assuming that’s where the bell noise came from she swam towards it. As soon as she came with 10 meters of it, it started glowing brighter. It grew so bright that she had to shield her eyes. Opening her eyes again she found herself in a different room, all white with little blue orbs flying around freely.
What the hell is this dream I thought, but right before I was about to call out the bell sound ringed again but now it was accompanied by a voice.
The didn’t have a body but seemed to be everywhere.
“Welcome! Contestant #6gyi you are our last entry”
The hell is with this dream.
“Since you come from a world without any magic you will be paired up with someone of the same level but with magic”
The red dot previously seen by Songi showed up again, it was angrily trying to escape an invisible box. She swore she could hear little screeches of anger.
The bell ringed again, stopping the ball of fury in its tracks. “After the contract is formed you will be one whole person, please take your time to get to know each other”
The red ball trembled as if asking a question, the voice answered right away. “You have snuck into this, you are not supposed to be here but it’s too late. I picked someone that has the same power level as you. Since you somehow got in, I will let you participate if you are unhappy I will wipe both of you out”
Songi had no part in the conversation but when she heard ‘wiped out’ she noped right away and tried to wake herself up.
The bell rang again, her movements halted. “You will be going to the world called esdale, into a body of a very unfortunate child. It’s your decision to do what you want” the voice said now seeming to be talking to her “what would you like you like your name to be”
“Can’t I just wake up, i think this dream has been going on for too long.”
There was a silence before the voice spoke again “this is not a dream”
“Ya right”
“Child from earth, I killed your previous body and am granting you a second chance. If you disagree you will be both wiped out”
The little red ball trembled, “isekai is not real”
“Although it is quite surreal for a human to believe, it is in fact real. Think of this as your rebirth”
“I died in my sleep?”
“Yes”
“But I did nothing wrong”
“Correct”
“Why not someone else”
“It was a coincidence, pure chance, our spirit friend snuck into the summoning portal right as you hit REM sleep”
Songi pondered for a bit, “but my dog”
“He’s fine, if you do win you can visit your family again”
“Win?”
The bell ringed again, the blue orbs floating freely now conglomerated into a screen like shape, there it showed a picture of some ranking system. “I collected all the strongest being from different worlds to compete for the ultimate title of the most power being. The reward is total domination”
I stared at the board “isn’t that a bit too much”
“you guys are not chosen candidates but since it’s amazing both of you made it here I consider you fit to be candidates, you can participate in this battle”
Was that a complement?
“You are currently ranked F class, the lowest of all candidates. I encourage you to try your best and get stronger, I am nothing more than a voice of information please contact me any time for questions”
“Wait, considering this is real how do I get stronger?”
“you will have to knock down contestants to reach the top”
“Kill them?”
“That is one method”
The bell ringed, “have you decided on a name yet?”
Right totally forgot about that “I’ll use Ceto” it’s my screen name for gaming
“Completing registration, the spirit next to you will be apart of you soul. This is your source of power”
Songi looked over to the red spirit, the red spirit was still but around it seemed to be a defeated aura.
“You will be entering Esdale in 10 minutes” after saying that it seemed that the voice was gone
…
The red orb slowly drifted around me, examining for something I had no clue of.
“Your horribly weak” it said
“Seems like we are in the same position according to the voice” I remarked
The red ball stopped mid air and couldn’t think of a comeback- they were equals. It didn’t mind that it got a human but a human from the stupid planet earth was the lowest of the low.
The spirits thought process was interrupted by Songi “where did you come from?”
“I don’t know” it answered
…
“I think I’m from what you earth humans call the demon realm”
“Cool cool, what did you do?” Trying to start a conversation
“I was created to eat waste”
“Like a trash can? Landfill”
Ignoring the statement the spirit continued “I ate something that allowed be to gain consciousness and here I am”
Before Songi could answer she once again blacked out.
—-
It hurts, it hurts so much. Songi woke up in pain, her body was burning. Trying to get up she lifted her body to no avail, something was pressing her down, the air was getting harder to breathe
I am so not lucky
“It looks like your trapped under fallen debree”
Songi couldn’t see but she knew it was the spirit talking to her, “how do I get out?”
There was a silence then in the dark a red orb started faintly shining. “Follow me”
Trying her best she attempts to move she cries out in pain, her body hurts so bad. she didn’t know where specifically but all the pain came from the right side of her body.
Since they were linked together, the spirit could also feel the excruciating pain “We are too weak to climb out, but you're small enough to crawl. If you don’t get out we’ll both die”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Songi gritted her teeth, she was so not letting her chance of isekai slip through her hands! Following the orb was a slow process, she took many breaks wanting to collapse in pain and just give up. Every bump she encountered was like rubbing salt onto her wounds. She wanted to vomit but there seemed to be nothing in her stomach so all she could do is dry heave. As they progressed the spirit looked dimmer and dimmer, each time she stopped it also stopped and disappeared only to come back when she was ready to move.
