I am a Military Police officer in the U.S Army.

I enlisted within the Army to escape poverty and support my family.

 

 

 

Currently, as of midnight, I'm guarding one of the numerous entrances into some random ass base with one of my friends, James.

Gate #4.

A small, useless gate that nobody really uses within the base.

Accompanying the gate is a small guard post with me and James.

Due to the fact that this gate is pretty much never used, most people slack off.

This includes James.

Not me though.

I just do what I'm supposed to do, faithfully.

"C'mon man. Relax a bit and get your pistol off your vest and sit down. Nobody's gonna come here so late. Not even the Sergeant."

James, on his phone that was supposed to be confiscated, urged me.

"I know. I'm just standing guard just in case."

I replied in a faithful tone.

"Haha. Hard-working as usual."

"Yeah."

"Did you read the novel I told you to read last week?"

James, was a big fan of novels and read novels whenever he had time.

He's probably reading a novel on his phone right now.

"Yeah."

While I usually am not into reading, or anything fantasy-related for that matter, I read a novel James urged me to read; as we were close friends.

"Really? How was it?"

"It was okay, I guess."

I replied.

"That's it?"

The novel James told me to read, was a Light Novel originating from Japan.

It was about the first son of a rural Baron territory and his voyage around the central Empire within a medieval fantasy world.

It mostly focused on "romance" and the shenanigans of an overpowered protagonist and his journey. 

"It was entertaining, but I didn't like the fact that the protagonist married every heroine and love interest in the end."

It was entertaining to read the action scenes and the progressive strength of the main character, but some things felt off. Such as the "romance" aspect.

"... That's the best part dude!! It's called a harem!"

James exclaimed.

"I don't know dude. Would seem like a hassle."

...

"Well... your opinion I guess.. Anything else?"

"Well... I also found some parts unrealistic."

"Such as what?"

"I don't know.. probably like the incompetence of the soldiers in the novel."

To highlight the actions of the main character, the local security of any place in the novel was hilariously incompetent and corrupt. 

I kept talking.

"Usually, I would expect most medieval settings to focus on the competence of their security forces and their military prowess. In the novel, they just seem to be incompetent to show how 'kind' the protagonist is."

The novel repeatedly showed the protagonist destroying slavery and organized crime.

Realistically, all of that would've been decimated by the local security forces through legally operational busts before the main character could even notice the existence of such organizations.

"Hmm. True that."

James replied.

"Well, it's just a novel. I enjoyed it for what it was."

"Good to hear."

I nodded my head.

I was glad that James recommended the novel. It was something a bit new compared to the InterFlix TV shows I watched all the damn time.

Captured in thought, I noticed a bright flashing light down the road in front of the gate.

"James, what's that?"

"Huh?"

James looked up from his phone and stood up.

"Aren't those headlights of a car?"

The lights were getting closer.

"I think it is."

"We aren't scheduled for any visitors though."

"Huh. Wrong turn maybe?"

Suddenly, the lights stopped approaching.

The silhouette  of the car was visible from the closer distance.

"I'll go check it out."

I said.

However, James interjected.

"Nah, I'll go. I want to take a small walk anyways for some fresh night air."

"Alright."

James, holstering his pistol, opened the door of the guard post and began walking towards the unidentified car.

Placing his hands on the holster, James went up to the passenger seat.

Seeing James, the passenger seat's window rolled down.

"What brings you here on such a late night?"

"..."

Suddenly, a loud bang roared from the passenger seat of the car.

BANG

James's head exploded upon the sound.

His body went limp and laid across the road.

It was obvious he was dead. His degloved face laid across the concrete.

From a gun shot originating from the car no less.

"What the fuck?"

Seeing this, I quickly upholstered my pistol and turned the safety off.

The passengers of the car quickly dismounted, revealing their bodies.

Clad of black clothing and bullet proof vests, the passengers all had rifles of Russian origin.

I immediately began unloading my pistol through the glass window of the guard post.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

However, the dismounted passengers had rifles.

With optics too.

It was almost impossible to see what I was shooting at, due to the fact that I only had iron sights of a pistol, which were pitch black - and so was the night sky.

The dismounted passengers, with rifles, started shooting back.

While I was confident I dropped one of the men in black, there were obviously a lot more dismounted passengers.

A short gunfight ensued, with the obvious victor.

On that day, I died - with James and my corpse resting on Gate #4.

...

And then I woke up. 

In a medieval world.