Like any other morning, today is no different. My new life in the Azora Forest continues. Wait a moment—my kettle is whistling now. It's time to add some herbs to the boiling water; my throat hasn't been feeling well lately.
So, where was I-? Ah, my life—
(At that moment, a chicken suddenly bursts into my kitchen at high speed, chased by a rabbit. Oh, and by the way, in this world, rabbits hunt chickens like cats. For your information, I haven't seen any actual cats yet.)
As you can see, I'm living in the middle of the monster-infested Azora Forest without any cheat skills like other Isekai protagonists. Absolutely nothing. I guess life isn't exactly a bed of roses for me.
I am—no, I was—a typical, ordinary boy from a poor country in Asia, a guy with otaku dreams. I'd been living a pretty normal life, but even someone like me had a little spark before my death. Well, you could say I died because of that spark.
I still remember the day I died clearly. That morning, I saw a pink letter on my desk. I looked around but saw no one. It was the first time I'd ever received or even seen—a love letter. Finally, it felt like the scenes I'd dreamed of were becoming my reality. As I reached for it, a sudden gust of wind swept the letter out of the classroom. I ran after it, and just as I grabbed it, I tumbled down the stairs. I died a pathetic death, watching the letter fall into my blood in front of a poster of an elf guy.
I felt extremely sleepy in that moment. Also, a little relieved—though I don't know why. I didn't want to die, but I didn't have any strong reason or attachment to live either. My family… Well, it wasn't them depending on me, but me on them. I guess dying now would lessen the weight of their lives. They'll cry for a few days, but eventually, I hope they'll forget an ugly boy like me.
God, if I get another chance, make me as good-looking as that smirky elf guy.
Everything became blurry, and I sank into a dark, watery abyss. I felt myself drowning deeper and deeper, yet I never ran out of breath—only hope. Overwhelmed by sadness, I closed my heavy eyes.
When I woke up, I was still groggy—I'm a heavy sleeper, after all. I sat up and found myself in an open field, lying on the grass. The jarring sight and sudden shock jolted me awake. My brain reeled. I thought, I was supposed to be on the floor of the school or in the hospital . Maybe I am in heaven, or waiting for my entry in hell, who knows, no body to ask here or maybe I am dreaming or hallucinating.
At that moment, amid the chaos in my head, I heard a peculiar, terrifying scream. I froze. I didn't move an inch—I didn't even dare to look back. Time crawled until silence returned. The whole ordeal scared the life out of me.
My mama always told me to stay out of trouble. "If you see danger, run," she'd say. "We don't have anyone to protect us." So I've been avoiding dangerous situation my whole life. Today, though, mustering newfound courage like a brave man, I looked back. Thankfully, there was nothing terrifying—just an old, shabby house. Maybe it belongs to the boy whose body I'm in now.
But it's an isekai world, right? Or is it a regular world? I'm in an open field with one sun and one moon, so nothing magical yet. My hands and legs—and, well, everything else —seem to be white, like those British guys. I also took a quick peek into my treasures, and I'm glad I'm not missing my two precious jewels. To sum up, I guess I've somewhat become beautiful, like that elf guy whom I have seen in the poster.
"Thank you, God, for your mercy. At least I won't be inferior in terms of beauty now. Oh, my face—haven't seen it yet !I"
I rushed to the well and saw the cute face of a charming boy with pointy ears, sparkling green eyes like emerald flames, blond hair like golden Freddy. Damn! I really look like an angel.
"Thank God! My face and complexion are in my favour. Look, Tanim, now I don't care. Go to hell! I don't need you now. With this face, even Producer James Camaron ( The producer of the legendry movie Titanic) won't say, 'You can't play the male lead with just this face.' Hahaha!"
Alright, becoming an elf, I could deduce the fact that magic exists. "Fireball! Wind Cutter! Water Shot!" ,"I screamed 'Fireball!' like an idiot, but nothing happened. Maybe magic requires more than just words. Or maybe I'm just hopeless.". Suddenly, I felt relieved that no one was nearby to witness it—or were they hiding their presence? Anyway, it's not like I know them, and even if they were watching, I couldn't do anything about it now. So, I decided to ignore the possibility that I might be watched by someone.(I am a chill guy after all)
I looked around me. The shabby-looking house stood under a giant tree in the middle of an open field, surrounded by a 6-foot wooden fence. Beyond the fence, I could see a very dense forest. Every once in a while, I heard loud scream ."The scream echoed through the forest, sending shivers down my spine. My breath hitched, and I froze, every muscle tense. Was it a monster? Or something worse?" Thankfully, the fence blocked their view of me, or else I might have been eaten alive already.
"With my heart pounding, I took baby steps toward the house, entering cautiously and on high alert." Luckily, the first room was empty. Inside, there was a table with some fruits (I think they were the same ones I'd seen on the giant tree) and, on the side, a knife with a wooden handle. I took the knife and began exploring the house.
The house had an open space in the middle, with the giant tree growing through it. For a single boy, the house was way too big. After checking all the rooms, I figured out that more people used to live here, but they hadn't been around for a very long time, as there were thick layer of dust on the furniture . Poor boy, he must have had it hard.
I sat on the veranda, lost in thought. "Did the boy actually die, and my soul took over his body? Or did he summon me, sacrificing his own soul?" I searched for the boy's presence in my mind, but he wasn't there.
Well, whatever. Sorry, boy. I don't mind taking over from here. I don't think I can go back—I definitely died in my world, and my body has probably been burned by now. Thoughts like these clouded my mind, making me really sad. I wondered how my mom and sister would react. My sister and I were like oil and water, but I think she'd cry—maybe even more than my mother, at least for a week. My eyes grew teary at the thought of it.
Suddenly, I heard a loud bang!!! from the room on the left side. I gripped the knife tightly and headed toward the room, my heart pounding. In my mind, I prayed, "God, please, please help me." I entered the room, but thankfully, there was no one there. Just as I was about to leave, thinking I'd misheard, the sound came again—this time from the floor of the room.
There's definitely something—or someone—down there.
My hands shook as I searched for the entrance. Finally, I found a small door. It creaked loudly as I opened it just like a century old door, the sound echoing in the quiet house. I saw a set of stairs leading down. I descended and found myself in a massive library. It's freaking huge!!!