At the moment the countdown ended, I was enveloped in dazzling light and couldn't help but close my eyes.

I was stunned by the sensation of floating, as if the ground had vanished beneath me, when suddenly—

　

I found myself standing on a wasteland where countless mountain rocks jutted up from the earth.

A dry wind swept through, blowing across the barren landscape of rock and sparse vegetation.

There was no sign of any other human being.

I took in my surroundings and gasped in realization.

"……I missed."

The dart hadn't landed in a terrible place.

It had struck almost exactly where I aimed, so it must have been one of the better results among those who chose dart teleportation.

Regardless, this place was undoubtedly the Ringpir Continent.

Certainly it was—

　

"I suppose I did include some geographical knowledge, but I didn't know there was a place like this on the ring pillar..."

For now, there's no sign of human presence nearby.

Unless I check the map, I wouldn't know, but survival will definitely be necessary.

"Ponponpan! Welcome to the other world, Transfer Candidate Number 1001, Souma Nanami. I'll briefly explain the status board! First, call up your status. You can say it out loud or think it in your mind—either way, it's fine!"

Suddenly, a voice echoes inside the head.

So this is what the "angel's voice" feels like.

"Status"

A translucent screen appears in midair.

"From this status board, you can access various information, exchange items and skills, view rankings, real-time viewer count, remaining points, and crystal holdings."

Though it's information that's come late, the status board is the source of the transmigrants' cheat. The phrase "

Remaining points equal remaining lives[/id0]" once became popular online, and that's exactly right. The more points a transmigrant leaves unused, the higher their survival rate.

I myself have 11 points left. ...Well, I'll probably use up some of them soon enough.

After finishing the basic explanation, I exchanged for the "High-Performance World Map" at a cost of three points.

I'd decided in advance to take it if I couldn't transfer near a city—after all, I'll definitely need it.

Switching tabs on the status board, I check my current location.

Judging from where the dart landed, I should be northwest of Meltya—

"Oops... this is tough."

Once the tutorial ends, viewers will be able to watch our progress.

Sericca-chan and Karen-chan will surely scream...

The place I'm in is the "Ringpil Continent - Abyssal Skull Plains"

with a population density of 0 out of 10.

Danger level is currently 5 out of 6.

The nearest human settlement is "Rikota Village," 85 kilometers away in a straight line.

— I've been teleported right in the middle of a dangerous wilderness with no one living there at all.

◇◆◆◆◇

Now, what should I do next?

I have 8 points remaining.

For now, I'll exchange for a barrier stone, leaving me with 7.

The so-called "miracle item," the "substitute ring," isn't needed right now. Even if I gain extra lives in a level 5 danger zone, it's pointless if I'm already in a hopeless situation. It serves no purpose.

So, it's safer to just make full use of the barrier stone.

There are several blue dots on the map. Each dot represents a transmigrant.

And one of them, located far to the southeast of my current position, is likely Hee-chan. I must rendezvous with that dot.

Incidentally, there are no blue dots nearby that I could reach immediately. Coordinating with another transmigrant isn't feasible right now.

For now, it's still tutorial time. It's better to complete all item exchanges here. Once it starts, I'll have to dash immediately.

Since the village is 85 kilometers away, the danger zone probably isn't too large. Even if I'm being overly cautious, running about 60 kilometers should get me to a reasonably safe area... I think.

I exchanged 15 crystals for sneakers.

It's not a forest, so gear suitable for running takes priority. It's a wasteland—ideally, I'd trade my mountain bike for something better, but unfortunately, there's no bike here.

I'm not good at running, but I have no choice but to push through with everything I've got.

I have six points left, and the crystal count is fifteen.

"Well then... I should probably hear the hint."

I used one crystal and pressed the "Life Hint" button.

This "Life Hint" has already proven to be surprisingly effective, and it's speculated to be either divine dice manipulation or a form of foresight.

Even the information publicly available for second-wave transmigrants includes a red warning: 'Ask for a hint when in trouble.'

<'Head west.'>

"Huh...? West?"

That answer was completely unexpected.

That's because the nearest village lies to the east of our current location.

The position of Meltya, where Hii-chan is, is further south (・) and east (・) than this spot as well.

Naturally, I had intended to head east.

But the usefulness of this "clue for survival" is beyond question.

I don't know what lies to the west, but I have no choice but to head west for now.

Finally, I take out my carried items from the status board.

A shotgun with thirty-five rounds loaded.

A one-of-a-kind weapon with every removable part made as light as possible.

Since the first round was already loaded and transferred, I can fire it immediately after disengaging the safety.

It's extremely powerful—reportedly capable of killing any creature on Earth at close range—but the recoil is correspondingly strong, and I've been sternly warned that failing to maintain a solid stance could result in broken bones.

"Alright... let's do this."

I checked my equipment and tightened my resolve.

I don't know what lies to the west, but I have no choice but to go forward.

"Is the item exchange confirmed as complete?"

The angel's voice came through for final confirmation.

"Yes, it's fine."

"Then, we conclude the status board explanation. Lastly, as a one-time transfer bonus from us, one random ability has been granted—either a physical enhancement or resistance type."