Songi didn’t know how long it took but she was finally greeted by cold air. She didn’t realize she’d been sweating this whole time, she was grateful for the solace.
“Your going to have to climb up but it’s not bad...i hope”
Grunting I felt around me, it was dark but I could see some rough outlines of debree that I could cling onto. Above me was a little hole, the color of the outside world was a light shade of night blue. Taking a deep breath I start the ascent, the fresh air helped the burning sensation which made it easier to climb up.
I was greeted by a beautiful night sky, getting out of the hole I realized that as I looked around that the place I was in had been burnt to the ground. Due to the steam coming off of the wood, when she looked at the distance she saw a whole village in flames.
What in the world
Rumble
The platform she was on top of was caving in, as quick as she could she got off the rubble and onto the dirt. It seemed like that was the last bit of power from her new body, when she got a safe distance away she again passed out.
——
She was hiding
“Get those kids! We can sell them for good money”
Scared
“Damn where are they!? Oh I got some!”
Screams followed confirming that he was successful.
“We don’t have enough time, they’ll come just burn this shithole it’s not worth it”
“Fine fine, how unfortunate, we only got half of them”
“Yeah whatever”
*flick, crash, woosh*
He cast a spell, though low level still damaging to the small children hiding.
If she escaped they would take her, if she stayed she’ll die. Tears start rolling down her face all the promises she made with her brothers and sisters gone- she could hear their screams as they burned up in the fire.
—-
Waking up, I couldn’t move my body, it was like a scab formed over my whole right side, making a cast so moving meant breaking which meant pain. I lied there looking up at the sky, it seemed to be the morning? I couldn’t tel since I was under a tree.
“Hey are you there”
“Yes”
“I don’t think I can move, I can try…”
“Don’t, the pain is horrible”
“You can feel it too?”
“Yes did u not listen to the voice idiot”
“Damn okay”
Looking at the sway of the tree I started to go over everything. This is too real to be a dream. I’m Ceto- not Songi. Every move I make makes me want to kill my self… I have a spirit?
Ceto didn’t realize it at that time but the whole right side of her body was burnt, her skin peeled off and slowly forming into scabs to cover the open skin. The right side of her face was melted. She didn’t notice because of the pain, but she couldn’t see through her right eye. It hurt so bad.
hours passed, Ceto decided to sleep and rest it off until she felt better at least enough to move. From what she could tell by the light cycle, two days passed before she was able to move her head.
!!!
If she could she would let out a scream. There was a big ass spider (size of a small child’s hand) right next to her. It wasn’t moving however, I strained my eyes.
It was squashed
“Wow buddy, looks like we’re in the same predicament” I croaked. In response the spider moved its front two legs. Ceto didn’t know if she should cry or be happy for the little guy. She was scared of spiders but right now that was irrelevant.
“Don’t talk, rest” the spirit chided
“It seems like the spider knows what I’m saying”
“So what”
… good question.
—
More days passed, the pain stopped but she knew if she moved it was all over. The spider seemed to be alive as well since it was moving it’s front two legs.
Ceto was getting bored
“Do you have a name?”
“No”
“Can I name you?”
“No”
“I think mal suits you since your very negative, what pronouns do you want to go by?”
“I don’t care”
“Is it okay if I give you the pronouns he/him/his? You kinda remind be of my brother…. I never thought I would miss that shit”
Mal did not refuse and just stayed silent.
…
After lying down like a dead body for 14 light cycles, Ceto was finally able to slowly get up, though painful it was bearable. She slowly got up and examined the carnage. The village was burnt to the ground, the last bit of smoke was clearing into the sky leaving the wreckage. The wooden house, which she assumed was an orphanage was in shambles.
The more she thought about it the more she wondered how she survived two weeks without eating and drinking. She asked mal.
“I’ve been eating the things around us for energy”
Ceto slowly turned around and sure enough there were holes of missing dirt, the other side of the trees leaves and branches all Eaton away and no grass in sight.
“Thanks”
“I’m doing it for me”
Ceto still thanked the spirit. First things first, she needed to find something to wear
Ceto slowly lowered her eyes to her body, she was in a badly burnt of pair of pajamas. The right side of the pjs were fused with her melted skin. She almost vomited at the sight but instead took a deep inhale.
“I need to look for something warm before we go out”
She headed to the wreckage, she definitely could not go down to the village in this condition. She carefully went around the perimeter. “Mal could you eat some of this till I find something to wear”
‘That’s not a bad idea’ he murmured and then started eating away. It wasn’t much of a eating but more of a small orb going on top of something floating for a bit and that part is miraculously gone.
