A low groan escaped Kai's mouth as he peeled himself off the steering wheel, leaving a big greasy forehead print on the cracked leather. His head throbbed like he'd been clocked by a baseball bat wrapped in bad decisions.
Blinking, he shoved open the truck door and stumbled out.
Not onto asphalt.
Onto... grass.
Tall, neon-green grass that came up to his knees, under a sky that had not one, but two suns beaming down like a judgmental audience.
Kai blinked again, just to be sure.
Nope. Still grass. Still twin suns. Still very much not Kansas.
The Iron Goose — his pride and joy, his beat-up military rover turned cozy house-on-wheels — sat there looking weirdly clean. The olive drab paint now shimmered faintly under the light, like it had been waxed by a team of magical squirrels while he was unconscious.
Kai staggered back, hands on his head. "Okay. Okay. This is fine. Cosmic storm. Weird sky. Field trip to Narnia. This is fiiine."
The truck beeped at him.
He whipped around.
The old touchscreen he'd duct-taped onto the dashboard had been replaced by a floating holographic map, spinning lazily above the steering wheel. Glowing symbols blinked across a vast, unfamiliar landscape — forests, lakes, mountain ranges — all labeled in a language he didn't recognize but somehow understood.
At the top corner, cheerful text read:
Welcome, Kai. System Update Complete!
ManaNav Online.
A calm, female voice spoke from nowhere.
"Congratulations, Operator Kai. You have been selected for the Experimental Mana Augmentation Program. We hope you enjoy your unauthorized interdimensional travel experience."
Kai stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a rock.
"WHO SAID THAT?!" he shouted, spinning around.
The voice chuckled lightly. "I am G.A.I.L. — Goose Artificial Intelligence Link. Your onboard assistant, survival guide, and occasional source of sarcasm."
"I didn't order a smartass update!" Kai snapped.
"You didn't order interdimensional relocation either," G.A.I.L. replied sweetly. "And yet, here we are."
Before Kai could argue with the disembodied sass, a red alert flashed across the holographic map.
Hostiles Approaching!
From the distant dirt road, a dozen figures on horseback galloped toward him — knights, by the look of it, with shiny armor, spears raised, and very clear Kill the Demon Beast energy.
Kai dove back into the truck, slammed the door shut, and frantically jabbed at buttons.
"G.A.I.L., tell me you have a 'get me the hell out of here' button!"
"Activating defensive systems," she chirped.
The roof panels slid open with a hiss.
From the back of the Iron Goose, a sleek, mana-infused turret unfolded like a deadly sunflower.
Kai barely had time to register this before it fired.
BOOM.
A blast of glittering blue energy shot out, sending a shockwave that knocked the charging knights off their horses like bowling pins.
Kai gaped through the windshield, jaw dropping.
"Holy crap. My truck just Kamehameha'd medieval knights."
G.A.I.L. spoke again, as calmly as someone reading the weather: "Threat level neutralized. Minimal collateral damage: 73%."
"Seventy-three percent isn't minimal!" Kai yelled.
Outside, the dazed knights crawled around on the grass, moaning. One had landed head-first into a hay cart and was now wearing a basket like a hat.
"Suggest you depart before reinforcements arrive," G.A.I.L. added helpfully.
Kai needed no more encouragement.
He punched the accelerator.
The Iron Goose roared forward — but the ride wasn't bumpy like usual. The tires morphed, reshaping to roll smoothly across the uneven terrain like it was paved.
The holographic map shifted to show his path, highlighting a blinking golden dot marked:
Nearest Town: Safe Zone. Recommended.
As he drove, Kai couldn't stop glancing around the upgraded interior.
Sleek magic-imbued consoles had replaced the old dials.A glowing mini-drone ("Goose Scout," G.A.I.L. had labeled it) perched in a docking bay above the passenger seat.A shimmering panel labeled "Stealth Mode" pulsed invitingly.
Kai reached out and pressed it.
The truck's entire body blurred and shimmered, blending into the landscape like a ghost. It was perfect — except he'd left the headlights on full beam, cutting giant glowing cones through the air.
From a nearby hill, a confused flock of sheep baaaa'd loudly at the bizarre spectacle.
G.A.I.L. sighed. "Operator, stealth mode is slightly less effective with giant glowing eyeballs attached."
"Shut up," Kai grumbled, fumbling to kill the lights.
The drone beeped happily and launched into the air, its little glowing wings flapping silently as it scouted ahead.
Kai slumped back in his seat, laughing helplessly.
"I have no idea where I am, no idea what's happening..." he said aloud, grinning wide as the Iron Goose barreled toward the unknown.
"But this? This is gonna be one hell of a road trip."