《An Isekai Mistake》 Prologue ¡°Ahh, what a shame.¡± Corwin Sashal, an 18-year-old young man continuously kicked a pebble on the sidewalk while grumbling. ¡°What do I do now that Ultimate Fantasy XIV MMO ended? How will my life be complete now?¡± The man stopped by the pedestrian crosswalk while waiting for the traffic light to change. ¡°Ahh, even a different world would be better than this boring life,¡± Corwin mumbled to himself and as he kicked the pebble to the middle of the street. After waiting for a minute, the traffic light changed from ¡®STOP¡¯ to ¡®WALK¡¯. Corwin blearily looked left and right before taking a step to the street. In that time, a white van out of the corner of his vision quickly and dangerously zoomed past his face with a hairbreadth¡¯s distance and sped onto the next street. Corwin blanked out for a couple of seconds before processing what just happened and held his hand to his quickly beating chest. Thankfully, he took his time to cross the side walk by practicing safety procedures. Cursing inwardly at how unruly people are these days, he took a second step before seeing another white van in the corner of his eye rapidly coming into focus and quickly backpedaled back to the pedestrian sidewalk. As the white van zoomed past him several feet away, he noticed one of the car¡¯s front wheel made contact with the pebble. In that next instant, his eyes widened as the car headed straight towards him! With no time to move out of the way, he can only brace for impact for the inevitable crash. Before he fell unconscious, the last thought Corwin had was ¡®I could¡¯ve sworn that¡¯s not how physics work¡­¡¯ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After the white van rammed into Corwin, the pebble that hit Corwin turned into a stream of light as it entered Corwin¡¯s forehead. The young man, whose body was bleeding all over the concrete floor suddenly vanished out of thin air. ¡­ [Host, wake up.] Corwin groaned. His head felt like it was spinning in circles and he saw white spots in his vision. After stabilizing himself, the first thought Corwin had was, ¡°Thank God I¡¯m not dead.¡± He quickly looked around to see where he is, but all he could see is a mass of darkness all around and a glowing object illuminating his body in front of him. With a quick inspection on his body, he saw that he had no injuries, or at least no visible wounds he can see at this point anyway. He didn¡¯t feel too bad either considering he was hit by a car that looked as if it was moving at the speed of a bullet train.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. He turned towards the glowing the object but before he can inspect it, a box of text appeared in front of his eyes. [Host, congratulations on surviving.] ¡­ Surviving my ass! Corwin gritted his teeth. A glowing box of text and darkness all around him while his body seems to be fine? Did this thing not realize he has read a lot of Isekai novels? He clearly is in limbo! He may be fine now, but this is probably something happening in his mind. His real body is probably bleeding out somewhere and left to die. Another row of text appeared before Corwin. [Host, please calm down. Your physical body is fine.] Corwin raised his eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean by still fine?¡± [This is System 636, Heavenly Messenger Tianshi. As long as you bind with the system, you can be assured your body will heal up with the system¡¯s onetime automatic Recover From Death Selection Roulette!] Corwin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. When did systems get a name as colorful as ¡®Heavenly Messenger Tianshi?¡¯ Putting that name aside, he can guess what¡¯s going to happen next ¨C he will be asked to bind with the system and then venture off to another world. However, Corwin felt he must consider this option carefully. A new world meant a much more interesting life and possibly magic! With a system supporting him, it usually comes with a lot of useful features that only protagonists can use, making the journey in the other world much easier than normal. However¡­ although he did say he rather go to a different world, he still isn¡¯t exactly ready to leave his current world. A simple everyday life is comfortable after all. Who knows if there are any inconveniences there such as a lack of plumbing and good quality food? Corwin sighed. ¡°If I bind with you, what happens next?¡± [You will be sent to another world to fight the Darkin beings from plaguing the land of Asfergon.] ¡°Is there any way to go back home to my world if I go to Asfergon?