Eh? Who turned off the lights?

Even though he had opened his eyes, Arturo found himself enveloped in total darkness.

A blackout?

Everything had vanished. He couldn't even see his posters on the wall, the computer on the desk, or the alarm clock next to his bed. Nothing reminded him of his room anymore.

Suddenly, a white glow appeared before his eyes. The light was so blinding that Arturo had to raise his arm to shield himself.

As soon as his vision cleared, he realized that the glow was nothing but a ray of sunlight. The touch of the light on his skin felt delicate as if he was rediscovering the sensation.

"What?!"

His hands explored the ground; it was a pit, quite deep. From the surfaces, he could make out the clarity of the sky. From the dim light, he deduced it was just dawn.

Arturo tried to climb out of the pit, grabbing at roots and unstable edges. The faint light at the top highlighted his ascent.

After managing to climb out of the pit where he had awoken, he saw that his surroundings consisted of a series of trees forming a forest.

"Where the heck am I?"

A breeze carrying the aroma of flowers brushed Arturo's face.

"Am I dreaming?"

When his feet touched the surface, he walked toward a fertile meadow stretching to the horizon. He noticed that his arms were no longer robust but slender, and he could move them easily without much effort.

"Are these really my arms?"

He lay down on the ground, letting the grass tickle his bare back. Looking down, he saw that his legs were also thinner.

Arturo tried to rack his brain to remember what had happened. Was he dreaming, or was he in heaven? Whatever it was, his mind was in total reset; he couldn’t even remember what he had eaten the day before, but he was certain he didn’t belong in this world.

He ran naked, letting his agile and fast legs cut through the blades of grass that caressed his body. Even his voice was different, no longer sluggish and flabby, but more lively and clear.

Was this the well-deserved reward for surviving all those insults about his weight?

Feeling free like a wild animal, he tested his new body by doing somersaults and handstands. All to confirm that he had indeed lost weight. He balanced on one hand in a vertical position before letting himself fall, rolling in the grass.

"No way, this has to be a dream. There's no way I've lost this much weight!"

"I have no idea where I am, but I might as well make the most of it. This dream could disappear any moment!"

His slender feet walked until they reached a prominent hill, and as soon as he reached the top, his eyes rested on the background of a large house rising in the distance.

It was as big as a village, with stone buildings that seemed to preserve the structure of a medieval ghetto. Indeed, the light in Arturo's eyes had never been so vibrant.

"Maybe it's like the isekai novels I've read. I've been catapulted into another world!

"If this is another world, then there must be someone behind all this who summoned me."

He rubbed his chin, thinking while advancing step by step. Distracted, he didn’t notice that he had gone beyond the edge of the hill. With nothing to step on below, his foot hit the void, and he tumbled down the hill, rolling like a barrel.

"HAAA!"

He slid until coming to a stop on flat ground.

"Damn! I need to be more careful!"

Above him, an interface appeared.

LEVEL 1

HP: -80

"Eh?"

He noticed his HP had dropped a percentage.

"In a game? Am I in a game?"

His first destination was that village he saw in the distance, where he hoped to get more answers.

Arturo was tempted to find out if this was really a dream. He tried pinching his arm, as one usually does, but at the same time, he was afraid; he didn't want it all to end in an instant. So, he decided to continue along the path, waiting for his body to decide when to open his eyes.

"Alright, let's get my thoughts together. I've found myself in this fantasy world that follows the patterns of a video game. Now I just need to understand how these rules work to avoid getting into tricky situations."

But luck struck quickly because he spotted something approaching from a distance, a horse heading straight for him.

"A local!"

Arturo jumped for joy, waving his hands.

"Hey!"

The cart was coming towards him. The man riding it, upon catching sight of Arturo, whipped the horse and stopped abruptly.

Arturo hurried towards the man in the dirt-stained tunic. "Finally, someone!"

"Sorry to bother you, but I'm totally lost. Do you have any idea where we are?"

