I stood there staring dumbly at the darkened monitor for a long time.
"Ha, is this for real? I paid 15,840 yen and the computer shuts down as soon as I turn it on? What kind of optimization is this..."
Click.
Oh, the power's out too.
This house, filled with my father's dreams, hopes, and retirement money, runs on solar power.
Talk about bad luck.
I quickly threw on my coat and went outside. Let's see, the circuit breaker, the circuit breaker...
Ah, here it is.
Click!
Soon the LED bulb above my head flickered and the lights came back on. Relieved, I returned to my room, turned on the computer, and clicked on the 'Immortal Order: Origin' icon...
Again, the black screen appears with Japanese subtitles and dubbed voice.
'You are sufficiently prepared.'
'You have earned the right to peer beyond the secrets that have accumulated, beyond hundreds of years, to glimpse the truth.'
'O immortal one who will transcend time, a new world now calls to you.'
And now it was time for the words 'Migrate to the New World' and 'Give up' to appear. Come to think of it, it is strange to have a 'Give up' button on the start screen.
'Immortal one, you have already migrated to the new world. There is no turning back.'
"..."
'This migration was your choice. Endure with will and perseverance.'
"..."
'May fortune favor your path ahead.'
"..."
For some reason I don't understand, the text has changed.
Click.
And the game turned off again. The Windows default desktop welcomes me back.
Why? Did they make another crappy game that crashes? Have these bastards developed the bad habit of finishing the game after selling it? Do they think gamers are a joke? Do they think consumers are a joke?
Click again.
Click.
'Immortal one, it's futile. Bear the consequences of your choice.'
Crashes again with that message.
Click.
'Immortal one, will you become a pioneer of the new world within infinite blessings? Or will you become a slave to fate?'
Click. Crashes again.
Click. Clicks again.
'Immortal one, are you unable to face reality?'
Click. Click.
'Immortal one, this is the sixth time already. Clinging to vain hope will accomplish nothing.'
Click.
"..."
What's this? Did they actually set different start messages for each crash to add to the frustration?
Trembling...
My hands are shaking.
15,840 yen.
A hefty sum equivalent to about 14.6 times the 2024 minimum wage.
For some, it might be what they earn in a day or two of loading and unloading work, but for me, who inherited a debt-ridden business, it's not a light amount at all.
"Grrrrrr... My 15,840 yen, treated like this...!"
Anger boils up against the Fansuku Software developers who did such a sloppy job with optimization. Hatred overflows for the marketing team who packaged and sold an unplayable game at an insane price. I'll rip their guts out...
Slap.
Whew. One slap to my cheek brings me back to my senses.
Get it together. What's all this fuss about just one game?
To clear my head, I went to the bathroom to wash my face and looked in the mirror.
"Huh?"
And I notice something strange.
Whiteheads.
Blackheads.
Dark circles.
Acne.
And various other skin blemishes from working hard under the blazing sun.
They're all gone.
My skin is as clear as when I first entered college. Even the facial wrinkles that were starting to form and the moles that had appeared here and there have all disappeared.
It's like my face has returned to several years ago.
...No way.
I wondered if this might all be an elaborate prank... but I'd read too many web novels during my unemployment period.
Reincarnation.
Regression.
Possession.
Transported .
I hurriedly felt my face and body. Since I clearly haven't returned to being a baby, it's not reincarnation.
Looking at my reflection in the dark monitor, apart from the improved skin, I don't seem particularly younger, so it's not regression either.
Even blinking and looking more carefully, there's no sign of change in my face, so I haven't possessed someone else's body either.
Therefore.
Transported .
"...H-hey, no way. How could something like a transported actually exist?"
I deliberately whistled while putting on my hiking boots and stepped outside.
And.
"Sssssssp."
As I breathe in, the faint salty smell makes my mental state crumble.
It's the seaside. There's a sea nearby.
This is strange considering my farm was originally in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture.
Because Ueda is inland.
'...What about the salt damage!'
As soon as that thought hit me, I started running straight toward the grape farm. Are the Shine Muscat trees all safe? And those things I just recently expanded into!
