As I was walking through the streets of Tokyo, I caught sight of a small traditional house from afar, so immaculate it seemed freshly built.

It was my grandparents' house, deeply rooted in their culture and traditions as blacksmiths. Their forging techniques had been passed down from generation to generation, continuously refined over time.

Upon reaching the house, I knocked, and a woman in her sixties opened the door, wearing an oversized t-shirt that looked borrowed.

"Ah, Cliff!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Come in, my boy."

It was my aunt Izukawa, one of the eldest unmarried women still living with her parents.

"Frankly, I feel sorry for her," Cliff thought to himself.

I took a seat under the heated table, waiting for my grandparents, who were still working in the forge. While waiting, I inspected the room, and what caught my attention was my first katana, the one I had forged myself.

I stood up, took it in my hands, unsheathed it, and assumed various stances, delivering vertical and horizontal strikes, cutting through the air with speed and precision. I gazed at the blade, satisfied, seeing my reflection on the sharp edge.

My dark skin and clean-shaven face stared back at me.

It wasn't a face you often saw around here, but simple nonetheless. Still, I was proud to own such a handsome face. I twisted my lips into a smug smile and sheathed my sword.

Suddenly, I heard a noise—no, it wasn't just a noise, the whole house was shaking. I tried to stay calm, knowing that earthquakes in Japan were routine, but one could never truly get used to them.

"Damn it! My grandparents!"

I remembered they were always in the workshop. With these violent tremors, anything could happen to them.

I sprinted down the hallway, only to find myself trapped in the center of a glowing circle, the floor covered in strange runes that shone with an intense white light. A force held me in place, preventing me from moving.

I tried to scream, even if it meant hurting my throat, but no sound came out.

I was being sucked into the circle.

"What a mess," I thought, struggling to stay calm, looking for something to grab onto.

[YOU HAVE BEEN SUMMONED]

"Huh?! Who spoke? Who summoned whom?" My questions went unanswered as I glanced down at my hand.

I still held my katana—perhaps I could at least defend myself with it.

[SUMMONING FAILURE]

"Failure?! Don't I deserve to know what's going on here? And wait, if the summoning failed, why am I still being pulled in?! Damn it!"

The force intensified, despite my futile efforts to hold on. My breathing became labored as if the air itself was being drained.

Fully absorbed, I found myself in a strange yet vaguely familiar place—a dark, infinite void. I tried to move—my limbs!—but they no longer responded to me.

Then I saw it—something that sent chills through my very soul.

A gigantic eye opened in the void, staring directly at me. I felt insignificant, as if I stood before a living planet.

The eye studied me, cold and indifferent, and then I heard:

[Unidentified entity detected.]

[Determining the individual's species...]

[The individual will be transferred to...]

Suddenly, my entire body itched horribly, and the sensation quickly turned to pain.

It felt like my body was being torn apart, then pieced back together, only to be ripped apart again. Over and over, the agony repeated. I fought to keep my will intact as my body seemed to melt and reform in a never-ending cycle.

Blood poured from my eyes, nose, and ears. My mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, which I spat out as my stomach emptied itself. It felt as though I was vomiting up my very guts.

Every molecule of my being burned. I wanted to scream for help, but who would hear me in this vast, lifeless space?

"Let me out of here!" I screamed internally.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain subsided, the itching stopped, and an overwhelming wave of exhaustion pulled me into unconsciousness.

---

Cliff opened his eyes and found himself lying on the ground. As his senses returned, he noticed massive trees towering over him, stretching at least 40 meters into the sky.

He stood up, scanning his surroundings.

"Where am I?" he muttered.

As he got to his feet, his hand brushed against something hard—a familiar sensation. His katana. Relieved, he clutched it and began to walk, hoping to find help in this forest.

Trees stretched endlessly in every direction.

"Where the hell am I?" he said aloud, frustration building.

Questions swirled in his mind—why was he summoned? What role did his will play in this? And what was that enormous eye that had studied him?

Just the thought of it sent a shiver down his spine, but he shook it off and continued walking.

After hours of wandering, hunger gnawed at him. He examined the trees, hoping to find some fruit, but there was nothing. Disappointed, he pressed on.

A sudden noise caught his attention. He turned, trying to pinpoint the sound, and saw something strange. A blob-like creature moved toward him, its body liquid-like with a small core inside. It moved faster than a snail but just as slimy.

He watched it, both curious and cautious.

As the creature got closer, it leaped at his face. Cliff reacted, blocking it with his hands, but a sharp pain surged through them. The creature excreted some corrosive liquid, burning his skin.

"Damn it!" Cliff cursed, flinging the creature away.

He took a quick glance at his hands, noticing the acid's effects.

"This thing looked harmless, but it's trying to melt me! Am I its prey?"

The creature lunged again, but this time Cliff was ready. In a fluid motion, he drew his sword and slashed, splitting the creature in two.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his head:

[You have killed a slime.]

[You have received an Essence Stone.]

[Use your Drain skill to absorb its essence.]

"Huh?! What the hell was that!?"