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It happened out of nowhere. I was just getting out of bed to start my day. The usual: wake up, grab something to eat, then head out to look for a job. Unemployed at 25 — that's me, Victor.
But before I could do anything, everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, I was in an unfamiliar place. I'd never seen a landscape like this before. Glowing trees gave off a soft light, and firefly-like creatures with human-like arms and legs zigzagged through the air.
What at first seemed eerie turned out to be harmless. They were simply gathering leaves like worker ants, completely ignoring my presence.
I tried to recall anything from before that moment, but my memory was hazy. All I knew was that my name was Victor, and somehow, after getting out of bed, I blacked out and ended up here. I had no idea what I'd been doing before that.
I slowly stood up from the ground — and then noticed something alarming: I was naked. Instinctively, I covered myself, only to realize something even more disturbing.
There was… nothing down there.
Okay. Something's definitely wrong here.
For a second, the absurd idea that I'd been castrated crossed my mind. Humans think weird things when they're in shock. But when I looked at my hands more closely, I saw they were smaller, with long black nails, and I felt incredibly agile.
This body wasn't mine.
I moved swiftly, testing my new flexibility and strength. It was small — but surprisingly powerful.
At a loss for words, I walked to the edge of a nearby lake. There, I finally saw my reflection. Pale skin. Medium-length black hair. Golden eyes. A slightly feminine face.
No wrinkles, no blemishes. My skin was smooth. I looked... prettier than before. And I wasn't exactly ugly to begin with.
I looked around. No one else was there, just those insect-like creatures still going about their work. I was lost.
Was I sent to another world?
That's a problem. My life might've sucked, but I don't want to die in some random world that isn't even mine.
Still, I had to stay alive. I decided to look for food. The trees nearby didn't seem to bear fruit, so I ventured deeper into the forest — and quickly realized that was a bad idea.
A man in strange armor came running straight at me. He grabbed me roughly and pointed a sword at my neck.
"Finally found one. It's been hard locating your kind these days. You're going to make me a lot of money."
That's when it clicked. He was a hunter — and I was the prey. I had to think fast.
"Usually your kind is wild and violent. You're the first one who hasn't attacked me this close."
"Let me go."
He lowered his sword slightly, surprised by my words.
"Oh! You can talk? You're the first I've seen that speaks — the others just growled. Are you a rare monster? If so, I'll make double the money!"
"I'm warning you. Let go."
"Eh? You're in no position to make demands, you filthy beast!"
And then, a sound like thunder echoed through the trees. I clenched my fist, turned, and struck the man with all my strength.
The trees behind him were flattened as he was launched at high speed.
Maybe I'm... too strong. This body really is far more powerful than my old one.
I'm not sure if I should be shocked or thrilled. I hope he didn't die, but I doubt anyone could walk away from that unharmed.
At the very least, he won't be coming back.
Anyway — food. Let's just forget what happened here and find something to eat.
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While Victor searched for food in the forest, an intriguing conversation was taking place in the grand human castle.
The king, seated on his throne, raised a glass of wine to his lips. The door creaked open, revealing a suspicious-looking man.
He wore an eyepatch over his right eye, a mask covering his mouth, and a luxurious hat. His outfit, all gray and black, was perfect for someone who lived in the shadows.
"You've finally arrived. Let's get to the point — how did the mission go?" asked the king, his voice thick with impatience.
The man knelt, bowing his head before reporting.
"He's not at the mansion. Still abandoned. No signs of activity or life, and no hidden passages," he finished, keeping his head low.
The king set down his empty glass and sighed loudly.
"So he's not there. A shame. That would've boosted our military strength by 600%," he said, clearly disappointed.
"Your Majesty, I'll keep searching. The Gejer couldn't have hidden it beyond the borders of our kingdom," the subordinate replied with conviction.
"But it's been twenty years! How does someone hide something that powerful for that long?! They're all dead!"
Losing his temper, the king slammed his fist into the counter, shattering it.
He was searching for a powerful item hidden two decades ago. Despite all the time and resources spent hunting it down, no trace had ever been found.
And it wasn't just the humans after it. All the other kingdoms were searching too, each one desperate to find it first.
Many believed the artifact was still somewhere within the human realm — prompting other kingdoms to send in spies.
Everyone knew it, yet the rulers pretended otherwise, keeping up the illusion of diplomacy.
To make things worse, monster attacks were becoming more frequent. Trade had been hit hard — exporters often vanished before reaching their destination, and goods went missing.
Citizens were scared to travel. If nothing changed, a financial crisis loomed.
