Chapter 1 —

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a bright, clear, brilliant blue sky. And the moment she saw it, a thought flashed through her mind.

“Since when does Seoul ever have a sky like this?”

In Seoul these days, the sky was usually hazy with smog and fine dust.

So seeing such a perfectly clear sky was nearly impossible. At the very least, she’d need to go far out to the outskirts of Gyeonggi-Province at least..

But the last she remembered, she had definitely been in Seoul.

It’s not like she suddenly developed teleportation powers. She hadn’t drunkenly gotten into a car either.

“Did those people seriously throw me out on the street?”

Well, there could be days with clear sky. She brushed past that first oddity and moved on to the next thought.

If the first thing she saw when waking up was the sky, that meant she wasn’t staring up at any ceiling.

If she got stupid drunk, she had friends who joked about dumping her on the street like a dog. Maybe they actually followed through this time.

But she was a grown woman in her twenties, for heaven’s sake. If she were left out like that, what if she became the target of a crime?

Her friends weren’t the type to be that cold-hearted.

They had made threats before, but never actually done it.

‘Then what is this?’

She tilted her head in confusion and pushed herself up.

No wonder her back felt soft—she’d been lying on a bed of layered leaves.

And damp soil.

‘Soil?’

Uneasy, she clenched her hand.

Soft earth caved under her palm, giving off a cool, moist sensation.

As if it had rained moments ago—fresh, damp, alive.

‘Did it rain?’

If so, her clothes should be wet too.

Distracted, she tugged at her dry, fluffy shirt and finally looked around.

Tall trees with thick green leaves surrounded her, forming a dense forest.

Was there even a park around here that looked like this?

And even if it were a park, shouldn’t there at least be fences, benches, something?

“Is… is anyone out there…?”

Her uneasy voice drifted into the trees. No answer returned.

No signs of human presence.

Only the sound of the wind brushing through leaves.

Swish, rustle, the sounds carried an eerie edge that definitely wasn’t her imagination.

At least she wasn’t injured. Her clothes were intact too.

“H-hey… Come out… This kind of hidden-camera prank isn’t funny…”

Hoping desperately this was her friends’ idea of a surprise, she stood up, trembling.

At the very least, she needed to check where she was.

Staying still might make it easier for her group to find her, but…

Deep down she already knew she was alone.

But she forced herself to ignore that instinct and took cautious steps forward.

*******

It was almost certain this place wasn’t a normal park.

No park in the city had a forest this wide. She’d walked so long her legs were aching, yet all she saw was more trees.

She hated to admit it, but it was time.

This wasn’t Seoul.
Not Gyeonggi-do.
Not anywhere in Korea.

Possibly not even Earth.

The vivid blue sky, the unfamiliar trees, the fresh, clean air…

These weren’t things you’d find in an overdeveloping country.

And perhaps…

This world might not be Earth at all.

“I’m worried I might’ve fried my brain reading too many novels…”

She didn’t want to believe it, but the more she walked, the more obvious it became.

This place looked similar to Earth—but it wasn’t Earth.

Anxiety scratched at the inside of her head.

Finally, she remembered a handful of novels she’d read.

Stories about protagonists thrown into other worlds or waking up in someone else’s body in a fantasy world.

If something like that really happened to her…

“Come on, seriously? Me? A protagonist?”

She muttered sourly as she pushed aside tall brush.

Rustle.

Something crunched beneath her feet.

And the moment she accepted that this might truly be another world, the anxiety prickling at her nerves suddenly vanished—like a lie.

She even felt strangely calm as she walked through the forest.

There was a worn path, so someone must have passed through at some point.

‘But normally… isn’t this where some kind of event happens?’

Right as she thought that, a faint groan cut through the silence.

“Ugh… nn…”

“…!”

Eyes wide, she snapped her head toward the sound.

It didn’t take long to find its source.

A huge tree stood in an open clearing, and beneath it lay a person.

He leaned against the thick trunk, looking nearly dead.

But the groan she had just heard meant he was still alive.

He let out another pained sound.

“Huh… ngh…”

She looked around frantically, but no one else was there.

It seemed she was the only one who could help him.

If she left him alone, he might die any moment.

‘Wait, am I seriously the protagonist?’

The moment she wakes up in this world, someone is dying right in front of her?

This had to be the opening of some cliché novel starring her.

Couldn’t the world at least give her time to mentally prepare?

Biting her lip, she rushed toward the tree.

Heat and the metallic scent of blood washed over her.

“H-hey… Are you okay…?”

She poked his slumped shoulder.

His clothes were soaked in blood and dirt, but they seemed to be originally high-quality.

She wasn’t someone who could even watch horror movies without covering her eyes…

Awkwardly kneeling in front of him, she squinted.

“You… got shot with an arrow?”

It still didn’t feel real. The arrow lodged deep in his left shoulder looked like something from a game or a movie.

Characters in those worlds chug potions and heal immediately…

“….”

She stared blankly, doing nothing.

At that moment, his tightly closed eyelids trembled and slowly lifted.

Revealing vivid purple eyes.

‘Wow, people really have eyes like that here? Fantasy world indeed.’

Then she flinched.

“Help… help me… a person…”

His voice was broken, strained. He was begging her to save him.

If she didn’t, he would die.

‘What the hell am I doing!’

This wasn’t a character on a screen.
This was a living, breathing human being who was dying.

The smell of blood, his ragged breath—her mind snapped back into focus.

She shivered at her own momentary detachment.

Was she really about to just watch someone die?

“W-wait! Hold on! Please try to endure!”

She couldn’t leave him.

She didn’t even know where the nearest village was. If she went off searching for help, he might be dead by the time she returned.

Panicking, she grabbed the arrow.

Thankfully it wasn’t broken.

“Ugh!”

When she yanked it out, he jerked in pain, face twisting.

She threw the bloody arrow aside and pressed her hand over the wound.

Blood soaked through her sleeve instantly.

“Okay, what do I do next?”

She regretted sleeping through first aid class more than ever. Smacking her forehead, she quickly rummaged through her pockets.

She hadn’t expected a wallet or phone, but maybe—

‘A handkerchief!’

She nearly cheered at her own preparedness.

Placing it over the wound, she applied pressure.

His torn clothes wouldn’t work for bandages, and neither would hers.

At least she remembered that hygiene mattered. Water would’ve helped, but that was too much to hope for.

‘Okay… what else? What else do I do?!’

She had no water, no disinfectant, no bandages. What was she supposed to do? Normally this is where some helper NPC appears, right? Or a magical healer? Or… something??

The handkerchief was already turning red.

‘Or is there still something I’m supposed to notice?’

Like a quest step she hadn’t triggered yet.

Scanning the area desperately, she tried to find a clue.

But there was nothing.

…Was she supposed to just watch him die?

“….”

Her blood felt like it drained from her body.

Despite the bright daylight, she shivered.

She had been an upstanding citizen of the 21st century.

She couldn’t imagine turning her back on someone dying.

Okay, think fantasy. Maybe she got some kind of special ability when she came here?