"Where… where am I? How did I end up in this forest?"
A young man around twenty years old stood in an unfamiliar place. He had an ordinary appearance—nothing eye-catching, blending in rather than standing out. His medium-length black hair was neatly styled, though it wasn't particularly striking. His warm brown eyes held a mix of curiosity and confusion. His facial features were neither sharp nor soft, and his nose was neither prominent nor small. His skin tone was moderate, neither pale nor too dark, suggesting he'd spent some time outdoors but not excessively. This man was Ryuu, who had just arrived in an unfamiliar world.
"I remember now... The system said it was done creating all these worlds, then sent me here. Damn, could it have been kinder? My butt hurts like hell!"
Ryuu frowned as he recalled the pain from the fall. While complaining about the system's hasty actions, his gaze shifted to his surroundings. Before him was a dense, green forest.
"So, this is another world... strange. It's really strange. I always imagined that if I went to another world, I'd become a 2D character, but when I look at my hands and the world around me, everything looks real, like real life."
A sudden chill ran down his spine. He thought about the twisted, disturbing worlds he chose. It was one thing to read about them or watch them in 2D, but if those worlds were real... did that mean the horrors would be real too?
As he pondered this, Ryuu almost vomited.
"On top of my butt pain, I feel light... really light. Full of life. I haven't felt like this in years."
"I wonder why?"
Shhhhhhh...
"That's the sound of water, right? I should follow it now. I can't stay here forever anyway."
With God's help, perhaps he'd find a stream or lake. Finding water was essential—he was in an unfamiliar world, in an unknown forest.
After walking for a short while, Ryuu reached a small lake hidden in the embrace of the forest. The lake's surface was calm, reflecting the vibrant green shadows above. Ripples danced gently across the water, stirred by the wind whispering through the trees. The lake overflowed with simple natural beauty, inviting peace and tranquility.
"Damn, this view is truly amazing!" Ryuu couldn't help but shout.
He approached the water to wash his face, but when he saw his reflection, he was shocked.
"Damn! Aren't I supposed to be in my thirties? Why do I look like I'm in my twenties? Did the system do this? No wonder my body feels alive—I've become younger!"
Ryuu couldn't hide his joy, but when he looked at his reflection, a sense of sadness crept in. In novels or anime, protagonists usually become extremely handsome when transported to another world. But his face—well, it was the same ordinary face he had before his death.
"Alright, alright. It's not that bad. No need to be handsome. Let me check something more important."
Taking a deep breath, his hands trembling, he pulled down his pants to inspect... well, his private part. He looked at the same modest size it had always been.
"Why? Why? When others enter new worlds, they get massive sizes, and here I am, the same size! Damn, would it kill the system to add 2 or 3 inches?"
Ryuu sighed and tried to console himself.
"Forget it, it's not the end of the world. Size doesn't matter—it's all about how you treat your partner. Remember those vanilla doujins you read..."
"Come on, Ryuu. This isn't a fantasy story. This is real life."
Since he had found a water source, he knew he needed to focus on finding food. Mushrooms and fruits might be in the forest, but distinguishing between edible and poisonous ones was a challenge.
"Ah, this is tough. I mentally prepared myself—I knew it wouldn't be easy, but come on! Throwing a man from the 20th century, who lived a comfortable life, into a random forest and expecting him to survive... at least put me in a town or village."
Ryuu muttered, but he knew complaining wouldn't help. So, he steeled himself and decided to explore the forest.
Just as he stood, he heard a sound coming from the bushes.
"What's that sound? Don't tell me it's a monster. Yeah, I said 'monster,' not 'animal,' because all the worlds I chose were fantasy, and I doubt an animal would greet me first. My luck sucks."
"Moment of truth... show yourself!"
Ryuu shouted, trying to sound brave, though he was ready to run like a chicken.
Purupurupruru.
"Huh? Purupurupruru? What is that?"
Continuing to follow the sound, Ryuu saw a strange, transparent blue creature with a feminine shape. Its body looked almost... erotic?
"A slime? But why does it look like that?"
"Food, please... I'm hungry..."
"Huh?"
