I awoke from what felt like a fever dream, my senses snapping back to reality. The hard and chilly surface beneath me immediately registered. Instinctively, I attempted to rise, only to be met with a groan escaping my lips. My body protested with stiffness and pain, akin to the aftermath of an arduous workout after a long hiatus due to a cursed New Year's resolution.

  With determination, I maneuvered myself into a sitting position, my surroundings coming into focus. It became evident that I found myself within the confines of a peculiar jail cell. A dim yellow light filtered through the bars, serving as the sole illumination - a lantern, it seemed. Reflexively, I checked my pockets for my phone, but my search yielded emptiness.

  Oddly, I had no recollection of donning the attire I presently wore - particularly, the brown leather jeans, overcoat, and boots daubed with ominous bloodstains. Such shades weren't even present in my wardrobe, leading me to the unsettling realization that not only had I attired myself as if for a flamboyant occasion, but I had also apparently been embroiled in a violent altercation the previous night.

  Surveying my battered form, a thought flitted through my mind: had I perhaps stumbled into a cosplay festival unawares? Despite my best efforts, the events of the previous night remained frustratingly elusive as I strained to summon them from the recesses of my memory.

  It felt as though my consciousness slipped away after downing my 9-shot with the boys. While I definitely pulled off some foolish stunts during my college days under the influence, I never engaged in physical altercations. So, why was my body now battered and swollen after that bout of drinking? I even sensed an eerie weight all over, akin to a thick brick wall accidentally tumbling onto me—insufficient to be fatal but ample enough to confine me to a hospital bed for several days. was this some twisted prank, or have I truly landed myself in a perilous situation? My frustration found expression in a groan as I struggled to make sense of my predicament.

  If I'm clueless, someone else must possess answers. With considerable effort, I rise to my feet and cautiously make my way toward the jail bars.

  "Ahem, excuse me, anyone nearby?" I inquire in my customary voice."

  A voice suddenly emerged from the dark cell in front of me.

  "Gray, you should lie down and rest some more. Your body hasn't fully recovered," a female voice in a foreign language said. "Wait, what!" How can I comprehend this language? I realized that I had never encountered this language before, yet I could effortlessly understand it as if she were speaking to me in both English and gibberish simultaneously. And how did she know my name? I have no memory of ever hearing her voice, so she can't be someone I know. However, she appears to have knowledge of me.

  "I asked her, my voice tinged with suspicion, 'How do you know my name?'

  'Did you lose your memories, or are you just messing with me?' she retorted, her tone laced with annoyance.

  Her disappointment in me for not recalling her was evident in her tone, but right now, I needed answers about my situation and whereabouts.

  'I apologize for forgetting your name. If you don't mind, please reintroduce yourself, and more importantly, do you know what happened to me and why I'm in jail?' I spoke with politeness, seeking information. In an instant, a tall silhouette emerged from the dark corner of the cell opposite mine. Gradually, a 6.6-foot-tall, slender woman with silver braided hair and pointed ears revealed herself. Her pale skin tone complemented her striking appearance. Adorned with a light brass plate and a chainmail skirt, she exuded an air of elegance.

  'Oi, are you cosplaying as an elf or something?' I couldn't help but express my thoughts aloud.

  "Did your head injuries cause you to lose your memory?" she inquired; her expression marked by a frown.

  Possibly because I never recall knowing you, I muttered to myself, "Did we encounter each other last night? And why are we dressed as though we're at a cosplay convention?" I inquired, a sense of discomfort in my tone.

  I thought If this happens to be a twisted prank by the boys, there will be severe consequences, as they've crossed a line this time.

  She gazed at me for a moment, seemingly unconvinced that I had forgotten her.

  After a few awkward moments of silence, she spoke up, reminding me.

  "If you've forgotten, my name is Valcy from the mercenary-for-hire guild. We met 14 days ago at Hemsburg port. And no, we're not at some cosplay convention, whatever that place is supposed to be. Right now, we find ourselves at Stainhera prison, all because you insisted on entering the ruins. An ambush by a stone golem ensued, and you ended up getting hit, sending you flying against the wall. You fainted, and I had to carry you, running for our lives. Our two companions fled without lending a hand. Before I even could administer some healing potion, the city guards apprehended both of us. Apparently, some noble took offense at our intrusion, claiming the ruin site as their property. Moreover, you needed a healer, and I couldn't simply abandon you due to my oath. As an elf descendant of the pure moon goddess, I consider it beneath me to forsake my comrades. So, here we are, locked up and awaiting our trial,' she explained, her tone exasperated."

  Just as her explanation was becoming more confusing to me, a sudden, massive headache struck. Memories began replaying in my mind, as if information was being forcefully installed in my brain. When I closed my eyes, the confines of my cell seemed to vanish, and I found myself reliving a life I had never known. Astonishingly, it turned out that this boy and I shared the same first name. Even more intriguing, he bore an uncanny resemblance to my younger self – with a bobbed, wavy haircut, a cute face, and a desert tan skin tone. At just 15 years old, he already stood tall at 5 feet 10 inches. It was as if I were staring at my identical twin; even our parents displayed striking similarities.