"...huff, huff, they're... safe..."
Black Sapphire.
A new variety I hurriedly brought in after the tanghulu boom hit Japan.
Along with other alternatives I invested in heavily as the Shine Muscat trend was declining.
Though they're only in their first year of grafting and haven't borne fruit yet, I can already picture the grape clusters that will hang abundantly next year.
These guys are my future livelihood. At least while the tanghulu trend lasts, they're filial products that will slowly help me pay off my debts... huh?
'I don't even know what strange place I've landed in, yet I'm worried about debt and new varieties first?'
...Really, I can't emphasize this enough – you shouldn't do businesses that bring in large sums of money at once. Your brain gets pickled in dopamine and you can't escape from it.
Anyway, even while realizing this fact, I couldn't wipe the pleased smile off my face as I left the grape farm.
Then I started walking around the approximately 13,200 square meter house and farm.
Even after just a brief look, I could tell the general situation.
Dense forest filled exactly everything beyond my property line. Beyond the green metal fence that separated our farm from other farms was all unknown woodland.
Or more precisely, it felt like our farm had been wedged into a space that was originally filled with lush, dense forest.
"..."
I felt like an uninvited guest in this space.
This alien feeling, as if I'd fallen into a completely separate space and time.
'Transported.'
Trying to push away this ominous feeling that was coming back, I started exploring the farm again.
First, the warehouse.
Creeak. Creeeak.
As I open the aluminum shutter, the interior of the warehouse comes into clear view.
First, the excavator (not mine) and the used Hijet van (mine) parked in that corner are safe, and similarly, the stacked pesticides, portable generator, and various materials and equipment are all in place.
Then after leaving the warehouse and carefully closing the shutter door, I head toward the modest chicken coop...
Cluck. Cluck. Cluck cluck.
"I'm so anxious... but you guys are living the good life, huh?"
The hens and roosters are happily pecking at feed together inside the wire mesh, enjoying their leisure.
I got them from a neighbor and somehow got attached, so I couldn't bring myself to eat them and kept raising them, but their numbers have increased insanely, making them my number one worry lately.
Finally.
Creeeeeak!
The bags of potatoes and sacks of corn stored in front of the cold storage.
These are also burdens I took on from neighbors who said they had too much, but for some reason, right now they give me a sense of security.
...Why do they make me feel secure? Weren't these things I'd just stashed in front of the cold storage because I had no use for them either?
'Well, I wonder why?'
Trying hard to suppress the ominous feeling again, I return home. The tomatoes and peppers my mother grew in the garden greet me in front of the house.
Thump!
"Haaa... at least the farm is safe, but..."
Lying on the sofa lost in thought, I could no longer maintain my mental victory. Reality only brings sighs.
"...Where exactly is this place?"
While looking around the farm, I kept glancing at the forest beyond, but the tree species were unfamiliar, and I couldn't see any of the usual neighboring houses.
No matter how I look at it, this isn't Japan.
Then is it safe out there? In this strange place with unexplored forest stretching out and salty winds that will surely be fatal for farming?
'...No, I still need to go check it out.'
Well, what if it's not safe?
Shouldn't I know what dangers are out there to respond to them? What good would it do to stay cooped up here in fear just because the house is safe, not knowing what might jump out of that forest?
Sighing, I changed my clothes piece by piece.
I put on my work clothes, the sturdiest clothes I own, with hiking boots, and just in case, I grabbed a sickle and machete for self-defense. Ah, I almost forgot the flashlight and backpack.
And as I step outside, the salty wind hits my face again.
"This is... really scary."
Somehow, muttering such things to myself helps reduce the tension. I awkwardly pull out the machete and make motions of swinging it around before swallowing hard and moving forward again.
Come to think of it, why did I bring a machete? What, am I going to slice up a bear if one appears? What if I meet people? Am I going to kill them?
Me? Someone who lived in Japan where they not only record the fingerprints of all 50 million citizens but even assign identification numbers to monitor them? Someone who lived in a country where I thought the public safety was beyond good, it was almost scary?
