Chapter 2 - Congrats! You've Been Isekai'd

[Survive]

Running was never my strongest suit, but I had no choice. I had to push past my limits.

I couldn't die as soon as I got here!

[Survive]

The beast chasing me was huge, towering over me like a damn nightmare brought to life, but it wasn't exactly fast.

In fact... was it slowing down?

Maybe it was tired?

You and me both.

[Survive]

Guardian angel, my ass. You could've warned me about the fucking monster!

[Survive]

Yeah! I get it! Now get rid of this damn pop-up! I can't see where I'm going!

It worked.

The pop-up disappeared from my field of view just as I finally saw the exit of the cave.

I knew there had to be one. I could feel the wind against my skin.

The light pouring in from outside was blinding after the darkness of the cave. Cold air brushed against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

I pushed myself forward, ignoring the burning in my legs and lungs.

Just a little more.

A few more steps and...

A deep, guttural growl rumbled from behind me.

Oh, hell no.

I didn't dare look back, but I could feel it getting closer. The ground trembled beneath its heavy steps. My heart was practically trying to escape my chest at this point.

Then, just as I reached the mouth of the cave, a shadow loomed over me.

I threw myself forward, stumbling onto damp grass. The cold air hit me like a slap to the face.

But I was out.

I made it.

Panting, I scrambled to my feet and spun around. The beast stood at the cave's entrance, its massive frame barely fitting through the opening. Glowing red eyes locked onto mine, a long row of sharp teeth bared in frustration.

It can't leave?

I took a cautious step back.

It didn't follow.

"Hah. Sucks to be you, loser."

I grinned at the beast as a low, guttural growl came from its throat.

Did it understand me?

Probably not.

It must've just felt disrespected.

"Alright, now what?" I muttered, rubbing my arms.

It was freezing.

The forest ahead stretched endlessly, trees swaying gently in the wind. No signs of life. No paths. Just me, barefoot, shivering, stranded in what felt like some nightmare survival game.

Wait.

I wasn't just barefoot.

I was naked.

What the fuck?

Before I could properly process the sheer injustice of my situation, a familiar pop-up window materialized in front of me.

[Congrats! You have successfully escaped the cave.]
[New Mission: Stay alive.]

"...That's it? No tutorial?"

I swore I could hear my so-called guardian angel laughing somewhere.

"Okay, at least give me some clothes?" I tried, only to be met with silence. "No? A cape? A blanket? Just something, please?"

I glared at the sky through gritted teeth.

"I know you can hear me, asshole."

[Reward for escaping the cave has been sent.]
[Open?]

"Yes, please. Some clothes. Anything will do."

[Reward: Ignite]

That wasn't a clothing item.

I sighed, staring at the pop-up. "What the hell does that do?"

[The user can create and control fire based on the user's power.]
[Current user power: Noob]

"Come on! At least call it 'novice' or something. A little respect?"

The pop-up flickered before my eyes.

[Current level: Novice]

That was better.

But I was still naked.

Could've used some help here.

"What are you doing? You want me to meet the main character while naked?"

[Yes.]

"So you can speak to me now, huh?"

[Viewers vote: Will she meet the MC naked or clothed?]
['Naked' wins with 80% of the votes.]

"That's what you meant by winning their favor?!"

[Told you so, Miss Nonchalant.]

Being naked sucked.

And if I really did have an audience, that meant they were seeing everything.

Well, at least I was covering the important bits...

But what if I kept walking and someone saw me? Would that count as exhibitionism?

...Actually, I didn't care.

Survival first, dignity later.

I couldn't just stand around freezing my ass off. I needed to find water... I didn't really know why, but it seemed to be the number one priority in every survival guide ever.

Lush green vegetation usually meant there was a water source nearby, right?

I was sure I'd read that somewhere.

Oh, right!

It was in The Villainess Runs a Man Against Wild Show!

So I followed the denser patches of greenery, pushing past branches and stepping carefully over tangled roots.

After a while, I heard it.

Water rushing over rocks.

A river.

Hah.

Who knew light novels would actually help me out?

The water was crystal clear, rushing over smooth rocks, and for the first time since arriving in this mess, I felt like things might actually be looking up.

Finally.

Something useful.

I stepped forward, careful to keep my feet out of the freezing water, then knelt beside the river. Gently, I dipped my hands in and splashed some of the cool water onto my face.

There was a face staring back at me.

"Wait... what?"

I leaned closer.

The reflection followed.

"AAAH! WHO IS THIS?!"

I stumbled backward, nearly slipping on the rocks, my heart racing like I'd just encountered another monster.

