A new aroma hit Jack's nose and it wasn't pleasant. When he opened his eyes he could see nothing, but he could feel where he was. Beneath him was a shallow pool of water; whether due to the pain in his back or the few different shades of black he could see he knew his blood was floating around him.
"I'm alive?"
He felt that if he could smell something so strong he had no way of being dead. The sulfur smell was so pungent that in the few minutes he had been awake he felt a migraine start to form.
Slowly staggering up to his feet he waded through the shin deep water towards the only sound off slowly dripping water.
It took a few minutes to reach due to injuries. By that time he had already become adjusted to cave he found himself in and knew that his endeavor was fruitless as the only opening feasible find was a door shaped hole on the other side of the cave from where he moved.
He drank a few mouthfuls of water disregarding any thoughts of bacteria or the like. Looking up through the gap that the water came down Jack knew it was how his unconscious body made it into the cave, but there was no water source aside from the pool of water he threw Emma in to.
Knowing he was lucky to be alive he moved to the other side of the cave into the archway shaped like a door. His best way to stay alive was to find an exit or a way to make a fire, but the thought of leaving and encountering more hostile people was a risk Jack didn't know if he could take.
"According to the brief description the Emma gave me I am currently in the a world that trains people to fight against interdimensional monsters, but Earth is a completely safe world."
Jack had no clue the circumstances around the portal or the reason why Emma would have had to go through the portal in the first place, but continuing to think of unnecessary things isn't going to help.
The smell, which he finally identified to resemble smelling salts, was stronger the closer he got to the door. There were two reasons Jack could think of
1. There was no air flow causing the smell to condense in the area with least openings.
2. There was an object that was causing the smell.
Neither of the two were promising especially not the first idea considering there would have to be no openings meaning no exits.
When he entered he quickly figured out what was causing the stench. In the corner of the small closed off room of the cave was a puddle that even Jack could tell was from bodily fluids, but it wasn't just the puddle; directly ahead from the entrance was a skeleton.
It was dressed in simple robes like the ones found in chinese webnovels. His legs were crossed in the louts position and there were few loose items around him, two to be exact. One was a leather bound book and the other a small white pearl.
Jack moved his shirt to cover his nose as he bent down to pick up the skeletons belongings. The smell still permeated through but was barrable enough, the hope of escaping drove him.
He exited room hoping to never enter again.
The book was in perfect condition even though it had been laying in the lap of a rotting corpse for who knows how long.
"So I'm in a world where people carry around swords and daggers, but I only find books and valuables. What luck I have."
While complaining he knew that his situation was his fault, if only he hadn't tried to play the hero and get himself trapped in another world.
Unlatching the single button strap the kept the book closed Jack started to read it:
[If you are reading this then you found yourself in the same cave as I did, only I assume you didn't enter out of your own will. While being hunted down after failing to kill the the 29th Martial Academy headmaster, Wang Yu; I was chased until an assassin split my chest in half. With no way to survive and a legacy that could not fall into the hands of the Martial Academy I crawled through the small tunnel opening and slid down with the assistance of the wet lichen covered rocks.
I, the fifth wielder of the Codex of Power, Li Feng; have removed the Codex from my soul and entrust that the next person to find it will carry on the wish of its previous users.
DESTROY THE MARTIAL ACADEMY!!!!!!!
I may only have a few moments left so listen to my last words:
Swallow the Pearl. Do not trust the Martial Academy.]
Jack felt himself sucked into the book as he read, not even realizing the the characters were Chinese and he had no clue how to read them.
"According to this book that I randomly found in a cave with an entrance so small it requires you to slide down into. The Martial Academy, which I know to be helping people, is not trustworthy and needs destroyed."
Jack had no idea what to believe anymore. His world was gone and he was alone in a cave with nothing but a book and what he assumed to be the Codex of Power that the man in the book, Li Feng, had been referring to.
"Screw it, I have nothing more to lose."
He looked down at the pearl in his right hand and brought it up to his mouth before dropping it in and letting it roll down to the back of his mouth before swallowing.
A few minutes passed but nothing happened.
Jack, assuming he had wasted his time, walked over to the hole with flowing water and as he approached his chest tightened and he fell down in to the water. Eventually the pain became to much to bare and he passed out.