Saw the same news and finally decided to go to the store. Walked back to my place but when checking my phone… well, I’m in a weird forest that almost reminds me of stone and glass. Harder to keep my eyes open actually. Either I finally broke my brain or got taken to another world by my train of thought. 

No service on my phone and I only have a backpack of supplies. June 21st is the day I got isekai’d I guess. Why am I calm? I’m talking to you aren’t I? Just think of these internal monologues as my regular way of interacting with the world or an example of coping with the new situation. One where I keep walking for a whole year yet I’m already there where the trail leads at the end of the day like a time skip and elongated pause in the same moment. It was actually relaxing even though I didn’t realize it happened until a cliff and ascending crystal stairs appeared before me.

After looking at it for a bit...taking a sip of water...taking a photo with my phone and testing out the stairs...I ascended. Though really I was simply taking things in stride step-by-step. I finally got the plateau and a door I never knew about until now as I stand here. Lots of reality warping and mystical looking wires making up the stairs and tying itself into the doorway. Groovy. Sparkling light drifting throughout and swirling into the portal. You knew what I did next right?

Yeah, I started falling into an open sky as soon as I pass through. Such strong winds swirling around even up here where there is a thin atmosphere. Took a mile of falling to reach the tallest clouds here and getting soaked in chilly cloud water. Refreshing since I got taken from Californa when the heat finally showed itself… Should clouds be this many colors? In the distance I see clouds that look more solid than what regular cloud physics would normally allow.

Oh vision cut off by more clouds... Took a while to finally get out of the clouds. Nearly freezing now but I’m starting to get dry. Uh I think my entire attire just changed. No more comfortable earth clothes but instead an even more comfortable robe. No longer have my other possessions but not like that matters in the face of the grand design. Could probably be this world’s level of regulations between inter-world influence? Multidimensional laws wouldn’t be the kind of thing I’d understand perfectly as a mortal but it’s whatever….Should falling take this long? Seems like the kind of situation in a story where a big title screen would pop up with some snazzy 32-bit music in the background. Hahahaha maybe I’ll imagine one for my own enjoyment. Ba-baba-BAH! Ba-baba-BAH! Ba-BAH! *echoey twinkling crescendo as I plummet from the clouds*

[Morning Star Story]

(literally 30 minutes of free-fall later)

Welcome to another moment in the aviary lifestyle of the otherworlder, uhh… heck I don’t remember my name anymore. Hmm? Is that a [press start] floating in my head? Weird but I’ll accept the situation as it is. Start?

[Connecting to World: Dolsera]

Oh I’m almost at the gro- 

*tree rustling sounds*

*branches breaking*

*bouncing off strange rubbery tree*

*tossed between several trees*

*bouncing up to go down again with more excessive bouncing*

*almost pass out*

*kept awake by dropping onto a large fallen tree*

*bounce straight up into the air and land heavily on solid ground*

*stays there to get reacquainted with earthy forest floor*

I was kinda hoping for a slow-motion magical entrance into a clearing as I arrived but I guess trees I don’t immediately break my bones on after popping into this world’s air are something to be appreciative of. Besides every breath feels like a blessing. Is the atmosphere supposed to taste this sweet? Any complaints about my aching body disappear when I realize the oxygen content is making my body buzz now. Mostly around my hands, eyes, mouth and along my spine.

My brain must have been rattled a lot because I’m noticing another warped layer to my vision. Doesn’t seem to be going away though. I stand up and fall back down. Body feels weak. Muscles could  be described as jelly but that is mostly because of how much I’m shaking. I can only keep taking deep breaths. Diaphragm soon becomes overworked despite air density being the same as my other world..or at least I perceive it to be. Gravity actually isn’t as restrictive. Hmmm. I’m going to make an educated guess that I’m getting used to higher levels of mana.

I’m in a different world but I’m an edumacated man. Laws of reality that I know of might not apply here. Oooh! A fiery flash of flame shoots through some clouds up high. Too fast to figure out what it was but that’s all I need to confirm my fantastic thoughts about this place...after my body gets used to this world, I stand up again. Slowly this time. That buzzing feeling is still there and doesn’t seem to be going away. Without accurate info I can only go by the vibe and feel of my body’s condition and the world’s effect on it starting now.

I slump against the squishy trees to support myself as I figure out how to work my limbs again. The varying colors of moss on them are quite pretty. Some mushrooms here, skeletons with similar robes as mine there, glowing red eyes and intense pressure coming from the dark cave way over there… yeah this is definitely a good start. Let’s keep going. Don’t look at it, just keep wandering down this barely used dirt path to where the trees seem to thin out. I’m really hoping that the {Boss Battle Music} I hear is all in my imagination…

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Kind of limped my way out of the rest of the forest. Barely got a good look at my new duds. I now have a flowy yet surprisingly maneuverable cultist #44 type of robe/cloak thingy. The quality is good and they’re basically pajamas so I won’t complain. I might be a mental facility right now for all I know and care for. That might be a dangerous mindset if I were to encounter any enemies so let us accept our perceived reality.

You all are enjoying my descent into madness hopefully as I give myself a reality check now that I’m noticing a health bar and other additions to my vision. Oh? What’s this?

(Swirly purple and orange holographic screen pops up)

Involuntarily I utter…’Ah...so this is one of those scenarios…’

[Welcome, Otherworlder!]

