Mushoku Tensei: A different path

(Paul POV)

"UuuUUgh... ugh... wha-..."

As if waking up from a tiring workday, my vision was as chaotically disarrayed as my head. My legs felt stiff, and the familiar sensation of a workout coursing through them reminded me of the effort I used to put in daily back in Buenna Village.

Once I rubbed my face, I felt the weight of my gear on me. Not only that, but I woke up... standing? Did I doze off like this?

"Lilia? Norn? Aisha? Is anybody- W-Wait, huh?!! Where the heck am I?!!!"

It took me a while to survey my surroundings, which, on closer inspection, turned out to be a forest and not the castle I remembered I was before. When did I leave?

The last thing I remember is Perugius telling us that Rudy couldn't get teleported to his castle because he was still harboring distrust against him. That's all I can remember. Everything else is just... foggy or just not there.

Wait, crap! I don't have any luggage with me. It's freezing out here!

No matter where I looked, I saw nothing but snow, dirt, and fallen trees torn off the earth and blasted on the side by some explosive spell.

I went over to one of the trees and was met with the smell of burned wood, which I couldn't identify. It was fresh, which means that some battle was going on here.

"Hello~... anyone out here?" I called out in the area, hoping someone friendly would hear me.

"Calm down, would ya."

A man's voice spoke to me as if directly speaking into my ear.

Immediately, I grabbed the hilt of my sword and took a stance, surveying my surroundings as I looked for the person.

Once I located them, the sight I saw was truly unexpected and caught me off guard.

It was what I think may have been a person. Given his physique, I think a man was seated on a tree's trunk farther away from me.

The man's entire body was gray, with two straight horizontal lines for eyes and a wavy waved line representing a mouth on his face. Drops of his head flowed upwards before separating from the body and disappearing into the air.

He may have the form of a person, but he looks inhuman.

"Says the guy who drove his son to turn into a world-ending monster."

His comment startled me, and not just because I heard him speak in my head. Was he just reading my thoughts? That's it. It is definitely one of the shady kind.

I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly and went for a diagonal across its chest.

"Don't," it nonchalantly said without moving its body as my blade met no resistance and just went through him. Instead, it crashed into the trunk, slicing a good chunk of it off.

What surprised me wasn't the smooth cut I just made on the log but the fact that I didn't damage the guy sitting in front of me.

I stared at him as I moved my hand to him. And funny enough, it went through like he was just air. 

Stepping back a bit, I rubbed my eyes in irritation.

This doesn't seem like a dream. I've had enough of those in the last few years to tell that this one isn't.

Have I perhaps relapsed again into my alcohol addiction? No, this isn't the same feeling.

Also, I don't believe I've come to any reason to go back to grabbing a bottle again... Have I?

"No, if that were the case, Lilia and Therese would have stopped you."

Startled, I returned a few steps further and went into stance again.

I'm no expert, but the only explanation might be that this is some hallucination trick done by a monster.

If I kill it, I might be able to free myself from this. 

"*Sigh* What part of calm down don't you understand? I am NOT going to hurt you, you scummy idiot."

His mouth opened with two swirly lines separating like a normal one, the inside shaded in dark grey.

If this guy isn't a hallucination, he seems too shifty, but I have to get information from him.

"Who even are you? Did you take me... where ever THIS is?" I asked, staying in a stance and keeping my right hand on my hilt just in case.

"Sheesh, you're not old enough yet to become senile, so cool off already," he said, shaking his head.

"Anyway, as for the WHO, Rudeus has to explain that one for you. And as for the WHERE, you are close to the capital city of Ranoa, the Magic City Sharia."

"Ranoa? As in one of the Three Magic Nations in the Northern Territories?"

"Correct. And before you ask, I won't go into detail about HOW you got here other than telling you that I temporarily took control over you and asked Perugius to use one of his Teleportation Circles.

It may have taken me much energy to make you travel at high speed over the ten days' worth of distance to get you here, but there is a purpose for your appearance here."

Before I could say anything to him, he raised his right hand and pointed his palm at me.

The next thing I knew, my vision changed in a flash, and memories that felt too real go through my head.

I lost my grip on the sword and fell to my knees, feeling the urge to vomit as my breathing became heavy but slow.

Frantically checking on myself, I realized that I was unharmed, unlike what I had just seen and felt a moment earlier.

"W-Wha-… I-I don't-" I stammered.

The so-called memories were of me losing my hands by getting torn off in the air after saving Ghislaine before a powerful projectile hit me and sent me crashing through buildings.

Everything, down to the pain and emotional distress, felt... surreal despite me being fine.

"What the hell was that!!?" I raised my voice at the unknown being.

"Those, my dear scumbag friend, were Rudeus's memories before he lost consciousness after hopelessly dodging an attack."

"Those… those were Rudy's memories?!" I said in disbelief.

If they really were, then he is in a terrible state. How is he supposed to defend himself? I just saw both his hands getting torn off!

The mysterious guy then pointed in a direction with his right hand, keeping eye contact with me. At least, I think those lines are looking at me.

"Want to save him? Head to where the smoke is rising from. It should take about half an hour to get there."

I turned my head to where he was pointing and saw that smoke was coming from there.

"Over there, you will encounter a small demonic-looking female wielding an extravagant-looking greatsword near the city's walls. Defeat her together with Ghislaine and the others before heading for Rudeus."

"What?! If Ghislaine has trouble defeating that thing, how am I supposed to be of help?"

"You're right. You haven't reached the extended potential I gave you just yet. However, time is a bit of the essence here. That's why, as an extra precaution and because I'm such a nice guy, I will unlock some of your borrowed power early on."

Moving his murky fingers together, he snapped them. No sound was coming off, but an oddly familiar and intense feeling started coursing from my chest, bringing me down to my knees and clutching the area.

I became extremely aware of the blood coursing through my veins, coming through my heart, and spreading throughout my entire body. It may not have hurt, but it was still unpleasant.

It was a short process, but once it stopped, this intense sensation was on me again: my Touki. No. It felt much more... denser.

Getting up again felt as if I was as light as air.

Looking at my clenched fists, I could tell that the layer of mana was thicker than the days when I trained for a short time after becoming aware of it.

A sense of self-confidence washed over me, and I felt more ready to fight than ever. Even the cold became more bearable.

"There we go. Now, you should be appropriately fitted to go against her. Anyway, that's all. Don't get cut in half, and good luck~"

"Wait, I have more... questions…"

Before I even turned my head, the guy vanished. I stood up and looked around, only to see he was really gone, with no trace left behind.

Confused about this whole ordeal, I couldn't help but ponder if I imagined all of this.

But then the image of Rudy getting thrown away flashed back in, and I felt the urge to go help.

Argh, screw it! If what I was told is even remotely true, then going there shouldn't even be a question.

"Well... here goes nothing."

With those weak, self-encouraging words said, I headed for the direction the guy pointed at, my speed phenomenally high for what I thought I was capable of.

Hopefully, Lilia and the others will not be too mad at me for leaving.

///