Incongruous Events [PROLOGUE]

''NO!''

As the massive black paw of the creature they faced, covered in thick fur and with sharp claws for fingernails, landed on Sasha Blake's helpless body, Ezran saw the hope, and the illusion of perfect victory, vanish from the eyes of the others, instantly.

It was like a magic pass. Everything just happened.

It looked like a cheap trick, or something like that — but not like the ones Ezran himself could pull off, being a fortune teller, on the path of Transcendence of Wisdom.

That, unlike the 'magic' he wielded, was real. It was hard to believe.

It was distressing.

Merciless.

Painful.

''RAAAURGH!''

Blood sprayed everywhere, and pieces of clothing and flesh exploded into the air, staining the clothes of Qilin Styr and the other three boys behind him.

The three, accompanying him on his quest to help the girl, had suddenly stopped halfway, completely in shock at the sight of the bloody event.

''U-uh…''

Closer than anyone to the hostile beast, the eyes of the four youths caught sight of Sasha's shattered figure before the others.

The sight of a female body, whose clothes were torn and stained a bright red, could be seen on the dirty dungeon floor as the vile creature raised its paw.

''.....!''

A slight devilish smile seemed to be arching through the dungeon monster's full lips.

The hair of Qilin and the other members, which were only a few steps away from Sasha's corpse, shuddered at the horrible perspective.

A moment later, a guttural growl rumbled through the filthy, silent room.

Accompanied by a mysterious sound that panted with the gigantic being's breath, sounding like a faint but strange laugh.

"You..." Qilin started but couldn't complete the sentence.

Was that laughter born of glory, or a sudden sense of accomplishment, from the fear it had inflicted on his enemies perhaps?

Frankly, it didn't matter at that point.

''Sasha? Is Sasha dead?" Ezran wondered, still in shock.

Before his jewel-like blue eyes, had a recurring character from the original LOTH plot really died? —What the hell was going on?

Fear and some mixture of unfamiliar sensations coursed through his bones, reaching the deepest parts of his brain, and his soul.

Honestly, just the fact that a person had been literally crushed before him was enough to horrify the young red-haired boy.

In the same instant, an almost uncontrollable vomiting sensation tried to take control of his instincts, but he held his ground.

Losing his composure and instability there would only bring him closer to the likely door of imminent death.

He needed to think logically.

''What the hell is going on?'' He hesitated. ''Think, asshole...''

First of all, things shouldn't have gone this way, right?

Ezran was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be this way.

After all, ever since he'd woken up in that new world, Excedia — somekind of a post apocalyptic Earth —, he'd been preparing for that exact terrifying moment as best he could, but it all seemed much worse than expected.

It was for that, and for other concerns, piled up on a huge mountain, that his mind couldn't process much of the scenes that unfolded in the place.

'However... I should understand...' The red haired young man thought shakily.

He, Ezran, formerly known as Luxxan, was just a college student, but not a regular college student — many, including his most skilled professors, considered him an unrivaled genius when it came to studies and theory.

It was not for nothing that he had taken the 1st place at the University of Yvergo, with a hit rate equivalent to 100% in all the written tests.

But here he was, in contrast to his personality and preparation, not knowing what action to take.

His intelligence and foreknowledge of the workings of that world seemed to float away, fading into an invisible cloud.

To what part of his mind had the 'courageous and intrepid' young man, whose main objective was to survive and discover that new world, escape?

Wasn't he the one who wanted to live that new chance to try?

'F-fuck…'

He felt helpless.

What could the boy do there?

He was just a normal human until a few months ago, it didn't even make sense that he was now in his favorite novel's world, fighting hostile beasts that fiercely craved for human blood.

Besides, it could even be that he was the biggest reader of LOTH, and had wished several times, in his mediocre life, to be part of that world as one of the protagonists...

But still, the occasion still didn't make any sense.

The man knew most things about that damn romance, so why the hell had things gone so precipitously different from what he actually considered true?

When had everything gotten out of hand, for such a tragedy to have happened?

Perhaps it was because of his interference in the event that was now unfolding in the world - in which he, a complete extra, shamelessly infiltrated the group that the protagonist frequented, in search of acquiring useful relics in the dungeon of York.

Or maybe it was that…or that…

There were too many likely variables. It was hard to guess which one was correct in the first place...

Moreover, to worsen things up, with everything going on around him, it was freaking hard to fully concentrate and stay focused enough to come to a plausible conclusion.

''SASHA!'' In the background, snapping him out of his daze, Lissandra Yoon's screams woke him up for a moment. ''SASHA, ANSWER ME! PLEASE!''

She clearly hadn't accepted that her longtime friend, Sasha Blake, a talented and hardworking girl, had been killed so easily by a incredible piece of shit like that being, before their small human figures.

It was justifiable that, even if she was considered a stoic person, Lissandra lost her coldness and impassive expression in that situation.

Honestly, it would be strange if she maintained disinterest in the midst of so much despair and chaos.

''Ugh...''

Seeing the chaotic battle and the desperate reactions that rippled through all the people in the decrepit place, once again Ezran found himself engrossed in the same question:

''When did things go so wrong?''