¡± [Host must defeat the big boss that leads the Darkin beings in order to go back.] He guessed correctly. He somehow got sent into a scenario where he got hit and then sent into another world to fix their problems. Damn that Isekai Car! He wasn¡¯t even remotely close to the car but it swerved towards him regardless! ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t bind with the system?¡± Corwin asked. [Then your real body will have a 99.98% chance of dying as there is nobody outside to pick up your body.] ¡­ So much for carefully considering his options! It seemed that in this life, he can¡¯t avoid being the protagonist! [Host, quickly decide. The system will detach itself from you in 30 minutes if you decide not to bind yourself.] ¡°Alright I will bind with you, Tianshi.¡± Corwin lamented at his fate. [Now initating Recover From Death Selection Roulette procedure and loading into Asfergon. Do not worry Host, the system also comes with a bunch of features, including plot prediction, high quality medicine shop, and Observing self status! The system will be here to guide you. Trust in the system.] ¡­ Why does it feel like the System is advertising itself like a conman? The glowing box of text disappeared as his surroundings began to shake. As Corwin glanced at the glowing object in front of him while resigning to his fate of hardship as the next protagonist, he felt confused why he suddenly had a familiar urge to kick the object in frustration. He took a more careful look at the glowing object before confirming it¡¯s just a pebble like the one he was kicking... outside. Corwin¡¯s pupils dilated. This pebble and the isekai car¡­ they¡¯ve planned this together! This is premeditated murder! Tianshi you traitor! Chapter 1 Host, Please Trust in The System ¡­ Bleh, what smells so bad? The scent of sewer water and rotting food assailed Corwin nose. It was too dark to see anything. He suppressed his urge to gag and attempted to cover his nose, only to feel something blocking his head. After feeling the object, he realized his head was stuck betweentwo black bags. "¡­" After Corwin succeeded in freeing his head, he pinched his nose andgradually adjusted to the dim lighting. After looking at where he was standing on, Corwin scowled. ¡°Tianshi, where are we?¡± [Host, we are in Asfergon.] The box of text popped up in front of his face. ¡°No, exactly tell me, why did you choose this spot as our landing spot?¡± [This location is hidden in a remote area far enough away from civilization but close enough within walking distance. This makes it a perfect location to warp over without drawing suspicion.] ¡­ You could have warped me next to the dumpster on the alleyway rather than making me sit on top of it! Truly a no-good system! It can¡¯t be trusted! Corwin wanted to sigh but he¡¯s afraid he¡¯s going to gag if he continued sitting here any longer and got up as quickly as possible. [Host, here is the plot progression.]Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The system sent rows and rows of text into the textbox. The scroll bar that quickly appeared instantly grew smaller until it became the size of a dot. Corwin¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°System, is it not possible to just send me the information directly into my head?¡± [Host, please be reasonable.] Corwin wanted to facepalm. ¡°Why are you not like the other systems in the novels I read?¡± [Your brain will not be able to instantly comprehend all this information and directly explode.] ¡­ Very good. Corwin thought while skimming through the predicted summary of the current state of the world. The system not only lacks the ability to send the information into my head, but sends me headfirst into a dumpster and then expects me to read an entire book next to this smelly dumpster in ¡­ a dangerous world? Corwin took another look at the dumpster. Then he took a closer look at the alleyway itself. ¡°System, how are you so sure we are in the right world? We landed in a dumpster. ¡° [Host, please trust in the system.] Corwin frowned. ¡°According to the summary you left me read, isn¡¯t this a very ancient and dangerous time where resources are lacking, and people should be starving? In this prediction of yours, not even scraps of trash could be left behind after 150 years.¡± [Host, please trust in the system.] The same message appeared in the text box again, but to Corwin it seemed the system was half a beat slower in sending it this time. ¡°Isn¡¯t a dumpster supposed to signify that there is food waste? Are you sure you got your prediction, right? Besides, this dumpster has a sleek modern design.