CHAPTER 1 – WAKING UP

As I came to, I found myself laying down on the ground. The light pierced through the leaves of the surrounding trees. The sweet scent of morning dew filled my lungs. It was warm outside, but there was a slight, summer breeze blowing through the forest. Ahh, tranquility.

⌈I’ve died after all huh?⌋

I muttered out in confusion.

⌈Hey, kiddo! You awake? What are you on about?⌋

And to my surprise, I received a reply from a surprisingly caring voice.

⌈Eh!?⌋

I sat up startled. I turned my gaze towards the person calling to me. He was a dazzling young man. A bit older than I was, and a bit taller too. His eyes were bright red, and his golden brown hair was unkempt but cut short. He had an athletic build and a workers tan. His complexion told a story of a life rougher than what I can even imagine, but despite that, he had a warm expression on his face. He extended his hand and helped me up.

⌈Here.. It isn’t good to lie down on the grass for too long. I got some food cooking over here, and you look like you could use some, to be honest.⌋

⌈Thanks, I guess? By the way, can I ask something?⌋

⌈Yeah?⌋

⌈Just where am I right now?⌋

⌈Haah? What kind of question is that? You just wandered into the middle of a forest and took a nap, huh? Are you alright in the head? I suppose you don’t look like you would be..⌋

⌈Oi!⌋

⌈Hahaha! Kidding, kidding! I found you unconscious here a good while ago, so I decided to set up camp. I figured you were lost or something.. I took the liberty of making sure you won’t get gobbled up by monsters while you were having your beauty sleep.⌋

Hold on for just a moment..

⌈Monsters!?⌋

⌈Can I take back the part where I said kidding?⌋

⌈You mean like Goblins and Slimes?⌋

⌈Yes. Are you taking me for a fool or something?⌋

⌈No, seriously. Just where am I?⌋

⌈I suppose I’ll entertain you in your insanity for now. You’re in the southern forests of the capital of the Human Realm, Ies.⌋

The name matched perfectly with the stories I used to write.. A central location of the known continent, the realm of the Human Race, Ies. This is surreal...

⌈Ies!? What year is it currently?⌋

⌈Let’s see now… If I correctly remember, the current year is 20.⌋

The year, however, didn’t.

⌈Only 20?⌋

⌈Yeah, what’s wrong? 20th year after the Convergence of Gods.⌋

⌈Please repeat that.⌋

⌈Huh? 20th after the Convergence of Gods.⌋

‘—Year 402, days before the Convergence of Gods.’

Of course! I remember writing in a diary format, often referencing the Convergence of Gods in the date! Although I guess I never really thought about what kind of event it would be. To be honest I just thought it sounded cool. I feel pretty embarrassed now. It's already been 20 years though. I wonder what happened...

That aside, I finally took a good look at my surroundings. The environment far exceeded what I had originally imagined the southern enchanted forest to be.

I was currently sitting on a makeshift bench made out of a fallen tree that was laid down on grass greener than any I’d seen in my previous life. Though the grass itself was already noteworthy, it's nothing compared to the various plants and fungi that decorated the forest. Vines visibly swirling and coiling around the trees as if they were breathing, flowers of various peculiar shapes, vibrantly blooming in all the colors known to man, and faintly glowing luminescent mushrooms in sizes halfway to my waist. Amazing!

Though, as much as I’d have liked to marvel the world I was thrown into a little longer, I had something I desperately needed to figure out.

⌈Sorry, but can I keep bothering you for a second?⌋

⌈Sure, sure. It isn’t like I have anything else to do.⌋

⌈What do I look like?⌋

Just maybe…

⌈You look like an ass of a hobgoblin.⌋

⌈OI!⌋

⌈Pshhh..⌋

He was cracking up. This guy..

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

⌈Ahahah! I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The first thing I noticed was your weird hair. It’s colorless, one could even say it's white. I’ve never seen anything like that! I've only heard of it in legends. You look pretty young, though. Around my age, if I had to guess. So you don't really give off that legendary vibe. But even so, your scars tell me you’ve seen your fair share of hardships. Your clothes seem to tell the same tale. Well, what’s left of them anyway.⌋

It matches up!

I took a look at my clothing. My feet and hands were wrapped in blood-stained cloth. My scarf was mostly intact, but it's gotten a bit rough around the edges, not to mention the numerous burns that had pretty much ruined the material. My shorts had gotten equally bad treatment, but the black jacket I was wearing had the wear and tear that could only be a result of fighting something like a dragon..

Dragon? My eye! What about my eye!? I don’t know whether it was excitement or fear that drove me, but in an instant I brought my hand to my eye, only to be obstructed by something..

⌈Huh? A bandage?⌋

My confusion was rather apparent.

⌈Oh yeah, you had a nasty scar on your left eye. I thought it’d be best to bandage it up.⌋

He went to check on the stew he was cooking up, while I tore the bandage off.

For a brief moment my focus intensified to levels I couldn’t comprehend, and I somehow perceived something I wasn't otherwise able to see...

【Seth – Human Male – Age: 19】

【Equipment: Cloth Shirt, Villager’s Pants, Leather Boots, Copper Glaive】

W-What!? This…

⌈Seth! Over here!⌋

⌈Y-Your eye? What happened?!⌋

⌈Is my left eye any different from the right one?⌋

⌈I thought you were weird enough to begin with, but this? I’m not sure if I can keep up anymore.. You called me by my name too, but I don’t recall ever telling it to you. You sure are an oddball.⌋

He shook his head in disbelief, without even bothering to comment..

