Alden was having a perfectly normal day.
That alone was enough to make him nervous.
Nothing embarrassing had happened. Nobody had tripped him in the hallway. No surprise quizzes. No disasters.
The universe was clearly saving its energy for something bigger.
After school, Alden was walking home while scrolling through videos on his phone when something caught his eye.
A black cat.
A very cute black cat.
Naturally, curiosity got the better of him.
As he approached, he noticed the cat wasn't alone.
A snake was facing it.
The two were locked in an intense battle.
The snake lunged.
The cat dodged.
The cat swatted.
The snake hissed.
The cat looked less like it was fighting for its life and more like it was bullying the poor reptile.
Alden's Gen-Z instincts immediately activated.
Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone.
Human civilization had invented cameras for moments exactly like this.
"This is definitely going online."
He crouched down and started recording.
Minutes passed.
The snake was losing badly.
The cat wasn't even trying anymore.
To get a better angle, Alden moved closer.
Then closer.
Then even closer.
At some point, he forgot one very important detail.
He was standing in the middle of the road.
"HONK!"
A deafening noise shattered his concentration.
Alden turned around.
And froze.
A massive truck was racing straight toward him.
His eyes widened.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Every anime, manga, and web novel he had ever consumed flashed through his mind.
"No way..."
His voice trembled.
"No freaking way..."
There, speeding toward him like destiny itself, was the legendary...
HONORABLE TRUCK-KUN.
Alden nearly burst into tears.
After years of waiting...
After years of dreaming...
His isekai ticket had finally arrived.
"TRUCK-KUN!" he shouted.
The driver looked horrified.
"What?!"
"I'M READY!"
"READY FOR WHAT?!"
The truck's brakes screamed.
Tires scraped against asphalt.
The vehicle skidded forward before finally stopping less than a meter away from him.
Silence.
Alden stared at the truck.
The truck stared at Alden.
The driver stared at the idiot standing in the road.
"...My isekai ticket..."
Alden muttered.
"...got rejected."
The driver leaned out of the window.
"Get off the road, you moron!"
Alden sighed.
No magical kingdom.
No cheat abilities.
No elf companions.
What a disappointing day.
Then something touched his shoulder.
Alden turned.
The snake.
The same snake from earlier.
It looked half-dead.
Its body was covered in scratches.
Its eyes contained only exhaustion and pure hatred.
The snake raised its head.
Bit his neck.
And immediately died.
"...Huh?"
Alden blinked.
The venom entered his bloodstream.
His vision blurred.
His legs weakened.
The cat calmly walked over and sat nearby.
Watching.
Judging.
The cat blinked.
Alden wasn't sure if the cat had actually smirked or if the venom was already affecting his brain.
As darkness consumed his vision, a final realization struck him.
Truck-kun had done nothing wrong.
The snake had stolen the kill.
With that tragic thought, Alden closed his eyes.
What a typical death.