Waking Up in a New World

Alex woke up with a splitting headache. His vision was blurry, and the cool air filling his lungs felt foreign. He slowly sat up, tapping his head in an attempt to shake off the dizziness. When his eyes opened wider, he realized something very strange.
“Where... am I?” he muttered, looking around in confusion. He didn’t recognize his surroundings at all. Tall trees towered over him, and the ground was covered with thick green grass. There were no roads, no signs of modern life nothing familiar from his world.
Before he could think more about it, a voice pierced through the air, distant yet loud enough to catch his attention. It sounded like a scream, followed by the noisy rustling of movement. Alex was startled and quickly stood up. He didn’t know what was going on, but his instincts told him to head toward the sound.
After running through the woods for a few minutes, he finally came upon the source of the noise. In front of him, a group of goblins were viciously attacking a young girl. She appeared cornered, and Alex could clearly see how the goblins were taunting and threatening her.
“Hey!” Alex shouted, his voice loud and firm. But the goblins didn’t pay him any attention. They were too busy with their prey. Alex’s mind raced, his body tense and unsure of what to do next.
“What do I do now?” he thought, panicked. He looked around, searching for anything he could use as a weapon, but all he found were a few rocks and sticks lying around. "When was the last time I faced goblins in my world?" he thought, but no answer came.
He ran. But not to fight. “Just run!” he told himself, turning and fleeing from the chaos. He sprinted as fast as he could, distancing himself from the danger, leaving the girl behind.
But after a while, Alex stopped. His heart sank as he peeked back from behind a tree. The girl was still fighting, though she was trapped. A sense of guilt washed over him.
“I can’t just leave her like this,” he murmured, his mind set.
He turned around and headed back, this time with more determination. But just as he moved forward, one of the goblins noticed him and ran toward Alex, brandishing a small sword. Without thinking, Alex raised his hand to block the attack.
And something strange happened.
Suddenly, his body felt... solid. Like stone. And when the sword struck his body, a sharp clink rang out. But the sword didn’t pierce his skin. It bounced off, as if his body were made of something indestructible.
“What... is this?” he whispered in shock. Without thinking, he pushed the goblin away with his left arm, which felt like it was made of solid rock, sending the creature flying.
But there were still three other goblins closing in on him. Alex ran to avoid them, trying to process what had just happened. His body... was hard as rock, and every move he made felt different from before.
The girl, who had been cornered, now watched the scene with wide eyes. She immediately rushed toward Alex, yelling, “Stop!”
Alex turned around, his confusion deepening. “Eh? Why?”
But before he could process, the girl was already sprinting toward him, dodging attacks from the goblins. She quickly grabbed Alex and pulled him behind a large tree, hiding them from the goblins’ view.
“Are... are you okay?” she asked, panting. Alex looked at her for a moment before nodding. “I... don’t know what just happened. But I feel... like my body is stone!”
The girl shook her head in disbelief. “You... are strange.”
After a short time, they managed to escape the goblins’ pursuit and made their way to a small village not far away. Alex was starving, but he realized he had no money to buy food.
“Ugh, I really have no idea what to do here,” he muttered, patting his empty pockets. He wanted to buy something to eat, but his wallet was empty.
The girl, who had followed him, noticed his situation and looked at him sympathetically. “Are you hungry?” she asked, staring at Alex’s tired face. “I can buy you something, if you want.”
Alex turned to her and smiled weakly. “You don’t have to. I can... wait, what!”
As Alex spoke, a group of adventurers walked up to them, eyeing the girl with an unsettling gaze. One of them approached her, while the others started to laugh.
“Oh, this little cat girl is all alone, huh? You don’t look scared being here by yourself,” one of the men said with a sly grin.

“You must know... we could show you something more interesting.”

Alex, seeing the situation, immediately felt something was wrong. Without thinking, he ran toward the men. “Hey! What are you doing to her?!” he shouted.
One of the larger men turned to Alex, sneering. “You want to interfere, kid?” he said, swinging his fist toward Alex’s face.
Alex tried to dodge, but without realizing it, his hardened body activated again. When the man’s fist hit his stomach, it sounded like a punch to stone. Alex was stunned, but stood his ground. He raised both his arms, and this time, he shoved the larger man backward, sending him flying.
Ren, who had been watching, was wide-eyed. “You... can do that too?”
Alex could only smile awkwardly.

“I... don’t know how I did that.”

After taking care of the adventurers, they quickly fled and found refuge in the Adventurers’ Guild. There, they sat down and spoke.
Ren looked at Alex with a grateful expression. “Thank you for helping me.”
Alex nodded. “But... I’m still confused. Where am I? Is magic normal here?”
Ren, looking slightly confused, answered. “Magic? Oh, magic? Of course, magic is just part of everyday life. Many people use magic for work, farming, even for war. Why? You didn’t know?”
Alex was stunned, mixed with excitement. “What?! Magic is just normal here? I... I feel like the protagonist in an Isekai anime!” he said with a wide grin.
Ren stared at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Alex could only laugh awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed. “Never mind, it’s just... I feel like I’ve stepped into a dream world!”