Chapter 2: Into The New World: Part 2

Prologue

Chapter 1: Into the New World: Part 1

Chapter 3: Into The New World: Part 3

Chapter 4: Getting Stronger: Part 1

&#x3C;p&#x3E;I reorganized myself after finding out what &#x3C;em&#x3E;was&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x26;nbsp;in that flask. Now that I&#x2019;m in another world filled with magic, I feel hesitant drinking mana flasks now. I asked her to guide me out of this forest for the meantime and fortunately, she agreed. She&#x2019;s walking with me on my side while making cautious glances on our surroundings, in case of beast attacks, ambushes, and traps. She suddenly spoke up.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;You&#x2019;re surprisingly calm about this situation of yours.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;What do you mean?&#x201D; I probed. &#x3C;em&#x3E;That question literally came out of nowhere, I thought she was going to ask me about something else.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Your summoning, of course. Most &#x2018;descents&#x2019; normally get a mental breakdown, while the others just go with the flow. You perhaps belong to the latter.&#x201D; she explained.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;Well, I understand about the other &#x2018;descents&#x2019; getting a mental breakdown, after being separated from their parents, friends, or even their lovers and knowing they can never go back. If it were me, I&#x2019;d feel the same. Although, my situation was already messed up even before I got summoned.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Also, a &#x2018;descent&#x2019; like you is a rare case. First, the location of where you were summoned. Most &#x2018;descents&#x2019; get summoned by arch magicians in large military kingdoms, like the Kingdom of Altassia or the Empire of Xenoby. Second, when you were summoned, I didn&#x2019;t see anything you have that resembles an &#x2018;arsenal&#x2019;.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;An &#x2018;arsenal&#x2019;, huh? Now that she mentioned it, I don&#x2019;t think I have anything in me right now that counts as a weapon, let alone an &#x2018;arsenal&#x2019;. I&#x2019;m wearing a black bracelet and ring, but I doubt this would count as an &#x2018;arsenal&#x2019;. These were the gifts I received from our date when we were still dating before. I don&#x2019;t think I can remove this, as I still have lingering feelings about it, despite being in another world.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;Well, even with all these mysteries about you, I don&#x2019;t think it&#x2019;s my business to pry in your personal information. I just want to ask one last question, do you miss the people you care about?&#x201D; she asked. This type of question is something that I can&#x2019;t answer easily, but I don&#x2019;t want to hide anything from her.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;My relationship with the people I care about was already in shambles before my summoning, so I don&#x2019;t have any more lingering feelings about my previous world.&#x201D; I replied to her honestly. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Even if I made it back home, I don&#x2019;t think my situation would change. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;I see.&#x201D; she replied bluntly. returning her focus back on scouting the area surrounding us.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The tense and awkward air between us returned, with nothing to say to each other while walking around to find an exit of this forest.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;Oh yeah, I haven&#x2019;t asked what her name is. It&#x2019;d be inconvenient if we split ways and meet up again on a later date, still without knowing what her name is.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;What&#x2019;s your name, anyway?&#x201D; I broke the silence between us, to dispell the awkward atmosphere between us.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;My name is Miranda, but you can call me Mira, in short.&#x201D; she replied. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Miranda, huh? Her name sounds foreign, although this is another world so I think it counts. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;How about you? What&#x2019;s your name?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;My name is Tanaka Haruki, but you can call me Haruki, since it&#x2019;s my given name.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Alright, I&#x2019;ll call you Haruki then. A nice name, I&#x2019;d say.&#x201D; she responded.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;The only ones who called me by my given name were my parents, my ex-girlfriend and now, her. I don&#x2019;t feel anything about it though.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;Wait, I sense something bad. Stay alert.&#x201D; she suddenly cautioned me.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;Wait what? Is it an ambush or a beast attack? &#x3C;/em&#x3E;I recomposed myself to prepare against anything worse.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Got it. Do you have any weapon inside your strap? If you do, let me borrow it, since I don&#x2019;t have anything from me.&#x201D; I asked her. Luckily, she brought an extra weapon on her strap, and it&#x2019;s a dagger.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;You&#x2019;ll take the rear, I&#x2019;ll handle the front.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Alright.&#x201D; I nodded.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;As we walk through the forest while taking our stances, we hear rustling bushes surrounding us.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Looks like &#x3C;em&#x3E;they &#x3C;/em&#x3E;are here.&#x201D; Miranda warned.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Who?&#x201D; I asked nervously.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Suddenly, shadowy figures pounced right at us with their wooden spears and maces. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Now I know who she is referring to. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;These monsters pretty much exist in fantasy books and RPG games, so I don&#x2019;t think I&#x2019;m mistaken about their identity.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;These creatures are called goblins. As far as ability goes, they lack in skill of fighting against people in a one-on-one situation. This is why they take the advantage by numbers to ambush and attack them. I&#x2019;d rather call them troublesome than powerful.&#x201D; she explained.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;As she explained, we were already surrounded by them. All of them seem to be grinning, as their numbers are ten times more than us. &#x3C;em&#x3E;This is not good.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;Hiyaaah!&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Khwaahk?!&#x201D; the goblin let out a grunt as Miranda shot its head with a bow and arrow.