Ryuu's mind raced. A slime asking for food. But what kind of food? His instincts told him to run.
"How can I help you? I don't have any food."
The slime stared at him for a moment before saying something that made Ryuu freeze in place.
"Then... since you want to help me, can you give me some of your semen?"
A slime with an erotic appearance asking for... semen? Ryuu was stunned. He had expected to find many things in this new world, but he never imagined it would be a hentai game he had played before his death.
"Damn... I'm in the world of a hentai game."
Without waiting to hear more, Ryuu ran for his life, using all the strength in his legs.
"Oh God, damn it! I'm not losing my virginity to a slime!"
His luck hadn't changed—if anything, it had gotten worse.
"Hah... hah... I'm already tired. Damn, if I'd known I'd be thrown into another world, I should've gone to the gym in my youth to build some stamina and muscles."
He looked at his slightly bigger belly and regretted spending his youth playing games and reading novels instead of working out.
"Now, let me think. I'm sure this world is inspired by a hentai game I played, but maybe it's just a regular fantasy world with unique slimes... I can't be sure yet."
He had played many eroge games, but there was no slime like this. Damn, there were erotic slimes in most eroge games.
"I think I've gotten far enough away from that slime. It won't chase me for semen."
He decided to rest, realizing he couldn't move any further.
Shkshkshkshk...
"What's that sound now? Is it another monster?"
"Won't you give me a break? I ran for my life, and now there's another sound coming."
When he looked toward the sound, he felt relieved to see that it wasn't a monster but a man holding a sword. Behind him, five other men followed, each carrying a different weapon—hammers, spears, and bows.
"Hey, what are you doing alone in the forest? Didn't you know there are monsters nearby?"
"I... wait, can you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, I understand you perfectly. What, are you stupid?"
Ryuu hadn't noticed it before, but now he realized he could understand their language. It was the same language, but it sounded strange. Was this the system's doing? Not only had it returned him to his youth, but it also granted him the ability to understand this world's language. Ryuu silently thanked the system in his mind.
(Thanks, system.)
Now, should he pretend to be dumb and say he was a lost adventurer who stumbled upon a monster? No, they'd definitely despise him. Maybe he could claim he was attacked by a monster and lost his memory. They might help him out of the forest, but he shouldn't trust them too much.
"I was attacked by a monster, and I don't remember anything else."
"Did a monster rape you, and you lost your memory? Hmm?"
"Yes, that's it. I think I lost my memory."
"Boss, what should we do now? Should we leave him here or take him with us to Ilias Village?"
Asked another man, who looked the same age as Ryuu. It seemed the man with the sword was their leader.
Ilias Village. The name rang in his mind, but he couldn't remember from where.
"You're lucky we found you. We're heroes on a journey to kill the Monster Lord. We're heading to Ilias Village to resupply. You can come with us, and we'll drop you off there if you want."
"Yes! Yes, I'll go with you. Thank you for your kindness and mercy, like true heroes!"
"Of course, hahaha!"
Ryuu couldn't hide his smile at seeing them react. People were always happy with appreciation, and it seemed the same applied here.
"Then you can accompany us. We'll protect you. But if something happens, you'll have to defend yourself. Hey, Mark, give him a sword or something to defend himself."
"Yes, boss. Hey, take this sword, and don't break it. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for it, although you probably don't have gold. Your clothes look fancy; maybe you can pay with them if you break it."
"Um... yeah, yeah, I won't break it."
The man tossed him an old, rusty sword, and Ryuu couldn't help but think: "Do you want me to pay for this sword that looks like it's about to break at any moment?"
"We don't know your name. What is it?"
"You can call me Ryuu."
Before Ryuu could say more, the leader interrupted.
"Forget it. It's not necessary for us to know your name. We won't remember it anyway."
Ryuu remained silent, annoyed but knowing it was best to stay quiet for now. As long as he reached the village, he didn't care about their rudeness.
"Let's go, everyone. It'll take about four hours to reach Ilias Village."
And so, Ryuu followed them toward the village, his mind still turning over where he'd heard the name Ilias before.
After four hours of walking, we finally reached Ilias Village. Luckily, we hadn't been attacked by any monsters along the way.