  Tragically, his life came to an end in the ruins, a victim of a golem-like monster's blow to his head. In the aftermath, I couldn't help but wonder if my soul from Earth had taken over, or if I had been reborn here and my past life memories had been unlocked by that fateful blow. The truth remains uncertain. Regrettably, this boy had already become an orphan. His parents had vanished two years prior, when he was just 13-year-old, leaving him and his elder sister, Sara, who was 16-year-old at that time, to inherit their viscount title.

  Since the age of 7, Gray has been interested in reading runic history. His mother, a renowned researcher in the field of archeology, has always been teaching him in her free time. Their father, one of the grandmaster swordsmen of the Aster kingdom, trains Gray's sister Sara, who has been blessed with high physical stats like him. With her sights set on becoming a top-tier knight, Sara dedicates herself to daily sword and shield training, further intensified after their parents failed to return from their journey. Alongside shouldering the responsibilities of the temporary countess, she rarely takes breaks. Despite assisting her in certain matters, Sara believes Gray is still too young to join her in her duties.

  I found the world's magic to be the most amusing aspect. People with blessings possess supernatural powers comparable to the superheroes in Earth's movies. Gray, fortunately, held the rare magic class of a Summoner. This mage category is exceptionally uncommon; among a million blessed individuals, perhaps only one would be a Summoner. Kings and queens exclusively employ them for military conquest, given that high-level summoners can individually sway the outcome of wars. Summoners serve as conduits for beings and artifacts from other dimensions. However, summoning anything from these dimensions necessitates traveling to them. The technique to access these dimensions, known only to kings and ancient families, has remained monopolized for ages.

  In this world, summoners have the ability to summon beings solely from two dimensions: the holy dimension and the hell dimension. Although there are records of ancient summoners summoning entities and artifacts from dimensions apart from the holy and hell dimensions, the understanding of this practice has faded over time. There remains a belief among some that the secrets of inheritance or knowledge are concealed within ancient ruins, waiting to be uncovered. On the contrary, a different perspective asserts that these dimensions crumbled following the Great Dimension War, resulting in the extinction of all living entities and artifacts that could be summoned by summoners.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  The Aster kingdom issued a decree declaring that once children reached the age of 10, both peasants and nobles would have to undergo a talent and blessing assessment. Those considered valuable would be recruited by the government, while those lacking blessings would continue their lives as peasant farmers, unless they were born as nobles.

  To his surprise, his parents had opted to conceal his blessing during his assessment, but he remained unaware of their method and reason.

  I nurtured a strong aversion to monarchy: from my standpoint, it closely resembled modern dictators on Earth, who oppressed their subjects and governed with an authoritarian approach. If an opportunity arose in the future, I was determined to bring about change.

  One month ago, during his quest for books in the estate library, gray stumbled upon a concealed chamber. Inside, he uncovered his parents' clandestine exploration into ancient ruins and dimensional summoning. The room held information about potential sites containing ancestral summoner legacies and much more.

  He recognized the significance of these research documents, given that knowledge of summoning magic was closely guarded by monarchs and influential ancient families. They tightly controlled any fresh discoveries. However, his primary concern lay with pinpointing the whereabouts of his missing parents. He yearned to ascertain whether they yet existed in some corner of the world.

  Fifteen days after discovering the secret room, Gray managed to decode the locations where his parents likely vanished. Without anyone's knowledge, he left home, aware that his elder sister would never permit him to venture alone into hazardous areas. He withdrew all his savings and clandestinely departed the estate while his sister was away for training. His initial destination was the Karter kingdom, the closest realm to the Aster kingdom. Despite being fully aware of the perilous nature of the journey, he embarked on it.

  He opted to enlist the services of mercenaries – one male and two females. Their names were Liam, Lina, and Velcy. Liam specialized as a swordsman, while Lina excelled in magic. Both held an intermediary rank. On the other hand, Velcy stood out as an advanced archer, capable of imbuing her arrows with mana and enhancing her movement speed. As they journeyed together, Gray discovered a disheartening truth about Liam and Lina. Their commitment to their tasks was lackluster at best. They frequently found themselves susceptible to wild animal and monster attacks due to their tendency to rendezvous in the bushes during their night watch shifts. This irresponsibility placed Velcy in a perpetual state of vigilance, depriving her of proper sleep.

  Despite her growing irritation with their behavior, old gray refrained from voicing his concerns, recognizing that he was the one who had hired them. The world seemed to have a severe deficiency in matching the right individuals with suitable roles. Valcy emerged as the sole dependable member of their group. old gray himself felt ineffectual, devoid of any noteworthy skills. After enduring a grueling seven-day journey on horseback, punctuated by nights spent in the wilderness, they finally reached Stainhera – a modest fort city inhabited by roughly 2000 humans. The city's purpose revolved around iron mining and furnishing frontline forces with essential supplies for potential invasions.

