The Road Ahead Begins

Ren woke to the soft light of morning spilling through the wooden shutters. His body still ached—not from the wound itself, but as if his muscles hadn't yet caught up with the recovery. And yet, he felt more awake than ever—not just physically, but in some deeper, intangible way. It was as though his body had already begun to adjust to this new world.

Today was the day.

An adventure… the kind he’d only ever dreamed of in his old life, was finally about to begin.

He’d been given a small room inside the guild building — nothing fancy, just a bed, a shelf, and a window that opened to the village’s main path. But to Ren, it felt like a new beginning. The guild had taken him in, fed him, even offered a set of clothes after seeing the sorry state of his torn office wear.

They left him a set of black adventurer’s clothes—practical, fitted, and marked by a short cape that settled lightly on his shoulders. It felt strange at first, but not in a bad way. It made him feel like he belonged, even if just a little.

Gone were the worries of clocking into an office job that never rewarded him. No more deadlines, no more empty hours staring at screens. Here, he had a purpose — even if he didn’t fully understand it yet.

He met the others in the guild hall.

"Everyone ready?" Rachel asked, tying her satchel tighter around her shoulder.

"I was born ready," Kazuma grinned, stretching with a yawn.

"Make sure you packed everything," Melissa added, adjusting the staff on her back. "It’s going to be a long trip."

"Gather around," Alex called out, unfolding a large map and laying it flat on the nearest wooden table. They all leaned in.

Ren stared at the parchment, trying to make sense of the many names and shapes. He could tell it was a map, but none of the places meant anything to him.

"This," Alex said, pointing, "is the Northern Continent. That’s where we’re heading."

Ren squinted. "Looks... far."

"It is," Rachel said with a nod. "If we move at a normal pace and use the teleportation gates along the way, we should reach it in about two weeks. With the gates, we’re cutting what would’ve been a three-month journey down to just fourteen days."

"Teleportation?" Ren blinked. "Wait, what?"

"You didn’t think we were walking across an entire continent, did you, big guy?" Melissa smirked.

Rachel chuckled and began explaining. "Across the land, there are ancient teleportation gates—built and powered by royal mages generations ago. Using them requires a huge amount of mana, so they’re placed at key locations and powered by magical reserves or crystals."

"Yeah, only someone with a ridiculous amount of magic can activate them solo," Kazuma said. "So don’t even think about trying to mess with one."

Ren was stunned. Teleportation gates? Magic infrastructure? It was like something out of a fantasy anime, but here… it was real. And he was going to use one.

Rachel pointed at the map again. "We’re in the southern half of the continent right now. The plan is to reach a major city with a gate, then teleport closer to the southern port. From there, we’ll set sail toward the Northern Continent."

"So we walk between gates, and teleport the long stretches," Ren summarized.

"Exactly. Still a lot of walking, though. Forests, hills, and probably a monster or two," Alex added.

"I’ve already accepted a delivery job heading to the port," Rachel said. "It pays well and covers most of our expenses along the way."," Rachel said. "That should cover food and travel expenses."

Ren looked at all of them — Kazuma, Melissa, Alex, Rachel. They were laughing, organizing their bags, checking weapons, ready to go.

People who lived with danger, with purpose. People who welcomed someone like him into their world.

He smiled quietly.

"Shall we go, then?" Kazuma asked, tightening the strap on his sword.

"Let’s go!" Melissa said cheerfully.

Ren nodded. "Yeah… let’s go."

The road ahead was long. But for the first time, Ren felt like he was walking toward something.

Something real.

---

By afternoon, they stopped in a bustling town along the main road — far larger than the quiet village they’d departed that morning. The streets were lively, filled with travelers, merchants, and townsfolk going about their day. Ren looked around as they walked through. It was the first time he had seen so many people in this world.

What caught his eye more than anything were the beastfolk — people who looked half-human, half-animal. Some had tails, others had fur, sharp ears, or claws. At first glance, they were intimidating. But nobody seemed to pay them any special attention. They were just part of daily life here. That, more than anything, told Ren he was in a very different world.

