"The hell I will!" The defiant grin remained plastered on John's face as he shouted into the void. "So this is goodbye, then. I'll miss you, big guy." He gave the unseen entity a sarcastic wave, his mock sincerity as grating as ever.
The response came not in words but in action—a violent storm of raw energy erupted around him, tearing through the darkness like a living force of fury. John's grin faltered as the tempest gripped him, dragging his very essence into its chaotic core.
The pain was unlike anything he'd endured before. It wasn't the dull, familiar agony that had gnawed at him in the Eternal Slumbering Realm. This was sharper, fiercer as if his soul was being crammed into a space far too small to hold it. He screamed, his voice lost in the howling storm, his defiance stripped away as he was compressed and twisted into oblivion.
Desperate hope flickered in the recesses of his mind—the fragile thought that this might lead somewhere better. It was the last thing he clung to before darkness overtook him.
Then, a booming voice shattered the void, its regal authority unmistakable.
["The God of Machines is most pleased with your performance in the Eternal Slumbering Realm!"]
John's thoughts stirred sluggishly. What now?
["As a reward, the God of Machines has granted you a prototype of the Divine Codex of Beast-Master."]
His mind scrambled to process the words. Wait... what?
["The God of Machines eagerly anticipates your grand adventure in the new world you've been isekai'd into!"]
...Is this some kind of cosmic joke? Or maybe a really good dream I almost didn't want to wake from…. But, I just need to wake up and make sure everything is working this time. John wondered.
Reality came flooding back with a sudden rush of sensations. A gentle breeze brushed against John's skin, rousing him from the void's suffocating grip. He opened his eyes to a stunningly vivid scene—a clear blue sky stretched endlessly above, dotted with soft, lazy clouds. A verdant expanse of grass rolled out before him, interrupted only by the distant silhouette of mountains and a sparkling river.
The sheer beauty of it struck him, a stark contrast to the void's oppressive darkness. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to weep.
Sitting up, he took in his surroundings. The vibrant, surreal landscape was alive in a way Earth never had been. "So it's not a dream after all," he murmured. A grin crept across his face, and he shouted, "That means I'm blessed, and I've… isekai'd!"
His voice echoed across the valley, and a sharp, high-pitched chirp answered him.
"Was that… a bird?" he wondered aloud, but he quickly brushed it off.
Throwing his arms up, he laughed manically, pacing back and forth as his thoughts ran wild.
"A second chance! Blessed by a god, isekai'd! I'll gain unimaginable strength, conquer this world, and maybe—just maybe—become a god!"
His self-indulgent rambling was cut short by a sharp growl.
"Shut your gob!"
John froze mid-stride. His eyes scanned the grass until they landed on the speaker—a sleek, silver-white fox with intelligent eyes that gleamed with irritation.
"Did you just… talk?" John blinked in disbelief. "Wait, I can understand animals now? Is this part of the god's blessing?"
"Yes, I'm talking to you, you loud idiot," the fox growled, its voice sharp and impatient. "Now keep your voice down!"
John gawked at the creature. "Why should I? What, is there a beast king nearby?"
The fox scoffed. "Beast king? You wish."
"Then what are we avoiding by being quiet?"
The fox's ears twitched as it hissed, "Humans."
"Humans?" John laughed. "What nonsense! I am human. I just got isekai'd!"
The fox gave him a withering look. "You? A human? Maybe you were in your last life, but not in this one." It flicked its tail toward a nearby pond. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"
John hesitated but approached the pond, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. He peered into the still water, and his jaw dropped.
Staring back at him wasn't the handsome young master, the otherworldly protagonist he'd imagined. No chiseled features, no shimmering eyes. It was a bird.
A mockingbird, to be precise. Pretty though, but who cares he's a freaking bird.
John's voice came out as a whisper. "Oh my..."
He stumbled back from the pond, shaking his head in denial. "No, this has to be a mistake! This is just some weird dream, right? Some kind of bizarre dream loop!"
But the messages in his mind made it clear:
["The Guardian Beast of the Eternal Slumbering Realm makes a jeering laugh and enters into a deep slumber."]
["The God of Machines pities you."]
["The God of Machines sighs."]
The fox growled impatiently. "Hey, enough with the theatrics. Tone it down, or I'll eat you."
John blinked, his new reality slamming into him like a freight train. "Eat me? B-but I'm blessed by—"
"Enough!" the fox barked, baring its teeth. Its silver fur bristled with irritation as it glared up at the bird. "One more word about being isekai'd, and I'll really eat you this time."
