The pain… was unbearably intense.
A sharp agony twisted his stomach violently. The world of dreams, which had been filled just moments ago with joy and tranquility, shattered suddenly without warning.
Morgan, who had been dreaming of a simple, warm happiness, felt an unnatural pain ignite in his abdomen, a strange and extraordinary pain, as if he had spent an entire week without going to the bathroom.
"Ouch…"
He groaned softly, and in disbelief tried to turn and look at his stomach, but his body did not respond. He could not move his limbs, not even lift his head…
"Considering the matter, I must still be dreaming."
He tried to convince himself of that.
"Maybe I'll wake up soon… I'm absolutely sure this is just a dream. I've experienced something similar before."
Morgan was accustomed to strange dreams, so he tried—as he always did—to force himself awake.
But this time was different.
Even though he was sure he was inside a dream, he felt something unusual. Random thoughts crept into his mind.
"Why am I suddenly facing this pain in my stomach… in the middle of the night?"
His face contracted from the intensity of the pain.
"It's… really painful."
"Could… could it be that I need to go to the bathroom?"
"Damn… don't tell me I'm going to soil myself! No, I don't want that! I'll die of embarrassment if this happens! I want to wake up now! Right now!"
Whatever happens, he must wake up immediately.
And suddenly—
His vision was engulfed in blackness, and before he could understand what was happening, he heard strange words, whispered into his mind.
Then—
He regained control of his body.
He breathed heavily and finally opened his eyes.
A foul smell hit him as soon as he opened them.
"Don't tell me that I… really did it!"
He said it loudly, terrified. Before he could lift his head quickly, he collided with something hard and heavy, forcing him back to his place.
"Ah… this hurts…"
He remained lying for a few seconds, catching his breath, before calming slightly. Morgan looked around. He was inside a narrow space, like a small square box, barely large enough for an adult.
Garbage.
Trash surrounded his body from every direction—torn bags, rotting food scraps, and things he didn't even want to think about regarding their nature.
"This… isn't my room."
He tried to get up quickly, but had to pause before colliding again, and after a short struggle, he noticed a cover above him.
He lifted the cover cautiously.
Immediately, he shut his eyes tightly.
Sunlight was bright. He raised his hand in front of his face, shielding his eyes from the rays, before slowly opening them…
And suddenly, his eyes fell upon a dilapidated street stretching before him, its ground cracked and covered with a layer of mud and dust, surrounded by worn-down buildings, their walls eroded and windows shattered.
"Could it be that I… have been transported?"
His eyes widened slightly, and he felt his heart pounding. He had grown up reading web novels, and often imagined scenes very similar to what he was seeing now.
Yet, despite all those imaginations, accepting this situation was extremely difficult when he found himself in one for real…
It was fun… when it was just fantasy.
"Calm… calm… calm…"
Morgan spoke to himself softly, trying to steady his breathing after moments of shock.
Then memories began to flood into his mind.
Charlon Clemen, an orphaned child belonging to the Harbin Empire. His parents had died when he was young…
But suddenly, the pain pierced his stomach once again. He lowered his gaze, and there he saw something he had never expected… a small piece of glass inside his stomach.
"Damn… what is this thing in my stomach?"
He muttered softly, reaching his hand toward the piece of glass, then quickly pulled it out.
Looking at the piece, he saw that it was blood-stained, before lowering his gaze to his stomach, which healed rapidly, leaving only faint blood spots where the wound had been.
"How can there be no wound in my stomach, after I pulled the glass out with my own hand?"
"What is happening?" he muttered frowning, and decided to examine his stomach. Then, after some time passed, he finally arrived at a conclusion about what had happened…
"Compensatory effects brought by the transfer…?" Morgan muttered softly, then let out a long sigh.
No matter the explanation… one fact remained certain.
He was alive.
"But why did I transfer in the first place? Nothing happened to me… Chan's truck didn't hit me. Could it be… that strange sect I was part of?"
As a fan obsessed with web novels, he spent most of his time reading them. He sarcastically called himself "the Grandai," meaning the top expert in fantasy, a nickname his friends mocked him for and called him obsessed.
Among the strangest things he was used to doing… was joining sects.
He would always join any sect claiming that the end of the world was near, or that it could grant its members supernatural powers. And every time, nothing happened. Ever. And how could it happen in the first place…
Until he joined a sect different from the rest.
They called themselves Ascotus.
They performed strange rituals, asking members to remove a tooth, a fingernail, and an eyelash, then mix them with an unknown substance, which they claimed was the blood of a god. Then they drank it. They insisted that whoever did this, the god would grant their wish.
It was a very small sect—its members did not exceed six people. Morgan was one of them.
He completed the rituals to the end, and made his wish without hesitation, yet…
Nothing happened at that time.
Who would have imagined that what hadn't happened then… would come true just one day later? But in reality?
"The transfer…"
"There's a clear possibility that this is because of those strange rituals… but wait. Where is the wish I made in the first place? That I would transfer to this world?"
Morgan stopped thinking for a moment, trying to calm his mind, crowded with thoughts.
Damn… I no longer understand anything.
My friends were right; I should have stopped before something worse happened… and that is exactly what happened.
But it doesn't matter now. All I have to do is repeat the rituals again, and then I'll be able to return to my family… and friends?
Regardless of the risks, Morgan realized he had to try.
Morgan looked around. The ground was filled with dirty water, and garbage was scattered in every direction. As for the streets, they were full of people mercilessly beating each other, and a young boy was stealing an old lady's bag.
Morgan sighed, before taking a single step forward…