Chapter 2

Squinting at the blinding light, I found myself standing in a familiar room.

It was one of the rooms in the apartment where I used to live before being transported to another world. It was a bit of a walk from the station, but it was a hidden gem: a 1K apartment on the 4th floor, 8 tatami mats in size, with separate toilet and bath, and a reasonable price. I was quite pleased when I found it.

"Three years have passed, so it's not really familiar anymore, is it?"

A faint, warm light filtered through the closed curtains. I remember that I was transferred to the other world on a chilly night after I had returned home and settled in for the weekend after work.

I looked at the clock with a calendar function on the bedside table. It read 4/20 (Mon) 15:00.

"…What?"

Come to think of it, it feels much warmer than the day I was transferred. I was sure I was transferred from this room at the end of March.

"Has it been almost a month…?"

What was I thinking, that not much time had passed? Sure, three years and a month is a big difference, but if I've been absent from work for a month, what kind of trouble will I be in in this world?

I hurriedly picked up the smartphone that was lying on the bed and tried to operate it.

"…Of course."

The battery was dead. It was only natural after being left untouched for a month.

I plugged the phone into the charging cable and decided to change my clothes first, thinking it was too late to panic now. I was still wearing the armor I had equipped in the other world. If I went outside like this, I'd end up in trouble with the police before I even started my jobless life.

After taking off the armor and changing into casual clothes, I noticed the ring on my thumb and had a thought.

"Can I still use the item box…?"

I infused the ring with magic as I did in the other world. It was a magic item that Robelia made for me, as I couldn't manipulate magic in this world.

A small dimensional hole opened up next to the ring.

"It opened…"

I stuck my hand in and took out and put in items. It seemed to be working fine.

Due to the limitations of the ring and my magic power, it wasn't as large as the item boxes my companions had, but this item box might be quite a cheat in this world.

…Apart from using it for nefarious purposes, it seemed to have only a bit of convenience value.

Next, I picked up the empty steel can that had contained coffee, which was on the table. I wondered if my physical abilities from the other world were still intact.

With a slightly trembling hand, I grabbed the top of the can with my index finger and thumb. When I applied force, it crumpled effortlessly, as if I had used a vise.

"I'll need to check a few things later…"

If all my abilities from the other world are still here, I could probably become the world's best in most sports, especially in combat sports and track and field, which don't require equipment. Of course, I'd have to hold back a lot to avoid causing a commotion, and frankly, I don't want to live such a conspicuous life.

Although I do have some savings, I'll probably lose my job after being missing for a month without any contact. At the very least, I now have a worst-case insurance policy.

I wish I had brought the status board that shows the abilities of whoever touches it from the other world.

I decided to check my abilities later and headed to the kitchen, feeling hungry.

The first thing I noticed was a puddle of water under the refrigerator.

"Come on, give me a break…"

It's not like the electricity would be cut off just because I didn't pay the bill for a month, so there must have been a power outage.

I cleaned up the water with kitchen paper and opened the refrigerator, understanding the situation. There was no cold air inside, and the light didn't turn on. It seemed there was currently a power outage.

"Should I go buy something?"

Fortunately, there was a convenience store nearby, which was one of the reasons I chose this apartment.

I plugged my phone into a power bank, grabbed my wallet and keys, and headed to the front door. The breaker there hadn't tripped.

Was there an earthquake or something? I vaguely remembered hearing about such news before I was transferred, and I opened the front door and stepped out of the room.

That's when I noticed a person standing in the hallway of the apartment building, which had been hidden by the door.

He was standing in front of a door a couple of rooms down, swaying his body back and forth with his back to me. He had short brown hair and a male build, wearing a down jacket that was out of season for spring. His clothes were visibly dirty in many places.

The door closed with a noticeable thud.

When I looked around, I realized not only was the man's clothing dirty, but the common area was also quite messy. The apartment building was never particularly clean, but it wasn't this bad.

Moreover, these red and brown stains… blood?

Seemingly aware of the door closing, the man turned around unsteadily.

His face was pale, and the shirt under his unzipped jacket was torn and blood-soaked. His neck was torn, and his head was hanging at an angle.

"…For real?"

With his milky white, lifeless eyes turned toward me, I could only whisper that.