Adam's gaze remained fixed on the vast meadow before him, its rolling green expanse stretching out endlessly.
It was as though he had been swallowed by an entirely different world—one so serene and untouched that it almost felt unreal.
Beyond the meadow, his eyes traced the line where the grassy slopes dipped into a shimmering river, and further still, the shadowy outline of the dense forest loomed on the horizon.
For a long moment, Adam simply stared, his dark eyes unblinking as his mind tried to catch up with the bizarre reality around him.
Slowly, his lips moved as he muttered to himself, his voice shaky and uncertain.
"What… what am I even doing?"
His voice, soft and disoriented, echoed faintly in the empty space. Adam blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if trying to rid himself of a fog.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the endless meadow in every direction. There was nothing—no buildings, no people, not even a hint of familiarity.
It was only grass, the tree, and the sound of the wind.
Confusion turned to unease, and Adam frowned deeply. He hesitated before speaking again, his voice louder now, laced with suspicion and frustration.
"Did someone kidnap me? Is this some kind of joke?"
The words left his mouth, sharp and accusing, though he had no one to direct them at. The thought unsettled him further—was this all part of some cruel game? Had someone abandoned him here, in the middle of nowhere?
Adam pushed his hands against the ground, preparing to stand. The grass felt soft beneath his palms, but just as he began to rise, a searing pain shot through his skull.
"Ahhh!"
The cry of pain tore from his lips as his hands instinctively flew to his head, gripping it tightly. The agony was unbearable, like someone had struck him with a hammer.
He fell back immediately, collapsing onto the grass with a dull thud. Lying flat on his back, Adam clenched his teeth, his jaw locked as he tried to endure the excruciating pain.
The world seemed to blur around him, and then—
Images. Memories. They flooded his mind like a broken dam.
Adam saw flashes of a small, simple village surrounded by dense forests. There was a house—a modest, humble home where a family lived.
He saw himself there, a young boy, the youngest in his family. He had an older brother and sister, twins who were both seventeen.
The two of them stood together, their faces familiar yet distant. Their voices echoed faintly, as if reaching him through a veil.
His father appeared in the vision next, a sturdy man with hands calloused from years of hard work in the fields.
He was a farmer, toiling daily under the sun to provide for the family. Beside him stood Adam's mother, her expression gentle and warm as she bustled about their home.
She was the heart of the household—a housewife who held everything together.
The memories felt so real, so vivid, as though they had been his all along. Adam saw the village—his village—surrounded by towering trees that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the sky.
He realized he had never left that village, not once. His entire life had been spent within its bounds, and he had only ever heard stories—legends—about a place called the Magus Tower, and the great deeds performed there by powerful heroes.
The images began to fade, and with them, the pain in his head started to subside. The throbbing dulled to a faint ache until, finally, it was gone.
Slowly, Adam released his grip on his head and let his arms fall to his sides. He lay there for a moment, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
When he finally opened his eyes again, he whispered, half in disbelief:
"What kind of joke is this? I've transmigrated… into a fantasy world?"
The realization hit him hard. He stared up at the sky, his mind reeling as he processed the truth. He wasn't just dreaming—this was real. Somehow, someway, he had ended up in this strange world.
Adam sat up again, more slowly this time, and sighed heavily. His thoughts drifted to his old life, his real life.
There, he had been happy. A simple life, yes, but a good one. He had been a college student, balancing his studies with a part-time job that gave him enough money to meet his extra needs.
His parents had supported him, paying his tuition fees and giving him the freedom to live without constant worry.
His voice broke slightly as he whispered to himself, "I wonder how worried my parents must be… when they realize I'm not there anymore."
The thought weighed on him like a stone. What would his parents do? Would they search for him? Would they ever understand what had happened to him? Adam let out a small, humorless laugh, pressing a hand to his forehead as he continued to sit in the grass.
"I'm such a fool…" he muttered bitterly.
For as long as he could remember, he had fantasized about something like this—about escaping his normal life and finding himself in a world full of magic, adventure, and endless possibilities.
It had been a silly dream, one that he had clung to on difficult days.
But now that it had actually happened, now that he was here, he felt a pang of sadness and regret.
"This is exactly what I always wanted," he said softly, shaking his head. "And now I'm upset?"
Adam took a deep breath, forcing the thoughts from his mind. With a determined grunt, he pushed himself onto his feet.
The meadow stretched around him as far as the eye could see, but now it looked different. Instead of fear or confusion, there was something else—something like hope.
Clenching his fists tightly, Adam raised both arms to the sky, his fingers curled into triumphant fists.
His black tunic flapped slightly in the wind, and his voice rang out with newfound determination:
"I'll live this life to the fullest! I'll fulfill all my dreams—no one will tell me what to do!"
The resolve in his voice was unmistakable, and it burned in his chest like a fire. He threw his head back and let out a loud, exuberant shout that echoed across the meadow:
"Hurray!"
The sound carried on the breeze, as though the world itself acknowledged his declaration. Adam stood there, his fists still raised, his heart pounding with excitement.
In that moment, the confusion and regret were gone. This was a new beginning, and Adam intended to make the most of it.
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End of Chapter Two