Chapter 1: Prologue

Streams of blood flowed down Leon's face. A direct impact with a truck but he wasn't killed instantly. The truck driver had tried to swerve out the way and slow down but unfortunately Leon was just too close.

'What a pity, to die this early on.'

Leon thought as he looked at himself. He tried to look for help but around him, people just stared. Bystanders waiting for someone to do something but no one is willing to step forward. Instead they recorded him, hoping that his suffering would get them more views.

'How bleak. Perhaps I could survive this if someone was willing do something to help. Humans are so fickle and weak. It's pathetic that an accident out of my control is able to end my life so easily. How could I have prevented something like this from happening?'

Leon's thoughts were confused and progressively becoming more emotional. He had lost too much blood and was starting to loose consciousness. 

Leon wasn't particularly happy in this life but he always kept him self busy. Always moving forward, pursuing the path of a businessman but finding little success. 

'If only I had a little more time, maybe this life would have become interesting. I still have more to do.'

His fleeting thoughts were put to rest and his life ended abruptly. 

◇ ◇ ◇

Leon gasped as he pushed his body off the ground. He was greeted by a dark cave with cold stone on the floor. His body felt dirty and week. An insatiable hunger and thirst struck him. Unlike anything he had ever felt before. He looked around for something to eat. Anything. Some leaves of plant came across his view. His ran, faster than ever in his life. Succumbing to his primal instinct and devoured whatever plant that was. It tasted grassy and disgusted him. And yet he kept on eating. 

After his desperate act of survival had ended, Leon began to gather his thoughts. He had just died and had now found himself in another room incredibly hungry. He looked around for some clue of sorts and managed to see some light through the corridor of the cave. He slowly walked towards the light using the walls of the corridor to support himself. He looked outside from inside the cave. It was night time wherever he was.

He appeared to be next to a cave on top of a small hill. Looking around, he saw a forest. Further on he saw what looked to be the walls of some 17th century city. Looking into the night sky Leon caught sight of two moons in the night sky. They were closer to the earth? than the 'old moon' was.

'Two moons? That means that this is... another world?'

Leon was an avid reader of all genres, especially isekai. He enjoyed the idea of using modern knowledge and ideals in another world. He quickly became engrossed with reading isekai books and eventually came to learn all the tropes.

"System"

Leon tried to call out his 'system'. A game like interface that was common in isekai novels. Systems were incredibly strong, always  handing over so much power to their host. Hoping for an easy way out, Leon expected to be greeted by the cliched obnoxity of a system... Yet nothing happened. No message or announcement. Nothing

"Menu, inventory, help, command, admin"

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Nothing again. A pity. Leon stopped to sit down and try and understand what was happening. After dying from being hit by a truck he, like anyone else who has been killed by a truck, isekaid into another world. However unlike what usually happens, there was no perks to going to another world. No special system that would grant him powers for free. He didn't appear to be summoned by anyone nor was he reborn into a baby.

Realising that he hadn't checked his body Leon started to touch himself. His skin was coarse and dirty, his hair unkempt and overgrown. He had very poor clothing. Wearing rags. Strangely he had very little body hair and was much shorter than he used to be.

'Perhaps I was reincarnated into another body. One that had recently died. That's how they usually go in some stories. If so why did this body decide to die alone in some cave. Perhaps he was being chased. That means going to the city for help may do the opposite.'

Whatever story was attached to this body was now attached to him as well. Leon furrowed his brow, he didn't have any experience in outside survival. He was an aspiring business man accustomed to living in a modern world. He didn't need to know how to survive in a forest on his own and so he had no idea what to do in this situation. He inevitably would have to try and go into the city. Being alive in a prison was better than being dead in some forest.

It was night an the gates would most likely be closed. He'd have to try and wait till the morning to try and get in. Until then he could try and think of how to get in.

◇ ◇ ◇

A single sun rose above the horizon. Leon stalked the gates of the walled city. Two guards were walked outside as the gates opened, they wore armour like 17th century European knights. They stationed themselves towards the sides. Leon deliberated whether or not to just walk through. Perhaps the guards wouldn't stop him if he walked with enough confidence. Nothing else looked promising. He didn't think he could sneak past them. Perhaps if he hid on a carriage but who would let him? 

Leon continued to think as a group of five walked out of the city. They looked like a stereotypical adventurer party, 3 guys and 2 girls. The existence of what seemed like adventurers consolidated the idea that this was some fantasy world. Adventurers were motivated by money and rewards, perhaps he could offer them something and in return they'd help him get through. But not only did Leon not know what language they were talking in, he had nothing to offer them. He decided to quietly stalk them anyway. They looked to be quite young, no older than 17. Perhaps he'd discover something from watching them.

Leon held back slowly but surely watching them from a distance. He attempted to regulate his breathing, watch where he stepped and always made sure that he could see them but they could not see him. He was undoubtedly suspicious so getting caught would be troublesome. Their language sounded oddly Germanic and they seemed to be joking around with each other. He followed them, walking behind them for around 40 minutes.

The party of adventurers stopped at a cave. They primed their weapons and looked around wearily. Hoping to remain undetected, Leon stayed absolutely still, peaking at the party from behind a tree. Thankfully the adventurers had not discovered him. They slowly entered the surrounding of a cave as what looked to be goblins exiting out.

They seemed nervous, it was apparent none of them had done this before. Although, they did seem to be slightly skilled. What looked to be a warrior, who at first haphazardly swung his sword around, began to do so more confidently as the fight progressed. This new party  gradually became more confident in their ability, audaciously entering the cave. 

As Leon considered entering after them, he heard a gut wrenching scream. He cautiously moved along the forest, incessantly looking around him to avoid the ambush of any goblins. As he got close to this goblin cave, he could hear the screams of all the adventures. They seemed to be cut short, as if they were being killed before they could finish screaming. Waiting there for the screams to stop, Leon waited and again considered entering the cave. Perhaps he could pose as one of the members of the party, and act insane from having his party being wiped out, to prevent people from finding out his ignorance of the local language. His thoughts were inhumane but Leon did not have the luxury to act kind. Risks need to be taken. Birds die for food and Humans die for wealth.

Leon slowly walked towards the cave, he heard the weeping of a party member. What a pity, one of them was still alive. He doubted he had the strength to kill a remaining party member, as he was about to turn back the cave appeared to explode with fire. Smoke billowing out, goblins burning alive. Was this magic?

If this was magic then the implications were huge. The ability to become stronger as an individual was not available to him in his past life. No matter how strong you were, you are just as susceptible to random events like any other person. He died to such random event. In his past life Leon had worked out and would attend martial arts classes. He wanted to strengthen himself as an individual to prevent himself for being taken advantage off. Although humans can get stronger, even someone like Muhammad Ali could die to randomness. No one is immortal and everyone faces death in the end, no matter what. However the exist of magic, as illogical and strange as it is, is the only thing that could potentially allow someone to transcend the natural limits of humanity and become an immortal.

Leon decided to leave, the loud noise would attract something else. Human guards, adventurers or perhaps some other fantasy creature. Before he could leave though, he saw one of the party member stumble out of the cave. His clothes were torn and there was pain in his eyes. He noticed Leon and promptly collapsed...

 

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