Chapter 7

Ah, once again back to the darkness.

I find myself unable to see, once again. I can't move either, yet I feel my body sinking little by little into the dark abyss, that will slowly consume me.

How many times has it been now? Two? Three? I’m losing count. It’s already becoming a pattern, and let me tell you, I’m not a fan of patterns where I wake up in pitch-black nothingness.

Still, this takes me back. This is the same feeling I felt when I first awakened in this world. Yet, having lived through it once already, it's not that scary anymore. I would even argue that I got quite used to it, and even feel a strange sense of peace mixed with it. Hm... I probably didn't survive that, huh?

Great. Figures. I try to be the cool mc that saves the day, only to fight for my life, nearly get torn apart by wolf-shadowy things, hooded-nightmare-shadow guy appears, and the moment I think I’ve survived, BOOM. I end up here. Back into the void I go.

Ugh, I'm such a loser. Just let me die already...

But it seems like I don't.

So... what now? This is getting kinda awkward. Do I just wait to respawn or... did I actually kick the bucket. Ugh, honestly, the more I think about it, this is so lame! Where are the cool powers at!? I mean to be fair I've seen some in practice, BUT IN OTHERS, NOT IN ME!!!

I grow frustrated at my weakness and want to scream, but of course I'm unable to. What am I even able to do, at this point? Am I capable of doing anything? The answer is no. Ugh, such a drag. Can I die already? Why even get Isekai'd into a fantasy world, if all I am is just an ordinary person, might as well make me an NPC.

It feels like all I've been doing ever since I got there, which has not been even a week by the way, is wake up confused, sleep, wake up confused again, faint and now I'm in some kind of limbo bullshit. Does it even matter? All I'm gonna do is wake up and, you guessed it, faint again or something. Yup, the patheticness feels real enough.

 I drift further into the endless void. Similar to a rock floating around space... probably.

Still... whether I like it or not, this is my new reality. I may not be the brightest cookie, but even I have enough knowledge to know that I do not belong in this world... So then what is my purpose here?

BRAINSTORMING TIME! Okay before you say anything, don't judge me okay? I have nothing else to do besides entertaining myself or I swear I feel like I'm gonna go insane with all of this silence!

Let's see... If I really got Isekai'd to another world, I need to figure out the genre and possible tropes that I may encounter. I used to read a lot of fantasy novels back in the day, so I could perhaps use it to my advantage. So far, I couldn't really deduct what the power system is yet. Is it system? Mana based? Or perhaps one of those Chinese cultivation ones? Shit, I haven't read much of them, so if that is the case, I'm royally fucked.

Next, is the nature of this world. Is it more of a isekai slop one, where the mc is overpowered and barely encounters any hardships, alongside his harem? Or a more darker,  gory realistic one, where important characters die and stuff? Hm... Unfortunately, despite the village being in chaos, I didn't get to see if any villagers actually got mortally wounded. Would've that creature really kill that kid in front of me, or would he magically be saved by some kind of plot armor? Although to be fair, minor characters would get killed if it was for the sake of moving the plot and plot armor is usually reserved only for important characters anyway. 

Actually... that happened with Leron didn't it? I could've sworn I saw him get completely beheaded by that Shadow Reaper, yet he somehow got saved before that could happen. Either I was somehow hallucinating, or perhaps my power involves foresight of some sorts? Like a possible future type ability? Either way I'm glad he's fine... He is, right? I passed out before I could see the outcome of the fight, but something tells me that swordsman wouldn't lose so easily, especially not with that strange sword. FIGHT ON, mysterious swords man, which by the way that entrance was totally cool I rate it 8/10. If you lose, then it's all gonna be more embarrassing for you. Just saying. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lastly, the Shadow Reaper... Yes, I came up with that name because it was annoying to keep calling him random variations of names with Shadow in it, call it a placeholder if you will. Neat, right? It sucks? Hey! You try to come up with a name while getting choked, which by the way I don't mean that not in a good way, then getting mukbanged by some random wolf beast! Like, what did I do, I'm just a guy!

