I woke up slowly, almost lazily. I did not open my eyes yet, but I already began to grasp the situation. Instead of the soft mattress from my earthly room, I felt hard ground under my back. The soil was cold and brisk. I took a deep breath, and clean air flowed into my lungs. It had a metallic aftertaste like a summer storm. It smelled of wet moss and resin.
My mind stopped for a moment, catching a slight lag. I needed barely three seconds of deduction to digest the situation and throw away all false theories. Was it a prank? No, I have no friends who would pull such a stunt. Was it a simulation? No, earthly technology is not that beefed up yet to fake this moisture. The raw taste of air was too real.
The conclusion was brutally simple: this was an Isekai.
I opened my eyes and sat up. Before me was a charming clearing and a dense forest. Everything looked exactly like the lore of the novel I created. This place was clearly based on the story I wrote on Earth. However, I was not naive. The world had to evolve on its own and gain its own mass. I tried to recall specific secrets, but I hit a hard wall in my head. The pain felt like a rusted nail. I gave up immediately, as I had no intention of wrestling with my own brain.
Well, I’m in an isekai, far from home and family... I probably won’t see them again, or if I do, who the fuck knows how much time will pass. Eh, whatever. I see no point in panicking or complaining—it's a total waste of energy. After all, I’m in my perfect isekai. Time for fun!
Actually, it was even better. I evaluated this with full Brazen chill, massaging my temples. This reset was a plus. It allowed me to check the plot on my own skin, not playing on cheats with boring knowledge. I stood up and brushed the grass off my black trousers. I clenched my hands into fists. My body got a massive kick during the teleport. My new Hardware was athletic and strong, with fibers like steel cables.
Best of all, I felt the mana behind my ribs. It was buzzing fuel. I had a damn big furnace inside me. It was time to check this body in brutal practice.
First, the classics. I extended my hand and imagined fire. I formed five spheres of pure flame. The air began to wave from the heat. I sent them into a mossy boulder. The spheres hit with an aggressive hiss. The stone did not crumble, but it became red from the heat.
Then the pain hit my chest. It felt like boiling lead in my lungs. I bent over and groaned as a drop of blood dripped from my nose. My mind understood the error on pure logic.
Muddy Phase. My magic weaves were too narrow and full of dirt. Releasing that much power at once blew a massive pressure that almost tore me to shreds. I had to throttle the engine. If I turned the tap all the way, I would explode. Until I upgrade my core, I must use a deliberate handicap.
Breathing heavily, I suppressed the power. I began to check the other elements methodically. I imagined water, freezing a levitating ball into hard ice. Next was wind; I squeezed the air into a small sphere that whistled nicely. Earth listened to me just as easily. I gave a firm stomp, and a muddy stone tore from the ground to hang in the air.
Then came the lightning. It was my innate talent. These sparks burned with a deep sapphire that matched my eyes. I released one precise bolt, charring a nearby tree instantly. The feeling of this power was great. I decided to fixate on sapphire lightning until I reached rank S or SS.
Finally, I checked the force outside the weaves: Telekinesis. It did not pull power from my weaves, but from my expanded imagination . I extended my hand to a rock fragment. The stone rose up smoothly with a glow. Zero pain in the chest. Zero pressure in the lungs. The weaves did not feel it at all.
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Awesome. Telekinesis runs on expanded imagination. I will use it for complicated operations until I upgrade my core. For now, I will fight mainly in direct contact, breaking bones from up close.
I pushed my hands deep into the pockets of my black coat, regaining my natural chill. I was about to move towards civilization when I heard a rustle. A branch snapped in the bushes. I heard a heavy, whistling breath. Some beast was waiting for a morning meal.
I did not turn around, but smiled cynically. "Fido, stop fucking the rabbits and come out to play," I threw loosely into the space, provoking the intruder without fear.
The bushes exploded. A powerful Shadow Wolf shot out of the gloom. It looked dangerously as fuck, as large as a bear. Dark saliva dripped from its jaws. I turned around slowly and looked at its mass with pity. "You are too big for rabbits," I murmured with peasant reflection. "You must hunt deer or something".
The wolf snarled and shot from the ground, aiming for my throat. My desire for a fight turned on. When the beast was in the air, my expanded imagination reacted instinctively . I pushed a fraction of telekinesis forward, catching the brute in an invisible vise.
The wolf froze in flight with a howl. Gravity ceased to exist for it. "Sorry, Fido, but your loot is useful," I threw dispassionately.
One short movement of my expanded imagination. A dry crack came from the beast's neck as its spine snapped like a toothpick. The wolf went limp and fell onto the moss, dead on the spot.
Ladvia looked exactly like a seedy village from a game. The place was cramped and stank of biting smoke from cheap wood. I stepped between the wooden huts with the giant monster on my back and a pleasant smile. My new upgraded skeleton and dense muscles worked flawlessly, making the weight of the wolf feel like a light coat. People stared with open mouths, hurriedly moving out of my way as I marched through the mud. No one dared to say a word to a stranger carrying a bear-sized beast.
I went straight to the butcher's hut, guided by the raw smell of meat. A balding man with a large cleaver turned pale as chalk when I dropped the carcass at his feet with a heavy thud. "I am not here to haggle. Give me a fair price for the meat and skin," I said with Brazen chill . The butcher did not try any cheap tricks. His pure logic suggested that cheating a guy who hunts Shadow Wolves was a critical error. After two minutes, I walked out with a heavy pouch of bright silver in my pocket. My first hassle-free capital was secured.
I walked slowly towards the center, feeling my hungry stomach growl. My sharp hearing caught raised voices from a narrow alley. A group of local dirtbags blocked the path, forming a tight circle around a young girl. She tried to shield a small basket from their greedy hands. "Give it here, kid, or we will take more than just this bread," the tallest thug laughed hoarsely, jerking her arm.
The kindest guy in the world immediately spoke up within me. I approached them with a relaxed pace, keeping my hands deep in the pockets of my black coat. I stopped a few steps away, radiating Brazen chill . "Hey, boys. Leave her alone," I requested in a polite tone.
The thugs turned around with clenched fists, ready to jump me. Their leader opened his crooked mouth to throw a cheap threat. However, as soon as their gaze fell on my face, they stopped. They remembered the earlier scene from the gates. It reached them on pure logic that the guy standing before them was the same one who easily carried Fido on his shoulders .
Their aggression evaporated in a fractional second. They turned pale, recalculated their miserable chances, and simply ran away in absolute panic. They stumbled over their own feet, escaping into the darkness. It was a clean profit without lifting a finger.
The girl stared at me with wide eyes. "I... thank you... My name is Mia," she stammered, clutching her basket. I sent her the charming smile of the most sympathetic guy in the village. "No problem, Mia. Take care of yourself," I replied politely. She hurried away, which suited me perfectly, as I had no desire for small talk.
I entered the Weary Bear tavern. It smelled of stale beer and old oak. I bought clean water, a roasted chicken, and paid for a room upstairs with my fresh silver. The food lacked spices, but the high calories were exactly what my Vessel needed to stabilize. I sat at an empty bench, eating in silence while observing the local environment.
After the meal, I went up the creaking stairs to my room. I leaned against the wooden windowsill and looked at the large moon. My sapphire eyes reflected the light as I analyzed the day. The start of the Prologue in this Isekai was a total success. Tomorrow, guild quests and checking the physical laws of this world await me. I am into this for good.