"Oh, right! I forgot about that!"

I had completely forgotten, but there was a bonus after all.

I immediately opened my status board to check.

"Yes!?"

The bonus was "Vitality Up Level 1."

That's worth five points—perfect luck. And it was the second thing I wanted most.

My chances of surviving and escaping this place just went way up.

Incidentally, what I wanted most was a boost in physical stamina, but in a situation like this, where mental strength is being drained, having increased vitality might have been better. ...No, this is actually preferable.

'How you choose to live in this world is entirely up to you. Viewers are always with you. If you gain their cooperation, you'll find greater fulfillment in this world. Good luck.'

With those words, the angelic voice faded away.

At the same time, the world's resolution increased.

The chirping of birds echoed from somewhere nearby.

The sound of a strong wind whistling through the gaps between rocky mountains howled eerily.

Combined with the high danger level, my knees felt like they were about to give out.

(Scary... but I have to go.)

It felt as if my soul was screaming that this place wasn't meant for human life.

Overwhelmed by sheer loneliness, I feel like crying just from standing here, but I'm determined to live a new life right here.

With nothing but the thought that he's waiting for me, I ran forward.

I'll complain only after I've survived.

◇◆◆◆◇

Two hours after starting to run.

I'm still alive.

"Damn it! Again?! What's so tasty about me?!"

I must look like a weak, perfectly ripe prey.

A colossal eagle, unlike anything from my old world, is targeting me from the sky.

— Emon, emon

I can hear my inner voice—the "telepathic communication"—and I've already relied on it countless times to save my life.

The effect wasn't quite what I'd envisioned, but the sounds of the carnivores' hunting—normally meant to be conducted in silence—were all clearly audible.

There was a kind of directionality to the voices in my mind, allowing me to discern even the direction from which they originated. This gave rise to a crude form of awareness of nearby presence.

Of course, it would be useless against someone not speaking within my mind.

On top of that, I had a shotgun.

Rather than firing small pellets that scatter, capable of taking down even large monsters, it fired large, solid slugs.

I didn't want to kill such a magnificent creature. But I had no choice if I wanted to survive.

(I'm sorry.)

I raised the gun toward the sky and pulled the trigger.

A low, muffled gunshot echoed from the muzzle of the rifle fitted with a suppressor, and the bullet struck the massive eagle's body. The bird, its chest riddled with a large hole, let out a scream-like cry before crashing to the ground.

I felt the familiar sensation of spiritual energy flowing into my body as the opponent fell dead. It was an odd, unsettling feeling, but I’d grown used to it by now. According to legend, outside the labyrinth—where bodies are preserved unlike in the maze—the amount of spiritual energy gained is somewhat less.

"That makes six. Should I remove the suppressor?"

I wasn’t sure whether loud noises attracted or repelled monsters, so I kept the suppressor on. While loud sounds can be effective against animals, this was the Level 5 Wildlands—highly dangerous. I judged that the noise might well backfire.

A giant eagle would surely be a formidable opponent in a normal

fight. It would take a significant number of arrows to actually kill it, and if fighting with a sword, only something exceptionally large—something like the weapon the woman carries—would even have a chance of dealing damage

. Its sharp, massive beak looks capable of easily tearing off a human's head. Even birds on Earth possess considerable beak strength. Given its size, this monstrous bird must

be dozens of times stronger than a human. "Thank you, Serika. The gun is

really helping." So far, eight bullets have been used.

Twenty-seven remain. Honestly, at this rate, we might run

out of ammo before making it through the wasteland, but there's no room for hesitation. Above all, the fact

that "if it's a bird, we can handle it" is a crucial advantage.

That's why firearms suit me.

If it were a small, fast monster I couldn't aim at, I'd be done for.

I finished my third stamina potion and started running.

I didn't remove the bird spirit stone. I don't have time for that.

This is a wasteland. Running will make me stand out.

But this area seems to be the territory of a giant hawk, and so far I haven't seen any other carnivores—luckily, that was.

Besides, taking the life of a living creature—especially a large one—was mentally draining. It wasn't just because I liked living things or some shallow reason; probably no one could do this without being affected.

I'm glad I got a boost in vitality. Otherwise, I'd have been crying long ago.

It's a barren wasteland with barely any plants growing.

Small reptiles like lizards and snakes. Small mammals such as mice. Insects. Only glimpsed briefly while running, it seems there's nothing else around.

Occasionally, though, I spot a large, single-eyed skull-like object lying on the ground.

That's probably where the name "Skull Plains" comes from—could there be a cyclops here?

If that skull size is accurate, the giant would be about four meters tall? I definitely don't want to be caught and bitten alive.

But if it's a giant, there might still be a chance to communicate with it. Birds completely ignore our words, or seem unable to understand them, but if they're intelligent, communication should be possible.

Even if it's a giant, I suppose a single shot through the torso would bring it down in one hit.

If it's not a large or fast creature, it probably wouldn't be that dangerous. A hopeful assumption, though.

As I thought this, I passed through a gap in the rocky hill and spotted a group of animals gathered a short distance ahead.

Several distinct cries of hawks echoed around me.