He had walked for hours before finally finding an entrance. The walk had not been uneventful. Along the way, he had met, killed, and absorbed a few more three-eyed wolves, growing stronger each time. Their attack pattern was already burned into his mind; he knew when they would lunge, when they would feint, when they would fire their beam. So killing them didn't take nearly as much time as the first ones.
Now, he stood at the temple's entrance, looking outside.
What lay before him was a forest. Gigantic trees stretched so far into the sky that, from where he stood, he couldn't even see their tips. From the position of the sun, it seemed to be around noon—which was great for him, since it meant he still had time to find shelter before nightfall.
He took a step out, breathed in the fresh air and felt the breeze on his face.
He would've loved to feel the wind run through his hair, too, but the first thing he discovered about this new body was that he was bald. He might've been disappointed if it didn't produce hair at all, but the fact that he had eyebrows gave him hope he could slowly rebuild his pride and joy… slowly.
He glanced back at the temple, mildly amazed by its size. It was far bigger than he had realized. The architecture was unlike anything he had ever seen. Honestly, it was a surprise he hadn't gotten lost inside. He found it strange that the path from the bone room to the exit was just a single hallway, but he was glad that he had found the exit fast.
After resting for a few minutes, he took a deep breath and entered the forest.
It was lively. Birds chirped above. Insects buzzed. Somewhere far off, a beast let out a deep roar.
He walked in the direction he assumed was south, hoping to find some sign of human civilization. While he was confident he could survive for now, he didn't know how long he could last in a forest like this while still this weak.
A few hours later, a familiar sensation began gnawing at him from within… hunger.
He had been pushing it aside, ignoring it as best he could since he woke up, but now it was becoming unbearable. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in years. After growing stronger in his past life, his body no longer needed food. It survived on energy alone.
Not that he missed it.
He loathed it. That empty, burning ache in his gut. That weakness. That dependence. He had done everything in his power to escape it in the past.
And yet, here it was again.
In any case, he needed to find something to eat. Fast. Luckily, even if this realm was different, some of the mortal plants were still recognizable. It didn't take long before he found an apple tree.
He scanned its branches carefully, checking for hidden beasts, and nothing was up there from what he could see.
So, he started climbing.
The higher he went, the more he noticed the scale of things. The apples were massive, almost the size of his forearm. He managed to pluck one off and ate it.
It tasted… surprisingly good. Far better than he expected. Maybe it was the hunger that made everything taste better. He finished it quickly and reached for another.
Then the branch beneath him began to shake slightly. He instantly turned around to find the source of the vibration.
Then he saw it.
A green monkey lay across the branches with one eye open, staring directly at him. It had four thick, wooden arms folded beneath it. Its fur blended perfectly with the bark and leaves, making it barely visible unless you were close to it.
Unfortunately… he was close. Too close.
They locked eyes.
His gaze remained calm, his expression barely changing.
Slowly, he reached for another apple, not looking away. The monkey's eye followed his hand. He plucked it, bit into it, and swallowed.
The moment he did, the monkey's arm lashed out.
But he was already moving.
He jumped out of the way and stabbed his spear into the bark of the tree to catch himself midway before landing softly on the ground.
His eyes locked onto the green monkey again. It was no longer lounging. All four of its thick, wooden arms now braced it upright like a spider getting ready to pounce,and sure enough, it lunged.
The branches groaned beneath its weight as it bounded forward, moving with terrifying speed for something so bulky. One arm struck out, it was a clear feint as the real attack came right after from beneath, a low sweeping strike meant to knock him off his feet.
He met it with his spear, jabbing the point down at the joint. The impact vibrated up the shaft into his arms, but he didn't let go.
The monkey roared in pain.
He tried to pull back, but another arm lashed out, this one hit him right in the chest and he was flung away.
The world spun. Leaves blurred past his eyes. