Shyam blinked.
Then blinked again.
Then blinked five more times just to be sure.
He was in a void. Pitch black. Floating. Wearing… nothing but a towel.
"What the hell—"
"CONGRATULATIONS!" boomed a mysterious voice that sounded like Morgan Freeman fused with a microwave on its last legs.
Shyam spun around. "Who said that?! Where am I?! And where the FUCK is my pants?!"
A big white glowing sign popped up in the void:
> 🌀 WELCOME TO: THE RANDOM POCKET DIMENSION OF TEMPORARY CHARACTER TORTURE 🌀
"Relax, this won't affect the canon story at all." – Author
Shyam: "What."
---
✨ Event 1: Guess the Fruit
A magical spinning wheel appeared out of nowhere and slapped Shyam in the face with a banana.
Raitha materialized mid-air, now in a tuxedo, holding a tiny mic.
"Welcome to today's episode of 'GUESS THAT FRUIT!' Our first contestant is: some poor bastard who got sucked into a void!"
"Wait what?! What fruit?! WHY AM I HERE?!" Shyam shouted.
A massive orange appeared behind him.
"Is it an apple?" Raitha asked.
"It's an ORANGE—"
BUZZZ
"WRONG!" yelled the system.
A brick hit Shyam in the head.
---
🐸 Event 2: The Talking Frog
A small frog hopped in front of Shyam and coughed dramatically.
"Shyam of Earth. I have watched your journey. I have crossed the barriers of space and—"
Shyam picked it up and yeeted it into the void.
"I'm not talking to a frog right now."
Raitha nodded solemnly. "Valid."
---
🍜 Event 3: The Instant Ramen Dungeon
Shyam suddenly found himself inside a dungeon. Everything—walls, floor, even the enemies—was made of instant ramen.
Enemies: Spicy Chicken Golem, Beef Broth Blob, Noodle Wraith
Shyam picked up a stick (possibly made of soy sauce) and tried to fight.
Everything was slippery. He fell into a pool of boiling miso and screamed.
Raitha hovered nearby munching on the dungeon wall.
"This place is deliciously cursed."
---
🛁 Event 4: Bathhouse Interrogation Arc
A new scene faded in: Shyam was now sitting in a magical hot spring surrounded by rubber duckies.
Three masked figures appeared behind him.
One wore a chef hat.
One wore a chicken mask.
One wore a sign that said, "I AM LORE BUT IRRELEVANT."
They all asked the same question:
"Where is the spoon, Chosen One?"
Shyam: "…what spoon?"
They gasped.
Raitha: "He doesn't know."
Thunder cracked.
All three figures poofed out of existence.
The water turned cold.
---
🪑 Event 5: Existential Furniture Philosophy
Shyam was now a chair.
Yes.
A literal chair.
Raitha sat on him and sighed.
"You're more useful this way."
"I'm literally losing my will to exist."
"I know. Isn't it funny?"
A pause.
"I hate you."
---
🎉 Exit: The Reset Button
After what felt like seven eternities and one awkward tea party with a genderfluid skeleton named 'Bobert,' a huge red button appeared in front of Shyam.
> "PRESS TO ESCAPE THIS FILLER HELL."
He slammed it with his face.
---
💫 Back in Reality
Shyam woke up screaming in the inn's bed.
Raitha was chilling beside his pillow, sipping tea like nothing happened.
"Had a weird dream?" she asked.
"…yes."
"Were you a chair again?"
"...yes."
Raitha patted his cheek.
"Welcome back to the canon storyline."
---
> Next Chapter: Shyam finally upgrades his Herbseer ability… maybe. Unless the universe throws more chickens at him.
---
Ch-36