I felt a soft fur brush past my cheeks as I struggled to open my eyes. I don't remember owning any stuffed toy this soft, though. Still, it feels so good in my skin that I just want to bury my face in it forever.
Suddenly, the stuffed toy squirmed as I tried to hug it closer to me, as if it was trying to get away. Pfft! As if toys can move. I immediately dismissed the thought and just hugged it tighter. When it stopped moving after a while, I felt myself going back to sleep.
Yes. I should get as much sleep as I can before my alarm goes off. I need it if I don't want to faint at work again later. Everyone already knows how I spend my weekends. So I'll probably just get scolded if I faint again. Worse, get fired. I already got a couple of warnings from HR, after all.
"I knew I'd find you here. Come on. That prude's gonna kill me if we don't show up by sunset." A man's voice said from behind me, as I felt him shake me awake.
Hmm~ Somehow, the voice sounded familiar, though I'm pretty sure I've never heard it before.
"Come on. I haven't had a bath for days, I wanna go back to the guild dorms as soon as possible."
"Five more minutes." I heard my half-asleep self say.
Seriously, forget taking a bath, I haven't had a proper sleep for days. A couple more minutes wouldn't hurt, will it?
Wait. Why is there a man trying to wake me up again? As far as I can remember, I haven't lived with anyone, especially a man, nor do I have anyone close enough who can get in and out of my apartment without my knowledge.
Ah-ha~ this is all just a dream. Of course it is. There is no way someone could get into my apartment. Let's just ignore it. He'll leave me alone eventually.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain from a jab to my side, which made me sit up straight and fully awake.
"What the-!"
"Works every time." A ragged-looking man squatting beside me said, smirking smugly. "Come on, never mind that killjoy, Jeila won't let me hear the end of it if we don't get back now."
I blinked a couple of times at the man in front of me.
"N-Nero?" I stammered, not believing what I was seeing. Am I still dreaming? But that sharp pain from earlier felt so real.
"Yeah?" He answered as he looked at me weirdly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Y-You-! How-!"
I tried blinking a couple of times and looked around me in panic. I am not in my room. In fact, I'm not in any room or building, for that matter.
What on earth is going on here? Where am I? Why was I lying down on grass in the middle of nowhere?
"What's wrong with you? Are you still asleep?" The ragged man, Nero, shook his head at me as he stood up.
And why is this man who's supposed to only exist inside my computer screen talking to me in person and waking me up from my much-needed sleep? Have I lost it after I skipped sleep for three nights?
No wait. That can't be it. I once skipped sleeping for a week before, and I was totally fine. Well, barely… still! Hah~ it's those energy drinks, isn't it? I should really have listened to that clerk!
"Anyway, I know you didn't, so I made sure I brought some Oregon Gems ahead of time. Here."
He tossed me a familiar orange gem that, once again, I only saw and should only exist inside my computer screen.
"T-This-!"
I turned over the gem in my hand. Trying to check from all angles if it's really the same gem as I think it is. It's so vivid. Is it a replica? Am I in some sort of movie or play?
"You're acting very weird, Avy."
"Avy? Me? As in Avyzhia?" I looked up at Nero, eyes as wide as they can be.
"Uh… yeah? That's your name, isn't it?" He raised a brow at me. "Unless you have another name I wasn't aware of?"
"No way!"
With a sudden burst of energy, I stood up and once again looked around me. Sure enough, this isn't really in the middle of nowhere. In fact, I know this place quite well. This is where everything started. The landscape, the trees, the monsters…
"Danglebells! Was I using a real-life Moonbeast as a pillow just now!?" I exclaimed as the Moonbeast at my feet hurriedly scurried away.
Is this for real? But how can all of this be possible?
"Pinch me." I turned back to Nero and offered him my arm, my vambrace-covered arm. I could barely contain my excitement.
Now that I think about it, the last thing I remember is having chest pains and falling to the floor. So, does this mean I died and somehow got transmigrated into the body of my game character? Like in those light novels and mahwas that I used to read?
Did god feel sorry for me and make it possible to turn my dream into reality?
"What? Why? Are you okay?" Nero looked at me weirdly, slowly edging away from me.
"I have to know if I'm dreaming or not."
Nero looked at me like I've gone mad but humored me nonetheless. Although not by pinching my offered arm but by flicking my forehead.
I shrieked in pain but was still grinning like mad as I looked at him excitedly.
"I'm not dreaming!"
"Good for you. Now can we go?"
"This is so awesome! Danglebells! I can't believe it!"
"What is wrong with you? Did the goddess played a trick on you or something?"
"Wait. By guild dorm you mean, Emblem's guild dorm, right? Right?"
"Uh, yes? Unless you have another guild I'm not aware of?"
"Let's go, let go, let's go!"
"Alright, alright. I get it."
Nero sighed and mumbled how now I was the one demanding that we hurry up. He was just about to activate his gem, which I was attentively looking forward to seeing how to, when he seemed to realise something.
"By the way, shouldn't you change before we go back? You know someone's going to have a feat if he sees you parading around the guild in that..." He gestured towards my outfit.
"Huh?" I looked at what I was wearing and gave him a confused look. "Why? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
I mean, sure, it's a bit too revealing, but this is the diffult costume for Demon Blade class, and I happen to like it very much. I even thought of doing a cosplay of it at the next convention. Well, this is much better than cosplay. After all, I get to wear it every day now!
"I look pretty good in it, don't I? And who are you talking about since earlier?"
Nero looked at me like I've really gone crazy. "Avy, be honest with me... are you feeling okay? Did the goddess do something to you after the trial?"
"I'm fine. What are you talking about?"
"If you are, then how come you've forgotten how Teiran will react when you act like this?"
Teiran? Is he talking about Emblem's number one Beast Hunter? Well, of course, he is. He's the only Teiran in the guild. But why would he care about what I wear? I barely interact with the dude.
Nero broke my train of thought when he suddenly sighed. Totally fed up with how weird I am acting. "Never mind. I'm more concerned about how Jeila will react when she sees us together. She already made a big fuss when I told her we'll do the job class change trials."
"Danglebells! Are you talking about the High Clergy Jeila Loveroot? Were you together? Didn't you hate each other? I remember you guys are always bickering in the guild cha- "
He made a face at me.
"Now way! For reals?"
Whoah~ I may have transmigrated to the game, but it seems like this is some sort of alternate universe. Well, that should be a given. After all, if it wasn't, then that would mean that Nero and the others also transmigrated like me.
"Make sure you get plenty of rest when we get back, Avy. Something is definitely wrong with you. And, of course, that prude will fault me for it. Good old Nero is always the one to blame even when he's not doing anything."
I pouted at his grumbling but didn't say anything else.
Note to self… I shouldn't only rely on my knowledge from when I was just playing the game. Clearly, not everything is as it should be. Heck! I, myself, could also be acting differently.
Wait~ what was I like again to my guildmates?
Once again, my train of thoughts was interrupted by Nero as he effortlessly crushed the Oregon Gem in his hand and was suddenly engulfed in an orange light. I hurriedly did the same and in an instant found myself standing before the guild's portal chamber.