"Alright, we've reached the village. Give me the sword, and you can go your way," said the man who had given me the old sword earlier. He took the sword from me and motioned for me to leave.
"Uh, yeah, thank you all for bringing me to the village," I said, even though I hadn't liked their behavior throughout the journey. But I still had to thank them.
"Since there's no problem with you, we're heading to the church," the leader continued. With that, all the men turned and went in another direction, leaving me standing alone at the village entrance.
"Hah... what should I do now? I still can't remember which game world this is..." I muttered to myself. "Let's just enter the village now. I need shelter and food, or I'll starve and have to sleep outside tonight."
Just as I was about to enter the village, an old man called out to me.
"Hey, young man! You're new here, aren't you? Are you perhaps a hero who just received his baptism, or are you just passing through this village? I'm the elder here, and I remember every face, but this is the first time I've seen yours. Usually, heroes stop by the church. Did you lose your way by chance?"
I was overwhelmed by his stream of questions, not knowing where to start.
"I—"
After ten minutes of explaining my situation, the old man nodded slowly.
"I see. So you were attacked by a monster and lost your memory, then met some heroes who brought you here. What a misfortunate fate. I wish I had something to offer you."
"No, no, it's fine. Thank you for your kindness," I said, trying to reassure him.
"I suggest you go to the church. It's not far from here. Perhaps they can help you," the old man suggested.
"I see. I'll stop by the church later, but for now, I'll explore the village."
"In that case, welcome to Ilias Village, young man. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to."
"Uh, yes. Take care," I replied.
After the old man left, I was alone again.
"There's no time to waste. Let's just pray that someone will be kind enough to take me in tonight. I really don't want to go to the church; there's nothing good that ever comes from churches."
I stepped into the village. It was small and simple. The people here lived humble lives—planting, harvesting, and taking care of animals. After wandering for two hours and asking for help, though, the villagers refused to take me in. They showed me pity and gave me some food, but what was I supposed to do with all this bread? Even though I offered to work for them, they still refused.
"Well, I understand them. Imagine a stranger knocking on your door asking for shelter. Even the kindest soul would likely refuse. It's getting dark; I'll just find a spot to sleep tonight. Never thought I'd be in a position where I had to sleep outside."
After searching for half an hour, I found a spot I had noticed earlier while passing through.
"Let's eat now. I'm hungry."
I took a bite of the bread in my hand.
"Ugh… this black bread doesn't taste good at all."
While chewing on the bread like a cow, a voice called out to me. From the sound of it, it seemed like a young man.
"Good evening, sir. What are you doing here alone? I don't think I've seen you around this village before."
A young man appeared before me. He was somewhat handsome, with blue eyes and a tinge of purple in his hair. He looked to be around 16 or 17 years old, and his frame was small—about 160 cm, if I had to guess.
"I…"
After another ten minutes of explaining my situation for the millionth , the young man looked at me sympathetically.
"Oh, what a tragic experience. Don't worry. When I get my baptism next year, I'll work to promote co-existence between monsters and humans, so there won't be any more cases like yours. If you don't mind, you could stay at my house. I live alone anyway."
"Really? Just like that? You're not suspicious of me or anything?"
"What's there to worry about? I saw someone who needed help, so I helped them. It's natural."
At that moment, I saw a holy, dazzling light shining behind the boy.
"I don't know your name yet. Mine's Luka."
"I'm Ryuu... Huh, wait, your name is Luka?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"Uh, no, no, nice to meet you, Luka."
"Nice to meet you too, Ryuu. My house is on the north side of the village. Follow me."
"Yes, I'm right behind you. Lead the way."
I followed Luka to the north side of the village. We arrived at his house—it wasn't particularly fancy, but I felt lucky to have found a roof over my head. As I looked around, I finally pieced together which world I was in. First, there was the slime and the monsters wanting semen, then the village called Ilias, a young boy with purple hair who had a protagonist's aura and wanted to promote coexistence between monsters and humans—his name was Luka.
I gazed absently at the sky and murmured to myself.
"This is the world of Monster Girl Quest."
"i'm screwed."