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;No mercy, huh? In the end, it&#x2019;s survival of the fittest.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Ughhh!&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Hoooooh!&#x201D; I slashed the neck of the goblin in front of me with my dagger in hand.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The two of us struggled in reducing the numbers of the goblins in front of us. Miranda took the role as the ranged attacker, while I took a defensive support stance on her back to avoid distractions in aiming for the kill. After two minutes, their numbers came from 20 to 2 goblins. &#x3C;em&#x3E;She was right, they really are a pain in the neck. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;They kept taking cheap shots and slipped inside the gaps between our teamwork to take us out.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Kwaaagh!&#x201D; the goblin got pierced by an arrow into its heart. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Wow, she&#x27;s skilled in arrows.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Only one left.&#x201D; I looked around and noticed one goblin left. It was holding a bow and arrow on its hands.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x22;Hyeeek!&#x22; the goblin felt fear as he saw his comrades killed in not less than five minutes.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Suddenly, the last goblin let out a loud shrill that it made me hear a whirring sound stuck in my ear.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;A few seconds later, the ground trembled and we heard a loud rumbling. Behind the goblin was another goblin, but it was ten times bigger. &#x3C;em&#x3E;What the heck is that?!&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;Aghh, that&#x2019;s a goblin king! I didn&#x2019;t expect one nesting in here!&#x201D; Miranda screamed, while her body was shivering from fear.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The giant goblin was about 3&#x26;nbsp;meters tall, with a pompadour in its head. On his hand was a wooden club, fully covered with bones, pointing out like spikes. &#x3C;em&#x3E;This isn&#x2019;t good. If we don&#x2019;t move from here, we&#x2019;re gonna die.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;I ran towards Miranda, who was still shuddering from fear, and grabbed her hand to escape. When we escaped from the goblin king, it started to chase after us, swinging its wooden club and hitting all the trees surrounding us.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;My heart is beating hard, the hardest I&#x2019;ve ever felt in my whole life. My body is also shuddering from fear, but we only have one choice, and that is to escape.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;This guy&#x2019;s pretty fast for its size. Miranda, do you have any other ideas?&#x201D; I asked her but for some reason, she&#x2019;s still stuck in a daze. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Looks like relying on her too much won&#x2019;t do us any good here. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;I looked at the goblin king behind me, and he was still chasing after us, Heck, this one could even rival the large beast earlier in terms of persistence. &#x3C;em&#x3E;I think I have 2 ideas&#x26;nbsp;on how to kill this one. This one is less risky than the other, so I&#x2019;ll go with this plan instead.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;I left&#x26;nbsp;Miranda, who was still in a daze, near a grove of trees&#x26;nbsp;to start my plan.&#x26;nbsp;With a dagger in my left hand,&#x26;nbsp;I leapt from the ground and aimed my dagger on his stomach.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Gruuugghhh!&#x201D; the goblin king let out a painful groan, clutching his mid-section in pain. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Nice, it&#x2019;s a direct hit.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x26;nbsp;I had to have his hands clutch on his stomach instead of his ankles. If I went for the ankles first, he would&#x2019;ve intercepted me with its wooden club, and it was riskier than the plan I did. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Right, onto the next step.&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;I descended from his stomach with my dagger still in hand, and went for his ankles. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Since he&#x2019;s currently clutching his stomach with both his hands, he couldn&#x2019;t intercept with my next step. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;As I thought that, something pierced my stomach.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Aaaagggh!&#x201D;, I screamed in pain. I checked my stomach instinctively, and I noticed a long, round, thin wooden stick with feathers on its other end. I looked for the one responsible for shooting me with an arrow, and I found them clutching a bow in their hands. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Shit, I forgot about that little goblin who called for their king. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;I dragged my body backwards with my right hand and my left hand clutching my stomach. I noticed the goblin king finally recovered from the pain earlier, and is now holding the wooden club on his arm. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Oh no, what do I do now?! Miranda&#x2019;s still in a daze, and I&#x2019;m severely injured. Am I gonna die here?! &#x3C;/em&#x3E;With no other choices left to do, I covered my head with my left hand now, knowing that it won&#x2019;t even protect me from the wooden club. Despair overcame my body and shivering from fear. The goblin king swooped his club on my head, trying to instantly kill me. &#x3C;em&#x3E;Looks like my stay in another world won&#x2019;t last long. &#x3C;/em&#x3E;Suddenly, something bright flashed in our eyes.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Ooooowhh!&#x201D; the goblin king was blinded, and he missed the hit. Naturally, I was blinded for a bit too. My left was now holding something light. I inspected it and was shocked to see what was in my hand and there it was; a deep red-colored object with a gold-colored tip.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;&#x9;&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x201C;The pen from the library&#x2026;?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;

&lt;p&gt;    Tanaka Haruki is a 17-year old boy who experienced a lot of misfortunes during his high-school life. He was mostly bullied, his childhood girlfriend dumped him, and his parents abandoned him. While preparing for his college entrance exams in the public library and was about to leave, he discovers a pen underneath the table. After picking up the pen from the ground, mysterious writings surrounded him in a circle, transporting him into a new world, filled with magic, humans, and monsters.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;    With only his pen in his possession, will he be able to survive?&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;