Suddenly, the peasant's face turned into a petrified, chilling look, one eyebrow lowered. With trembling hands, he threw a bag full of apples at Arturo's feet.

"T-take it, it's all I have!" stuttered the peasant.

"What, sorry?"

"P-please, don't hurt me!"

The man whipped the horse and sped away from Arturo.

"What got into that man?"

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BRRRR

His stomach growled.

Arturo picked an apple from the bag and examined it from every angle, then took a small bite. Slightly opening his eyes, as if listening to a melody, he nodded his head, savoring the taste.

"Mh... how flavorful!"

He still heard the horse's hooves fading away and thought about one thing:

"If I've got food to eat now, I should thank that man, I wonder why he got so scared when he saw me."

He didn’t know what to say, that man was terrified. Arturo touched his face, pressing against the smooth and soft skin. What was wrong with him?

"Ah, of course! Even though I've lost weight, my face hasn't changed, I'm still ugly!"

There was a tunic on the ground, maybe the man had dropped it while galloping. He picked it up and put it on, covering his naked body.

Arturo pulled up the hood to hide his face and strode energetically down the path.

After a fifteen-minute walk, he finally reached the village. The sunlight dazzled him, casting rays over the surrounding area. He first spotted a girl who was skillfully drawing water from a well with a bucket, then returning with a smile etched on her face. The peasants joyfully watered their gardens, while the calloused-handed men, exhausted from their labor, were pulling weeds with determination.

Arturo watched them in amazement and walked slowly, trying not to attract attention.

"Yes, it's just like an isekai. I've been teleported to another world."

The villagers, wearing simple ancient tunics with leather boots or sandals, and some even barefoot, bustled up and down the road. Alongside the pavement, there were stone buildings with sloping roofs and small windows letting in faint light.

He approached a man with calloused hands, who was removing weeds from his land.

"E-excuse me!"

The man, with a wrinkled and mud-stained face, looked at him sharply.

Arturo felt intimidated at first glance but tried to continue.

"C-can you tell me where I am?"

The man looked up from his hard work, eyeing Arturo with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"This is the village of Gualdor. What brings you here, stranger?" he grunted, continuing to pull weeds with his strong hands. "This village is no place for those not used to the weight of the earth under their nails." He chuckled.

"I-I'm lost."

"Ha! Lost, are you? I don't know how to help, sorry. Where did you come from?"

"Italy."

"Hmm… never heard of it. Where is it located?"

It was clear; that the man did not know Italy and didn’t understand what Arturo was saying. The chances that he had been teleported were 100%. His knowledge of RPGs and the wide range of isekai LitRPG he had seen allowed him to play his cards well.

"Pff.. an NPC, but very realistic though..."

"Hmm..." The man rubbed his chin. "Boy, I'm afraid I can't help you. In our lands, there's no such place as Italy. I've got to finish my work now, you can always ask around for help, but be careful, don't wander into the forests."

"In the forests? But that's exactly where I woke up."

"Why?"

The man's eyes widened, and he approached slowly.

"Your mother really kept you in the dark, huh? It's only been a month since the Demon King attacked the kingdom of Heden. Despite the death of their king, the demons continue to wreak havoc in the forests."

"D-demons?!"

"Yes... Thankfully, the kingdom's army is working to drive them out. Be careful, boy, make your way to your mom."

"T-thanks."

Arturo turned to go another way.

Idiot, I'm eighteen years old! I don't look that bad!

"Wait!" The man stopped him. "Here." The peasant handed him a scroll. "This might help you!" Suddenly, an interface popped up before Arturo's eyes.

You have obtained a map!

"Eh?"

Arturo looked incredulously and pointed repeatedly at the interface.

"Can you see this?"

The peasant blinked twice but didn't answer.

"Boy, I don't know what you're talking about. Why are you waving your hands in the air?"

The man went back to his work.

