'Ugh, my head feels like it's splitting apart.'
Alden winced, clutching his temples as a storm of pain surged through his skull.
His head felt unbearably heavy, as if lot of loads had been strapped to it. The crushing pressure in his skull felt like a headache unlike any he'd ever experienced.
"I need more sleep..." he whispered weakly, struggling to pry open his eyes. "After months of my sleepless project... I definitely need that friend called sleep."
Even that simple act 'opening his eyes' felt like an impossible task.
But something felt wrong.
...Really off!
A sharp pain swam through his entire body, like thousands of needles piercing his skin at once. Every inch of him screaming in agony.
And then
He heard voices.
"Look! He is finally waking up."
"Hehe, the weakling has been unconscious for almost an hour."
Voices? Who's talking...?
And why are they laughing?
Where are these people from?!
He couldn't recall allowing anyone into his house and it was impossible for anyone to enter without his permission.
As far as he remembered, he hadn't shared his security password with anyone since he purchased the place a year ago.
So, how did they all get in?
It was confusing. He couldn't reach any conclusion. In fact, the more he tried to think, the worse his headache became.
'Who are they?' The thought clouded his mind as he struggled to force open his eyes.
Finally, after several attempts, his vision gradually adjusted—
Blinding sunlight poured in.
Wait… sunlight?
The first thing he saw was the sky, an endless ocean of blue with no ceiling above him.
He froze.
What was happening?
Where was he?
....!
What the... where's my ceiling?
Did a disaster occur overnight?!
Gone were the walls of his room. Gone was his familiar natural environment. Replaced with the unexpected.
But that wasn't even what shocked him or worried him the most.
Staring around, he saw a crowd of faces gazing down at him. Most wore sneers. Some smirked. Others simply looked amused.
It was then that he realized he was lying on the ground the whole time, his body covered in deep dirt.
Who are these people? How did I arrive here? A flurry of questions erupted in his mind all at once.
He frowned, straining to remember everything and how it all got to this.
Trying hard to remember, but all he could recall was sitting at his work desk, typing furiously to bolster his system's security, the glow of his screen casting eerie shadows across the dark room.
He was so exhausted, his body itching and desperate for sleep, which he was resisting until he was sure that his system's security was secure.
Wait!
Except one last unfortunate thing.
His blood ran cold as he recalled the very last moment when a sharp seizure had gripped his heart.
Pain.
An extreme choking pain.
Then like a hammer, a single thought struck him hard.
'No… This can't be real. Did I die?'
The thought made his blood run cold.
....Or worse....
Alden's eyes widened at this point.
Did I transmigrate?
Panic overwhelmed his mind and his face turned pale with dread as memories surged back.
Then he also remembered those anonymous messages he received from that author.
The novel.
That damn novel he had mocked in his livestream.
Damnit! It's all linked with that conversation I had with RealityKing.
He tried to banish the thought, insisting it must be a dream. But he couldn't fool himself, could he? This was far too real to be merely a dream.
He had read countless transmigration and reincarnation novels. That was how it always happened.
But to live within one? That was a nightmare he never desired.
He could have denied it, but his surroundings also left no room for doubt.
Alden's breathing halted as the details began to pour in like ice water.
He recognized the scene now.
This was Chapter Thirteen.
The scene where Andrew was beaten so badly then he developed a heart demon that began to distort his mentality, making him doubt himself and look down on his own worth.
'No… no, no, no… tell me I'm not Andrew…'
He pinched his arm hard.
"Ahh—!" The pain was real.
'God help me. This isn't a dream.'
Everything—the scenery, the names, even the mocking tone of the crowd—it all matched with that very chapter.
Andrew, plagued by one setback after another. His talent had never awakened, giving chance to his peers around him to always toy with him as they like.
Even his twin brother had turned his back on him.
Why this story? Why me?
Alden's heart sank further.
He looked up with a deep sigh and whispered, "I would prefer to be a random side character than this useless protagonist."
Andrew was the type who couldn't even defend himself from a slap, someone who lived in fear and never once fought back. In the end, he had given up on himself, earning the title of the story's greatest failure—a pitiful existence that Alden wanted no part of.
A figure came close to him.
Before he could take a look at this person, a kick landed straight into his stomach.
"Aghh!" He curled over, coughing violently.
It was then that he realized people were gathered around him, their laughter echoing in his ears.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Grandmaster Weakling!"
"Did anyone notice he was mumbling to himself?"
"Looks like Ranno knocked the last bit of sense out of him," a mocking boy's voice called out from the back, triggering laughter from the crowd.
Alden gasped, eyes twitching from the pain. As he looked up, his gaze locked onto a tall figure with a smug expression.
Muscular build. Cold eyes. A face that practically screamed villainous arrogance.
Ranno.
He didn't even need confirmation. He knew the character well. Ranno, the brute who regularly tormented Andrew.
Ranno stepped closer and said, "What's the matter, Andrew? Does the dirt feel like your bed or are you simply too weak to move?"
"Let me make this clear," Ranno stated, crouching so that their faces were at the same range. "Spar with me or I'll keep beating you into the dirt until you pass out again. The choice is yours, Grandmaster Weakling."
Laughter erupted again. The crowd jeered and clapped as if watching a comedy skit.
"Come on, 'Grandmaster'! Show us what you've got! Or are you just going to remain there in the dirt?"
Another voice added, "Careful now! The breeze from Ranno's punch might be enough to knock you out!"
Alden gritted his teeth as he attempted to rise from the ground.
Every muscle of his screamed in pain, while his legs trembled as though they might give out at any moment.
Ranno wouldn't allow him to go away without exacting humiliation or something worse.
In this part of the chapter, Andrew did nothing but take the beating.
But he wasn't Andrew who would sit around and allow that to happen. The only option was to fight. Even though he couldn't do much, he must at least struggle and fight back.
He clenched his fists and forced himself to stand, despite the pain shooting through every limb. The crowd quiet down for a moment, watching in disbelief. This was totally unlike him to agree to spar or had his brain truly lost some nuts?
"Watch out, Grandmaster! Be careful, a gust of wind might send you flying!" someone yelled from the crowd.
The crowd stood there, clearly mocking him like he was some kind of alien.
Alden dusted himself off, blood trickling from his nose.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's get this over with."
Some students burst into laughter. Others watched with mild interest, leaning forward for the show. A few stayed silent at the back, unsure whether to pity him or join in to mock him.
With an unsteady stance, Alden raised his fists or rather flailed them in what he assumed was a fighting stance.
Yet deep in his mind, he knew he had never thrown a punch in real life, let alone fought against someone like Ranno, who was an experienced street fighter.
"Finally grew a backbone, huh?" Ranno mocked, cracking his knuckles with a menacing grin. "Let's see how long you can last."
THUD!!!
A punch to his face sent him crashing back into the dirt.
"Ahhhhh!" He groaned in pain.
He didn't even catch a glimpse of how Ranno closed in, let alone the blow itself.
Just as Ranno was about to pounce on him to deliver another blow, a commanding voice drifted over from the distance.
"Stop that! What is wrong with you guys?"
The crowd fell silent, their heads turning in unison toward the figure approaching from the distance.