The panther inches closer as panic starts spreading through my body. With my hand clutching my satchel in a death grip, I immediately get up and sprint in the opposite direction. The growling turns into a snarl as I can hear the panther leap after me.

The vigor spell lights up the way, but it also paints a massive target on my back. I’m running much faster than I ever have but I can hear the panther gaining on me. I’m seriously going to die the same day I was reborn, this is so fucking embarrassing.

Wait a second, I have a sword right? I pull the sword from its sheathe as I continue running as fast as I can. I… don’t know how to use a sword though… I knew I should’ve joined the kendo club instead of the stupid drama club. I only joined because a cute girl asked me anyways. And now that decision will be my downfall… God that’s embarrassing.

Before I can continue berating myself, I feel the full weight of a predator cat come down on my back. With the strength from my vigor spell still coursing through me, I turn in its grasp and use the sword as a poor barrier between me and its massive fangs.

Goddess… I’m sorry but you shouldn’t have placed a sheltered rich kid in a forest full of monsters. That’s just asking for her to get killed without a body to be found. I close my eyes and pray that it’ll be over quickly.

After a moment, nothing happens. Instead of jaws ripping my face open, I can feel the panther go slack on top of my blade. Tentatively opening an eye, I can see lifeless eyes staring back at me. With a start, I crawl back and away from under it.

Looking again, there’s an arrow protruding from the back of its neck. Before I can guess who shot it, a dark figure walks out from behind a tree.

“What’s a defenseless woman like you doing so far out in the woods?” the figure asks.

It’s a distinctly feminine voice, but it’s slightly deeper than average.

“You know, I wish I knew myself.”

“You don’t know how you got here?”

“No, I know how I got here. I just don’t know why here of all places.”

“Were you teleported by someone then?”

Thinking it over, I decide to just fuck it and let her know everything. It makes zero sense for the goddess to dump me in some random place without a reason. And this woman mysteriously appears right when I almost got mauled by a monster? Sounds like something that might’ve been planned.

“Yes actually. You have like, a goddess or something?”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just answer. Who it is depends on what you’re going to say.”

“Hm. Yes, my goddess is the same as everyone’s goddess.”

“She like, has a gown that looks like a beautiful color palette or whatever right?”

“Yes…? I’m still not sure what this has to do with anything.”

“Well, she’s the one that teleported me here.”

“Blasphemy.”

“Do you really think I’m gonna make up a story that’s going to make you want to kill me after you just saved me from a monster in the middle of the woods? I have no clue where I am, it’s dark out and I don’t know how to defend myself, and you think I’m going to just lie to someone who hasn’t even made any threatening gestures towards me?”

The woman seems to contemplate it for a moment.

“You’re right, it wouldn’t make any sense.”

“I’m fairly certain she placed me here because she knew I would run into you out here. So are you some kind of special person or?”

“You… could say that.”

“Well then listen to this and don’t laugh at me until the end okay?”

I proceed to tell her everything about the deal and how I have both magic and curse power and how I’m supposed to help prevent the world’s end.

“Did you inhale any moon-shaped mushrooms by any chance?”

“No? What are those?”

“Right… In that case, let’s revisit this in the morning. Do you trust me?”

“Interesting thing to ask someone you just met. But well, you did save my life so… why not?”

“Give me your hand.”

“Why?” I ask as I present it to them.

“I’m going to teleport us to my…” she sighs. “To my home.”

“You’re gonna bring a stranger to your house? That’s kinda dumb, no offense.”

“Please… don’t make me regret this. I just can’t deal with this right now and you’re going to die if I leave you here.”

“Right, sorry. I just get a little too talkative when I’m nervous. Thank you for saving me though… uh. What’s your name again?”

“I never told you.”

“I’m Misaki and you are…?”

She sighs. “I’m Iris.”

Iris holds my hand in hers before pulling out a crystal.

“So is teleportation your affinity then?”

“No, I’m using a teleport crystal. It’s standard adventuring gear.”

“Which is something I wouldn’t have known because I’m from a different world remember?”

“Something you claimed, yes. Like I said, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Before I can say anything else, I can feel my body do something really weird before I’m suddenly in a different place. It’s a large house from what I can tell, but there’s barely anything decorating it.

“Nice place you got.”

“Sure. Here’s your room,” she says after leading me to a door.

Opening it, there’s a decent sized bed that looks like it’s never been used and a dresser and a desk and nothing else. This place feels more like a hotel than someone’s house.

“Not many visitors huh?”

Instead of answering, she just pushed me inside the room before closing the door.

“Night.”

Yeah that probably wasn’t the best thing to ask. I look around the room more and find that the other door in the room leads to a bathroom. The toilet is a hole in a raised platform where I would need to squat over. There’s no bathtub and instead the entire room is supposed to be used as a shower. The bathroom floor is lower too so that water couldn’t escape.

The plumbing is pretty advanced for a fantasy world. I wonder if it’s all technology or if it’s magic based. Either case, I get to take a shower. Looking through the dresser, there’s towels and very generic looking clothes I could probably change into. They also look like they’ve never been used. That’s kinda sad, does Iris have no friends that come over or something?

After a quick shower, I end up crashing hard the second I lay my head on the pillow. Guess I’ll worry about everything tomorrow.