When Saitou opened his eyes, the terrain around him was charred and reminded him of something he recently saw. It was nothing like the ordinary world he was used to. He looked around and saw a very futuristic city in the distance. This was just like the…

“Ughh” Saitou woke up on the ground. What was that dream? Wait, no. That’s not the question he should be focused on. Where was he? No, scratch that, who was he? All he remembered was his name. Sharlen.

Sharlan’s first thoughts, upon examining the surrounding forest, mountain range, and the additional planet in the sky, was that it resembles a classic fantasy setting. The only thing that his messed up memories told him is that he certainly was not in a fantasy world before he woke up. That leaves only one conclusion: he had been Isekaied.

Sharlan also noticed a large prison-like facility on a hill in the distance. He wanted to start heading towards it when he heard a yell in the opposite direction as well as the sounds of swords clashing.

“ARHH!”

Sharlan thought to himself. If I have been isekaied, then that means I probably died, and then received another chance from a higher being. Usually in these situations, there is also an ability that accompanies the protagonist so as to give him a fighting chance in the new world. If these ideas hold true, then that implies that engaging in combat right off the bat would not be so dangerous. Additionally, I could gain companions and save pretty girls. I see no downfall to this plan.

Thinking these things, Sharlan rushed through the woods, hitting branches and tripping on roots, as he was not accustomed to rapid bipedal relocation through heavily wooded areas. He finally made it out into a clearing. The sight that beheld him was that of a knocked over carriage, bandits, and a small group of protagonists fighting back.

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The protagonists included two pretty girls about his age who were hiding behind three men that were fighting with the bandits. The girls, although in a difficult situation, did not express fear on their faces. Instead, they possessed an aura of superiority as they looked down on the bandits, which, if transliterated into words, would have produced a statement such as “how dare they approach us and attempt to lay their filthy hands on us.”

This confidence quickly shifted into surprise and then anxiety as one of the three men working as their guards, was struck down and lay on the ground dead. The guards were highly skilled as they were holding their ground against a group of bandits that greatly outnumbered them. However, quantity is powerful. Wait, I think the proper phrase is “There is strength in numbers.” The situation soon followed the structure set forth by this idiom as another guard was killed. The last guard was easily overwhelmed and the bandits started taking the survivors as hostages, utilizing rope as binding. Sharlan hesitated. Had he arrived a bit earlier, when the six guards, three he noted were vanquished prior to entry into the territory, were still capable of combat, he would’ve jumped right into the action. However, he hid himself for the time being to see how things would play out.

The last guard’s throat was sliced and the girls were tied up. Their expressions now matched the format the situation would naturally paint.

“HELP!!!”

“Someone, please! Help!”

Sharlen tensed up. He understood that he was the only one who heard their voices. He also understood that he wasn’t naturally gifted with an aptitude for physical confrontation. He decided to await an opportunity. If an opportunity doesn’t show up before the girls get kidnapped, he would intervene. He thought that in order to be able to defeat the bandits, he must first uncover what his powers are. Trying to unveil his mysterious powers, he shouted out: “Menu.” Nothing. He tried to fly by jumping up. Nothing. He saw a large stone and tried to lift it. The stone was raised very easily. He then placed it down and concluded that his ability is super strength.

Sharlen thought, I can deal with that! He then entered into the clearing. Before he even knew it, Sharlan had simply let any and all opportunities slip by him as he worried about whether he was qualified to face a group of bandits. He came to his senses. I have got to follow them, surely an opportunity will open up where I can save the girls. He started heading in the direction to where the bandits fled. However, he lost track of them as they were on horseback. Eventually, he gave up and just started exploring the magical world.