My teeth chatter. Even as I lock the gate of the fence and activate the security system, I can't shake off the tension.
Just one more step and I'll be in the unknown forest.
I don't even know if this is Japan or somewhere else, and I can't be sure if whoever or whatever I encounter from now on will be friendly.
From now on, the only things I can trust are my own physical strength and the machete in my hand.
Crunch.
I stepped forward, treading on unknown grass. Soon, the green shade blocks the hot sunlight and limits my vision ahead.
Countless spreading trees sway in the wind, confusing me. The extreme tension I'd only experienced in adventure novels or games becomes reality, and it's hard to bear.
My head feels like it's going to explode. My hand tightens on the knife handle.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
After walking a few more steps like this, I was now completely in the forest.
"Hnnnnng."
First, the air is... clean.
That means there's no pollution at all. My heart grows heavier thinking about how this is air that's hard to experience in Japan.
Good Lord, to think I'd miss air full of fine dust.
Moreover, the shapes of the birds flying around and squirrels scurrying about here and there were quite different from what I used to see daily in the mountain behind my neighborhood.
How many minutes had I walked through the forest like this? I still hadn't encountered any people or large animals. I'm not sure if that's fortunate or not.
I felt like I could sum up my observations so far in one word.
Unknown.
Basically, except for the blue sky and the sun rising in the south, nothing was familiar. Ah, well, at least being in the Northern Hemisphere is reassuring... like hell it is.
Slash! Swish!
Now I'm swinging around the machete I was afraid to take out earlier, cutting away branches that get in my way as I walk.
Thoughts like 'What if all this is actually a hidden camera prank?' helped drive away some of the fear in my heart.
Acting childishly, pretending to be an adventurer by crouching while walking and striking poses, whistling to myself – these silly actions helped relieve my terror.
Anyway, after walking for quite a while, the salty sea smell persists and the forest shows no sign of ending, so my house must be quite deep inland.
Oh, I can make such rational judgments now. I guess I'm getting somewhat used to this strange land...
"H-h-help... me..."
A human voice?
And in Japanese?
I felt my heart instantly relax at the words from somewhere. And at the same time, I became anxious realizing that voice sounded half-dead.
"Please... help... me..."
Moreover, listening to the content, someone is clearly asking for help!
I quickly held my breath and strained my ears to gauge the direction the voice was coming from. Given that I could hear it without them shouting, they can't be far away.
"Someone... please... save me..."
Left!
I rushed forward, cutting down the trees in my way. My arms and legs got slightly scratched by thorns, but shouldn't saving someone come first!
"Where are you! Where are you!"
As I got closer to where the voice came from, I shouted for the first time since entering the forest. Between the sounds of startled birds taking flight at my shout, a death-cry-like scream returns.
"H-here! Over here!!"
It's right behind. I turned around, parted the thick undergrowth with both hands, and jumped over.
And.
"...Huh?"
"P-p-person... human..."
I froze for a moment.
The scene illuminated by my flashlight was tragic.
About thirty people.
People so emaciated their eyes were sunken, either writhing on the ground without the strength to stand or completely passed out.
And just one person.
"H-here...! There's someone here...!"
Just one person, a young woman barely conscious, weakly waves her arm and mumbles as she turns her head toward me.
"Thank heavens, I hear English...! English...! Finally, the rescue fleet has..."
And she too freezes when she sees me.
What I clearly heard was natural, fluent Japanese.
But the young woman now making eye contact with me... is Caucasian. And she's wearing what looks like a period costume.
She's definitely not some broadcast reenactment actor.
Only then do I recall one passage in my mind.
'In the 16th century, England under Queen Elizabeth dispatched settlers to...'
The introduction text on the back of the 'Immortal Order: Origin' package.
'...Roanoke Island to establish their first permanent colony in North America. 'In our world,' that attempt is known to have ended in terrible failure.'
Plus.
'Immortal one, will you become a pioneer of the new world within infinite blessings? Or will you become a slave to fate?'
That enigmatic message from the game's start.
I finally understood the nature of this 'transported.'
And where this is.
This is North America.