"That is NOT me! What the hell?!"

The pop-up appeared instantly, like it had been waiting for this exact moment.

[We made a few adjustments.]

I stared at the text.

Were they for real?

"...Adjustments? That's a whole-ass new character!"

[For a better viewer experience.]
[Also, please refrain from swearing too much. You're not cute.]

"Hey, so, I know I made your life harder, but... are you really my guardian angel or my biggest hater?"

Silence.

I pointed aggressively at the water.

"My face was fine! It wasn't that bad!"

[...]

"OH, COME ON! DON'T DOT-DOT-DOT ME!"

I huffed, then reluctantly glanced back at my reflection.

The girl staring back at me had soft, round green eyes. Her lips were fuller and more defined than mine had been, and her skin looked... annoyingly clear.

Dark brown hair framed her face, falling in slightly messy waves that somehow still looked intentional.

"Okay, it might be prettier than the old me, but you could've asked first," I muttered.

[It was written on the board.]

Argh! I should've paid more attention.

I glanced down at my arms. The small scratches and cuts from my frantic escape stung as I splashed some water over them, trying to clean them as best I could.

Then I looked down at the rest of my body.

Hmm...

No wonder I hadn't felt any kind of discomfort.

"Hey, lowkey... could you make my boobs a bit bigger?"

[Why...?]

"Better viewer experience, right?" I'd always wondered what it felt like to have a body like the characters from One Piece.

This was my chance.

[It's NOT that kind of show!]

"Not that kind of show, but you chose to make me meet the protagonist naked..." I pouted.

I heard the crunch of leaves and immediately spun around.

Crap.

A tall guy with dark hair, sharp eyes, and a seriously intimidating gaze emerged from the forest. A broad sword hung at his side, its dark blade looking way too fucking big to be practical.

Does he think he's Guts or something?

He took one look at me and immediately raised his hand.

Before I could even wonder what he was doing, something shimmered in the air and shot toward me.

The strange force wrapped itself around my body, taking the form of heavy chains. There was nothing there that I could actually see or grab, but every attempt to move was met with an impossible amount of resistance.

"What the—"

"Who are you?"

His voice was deep, cold, and far too calm for someone who had just magically restrained a naked woman in the middle of a forest.

I didn't even have time to process the question before panic took over.

I struggled against the restraints, desperately trying to get free, but all that accomplished was making my arms slip away from my chest.

Oh, no.

"Oh my God—MY BOOBS!"

I immediately tried to cover myself again, twisting awkwardly against the restraints until I was pretty sure I'd managed to turn myself into some kind of human pretzel.

"What... are you doing?"

"What does it look like?!" I snapped. "I'm trying to protect what little dignity I have left!"

His mouth tightened into a thin line. Something about his expression suggested that his patience was already running dangerously low.

This probably wasn't the most normal first impression.

Then again, he was the one who tied me up.

"...Oh." A grin slowly crept onto my face. "So you're into this kind of stuff?"

His expression hardened. "Excuse me?"

"Chains?" I nodded toward the magic surrounding me. "Should've known. It's always the cold, brooding guy who turns out to have a weird side."

Whatever little patience he'd had left seemed to disappear.

"State your name."

Seriously?

"Do I look like I care about introductions right now?" I protested, trying to keep myself covered with what little movement I had left. "Release me first, then we can talk."

"No."

I let out a long sigh.

Of course.

He had to be one of those types.

And because apparently getting chased by a monster, waking up naked in a strange world, and being restrained by magic wasn't enough, the first person I met also had to be a hard-headed fucker.

Great.

"My name's Aria. Can you please release me now?"

He squinted, his gaze cold and intense.

What was his deal, anyway? Going around attacking people without so much as a hello?

Did he even know what courtesy was?

"What are you doing here?" His tone was demanding, like I was supposed to just fall in line.

"I don't know! I woke up in a cave and got chased by some big bear or whatever."

"You expect me to believe that?"

I stared at him, my face twisting in disbelief. My eyes narrowed, and I could practically feel the scowl pulling at my features.

"Yes. Who are you, anyway? No, scratch that. Who do you think you are?"

A flicker of surprise crossed his face.

"You don't know who I am?"

"Nope, I don't. Am I supposed to? Are you some kind of..."

My voice trailed off as it clicked into place.

Don't tell me... he's the MC?

I took a better look at him.

Tall, kinda good-looking, and that huge blade.

...Yeah.

It did make sense.

And I'm supposed to be his sidekick? With this build, he does NOT need my help.

[New Mission: Gain the MC's trust.]