Kenji's eyes snapped open, his lungs burning for air. He lurched forward, his body wracked with violent coughs as water spewed from his mouth. Each cough felt like it might tear him apart, but with each ragged breath, he felt life rushing back into his body.
As the coughing subsided, he found himself sprawled on a dirt road, gasping. The taste of salt lingered in his mouth, but instead of the roar of water he expected, he heard... chickens?
"What the..." Kenji mumbled, slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position. His head was pounding, and his vision was blurry. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his sight. "Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?"
As his vision finally focused, Kenji's jaw dropped. Gone was the ravaged cityscape of Ishinomaki. Instead, he found himself on the outskirts of what looked like a medieval village. Thatched-roof houses lined a dirt road, and in the distance, he could see fields of crops stretching to the horizon.
"No way," he breathed, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. "This has got to be some kind of joke, right?"
Kenji stumbled to his feet, his legs shaky beneath him. He looked down at himself and let out a yelp of surprise. Instead of his beach shorts and t-shirt, he was wearing a simple tunic and breeches.
"Okay, okay, let's think this through," he muttered to himself, running his hands through his hair. "Last thing I remember, I was at the beach with my family, and then... the earthquake. The tsunami." His heart clenched as the memories flooded back. "Kiyomi! Mom! Dad!"
He spun around, searching frantically for any sign of his family. But all he saw were unfamiliar faces of villagers going about their daily lives, some now staring at him curiously.
"This can't be real," Kenji said, his voice trembling. "Maybe I'm in a dream? Or maybe this is the world's most elaborate cosplay event?"
As he stood there, trying to make sense of his surroundings, a translucent blue screen suddenly materialized in front of him:
Level: 10 Race: Human HP: 100/100 MP: 50/50
Kenji blinked, then rubbed his eyes again. The screen remained. "No freaking way," he whispered, reaching out to touch the screen. His hand passed right through it. "This is... this is just like in those isekai light novels and games!"
A grin slowly spread across his face as the implications sank in. "I've been transported to another world! This is amazing! I'm living every otaku's dream!"
His excitement was short-lived, however, as he noticed the villagers giving him strange looks. Some were whispering to each other, pointing at him. Kenji's grin faded as he realized he probably looked like a madman, talking to himself.
"Right, act natural," he mumbled to himself. "Just like at a convention. Stay in character." He cleared his throat and straightened his posture, trying to look as dignified as possible in his new attire.
Kenji approached the nearest villager, an old man tending to a small garden. "Greetings, good sir!" Kenji said in what he thought was a gallant voice. "I am a traveler from a distant land, newly arrived in your... fine village. Might you tell me where I am?"
The old man straightened up, leaning on his hoe as he squinted at Kenji suspiciously. "Ye be in Bellenau, boy," he said, his voice gruff. "And what's with that fancy talk? Ye hit your head or something?"
Kenji's face lit up. "Bellenau? Now that sounds like a proper village name!" He couldn't contain his excitement, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Tell me, good sir, where might I find the Adventurers Guild? Or perhaps the local magic academy?"
The old man's bushy eyebrows furrowed deeper. "Adventurers' Guild? Magic academy? Boy, I don't know what you've been drinkin, but we ain't got none of that nonsense here in Bellenau."
Kenji's enthusiasm deflated like a punctured balloon. "But... but this is a fantasy world, right? There have to be quests and monsters and magic!"
The old man snorted, shaking his head. "Fantasy world? Boy, the only fantasy round here is thinking the harvest will be good this year with all this blasted rain we've been having." He eyed Kenji critically. "Though ye look like ye could use some work. The fields always need tending, if you're looking for coins."
Kenji's dreams of quests crumbled before his eyes. "Field work? But I'm supposed to be the hero! Where are the monsters? The magic? The cute elf girls with gigantic boobs who fall for the protagonist at first sight?"
The old man's eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "Monsters? Magic? Elves? Boy, ye really did hit yer head, didn't ye? Ain't none of that round here. Now, if you're not gonna help with the crops, best move along. We don't need any trouble in Bellenau."
As the old man turned back to his garden, muttering about "young folks these days," Kenji stood there, dumbfounded. "This... this is not how it's supposed to go," he muttered, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
He looked at his stats again, focusing on his pitiful MP. "Maybe I can do magic? That always works in the stories." Kenji struck what he thought was a dramatic pose, extending his hand towards a nearby chicken. "Fireball!" he shouted with all the conviction he could muster.
Nothing happened.
The chicken clucked at him judgmentally, tilting its head as if to say, "Really?"
Kenji's shoulders slumped. "Come on, System!" he pleaded to the sky, drawing more confused looks from passing villagers. "I'm supposed to be the protagonist here! Give me something to work with! A legendary sword? A mentor? Heck, I'll even take a talking animal sidekick at this point!"
As if in response to his pleas, another notification popped up:
Quest Available: Help with the Wheat Harvest
Reward: 100 XP + 5 copper coins from the villagers
Kenji stared at the notification, then at his callus-free hands, then back at the notification. He let out a long, defeated sigh. "Fine, System. You win. I'll be your small-time NPC... for now. But just you wait! This is only the beginning!"
As he trudged towards the fields, Kenji couldn't help but wonder if his sister had somehow ended up in this world too. "Knowing Kiyomi, she probably spawned as some kind of overpowered mage," he grumbled. "She's probably out there right now, saving kingdoms and slaying dragons. Meanwhile, I'm stuck living out 'A Day in the Life of a Bellenau Farmer'."
He paused, looking out over the peaceful village and the golden wheat fields beyond. Despite his disappointment, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Well, I guess every hero has to start somewhere. Watch out, Bellenau. Kenji the... uh, Kenji the Wheat Worker is about to make his debut!"
Though whatever happened to Kiyomi, Dad, and Mom I should probably figure that out soon...