As mal ate Ceto looked over, it was hard with one eye but she somehow was able to get her way around. After awhile she was able to spot a green tablecloth looking thing, it’s once light color was now damp and burnt with soot but it still was useable. She tried tugging it out but it seemed to be latched onto something or she might just be weak. Mal started to eat around the tablecloth
!!!
Ceto let out a hoarse scream, as she finally got the cloth out a child’s hand was clinging onto the other end. It as burned beyond belief, rigamortis had set, this child was holding onto the cloth with its dear life as it died.
Mal stared at the hand, when he saw it an unspeakable hunger came across him. I need to eat
Ceto noticed the hunger feeling as well since she is Mal. She felt like puking, the stench was horrible and the fact she wanted to eat human made her sick.
“Think about it, if consume the bodies there is a chance I get an evolution- jt would be a waste to just leave them out…”
It was strange for Ceto, she didn’t disagree with the fact, she was more excited than anything which made her confused and scared. She was very disgusted but it was alluring. Ceto gulped, did anyone in this place have magic? She was trying to justify her actions before she let mal proceed.
Mal was impatient and started right away. Ceto couldn’t peel her eyes away from the scene, it was horrid but you couldn’t look away. She watched as the hand slowly disappeared, the blanket the kid was holding fell down to the ground in front of her.
It’s strange, my first reaction was to hurl and gtfo but when mal started eating all of it went away…
She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself, she watched mal eat 5 burned bodies of children. Some of them died of asphyxiation so they just looked like they were sleeping. Ceto has to look away for those ones- but her morbid curiosity got the best of her. It was messy-the way mal ate the children, but she could feel herself getting full with each one.
They arrived at the front of the house, mal said there were no more children inside but there was something outside. Carefully maneuvering through the debree she walked to the front, mal spirit blob following her.
Ceto stops in her tracks, in front of her is the body of a young woman lying face down. She hair was in bloodied clumps, her clothes ripped, Ceto could guess what those people did to her.
“This is not much different from earth” she mutters. Mal flies to the body and starts eating, Ceto wanted to stop him but she couldn’t look at the lady anymore. The lady was young about her mothers age- this was the final straw.
*drip*
I touch my face, why am I crying?
—-
Flashback of cetos old self
“Okay its time for bed!” A women yelled clapping her hands. There were many children around Ceto, they all laughed and giggled and said goodnight. Ceto could see herself getting up and running to the lady.
“Miss I’m scared”
The women glanced down- oh it was the women mal was currently eating. Was she the head of the orphanage? She’s so young
“Your brothers and sisters are with you, there’s nothing to fear” she spoke softly. Ceto shakes her head “they laugh at me for being scared of the dark”
“Oh dear, here I’ll tuck you in, don’t tell anyone alright they’ll get mad”
Ceto nodded, the lady took her to her bed, they were holding hands. She seemed to be praying over Ceto “there I asked god to protect you, you’ll be safe” she started humming a little song and before Ceto new she was back in reality
—
Mal has finished eating the ladies body, Ceto stared at the empty spot. That women had a good heart, but it’s so unfair
Gripping the cloth tighter Ceto started walking back to her tree. She spotted the squashed spider in the corner of her eyes, it’s legs wiggling as if it was trying to get her attention.
Ceto walked over slowly hunched down.
“I’ll eat it” mal remarked
“No, that’s enough. The spider is still alive let’s try to keep it alive” she had enough of death.
Mal trembled in annoyance but backed off. He didn’t understand why Ceto wanted to save such a useless thing, didn’t she hate spiders?
Ceto slowly scooped up the spider with her left hand, “I hope your not poisonous” she muttered.
She didn’t necessarily hate spiders but they just looked creepy, she would never kill one- always trap it and bring it outside.
The spider wiggled it’s front two legs more, seeming to enjoy cetos warm hand.
“Hey, since you didn’t let me eat this one let’s go down to the village to look for more”
Ceto slowly looked over her shoulder, “I hope there’s no one there”
“I hope there is! I’m hungry”
Painfully and slowly Ceto made it down the hill, it was dusk when she reached one of the houses. Mal flew away to who knows where leaving Ceto and the spider alone. She’s kinda thankful that she didn’t have to see more bodies being consumed, it was a grizzly process and the fact that the kind lady died trumps it all.
Okay, let’s look for water. There should be a well around here right? The village was tiny with former wooden huts. It looked like a knock of version of the isekai starter pack, she knew there had to be water since people couldn’t live without it.
She slowly walked around to the town center. The houses made a circle. Ceto slowly walked to the center, isn’t it usually supposed to be here?
She looked around again and then spotted a burnt down house which looked much well off then the others.
Oh so they hoard the water. She could see the well in this little huts backyard through the debree. I guess they controlled the town. Isn’t this not humanitarian.
