A bright light illuminated the sky, so intense it could blind anyone in the vicinity. The earth shook with a thunderous roar, and I was teleported to an open clearing. Though calling it a clearing might be generous because...
Instead of a nice village or a nature-filled forest, I was in a desolate wasteland!
"What the f*ck is this place!" I shouted, frustration boiling over.
"I was told I was going to be teleported to a nice green forest or a village, not a desolate wasteland!"
As far as the eye could see, it was a barren expanse filled with broken weapons. It looked like a war had taken place here, though I couldn't tell how long ago. The rust on the old, broken-down weapons suggested it had been a long time.
"Well, I guess I'm safe, at least. I wasn't teleported into the middle of a war," I muttered, trying to find a silver lining.
I shuddered at the thought of being teleported into the middle of a battle and used as a war slave. That scenario would have been a nightmare.
"But why does it have to be a wasteland? It could have been anything else! Even a demon king's castle would have been better than this stupid wasteland!" I ranted, kicking at a rock in frustration.
"It's all that stupid witch's fault! Why did she use magic she wasn't sure of?"
Even as I cursed Asta to my heart's content, I remembered something important she had told me:
"Whatever you do, never go outside the boundary of the teleportation circle. If you go outside, you will be teleported to some random place which even I won't be able to find!"
I realized I got too dizzy in the teleportation circle, almost threw up, and at one point slipped my ankle and ended up outside of the circle. That's how I ended up in this wasteland.
"Great, it's all my fault," I sighed, starting to curse my rotten luck.
"Well, whatever the case, I'm here because of my own stupidity. I need to take responsibility for it. Time to use the knowledge I learned from [Man vs Monsters]!"
[Man vs Monsters] was a cliché show about surviving in the wild if lost. I figured it might come in handy now.
"As of now, I need water. Drinking water, specifically. Let's go, standing here won't do anything," I declared with determination.
My optimistic attitude quickly evaporated when I realized rivers are rarely found in wastelands. After just twenty minutes of walking, I was exhausted and out of breath.
"I... pant... I can't do... pant... do it anymore... gasp... bwahhh!" I gasped, before throwing up from pure exhaustion.
Then, I heard something.
"Water? Water!!!" I cried, a surge of energy rushing through me.
I ran towards the sound and soon arrived at my destination. There it was—a river! I didn't care how the river was formed or if the water was drinkable. The only thing I cared about was quenching my thirst. I jumped into the river and drank as if I had never tasted water before.
"People always said water has a taste, a sweet taste. Now I understand how sweet water truly is," I said, savoring the moment.
As I finally came to my senses, I saw something that would change my life forever.
"W-what! Is that a mansion in the middle of the wasteland?"
The sight before me was surreal—a grand mansion standing tall amidst the desolation. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, completely out of place in this barren land.
"I must be hallucinating from dehydration," I muttered, rubbing my eyes.
But the mansion remained, solid and imposing. Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to investigate.
As I approached, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. "What kind of weirdo builds a mansion in a wasteland?" I wondered aloud.
I reached the massive front doors and, with a deep breath, knocked. The sound echoed through the empty expanse, and to my surprise, the doors creaked open.
"Hello? Anyone home?" I called out, stepping inside cautiously.
The interior was as opulent as the exterior—lavish furniture, intricate tapestries, and chandeliers that sparkled even in the dim light. It was as if I had stepped into another world.
"Maybe this isn't so bad after all," I thought, a smile creeping onto my face.
Exploring the mansion, I found a well-stocked kitchen. "Jackpot!" I exclaimed, rummaging through the pantry and grabbing whatever I could find.
"Whoever lived here must have been loaded," I mused, munching on a piece of bread.
I continued my exploration, marveling at the luxury of the place. There was a library filled with books, a grand ballroom, and even a swimming pool. "Is this real life? Did I die and go to heaven?" I wondered, pinching myself just to be sure.
Eventually, I found a cozy bedroom and collapsed onto the soft bed. "Maybe being in a wasteland isn't so bad if you have a mansion to live in," I chuckled.
As I lay there, I thought about Asta and her parting words. "Maybe I'll find a way to use my powers after all," I said to myself, feeling a glimmer of hope.
For now, though, I was content to enjoy my newfound oasis in the wasteland. After all, life had thrown me a curveball, but I had hit it out of the park.