I had been lying in my bed, procrastinating. Then, in the blink of an eye, I found myself on the ground, surrounded by towering trees.

I turned, dazed and confused. A forest? It looked like one, at least. But why was I here? How did I get here?

I tried to stand, but the moment I put weight on my right leg, a sharp pain shot through it, sending me crashing back down.

Right… My leg.

I had been in the hospital not long ago. I had messed it up saving a woman from getting hit by a truck. I didn't die, but I had spent weeks recovering at home. Even now, my steps were slow, stiff, and painful.

This time, I pushed myself up with more caution.

I was definitely in a forest, but something felt off. It didn't quite match the images I had seen in books or on TV. Then again, I had never actually been in one before, so what did I know?

Out of instinct, I picked up a stick lying nearby and started moving. My grip tightened as I glanced over my shoulder with every step. My heart was pounding. I searched for any clue, anything that could explain where I was, but all I saw were towering trees stretching endlessly around me. Above, the sky was a familiar shade of blue yet somehow, it felt foreign.

The whole situation was terrifying. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, wearing nothing but my pajamas, with only a stick for protection.

Scenarios started flooding my mind. Was I abducted by aliens? Did my bullies from school pull some sick prank and dump me here? That didn't make sense. They didn't even know my address. And even if they did, there was no way they could've broken into my house without waking my parents or our dogs.

But there was one possibility—one that I secretly hoped was true.

I got transported to another world. Just like in my isekai anime.

The thought of being in a fantasy isekai strangely calmed my nerves. As a healthy young man, I had always fantasized about being isekai'd: fighting a Demon Lord, assembling a harem of cute girls with various bust sizes and races, and living the ultimate power fantasy.

But, of course, that was just wishful thinking. There was no way something like that would actually happen! If this really was an isekai, then where was my godly benefactor explaining my situation? Where was the king ready to shower me with riches in exchange for saving his kingdom from the Demon Lord? Where was my second life as a prodigy baby, born with all my past-life memories intact, suckling on my new mother's teat before becoming an overpowered genius by the age of one?

"If I was truly isekai'd, I'd at least have some starter skills."

I muttered to myself.

As if on cue, a small, blinking red dot appeared in my right peripheral vision, hovering like it was etched into my eyes.

My first instinct was to reach out and touch it. The moment my fingers made contact, a screen popped up. I didn't even flinch. Somehow, I had been expecting this.

And now, there was no denying it. I turned my eyes to the screen and began to read.

Jonas Wright

Error: Invalid Summoning Process. Cheat Skills Disabled.

"Wait, what?"

I raised an eyebrow. What the hell does 'Invalid Summoning Process' even mean?

Was I summoned incorrectly? And because of that, I didn't get any cheat skills?

I let out a dry laugh. Of course. Even in an isekai, something I had only dreamed of, I still somehow managed to screw it up.

"No cheat powers, huh? Guess that means I'm still just a regular human."

I uttered. Still, I refused to believe that was the end of the line. Depending on this world's level of technology, I could still leverage the sheer wealth of knowledge humanity had built over millennia. Suffice it to say, I had spent an embarrassing amount of time watching YouTube videos on survival, crafting, and obscure life hacks and now was the perfect time to put all that knowledge to use.

I couldn't afford to waste time. I needed to find civilization as soon as possible. I had no idea what this isekai forest had in store for me once night fell, and I wasn't about to stick around to find out.

My first idea was to climb a tree for a better view of my surroundings. It did not go well. My arms gave out almost immediately and yes, I had no one to blame but myself for never exercising.

I walked. And walked. Stopping every ten minutes or so to rest my aching leg. My eyes darted around, scanning for any sign of a road, a clearing. Anything that could lead me to safety.

Hours passed. The sky turned deep red as the sun sank lower, stretching shadows across the forest floor. With each passing minute, a creeping sense of unease settled in my chest. I heard faint whispers in the dark and the rustling of leaves.

My heart started to pound very hard. I forced myself to keep it down, to suppress my fear. A part of me wanted to shout for help. But another part of me knew better. Because in a place like this, who or what would answer?

The blinking red dot in my peripheral vision flickered again. I clicked on it once more, hoping, somehow, that it would show something different.

Jonas Wright

Error: Invalid Summoning Process. Cheat Skills Disabled.

The same message stared back at me. My shoulders slumped as I sank down beneath a tree, feeling utterly defeated.

What was the point of all this? Being transported to another world with no cheat skills? At least give me something. I was not even asking to be overpowered anymore. Anything would be better than this.

