The first thing Sharun felt was cold. A deep, biting cold that made him shiver. His skin felt numb, and his whole body ached. Something soft and powdery was beneath his fingers. Snow.
He slowly opened his eyes. The sky above was bright and pale gray, making him blink a few times before he could focus. When his vision cleared, he saw towering trees around him, their branches heavy with thick layers of snow. Now and then, the wind shook the branches, making small clumps of snow fall to the ground without a sound. The air smelled fresh, clean, and earthy, like wet wood and pine needles.
Sharun took a shaky breath, watching as a small cloud of mist formed in front of his face. He tried to sit up, but something felt strange. His body was different. His arms, his legs—they felt shorter, rounder. He looked down at himself, and his stomach twisted in shock.
His hands were small and pudgy. His arms and legs were chubby. He was wearing rough, woollen clothes that were thin and barely warm enough for this freezing weather. He stumbled to his feet, his legs wobbling under him. He felt his face with trembling fingers—his cheeks were full, round. He was young. A child.
His heart pounded. What was going on?
He clearly remembered going to sleep in his messy little room back in Raghunathpur, his small village in West Bengal. Just another night in his usual routine—wasting time on his phone, reading manga, scrolling through the internet, watching things he knew he shouldn't, eating until he felt sick, and then doing it all over again. He had no job, no motivation, and no real purpose. His days blended into each other, filled with endless distractions and empty dreams of wealth and power. He had always wanted a better life but had never done anything to achieve it. His weight had gone up to 120 kg, and he had stopped caring about everything.
But now... now he was here. A completely different place. And a completely different body. How? He doesn't know the answer. Suddenly a thought made him tremble.
Sharun swallowed hard, his breath coming in quick, panicked gasps. Sharun said while trying to deny himself, "It can't be. Can it? Am I really died?"
He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to stop the shivering, but the cold was merciless. He forced himself to look around.
The snow-covered forest stretched endlessly in every direction. The trees stood tall and silent, their dark trunks contrasting sharply against the white ground. In the distance, he saw a mountain, its peak hidden by mist. The sky was just beginning to brighten, the sun rising behind the mountains and casting a soft, golden glow over the landscape.
The silence was unsettling. No cars. No clue. No help. No people. No sounds of life except the occasional rustling of branches in the wind. The realization made his stomach tighten.
"Where am I...? Is it earth? Was I kidnapped? Or was I died and.. it's my new life?" he whispered, his voice barely audible in the stillness.
This had to be a dream. It had to be. But the cold biting into his skin, the weight of his new body, and the stinging sensation in his fingers told him otherwise.
This was real.
And if it was real, then he was completely alone.
His heart pounded faster. He had no idea where he was, how he got here, or what he was supposed to do. One thing was clear—if he didn't find shelter and warmth soon, he wouldn't survive for long.
Suddenly he saw something strange, a white small chubby person with long ears and nose coming towards him.
Sharun was amazed for a few second, " f**. Is that a snow goblin? I never thought I will have the chance to see a snow goblin. That's mean…."
A second of silence…..
Sharun shouted this time, "Yes. Yes yes yes. Fucking.. yes. Thank god. I can't say how much happy I am right now. I am in another world. Yes. Dammm… my long last dream.. thank you. Whoever you are.. thank you. … Yeah! I am in another world. But what about my previous life? Was I truly died? Or is it by any unknown mean I am here. Who am I in this world? I am no hero. I am not summoned. What is this world?"
But no answer came. A second of silence again.
This time Sharun stayed silence for some seconds. Then as if he remembered something, he slowly looked at the goblin. The snow-white goblin looked at him, but on it's face there is a ugly grinning smile. His mouth is producing saliva nonstop. They are falling on the snow non stop. On it's hand there is a shining knife, old and broken.
Sharun was horrified this time, in the excitement of being get his life long wish fulfilled, he had forgotten that snow goblins are kind only to their kind. And humans… humans are meal for them.
Watching Sharun getting scared, the goblin starts to laugh now. it's voice make Sharun tremble in fear more and more. Recognising the urgency in the situation, he start to look around him, if there was any weapon, anything that he can use to defend himself.
The goblin charged in with its knife, Sharun also found a axe on the snow. He looked at the goblin with side eyes. The goblin was close.. too close.. close enough to cut his neck. The goblin was at the same height as Sharun now, or the body Sharun was in.
As the goblin swing its knife at his neck, Sharun bent down and tried to dodge. But still a small cut appear on his neck. As he bent down he grabbed the axe and swing it towards the goblin's hand. The goblin dodge it. Sharun panicked again. It was his first time trying to kill a humanoid species. But still he try to claim down and think.
But the goblin attack again. Suddenly a arrow came from somewhere in the woods and goes through the goblin's leg. The gobbling fall on the ground. Sharun see his opportunity and jumped on it. Without thinking much he swing his axe on it. Again. Again. Again. Blood sprayed on his face.
Silence…..
When Sharun understand what he have done, his mind came before many emotions. He shouted, "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh."
By now he decided to make himself prepare for this new world.
He looked towards the direction, from where the arrow came. A handsome well built muscular man came before him. The man came and asked, "Why are you here young Sharun?"
But right now Sharun's mind was somewhere else.
Sharun blinked in surprise. His breath was still uneven, his heart pounding from the fight. The blood of the goblin stained his hands and clothes, but his attention was now fixed on something else entirely.