  Interestingly, the Ruin marked on Gray's map lay just six miles away from this city. Following the golem incident, both Liam and Lina deserted the group, leaving only Valcy to safeguard Gray's unconscious body.

  'I owe valcy a considerable debt for saving my life, I must find a way to repay her,' I contemplated.

  The memory replay concluded with the moment a golem-like monster sent me hurtling against the wall.

  Just as my senses were resurfacing from the memory journey, Valcy's voice reached me once more. "Gray, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Her tone carried a note of concern.

  Observing me clutch my head suddenly must have startled her.

  "I'm fine now; I believe my memories have returned," I responded.

  "Good. By the way, how's your body holding up? You sustained serious injuries, and they only gave you the minimum healing potion. Those bastards also confiscated all of our belongings," Valcy said, her tone dripping with annoyance.

  "I think applying an ice pack to my bruises and getting some more rest would help". I said calmly, attempting to alleviate her concerns. While assessing my body, I discovered that my bones were intact. There might have been fracture in my right foot and shoulder. Whatever that healing potion was, it worked remarkably well. Earth doctors might even consider it a miraculous potion. At this moment, I could feel my pain gradually subsiding.

  "Great! I hope you've learned your lesson. Don't repeat the same mistake in the future," she retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm.

  Her remark obviously referred to my stubbornness in exploring the ruins despite her warning about potential danger. Somehow, I ended up taking a blow from the golem, yet my bones miraculously remained intact. The resilience of the people in this world truly surprised me.

  Furthermore, Gray only engaged in minimal physical training. His blessing lay in magic rather than might, but even that remained limited in its potential due to his lack of knowledge.

  Awkward silence lingered for a few moments.

  "They may inform our guild leader if they return safely," she tried to comfort me, though it was difficult to believe considering we had witnessed them fleeing and leaving us to fend for ourselves when the golem emerged. Their nearest branch is at least a six-day nonstop journey on horseback, and it would take another six days for any assistance to reach us. We cannot simply wait, as who knows what challenges lie ahead. My mother's journal mentioned that Karter kingdom is infamous for its enslavement practices, particularly targeting foreigner’s and exotic races.

  While I was racking my brains for a solution, I remembered that logic doesn’t apply in magic; I just remembered that I might be able to summon something to help me out. I recalled that every blessed individual can access a panel to check their status; hence, without any further delay, I started to chant "#@$%" inside my mind in an old language, which translates to "show my status."

  Dimensional access, which previously consistently displayed nothing, now reveals Earth 1218 surprisingly. Is that meant to be my former planet? As a result, I click on EARTH 1218, and it presents the following text:

  I attempted to summon my smartphone as an experiment. I pictured myself holding the phone, and upon shutting my eye the confines of my cell seemed to vanish. After a brief moment, I ended up in my room on Earth. Doubts arose, wondering if my prior encounters were drug-induced hallucinations. Yet, as I gazed at my hands, the sight of my translucent body startled me. Panic surged. Abruptly, a blue-screen window caught my attention, positioned in the corner of my sight. Its message stated.

  I tried to calm down after seeing the remaining time. It could signify anything, but a gut feeling told me it represented the time remaining until I returned to my physical body from this unfamiliar state. I swiftly scanned my surroundings for the item I was looking for. The room appeared as though it had been tidied weeks ago. Cleaning this spacious apartment on my own used to be a daunting task due to its numerous rooms. With my parents savoring their retirement in the countryside, I managed the cleaning alone. As I continued to search, my attention was drawn to a radiant green object resting on my table. I instinctively tried to walk towards it, but instead my steps turned into a ghost like float. On the table, I laid eyes on my outdated laptop and my parents' cherished photo frame. Adjacent to these was a news article about me. The headline read, "Gray Walker, from Ohio Columbus University, Missing Since February 16, 2023."

  I felt a deep shock coursing through me, and as I attempted to continue reading, I noticed my remaining time dwindling rapidly from 2 minutes and 30 seconds to just 10 seconds. With no hesitation, I snatched up my phone and within a mere second, I sensed an otherworldly power yanking my spiritual form back to a place with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, I witnessed white dots and black tunnels for a fleeting moment before I fully regained my senses inside the cell.

  "When I opened my eyes, I witnessed Valcy staring at me intensely. 'Hey, what's that glowing thing on your hand? Are you a wizard?' She inquired, her tone brimming with interest.

  Glancing down at my grasp, I confirmed that it was indeed my smartphone. With a press of the power button, it sprang to life, the battery registering at a full 100%. Remarkably, it boasted 5G connectivity. Okay, this is eerie. Does this realm even possess internet, or does this phone inexplicably remain linked to Earth's network? I pondered.

  "I believe I've conceived a plan for our escape, but you'll have to place your trust in me," I conveyed to her, my voice tinged with excitement.