Neith ventured deep into the mountain forests—far enough to be out of sight from anyone, whether from the castle or the kingdom's residents. But not so far as to reach the areas where wild beasts roamed.
He kept walking until he finally sat cross-legged on the cold grass beside an ancient, massive tree.
"Alright… I haven't done this in a while…"
Neith closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of energy within his body.
***
***
***
Neith had been a nineteen-year-old young man from Earth before he was summoned to this world for the first time. His life had never been a good one.
"...Uwaaah… uwaaah…"
The day Neith was born had been a difficult one. His birth conditions were harsh, and he came into the world with a frail, weak body. He was small—too small—and fragile.
Throughout his childhood, Neith frequently visited the hospital. He was unable to play like other children his age. His body couldn't handle running or jumping. Whenever he secretly got out of bed just to wander around instead of lying there all day, he often ended up in the emergency room.
Even the slightest movement could cause him shortness of breath. Heart problems, digestive issues, and sensitive skin plagued his life.
By high school—his third and final year—he spent his days the same way he had in middle and elementary school. On a regular day, Neith sat in the corner of the gymnasium, pale and thin, watching his classmates engage in the usual physical activities. As always, he passed the time by talking to himself—until someone suddenly sat down beside him.
"Yahoo~"
"....."
Neith turned his head to look at the person who had sat down next to him. It was a girl—his classmate—with a bright and cheerful face. Neith said nothing, not even returning her greeting. The girl started talking.
"So… how are you today, Neith?"
"As usual."
"That's good, then. Hey, you're older than us, right? You're nineteen… Did you repeat a year or something?"
"...I didn't exactly repeat a year… I missed an entire one in middle school because my heart condition got worse. Also, how do you even know my name?"
Neith's voice was dull, slow, and lifeless. The girl tilted her head after hearing his question.
"We're classmates… I know everyone's names in our class, and everyone knows mine… You know my name too, right?"
"....."
"...Say my name."
"...uhhhhhh…"
"...Are you serious?! I've been sitting at the desk next to you all year!"
"...Yeah, I noticed that."
The girl puffed her cheeks in a childish pout.
"Sonya! My name's Sonya!"
From that day on, Sonya started talking to Neith often—during class, lunch, and even gym. She was talkative, and though Neith sometimes found her annoying, she was tolerable enough that he didn't try to avoid her. He never really understood why she chose to spend her time with him when she clearly had plenty of friends.
"Let me taste that!"
Sonya grabbed Neith's drink and took a sip, then immediately stuck out her tongue in disgust.
"Ugh! It tastes so bitter! You drink this with every meal?"
"Yes… I told you it's bitter."
The two stood on the school rooftop, eating lunch as usual. Neith's gaze was fixed downward, toward the schoolyard where a match was taking place. It was the same view he'd been staring at for years—watching others run across the field.
It wasn't a look of envy or jealousy. It was a gaze filled with confusion. All those years he'd spent watching others—kids in kindergarten, teenagers in sports fields—he had always asked himself the same question:
'On what basis are those idiots allowed to move freely while I'm bound like this? …Who decided that? Those fools… those brainless idiots…'
Neith didn't envy them, nor was he jealous—he was angry. He couldn't accept the reality he was in.
"Neith… don't be sad…"
Neith turned toward Sonya, who had noticed his expression. She spoke in a timid, sympathetic tone, her eyes cast downward.
"I'm sure you'll get better… You'll have a healthier life! You'll be able to eat your meals without ruining them with that medicine! And…"
When Sonya lifted her eyes to Neith, her voice suddenly stopped.
Neith was looking at her with disgust. His expression was one Sonya had never seen before.
"You pity me? …You dare look at me with pity?"
Sonya stuttered, struggling to explain and justify that she didn't mean it that way.
"No! No! That's not what I— I just meant you shouldn't worry abou—"
"Worry? You think I care?"
All that filled Neith's mind was:
'This bitch… She dares look down on me? This shallow fool… Was she spending time with me out of pity? Who does she think she is?!'
Neith began voicing his thoughts aloud.
"Who do you think you are?!"
As Sonya stood frozen in tension, the ground beneath Neith's feet suddenly glowed with a strange, bright blue light.
"...!"
"N–Neith!"
Neith suddenly felt himself being pulled downward with immense force—as if he were falling into a deep, dark pit. Until he hit something solid.
"We did it!! …Welcome, heroes!"
Amid his confusion, Neith heard a beautiful voice. He looked up, bewildered. A beautiful girl stood before him, her hair a pale blue, and beside him stood a young man with a disheveled appearance—reddish-brown hair and golden eyes. Around them were a few guards.
Neith looked around while sitting on the ornate floor of the room.
Huh?
***
***
***
Neith slowly opened his eyes in the forest. The sun had already risen. He glanced at his status window.
Race: Human
Level: 3
Class: None
Skills: Translation
"Hmph… I spent the whole night draining the life from this tree…"
He stood up from the ground. All the grass around him had completely withered. He looked back at the massive tree he'd been sitting beside—the one that had stood tall and majestic last night. Now, it was brittle and decayed.
Neith slowly raised his hand and pushed it gently. The tree collapsed easily, scattering into crumbling fragments.
"...When I was first brought into this world in the previous timeline… my body had recovered. I didn't feel any pain in my heart anymore. I could run without effort… It felt like a miracle to me."
Neith walked out of the forest until he could see the townsfolk beginning their morning routines—leaving their homes, opening their shops. He looked down at his school uniform, realizing how odd and attention-grabbing it would appear if he walked through the streets dressed like this.
"Tch… I should've stolen some clothes from the castle before leaving… Well, I'll visit a clothing shop anyway."