The scene within the mysterious black vortex could be described as “chaos.” There were indescribable swirling forms, an endless expanse of an ambiguous light that was neither bright nor dark. However, Shoot's own form remained clearly visible.

(………)

Shoot briefly considered turning back, but with a shrug of resignation, he chose to press forward.

Not long after he entered and started walking, a light appeared ahead. As he approached, the light intensified. It was definitely an exit.

(What is this, it's blinding…!)

Just as he was about to close his eyes against the intense light, Shoot noticed a change in the ground beneath his feet.

“This is… concrete?”

He stamped his feet repeatedly, confirming that he was standing on a concrete surface. After a while, his eyes adjusted to the light, and he cautiously opened them.

“Eh? Eh…?”

What lay before him was—what appeared to be a deserted alley. The faint light allowed him to see dust-covered wooden crates and empty bottles.

Shoot, tense and unsure of his location, took a tentative step forward, then another, toward the light.

“———”

The scene that unfolded before Shoot was nothing but a city. It looked like a generic city backdrop, the kind you see in computer wallpapers or on social media. The only difference was that many people, like him, were walking around.

“It… is reality… right?”

This was a city unknown to Shoot. Everyone he passed gave him a curious glance. To them, he must have looked like a foreigner. In turn, he perceived them as unfamiliar people. They were all either black or white, and he didn’t see anyone with Asian features like his.

(What country is this? It’s definitely not China or Taiwan…)

As he walked, observing the people and the city, Shoot tried to guess where he was.

(It's bright… it was night a moment ago)

It had been night before he entered the vortex, but now the sun was directly overhead. It was midday. This suggested that he had traveled to a country with a large time difference. Countries with such a drastic time difference would include America and various European countries.

He was pondering whether he had somehow warped to one of these places when he noticed something about the people ahead.

(That’s… a sword on his back…? And it’s huge!?)

A muscular man had a sword on his back, roughly half his height. This wasn't a replica; it was a real sword. In Japan, and indeed most of the world, displaying such a weapon in public is unacceptable.

(… ! That guy has a huge axe on his back!? That one has two swords at his waist!?)

Shoot was taken aback by the numerous people openly carrying dangerous weapons. What struck him as even stranger was that no one seemed to care.

(I’ve heard that in America, you can easily buy guns, but is that also the case here? What kind of country is this…?)

He also wondered whether this was even a real foreign country.

After walking for a few minutes, Shoot realized he wouldn't be able to buy anything in this city. The currency clearly wasn’t Yen. Moreover, he didn't even have his wallet, rendering exchange impossible.

(I forgot my wallet. Staying overnight in this city is impossible.)

He considered returning the way he came, going back through the black vortex, but he was worried about whether that would even work.

(This kind of opportunity doesn’t come along often, so I might as well do some sightseeing… or exploring.)

———

Before he knew it, Shoot had left the city and found himself in a vast grassland bathed in sunlight. Being unfamiliar with foreign geography, he didn't think much about the fact that the edge of the city was like this.

Shoot still believed that he had been transported to a foreign country through the black vortex. He thought he had warped to some place in the real world. He was surprised by the open display of weapons but assumed that it was acceptable in this country and that this place was as peaceful as Japan.

He didn't anticipate the danger he would face.

As he walked through the grassland, moving further from the city and approaching a forest, he heard…

“…An animal’s voice?”

He could hear a sound, but it was neither human nor the sound of a dog or cat. It was the same unfamiliar sound he heard in the black vortex. The sound was coming from the forest.

(Is this some kind of exotic animal?)

Without any apprehension, Shoot approached the source of the sound. Seconds later, however, he was shocked.

“…?!”

What met his eyes were three small, bipedal creatures. Their skin was green, their bodies covered in tattered rags. They were shorter than Shoot, each with small horns on their heads. These were unknown creatures, unlike anything he'd seen in Japan or anywhere else, and their bipedalism was completely bizarre.

“Are those… goblins…? Could they be… monsters!?”

Shoot, a frequent gamer, recognized them instantly. But these creatures shouldn’t exist in reality. Fictional creatures were now standing before him. It was hard for him to process.

“““~~~~~~~~~~”””

The goblin-like creatures barked at Shoot. Their expressions were clearly hostile.

“And those things they’re holding… are weapons, right?”

Shoot guessed that they were clubs. Monsters wielding weapons were looking at him with hostile intent. This was definitely dangerous, he judged.

“What the hell is this place… !?”

Shoot ran for his life. The goblins gave chase. They seemed to have physical abilities similar to or lower than his, since he didn’t get caught immediately. However, the heavy backpack he was carrying quickly exhausted him.

“…I’m going to be caught… damn it… !!”

Feeling the goblins closing in, Shoot ran desperately. Just as he was about to abandon his backpack, he felt a strange sensation in his body; it was like an electric current running through his head. Then,

“…What?”

While running, he wondered: Was he always this fast? Looking behind him, he noticed that he was further ahead of the goblins than before. Furthermore, what was exhausting him moments before now felt manageable.

Having successfully evaded the three goblins, Shoot caught his breath, sitting down on the ground.

“…This is not the real world.”

Shoot finally realized his mistake. He understood that he wasn’t in the real world; he was in a different world.

“So, that wasn't just a vortex…”

He was stunned to realize that he had been caught up in something extraordinary, but it didn't last long.

““~~~~~~~~~~””

“…!”

The sound of monsters came again. Turning, he saw two more goblins charging towards him.