Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

There are several things I wish I could've done better. Examples are learning to better my Japanese as a foreign exchange student or learning how exactly to socialize with other human beings, mostly I wish I could have done better was learn to speak up for others. When faced with situations where I saw one of my classmates bullying another student in the class, I didn't do a thing. I may have mentally thought about what I could say, but I never made a move. That or it was because I didn't know the best way to roast the bully in question, and with my terrible skills in Japanese I might accidentally compliment them or something.

Now though, I was beginning to regret not doing a thing as I had found myself underneath a pile of rubble after... whatever happened today. All I knew was that there was a blinding light, and I had the misfortune of being covered in the debris. At least, I think I'm underneath the debris of the class. I think there's more rock than there was wood.

And there was nobody to rescue me as I lay there for what seemed two hours before my patience began running low.

'Uh, hello? Is anyone out there? I require assistance!' I thought as I began to move the debris with my arms. It was then I realized something. My arms refused to move. Almost as if they were... not there. 'Ok, this must be some kind of joke, a huge elaborate prank done on the American exchange student, haha, NOW LET ME OUT OF HERE!' I yelled as I began to struggle around with my surroundings.

Feeling rubble fall off, rocks no longer clouding my vision, I saw that my newfound environment was completely different from that of a Japanese structure of a school. And in its place was an elaborate cave tunnel network. Taking the sight in, I could only imagine what I was supposed to do now.

'Ok... think Roger, let's try and figure this out! First off, do I spot any wild animals nearby? Because I do not want a predator to come by and eat me for my flesh!' I thought before squinting my eyes, attempting to get a clear vision of any surrounding inhabitants of the cave. Surprisingly, I could see that my vision reached up to the cave wall, which was right in front of me. Looking around, scanning for any lifeforms that weren't me, I then took a moment to mentally sigh in relief.

'Ok, no scary animals for now... so, next step... see if you broke your limbs... so why can't I feel my arms?' I thought before attempting to move my arms. As that failed, however, I began fearing the worst. 'Ok, maybe they got removed in the worst possible way, don't think about it. Try and feel other parts of your body.' I tried to calm myself down before focusing on moving any necessary body parts.

As I tried to focus, I heard a loud hiss, breaking me out of my concentration. Looking around frantically, I saw a massive white spider move past my vision. I stayed still in an attempt to not get noticed by the beast. As it passed me, going extremely fast while they were at it, I could only think of one tiny thing. 'Ok, who shrunk me down to the size of a spider. I need to have a few words with you!' I thought angrily.

After a few moments passed by, and believing that the spider was gone after it sped off for some inexplicable reason, I then struggled some more and tried to get a feel of my limbs. A few hours later, I finally got all the rocks off me. At this, I took a massive sigh of relief in the real world, only to find it is... different. In, it sounds the same, but it sounds as though my voice was being projected from a text-to-speech device.

"Hey, wait for a second. This doesn't feel right?" I spoke aloud, moving my legs... only to realize I had four legs and felt a pair of somethings weighing me down on my back. Taking the opportunity to look at these newfound forelegs, I saw metal, rusty appendages connected to a rusting chassis of a body. It was then I noticed the decent lack of a neck. I had no neck now... WHY DO I NOT HAVE A NECK?

Shaking my entire body, as my head was now one with my body, I tried to ignore the depression. Instead, I paid attention to the thoughts that screamed about how we were just reincarnated and that spider was not a normal spider. I then decided if I was just reincarnated into one of those similar things with a game-like system, I should test it out. Time to see if a random voice pops out of nowhere to tell me a skill point increased.

"How much does Intimidation cost?" I asked out loud before closing my eyes to wait for a response.

The Skill "Intimidation" costs 100 skill points. You currently have 100 skill points. Would you like to purchase this Skill?
[Y/N]

"Holy shit, it actually worked..." I paused at that before realizing this was like those RPG games. I only played games that didn't involve these mechanics, as I played strategy games than I did play RPGs. "Wait, shit, I don't know how that'll help me out... wait... I can do this the old Theodore Roosevelt, utilize the special tactic of 'speak softly and carry a big stick'!" I proudly talked to myself out in the open. With that in mind, I selected the yes option and got my intimidation skill.

Now, if only I had a target to use it on... turning around to be met face to face with five human knights. And they don't look friendly.

'Maybe if I just introduce myself and say that a heretical witch placed a curse on me, they'll bring me back to their cit-.' Before I could even finish that track of thought, one of them raised a bow and arrow and pointed it at me, then shot at me. Luckily the arrow struck the ground right in front of my face. Yeah, I wasn't going to be able to fool them if they think I'm a cool new monster to kill.

So, instead of using my newfound intimidation skill, I decided to book it in the other direction. Leaping into the air, I began to feel a whirling coming from the weights that I felt on my backside. I then discovered happened that they were none other than the propellers. Propellers that you'd find on drones.

Now that I thought about it, it made some sense... what didn't make any lick of sense or logic was the fact that I was a fucking drone in what seemed to be a fantasy setting.

My initial immersion into a fantasy world that I now found myself in was completely and utterly shattered.