Chapter 4

Well, I'm fully aware of it.

I'm currently in the midst of escaping reality.

After all, when I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. The room, when I looked around, was completely unfamiliar, just like the office I saw before I lost consciousness.

It was supposed to be a dream, but I still can't wake up...

I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

But I can't.

I mustn't cry.

Crying here won't solve anything.

Think, think about what I should do from here.

First, what do I want?

That's obvious. If this world is real, I want to return to my original world.

Then how do I return to my original world?

...My thoughts come to a halt.

Does this world allow people from different worlds to come here? Maybe they can travel freely?

If so, I can return immediately, which would be reassuring...

If free travel between worlds isn't possible, then there must be some reason I ended up here, whether intentional or accidental. If I can figure out the reason, I might find a way back.

But how do I figure out the reason...?

Lying on my back, I stretch out my hands.

They are much, much smaller than my original hands.

I must have turned into a kid.

Can a kid survive on their own in this world...

It would be helpful if I could see my status... In Elycia Online, it was naturally visible, but can I see it here? There don't seem to be any buttons to press. Maybe I need to say "Status Open" like in a novel?

Should I... say it?

Should I try saying it?

They say "A traveler's shame is to be cast aside," so I might as well try it boldly.

"St... Status. Open"

I felt embarrassed and said it in a very low voice.

Then a semi-transparent window opened in front of my eyes.

"Huh? It worked?"

The semi-transparent window displayed many words and numbers. Could this be my status?

Let's see, what do we have here...

Kujo Yuriko. 8 years old. Sage LV1.

HP 156

MP 125

Skills

Magic 100

Healing 100

Alchemy 100

Titles

Master of Magic

Master of Healing

Stray from Another World

The HP and MP values seem a bit odd, but for a level 1, this might be normal.

I'm 8 years old? Why such an awkward age?

Hmm?

The skills are at max level from the game, so that makes sense, but the issue is the titles...

What does "Stray from Another World" mean...

What does "stray" imply?

The most famous stray monster in Japan is the silver one...

Hmm, hmm?

So, does it mean I'm lost?

Am I a lost child???

That's right. Since the status screen can be opened, maybe I can log out...

Let's try it.

"Log out!"

Silence.

"Execute log out!"

Still, silence.

"Log out, enter!"

...I knew it wouldn't work, but nothing happened.

Of course, it didn't...

What about the friend chat?

"Open friend chat"

No response.

So, only the status screen responds...

Sigh... disappointing.

So, I can't return...

Mom, Dad, big brother...

Tears well up again and trickle down my cheek.