Chapter 1: Adaptation (1)

[Tense Atmosphere Over Ukraine-Russia Show of Force, Fury of World Tree Guardians… Disappointing UN

Response]

[Is the Spark of the Thousand-Year War Rekindled? Concerns Over Clash of Statements by China’s Goblin Chairman,

Xi Jinping, Intensifying Conflict?]

[Goblin Children Trembling in Fear, How Long Must They Endure the Terror of War Because of China’s Arrogance?]

[“Do the Goblins, Who Threaten World Peace, Truly Desire War?”… EU Strongly Condemns China]

What is this?

I could only stare blankly at the news being broadcast on TV.

At first, I thought I hadn’t fully woken up.

No, actually, at first, I didn’t even notice.

News about China and Russia had increased recently, and it was always the same kind of news, so I thought this was

the same.

As if mocking me, the moment the fantastical creatures that could have come from a fantasy movie filled the screen, I

realized something was wrong.

[Yes. This is Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine…]

A fluffy-haired cat was holding a microphone with thick paws on the screen, speaking.

Is this the scale of hidden cameras these days?

[Racial Discrimination on the Rise in America]

[Elf’s Absurd Fury! Is America Truly a Nation of Immigrants?]

No, I mean… it’s not racial discrimination, but what is species discrimination anyway?

What on earth happened overnight?

The world changed in a day, and it was so alien.

What am I supposed to do?

While I was squeezing my head, trying to figure out the current situation, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Open the door!”

Someone was banging on the door forcefully and shouting.

There’s no one who would come visit me, a NEET with a lack of social skills. It’s a strange day today. I was going to

report it to the police, but I couldn’t even see where my smartphone was.

No, wait.

Since the world has changed, there’s no guarantee that my surroundings haven’t changed.

Maybe the person knocking on the door is someone I’m close to.

From the looks of their anger, it doesn’t seem that way… but I need to confirm the situation at least.

It might be dangerous, but looking at the scenery outside the window and the TV, it seems that this place has a similar

environment to the Earth I lived on, and it’s not that different…right?

It was quite different, but in any case, it looked like the modern era.

At least, it means that this is a world where people know the disadvantages of throwing a punch. Although, it’s not

like only people with such common sense exist in the world, it’s a stroke of luck that the changed world isn’t the

medieval period.

“Damn it! Kuhn! Open this door right now!”

Strangely, it was unfamiliar, but not unfamiliar name.

You don’t know what I mean? Neither do I.

I thought I’d just wait quietly, but isn’t it the way of the world that things don’t go the way you expect?

Instead of quieting down, he was only getting louder with each knock on the door.

I thought it would be a big deal to open the door, so I was going to stay still, but unlike my thoughts, my body was

already opening the door wide.

What is it?

Why am I opening the door?

Squeak-

The moment I opened the door, a huge set of abs came into view.

When I looked up, a green giant was glaring at me, exhaling steam from his nose.

I’m not short either, but is he that big?

“Kuhn! You’re three months behind on rent!”

A giant difficult to see in one glance. The gleaming scalp with no hair was covered in bulging, red veins, and two

huge canines were sticking out of his mouth.

Seeing the appearance of an orc, like those in games, I felt like one of the hypotheses I had from the moment I woke

up this morning was coming true.

This is a dream.

Or have I been transported to another world like in a web novel?

“Um, it’s quite different from the landlord I know?”

“You son of a b*tch! You haven’t paid rent on time for three years since you came here! That means I’m the owner of

the house you live in!”

The me in the dream is quite shameless.

I haven’t paid rent on time for three years, what a disgrace for a NEET.

Only a NEET who doesn’t cause trouble for others can truly obtain the qualifications of a NEET.

“First of all, calm down… I’ll pay by tomorrow, so I’d appreciate it if you could wait a little.”

He widened his eyes as if surprised by my words, then immediately looked at me with suspicion and began to

question me.

“Are you really saying you can pay three months’ worth at once? Were you secretly working somewhere? You better

tell me honestly now. I won’t cut you any slack if you come and beg me later.”

“I can really pay tomorrow. You’ve been deceived, haven’t you?”

“I’ve been deceived by you dozens of times.”

Oh, you’ve really been deceived.

I said whatever he wanted to hear, thinking I just had to get through this situation.

