In the midst of a sea of trees, a man was in distress.
The manâs body was covered in sweat, his clothes were wet, and he felt the extra weight on his body.
His consciousness was muddled. He didnât know who he or even his name was.
It was dark in the forest. Not because of the numerous leaves overhead. It was because night had already fallen.
A hot and humid summer night. The clothes were heavy because the temperature was high, and the sweat was sticky. I just wanted to throw it off.
I was thirsty. But there was no water. I donât have a water bottle. I only have clothes to wear. I donât even wear a watch.
ăWhy am I in this placeâŚ?ă
Everything was unclear. Why would he set foot in the forest in the first place?
The connection between the two is completely confusing. If he was going to climb a mountain, he should have some climbing equipment. At the very least, he should have a water bottle with him.
The man had amnesia. What remains is common sense and the ability to speak the language.
However, his memories of the time before he came to the forest, and information about himself, have completely disappeared.
ăI need⌠waterâŚă
His mouth was completely dry. There was no saliva coming out. At this rate, he would collapse from dehydration.
The man was looking for water. A river or a lake â or even muddy water, for that matter. Just water. Without water, he would surely die.
Wavering like a ghost, the man made his way through the ocean of trees. And then he saw something. It was a light.
An artificial light. Not electricity, or anything like that. A shimmering. It was fire. A fire flickering like a campfire, visible from a distance.
It was a small light, but for the man, it was his great hope. The man desperately heads towards the light.
And then he arrived. There was a huge mansion. A western-style mansion. Itâs a so-called Western-style bulding.
It is a magnificent three-story Western-style mansion. The garden surrounding the mansion, the floor is paved with stones and various kinds of flowers and plants are planted in the garden.
Fountains were placed everywhere in the garden. A long, narrow stone pathway stretched between the fountains.
A man ran up to the nearest fountain. He then drank the water in the fountain until he was satisfied.
ăFu~, Iâm back alive~ă
It was a matter of survival. The result is stealing water, but I guess thatâs inevitable.
An businessman once mentioned. Even if a passerby drinks water in the farmâs rice field, the farmer will not complain.
They donât blame him because water is cheap and plentiful.
The idea is to fill the world with cheap electricity, just like this water.
That is the belief of the businessman â the water philosophy.
ăHmmâŚ?ă
The man realized. How did I know this philosophy? Did not my memories completely disappeared?
Either way, there was no point in thinking about it now. I should ask the people in the mansion for help. I also wanted to apologize for drinking the water without permission.
The man was about to head to the front door of the mansion when he noticed something. In the middle of the garden t stood a huge monument.
It was a marble monolith. A three meter high monolith standing solidly on a stone base.
This monolith had been processed in a special way. The wide front and back and the slender sides of the monolith have a mirror-like appearance.
The monolith, which has a mirrored surface, reflected the lamp that lit up in the mansion in a solemn atmosphere.
There were no settlements around, or the light of the stars was clearly visible. The monoliths were illuminating not only the fire, but the light of the stars as well, shining back at the same time.
I could see the light of the stars as well, probably because there were no other settlements around. The monolith reflects not only the fire but also the light of the stars at the same time.
In the midst of all this, something moved. Someone is reflected in the monolith. Someone is at the entrance of the firest where the man had been a while ago.
It was a girl. Crimson metallic armor worn over a maid costume based on black and white.
The girl has red hair. The color of her eyes is also red. It could be said that the color is far from reality.
It was as if she was cosplaying as a character in a fantasy novel.
The girl was wielding a sword in her hand and fighting a human with a pigâs head. Probably a race called orcs. I recognize them from a game.
The orc was holding a sword. It let out a breath from its large nose and charged at the girl.
The man turned around. But there was no one at the entrance of the forest.
The man looked at the monolith again. There, a girl and an orc were engaged in a sword fight.
From the looks of it, the girl has the advantage. However, as long as they fighting, they canât let their guard down.
ăWhat does that mean?ă
The girl and the orcs do not exist in reality. They only exist in the mirror.
Is it a projection technology, or is it virtual reality?
Or is this monolith a monitor that projects images? Iâm not sure.
But the girlâs face, splattered with sweat and shaking her hair, is fighting serious. I canât leave her alone.
The man extends his finger towards the monolith.
And then.
ăAh!ă
The manâs fingers penetrated the surface of the monolith and into the mirror. There is only the sensation of air in his hand. He could not touch the mirror.
When the man stretched out his arm, the manâs arm also entered the mirror.
ăâŚWhat should I do?ă
The man became confused. He wasnât sure, but it looked like he could get into the mirror. But could he come back? Could it be a trap of some kind?
But he couldnât abandon the girl who was fighting so desperately. The man gathered his courage and jumped into the surface of the monolith â into the mirror.
And then he heard something. A voice you couldnât hear outside the mirror.
ăTaaaaah!ă
The girl roared. She released a slash. It was countered by orcâs sword.
The man noticed the numerous dead orcs lying around.
It was probably the girl. And she was exhausted. Thatâs why she couldnât finish off the last orc that was less skilled.
ă-Huh?ă
The girl was distracted by a man who suddenly appeared. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the orc moved. The girl defended herself, but the sword she was holding flew through the air.
The girl loses her weapon. The orc moves to finish her off.
The man is in a hurry. He must save the girl. But the girl is far away and besides, he canât help her, even if he were closer.
The man was frustrated, but then he realized that something is floating in the air.
It was a card. A card with an illustration of flames bursting in the darkness.
The man reached out his finger and touched it.
ăExplosionă
I heard someoneâs voice. The card lit up and disappeared, emitting particles.
Then, a formula flashed in my brain.
ăATTACK â MAGIC : 1 + SEAL : 50 + 2D6 = 55ă
ăBLOCK â RESISTďźďźďźD6 ďźďźă
ăOFFENSEďź55 ďź BLOCKďźďźďźSUCCESS ! ă
The next moment, an explosion occurred. A purple flame burst near the orc.