¡± [Host, please trust in the system.] The words shook slightly before stabilizing. Corwin worried slightly. This felt like a big deviation to him. Did Tianshi have a glitch in his program or a malfunction? In any case, it¡¯s a good thing if this world has a modern setting because there will be bathrooms and that means at least some form of security exists in the world, rather than total mayhem as the system predicted. On the other hand, if things are completely off from what Tianshi predicted¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure, but the only thing he can do now is continue reading and then cross check the facts when he sees it with his own eyes. Chapter 2 Host, Please Dont Ask the System ¡°Why was this alleyway so deceptively long?¡± Corwin grumbled as he hobbled towards the light at the end of the stinky abyss. His nose kept on scrunching up in disgust. If this keeps up, will he still have a nose to scrunch up anymore? [Host, therefore this is an ideal place for hiding yourself away.] ¡°Who would want to walk all the way that deeply in the stinky alleyway to throw out the trash?!¡± As Corwin walked towards the light, he found himself standing outside a neighborhood street. Paved roads, concrete sidewalks, large buildings. Is this not a city? A slight breeze blew by. Cowin sniffed the air before greedily inhaling it. The air was so fresh and not polluted! After his trip in what he considers the sewers, it smelled like a delicacy. He felt he could smell this air forever! Corwin unclenched his balled fists and threw his hands in the air. ¡°Ahh, freedom!¡± Corwin could cry tears of joy right now. This is an absolute victory on his end. In the corner of Corwin¡¯s eye, he saw a black figure jogging towards him before stopping. He turned towards the figure and his eyes widened as he stared at the other¡¯s face. ¡°Aahah! M-Monster!¡± Corwin stuttered out. His legs felt as if they were turning into jelly. In front of Corwin, stood a 6 foot tall humanoid black panther. His head resembled a human¡¯s head, except it had with all the features of a panther, including the black fur. Its snout is clearly elongated with its mouth. Both its ears have a red line running down on it. My first encounter is with a feral were-panther? Am I going to die here? Tianshi was right! It really was safe in the sewers! The panther who was already staring at him unbelievingly, curled its mouth in disgust. ¡°Racist and smelly. Have you lost your mind, Hobo? The clinic is on the other side of the city.¡± ¡­ What? Corwin stood there in a daze as he watched the bipedal panther speak fluent English to his face.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. It can speak? Wait, it can even speak fluent English! Corwin snapped out of it as he examined the panther in more detail. The were-panther looked more like a human than a panther in its shape. It wore a tank top and grey sweatpants. Corwin recognized the red line that was connected to both its ears were earbuds. The tank top and grey sweatpants could not hide the panther¡¯s well shaped and masculine physique. On the contrary, the light sweat the covered his body only further accentuated the glistening muscles underneath the black fur. This was clearly the sign of a fit jogger in a modern society. ¡­ Corwin looked down at his body. Yellow and red-brown splotches covered his T-shirt. His pants were had food stains on it. His thin arms were covered with reddish-brown crust, probably from bleeding out beforehand. He took a sniff at himself. The familiar rotting food and sewer smell he thought he left behind hit him in full blast. He was clearly the prime example of a deranged person who just went to the alleyway to scavenge some food. Corwin looked back at the panther and recalled how he shouted ''M-Monster!'' hysterically. The panther raised his eyebrows. ¡°Ahem, I seem to have made a mistake.¡± Corwin spoke calmly as if everything that happened has nothing to do with him andmade his way back into the alleyway. ¡°¡­¡± The panther¡¯s mouth twitched slightly before he decided to continue jogging and pretend he didn¡¯t see an embarrassed and defeated person covering his head with his arms muttering something about ¡°making a cannon fodder mistake¡±. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Corwin recovered from his three worldviews from shattering apart, he sorted out the new information in his head. ¡°Tianshi, I believe we need to talk.¡± The system, on the other hand was silent. ¡°Tianshi, there are ¡­¡± Corwin fumbled, trying to find the right word for the strange race he came across. ¡°Friendly sentient and humanoid beings in Asfergon.¡± [Host, they are called Beastmen.] ¡°What happened to the world being in danger and peril, with full of dangerous monsters? Not only did I end up in a city with fresh air, did you see that panther Beastman? ¡± [Host, Tianshi saw the Beastman.] ¡°He. Has. Earbuds.