Opening his eyes, Kai found himself inside a small room.
Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't still asleep. He blinked a couple of times and once more looked at his strange surroundings.
"Where am I?!"
'Aren't I supposed to be…dead?'
Was what he thought at first, but seeing that he was still breathing and seeing just fine, he thought that perhaps someone had rescued him moments before he died, and right now he was in a hospital.
However, looking at the surroundings, this place definitely did not resemble a hospital! Not even close!
Kai's heartbeat quickened and his face paled. He scanned the room, searching for any clues that might explain how he got here.
The room was small, with walls made of cold, grey stone and a floor covered with wooden planks. A small window high up on one wall let in a sliver of light, illuminating the dust motes that danced in the air. The air was thick with a musty scent.
The room contained a narrow wooden bed in one corner, topped with a thin mattress and a woolen blanket. Under the bed, a wooden crate stored personal belongings. Against one wall stood a weathered wooden table, accompanied by two stools. On the left wall, an old mirror hung, its reflection casting a faint glow on the room's rustic surroundings.
Sitting up on the narrow wooden bed, a blank look appeared on Kai's face as he dazedly looked towards the mirror on the left wall.
Jet black onyx hair
Pale white skin
Black eyes
What was reflected on the surface of the mirror was not Kai's face, rather it was a completely unknown face.
It was a pretty average face. One that would easily blend into a crowd.
Moving on to the body, this new body looked to be around 16 years old, with a muscular yet lean build.
But this was definitely not Kai's body. Yet, looking at the reflection in the mirror he couldn't deny that it was he who was controlling the body as each time he touched his face, the reflection on the mirror also showed the youth reflected in the mirror touching his face.
Kai looked around, wincing in pain as he tried to stand up. His body ached, a dull throb echoing through his limbs, making each movement a struggle.
He stumbled, a strange sensation tickling his brain. It felt like his mind and body were not fully in sync, as if there was a disconnect between his thoughts and his movements.
He thought it may have perhaps been due to him not being used to moving in this body.
It almost felt as if there was a lag in his movements. But as Kai moved more, the time lag slowly disappeared, leaving only the persistent pain.
"Ahhh!"
Suddenly, Kai stumbled a couple of steps, feeling a wave of pain wash over his head as he started experiencing a massive migraine followed by a severe case of dizziness.
Pain…pain…excruciating pain that he had never felt before engulfed his entire being as he leaned his hand on the wall as a means to support his body.
"Huff…huff…"
What felt like hours passed in mere seconds, and the pain slowly subsided leaving him huffing and panting on the ground heavily gulping for air.
It was only after half an hour that Kai fully processed the memories that flooded his mind.
A jolt of shock ran through him as the truth dawned: he had transmigrated.
After a few minutes, Kai groggily managed to stand back up.
As the reality of his situation sank in, a creeping sense of dread seeped into his bones. Transmigration, a concept that until now, he would have thought was purely the stuff of fantasy, yet here he was living it.
Kai's mind swirled with questions, but he couldn't think of any answers.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary college student without any remarkable abilities. He was kind of shy and not really experienced. Before, he often panicked facing difficult situations, but this time, he was even surprised seeing how he managed to remain calm until now. Time flew by and night came. He finally managed to calm himself down. Since he couldn't go back to Earth and he had to live in this world, he should not panic, worry or be scared at all. He should plan for his future carefully.
The next second, a thought crossed Kai's mind and he started searching his body for any golden finger. In every isekai novel, all transmigrator protagonists always have some kind of cheat.
After finding nothing out of the ordinary, Kai started calling out "system!" "status!" "window!" But there was only silence.
Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to have any unique abilities or items to give him an edge.
'sigh'
Kai let out a sigh and began assessing his situation.
This world was in an era that was eerily similar to the European Middle Ages. The original owner of this body was called Adrian. A knight apprentice under the Ryder family.
In this world there are people who weald strength beyond any human capable of in Earth. They are called knights, they were elite warriors who, through the practice of some special techniques, could enhance their physical attributes and stimulate their life force.
Suddenly disrupting Kai's thoughts, the wooden door creaked open and a 16 year old boy with brown hair, blue eyes, and dressed in linen clothes walked in.
From Adrian's memories, Kai recalled that his name was Caster. Like him, he was also a knight apprentice.
"Adrian, how's your injury?" Caster asked, concern etched on his face.
"It's better, but it will take a few more days to fully recover." Kai replied awkwardly.
Despite having learned the language from Adrian's memories, speaking it still felt unnatural. Luckily, Caster didn't seem to notice Kai's awkwardness.
Caster looked relieved "I'm really sorry about what happened during the hunt. I feel like it's all my fault."
Kai recalled the events that led to his current state. During a hunt for a deviant beast, Caster's mistake had resulted in the original Adrian's injury and eventual death. However, Kai didn't harbor any resentment towards Caster. After all, he was no longer Adrian, and the past was no longer his burden.
"Don't worry about it," Kai reassured him. "It wasn't entirely your fault. We underestimated the beasts strength"
Caster seemed to relax a bit.
"I assumed you'd be hungry, so I brought bread," he said, placing a loaf on the table.
"Thanks, Caster. I appreciate it." Kai replied gratefully.
"The instructor said that when you are fully healed, you can join the training." Caster informed him.
Kai nodded. "Thanks for the reminder."
Caster smiled warmly, "Get some rest. I'll see you later."
With that, he left the room.
After Caster left the room, Kai locked the door and sat on the wooden bed, overcome with a mix of emotions. He missed his family and friends, but he knew he couldn't change his circumstances. So, he took a deep breath and turned his thoughts to his future.
There are supernatural creatures in this world called deviant beasts. They are abominations, driven solely by a primal, savage Instinct. While most of these beasts inhabit the Darkness mountain range, a few occasionally invade human territory. The thought of those beasts sent shivers down Kai's spine, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of vulnerability. In this world, a sense of security seemed like a distant luxury.
With the little knowledge he had about this world, Kai understood that there was no easy way out. His circumstances had changed, and now, he had no choice but to follow in the footsteps of the previous Adrian. As a knight apprentice, he had to adopt Adrian's life. He could no longer be Kai, the college student he once was. In this new world, he would have to live as Adrian. There was no other option.
As the weight of that thought settled in, his stomach growled with hunger. It felt like there was a fire burning inside his stomach. He swallowed his saliva several times and walked towards the wooden table. He reached out to the bread and ravenously wolfed down the bread. Although the bread was coarse and lacked the flavor he was used to on Earth, his hunger made it taste like a delicacy.
After eating the bread, sleepiness washed over him, unable to concentrate anymore. He dragged his feet back to the bed to get a good sleep, so that he could face his second day in this world better.
As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but wonder what the future held for him in this unfamiliar world.