"AAGGHGHHHH!!!" Alex yelled, his voice echoing from deep within his lungs. He felt as though he was falling into some abyss.
"What...?" He opened his eyes and looked around. Sweat was dripping down his forehead; he felt like he had narrowly escaped death.
"AGH!!! What the hell happened?" Alex vividly remembered playing on his computer, and in an instant, he was falling as if a giant hole had opened beneath him.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!!!" Alex leaped up, scanning his surroundings. He saw a wooden house with a straw bed where he had been sleeping. The house was quite spacious, about three meters in diameter, and furnished with a fireplace and a couch. Next to his bed was a wooden drawer.
"Where am I..." Alex was utterly confused.
"Wasn't I just on my PC? How did I end up in a wooden house..." He walked around, touching various objects.
"Dusty..." The house wasn't in terrible condition; he could live here. But how did he get here?
"Just... WHERE THE HELL---" He stopped mid-scream.
BANG!!!
"AGHGHGH!!!" He stubbed his toe against the side of the drawer.
"SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!" The pain was intense.
~~
[Greetings, Traveler. You have just been reincarnated into the world of Magic and Mythology. Your only goal in this world is to survive and return to your world. You will receive a Mythology Simulation System. I hope you survive. Good Luck.]
~~
"AAAGHHGGHGHH!!!" Alex jumped back in fright as a screen appeared in front of him.
BANG!!
"SHUIIIITTT!!" He slammed his back against the bed and winced in pain.
"Damnit..." He stood up and looked around.
"Another world? I've been reincarnated??? How!!! I didn't die or anything like that. How did I end up here? DAMNIT!!!" Alex was frustrated and bewildered. He had always been cautious, never getting into trouble, and even in his programming job, he had advanced by being humble and careful. Few noticed him until he was well above their ranks.
What bad luck.
"So what do--- what is that sim---" Alex was about to ponder his next move when he was interrupted.
~~
[Mythology Simulation System
Start the simulation?
Life Simulator - Y/N
Prompt Simulator - Y/N
Summon Simulator - Y/N]
~~
"Hm? What does this mean..." Alex was confused. He was a comic reader, not familiar with cultivation novels, and this situation was perplexing.
"Let's go with the Summon Simulator," he clicked Yes.
~~
[Insufficient Balance. Please top-up.]
~~
"Top-up? WHAT TOP-UP---" He was interrupted again.
Knock!!! Knock!!! Knock!!!
"Come out, Alex. The Captain is calling us." A deep voice called from outside.
"Captain??? Shit, I don't know anything here... Anyway, let's go out before I get into trouble. I need to be cautious; I don't want anyone finding out I'm not from this world." Alex composed himself, glanced around, and noticed various pieces of equipment scattered about. Having served as a military sniper, he knew how to don the armor.
Although it was just basic armor—an old metal net and leather—the historical knowledge he had helped him put it on.
"This sword is really heavy," Alex grumbled. The sword was not to his liking.
"Let's go out..." He took a deep breath and opened the wooden door.
The door creaked open.
"HAhahahahaa, Jason, you think you can beat me in the drinking competition????"
"COME ONNNN!!! YESSSSS"
"What did that bitch say??? HAHAHAHAHAHA"
He stepped outside into a camp where men of various sizes and shapes were laughing, drinking, and engaging in typical masculine activities.
"Oho? You're out finally, Alex. Come closer," called a handsome man with black hair and blue eyes.
"Uh... hello?" Alex greeted, trying to act like he was familiar with everyone.
Five men were sitting around a fireplace, drinking.
"You were injured quite badly earlier. Are you alright?" one of the men asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine (Injured? WTF)," Alex replied with a forced smile.
A/N - ( ) Indicates the character's thoughts.
"I see. That's good," the man sighed with relief.
Alex wanted to ask their names but was hesitant.
"Man, I feel dizzy from when I... got hurt. I wonder when this mission will end," Alex said, risking the mention of 'Mission,' suspecting they might be soldiers, but unsure if it was indeed a mission or just a regular assignment.