She carefully walked around the house and to the well, it was untouched amidst all the chaos, laughing as it saw the houses burn knowing it held the key to savior. She peered into it, okay good start. She placed her blanket down and gently laid the spider onto it, it wriggled around as if to ask what she was doing.
“I’ll get you some water, and I need to wash myself off” she looked down at her body. It was going to be a painful process. Shivering she slowly picked up tiny bucket hiding behind the well and slowly lowered it down. The scabs on her hand slowly started opening up, no blood came but you could see the pus starting to leak out. She pulled the bucket of water up, the spider could her little cries of pain.
“Let me just wash myself off and then I’ll give you some water”
She didn’t know if it would work but she thought of mal and tried telepathically communicating. She felt stupid doing it.
Mal could you bring me something to wear
There was silence but after a minute of waiting she could hear a faint fine and knew it worked.
“Thank god, that would’ve been embarrassing if it didn’t work” she dipped her non injured hand in the water
“Shit!” It was so cold! She’ll get hypothermia if she washed herself now!
Swish. Mal appeared in front of her dropping down a shirt. It was big enough to be a dress on Ceto there were rips on the bottom but it seemed to be in tact.
“Thanks, can you do anything to make me not feel this? I can’t wait any longer it’s going to get even more infected”
Mal circled around her body. “You’ll have to take your cloths of first”
Ceto new it was coming but she didn’t want to “it’s literally infused with my skin”
“The pain will be worth it, if you die of infection that would be embarrassing” mal chided
Ceto looked at her situation once again. Her brown colored pjs were melted into her right side. She could take off everything from her left but the on the right it stuck onto her like a bandaid. Each time she tugged she would dry heave of the pain. Mal could feel it too, he was getting agitated “just pull it all off fast, it’ll be quicker”
Ceto didn’t disagree, she did not want to sit there for hours slowly peeling her cloths out of her skin. It would be the same outcome if she were to rip it off fast than slow. Bending down she grabbed the t shirt mal brought, balled it up and but down- this was so she wouldn’t wretch and make things worse.
Mal couldn’t do anything, they still didn’t have any power so he just had to watch and do nothing. Ceto clenched hard on the shirt and then started peeling of her pjs. Tears ran down from her working down. She screamed with each tug, the burning sensation came back, like she was on fire again but accompanied with her skin tearing from her body. She didn’t stop, she kept going, clenching down on the shirt as hard as she can. There was no one around her to hear her screams except for mal and the spider. Mal felt like he was dying, he’s never felt such pain before and never wants to feel it again. He hates being weak, it’s so unfair!
When she was finished, she didn’t stop at all. Ceto knew if she stopped right now she wouldn’t be able to do this a second time. With the cloths off mal enveloped her whole body creating a black aura around her. It lessened the pain, but she warned Ceto to not take too long. She spat out the shirt and started pouring the ice water on her head. Thanks to mal it felt lukewarm but it stung as soon as it hit her burns.
She cried, cried hard. She’s never felt pain like this before, back in her old world she lived such a peaceful life, it was unfair that her isekai experience wasn’t what she imagined but she could blame no one.
With the father flowing down, Mal helped purify the dirt in her wounds, he could only eat off the dead skin from her body which he did. She slowly put on the long shirt, “your staying?”
“Yes, we share the same body, I ate enough so I can hold until it scabs over”
Ceto was relieved. Now the pain was just a dull sting that stayed no matter what she did. Now able to slowly move her right side, bending arms and turning head, she was grateful she’s not in a cast of her own skin anymore.
Not forgetting about the spider she grabs the bucket and fills it up again. She dips her fingers in, bringing her hand up to the spiders face, the water dropped. The spider was thankful
“Amp can you purify it too”
“No”
“Will it work when I’m holding the spider since it’s touch my skin.”
“...maybe”
Ceto nodded, thanking her previous life’s otaku skills. She slowly cupped water in her hand and poured it on the bottom half of the spider, the spider wriggled around in pain. I know how you feel bud. She then scooped it up, with the blanket around her she slept in less pain for the first time.
—-
The next morning was much better, the spider seemed to have function of its flower body and it rested on her shoulder. The black aura was visible but since there was no one near, it didn’t matter.
“I guess we should find the nearest town?” Ceto asked, she needed medical help. She followed the dirt path leading out of the village hoping it went somewhere.
“Was there anyone in the village?”
“No the whole village was empty, it was just the orphanage” Mal replied
Ceto scrunched her brows, “how did the escape and the kids didn’t”
If they knew then why didn’t they tell the lady? Do they do that intentionally?
She stopped in her tracks “that’s horrible, just because they don’t like the fact the orphanage was sort of their community”
Mal really didn’t care what the humans did, he’ll have to teach Ceto that too. Slowly as the get stronger she’ll be less of this disgusting creature.
…