Chapter 2 This Isn't How It Usually Goes
'Transmigrated With The Strongest System', By Selyon!
It was a Light Novel series with both Manga and Anime adaptations.
It had a total of 22 Light Novel Volumes, 199 Manga Chapters, and a total of 3 Seasons in the Ongoing Anime Series.
Actually, based on my personal opinion, it was a complete masterpiece!
The main Character, Damien, was Transmigrated into a world that needed to be saved.
He was suddenly thrust into a strange reality that he knew nothing about.
Asked by the people there to save their reality, he was burdened with the role of a 'Hero', and he had to neutralize the threat plaguing the Fantasy World.
Initially, I had thought that this was simply a cliché Isekai Trope, and I had simply watched the anime out of curiosity and boredom.
Little did I know that I was in for an unbelievable treat.
It wasn't until the end of the first season that I was shown the unexpected truth!
The MC, Damien, was actually a Hero who had Transmigrated to several worlds on various quests!
The world we all experienced in Season 1 was simply the fifteenth reality he'd had to rescue.
Repeating the same line of being asked for help, Damien had to traverse 20 Worlds and defeat the respective threats in order to return home.
That's right!
It was that kind of story.
After eating up the Anime and Manga, I went after the Light Novels and devoured the story. It saddened me to see how the story ended, but I did.
It was a wonderful novel, filled with several twists and mysteries.
The plot twist at the end was especially unexpected.
However, at the end of the day, the MC overcame the challenges and became ridiculously OP! He defied causality and challenged the very principalities of the world—that sort of thing.
In all my life, I had never read something as well-written as that.
Which was why, it was my ideal world.
"If I ever get 'Isekaid', I'd want to be transferred to that very same world!"
I couldn't accept any less.
It wasn't as though the Novel's world wasn't dangerous, but at least I knew it like the back of my hand.
In addition, the MC was also extremely OP since he had the knowledge and abilities of the past Transmigrations he went through.
I was completely convinced that that it was the perfect setting for someone like me.
"I want to get Transmigrated to that world too!" I exclaimed emphatically.
__________________________
'… So, what's the meaning of this shit?!'
My eyes took in the dirty and unfamiliar environment that surrounded me.
The cold, damp ground sent shivers from the soles of my feet to the top of my head, but there were more pressing issues that demanded my attention.
'The fuck?' I swore angrily.
I was in a filthy tent.
The brown fabric that was used for the temporary structure looked old and worn out. To make matters worse, it stank.
I took a quick glance around me, spotting the bare floor, dirt ridden materials that were used to make up the summoning circle, as well as the frugal sacrifices placed before me.
'What the hell?' I asked.
"P-p-p-p-please…" A feminine voice rang out, drawing my attention to the one who summoned me.
As I centered my attention on her, my eyes caught four other men who were dressed in poor excuses for an armor.
'Are they meant to be the Imperial Soldiers, or Royal Knights?' I wondered.
Because to me, these men looked like barbarians—at best!
" P-please, save us!"
My eyes finally focused on the stuttering girl.
She had blond hair, styled in two pigtails , and her brown irises depicted a childlike innocence.
However, unlike the prim and proper priestess I had expected to see, this one was dressed in an overly simple attire.
She had rough skin, and freckles dotted across the bridge of her nose as well.
The look in her eyes was one of desperation, a usual countenance when in the presence of heroes, but what was with this whole getup?
'Something isn't right here…' My thoughts rang as I looked around, trying my hardest to maintain my calm demeanor.
The setting was wrong.
The characters were wrong.
Everything was wrong.
'Damn… I got Transmigrated after all, but why do I have a bad feeling about this?'
Thankfully, my long hours of practice in front of the TV, and during my spare time, paid off.
I was completely unfazed—at least on the surface—by the unnerving incident that was happening.
"I see…" I said calmly, as I looked around me once more.
'This place looks beat up as hell! But, I can't break my character, can I?'
Yes! The MC that I admired so much would never break even under unknown circumstances.