A glowing blue screen hovered in front of him. It appeared suddenly, shimmering into existence as if responding to his actions.
[System Activated]
[Host has killed a Snow Goblin.]
[Rewarding system activated.]
[You have obtained a random skill book ticket.]
[Ex-Gift section activated.]
[Host is rewarded with the artifact: Sun Ring of the VELDORAM family.]
Sharun stared at the floating text, his mind racing. A system screen? Like the ones in games and fantasy novels? His breath came out in short gasps as a mix of excitement and confusion filled him. Was this really happening? The pain from his wound, the freezing cold—everything felt too real for this to be a dream. He hesitated, wondering if he had lost his mind. But if this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up.
Slowly, he reached out a trembling hand towards the screen. The moment his fingers brushed against the light, the words shimmered before vanishing into thin air. In their place, new text appeared.
[Would you like to access your inventory?]
Sharun hesitated. Then, swallowing hard, he nodded. "Yes."
A new screen popped up, displaying several options:
[Inventory]
[Skills]
[Status]
[Gift Section]
Curiosity burned in his chest. He selected "Gift Section."
A bright light flashed before his eyes, and suddenly, something appeared in his palm. A ring. It was golden, with a strange crest engraved on it—a sun with sharp, fiery rays. The craftsmanship was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The moment he touched it, a warmth spread through his body, chasing away the biting cold. His fingers stopped trembling, and his body felt lighter, stronger.
[Artifact Equipped: Sun Ring of the VELDORAM family.] [Passive Ability Activated: Cold Resistance +20%] [Passive Ability Activated: Strength +5%]
Sharun's eyes widened. "This… this is insane."
For the first time since waking up in this strange world, he felt something other than fear—hope. If this system was real, if he could gain skills, artifacts, and power, then maybe, just maybe, he had a chance at survival.
Before he could explore further, a deep voice snapped him back to reality.
" Are you okay Sharun? You seem oddly calm for someone who was nearly killed just now and that's for the first time."
Sharun spun around. The muscular man who had saved him stood a few feet away, his piercing eyes studying him closely. He had dark, rugged features, with a thick beard and eyes like frozen steel. His thick fur cloak made him look even more imposing against the snowy backdrop. The bow in his hand suggested he was the one who had fired the arrow.
Sharun quickly closed his inventory screen. "Uh… thanks for saving me."
The man nodded but didn't take his eyes off him. "Why are you here, Sharun? And what are you doing in these hunting fields alone?"
Sharun looked at his eyes and start to thought, "Does he know me? Why? I don't know him. But there is one thing clear probably. My real name from my previous world is also the real name of this world. But I need to make sure of it. But…"
Sharun hesitated. He couldn't exactly say, "I was a jobless loser from another world who woke up here after sleeping in my bed." So, he went with the safest response he could think of.
"I… I don't remember, but do I know you? No! Do you know me? he said, lowering his gaze. "I woke up here with no memories. I don't know where I am. Or who am i?"
The man frowned. He seemed to be considering Sharun's words carefully. Finally, he sighed. "Lost memory, huh? That's interesting. I've heard of something like this before but in fairy tales. And yes. I know you. Your name is Sharun."
Sharun almost asked what he meant by that, but the man turned away. "Come. You won't last long out here dressed like that. And although you don't remember, you are one of us. You are from our village, hunters of the North."
Sharun followed behind the man, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. As they walked through the snow-covered forest, he hesitated before asking, "Where exactly are we going?"
The man glanced at him but kept walking. "To the village. Arzunheim."
Sharun stopped in his tracks. His breath hitched, and his blood ran cold for a reason other than the snow around him. Arzunheim. That name—he knew it.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place. The unique snow-goblin, this mountain, the village—everything rang a bell. It was all too familiar. His mind spun as he realized why.
"No way…" he muttered under his breath. "This can't be…"
He knew this place. He had read about it countless times before. Arzunheim was the starting village in one of his favourite novels—Road to the Haven.
Sharun's stomach twisted in a mix of fear and excitement. Was this really happening? Had he somehow ended up inside the world of Road to the Haven? It seemed impossible, but every piece of evidence pointed in that direction. If this was real, then...
His heart pounded harder. He had to confirm it. If this truly was the same village from the novel, then he knew what—or rather, who—he would see next.
A few minutes later, they reached an open clearing where a group of hunters was gathered. They were dressed in thick furs, their weapons slung over their backs. Some were tending to freshly caught prey, while others spoke in hushed voices. But Sharun's eyes locked onto one person immediately.
A young man with striking features, a sharp gaze, and a confident stance. He carried a spear with practiced ease, his presence demanding attention even among seasoned hunters.
Sharun's breath caught in his throat. There was no doubt about it.
Raj.
The main character of Road to the Haven.
His mind exploded with thoughts. What did this mean for him? Was he just another extra? A non-existing character? Or… was he supposed to change something? The realization sent shivers down his spine. If this really was the world of Road to the Haven, then he already knew the dangers that lay ahead.
And if he didn't survive, he didn't know what was next.
Sharun's heartbeat quickened. He had to think carefully. If he played his cards right, he might be able to change his fate. If he was inside a novel, then knowledge was his greatest weapon. But that also meant something terrifying—he knew what horrors were coming.
The thought made his legs weak, but he clenched his fists. One thing was clear: if this was the world of Road to the Haven, then he needed to grow stronger. Fast.
And he had no time to waste.