My eyes burned when the blindfold was finally gone.
But that wasn't the problem.
The problem was—
"HOW DID THEY JUST THROW ME OFF ZUNESHA?!"
No one answered.
Nothing.
"Bruhhh—?"
I dropped.
No slipping.
No warning.
Just—gone.
Air punched my ears. My stomach fell faster than my body like it wanted to escape first. My heart slammed so hard I swear it tried to break my ribs and run away.
Grey.
Everything went grey.
Thoughts collided.
Broke.
Restarted.
Sea.
Below me.
Too far.
Wayyy too far.
Five kilometers.
At this height, water wasn't water.
It was concreteee.
I was going to die.
Again.
A laugh crawled out of my throat. Broken. Ugly.
"Bruhh… seriously…?"
Then—
Something blue fell beside me.
A screen.
Floating.
Falling.
Matching my speed like it forgot to enter the story earlier.
My eyes widened.
"Oh."
Of course.
A shaky laugh burst out.
"So… you're here too," I whispered, wind tearing my words apart.
"Typical isekai thing."
The screen flickered. Text tried to appear.
Didn't matter.
I couldn't read.
Because the sea was getting closer.
Fast.
The wind screamed.
Then—
My entire vision was blocked.
Not sky.
Not sea.
A leg.
Huge.
Wrinkled.
Ancient.
Moving.
"…Zunesha."
My body moved before my brain agreed.
I twisted mid-air. Something tore in my shoulder. My arm stretched too far. I reached anyway.
My fingers slammed into something warm.
Rough.
Old.
Wrinkled.
Muscle.
Pain exploded. Nails ripped. Skin burned.
I screamed.
The fall didn't stop.
But—
The muscle moved.
Slow.
Heavy.
Alive.
And that's when the worst thought hit me.
It felt me.
Not like debris.
Not like trash .
But like smth alive.
Clinging.
"…oh no."
My grip tightened.
Because now—
I wasn't just falling.
I was holding onto something that could decide if I live…
Or flick me off like dust.
"But wait it can't do anything on it's own huh..poor thing."
Time passed.
Maybe seconds.
Maybe years.
And that's when the thought snapped.
"OKAY SYSTEM, HOLOGRAM, BLUE SCREEN, ISEKAI THING , WHATEVERRR—WHERE ARE YOU?!"
The blue screen popped beside me like it was embarrassed.
"There you are."- I smiled a little.
I clung to Zunesha with one hand, looked at the screen, and shouted:
"SHOW MY SKILLS. DO I HAVE FLYING. FLOATING. ANYTHINGGGG?!"
Text appeared.
[Status: Powerless]
I stared.
"…I will eat you."
"ANY SKILLS??!"
Text changed.
[You may choose three abilities.]
"…BRUHHHH ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
I almost let go.
"WAIT—CAN YOU TALK?! I CAN'T READ WHILE DYING!"
A robotic voice spoke.
"Yes."
"…YOU COULD TALK FROM THE START?!"
I lost it.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW?!"
"Apparently not."
"BRUHHHH! I'm powerless, everyone thinks I'm a spy, I'm hanging off a giant elephant, and you're telling me I get three skills?! Do you even KNOW I'M ABOUT TO DIE?!"- I cried.
Silence.
"OKAY. THREE SKILLS. LISTEN CAREFULLY."
"One—understand and speak ANY language. Human. Animal. Whatever."
"Accepted."
"Two—luck. I want extreme luck."
"I cannot grant that."
"…wow."
"But I will ensure situations favor survival and opportunity."
"…fine."
"Three—people should trust me easily. I NEED TO SURVIVE THESE MINKS."
"Confirmed."
"WAIT—CHANGE—"
"I want DF...!!"
The screen vanished.
"..Bruhhh!!"
"…OI SYSTEM?! DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS—"
Nothing.
Only a blue status window.
Name: Ash
Face: not mine
Power: POWERLESS
"…BRUHHHHHH."
My hands were shaking.
Then a thought hit me.
Wait.
Language skill.
Ace's body.
Roger's blood.
"…can I hear it?"
I swallowed.
"Oii… Zunesha?"
Silence.
Then—
My consciousness felt like it was yanked out of my body. Like that Spider-Man scene with Doctor Strange.
Like my soul stepped half outside my body.
And then I heard it.
"I hear you."
My eyes widened.
"I—uh—can you… help me? Please? Take me back to Zou?"
"Command me."
"…uh… do whatever?"
No reply.
Something massive rushed toward me.
FAST.
"WAIT—"
A tail.
It's tail.
Swinging.
Right at me.
"BRUHHHH I'M GONNA DIE—"
It stopped.
"Climb. I will throw you, up on zou"
"…throw?"
I patted it's leg.
"Sorry for tearing your skin. I promise I'll come back and help you after i handle these Minks."
"No harm."
Before I could argue more—
WHOOOSH.
Sky.
Clouds.
Zou below.
"IM COMINGGGG—"
Then panic again.
"…HOW DO I LAND??"
I closed my eyes.
"System… you better not lie."
CRACK—
A branch.
I grabbed it.
Hard.
Pure Luck.
I opened my eyes.
A Mink guard stared at me.
"…eh?"-Guard
"…ehhh??"-Me
"...EHHHHHHH???"- Both together.
Lightning crackled.
And he hit me with lightning.
My body , I felt like it's paralyzed.
"You dare return, spy?!"
"BRUH—YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"
He tied a scarf around my mouth.
"You talk too much."
He tied my hands.
Guards gathered.
Whispers spread.
Spy.
Roger's son.
Monster.
Desperation snapped something inside me.
I tore free.
"I'M NOT ACEE!!! I just look like him! STOP IT!"
Something exploded outward.
Minks collapsed.
So did I.
When I woke up, I was in a cage.
My head hurt.
My pride hurt more.
"…Bruhhh."