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Chapter 1 - Chapter 1 Outer Authority

He leaned in, gazing at the flashing cursor, his hands shaking over the keyboard. His heart racing, each intake of air crisp and short. Months of waiting, praying, and dreading—all of it boiled down to this instant.

With a trembling hand, he hit send.

Suddenly, a massive weight crashed onto his chest. His eyesight faded, the room spun furiously. He grasped his heart, wheezing as a burning pain sliced through him. The screen flashed naively: Message Sent.

Then darkness descended.

 ___

In some grand palace in some sandy city, a woman rested elegantly on her throne. Her chin was supported by her hand as she listened to a messenger talk.

"Queen, there have been strange human movements along the border," the messenger replied, her ashen eyes glinting like a snake's. "We do not know precisely what they intend."

The queen leaned forward, her face serene but inscrutable. "Continue to follow their activities," she instructed, brushing aside the messenger with a fluttering wave of her hand.

 ___

Somewhere in an unknown forest, a young man of about twenty sat on the ground, confusion written across his face. Pine and damp earth filled the air, and shafts of sunlight pierced the canopy in fractured beams. He rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of where he was, his body aching as if he had been running for miles, though he couldn't remember how he got there.

A gentle hum vibrated through his ears. When he blinked once more, a pale blue screen floated before him, semi-transparent, filled with data:

Name: Sokae

Age: 21

Status: Awake

Authority: Ou?e? Authority

He involuntarily waved his fingers in front of the screen, and figures danced, recording his heart rate and pulse.

"Where… where am I?" he breathed, voice cracked, still aware of the ache in his chest.

The forest came to life. A small window flickered to the edge of the screen:

Tutorial? Y/N

He gulped hard. "Y… yes," he breathed, not knowing if he was speaking out loud or into the screen.

New lines flashed forth instantly:

Movement Controls: Walk / Run / Sprint

Vitals: Heart Rate / Hunger / Fatigue

Inventory: Empty

Objectives: Survive

"Huh… yeah," he grumbled, gazing at the hovering panel. His head reeled, trying to fit the pieces together—the message he sent… and then nothing. And now this.

He crept forward a single step. The ground under his feet was wet and spongy. Roots tangled across the forest floor like veins, and leaves rustled underfoot as he stepped on them. Sunlight filtered through the canopy but did nothing to calm the queasiness in his belly.

The screen hovered in front of him, faintly blue and pulsing. It read his name, his age… and "Authority"? Ou?e? Authority? The letters danced unnaturally, incomplete, as if the screen was having trouble expressing itself.

"Am I… dead?" he breathed.

His legs and arms flailed as though recalling their own strength, so that the forest seemed fiercely real, almost sentient. A twig cracked in the distance, and his heart was in his throat.

The screen flashed again, a gentle chime ringing in his ears:

[Welcome to the world of magic and gods: Dinrae]

[You seem disoriented. Let me clarify.]

[You died in your native world and have been transmigrated here.]

[Your memories are intact. Survival and adaptation are crucial.]

[1 Authority present. Function: Unknown.]

Sokae reeled back, pounding heart. "Wait… what?" His voice trembled. "I… died? And now I'm. here?"

Sokae pressed his hands against his thighs in an effort to balance himself. The woods were still, except for the occasional bird song. The trees loomed above him, gnarled roots snaking across the earth. Each step was clumsy, as if he had to relearn how to walk.

He glanced at the floating blue screen. Objectives: Survive. That didn't tell him much. Survive how? Stay alive for how long? What was even out there? He swallowed hard.

and what is this authority?

A branch snapped somewhere nearby again. His heart jumped. Probably nothing. Probably.

He moved a step closer, slow and cautious, eyes scanning the strange wood. Sunlight filtered through the canopy and lit up a tiny clearing. A thin stream flowed across it, water cold and clear. He bent and reached out, letting the coolness soften some of the tension winding through his chest.

The screen flashed again.

[Unknown entity detected nearby.]

[Recommendation: Caution.]

Sokae's stare froze. "Unknown entity?" he grumbled.

He scanned the area, squinting at bushes and shadows,

He attempted to understand what had transpired. He'd been sitting at his desk, typing out an email. Next. this. A forest. A drifting screen. Survival instructions.

Sokae moved another careful step deeper, allowing his gaze to search the forest floor for any obstacle that could catch him off guard. The stream broadened to a narrow creek, the sound of the water burbling over rounded stones. He walked its border, hoping it would take him somewhere—or at least provide him with a sense of direction.

The roar of the water increased until he staggered into a clearing dominated by a waterfall. Mist sprinkled over him, cold and stinging, and sunlight broke through the drops like splintered glass. He knelt beside the stream, cupping a handful of water to drink, the cold sending a shiver down his back.

As he was standing, rubbing cold from his palms, motion at the edge of the clearing caught his attention. A figure was along a thin path over a ridge. He did not move. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, with an enormous sword slung across his back. Its blade shone in sunlight, enormous enough to make Sokae's mouth dry.

The man's head swiveled. Their eyes locked. Relief washed over Sokae. "Hey! Wait! Please—help me!" he cried, gesturing wildly.

But the man or boy? didn't even hear him. Not a single word. He just kept walking, striding silently, with fluid precision. He was out of sight behind rocks and trees in seconds, Sokae left gaping after him, his heart pounding.

"What… what in the world is going on?" Sokae grumbled, sitting down on a nearby rock. He sat down, putting his elbows on his knees, attempting to understand the day that had started out as regular and turned completely insane.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't catch the rustle behind him until it was nearly too late. A shadow burst out of the bushes, quick and heavy.

Sokae had hardly a moment to spin around before the colossal, clawed form crashed into him, sending him tumbling to the ground.

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