"So, are you going to chilling in the mall with us today?"
"Nah man, I already have a plan today."
"Got it, see you tomorrow."
"See you."
I must say that I felt kinda bad since I actually have no plan today, but I thought I have gone to a party too much lately. I really need some rest.
While I'm making my way home, I suddenly felt really dizzy and really want to sleep like getting anesthesia before the operation, my mind went blank and as white as snow, sense of falling is all I have right now.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Is it supposed to be this long? Or it's like what they say that when a person's going to die, the time seems to be slower than it should for them. I actually felt that the falling is slower too.
And it's stopped eventually.
"It's alright now, you may open your eyes once again."
A kindly voice's echoing in my head, It made me felt really comfortable.
As I opened my eyes, I saw an evergreen forest in front of me. Actually, I'm in the forest.
I also saw a man waved his hand to me while sitting on the large branch of the tree, his hair is green and seems like a vine, no It's his hair, his hair is an actual vine. Speaking of which, his cloth is seemed to be made of two large leaves too, really eco in my opinion.
Wait? Why am I so calm about this? Is it because it's like those Japanese anime? I guess that's the reason. Anyway, I must have some clue about where I am now.
"Is this heaven?"
"No, it isn't."
Ah, his voice is really good. If he's a singer, he will have a lot of fans.
"S-So this is hell?"
"No, this place is better."
Yeah, I can't imagine hell being this nice.
"Then what is this place?"
"This place has no name, but many called it: The great landscape."
That's a cheap name and I still don't know where I am.
"Who are you then?"
"Can't you see? I'm staff here, the only staff..."
I couldn't tell if he's sad or not, even his sound seemed sad and cold but his gesture and eyes aren't.
"Why am I here?"
"Oh right. That's the main part, isn't it? I would have forgotten about it if you haven't told me."
I regret what I said, now I want to slap his mouth.
"Well, there is a big conflict down there between heaven and hell. So we decided to gather some people of your world to put this to an end."
That's a really classic trope, it's more abundant than the amount of sheep in New Zealand.
"Why me? I meant that there are a lot of people who are better than me, Why am I the chosen."
Oh! So it's like I'm the chosen one like those things I had read before.
"How should I put this... Are you sure that you want the answer?"
"O-Of course."
Why did he say it like that?
"It's almost totally random."
"Huh?"
Huh?!
"I could select only basic conditions, like age and minimum graduation."
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Is that a job requirement?! No, that's totally a job requirement!"
"Calm down, listen, I'm going to give you something to make this mission possible, OK?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going to give you my power. To be honest, I'd like to give all I have, but the others need it too."
He pulled off a leaf from the branch he's sitting on and holding it really tight in his right hand and mumbling some language I don't know while his fingers on his left hand are moving around in a weird gesture.
His mumbling and his finger kept getting faster and my body felt like I got crushing by some force I am unable to see, then he stopped and opened his right hand but the leaf and my feeling are gone. Where could it be?
"Now show me your tongue."
"O-Okay?"
While I'm doing it, I saw a glimpse that my tongue has some black mark that looks like the leaf he pulled. I even tried to scratch it off but it didn't work.
"What have you done with my tongue?!"
"That is my touched, it means I gave you the power, and it's a mark of success."
"What kind of power is this?"
"Simple, You can 'borrow' the ability or power of the thing in 100 meters around you. that you have good relation with, including a friend, pet, and others, as long as they feel good toward and let you use it."
As long as they feel good toward me? What a weird power...
"Thank you, uh... um..."
What's his name by the way?
"Like this place, I have rank, I have a duty, but I have no name. Actually, there is a person who once called me Anunai."
"Then, I'm most grateful, Anunai."
"No need to be formal here, since I'm the one who summoned you anyway..."
"Um... Thanks, then."
"You changed really fast, didn't you"
What actual does he want?
So, I'm going to do it now? Being a hero, save the world?
"Anyway, It took too much time than I thought. You have to go now."
He jumped down from a tree and holding his hands together then started to mumbling again.
The portal appeared before me, it's like a crack in the air with blue energy flowing inside.
"Don't worry, it's not as dangerous as you think."
As I stepped toward it with pride, the blue energy changed into black.
"The path is changed, hold something, fast!"
"But there's nothing I can-"
I haven't even found anything to hold yet and It engulfed me into it. It's like a black hole, a massive gravity. I felt like I got vacuum by a vacuum cleaner, only me.
"Listen! Balance is the key-"
He didn't even finish the repeat, but why did he do that?
I'm in the total darkness again, it's the second time of the day so I felt less fear. But as I blinked, I saw the land, sea, clouds under me. So this is the world that Anunai told me... Wait, clouds under me? I'm falling now!
"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!"
I have been here just 1 minute and I'm going to hit the land in less than 4 minutes! So that means I will be dead in the new world where I have lived less than 5 minutes! Oh no... I felt really dizzy again... Oh right... This height has no oxygen...
I'm passed out before I could do something.