"Anyway, thank you for your work. Keep looking. I'm confident we'll get through this mess," said the king, trying to keep his composure.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the man replied, vanishing from the room in the blink of an eye.
The king looked down at the shattered remains of his counter.
"Servants! Bring me a new table and clean up this mess!" he barked.
The servants moved quickly, clearing the debris and replacing the broken furniture.
The king sat down again, eyes fixed on some distant point — thinking.
He was always thinking about something.
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I wandered a bit and found some fruit — if you could even call it that. It was about the size of a peach, but green. Really green. With little pink dots inside.
It was incredibly bitter, but it was all I had. At first, I thought it might be poisonous, but I saw some animals eating it and decided to risk it.
I climbed a tree with surprising ease. The animals here seemed pretty docile — none of them attacked me. Maybe they only go after threats.
Well, I don't plan on testing that.
I also noticed my senses were enhanced. I could detect this fruit by smell from meters away. My vision stretched far, though I couldn't tell exactly how far — no clear landmarks.
My long black claws were perfect for climbing and made great weapons. If anyone gets too close, I'll scratch — and it won't be pretty.
My teeth had turned into small fangs, strong enough to bite through stone, and my jaw opened far wider than before.
I'm pretty sure I could bite half a lion.
My hearing was so sharp I could hear worms underground. Loud noises didn't hurt, but they made me a bit dizzy.
Putting all this together, I figured I'd turned into some kind of wild animal.
Well, at least I had some advantages for survival. But honestly, I'd take my old, boring life back any day.
I was probably around 5'4" now. Life is cruel.
Couldn't I have gotten a bit taller?
Everyone's going to think I'm a child.
"I'm so done with this…" I muttered, tossing the fruit to the ground.
Maybe I should find a place to spend the night.
As I thought about it, a loud noise came from somewhere nearby.
Colorful birds flew overhead, squawking wildly. I heard what sounded like a pan crashing and glass breaking.
Worried, I followed the sound, fearing I might find another hunter.
When I arrived, it wasn't a hunter. I found an old, crumbling mansion with a gate creaking in the wind. I had a bad feeling about it, but it looked like the closest shelter.
I crossed the dead yard and saw a destroyed doghouse. Ignoring it, I headed straight to the front door — which was broken.
I slipped through the gap and entered the mansion.
Right at the entrance was a once-luxurious red carpet, now ruined.
To the side, a counter with a drawer and a photo frame lying face-down, its glass shattered. I picked it up and saw a couple with three children — one of them a baby.
Judging by their clothes, they looked rich. The parents had that arrogant look, but maybe I was being unfair.
Never judge people by appearances, Victor. Remember that.
To the left, the first door led to a room with a fireplace.
The ceiling was broken, letting the setting sun shine through.
Shattered vases and children's drawings littered the floor. Honestly, their drawings were better than mine ever were.
How sad.
Nothing else stood out except some wine glasses — some still intact, surprisingly.
They say wine gets better with age, but I wasn't going to test that theory. Might be cursed or something.
Outside the room, there were more doors on the ground floor, and a staircase leading to the second floor. The bedrooms were probably up there, but every time I thought about going up, I felt uneasy.
Something warned me not to go.
Even though everything was quiet, the wind that whistled through the cracks made my skin crawl.
Just the thought that someone — or something — might be up there kept me from climbing.
I decided to stay in the kitchen. I found some old cloths and table linens in the drawers and used them as a makeshift blanket.
I curled up under the table and prepared to sleep.
Under the stairs was a door leading to a pantry filled with tools, lamps, papers, and pens.
It was the only part of the first floor that wasn't destroyed — just messy.
There was also a bathroom, but it was in such ruins it barely counted as one.
Not that it mattered — apparently, I didn't need one anymore.
As I settled under the table, I heard noises from the second floor.
It sounded like just the wind, and I trusted my hearing not to be wrong.
I managed to stay calm.
Still, I couldn't close my eyes. Sleep never came.
Maybe it was fear — or maybe this new body just didn't need rest.
I felt like I could walk for days without stopping.
I'll keep an eye on the door.
If anything shows up, I'll jump out the window.
Or maybe I'll try eating it.
After all, if I'm sleeping here, this is my territory now, right?
That casual thought about killing made me feel weird.
So I decided it was better to run than kill.
Still, I couldn't shake the thought that I might have to, eventually.
I'd avoid it as much as I could.
And so the night passed.
Hidden under a table, wrapped in tablecloths — my first experience in this new world was far from welcoming.
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