On the side of the road, surrounded by tall buildings, the streets were nearly empty. It was already late at night, and only a few cars passed by now and then. The cold wind blew through the air.
A young man walked alone, arms wrapped around himself, shivering.
"There's nowhere left to buy medicine… What am I going to do about my little sister?"
His name was Amon. He had been walking all over the city, searching for a pharmacy that was still open. His younger sister was sick with a high fever, and he needed medicine urgently. But everything was already closed.
Disappointment was clearly written on his face as he walked. The thought of his sister burning up from the fever made his chest feel heavy. If he didn't find help soon, her condition could get worse.
"I'll keep walking a bit more… Maybe I'll find a place that's still ope-.."
"Young man, why are you out here this late, huh? Hehehe…"
Amon stopped speaking to himself when he heard the voice behind him. His body froze. He went pale instantly.
He knew this place was dangerous. He had heard before that muggers often showed up here late at night.
He only left his house to buy medicine for his sister, nothing else.
"Don't be scared, kid. Just give me your money, and I won't hurt you."
The voice was rough and slightly hoarse, probably from an older man. His tone was sharp, and there was no kindness in it.
Amon's hands started to shake. The only money he had left was exactly enough for the medicine his sister needed.
While thinking about what to do, he suddenly heard footsteps from behind. They were getting closer.
His body froze in fear.
His mind went blank, and before he could react...
"BANG!"
A gunshot rang out.
His heart dropped. Panic surged through his chest. It beat so fast that it became hard to breathe.
Did I get shot? Am I dead?
But no pain came.
And the footsteps behind him were gone.
Slowly, Amon turned around.
On the ground behind him, a man lay motionless. Blood covered his head. He wasn't moving at all.
Goosebumps ran all over Amon's body.
Sweat poured down his face.
He didn't know what to do. He just ran fast, like a crazy person trying to escape death itself.
But then
"BOOM!"
A large truck suddenly appeared in front of him.
It was too late to avoid it.
The truck hit him.
His body flew through the air, then rolled on the ground several times before finally stopping.
He lay there, bleeding from the head. He couldn't move his arms or legs anymore. He was flat on the pavement, struggling to breathe.
Nobody helped him. The streets were too quiet, and even the truck driver didn't come down to check.
"…Flora…"
Before he closed his eyes for the last time, a single tear escaped his eye. He thought of his younger sister. He had failed to bring her the medicine. He hadn't even said goodbye.
The last word he spoke was her name.
****
"Dad, why is he sleeping here?"
"Shhh… Don't be noisy. Just leave him alone. A lot of people don't have homes anymore. That's why they sleep in the forest."
Deep in a strange forest, surrounded by tall grass and trees, unfamiliar sounds echoed. Animals and birds that didn't seem normal filled the air, like something from another world.
A girl and a middle-aged man stood at a distance, looking at a man lying on the ground.
His clothes were dirty, his long black hair messy, and it looked like he hadn't taken a bath in a year. His face couldn't be seen clearly because of his hair.
Suddenly, the man on the ground slowly opened his eyes.
Then, he suddenly sat up and shouted,
"Flora! Flora!!"
The man and the little girl stepped back in shock. The sudden movement and loud voice startled them.
"Daddy, he's scary… Let's go!" said the girl, hiding behind her father. Fear was clearly written on her face as she looked at the man.
Her father agreed. "We should leave before he notices us."
They started walking away slowly, trying not to make a sound. They thought the man might be crazy or dangerous.
"…What is this place?" Amon asked as he noticed the two walking away. He looked around. The entire area was surrounded by tall trees and grass. Everything felt unfamiliar.
When the two strangers heard him speak, they froze.
His voice was calm but had a chilling tone to it. It sent shivers down their spines.
The man slowly turned around to face him.
Now they could see Amon clearly.
He was tall. His hair, though still messy, looked a bit better now. His face was clean and surprisingly handsome, but serious and cold. He looked like someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill if needed.
The little girl was still frozen in fear. Her face had gone pale, and her body was shaking a little.
"I said, what is this place?" Amon repeated, since they didn't answer.
"This… this is Elandor Forest, sir… in the northern part of Elandor Kingdom," the man replied nervously, his teeth almost chattering.
Amon frowned.
Elandor? Forest? Kingdom?
He had never heard of these names before. Not in his 25 years of life.
Even the people's clothing looked old-fashioned, like something out of a medieval movie.
Then he looked at himself.
His hair had grown longer. His clothes were also different. They weren't from his world. In fact, they were more worn and rough compared to the strangers' outfits.
Is this… another world?
Did I get reincarnated…? Like in the novels I used to read?
The man noticed that Amon didn't look angry or aggressive anymore, just confused. He felt a bit relieved.
"Sir… can we leave now? My wife is waiting at home," the man asked.
"Go ahead. Thanks," Amon said.
Hearing that, the two immediately turned around and quickly walked away.
Amon just stood there, looking at their backs as they left.
"So I really am in another world."
He suddenly felt a wave of sadness.
He remembered his sister, Flora.
"Damn it… I forgot to ask them how to get out of this forest."
He was about to chase them to ask for directions, but they had already walked too far away.
"Never mind. I'll find the way out myself."
Time passed.
Amon continued walking through the forest. The sun was already starting to set. It would be night soon.
"Still no way out… I should've asked them earlier," he said, frustrated.
Then he remembered how the two looked at him earlier, like they had seen a monster.
"Do I really look that scary?" he muttered, confused.
Suddenly, a strange message appeared in front of him, floating in the air:
[SYSTEM UPDATING…]
"…System?"
A red square hovered above his head. Words appeared inside it:
>> SYSTEM BOOTING COMPLETE. WELCOME, USER. <<
Amon's eyes widened.
A grin slowly formed on his face.
"…This is just like in the novels."
He clenched his fists.
"I really got reincarnated… and I have a system."