I don’t even worry about how I’m seeing a screen and feeling numbers going through my head that taste to the brain like auditory hallucinations. 

[Collecting Status]

It’s good to stay informed and even abstract systems need a moment to catch up to new variables.

[Status]

[Skills]

[Spells]

[Traits]

[Talents]

Hmmm… Open Status?

[Status]

Body: 14.3

Mind: 13

Aura: 16.5

I think this means...I passed the vibe check? I’m not sure what to say. Reality is normally surreal and kinda confusing so I guess I’ll- Oh?

[Otherworlder Starter Pack: Accept?]

Sure~

[1 Random Skill, 1 Random Spell, 1 High-Affinity Weapon]

[Rolling…]

[!!! Skill: Patch-Up, Spell: Mana Spike, Finesse-Based Morning Star !!!]

Cool! I should probably invest myself in this reality before I die, huh? Let’s play along.

A morning star on a chain appeared in front of me. Yoink~!

Honestly? This cloaky robe and now this? It feels strangely comfortable. Hmmm if what I think about the power of belief and mental illness is true then I could very well bring out my all if I set my mindset into fantasy survival mode. Good thing I live my life literally half into fantasy then. So this world has spells too...probably more of the into-physical-reality kind. I should rest for a bit. Comfy trees… I should get a log of it later. Onto skills.

[Skill List]

Precognition Level 0 (3 seconds)

Perceive your future in some way by 3 seconds.

Smoking Level 7

You can handle more smoke in your lungs.

Patch-Up Level 1

After leaving combat for 1 minute, recover 22% of your health.

Okay I think I’m starting to understand how this system is going to be like. Hmmm I should look at everything else before I overthink it. Spells?

[Spell List]

Aura Armor Level 2 (Unlocked)

Increase your physical durability with Aura.

Luck Enchantment Level Level 1 (Unlocked)

Enchant 1 person with a luck boost.

Mana Shield Level 1 (Unlocked)

Create a shield construct with your mana.

Mana Spike Level 1 (Unlocked)

Create a spike projectile construct with your mana.

Oooh~ Fun! I already want to cast one… I’ll look into it more first. Can my magic misfire? Nah. I should meditate on it or something. Uhh Traits?

[Traits]

Psychosis

You experience alter- Eh I’ll skip that one.

Relaxed

You tend to forcefully relax yourself even in extreme situations.

Okay that’s true enough… Talents?

[Talents]

Fantasizing

Aura

Well unless there’s a help menu… no reaction, okay then...without a help menu I should probably find some sign of civilization. There’s a road up ahead so I’ll follow that. Looks like a lot of people have passed through here so it shouldn’t be that hard.

A bit of pep goes back into my step. Almost like I’m still floating in the clouds. Easy to breath and barely any strength needed to keep myself going. I think I can jump higher now. Wait let me- *hop hop* -oh yeah I can jump higher now! I skip the rest of the way in an unknown direction. Out of the corner of my eye I notice a cabin hidden perfectly by some trees from the way I came. Curtains covering the windows and a small pile of firewood outside.

Time to explore the mysterious new cabin! I backtrack a bit and go up to the door. Don’t know what I was expecting...I opened the door and peeked inside. Some bandit types huddled around a fire about to eat a meal. ‘Oh pardon me.’ *closes door*

I hear one yell, “Don’t let him get away!”

Well I guess this is actually happening… *sigh* I hold onto the door handle and time it well enough to- *open door with greater force* The first bandit reels back with a busted nose. Drops their dagger. The others are still unarmed so I hurry to the one that is sprawled on the floor.

*wide swing down* My bare feet and the wooden floor now have blood on them. Yuck. Well whatever...the others scamper away towards their weapons kept by the cabin’s back wall. The largest of them is still trying to get up. Their back is turned. *morning star to the base of the neck* *body slumps and topples over a bowl of soup* 

The last one finally reaches their weapon and I hop over to make sure they can’t get it out of their sheath. *swing from the side* It connects with the jaw with a crunch. Take the sword out of their hand with the situation starting to catch up to me. Oh I really hope this is real and not some hallucination. Holding it sideways I plunge the point between the ribs. Using my body weight to do so. Oh geez. Oh geez. I know this is probably how I should have expected things to turn out but what the fuck? 

Oohhh boy this is...let’s just say it was inevitable and call it a day, yeah? 

*cut to scene of MC dragging the bodies out with a blank face*

*start digging a large hole that takes half the day*

*tip bodies into it by dusk after cleaning up floorboards of blood*

*covers hole and slowly goes inside the cabin*

*sits down and notices a clean empty bowl*

*turn to smoldering ashes under pot of soup*

Oh right there's food… Soup time!

*eats in silence*

I take a look at the interior of the cabin. Some crates and barrels in different corners. Stood up to check what they contained. First crate! empty~

That’s disappointing. Second crate! A bunch of cloth. Maybe I’ll try making bandages tomorrow. I take a deep breath. Ribs still pained but that’ll clear up soon enough. Third crate that’s stacked on top! Oh! Shields and metal armor. Hmm I’ll take a shield but that armor seems heavy. Pushing that stacked crate off to get the one underneath is easy enough when I tilt it. 

*metal cacophony from spilled armor* *flinch* Well anyways let’s see what is in here.

Last crate! A bunch of leather armor in different sizes. After looking through it all and finding one that fits, I put it aside to wear later.

Is there water?