Mornings were supposed to be peaceful. Maybe even refreshing. You wake up, stretch, contemplate your existence, and move on with your life. Easy.
Instead, I woke up in a hotel bed, staring at a ceiling that felt way too pristine for the kind of interdimensional nonsense I'd been through.
I sat up slowly, blinked at the sunlight slipping through the curtains, and muttered, "Alright, what the hell is my next move?"
Because, spoiler alert: I had no clue.
I rubbed my face, stretched my back, and sighed. "Tomb," I said, not really expecting much, "any other rituals for world-hopping in there?"
…No response.
Right. Tomb wasn't chatty. Just a giant brain-dump of cosmic data that pinged me whenever it felt like it. Kind of like a magical Dropbox with abandonment issues.
(PING)
Oh, there it is.
The info flooded my head — dispassionate, clear, and kind of rude, honestly. The ritual that sent me here? I needed to set up a rune circle, channel energy through the Chalice, and punch a hole through reality. Simple, right?
Except...
If you didn't have an anchor to a specific world, it was like spinning a giant interdimensional roulette wheel. You could end up anywhere. Literal anywhere.
So that was fun.
'Cool, so I can't go back to where my people were slaughtered because I don't have a connection to it...'
I mean, it stung. A lot. But let's be honest, I stood about as much chance fighting gods as a grilled cheese sandwich in a rainstorm.
I exhaled, leaning against the headboard. "Fine. Guess I train. Learn. Adapt. Do the whole anime grind arc."
I refocused. "Tomb — Star-Runes. What are they?"
(PING)
Star-Runes: runic constructs derived from cosmic principles. Categories include Offensive, Defensive, and Utility. Example: Spatial Lock — temporarily restricts movement within a bounded zone and disables teleportation abilities depending on energy output.
"Huh." Useful.
(PING)
Suddenly, my head was invaded by what felt like every single Star-Rune ever created.
Offensive, defensive, traps, illusions, energy stabilizers, spiritual disruptors, weather manipulators — there was even one to make a star-based blender.
"Okay—okay—Tomb, stop! Stop! I'm not ready for this episode of Runes Gone Wild!"
Silence again.
I swear that last ping felt smug.
After the brain hurricane passed, I decided to work with what I could actually use.
"The Chalice," I muttered. "Energy producer and converter, right?"
(PING)
Chalice properties: Absorbs and converts most matter into usable energy. Can consume ambient energy, spiritual energy, and spiritual beings. Can also extract from physical beings if vessel is compromised or damaged.
"Good to know," I muttered.
Naturally, I summoned the thing.
With a pulse of intent, the Celestial Chalice appeared in my hand — elegant, silver, constellation nodes sparkling along its rim. Honestly? It was still gorgeous.
I grabbed one of the hotel pillows, eyed it with an apologetic nod, and dropped it into the Chalice.
Blue wisps flared up instantly, and the pillow dissolved into light, streaming into the artifact like a Dyson for souls.
"Cool," I said. Then I peeked inside.
Nothing.
Frowning, I touched the Chalice — and sure enough, a whisper of power was there. Barely a drop. Like licking a battery and calling it hydration.
I groaned. "This is gonna take forever."
But then... the gears in my brain clicked.
Spiritual beings.
The demon I'd fought? That thing had been pure soul-nastiness.
If the Chalice could absorb beings like that...
A plan began forming. Risky? Absolutely. Reckless? Probably. Necessary?
Completely.
After throwing on my star-priest-business-casual outfit (still pristine, because the universe has a sense of irony), I checked out of the hotel. The receptionist waved me off like I hadn't paid with dubiously acquired currency.
"Thanks again," I said. "And if anyone asks... you didn't see me."
She blinked.
I strolled out into the sunlit city streets. It was bustling — that perfect blend of busy locals, the scent of breakfast foods, and light air pollution. My stomach rumbled in protest.
"Food first," I muttered.
I found a food stand selling galettes and ordered two — ham and cheese. Basic. Safe. Delicious.
Wandering through the city, I chewed thoughtfully on the first one, still thinking about energy sources, magical flame control, and whether I could pass for a foreign exchange student with PTSD.
Then I noticed the crowd.
A big crowd.
Screaming, waving, bouncing-in-place levels of crowd. Mostly young people, mostly girls. I spotted a stage, or maybe a studio entrance — and a whole lot of glowing merch.
Curiosity got the better of me. I walked up, halfway through galette number two, and casually leaned toward a girl holding two pink glowsticks.
Yes. Glowsticks. In broad daylight.
"Hey," I asked, mid-bite. "What's all this about?"
She looked at me like I'd just said gravity was fake.
Her eyes squinted. "How do you not know about Huntr/x's new track drop? Do you live under a rock?"
My eye twitched.
'No. I woke up in a forest, actually, thanks for asking.'
I deadpanned, "No."
She seemed satisfied — until I asked, voice suddenly shaky: "One of the singers wouldn't happen to be named... Rumi, would they?"
Her eyes lit up. "So you do know! You had me worried there. Yeah, she's the lead sing—"
I stopped listening.
The rest of her voice faded into meaningless sound, like white noise under a crashing wave of realization.
No. No no no.
Not here.
Not this world.
Not that girl.
I stared down at my galette, gripped tight in my hand — and then, in slow motion... I dropped it.
"...Oh fuck."
---------------------------------------------------
A/N: We finally know where our MC is, how will he navigate this conundrum now?
So how do you like it so far is it to wordy or should I add more explanations (I personally like to drip feed info) I'm actually thinking of making his stay in this world pretty short, kinda like a springboard for him to launch from you know?
Also, sadly there probably won't have any romance for the Huntr/x girls
I know it's disappointing.😔
But as I look at my story plan and the personality of our MC, I don't think it would work to do a romance this early and as he is trying to leave the world you know?
But don't get me wrong our MC will interact with the main cast and he will be changing some stuff, for good or worse IDK just know that our mc's goal is to leave this world.
also, if you have ideas for powers and spell for my character send them over I want some inspiration.
I'm also thinking of making a character sheet, but I'll have to organize his abilities, I'll probably have one posted after this volume is done.
NOW!
SEEEEEEE YYYYAAAAAAA NEEEEEXXXTTTTT TTTIIIIIIMMMMME!!!!!!!!!!!!