Strolling leisurely towards the village, both the armed group and the villagers seemed like a distant memories now. While it may not be wise to let your guard down completely, it was safe to say that we had escaped from our perilous situation for the time being. Despite the reprieve being temporary, the scenery around us was beautiful. The fields were well-tended, and the peaceful atmosphere of the place was tranquil and idyllic.
But let’s not forget that this is a village where a bloody incident has taken place.
However, what an unkind transition it was into this other world!
Most of the stories in the world of isekai are usually filled with encounters with gods who grant incredible abilities or stumbling on a beautiful girl , or making friends with cute mofumofu creatures and jiggly jelly-like creatures. That’s how it goes, right?
But for someone like me, I woke up, encountered a corpse, wandered around in darkness feeling the danger, found a person who was alive, and then ended up alone in an uncertain situation again…
No, this is probably not something I should overthink. It may only lead to feeling down and discouraged.
Let’s think of something positive, something bright…
Oh! That’s right!
Talking about Isekai, I’ve got an idea!
“Status Open!”
…
…
…
Nothing happened. This is so embarrassing.
This has gone entirely wrong!
(Can someone comfort me, please?)
“Do you want to create a GUI for it?”
(No, it’s okay…)
No, no, that’s not what I meant. I feel a little depressed now.
But if I don’t try, then I might miss out on something amazing. Yeah, that’s right!
“Meramera!”
…
“Meramitsu!”
…
“Meramitsuma!”
…
This is so embarrassing…
I guess nothing is going to happen after all.
Isn’t it typical of RPG games that magic spells work just fine if you cast them? Maybe it’s because of the appropriate elemental affinity?
“Hamogi!”
“Coolness!”
“Thunder!”
“Demonic Sky!”
Damn it…
Wait, maybe I got the spell formula wrong…
“Fire!”
“Water!”
“Thunder!”
“Apocalypse!”
…
Damn it!
I knew it was foolish to expect such a thing. But this is a fantastic world, with fantasy airships, energy bars on the edge of vision, and magical fireworks in the town square. There might still be a chance!
Well…
Now I’m desperate.
I took a deep breath and concentrated.
…
Hmph.
“From the deeper depths of darkness, from the deeper reach of the night, standing at the well of chaos, king of the golden shadow, I beseech thee, I pledge thee, to destroy all the fools before me with our magic of destruction, we shall meet our demise together–”
“Emergency alert! Unknown energy levels have sharply increased. It is recommended to stop casting and using magic.”
“What?!”
I looked around and checked my limbs, but everything seemed normal. However, the bar that indicated the energy level continued to increase rapidly.
Was my reckless incantation the cause?
(Dangerous, right?)
“I’m not sure. It may be okay, but I cannot recommend anything because I cannot guarantee its safety. Do you want to continue?”
(Do we know why this is happening?)
“We haven’t identified the exact cause. By cross-referencing the activity log and measurement log, the energy level increased slightly when you started testing the spell, then increased rapidly when you closed your eyes and entered a state of concentration. The energy level rose rapidly as you continued to recite the spell.”
(I see…)
“Assuming, if I may, that one of the following, or a combination thereof, might be the reason: a clear intention, the degree of concentration, or the statement of the spell itself.”
Well, that’s also a typical setup in a fictional story. In a fantasy, the magic would either activate, or nothing would happen, and it would all be wrapped up neatly. However, considering reality, what should I do now?
As I pondered this, the entrance to the village suddenly came into view. I was incredibly famished, and it was time to look for something to eat.
Dun-dun-dun…
“Is anybody there?”
He raised his voice and knocked on the door of the house several times.
As part of the investigation, he went in order from the edge of the village.
– There was no response.
He hesitantly placed his hand on the doorknob and pulled it, finding that it wasn’t locked and could be easily opened.
”Is anyone here~?”
He called out once again, but there was no answer.
With both regret and a bit of fear, he stepped inside.
The windows sealed off the dark house.
Relying on the light filtering in from the entrance, he scanned the inside and noticed something hanging from the ceiling that looked like a lantern.
Assuming it was a lantern, he approached it, but realised that it didn’t seem to be powered by anything external—it was simply hanging from a hook on the ceiling.
Since it was easy to remove, he brought it back to a brighter area and examined it.
The body of the lantern was cylindrical, resembling a discounted, branded instant coffee storage container turned upside down.
However, about half of it was made up of a black metallic material beneath the small, glass portion that made up the majority of the lantern.
At first glance, it really did look like a lantern.
Inside the glass cover, there was nothing.
He wondered if it was lit by something like LED lights or if the entire glass portion was filled with gas like a fluorescent light, but there was no filament anywhere to be seen.
Moreover, there was no sign of a switch.
Was this really a lantern?
He began to doubt his own assumptions.
He wondered if it was possible that people who were not connected to their world’s unique HCS system couldn’t operate these devices.
Considering the various risks of network failures, it seemed unlikely that there would be no physical switch…but he couldn’t shake off his bad feeling.
Despite these lingering doubts, he turned the lantern upside down to examine it more closely.
Suddenly, it flickered and shone brilliantly, catching him off guard and making him chuckle wryly.
It was brighter than he expected.
He wasn’t quite sure how it worked, but it seemed that turning it upside down was how to switch it on and off.
Without requiring special intervention from a system, he was relieved to find that it was indeed a lantern.
To fulfil his original purpose, he hung the lantern back in its original position, but this time upside down.
It was bright enough to illuminate the not-so-spacious room.
It had about 2500 lumens.
He gazed at the lantern for a while.
But it was strange.
A brilliantly shining ball of light floated inside the glass.
he even tried to shake it a little, but the light ball didn’t move much and continued to float stably inside the glass.
What kind of technology was this?
Despite having many questions, he followed the original purpose and headed for the kitchen, which was visible from where he was.
Inside the shelves, he quickly found something like bread, cheese, and leafy vegetables near the water.
Although he said “something like” because they looked and smelled just like what he was used to on Earth.
He looked around for any other food to nibble on and was shocked to find a refrigerator.
It seemed to have a rather primitive system where ice was simply placed at the top, but he was surprised that there was a way to maintain it here in the wilderness.
Unconsciously, he thought that he had underestimated the level of civilization in this world because of the old-fashioned buildings, retro streets, and natural surroundings.
He found ham-like meat, large raw chunks of meat, fruits, alcohol bottles, and various condiments inside the refrigerator.
He took out some ham and lined it up on the cutting board with the other ingredients he had found, taking small bites and chewing them carefully so he could swallow without difficulty.
Although he assumed that it wouldn’t be a problem since it was ordinary household food, he made sure to taste-test it just to be safe.
”How is it?”
”No problems,” replied Mai.
He breathed a sigh of relief and swallowed.
The taste and texture were as he had expected.
There were many people living here until recently, so it seemed unlikely that he would struggle to find food. Nevertheless, actually having it in his hands made him feel relieved.
Now, he thought, it was time to make a sandwich.