Arturo waved goodbye to the friendly peasant and started walking along the village path. He scrutinized his interface:

Name: [Arturo]

Level: [1]

Experience Points: [0]

HP: [100%]

| EQUIPMENT |

- Armor: [Tunic] (Defense: [none])

| INVENTORY |

ITEM: Map.

"Well… it's a start, at least!"

With eyes sparkling, Arturo was inundated with a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.

"Maybe in this world, I'll become a hero loved by everyone? Maybe I'll even have a princess all to myself, eh eh!"

He looked around, noticing the numerous stalls set up one after another, where merchants were drawing the attention of passersby.

"I'm here for you! Why don't you come over and try some fruit? You look quite thin!"

Arturo spun around.

"A-are you talking to me?"

"Who else!"

"But I'm fat!"

"Are you kidding? Come on, you need to put on some weight, I'll give you a discount!"

"I-I'm broke, unfortunately!"

Arturo hurried forward.

However, the liveliness of this place wasn't as suffocating as the city traffic of his world. The path was made of well-interlocked stone slabs, and it was particularly lively and crowded.

The harmony in that village was just like one of those fantasy games that Arturo excelled in.

During his walk, he caught sight of a troop of knights marching, all in the same position. People stopped their tasks and focused on their procession.

"Look, the knights!" whispered an inhabitant.

"What are they here for?"

The villagers watched the knights with intense eyes.

"Something happened?"

"No! They're probably just passing through!"

Their silver armor shone brilliantly in the sun, and Arturo couldn't take his eyes off it.

The knights marched determinedly right down the middle of the street, where Arturo stood watching them with his mouth open.

He quickly stepped aside, making room for them. He was sure that if he had remained still, the knights would have passed without hesitation.

"The knights of the kingdom!" murmured a merchant. "Who knows, maybe they've captured a demon."

Behind the knights were horses pulling carts.

In one cart was a cage with intense grunts echoing from it. Arturo peered inside to see a green beast resembling a lion, a Leox, growling fiercely and gnawing at the bars with its saber teeth.

Arturo stepped back, afraid of ending up in the beast's jaws. However, it couldn't attack him because the collar around its neck sapped its magical power.

Next to it was another cage, this one not containing a magical beast, but a girl. He noticed her bobbed, dark hair, as dark as her own shadow.

Her complexion was pale. At first, he thought she was a corpse, but when she opened her eyes, he was greeted by her crimson eyes, a deep blood-red with two curved horns on her head.

"Her horns... could she be a demon?"

The girl's eyes met Arturo's.

She immediately shook her head sideways.

She clenched her hands tightly between the bars, not taking her eyes off Arturo.

Arturo stared so intensely he almost felt hypnotized. A chill ran through him, almost freezing the air. What was so special about this girl? Maybe her authentic beauty?

As the cart moved on, the cold sensation vanished, and his temperature returned to normal. He didn't know what had just happened, but whoever that girl was, she was truly beautiful. He felt it was unjust to keep her behind bars.

In the end, the kingdom's knights knew what they were doing. He wanted to help her somehow, but if she was a demon, it was better to stay away, as demons were the most feared threat in this world.

The knights conducted various patrols and often set out on missions. It was their duty to check if any citizens committed crimes to take them to the royal court for trial. They also eradicated potential threats like wild magical beasts, demons, and more.

These cages were transferred to places for execution or torture, or they were exploited for useful materials. The skin of Leoxes was used to make a protective fabric, often used in expeditions to cold places.

Arturo paused on a step by the pavement, where an overhead clock on the sloping facade showed noon.

"I don't even have money for lunch!"

The church bells rang, echoing through the village. Arturo's stomach grumbled.

"Tsk… what a drag, I'll have to find some work. And yet in the real world, my resume wasn't bad, I could've worked at a publishing house."

Suddenly, Arturo was drawn to a commotion nearby, growing louder and reaching his ears.

"What's all this racket?"