I let out a deep sigh. "Why am I here? I didn't even die..."

The sun was nearly gone, dipping below the horizon and yet I had seen no signs of civilization.

I was running out of time.

I immediately went back to searching. I picked up my pace. I walked, then walked faster until I found myself running. My leg throbbed with pain, but stopping was not an option. I ran across the uneven terrain, weaving between bushes and ducking under low-hanging branches. In the distance, I spotted a gap in the trees, a clear break in the dense forest.

I pushed forward, my steps growing steadier as the ground beneath me evened out. The thick grass faded, giving way to something more familiar. A dirt road.

The realization brought a faint smile to my lips.

Hope swelled in my chest.

I glanced left, then right, debating which direction to take. I picked right, at random. As long as I followed the road, it had to lead me somewhere eventually and hopefully, to people.

By now, the pain in my leg was an afterthought. I had always been an introvert, but at that moment, finding another person was the only thing in my mind.

As I continued running, movement in the distance caught my eye. Three large, boxy shapes were traveling in the same direction as me. I squinted to get a better look. Wagons. Pulled by horses.

A caravan. And to me, that meant one thing—other people.

My eyes lit up with joy.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

I called out, quickening my pace to catch up. A man sitting at the back of the last wagon turned at the sound of my voice. He met my gaze for a brief moment before saying something to his companions. Moments later, the entire caravan came to a halt.

I finally caught up, out of breath and aching all over, but ecstatic nonetheless. After taking a moment to catch my breath, I turned to face them.

Their faces looked Southern European. They were all men, dressed in rugged medieval tunics and trousers. Some had daggers strapped to their belts, but considering this was an isekai fantasy world, I figured that was just the norm. They would need to protect themselves, after all. And none of them seemed particularly threatening too. If anything, they struck me more as merchants than warriors.

"Thanks for stopping for me! You guys don't know it yet, but you just saved my life!"

I said, my voice brimming with relief and excitement.

The men stared at me, their eyebrows raised as they exchanged confused glances. One of them spoke, but the words meant nothing to me.

"Uh… sorry? I didn't catch that. Can you say it again?" I said.

The man gave me an even more bewildered look before repeating himself. Same language, same complete lack of understanding on my part.

My eyes widened. Wait… I don't understand him?

This isn't how it's supposed to work.

In isekai stories, protagonists usually wake up already speaking the language of their new world. It's just part of the deal. No awkward misunderstandings, no language barriers, just instant fluency.

Then I remembered the pop-up window. Invalid Summoning Process.

Was this part of it too? Had I been thrown into this world completely unprepared, without even the ability to communicate?

One of the men shouted toward the lead wagon. Now that I was actually paying attention, I could see that this one was different. Unlike the others, which were nothing more than wooden frames covered in rugged sheets, this one was fully enclosed, elegant, and built like something straight out of nobility.

The wagon door creaked open, and a short man stepped out. He wore the same type of tunic as the others, but his clothes were cleaner, more refined. With an annoyed expression, he strode toward us and spoke to his men. They responded by gesturing at me.

The man, who I assumed was their boss, turned his gaze to me. His eyes swept over me from head to toe, but then he paused, staring at my face. His expression shifted slightly, then a knowing smile curled on his lips.

He said something to his men, then disappeared back into his wagon. One of them immediately hopped down and started walking towards me. His eyes flickered to the stick in my hand and I dropped it without hesitation.

"Oh, my bad," I muttered, not that I had any idea if he understood me.

He started speaking to me but, of course, none of it made sense. Realizing that talking was pointless, he switched to gestures instead. He waved his hand toward the middle wagon, clearly signaling for me to go there.

I was a little skeptical about all of this, especially since I couldn't understand a word they were saying, but I was exhausted. At that point, all I wanted was to sit down and rest.

I approached the middle wagon and unlike the wagon at the back, this one had curtains covering the entrance. Reaching out, I pulled them aside and took a quick glance.

And there they were.

A group of people sat huddled together. Men, women, and children, but not a single elderly person among them. For a moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but some of them had animal ears where a human's ears should be. Their clothes were torn and filthy and their faces exhausted. Chains bound their wrists and ankles. Thick, unyielding iron.

One of the slaves, a young girl, met my gaze for a brief moment. Her eyes were lifeless.

A chill ran through me. Slaves. They are all slaves.

I turned to leave, but before I could react, something slammed against my head.

Pain exploded in my skull. I hit the ground, vision swimming. I could hear footsteps approaching, followed by the sharp clinking of metal.

Cold iron closed around my wrists.

My vision slowly faded into darkness.