The usage of my eye seemed to be limited to a very short period. As a sharp pain pierced in through my eye, I started to feel dizzy after mere seconds. Did I lack the magic power to utilize the eye? Did my abilities get reset? Does my current self even have any real abilities in the first place? Even then, I couldn’t help it. I was grinning like a maniac.

It was all real.

⌈I still possess the Eye of Origin? Ahahaa! This feels like a dream come true, and then some!!⌋

I guess it would be safe to assume that the current me was indeed the alternate me. This saves me from a lot of trouble on the long run…

⌈The Eye of what now? Dream? You want to bring me up to speed or are you just going to keep muttering weird stuff by yourself?⌋

⌈Sorry, I guess I got a little excited. Anyhow, I’m sorry for bothering you with stupid questions earlier, I know where I am now.⌋

⌈Of course you do, I told you where we were after all.⌋

⌈I meant on a much larger scale.⌋

⌈Eh? I don’t even want to know what scale you’re talking about.⌋

⌈You probably wouldn’t understand anyway.⌋

⌈Yeah, probably. I’m still curious about the eye though.⌋

⌈It’s an Arcane Eye that has the ability to see the true nature of everything. The Eye of Origin.⌋

At least I’m fairly sure it is…

⌈You have an ability like that? Sounds pretty useful.⌋

⌈Sure is! Back when I was an adventure–⌋

I was interrupted mid-sentence. Rather brutally, at that.

⌈Hold on for just a minute, kiddo. Now you’re just fucking with me, aren’t you? There’s no way someone who doesn’t even know left from right could be an adventurer. What do you mean by ‘back when you were an adventurer’?⌋

⌈Uhh..⌋

I had no idea what to tell him. When I think about it from his perspective, my story would sound mental beyond belief. Besides, Seth seemed pretty adamant about this whole adventurer business. His previous lighthearted tone changed into a stern one. You could see it in his eyes. He was passionate. He meant every word he said.

⌈Thought so. Adventurers are warriors blessed by the Gods, that light up the path towards the future, granting us common folk the knowledge lost to the ages and liberating the territories that are overrun by monsters. They’re the pioneers of the new age! You can’t just suddenly stop being an adventurer, you’re in it for life. If you’re planning to quit one day, you might as well never even become one in the first place. Besides, you’re too young to ‘have been an adventurer’ anyways.⌋

Huh? Adventurers don’t just go into the wilds to collect a bunch of herbs or kill a monster or two anymore? Warriors blessed by the Gods? Pioneers of the new age? Liberating territories? Yeah, you’ve lost me ages ago, but I'll admit that it sounds amazing! Well, better than the adventurers of the guilds I wrote of, anyway... I wanted to interrupt and ask him about it, but I didn't have the heart to do so.

⌈Anyhow, I was on my way to the capital to test my mettle in the annual Adventurer Trials until I found you lying unconscious. If you think you've got what it takes, you could tag along! We’ll head towards the capital after we eat. Speaking of which, I think the food is ready.⌋

I guess I’ll stick with Seth for now and find out what has happened during my absence. If you could call it that... Not to forget that he already had made some food! Who am I to decline? I’m sure it’ll be better than soggy noodles. Hopefully...

And so we both ate a full bowl of stew. At first, I barely even dared to taste it, as I began to wonder what kind of monster meat was used as an ingredient, but after I took my first spoonful, I was sold!

⌈So, how was it?⌋

Seth asked impatiently.

⌈Ah, this stew isn’t bad at all! Judging by your personality, I was expecting nothing short of toxic sludge!⌋

⌈Haha! I get what you mean, but if you’re going to become an adventurer, you better know how to make do with what you find from your surroundings.⌋

⌈I suppose so. You really know your stuff, huh?⌋

⌈I’d be ashamed if I didn’t. Ever since I was little, I heard stories about the adventurers. I’ve trained towards becoming one myself all my youth, up until this point. The Trials are held a couple of days from now. I thought that this year I would finally be ready.⌋

⌈Speaking of which, what exactly happens at the Adventurer Trials?⌋

⌈I’m sorry, the extent of my knowledge stops around there. I guess they hold a test of sorts for the adventurer prospects. The only thing I do know is that it’s do or die out there. As I previously said, they’re held annually, and the only real requirement for joining is ‘Be ready to lay your life on the line for the future of the Races’. If you had to ask me, I’d tell you there is nothing more honorable than that.⌋

⌈I suppose so. But what’s all this about the future of the Races? Is there some great imminent threat about to demolish all living beings?⌋

No response…

⌈Did I say something I shouldn’t have?⌋

I asked anxiously.

⌈Are you going to ask me if water is wet next?⌋

⌈No.. wait, don’t tell me this world has changed that much?⌋

⌈You really are an idiot, huh? Haha! Anyhow, we’ve eaten already so we should get going. I guess I’ll tell you what’s going on with the world on the way there.⌋

⌈Alright! Thanks, you know. For everything.⌋

I wasn't exactly proficient at expressing my gratitude, but thankfully Seth didn't seem to mind at all.

⌈No need! I was just doing what an adventurer is supposed to do. If you really want to thank me though…⌋

I really don’t like where this is going..

⌈I am sorry. I do not swing that way.⌋

I exclaimed in the most polite tone I could muster.

His previously carefree expression froze up for a moment, and all of a sudden he burst out into laughter. Leaving me thoroughly confused.

⌈Ahahah! You really are an idiot, huh?⌋

⌈Wait, what did you mean then?⌋

As soon as the words left my lips the mood became heavy. His expression froze up once again, but this time I saw the same determination in his scarlet eyes as I did when he spoke of the adventurers.

⌈I want you to tell me where you really came from.⌋