Prologue
Sleep. It's one of the best things in the world, followed by gaming and anime. It gives all sorts of freedom.
You could dream you were a popular hot person, or you could be a superhero loved by all. That's what make dreams so amazing.
You get to escape from the world and no longer have to be who you are. You get to be what you want, who you want, and be with who you want. That's my favorite thing about sleep.
And in this moment, I was in a dream of my own.
"Do you wish to start a new game?" A female's voice asked. It sounded strange, like a robot or an automated voicemail.
It was a strange dream because I was standing in a dark, ever expanding space that surrounded me in all directions as the voice echoed all around me, with no distinct direction from which it came.
"Sure, why not," My lips moved, but no sound emerged. It was as if my voice was lost in the empty room.
"Loading new save."
I could feel myself growing tired, and my eyes seemed to drop on their own. This was the worst part about dreams. Right when you were getting to the good part, you'd wake up.
I awoke lying on my back, gazing at the sky with the sun shining down on me, watching the clouds drift along in a peaceful manner, and I immediately knew.
"This is another world..." I said as I stood up and looked around.
I felt lighter, like I had lost a few pounds, and I no longer hurt, like all those years hunched over were no longer in play with my bones. But I paid no mind to that as I rubbed my eyes.
The sounds of birds singing their melodies sounded all around, and the crickets chirped in the summer heat.
I analyzed the grassy plains that were around me and took note of the HUD that was now in my vision. I saw a health bar and an SP bar in the top left corner and the time and location in which I was in in the top right.
There were mountains in the east, and forests to the west. Straight ahead of me was what seemed to be a town that looked as if it was from a fantasy world. A large castle protruded from the middle, and a wall encompassed whatever else was inside.
It looked to be around seven football fields in length away from me.
The sound of a horseback carriage caught my attention and yanked me from my thoughts. "Hello, young one," as I turned my attention towards it, an old man greeted me. "What's a young kid like you doing out in the Grassy Plains with no equipment? You may be young and full of spirit, but the Plains are full of dangerous monsters."
Young? I'm like, twenty-eight.
Wait, now that I think about it, the voice that had come from my mouth earlier had sounded younger than mine.
Don't tell me!
I looked at my hands to see that they were much smaller than I remembered.
It seems as though I've aged backwards? If that's possible?
This has to be a dream, right?
I pinched myself to make sure. My eyes teared up at the pain.
Maybe it's not a dream then...
"I'm not that young. How old do I look to you?" With no way to know my own age, it was best to get someone to tell me how old I looked. I could just play it off from there.
"Hmm." He inspected me as he stroked his beard. "I'd say you probably look around 16 or 17. Well, no matter your age, walking in the Plains with no gear is dangerous to all. Hop on, I'll give you a ride back to town. I know it's not that far a walk, but who knows what monsters might attack you in that short time span."
"Oh, thanks..." I replied as I stepped on the carriage and sat down. The old man whipped the reins and the horses went into a light jog.
"So, son, you must be new to this place if you thought falling asleep in the Plains was a smart idea."
"Kinda," I replied. I figured it'd be best not to tell him I wasn't from this world. "This whole area is new to me."
"Ah, you must be from the southern kingdom then, the Soutoria Empire? Well, I'd like to welcome you."
"Welcome me how?" I asked.
I wasn't good at conversations, so my replies were short and seemed rude, although I think he knew I wasn't trying to be, as he kept smiling.
"To the Raetia Empire, of course," he laughed. "The capital of the Prostetian Kingdom. Where all those seeking adventure come to make a living for themselves." The old man stroked his beard as he looked at me. "So, what's your name then, son?"
Should I use my real name? Or should I make it up?
After all, I didn't know this world and how their names were. For all I know, my name would cause superstition. But what if I make one up and it causes even more trouble? So, I decided to stick with the best choice.
"Kichirou Saiyaku," I said, having told him my real name.
"Ah, so Kichirou it is. Well, Kichirou, what are you doing at the Raetia Empire? Here to become an adventurer?"
"...Adventurer? You mean the people that fight monsters?" I asked.
If this world had them, then damn right I'm going to become one!
"Why, yes. Though I guess I should explain the way this kingdom works, after all, it's much different than the south."
The man told me everything, literally.
In this world there were adventures, those who hunt monsters in order to make money and a living. There are, of course, other jobs. Such as being a blacksmith, a shop keeper, maid, and the what not.
Also, adventurers have a class. Classes are like knights, mage, cleric, synergist and so on. But just like everyone, you start off without a class, but as you grow up, you become stronger and your stats grow, and you automatically get assigned a class based on the automatic distribution of those stats. Most people choose their profession based off of the class they are assigned.
For example, a knight may go on to become a royal guard to protect the King and the inhabitance of the town. Or they may choose to become an adventurer. Mages can also join the royal family, though they would spend most of their time creating spells to keep barriers around the town that prevent the monsters from getting in. A Cleric could become a doctor, healing diseases and injuries.