He let out a long sigh as he stared at his phone, scrolling through an average Japanese harem rom-com manga. As he read, irritation slowly built up inside him, and before he could stop himself, he shouted at the screen, wondering what the hell was wrong with the author. He already knew stories like this would only make him angry, but he needed something to distract himself from reality—a reality where he felt miserable and hopeless in love.
"Definitely, Ichika is the best girl. Why… just why?" he shouted again, as if saying it out loud would ease his frustration.
After throwing out one last curse at the manga, he locked his phone, pushed his gaming chair back, and stepped out of his room to get some coffee. The room felt unusually quiet. He picked up the cup resting on the table, expecting nothing more than the familiar warmth.
Then, without warning, a sharp pain pierced his head.
The cup slipped from his fingers and crashed onto the floor, but he barely noticed. His body began to twitch uncontrollably as intense pain spread through every part of him. His vision blurred, his breathing grew heavy, and he shut his eyes, groaning as the pain overwhelmed him. Moments later, his consciousness faded away.
"Wake up, you mortals."
The voice that echoed through the darkness was powerful and unnatural. It sent chills through his entire body and awakened an instinctive urge deep within him—to kneel, to bow, to worship.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer alone. He was standing among a large group of people, most of them around the same age as him. Some had cat ears, others had long, pointed ears like elves, and a few looked human at first glance but still felt… different. Confusion and fear were written clearly on every face.
He lowered his gaze and checked his own body. He was wearing tight blue jeans and a simple sleeveless white shirt. A quick look around confirmed that everyone else was dressed the same way.
They were standing in a massive plaza that looked unreal. The walls were decorated with gold and reflected countless colors, shining brilliantly under an unseen light. Soft harp music echoed through the air, wrapping the entire place in an almost dreamlike atmosphere. It felt beautiful—too beautiful to be real.
To convince himself that he was awake, he pinched his cheek until it hurt. Around him, panic slowly spread. Some people slapped their faces, others shouted in confusion, while a few stood frozen, their mouths wide open.
"Enough, mortals!"
The voice rang out once more, clear and commanding. Everyone looked up as a figure descended from the sky.
It was a woman of overwhelming beauty—more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen. Her golden hair shimmered like sunlight, and her presence alone made it difficult to look away. Even without speaking, she dominated the entire space.
Her massive figure seemed to cover the sky itself. Angels appeared around her, playing instruments as a heavenly melody filled the plaza.
"Welcome to the ThataGabar World, one of my creations," she said. "I have summoned you mortals for my entertainment. Do not worry. Those who perform well will be rewarded generously. I wish you all good luck."
Her words struck him like a hammer even though she was speaking to ants which were not even worthy to spend her time. Her voice had no emotions and no intentions, just pure words to cut deep of humans' emotions.
' I've been summoned to another world… '
His mind raced as he struggled to accept the situation. Part of him wanted to laugh, another part wanted to scream. He didn't know whether he should feel excited or terrified. He had no girlfriend back in his old world, and his older brother was living a stable, successful life.
As the thought crossed his mind, he glanced around the crowd.
Is my brother here too?
"fuck," he muttered quietly
"I have placed gifts in your inventories," the woman continued. "This world functions like a game, and I believe you are all familiar with such systems. Now then… try your best and entertain us "
With those final words, her figure disappeared into the sky. The light faded, the music stopped, and the sky returned to its normal color. Slowly, reality sank in.
Some people cried in happiness, believing they had been chosen for something special. Others broke down in despair, unable to accept what had happened. A few stood silently, lost in thought, while others desperately tried to wake themselves, believing this had to be a nightmare.
He took a deep breath and spoke quietly inside his mind.
"Status."
A transparent screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[
Name – Harlequin
Age – 19
Class – None
Race – Player (Half Nouma – Half High Elf)
Level – 1 (EXP: 0/10)
Health Points – 100/100
Mana – 20
Reputation – 10
Charm – 10
Spirit – 12
Strength – 11
Agility – 12
Luck – 5
Intelligence – 11
Stamina – 10
Defense – 10
Friends List – 5
Racial Skills – Nouma Language, High Elf Language
Skills – Inventory, Boxing Mastery (Level 1), Human Language
]
He stared at the screen as thoughts flooded his mind. The name was the same one he always used in games. He understood what a High Elf was, but he had no idea what a Nouma was, which only made everything more confusing.
He opened his inventory next while looking at his cringe name, the name Harlequin came from The Seven Deadly Sins, one of his favorite series.
Inside were a simple sword, a book, and fifteen silver coins. He checked the sword first—it was nothing special—so he put it back.
Then he took out the book.
[
Basic Information About the ThataGabar World
– Human Language
]
A small sense of relief washed over him. At least he would be able to understand the world he had been thrown into.
He opened the book and began to read