Kai was shocked. Welcome to her world? What was that supposed to mean?
"Wait…" he frowned.
This situation wasn't entirely unfamiliar. In fact, he had seen this countless times.
A lot of those web novels he read, their protagonists went through something like this. Dying in one world only to awaken in another world.
But those were just stories.
Fiction.
A fantasy people created to escape the trash reality he himself lived in.
There was something echoing in his mind right now.
Is this what means by 'getting Isekai'd' means?
A story of transmigration. When one was reborn in another world.
And now… this was happening to him?
Kai's throat went dry. He swallowed hard, his mind spinning.
This all was too much.
His thoughts grew hazy like the mist around him.
"I know you seem confused," the woman said gently, her lips curving into an understanding smile. "They all are, the first time."
Kai snapped his gaze to her.
They all are?
"What do you mean… 'They all are'?"
"You are part of something much larger," she explained softly. "You are not the first. Nor will you be the last. Many have transmigrated before you and many more will follow."
Kai's eyes widened. "You mean… there are others like me? From my world?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Not only from your world. From countless worlds. The cycle never stops. People are pulled from one world to another… all the time."
"This… this is exactly like the stories…" Kai muttered.
His lips trembled. Questions piled up in his head, but none of them could escape in the right order.
He didn't even know where to start.
"You will find your answers later," the woman said, her tone holding weight, her gaze looks meaningful. "For now just focus on living your new life."
Her words didn't sound like congratulations. More like a warning.
"Wait." Kai's voice cracked. "Can't you just… send me back? Back to my world?"
The woman tilted her head slightly, her expression confused.
"That would be difficult. Almost impossible. Some rare transmigrators find a way back but most never do. They accept their new world and live on. Those who managed to come back are the reason there were stories about this in your world."
"But I can't just stay here forever!" Kai's voice grew louder. His chest tightened. "I have my grandpa and grandma at home. I can't leave them!"
"Oh… about that." The woman's eyes softened, as if she just remembered something. "I almost forgot about that. You are now a separate entity. Your consciousness has been transferred here. But 'you'—the version of you in that world—still exists. He will continue your life there."
Kai froze. His chest rose and fell shakily. He felt a little relieved but not really happy about it.
So his grandparents would still have him.
But it wasn't truly him. That thought ached worse than the truck that killed him.
"There is still a possibility for you to return," the woman added, her tone carrying mystery.
Kai's head snapped up. "How? Tell me!"
"You must find out for yourself." She smiled faintly, her figure beginning to blur and fade with the mist. "I don't have much time left. But we will meet again when the time comes. I am sure you will manage."
"Wait!" Kai's heart raced. Panic clawed at him. "At least tell me what kind of world is this? Is it dangerous? Are there monsters? Magic? Cultivators, or anything?!"
Her fading form gave one last, playful smile. "Figure it out yourself. It will be more fun that way, right?"
Her voice lingered like a fading echo and then she was gone.
Kai was left standing alone in the foggy plain.
Everything about this felt unreal, like a fever dream that was stretched too far.
But his gut twisted with unease. He knew he couldn't afford to stand still here forever. Something about this place screamed danger.
The pale moonlight overhead seeped through the mist, silvering the land just enough for him to see a few steps ahead.
The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint whisper of wind weaving through the grass.
"If this really is like those stories then there should be monsters here too," Kai muttered under his breath, his gaze darting around.
His scooter and phone were gone. Nothing from his old world came with him. Just his tattered jeans, sneakers, and hoodie.
He had nothing to defend himself.
Kai forced his legs to move, scanning the area for anything resembling shelter.
His eyes narrowed when he spotted the faint outline of a small shack in the distance that was half-hidden in the mist.
His instincts screamed to move there. He jogged toward it, wary of any shadow that was moving within the fog.
The shack was simple with weathered wood and a crooked roof, but it had a door and was still intact.
The handle turned easily and the hinges groaned as it opened.
"Hello?" Kai called, his voice careful.
Silence answered him. He waited, straining his ears. But still nothing.
Inside was bare. No furniture or tools, only an empty space with a dusty floor.
It smelled faintly of damp wood.
Relief washed through him. At least it was a shelter. At least for tonight.
He closed the door and sat on the ground with his back against the wall. His heart was still hammering.
"So it's really happening… I got transmigrated." The words felt strange rolling off his tongue, but denial wasn't an option anymore. He rubbed his face and sighed.
"First thing first, I need to know what kind of world this is. What kind of fantasy or magic? Or…"
His throat tightened.
"Or some horror dark fantasy world where everything's just waiting to eat me alive."
That thought alone made his stomach churn.
"The next thing…" he clenched his fists, "I need to see if I got a cheat power or a system."
He shut his eyes, focusing hard. Then, in a whisper, he said, "Status window."
A soundless chime echoed in his mind, and then before him, translucent words appeared, glowing in the dim shack.
[Name: Kai Lin]
[Title: (None)]
[Level: 1 – Mortal Courier]
[EXP: 0/100]
Stats:
Strength: 16
Speed: 18
Stamina: 17
Balance: 15
Awareness: 16
Dao of Service: ??? (Locked)
Kai's jaw slackened. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
"It's… it's real…" he whispered. His lips curled into a shaky smile despite the fear. "I… I really have a system."
—