"Yeah, I wonder too. The Kelion army has been attacking the east side of the empire frequently. It's good we're just here to keep watch," the man said with a smile, taking a swig of wine.
"Yo Barot, stop thinking like we're just scouts..." said a black-eyed man to Barot, a tall man with a slim build and powerful-looking black hair and green eyes.
"Come on, Zachary, I know you've got something broken in your mind, but don't jinx us into being attacked here," Barot responded.
"Damnit, Gard, shut up. I haven't stretched my muscles in three months. Is this the life of a soldier? SHAMEFUL!!" said the fifth man, looking drunk and red-faced.
"Then stop drinking, Zack. You'll die in a second if we're attacked now," Gard retorted with a laugh.
"Nah, this musclehead can escape anything," Zack said, laughing.
"Well, Adam, I think you should speak for yourself," Gard chuckled.
Zack motioned for Alex to sit with them.
"(I see, Zack, Gard, Zachary, Barot, Adam)" Alex noted their names and joined in their laughter, taking a few cups of beer. The beer tasted terrible, like chewed wheat, but he knew this was how medieval beer was.
"From the armor and names, I guess this is like the Middle Ages, maybe on the brink of a revolution. I need to be careful not to reveal myself." Alex wasn't a coward but hated danger. He would do everything to avoid it—or maybe he was just a coward, trying to convince himself otherwise.
NOON.
"Pack up, boys. We need to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be our three-month anniversary, and if we're lucky or unlucky, we might be called back. 'Hip' so, get ready to go back to your wives and kids... Gahahahaha..." The drunken man stumbled to his feet.
"He's our captain," Zack said, pointing at him.
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"That damn guy, 'Hip' 'Hip,' he can rip apart a bear by himself. Remember that, Alex?" Zack asked.
"What--- Cough... yes, that was shocking," Alex replied. Ripping apart bears? What kind of fantasy was this?
Everyone packed up; some entered the wooden building, while others headed to tents.
Alex lay on his bed, staring at the prompt.
~~
[Mythology Simulation System
Start the simulation?
Life Simulator - Y/N
Prompt Simulator - Y/N
Summon Simulator - Y/N]
~~
"Simulator, that could mean different things... What does 'top-up' mean? Do I top-up with food? Materials? Money?" Alex pondered, resting his chin on his hand.
He tried to be as quiet as possible, so he wouldn't disturb anyone. Many people were asleep on couches, beds, and the floor, snoring loudly. Alex was accustomed to this from his military days.
"Hm?" Alex noticed a pouch on the drawer.
He shook it and heard coins rattling inside.
Opening the pouch, he saw many bronze coins.
"These coins look like old British coins." Alex recalled the Coronation Medals from Britain, featuring a person on horseback, with the inscription:
"'From heavens and Earth, One will rule, Emperor Regale..." Alex read aloud.
"Regale, meaning Royal in Latin. This might be the current Emperor's name or the kingdom's name." Alex examined the coin, turning it over in his hand.
Clang!!!
"Shit, I turned it too far and it got tangled. Alex flicked the coins, sending them flying..."
~~
[Coin has been topped-up]
~~
"Huh?" Alex looked at the prompt.
~~
[Mythology Simulation System
Start the simulation?
Life Simulator - Y/N
Prompt Simulator - Y/N
Summon Simulator - Y/N
Coins: 1]
~~
"I see now. I was really stupid. Of course, it's coins that I top-up," Alex said with a smile and clicked on Life Simulator this time.
~~
[Insufficient Balance]
~~
~~
[Coin has been topped-up]
~~
~~
[Coin has been topped-up]
~~
~~
[Coin has been topped-up]
~~
Alex topped up five coins.
"Now!!!" He clicked on Life Simulator.
~~
[Insufficient Balance]
~~
"Shit..." He was getting frustrated.
~~
[5 Coins have been topped-up]
~~
"NOW!!!???" Alex clicked on the Prompt Simulator.
~~
[You have activated the Prompt Simulator.
Simulation starting...]
~~
"FINALLY!!!" Alex jumped up in joy.
End of Chapter.