"Isekai'd," John said again, his tone defiant.
The fox's fur stood on end, its glare sharp enough to cut. "I'm not joking."
"Neither am I," John retorted, flapping his tiny wings in frustration. "I'd rather die than live my life as a bird!"
The fox let out a long, exasperated sigh, shaking its head. "Alright, birdbrain, listen up. Since you've met me, consider yourself lucky. I'll give you a crash course in survival."
Its silver tail flicked irritably as it spoke, the tension radiating off it. "Everyone here is isekai'd. Including me. I was human in my previous life, too."
"Wait… everyone?" John tilted his head, confusion overtaking his indignation.
"Yes, everyone," the fox snapped. "But here's the deal: the word is taboo. Don't mention 'isekai,' 'transmigration,' or 'reincarnation,' unless you want to be collared and turned into a pet-slave for some lazy cultivator."
"A pet-slave?" John squawked, his voice rising in alarm.
"Exactly," the fox hissed, its ears flicking as it scanned their surroundings for any sign of danger. "You think being a bird is bad? Try being a bird in a golden cage."
"But isn't isekai supposed to mean grand adventures? Godhood?" John stammered, his feathers fluffing up in panic.
The fox let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, boy. Sure, that happens… or it did. But not anymore. Over the eons, countless heroes and villains rose to power after being reborn, leaving mountains of corpses in their wake. Eventually, the experts of this universe got fed up. They created a massive seal to block reincarnated souls from gaining human bodies again. Now, we all get reborn as harmless animals in reserves like this zoo."
John's beak fell open. "Wait… this is a zoo?"
"Yes, a zoo," the fox said dryly. "And if you so much as whisper the taboo words, they'll find you, collar you, and turn you into a pet-slave for some lazy cultivator or overlord."
A cold shiver ran down John's spine. "So, what are we supposed to do then?"
The fox smirked, its sharp teeth glinting. "Simple. Pretend you're a mindless, innocent animal. Stay under the radar, and you might survive the monthly slave harvest."
John's feathers drooped as the grim reality set in. This wasn't the grand adventure he'd dreamed of—it was a nightmare.
The idea of isekai had become a cruel joke. Every animal here might be a soul like his, reborn only to be trapped and tamed.
He wrestled with a surge of anger, his mind bouncing between the mocking Guardian Beast who'd sent him here and the legendary isekai'd heroes who had ruined everything.
The fox watched him silently, its sharp eyes glinting with something between amusement and pity.
"Angry, huh?" it said, tilting its head. "Everyone is at first. But you'd better snap out of it, birdbrain. Complaining won't keep you alive."
"I know," John muttered, his feathers fluffing up in frustration. "But I don't know how to survive here. Can you help me? Let's call it a favor—I'll owe you one."
The fox snorted, its ears flicking as though swatting away an annoying fly. "A favor from a bird? That's rich." It paused, narrowing its eyes in thought. "But fine. I'll humor you. Listen carefully, because I don't do charity. I'm on my way to meet someone important—a legendary immortal from the past. She owed me a favor in my previous life, and I'm here to collect. You can tag along, but don't slow me down."
"A legendary immortal?" John asked, excitement lighting up his voice. "Is she really that powerful? Is she… like us?"
The fox nodded toward a distant peak shrouded in mist. "From what I've gathered, she resides in a cave on that mountain. And yes, she's like us. But don't expect a warm welcome. To her, you're just another bird."
John hesitated, glancing at the mountain's imposing silhouette. "You're sure she won't attack me?"
"You ask too many questions for someone so small," the fox muttered. Its tone wasn't irritated this time but heavy, tinged with an unease that didn't sit well with John.
Before he could press further, the fox darted ahead. "What are you waiting for? Fly, bird, fly!"
John spread his wings instinctively, exhilaration rushing through him as the wind lifted his small body. Clumsily at first, then with growing confidence, he soared above the fox before swooping down to land lightly on its head.
The fox snorted but didn't shake him off. "Don't get comfortable. We've still got a long way to go."
Perched atop the fox's head, John felt the rhythmic motion of its strides beneath him. But even as the scenery rolled by, his mind raced with doubts.
Was this fox trustworthy, or was he walking—no, flying—into another trap? In this strange new world, trust was a fragile thing.
John sighed softly, his grip on the fox's fur tightening ever so slightly. Huh! For now, I'll play along while keeping my eyes and ears open. Survival was the goal, and if that meant following a sarcastic fox to a legendary immortal, so be it.
But deep down, a voice whispered that this gamble might cost him more than he could imagine.