Still, it's really troublesome. Both him and the creatures that attacked the village. Why are they attacking the minute I spent the night in the village? Coincidence? Very unlikely. Then, could they be after me, after all? And if so what would they gain? Do I have some hidden power within me they seek? I can't think of anything besides that. Does that mean they'll attack the village until they get to me? Poor villagers, they have no fault at this.

I sigh deeply, well at least I would, if I had a tangible body in the first place.

Man, this is all so exhausting! Who's to say I'm even the main character! For all I know, the real one could be hiding in the village and I'm a mere background character. Sill, no matter how much I would like to act clueless, I can't, this all seems too convenient to be left unnoticed. If that would've been the case, I wouldn't be here. I would be just dead.

Wait but I don't even know what happens after death so perhap-

"Ahem." A feminine voice cleared her throat gently. The voice cuts through the void like a ripple across still water.

What? Did I just hear somebody? No more importantly who was that? Have I started going completely crazy?

“Hello?” My voice echoes, though there’s probably no air here. “Who’s there?” I mutter the words of what would be the last lines of a slow, dense character in a bad horror movie, after making the idiotic decision to follow the sound of wherever came from.

Wait a minute... could this be the god that brought me into this wor-

"I'm afraid that is not the case." The feminine voice announced gently.

Fuck, am I in some kind of danger, she sounds ominous as hell so that means she must be powerful too. What is this place? Am I in some kind of illusion? I'm not smart enough to outsmart a deity or find a way out of this, is this my end?

"Yes."

Huh?... So it really is my my end? Oh crap, I'm not ready for it. Wait now that I think about it, I'm sure I didn't voice that thought out loud, yet the timing to which she spoke matched with my line of thought. That can only mean one thing. I gulp nervously. Wait, please don't tell me... Does that mean...you... you can hear my thoughts...?

"I'm afraid so." The soft voice murmurs again. "It's one of the side effects of being connected to my consciousness."

“Uh... Oh... I see... I see... Um, Yes as in, "Yes I can read your most intrusive inner thoughts", or Yes as in, "Yes, I can't?”

Fuck that doesn't make any sense but, frankly, I'm terrified at this point of time and place(wherever that would be). The worst case scenario just happened to me, someone who can read my inner most thoughts, someone who I can't deceive even If I tried to, can just read whatever I'm cooking inside this greasy, good for nothing head.

Fuck I should think of random stuff so I can throw her off pineapplepineapplepineapplepineapple Agh but who is she is?pineapplepineapplesomekindofdemonlord?penpineappleapplepen.

Besides the danger, what about my dignity!? My pride!? I've been blabbering like an idiot ever since I got here, so she must've heard everything! I can just feel my social credits plummeting down the zeros, even reaching negatives. I'm so uncool right now, aaaagh just kill me already if you must.

Before I can even react, the void begins to shift.

From the endless black, a long dining table stretches into existence, its polished surface gleaming faintly as though lit from a source I can’t see. One by one, chairs take shape along its sides, six to the left, six to the right, until the entire arrangement feels unnervingly deliberate. At either end, two larger seats form, facing each other. My chest tightens when I realize one is meant for me, the other one for her.

The backdrop follows. A cathedral-like, vast dome arches overhead, aspiring to one you would find in an Italian church. Behind each chair, a tall stained window flares into being. Silhouettes, bound within the different colored panes, stare back at me, each with a unique symbol accompanying them. A feather that burns like a phoenix aflame. A flower so pale it seems carved from moonlight. Other symbols I can’t place.

When I lower my gaze, my hands rest on the expanse of polished wood. I discover I am no longer standing but instead seated at the table itself. Across the endless stretch of it, the one responsible for all of this reveal themselves.

"My apologies, it seems like I have given off the wrong impression. I haven't yet properly introduce myself. I suppose you could call me... the Founder Witch, pleasure to meet you." the feminine ominous voice announced.