Even though he got transported to various worlds, he objectively and calmly analyzed his surroundings.
How many times had I read the book? How long had I studied his character?
As a follower of his doctrine, I couldn't afford to break down at this point!
'Let's play along… for now.'
A knowing grin spread across my face as I stared at the faces of the flustered and confused plebeians in front of me.
"… Then, at what cost?"
'YESSSSS! NAILED IT!' I screamed excitedly, in my head of course.
I completely utilized my constant hours of practice and gave the perfect intonation to the words.
Damien's deep voice.
His intimidating stare.
His cocky smile.
I replicated everything accurately and adjusted my vocal cords to deliver the most perfect line.
It was elegant to say the least!
'I've always wanted to say it in this kind of setting!'
My piercing gaze never left the woman before me.
She looked completely flustered by my soft whisper.
It was made to be barely inaudible, but not completely so.
That was because the people around me were meant to hear my silent question.
The fake priestess' flustered reaction became increasingly obvious as she began to tremble.
'Why is she…?'
One more look at her face showed me an emotion I wasn't expecting to see.
—PAIN!
She had an expression of excruciating pain hovering in her eyes like a shadow.
Frustration and powerlessness made the young woman bite her lips.
'Hey… what's going on here?' I asked internally, looking at her entourage to see their reactions.
Sure enough, the caricature guards also shared the same look.
Their bodies shook, and they turned their faces away in utter helplessness and frustration.
'Is this because of my question?'
It was a line that the MC stated due to his many years of experience as a Transmigrator.
Even though he was powerful, there were many who were intent on taking advantage of his superb skills.
That was why he always charged a fee.
'If I would be risking my life for some strangers, this isn't too much to ask, right?'
Of course, I supported that logic!
Which was why cheapskates like these ticked me off.
The hallowed ground for summoning was a mere tent that looked shabby and flea ridden, and everything just seemed so out of place.
Judging by their current reactions, I could now tell that they were completely useless.
'Fuck! Really? Nothing at all? They can't part with anything? How could they summon a Hero despite that?'
As I continued to wallow in my self pity and frustration, the stammering girl spoke up again.
"O-Oh Hero… p-please…"
'For the love of—" I was about to roll my eyes at this point.
If they wanted to show their sincerity, it was only expected that they fork over some benefits, right?
Before I could complete my speech, all five of them fell to their knees and bowed to me.
'U-uh?!'
Now I was flustered beyond belief. My level of surprise was so great that my facade nearly broke.
'Shit! Close call!'
"—Please, Hero! Please, Hero!"
Her begging was so frantic.
It superseded what I was expecting.
"I beg you, Hero! Please help us. The cost… as soon as you save us from our peril… we are willing to offer you everything else."
'They're this desperate?!' I wondered incredulously in my head.
"You may rule over us, judge our people according to your righteous ways, lord over our final patch of land. But, please!"
The Priestess' voice was so fast, so frantic, that I had to fully concentrate on her words to comprehend what she was saying.
"PLEASE, SAVE US O' HERO!!!" Everyone in the tent spoke in a thunderous voice.
Their voices resonated deeply within me, and for some reason… I felt my heart respond to them.
'They're sincere!'
During my journeys as an avid Weeb, I had picked up a few things.
One of them was the ability to properly read people and decipher their true intentions.
It developed so far to the point that I could detect an upcoming plot twist with only the slightest of hints.
Who would betray whom,
The true mastermind of a calamity,
Those with ulterior motives,
As well as characters who possessed genuine intentions.
"Raise your heads," I said to the five people kneeling before me.
When I saw their desperate, pleading eyes and their shivering, pathetic bodies, I understood.
'They fall under the last group.'
Even though everything around me was sus as heck, and I was still confused in this otherworldly environment, I knew what I had to do.
"Fine…" I replied, calmly and confidently.
"… I'll help you."
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
<You Have Accepted The Root Quest: Save Us>
[Your Actions Have Been Recorded In The System's Records]