Chen gasped, clutching his head. "Calm down, Chen. This is just a dream. Yeah insane dream! Just wake up! Wake up!"
But the clash of swords and the screams of warriors dragged him back to reality. His eyes widened as a man, snarling like a beast, charged at him with a sword gleaming in the sun.
"Holy—!" Chen yelped, stumbling backward. He barely dodged the blade, but in his panic, he shoved another fighter aside. The poor guy lost his balance, and his opponent took full advantage, plunging a blade into his chest.
Chen froze, his heart pounding. "Oh, shit. This is real. I'm gonna die here. I AM GOING TO DIE HERE!"
He scrambled to his feet, legs wobbling. "Run, Chen, run!" he muttered to himself, ready to bolt. But before he could take two steps, a massive fist smashed into his face.
Chen hit the ground hard. His vision swam .
A shadow loomed over him. He looked up to see a hulking man in armor, his sword raised for the final blow.
"No, no, no! I don't want to die a virgin!" Chen screamed.
Before the sword came down, a thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield. The armored man froze mid-swing, his expression shifting to alarm. Around them, every warrior paused, their weapons still in the air, turning to look.
Chen followed their gaze. His jaw dropped. Emerging from the chaos were two colossal beasts. One was a sleek, black panther with eyes like molten coals. The other was ….
Chen's mind raced. "Is that… a dragon?!" He had seen plenty of movies and documentaries about dragons, but none of them prepared him for the sheer terror of seeing one in real life.
Perched on the panther's back was a rider clad in gleaming silver armor, his sword glowing faintly. On the dragon sat a bare-chested warrior, his muscles rippling as he held a massive blade in one hand.
Chen was too stunned to move. Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted him back to reality. He looked down to see the armored man's boot crushing his foot.
"MY FOOT! MY FOOT!" Chen howled.
The man blinked, lifting his boot. "Oh. Is it hurting? Sorry about that."
Chen didn't say anything. He just stared at the man, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. His mind felt like it had short-circuited.
A small, pitiful whimper escaped his throat. "I… I don't deserve this…".
Chen rubbed his sore foot, staring at the muscular man who had just apologized. His eyes welled up with frustration as he mumbled under his breath, "God, how could you send me into a place full of psychos? I'm not built for this…"
Before he could finish his self-pitying monologue, the ground trembled as the two towering warriors dismounted their colossal beasts. The one riding the black panther strode forward, pointing a massive sword at his opponent—a warrior who dismounted from the dragon-like creature, equally imposing with his half-naked, muscle-bound frame.
"I'm going to kill you, Xanthis!" he bellowed.
The crowd roared in approval. "DRAVOS! DRAVOS!"
Xanthis stepped forward, his eyes blazing. "Not if I kill you first, Dravos!"
The crowd switched sides, screaming, "XANTHIS! XANTHIS!"
The two warriors squared off, their swords glowing faintly in the sunlight. "I'm coming for you!" Dravos shouted.
"NOT IF I COME FOR YOU FIRST!" Xanthis retorted.
Chen blinked at the absurd exchange. He leaned toward the armored man standing next to him. "Are they… actually going to fight? Or is this some kind of shouting competition?"
The man responded seriously, "It's tradition. Leaders must first assert verbal dominance before clashing physically."
Chen snorted. "Oh, so it's like when drunk uncles argue at family reunions. Got it."
The man frowned. "What?"
"Nothing," Chen muttered.
Finally, the warriors charged at each other. The crowd erupted in cheers as their swords clashed, sending a shockwave of air through the battlefield. Chen, despite himself, felt a strange excitement building.
Dravos swung his sword in a wide arc, striking Xanthis's armor. Sparks flew, and the crowd gasped. But Xanthis retaliated, his blade slashing across Dravos's bare chest. Blood poured from the wound, and the crowd fell silent.
The crowd collectively held their breath. The cheering stopped, replaced by murmurs of concern.
Xanthis stumbled but didn't fall. He planted his sword into the ground to steady himself, blood pouring down his torso. His hand trembled, yet his grip on the weapon never wavered. His voice was hoarse but defiant as he raised his head. "I will fight… with my last breath. If I die… I will die as a warrior!"
The crowd erupted in admiration. "What a brave leader!" they shouted.
Chen, standing amidst the chaos, blinked in disbelief. He pointed toward Xanthis and blurted out, "Who the hell is stupid enough to fight bare-chested against an opponent wearing armor?"
The armored man next to him turned,"That's your leader."
Chen's eyes widened in shock. "My leader?" he repeated, his voice rising. He looked down at himself for the first time since arriving on the battlefield and froze. Black armor covered his body, splattered with dirt and blood.
"What the hell…" he muttered. Panic rising, he turned to the muscular man next to him. "Hey, let me see your sword. Just for a second."
The man hesitated. "Hey!"
Chen didn't wait for permission. He grabbed the sword from the man's hands and angled it to see his reflection. At first, the dust and grime obscured the face staring back at him. But when he wiped at the reflection with his gauntlet, he almost dropped the weapon.
"That's not my face," Chen muttered, his voice trembling. "I'm in someone else's body…"
Before he could process the thought, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd. He turned to see Xanthis, the bare-chested warrior, collapse to the ground, blood pooling around him.
Chen felt his stomach churn as he turned to the man standing nearby. "So… what happens now? Are you going to make us slaves or war prisoners or something?"
The man gave him a puzzled look. "What? Of course not. Your people are safe. We're not savages. But Now your territory simply has a new leader."
Chen's jaw dropped. "Yeah,you people are not savages!"Chen said sarcastically.
A voice echoed across, the somehow felt strangely familiar. Chen stiffened. He turned toward the source of the voice and saw a man rushing toward him.
The man grabbed Chen's shoulders. "Didn't I tell you to stay by my side? Why did you run off?"
Chen blinked. "Uh… sorry, brother?" The word slipped out instinctively, but his confusion deepened. Why did I call him that?
The man sighed, patting Chen's shoulder. "Just don't let it happen again."
Chen's head throbbed as flashes of unfamiliar memories surged through his mind. Images, sensations, and voices—all belonging to someone else.
Chen staggered, clutching his head. "These… memories. Are they of this body?"
He looked around, noticing for the first time that the language the warriors were speaking was unlike anything he had ever heard. Yet somehow, he understood every word perfectly.
"What the hell is going on here?" he whispered, gripping the sword tighter. He was trapped in another body, in another world.