That’s because this is a dream, and I won’t have to keep my promise when I wake up.

Like the absurd pledges politicians make during election periods that they won’t keep.

“Kuhn. Why don’t you let me find you a new job, and you can slowly settle down there? The work there is a little

hard for humans… but there won’t be any discrimination, anyway.”

“No. I can pay tomorrow, so don’t worry.”

“Hmm, you’re acting strange today. Anyway, we’ll see tomorrow.”

The landlord, with a satisfied look on his face, turned to leave.

Just when I thought he’d pass and go, he clenched his fist and continued speaking.

“I don’t know where you got the money, even though you got kicked out of the job I introduced you to, but I hope you

keep your promise.”

Why?

Even though I know it’s a dream, the reason why I’m concerned about those rock-like muscles.

As I was thinking that those muscles might not be alive, he left.

I suddenly wondered if this wasn’t a dream and that I’d get hit by that fist tomorrow, but I tried to shake off my

anxiety.

It’ll be okay…?

As I slowly closed the door and looked at the mirror in the shoe rack, I saw an image that was far from my original

appearance.

I couldn’t suddenly become handsome overnight, so is it a dream after all?

After closing the door and lying in bed, I thought about it for a moment, and there were too many strange things to

pass it off as a dream.

All of the senses, including pain, touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight, were clearly felt, and even if we put aside

sight and hearing, how was it possible to feel the touch when opening the door and the sweet smell wafting from the

open window? Was this how dreams were?

The people outside the window looked different from each other, and the city outside the window was a scenery I had

never seen before.

I didn’t think I had a rich imagination, but at this rate, shouldn’t I try being a web novel writer?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with an answer, and because of that, I was getting sleepy.

I was also surprised to feel like I was sleeping even in my dream, and it was a shame that I had to wake up from a

dream that was more fun than I thought, but I felt good. I thought that my imagination was better than I thought.

“Sh*t.”

To start with, everything was the same as yesterday, even after waking up.

Outside the window, things that were hard to consider human were walking around with a natural air, and of course,

the news on TV was spouting nonsense that I couldn’t understand.

While I was absorbed in the scenery outside the window, I could see something familiar entering the apartment

below.

Wasn’t it the orc who introduced himself as my landlord?

Just a moment… what did I say yesterday?

“This is not the time…?”

I must have boasted that I would pay all the money today.

But now, I don’t even know if I have any money, and if I say I don’t have any, wouldn’t my waist fold in half like an

old-fashioned flip phone?

As the sense of crisis approached, I jumped up from the fluffy bed and rummaged through the house.

Fortunately, it seems that there’s no law that says you have to die, and something like a bankbook was found near the

table.

Something was written in the bankbook. It seemed to be very little, but at least it’s not the number 0, right?

But why does it look like dollars to me?

Come to think of it, there was English everywhere, why didn’t I notice it earlier?

Anyway, it doesn’t seem like three months’ rent… no, since this world isn’t Earth, the value of the currency might be

different.

Anyway, why not give it a try?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Kuhn!”

“Just a moment.”

“Kuhn, it’s a long time since I’ve been so happy to see your face.”

The landlord, who was greeting me with a bright smile different from yesterday, had a face that seemed to be in a

very good mood. If he’s this happy, wouldn’t he pass me over even if the amount is small?

Seeing the landlord laughing with a kind face, a small hope bloomed in my heart.

People should smile.

We’re both happy like this.

Seeing that smile, I thought that the landlord just wasn’t in a good mood yesterday and that his original personality

was coming out today.

Before this good atmosphere cooled down, I handed him the bankbook I had found.

“Here.”

“What? Why are you giving this to me?”

Unlike my thought that this matter would be resolved simply, his expression changed as he received my bankbook.

The corners of his mouth that had been smiling slowly went down, and his muscles swelled.

Why is that?

Is it too little?

“Kuhn? Stop playing games and bring the three months’ rent you owe.”

“How much is in the bankbook?”

“Do I have to tell you? You’d know better, since you’re the one who gave it to me, right?”

He was glaring at me with gritted teeth, as if he would pounce on me at any moment.

If you grind your teeth that much, it’s not good for your dental health.

“What are you going to do with only 10 dollars!”

Ah, so it’s 10 dollars.

