First Steps

"Am I dreaming?"...

"Is this a nightmare?"...

"I want to wake up"...

Those were the thoughts running through the mind of a young man, standing in the middle of a busy market street filled with otherworldly creatures.

He had nothing special in his appearance. Black hair, brown eyes, slim build—not tall or short. The kind of person you'd forget five minutes after seeing. He wore a white shirt and black pants, which looked completely different from what the people around him wore.

"I have to wake up... I need to go back... They're waiting for me... They need me..." he mumbled in panic.

"...Wait..."

"Why do I want to go back...? Who's even waiting...? No one needs me..."

"Yeah... there’s no reason to go back... deep down, I wanted this to happen..."

He took a breath and calmed himself down. He had accepted it. Somehow... he was in another world now.

He looked up at the sky—bright blue, with soft white clouds casting shadows over the street. It was warm. It was real.

The market around him was full of life. There were stalls stretching far down the road—selling food, clothes, weapons, ornaments, glowing stones. The stones looked like magic items, maybe collected from dungeons or dropped by monsters... like in those fantasy Gacha games he used to play.

And just like his old world, the gap between rich and poor was clear. Some people bought entire bags of fruits or handfuls of accessories, glowing swords and shields. Others stood nearby, smiling and praising their purchases, hoping to gain favors. But in a corner, a small group of people sat quietly, begging—for food, water, or just a few coins. The contrast was hard to ignore.

Out of habit, he reached into his pocket. There were a few copper and aluminum coins. That's when he truly felt it—the shadow of poverty sitting right on his shoulder.

His thoughts wandered again. If this really is a fantasy world, there has to be demi-humans... dwarves... elves... like the ones from those Isekai anime... ELVES!

He almost lost it right there, hands flying with excitement. But then—

He noticed people staring at him. Their confused eyes made him freeze.
"...Right. I was thinking about elves in the middle of the street..."

He quickly turned and walked off. After a deep breath, he slapped his cheeks lightly and stretched his face. Back to normal.

"I can’t go back, and honestly... I don’t want to. So I might as well look around."

As he walked, he noticed more details. The houses were built from stone and some kind of holding mixture—like cement. The roofs were all different—brown, blue, red, gray stones. Some had chimneys with smoke puffing out. It felt warm. Lively.

Then, further ahead, he found a huge building—tall, elegant, and made from glowing white and dazzling black stone. There were beautiful white statues carved into it—god-like figures, peaceful and powerful.
He stood there, speechless. A shrine? A temple?

But then—
Bump.

"☐ ☐ ☐," a stranger said in a language he didn’t understand.

He quickly nodded and bowed slightly, as if saying “Sorry, no worries.” The stranger walked off.

His brain was full, and his body was done. Tired. Completely worn out.
But still... he didn’t want to stop. He wanted to see more... walk more... feel free.

But the mind gave in.

His body was hungry. He had no energy left.

At some point, he had wandered out of the town. The market was long behind him now. What surrounded him were open meadows, wide farming fields, small flowing streams—and silence.

He walked slowly over the narrow levees of the fields.
The wind blew gently through the crops. It brushed against his skin.

And in that moment—he felt alive.

The pain, the hunger, the panic—it all faded. He didn’t care anymore. He just wanted to rest.

Looking around, he found a tree and leaned his back against it.

From there, he could see the town in the distance... and beyond that, the world waiting for him.

His eyelids felt heavy. He couldn’t fight it anymore. Sleep took him in—slowly and gently.

A strange feeling crawled up his chest.

He felt... everything.

Pride. Greed. Lust. Envy. Gluttony. Wrath. Sloth.
Then—Modesty. Generosity. Purity. Compassion. Moderation. Calmness. Persistence.

His senses faded. It was like he was melting into the air itself.

In that moment of peace...

Ren Asano died.