Chapter 1: Ethan
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The city of Oston, situated on the edge of the Phoenix Kingdom, was a bustling hub of trade and culture.
Surrounded by tall stone walls, the city opened to the world through its main market, a vast open space teeming with life and activity.
The market was the beating heart of Oston.
Along the cobblestone streets, stalls were neatly lined up, their colorful awnings fluttering in the light summer breeze.
The atmosphere was a blend of smells, sounds, and colors. Vendors shouted over one another, selling fruit, spices and fine fabrics from distant lands, while the aroma of fresh bread and roasted meat drifted through the crowd.
In a quiet corner of all that noise, Ethan was trying to sell his harvest.
His table was piled with vegetables he had grown himself, though he had no idea which ones were actually good. He worked by trial and error, and his latest attempt had just failed.
"I'm sorry, these carrots are too bitter," a customer said, frowning as he walked away.
Ethan sighed. He had been standing there for hours and had sold almost nothing. If this kept up, the harvest would spoil and he'd have to throw it away.
Sighing again, he thought about how beautiful and carefree his life used to be.
A year ago, he would never have imagined finding himself in this situation. He was a university student, focused on his studies and his future.
But everything had changed in an instant.
One evening, as he was heading home after a night class, a strange event occurred.
A shimmering portal had appeared before him, glowing with an otherworldly blue light.
Before he could react, he was sucked in. The next thing he remembered was waking up in this strange world, surrounded by dense forests and unfamiliar landscapes.
When he first arrived, everything seemed ancient and out of place.
The people he saw were dressed in styles reminiscent of historical dramas he had seen on TV, and their way of speaking was also strange.
At first, he thought he had stumbled upon a large-scale cosplay event, but this illusion was shattered when a colossal shadow passed over the market.
Curious, Ethan had looked up.
His eyes widened in shock when he saw a huge vermilion bird, several meters long, soaring over the market.
And atop the bird was a person, sitting as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Any doubts he had about where he was dissolved in that instant.
Now he was sure, this was not his world.
Since then, Ethan had struggled to adapt to his new reality. He had no money, no place to stay, and no knowledge of the land.
He quickly learned that survival here required skills and knowledge he did not possess.
For several days he wandered around the city like a vagabond, trying to understand how he had ended up there and, possibly, how to get back.
One thing that amazed him was that he could understand the language they spoke.
He could tell that the language they spoke was unlike any language from his world that he knew.
When he tried to speak in his native tongue, he discovered that the words coming out of his mouth were in a different language than they should have been.
And so, overwhelmed by the growing number of questions, he continued his wandering in this new world.
He found refuge with a kind farmer named Wei, who took pity on him and offered him a place to stay in exchange for work.
Old Wei, as he called him, was a farmer native to the Phoenix Kingdom.
He was a man who had spent his entire life working these fields to provide for himself and his family.
Currently, he lived only with his 18-year-old daughter.
From what Ethan had learned from him, his wife had passed away several years ago.
Ethan felt admiration for this man, who, despite having to endure many hardships, continued to go on with his life.
The daughter, unlike her father, had a completely different personality.
Thanks to her natural beauty, which was slightly superior to most people, she managed to attract the attention of a rich young master.
Over time, her personality worsened, to the point where she despised all common people, especially him, who in her eyes was nothing more than a kind of slave working for her family.
If it weren't for the fact that she was old Wei's daughter, he would have long stopped tolerating her.
And so, time passed, and before he knew it, more than a year had gone by, and he gradually learned more and more about this world.
Over time, Ethan learned to work the fields, take care of the livestock, and navigate the market. Despite his efforts, selling his produce proved difficult.
The locals were demanding and not easily impressed by his offerings.
His lack of knowledge in agriculture often resulted in poor harvests, making it hard to earn a decent living.
As Ethan packed up his unsold goods, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration.
He missed his old life, the simplicity of modern conveniences, and the certainty of his routine.
Here, every day was a struggle, and the future seemed uncertain.
"Tch. And to think I went from promising future to failed farmer," he muttered, reminiscing about his previous life. "Back then, it was only uncertain whether I'd ever find a girlfriend. Now it's guaranteed I'll die a virgin."
Sure, he used to spend half his time doomscrolling, but all things considered, it had been a pretty satisfying life. Now he broke his back every single day for produce he couldn't even sell.
"Whoever the bastard is that threw me into this world, I hope he gets erectile dysfunction. And I hope the closest thing to female comfort he ever finds is a broom," Ethan grumbled as he stood up, ready to head back.
But at that moment, a familiar voice reached him.
"Hey, Ethan!"
Turning towards the voice, Ethan saw a figure waving happily and hurrying toward him.
This was someone he had known for quite some time.
someone he had befriended,
someone who, in the not too distant future, would be his downfall.
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FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:
I'm still new to all this, so bear with me a little.
I'm trying to get better with each chapter, and hopefully, in the not too distant future, I've gotten good enough to cook up something interesting for you, and satisfying for me.
Feel free to comment in the comments section.
Criticism, advice, or simply conversation?
everything is welcome.