How strange that they use the same currency as Earth in this world.

“How much do I have to pay?”

“300 bucks.”

Wow! Is this house 300 bucks a month?

Does that make sense?

“Wow! It’s really cheap?”

“That means you think it’s cheap, but you haven’t paid rent on time and haven’t paid the rent you owe, right?”

“No, I’m really sorry, but please listen to my situation.”

I told him exactly what had happened to me.

“So, to summarize, you came from another world yesterday, and your body isn’t your original body, and you can’t pay

rent because you don’t have any money?”

“Yes, you understand perfectly!”

Who said that orcs were stupid?

In fact, orcs are the smartest, wisest, and most honorable race of all.

This is proven by the Horde of WoW.

“Haha. Kuhn. I was wrong about you all along.”

“Yes?”

“You weren’t planning on paying, you were just crazy.”

He took out something that looked like a smartphone from his pocket, saying he’d contact a mental hospital.

“I’m tired now. You don’t last long even if I introduce you to a job, and I’m sick of you causing trouble and begging

me to solve it.”

“No, it’s not like I’m a child, why are you begging me to fix what you did?”

“That’s what I want to say!”

“Ah, that’s me. Anyway, I’ll pay, okay?”

He scoffed at my words, but then he put the thing he was holding back in his pocket.

I’m used to the fact that the words I just said are really familiar. How bad is the credibility of the me in this world?

Moreover, how good is the landlord’s personality?

“Then, I’ll make you a job from today, so work there. Even if there are no jobs for humans these days, you can keep

working if you just try.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I haven’t done much part-time work, so I’m a game otaku…?”

In the original world, I won the lottery and spent that money on Shiba Coin and became rich, so I didn’t achieve

anything on my own.

“Games? You mean chess or something like that? You don’t have any friends.”

“That’s an old story. You don’t know online games?”

“So you’re saying online chess, right? Don’t get lost in those games, and work…”

“No, wait a minute. Online games are all you said?”

The landlord, who didn’t seem to understand the intent of my question, looked at me for a moment and then spoke

again.

“Othello? Poker?”

Is it because the landlord isn’t interested in games that he only knows those games, or is this world really only for

those games? Maybe I found a way to make money in this world, who only knows about games, but I need some

more investigation.

Anyway, I’m a person who enjoys games, not a person who makes games.

Even though I know a lot of games from Earth, that’s important.

“Sir, do you have a computer or a laptop?”

“I do, but I have no intention of lending it to you.”

“Why?”

I definitely need a computer for my plan, but the gaming computer I used in the original world disappeared when I

came to this world. Naturally, there’s no one I know here, and I need the landlord’s cooperation, but it’s not easy.

His determination to not be fooled dozens and hundreds of times was visible.

“Are you really asking without knowing… if you really need it, use the public PC in the library. But it’ll probably be

hard to use it now, because there’s a lot of people.”

“Anyway, thank you very much today, and if this works out, I’ll pay the money I owe.”

His face turned red, but he sighed and turned away in silence.

He’s such a kind person.

Oh, but…

“Wait a moment.”

“What? Have you changed your mind?”

“No, where do I go to get to the library?”

“….”

As a result of using the public PC in the library, I learned a very interesting fact.

The Thousand-Year War was literally a war of a thousand years and felt similar to World War I and II on Earth, but it

happened only 100 years ago and most of the history seemed to resemble modern Earth.

There was no gunpowder, but there were computers, how strange.

It was interesting that most things were replaced with magic.

If so, I want to bring games from Earth and show the taste of games to the people of this world, but it’s not easy.

First of all, games can’t be made in a short period of time, and it requires a lot of effort and money, and games usually

require a planner, programmer, story writer, and illustrator.

I only know them superficially, so I can’t do any of them, and it’s practically impossible to develop alone.

And I can’t hire people who don’t even know the concept of games, and there are no open source programs that

anyone can easily use. The game engines I knew, Unity and Unreal, don’t even exist.

I can see how to make money, but I don’t have the ability to do it.

I don’t have the money to pay the rent, so what about game development?

Impossible.

I’ll have to work at the job the landlord mentioned for the time being.

And I’ll have to learn the common sense of this place.

I sighed and was about to turn off the PC when an icon that looked familiar caught my eye.

“Chrome?”