"Jeez, this school sucks" laying down at the back bench.
My name's Edward, just a good for nothing brat with awkward hobbies, I used to spend all the money on comics and video games, that I'd steal money from people just for my own pleasure. Right, a thief with a Shut-in Neet lifestyle.
Since I attend classes on a weekly basis, I didn't care much about some shitty gang fights or getting bullied by some top dog of the school, life was good.
Until my elder siblings, a brother and a sister, forced me to attend classes with some horrible threats. Parents weren't even at home, both of them are on their work overseas.
"i'm gonna burn this whole room, you hear me?" is what my sister used to say whenever I'm here, women are terrifying, meanwhile my elder brother didn't care about my hobbies, but he didn't like how I was absorbed in my screens, and comics.
And that's how I ended up in this situation, though it doesn't matter, I'm not special, not the topper in studies, barely even a top dog, barely even someone that's competing them in the slightest, even if I had a lot of power fantasies, it gets dull at some point, but then, worst thing happened to me.
"Oi whimp, where's the money" a tall muscular guy who stood atleast 6'7 asked, this guy had an orc face, the bully in my class, the tallest in our class.
"sorry, I didn't take my money..." I gave a look, begging him to spare me, this guy loves picking on weaklings like me.
"You bastard, you think you're some hot shit" the orc monster fumed at me
"Please I really don't have the money, my parents stopped giving me the money, and they'll lock me in the room just because they're scared of me stealing it" ofcourse I had to blurt out the truth.
"Oh really" he smiled with a creepy wide grin, that I almost pissed myself if I felt like it, "What do you spend your money on?"
I couldn't say it, I had alot of manga collection and I didn't want him to take it from me, there wasn't any choice, I had to lie.
"I just spend them on arcade games, those at the shop, and ate alot of shit" those were my last words, I shouldn't have used that fecal word, especially infront of a bully like that, but it came right out of my mouth by accident.
"you fucking bastard" the orc bully had punched me with brute force, that both my ears were destroyed from the impact, it was too painful, and yet for a moment I couldn't hear anything, I passed out way too quickly, perhaps it may have had broken my skull.
The weight difference had been pretty obvious, I was the skinny twig in comparison to that muscle brain, which means I could literally die with that single hit.
Oh wait, I really died back then lol, thank you bully-kun.
Luckily I didn't had any friends, my elder sister had been engaged to some rich guy, and my brother had college studies, and a lover as well.
Here's my first attempt in making a friend back in the middle school, I saw this girl and so decided to try my luck.
"Hey um, what's your name" gets ignored.
Alright let's try one more time.
"H-hey" I tried to talk to a guy who had been sitting next to me.
"What, you bastard" he seemed like a fierce bully, but I envied his looks, and so I had to ignore him.
"Ah shit" I thought to myself, the cons of social anxiety was something I had been through my whole life, that eventually I had begun hating myself.
Time and time again, some people did show their kindness, out of pity and maybe even warmth, they tried their best to pull me out. Yet I was the immovable object, a void of no return.
By the way, where were we? oh right, I died at that orc faced truck-kun, but then suddenly.
"That really hurt, wait, where am I?" nonchalantly opening my eyes, it was my first time seeing forests in real life, but it looked way too pretty and mythical, with light orbs passing through almost everywhere.
If I had been a main character, I'd have this manga title "Problem, I got bullied to another world?!!". Although I'd like to have a golden finger, especially that typical game system to level up, stack up my stats and all that good equipments, skills..blah blah blah, what a joke, I can't have that kind of luxury, I suppose people do believe that they're special in this situation.
"eaayah..aayaha(someone..help me)" I looked at my body, watching my small hands, alas, I'm just a toddler, but I'm glad that I got here, the worst thing is that I can't even speak.
"What's that noise?" an old man growled.
"it must have come from that area I presume" a gentle feminine voice replied.
They found me lying beside a tree, their clothes looked fancy, but it doesn't seem that awkward in the slightest. Both of them looked like they were some scavengers, but I didn't knew that the women was a priest class. Meanwhile Old man had been way too tall and muscular, undoubtedly looked like sugar daddy tier for the girls at my highschool.
"Be cautious this could be a trap" the old man was way too cautious, looking around for a predator that was eyeing them at any moment.
"What? that baby doesn't seem like a threat at all" the young girl fumed at him.
"Fucking brat, do you know why this place is called the forest of the myriad odds? we're almost near the border, who knows what would happen, stepping there is the equvalent of committing suicide" The old man grunted, he was sadly right, people who stepped in that border had to wait till the next dawn, just to get out of there.
"Fuck, seems like I'm gonna die again" I thought to myself until the priest said.
"You're right, there's a barrier nearby, but luckily, that baby isn't inside it" the priest reassured, she sensed the barrier with her esper mana sense, thanks to her I calmed down.
"phew, by the gods of the heaven, bless this child a glorious path to immortality" the old man sighed with a relief. They gazed on me, as I had been laying on a special basket, they looked a little scary for a moment, but I didn't mind, as long as they can help me escape from this forest.
"Awaa(take me), Awaawa(Take me, please)" I uttered, the priest girl liked me somehow.
"Aww, look at this cutie" flabbergasted as she gently poked my nose with her fingers. The girl had jet black hair with turquoise coloured eyes, she was so pretty that the guys would literally die to get her, most likely to capable of turning any heterosexual girl to a lesbian just by her mere presence alone.
"What's that" the old man found a letter beneath the holder that I had been on.
"A letter, let's see" she said.
They had begun reading the letter, and so, they had been shocked to find out that I am the illegitimate son of the Bernstein family.
"Poor boy, so that's his name, Drake Bernstein" the old man looked at me with a melancholic expression.
"I'll take him, Drakie, you'll be under my care now" and that's how I met my foster parent, Reina the priest, and my uncle, old man Blake.
"hey that's not fair, I had my eyes on him first" the old man roared.
"ma..ma" I uttered my first words, as she picked me up.
"Oh my" Reina blushed, she giggled with extreme joy and innocence, to me it was pleasing to hear, her facial expressions had been etched in my mind, precious enough to cherish it on forever, even if my whole existence was conceptually destroyed.
"That's right, my son hehehe" she beamed with a warm smile, meanwhile the old man looked like he lost the war, I'm sorry uncle Blake, I didn't accept you as my dad, blame her for being too pretty kekeke.
"mama mama" I said, while extending my arm at her face, I was worshipping her the moment she giggled at me, she then, holds my hand. Kissing me on the forehead. The old man was envious of her, even me probably.
"Hey, let me see the baby, until we get out of here" Blake pleaded to get his hands on me, and she replied "no, not a chance old man"
"Alright how about this, I'll put him in my arms for a second, and give him back, he's already yours" said Blake, he really wanted to keep a look on me "heh, intresting, alright fine but you better return him to me this instant" said Reina with a mocking tone.
The old man puts me on his arms, gently rubbing my head, i felt strong energy flowing out from him, yet it's quite warm.
"This is my first time seeing a baby this calm, usually most kids cry looking at my face..oh..he closed his eyes! what? he's asleep already?!" the old man grunted, he was quite astonished of my behaviour, he then returns the "baby" to her.
"Don't shout old man, let him sleep for while, although I must admit that he's really peculiar kid" said Reina, gave a warm gaze, as her eyes had sparkled, just as bright as the lights on a festival, ofcourse I wasn't sleeping, I had to close my eyes just because it felt comfortable.
And so, I made it out of the forest, alive.