Awakening in a New World
"HONK! HONK!"
Tires screeched—
BAM!
The truck driver slammed the brakes, but it was already too late. He never expected a random man to appear in front of his vehicle on a clear, empty road.
"Ughh…"
Leon, a 20-year-old man, lay sprawled on the cold pavement, pain tearing through every inch of his body. His vision blurred, his limbs refused to move, and the last thing he saw was the bright glare of the truck's headlights.
"Truck-kun… though I did joke about wanting you to hit me in the comments section, I didn't think you'd take it seriously…"
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips, but it quickly turned into a groan. The agony was unbearable. His thoughts drifted away as his body turned numb, and then—nothing.
-----------
Leon's whole body jolted. He gasped for breath as his eyes flew open.
"That was a scary dream…"
His forehead was damp with sweat, and his chest heaved from panic. He sat upright, trying to shake off the lingering terror, but something felt… off.
His brows furrowed as he glanced around, and his confusion deepened.
"Where… am I?"
The room he found himself in was nothing like his tiny apartment. It was grand—almost unreal.
Massive black pillars with intricate crimson engravings lined the walls, their patterns glowing faintly under the dim candlelight. A thick, luxurious carpet, as dark as the night sky, stretched across the polished wooden floor. The furniture—crafted from black oak—was adorned with crimson velvet cushions. A towering bookshelf stood in the corner, filled with old tomes bound in leather. The canopy bed behind him had drapes of deep red silk, and the air carried the faint scent of incense and aged parchment.
It was a place fit for royalty.
Leon swallowed. Was I kidnapped?
No, that didn't make sense. He was a nobody—no wealth, no influence. Who would bother kidnapping him?
Then another possibility struck him.
"Wait… does that mean it wasn't a dream? Was I really hit by that truck?"
His pulse quickened. Desperately, he tried to piece together what happened. Had someone saved him? If so, how did he end up in such a place?
His fingers ran across his forehead, and just then, he noticed something odd—his hands.
They were paler than before, the skin smoother, yet firm. He flexed his fingers, feeling unfamiliar strength in them. His gaze dropped to his clothes—an elegant black tunic with silver embroidery, paired with fitted trousers that screamed nobility. This wasn't his usual cheap hoodie and jeans.
His heart pounded. A wild thought surfaced in his mind.
He bolted toward the massive window, flinging it open. The air was crisp, carrying a scent unlike anything he had ever known. Beyond the window, under the evening sky, the world stretched wide—a medieval city with towering castles, cobbled streets, and glowing lanterns. The sky was vast, painted with two moons.
Excitement erupted within him.
"Yup! It's definitely what I think it is!"
A wide grin spread across his face as realization struck.
"I transmigrated!"
Leon burst into laughter.
"Truck-kun, my dear friend! I was serious when I asked you to hit me! Hahaha!"
He spun back into the room, practically vibrating with exhilaration. He collapsed onto the floor; eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Alright! According to the script, this is the part where my cheat system appears!"
He stood tall. Expectant. Ready.
Nothing.
Still nothing.
The silence dragged on. A minute. Two. Five.
His smirk faltered.
"Don't tell me… no system?"
A deep sigh escaped his lips.
"As expected, lady luck would never be on my side…"
He rubbed his temples, forcing himself to accept reality. Maybe he had just transmigrated into some random noble's body without any cheat system. Maybe he was doomed to live a painfully normal life in this new world.
"Well, at least I've got a nice bed."
Just as he leaned back, ready to resign himself to disappointment—
Then— A searing pain exploded in his skull.
"AARGHH!"
Leon clutched his head as burning agony tore through his mind. A flood of foreign memories surged into his consciousness, overwhelming him like a raging tide. He saw faces, places, battles, and secrets that were not his own.
And then, a name echoed in his head.
Leon Moonwalker.
Duke of the Moonstone Kingdom.