Chapter 1: A Dangerous Misunderstanding

After that, Kiryu picked up a tree branch and stared at the slimes melting on the ground with a flat expression.

“So these are the dangerous monsters you meant, Karma?”

The slime wobbled gently, transparent, with a round face that somehow looked… not threatening at all.

Kiryu stabbed it with the tree branch.

“Plooop.”

They burst like balloons being popped.

Kiryu killed all of them.

“See, Karma? Are these really the dangerous monsters you were talking about?”

Karma fell silent.

Asuka stared at his own hands, then at the branch, now wet.

“Karma? May I ask you one thing?”

“If all the monsters in this world are like this, I think my stress level will drop drastically.”

“That conclusion is extremely premature,” Karma replied.

But Asuka ignored it.

He took a few steps forward and found another slime.

Then another.

And another.

“Plooop!”
“Plooop!”
“Plooop!”
“Plooop!”

“Seriously,” he muttered as he stabbed the fourth slime, “if this is my second life test, this world’s standards are ridiculously low.”

“Correction,” Karma said. “You are currently in the outer layer of a dangerous zone.”

“Outer layer, inner layer, middle—I don’t care,” Kiryu replied. “All I see are failed jelly evolutions.”

He stood up with a bit more confidence now. He even kicked the remains of the last slime.

“I’m starting to think I almost died because of something stupid, but luckily got summoned into an even stupider world.”

“Be careful with assumptions like that.”

Kiryu snorted.

“Karma, if you want to scare me, at least give me a monster that—”

WHOSSH.

A massive shadow swept past.

Something slammed into the ground right in front of Kiryu’s face with a heavy impact.

DOOM.

Kiryu’s face went pale. Cold sweat broke out.

In front of him, a gigantic axe was embedded in the ground, its handle as tall as his body, the blade still trembling slightly.

He stared at the axe for a long moment, then slowly looked up.

“Umm… Karma?”

“Yes.”

“This… isn’t a slime.”

“That is correct.”

“Then what is this?”

“This is the danger I was referring to.”

“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME FROM THE START?!”

The ground shook again.

From behind the trees, three massive figures stepped out. Huge, muscular bodies, bull heads, heavy breaths like wild beasts. Two of them raised similar axes. The last one let out a low growl.

Minotaurs.

Kiryu forced a stiff smile.

“This is completely outside my expectations! And why didn’t you just say it from the beginning?!”

“AND WHY ARE YOU ONLY SAYING IT NOW?!”

“I have already warned you beforehand.”

“YOU DIDN’T MENTION THEIR SIZE!”

Trees rushed past him. The uneven ground made him nearly trip several times.

Behind him, heavy footsteps and roars echoed, growing closer.

“KARMA, I WANT TO ASK YOU ONE THING!”

“What is it, Master Kiryu?”

“DO I HAVE ANY WEAPONS OR MAGIC?!”

Karma went silent for a moment before answering.

“None at all.”

“AMAZING!”

Another axe slammed into the ground a few meters beside him.

Kiryu screamed and nearly fell, rolling across the ground before scrambling back up.

He was gasping for air.

“I don’t even know how this world’s system works yet!”

“I’m too young to die in this ridiculous world!”

“That is why I advised you not to become overconfident after killing slimes,” Karma replied.

“THAT WASN’T CONFIDENCE, THAT WAS FALSE HOPE!”

He jumped over a large tree root, nearly tripping again, and continued running.

In his panic, one thought became painfully clear in his mind.

…I’m not a hero.
I’m just a writer who happens to still be alive.

And now, the world he wrote himself—

—was trying to kill him.

Kiryu kept running without looking back. His breathing was completely ragged, his lungs felt like they were burning, and the forest floor of Vargrimm was anything but friendly to someone running in blind panic.

KRAK.

His foot caught on tangled roots.

His body slammed into the ground. The world spun, leaves and dirt filling his vision.

Before he could get back up, heavy vibrations drew closer.

DUM.
DUM.
DUM.

Kiryu turned his head, his face pale.

The Minotaur was already too close.

Its massive shadow blocked out the light. Hot breath mixed with the stench of blood and damp earth washed over Kiryu’s face. The gigantic axe slowly rose, as if giving its prey time to understand the end.

“This is a very undignified way to die,” Kiryu muttered.

The axe began to swing—

—PSSHHH!

Something shot in from the side.

An arrow pierced straight into the Minotaur’s shoulder and exploded into grayish-green smoke.

“GROOAAARGH—!!”

The Minotaur roared, coughing violently, swinging its axe wildly. Its eyes reddened, its steps unsteady.

Kiryu froze in shock.

“An arrow? Could it be…?”

“That smoke contains a high-level respiratory irritant,” Karma said.
“Side effects: coughing, impaired vision, and reduced attack accuracy.”

“For the first time,” Kiryu said while crawling backward, “I actually like the way you explain things.”

“Get up. Now.”

A voice came from behind the trees.

“Over here!”

Kiryu turned his head.

On a tree branch stood a calm elven archer. Her hair was a pale greenish hue, her eyes focused, her bow already drawn again.

The second arrow flew, striking the Minotaur’s leg.

“Now!” the elf shouted.

Kiryu didn’t need to be told twice. He staggered to his feet and ran toward the voice.

When he pushed through the bushes, he was shocked to see several adventurers already there.

A tight formation.
Weapons raised.
No panic.

“Visual on target!”
“Three Minotaurs, one disoriented!”
“Protect the civilian!”

“Civilian?” Kiryu pointed at himself while running.
“ME?!”

A thunderous roar cut him off.

Another Minotaur burst in from the side, ignoring arrows and minor magic striking its body. Its axe lifted high, aimed straight at Kiryu, who hadn’t even had time to stop running.

Kiryu froze.

“Okay,” he said quickly. “This is the part where I die—”

—SHING.

A slash cut through the air.

The space in front of him split apart.

An overwhelming pressure of wind struck the Minotaur, leaving a long, glowing wound across its chest. Blood sprayed as the Minotaur staggered back, roaring in pain before retreating several steps.

Kiryu stood frozen, eyes wide.

Amid the swirling dust and leaves, a red-haired woman stood in a ready stance. Her posture was firm, her gaze sharp, her presence resolute.

Her long sword still trembled slightly.

“Wind slash magic?” Kiryu muttered.
“That just now… was that wind?”

“That was Mach Slash,” Karma said.
“A high-speed magic technique. High efficiency, but with significant mana consumption.”

The woman did not pursue. She merely pointed her sword slightly forward, just enough to force the Minotaur to retreat.

The three Minotaurs growled at each other, then—seemingly realizing the situation had turned against them—slowly withdrew into the forest.

Silence fell.

A few seconds later, a large adventurer carrying a heavy shield stepped forward. His armor was covered in scratches, his voice deep but calm.

“Area secure,” he said briefly.

Kiryu collapsed to the ground.

“…Thank you,” he said quietly, his breathing still uneven.
“…I almost became a coconut shell back there.”

The red-haired woman turned to look at him.

Their eyes met.

Kiryu didn’t know who she was.
Didn’t know her status.
Didn’t know what he had just witnessed.

But one thing was immediately clear in his mind.

This world… was far more dangerous than the one he had written.