¡± Corwin emphasized earbuds. ¡°Earbuds! He can afford to listen to music! That¡¯s entertainment! You said this world was lacking in technology!¡± Corwin said accusingly. The system was silent in response. ¡°Clearly he has 8 pack abs, well defined muscles, and a good life. Why don¡¯t I have those as the protagonist?¡± [Host, don¡¯t project your inadequacies onto another being.] ¡°¡­¡± [Host, a protagonist overcomes all obstacles. You can gain those by properly training.] ¡­ Why does being a protagonist sound worse than a regular life? ¡°Can I trust in you Tianshi?¡± Corwin lamented. [Host, you may trust in the system.] ¡°What about the projected data and the world event plot? Can I trust that too?¡± Corwin asked. [Host, please don¡¯t ask the system.] Chapter 3: To the clinic After ruminating for a bit, Corwin stood up. Based on what he understood from the black panther beastman, even hobos can go get a clinical checkup. That should imply free healthcare. The only problem is that he wasn¡¯t sure if he is required to have identification to get a checkup. After all, he isn¡¯t from Asfergon and thus have no records of his birth here. Hopefully he can play it off. Although he did arrive in the world safely, it¡¯s probably best if he can get some information at a local clinic and have an examination to make sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with him. However, he must satisfy his basic needs first. His first objective is to secure a place to live, food to eat, and a water source to drink. He refuses to be classified as the Isekai protagonist who dies because he couldn¡¯t secure the necessities to life in a modern environment. A shelter to live¡­ and food to eat. Corwin turned his head towards the dumpster with rotting food in the empty alleyway. ¡°¡­¡± There is no way he will choose to live in the trash if he can avoid it! ¡°Tianshi, can you direct me to the closest clinic?¡± Corwin asked politely. [Host, the system¡¯s map records do not match the current area and thus cannot be displayed.] ¡°What do you mean your map records don¡¯t match the current area!¡± Corwin paused for a moment. ¡°No, more importantly, if your map is wrong, then how did you determine this was a safe and remote location?!¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The system didn¡¯t respond. My golden finger is useless¡­ Corwin aggrieved as he walked out of the alleyway once again. If anything, he¡¯ll ask for directions. As Corwin breathed in the fresh air of the residential neighborhood, he felt a tad less gloomy. At least, things can only get easier once he gets settled down. ¡­ ¡°Hello Ma¡¯am! Do you know where the nearest clinic is?¡± ¡°Just walk down that street and take a left turn. Walk a few blocks down and you should see the red cross on the clinic.¡± The troll wearing a black suit and dress skirt calmly told him. ¡°Thank you for your help!¡± Corwin bowed to the professional looking troll before following her instructions. This was the thirteenth person he asked for directions and he has long grown numb to the number of different races he saw in the city. He hadn¡¯t seen many humans, but the couple that were in the area ignored and avoided him as if he was a plague when he asked for help. In the end, only species from the other races didn¡¯t mind communicating with him and giving him directions. Ah, humankind truly is despicable to their own race! Corwin thought to himself. Corwin directly ignored the fact that he smelled like sewer water and had dried blood stuck on his body and clothes. It was midday when Corwin finally arrived at the clinic. His legs were about to give out from all that walking. After opening the doors, he saw what seemed to be a fair skinned lady at the reception desk busily typing at the computer. The pointy ears stood out next to her silky black hair. She truly looks as beautiful as the elves say they looked. Corwin gulped before slowly making his way towards the lady. Even before Corwin was 5 feet away from the receptionist, the elf¡¯s nose turned up in disgust and eyed at Corwin stumbling before her face changed and yelled ¡°Drag him to the Emergency room pronto!¡± Mini Theatre: Corwin: Where am I going to find food, water, and shelter? Tianshi: Host, the dumpster is the perfect place for it! Look, the food can be those rotting bananas, the water can be the smelly water on the ground, and the dumpster¡¯s lid can be used as a roof! Ah, look no further. You can clearly rest easy next to trash! Corwin: You¡¯re the trash! Your whole family is trash! QAQ