"Huh."
While I was reading the first volume of DanMachi for the first time, I started to feel something strange. My left hand began to go numb, followed by a weird pain.
My body started sweating nonstop, and I began to feel suffocated. I couldn't breathe properly.
"What's with this heat?" The pain in my arm stopped, but I kept sweating, so I went to the bathroom.
I quickly took off my clothes and took a deep breath. When I inhaled, a sharp pain struck my chest—but it faded just as fast.
"This is weird. I've never felt anything like this before."
I turned on the shower and stepped under the cold water. As the icy water hit my skin, I felt refreshed. "This feels great," I muttered, taking another deep breath. Then, the pain returned.
It shot through my entire right arm before spreading to my chest.
A pain so strong I can't even put it into words.
"Urghh!"
I groaned in agony and quickly turned off the shower.
"I need to call an ambulance right now." I knew this pain all too well—my father had gone through it twice. Heart attacks run deep in my family.
When I reached my phone, my vision started to blur, and the pain worsened.
It felt like dozens of needles stabbing directly into my heart.
Huff… Huff…
Struggling to breathe, I typed the emergency number.
I dialed 911 and hit call.
It didn't even take three seconds for someone to pick up.
"Street…" I started saying the street name and number, but my voice was too weak. I wasn't going to stay conscious for long. If I close my eyes, I'll really die.
"Street…" I tried again, but the operator couldn't understand me.
Even if they can't understand me, they'll track the call and find me, right?
They have to hurry… or I really will die.
I kept trying to take deep breaths, but the pain in my chest only grew stronger. I can't breathe anymore… After a few strained breaths, I couldn't inhale at all. No matter how hard I tried, the air just wouldn't reach my lungs.
My already blurry vision began to darken, and the pain in my chest slowly faded.
I kept staring at my phone, still connected to emergency services.
Please… Please… I don't want to die.
That was the first time I truly felt the fear of death.
I used to say all the time that everyone dies eventually, so there's no reason to fear it.
But I was completely wrong.
When you're face-to-face with death, the fear is overwhelming. A fear so deep it can't even be described in words.
The fear consumed me as I fell into darkness.
#####
"Huh? What?"
Then, I woke up.
I jolted awake and looked around, terrified. My body was drenched in sweat, and this time, everything felt numb. "I didn't die? Wait, where am I?"
I realized I wasn't in my room.
My room isn't this nice.
This one had a vintage, elegant vibe—there was even a painting on the wall and beautiful curtains over the windows.
"Also… this bed is way more comfortable than mine. What the hell is going on?"
I got up and walked around, running my hands along my arms. After checking my arms, I touched my face, afraid something might've changed.
I've read plenty of stories where a guy gets transported to a fantasy world and ends up as a woman or a monster. That would be bad.
Thankfully, I still looked like myself.
"The only difference is…"
For some reason, I was completely naked, so I could see my muscles and—well—the rather large thing hanging between my legs. Yeah… my dick had somehow gotten bigger for no apparent reason.
What the hell…
It wasn't absurdly huge, but definitely big enough to scare some girls.
"What the hell am I even thinking right now?! I might be in serious trouble!"
Then I heard a knock at the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Ethan, are you in there?" a woman's unfamiliar voice asked. "Can I come in?" She tried the doorknob, and I rushed over to stop her. For some reason, I reached the door instantly.
Was I always this fast?
Huff…
I took a deep breath and said, "Don't come in, I'm naked!"
"Naked?!" she exclaimed, startled.
"Yes, I'm naked! I'll get dressed!"
"Take your time!"
She yelled back, and I heard her footsteps move away from the door.
Then, something appeared right in front of my eyes.
[ Tiona Hiryute's affection for you has increased! ]
[ 11 → 12 ]
"What the hell is this?" I rubbed my eyes, thinking it was a joke. Then I waved my hand, trying to dismiss the floating window—but my hand just passed through it.
Wait… Tiona Hiryute? That was Tiona?
"So that means…" I put my hand on my chin, thinking about my situation. "I actually died and got transported into the world of DanMachi? But why? Just because I was reading it before dying?"
Maybe God thought I was a huge fan of the series and decided to give me a second chance here.
"I wouldn't say I'm a fan… I just like the story."
What a headache.
Alright, fine—I get that I've been sent to DanMachi's world. But what the hell is this thing?
The floating status window was still right in front of me with the same message.
Then, the message changed.
[ Welcome to the Crush Crush System! ]
"Crush Crush? Wait—no way. You've got to be kidding me. The god who ran my old world was an otaku obsessed with dating sims or something?!"