Chapter 2: Chapter 1: My Isekai

I wanted to scream but only let out a hoarse cry as I tried to endure this unique pain. My mind was blank because of the crackling sensation that engulfed my entire being, as if the dormant water inside my body had coalesced into a thundercloud and wreaked havoc on my internal organs, traveling through veins.

Wait...body?

The sensations temporarily ceased as elation took precedence over my thoughts and feelings. Finally taking in my surroundings, the first thing I saw were the maroon clouds blocking out the sky and any potential celestial objects; they seemed to be filtering the sunlight to cast a red glow on the landscape around him. With a lack of interest in science, I couldn't tell what was going on, but this certainly is not something I remember seeing on Earth.

Speaking of, would I miss his previous life? Maybe. But it's mostly just the internet and other modern conveniences. It saddens me a bit to think about all the amazing anime and novels I will miss out on, but it is definitely worth the sacrifice.

Why?

because why would I read or watch these stories when I can live them out instead?

Why should I praise these protagonists when I can be the protagonist?! There was no chance like this on Earth; the spiritual energy was far too thin, possibly nonexistent. There weren't monster girls, and there wasn't magic. I was wasting my talents in that worldly prison. It seemed like others were blinded by the monotony of life, or perhaps they were all infected with heart demons they couldn't hope to vanquish.

But me?

I was always aware that I was unique. I could see things that others can't; I could tell there was a hint of truth in those "fantasy" stories. I even thought that pillars might fall from the sky and everyone would acquire random abilities. But alas, Earth was far too stagnant for such fantastical occurrences. I soon figured out that I no longer belonged there.

I remember when I first told my schoolmates that I would Isekai myself, and they all laughed me off. They all said it was "fiction."

Now I can finally prove them all wrong.

and to my parents...

May fate bring us together again one day.

With that final thought, I severed all connection to my previous world and renounced my past self's name.

I have finally been reborn.

both spiritually and physically.

This is my Isekai!

I put my thoughts aside and returned my attention to the real world.

My intuition tells me that I was lying down with my head resting on something, most likely a rock. Now that I look downward, I can get a good view of my new body. The first thing catching my eye was, of course, the large arrow shaft sticking out of my chest. I tried to reach out towards it, but found only a discomforting lack of bodily sensations. Unable to move at the moment, I calm down and inspect this new "vessel."

"Fortunately, this body is relatively sturdy," I mumble to myself while examining the muscular arms. I can't help but wonder how the poor bastard died; it seems like he should have had enough vitality to survive that shot. I'm not going to cry over the mystery dude or anything though; I'm especially thankful for this new body not being too weak.

There is one thing that I'm worried about, though: usually, the body of an Isekai protagonist would be pretty young, like in their teens. Talent in these stories tended to coincide with age, so most heroes would be about 16 or 17. But my current body looks to be at least 30 years old. I guess there are the occasional older MCs, but it's not the norm. I mean, I've heard of reincarnating into a younger body, but never an older one. I guess that could make me more unique.

While leaning on the rock, I decided to take a better look at the environment, which mostly consisted of sand, some boulders, and more sand, all dyed red because of the mysterious cloud phenomena. The sight is a bit eerie, but I wasn't worried as any second now I should be receiving my heavenly cheat.

After all, being the protagonist entailed a certain amount of heavenly favor.

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I wondered if I would get a system or maybe something more classic, like an overpowered cultivation technique. I smiled through gritted teeth as the pain returned. At least in my opinion, one should always look on the bright side of things. I sucked in a breath, expecting clean, crisp air, but only coughed a couple times due to the earthy flavor. It was strange; there didn't seem to be any sand or dust in the air; it just inherently smelled and tasted like sand. I suppose I should just get used to it at this point, so I practice a few more inhales and exhales.

Well... it certainly isn't getting any better. I continued breathing in and out, but this time I tried moving my body more. My legs were stiff, and my arms fared not much better. I can barely move them around at this point, but it just didn't feel natural. It was the sort of feeling you get after laying on your arm for too long, but with your entire body. like beads were spinning just underneath my skin, causing a tingling sensation while at the same time spreading numbth across my muscles.

Is that a word, numbth?

Probably not, but that is a good description of my current state.

I guess sleep paralysis works too.

Oh, right, numbness.

I guess the events prior have somewhat hampered my descriptive abilities.

I wonder why this isn't described in those stories on Earth. Then again, this wasn't a typical Isekai; it was more like a possession. I'm not sure if this is what you called "reincarnation" or if it went by another name since I wasn't exactly "reborn," not that it mattered.

At some point, my lungs fell into rhythm, and I no longer had to manually breathe in and out. The taste and smell were still unpleasant, but hey, at least I won't die of asphyxiation. I managed to turn my hands a bit, palms facing the ground. My face contorted as I clenched my hands into the sand like claws with all of my strength. Slowly the sand wrapped around my fingers as my nails dug into the fine grains of earth. I let the feelings wash over me, studying carefully how the grains felt across my skin, and channeled that feeling into my arms. This trick worked, and I began doing the same with every muscle before being able to sit upright.

I felt dizzy for a moment as the blood rushed to my head too quickly, and I had to steel myself from laying back down. I scoot back a little, leaning against the rock where my head had previously rested, and prepare to stand up with the extra support. My legs extend as I finally stand upright, shakily. I raise my fists into the air and scream towards the heavens.

"THE HERO HAS ARRIVED!" before ending with a loud, boastful laughter.

Well, that was what I intended to happen, but it actually sounded more like:

"The H-*cough*-erro," I say before sputtering and coughing blood onto the ground. I decided then and there not to externalize my thoughts for the time being, for fear of having a tombstone engraved with "talked himself to death," which didn't sound very heroic.

I wiped my mouth and ignored the metallic taste as I marched onward to victory. Actually, I'm not sure where to go; I kind of just-

"fuck."

My thoughts are interrupted as I get a letter from gravity via the rock I just tripped on. I quickly pushed out my arms because of the arrow shaft sticking out of my chest. I'm not sure what the repercussions would be if it got pushed out of my back, since it could possibly damage an important organ or something. If it were my previous body, I'm sure I would have broken an arm, but by virtue of my newfound strength, I fell into a kind of pushup stance instead. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I tucked in my knees and stood back up.

I use this as a reminder to pay closer attention to my surroundings and walk at a more leisurely pace to make up for the stiffness in my gait.

As for the arrow?

I decide to just leave it there, not because I find the sight aesthetically pleasing but because I don't wish to die within the first half hour of my adventure by severing an artery. I can't help but again think about how strenuous this all is compared to the typical fantasy story, like, why did I start in a goddamn desert?

I mean, this is a bit too hard, right? I should be getting some kind of external help; at least, that's what I could infer from the numerous novels with similar settings. Glancing around at the barren landscape, I can't help but think that the Isekai goddess who transferred me was a bit quirky.

Oh well, any second now I'll get a cool system or game interface, right?

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