They stopped at a roadside café with shaded seating and a steady breeze. The menu looked strange, but when the food arrived, Ren was surprised. Most of it wasn’t that different from his world — grilled meats, vegetables, soup. Though there were a few unfamiliar cuts of meat, he guessed they came from creatures that didn’t exist back on Earth.

“I’ll go pay,” Rachel said, standing up and walking toward the counter.

As she passed a nearby table, a group of rough-looking men turned their heads. “Hey, miss. Why don’t you sit with us and have a drink?” one of them called with a smirk.

Rachel ignored them and kept walking.

“Hey,” another man stood up, his tone sharpening. “Didn’t anyone teach you manners? It’s rude not to answer when someone’s talking to you.”

Then, without warning, he grabbed her wrist tightly.

Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Let go.”

But the man just laughed. “Heh, I like feisty ones.”

Then a shadow loomed behind him.

There was no warning. No sound. Just the blur of motion — and then a sharp, explosive thud that rang through the café like a drumbeat.

The man’s head snapped forward violently as Ren’s fist connected with the back of his skull. The impact launched him forward, crashing headfirst into the counter. The entire room gasped in unison, the noise of conversation vanishing as fast as the man had fallen.

Rachel stood frozen. She hadn’t even seen it happen.

Ren stood behind the man, his fist still clenched. His face — once calm and kind — was now locked in something much colder. Sharper. Protective. It was the first time anyone had seen him like that.

Without saying a word, Ren walked forward, grabbed the man by the collar, yanked him off the floor, and punched him square in the face. Then again. And again. By the third blow, the man had slumped unconscious in his grip.

Ren let go, letting him drop with a dull thud. Then he turned, gently took Rachel’s wrist, and led her back to their table.

Rachel’s legs moved, but her mind lagged behind. She didn’t resist as he guided her back—too startled to make sense of what she’d just seen.

Her cheeks flushed bright red. She didn’t say a word. She couldn’t. That wasn’t the same guy she had saved from a goblin ambush just yesterday.

The entire café had gone quiet. Whispers buzzed at every table.

Kazuma laughed. “Ha! Tough guy, huh? I knew there was something in you.”

“Ohhh? Couldn’t stand anyone hitting on your girlfriend?” Melissa teased, raising an eyebrow.

Rachel shot her a glare, but didn’t reply.
They decided to pack up and leave before things could escalate further. But just as they turned toward the street—

“WAAAHHH!”

A wild yell split the air.

One of the thugs — the unconscious man’s friend — came charging at them with madness in his eyes, sword drawn, teeth clenched. His boots slammed the ground as he sprinted forward, gripping the blade with both hands.

Ren didn’t even have time to turn around.

The man raised his sword high — an overhead strike, aimed to split Ren’s skull from behind.

Rachel gasped. Kazuma moved, too far away. No one was close enough.

Then—

CLANG!

The sound rang out like metal colliding with stone. Sharp. Final.

But something was wrong.

The man stumbled back, his hands trembling. His eyes dropped to the weapon in disbelief.

The blade had snapped.

Clean through.

The shattered half clattered onto the stone floor.

Everyone froze.

Ren just stood there

No armor. No defense spell. Just his bare neck... and yet the sword shattered as if it had struck steel.

The attacker stumbled back, wide-eyed and pale. “Wh-What… what are you?!”

He fell to the ground, voice cracking in fear. “You’re a monster! A damn monster!”

Gasps echoed around the café. People whispered not in curiosity, but in fear. Even Ren’s own party stared, stunned. They knew he was different — healing faster, surviving a goblin blade — but this? This was something else.

Alex slung his pack over his shoulder. “We’re leaving. Now.”

The group slipped out through the front of the café, keeping their heads low as they blended into the street. They hurried down side roads and alleys, trying to avoid the growing crowd gathering behind them.

No one said anything. Not yet.

And Ren? He just stared down at his hands in silence.

Even he didn’t know what he was.

To be continued...