As Nathan glanced back at the mirror, the terror that once gripped him began to recede, replaced by the delusions of granduer afforded to him by his newfounded circumstances. Yes, the sudden transportation into another body was horrifying and almost certainly would be a pain in the behind in the future, but for now, he pushed those concerns aside gleefully. It was time to indulge in the fantastical possibilities of his new superpowers!

Unfortunately, as he delved deeper into his fantasies, a cold realization washed over him like a wave crashing against the shore-he wasn't in a fantasy world at all, as evidenced by the demoralizing patterns of modern architecture surrounding him. The truth hit him like a punch to the gut, shattering the illusions of grandeur that had momentarily taken hold of his imagination.

Fortunately, the metaphorical punch in the gut served as a wake up call, pulling Nathan's thoughts away from the spiral of panic and forcing him to confont his actual situation.

"Calm down, Nathan, just calm down. Be cool...like Levi. Yeah, like Levi," Nathan muttered to himself, trying to channel the stoic demeanor of the coolest guy in the universe.

As Nathan's mind cleared, he thought about his next steps. If this truly was an isekai adventure like he thought it was, then he needed to ascertain it's genre. Perhaps it was indeed a fantasy in disguise, and this nondescript house was built by time travellers who would become his advesaries in the future. Or, it might mirror the novels where protagonists found themselves in rom-com plots, forced to steal hearts. Nathan couldn't deny he'd rather face demons than talk to girls. But, before delving into the mystery of the genre, he had to first unravel the enigma of the eerie room from before.

Before confronting the eerie room and it's potentially robotic occupants, Nathan recognized the need to arm himself. After all, even Levi never fought against Titan without his vaunted ODM gear.

As Nathan surveyed the bathroom around him, his eyes fell upon a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and a mirror mounted on the wall. Below the mirror stood a sink adorned with the most luxurious skin care products. A shaver stood on the edge of the sink, it's sleek design catching the dim light filtering in through the window. With a determined gleam in his eye, he swiftly grabbed the shaver, recognizing it's potential use as a lethal weapon in his hands. He also seized the toothbrush, not for it's utility, but rather because he was still terrified.

Armed with both weapons, he embraced his role as the guardian of hygiene, ready to cleanse any foe in front of him with his tools of sanitation. With each precise stroke of the shaver and every strategic jab of the toothbrush, he waged a battle against the forces of unkemptness and disorder. His movements were swift and decisive, his resolve unwav-

"Focus," Nathan muttered, not allowing himself to succumb to the tempation of delaying the inevitable.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Nathan cast a wary glance back at open doorway leading to the eerie dining room. It was time to confront the unsettling occupants and unravel the mysteries that lurked behind their unsettling facade.

"I am calm and cool...just like Levi in a titan's shadow. I am not terrified at all...just like Levi," he whispered to himself, his words clearly contradicting his shaking hands.

Walking through the doorway, Nathan held his weapons before him, his gaze once again drawn to the unsettling scene at the dining table. The woman was still mechanically eating her rice, showing no reaction as he entered the room. The only discernible difference was the gradual depletion of rice in her bowl.

"Konnichiwa?" Nathan attempted, drawing upon his limited japanese vocabulary, hoping to bridge any potential language barrier that might explain their lack of reaction.

Still met with silence, Nathan attempted a more assertive approach. "If you don't talk to me right now, I will... uhhh shave your hair!" he declared, brandishing the shaver in a feeble attempt to intimidate them into speaking.

The silence that ensued was so profound that he could hear his own heartbeat thundering in his ears. Thankfully, he hadn't descended into such depravity so as to actually follow through on his insidious threat.

Switching targets, Nathan cautiously approached the table. As he circled around, he encountered another emotionless face, this time belonging to a middle aged Japanese man. The lines etched into his spoke of a lifetime in true hell, a corporate job in Japan. The heavy bags under his eyes seemed to have bags of their own. Behind his glasses, his eyes appeared lifeless, though Nathan couldn't shake the feeling that the strangeness of their current situation may have contributed to their lifelessness.

"Sir, can you hear me?"

Still met with silence from both occupants, Nathan's unease deepened, casting a shadow over the already eerie atmosphere of the room.

Examining the wrinkled face more closely, Nathan observed that the person seemed to be merely staring at the newspaper rather than actually reading it. His eyes remained unnervingly still, devoid of the usual movements one would expect from someone engrossed in reading. Determined to confirm his suspicion, he waved the toothbrush over the newspaper and then directly in front of the man's eyes, but there was still no reaction. The old man didn't even blink.

Nathan felt the creeping tendrils of unease tightening harder the longer he stayed inside. His earlier conviction to unravel the mystery began to waver, dissipating like mist in the face of the mounting eeriness.

"Maybe I'll solve this mystery later," he tentatively whispered to himself, the weight of the oppressive atmosphere pressing down on him. Perhaps this house was cursed by a wandering magician, and he had been summoned here to uncover the sinister spellcaster and break the malevolent enchantment, reuniting the original occupants with their lost selves. Finding solace in his new theory, he began to tip toe towards the doorway.

"I swear to save you two from whatever ails you, you poor family," he whispered with insincere determination.

Walking through the doorway, Nathan's eyes fell upon another door directly ahead of him. The presence of a shoe stand with pairs of shoes arranged neatly beside it suggested that this door likely led to the outside world.

Slipping on a pair of shoes that appeared to fit, although Nathan couldn't help but notice how much larger his feet seemed than he was accustomed to, he reached for the door handle. Hoping against hope for a fantastical world like The Grand Line, he slowly pushed the door open.

"Damn it, this isn't the fantasy genre."