"Ahhh-"
An eleven- or twelve-year-old boy fell through a cave opening on the mountain, then hit the ground with a splat, turning into a puddle of mangled flesh.
Linde stared at the Game Over screen before him, lost in thought.
He had originally been a nineteen-year-old college student who absolutely loved Undertale.
But when he saw the news that J-mom had been driven out of the fandom by clueless posers, a fierce anger rose in his chest. How could I let that slide? Bring me my keyboard!
Then, after a heated battle with those posers, Linde returned utterly defeated.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Then, all of a sudden, his head spun, and his vision went black-
And then he had transmigrated into the world of Undertale, looking like his eleven- or twelve-year-old self again.
Back in the present, Linde was complaining to the panel.
"What the hell! How could I fall to my death? That makes no sense! Since when does UT have fall damage?"
Furious, Linde reloaded his save, determined to see exactly how he had died. The result-
Splat.
"Fuck! I really did fall to my death! I didn't even land on the flowers! Something's wrong! Aren't I the protagonist? Where's my plot armor?"
Linde shouted at the sky, but received no answer.
"No way... could it be...?"
Linde looked down. The shirt he was wearing wasn't a purple striped one!
I'm screwed! I really am not the protagonist!
Left with no other choice, Linde reloaded again. As he fell through the air, he struggled to adjust his position, trying to land on the flower bed that was only two meters across.
After dying four more times, he finally landed on the flowers with a thump.
His whole body hurt, yet miraculously, he hadn't suffered a single injury.
Linde brushed himself off and stood up. But before he could take a breather, he heard rushing wind and a child's startled scream overhead.
Linde hurriedly dove aside, and the instant he got out of the way-
Thump. A child in a blue-and-purple striped shirt landed squarely in the flower bed.
Linde's mouth twitched. So this was the protagonist Frisk's luck...
Frisk looked only about ten years old, with a hint of resolve and courage on her young face. Her short hair was neat and tidy, with even the longest strands barely reaching her neck. She wore a blue-and-white knitted sweater paired with black trousers. The child clutched a sturdy stick as though it were a weapon, and a bandage was wrapped around her waist, suggesting she had been injured.
Just then, he suddenly realized he could no longer reload. Looking at the protagonist before him, he understood an inequality:
Frisk > Linde > Flowey
"Hey!" Linde poked the unconscious Frisk. He had planned to get up and scout ahead, but then thought better of it. If he went too early and Goat Mom hadn't arrived yet, wouldn't Flowey just off him?
In the end, Linde decided to wait until the kid woke up.
Well, not necessarily a boy. Could be a little girl, too. Come to think of it, is Frisk a boy or a girl, anyway?
Maybe... I should check?
Looking at the unconscious child before him, who was only about ten, Linde hesitantly reached out...
Yes! Fantastic! It's a girl Frisk! Linde's heart leaped with joy. Who doesn't love a little girl? As for boy Frisk serving as a battery, well, little boys are cute too, but I am a guy, after all...
"Mm..." Frisk rubbed her eyes and sat up among the flowers.
"Hey, you're awake!" Linde leaned closer.
"Aah!" Frisk jumped in fright and backed up against a stone pillar. "Y-you... stay away!"
"Uh..." Linde felt a little awkward. He had, after all, just done something to her that left him with a guilty conscience. Still, he explained,
"I'm not a bad guy. I fell underground by accident, too."
Frisk watched Linde warily. She knew a great many things-how else could she be a master of flirting?-so she was more mature than most children.
"Look at how messed up my clothes got from the fall. There's no reason for me to lie to you, right? I think we should focus on figuring out how to get out of here."
Linde helplessly patted his filthy dark-red hoodie and gave a bitter smile.
"Mm, fair enough... all right, I'll trust you for now." She frowned, but finally held out her hand. "My name is Frisk."
Linde smiled and took her hand. "I'm Linde. Nice to meet you, Frisk."
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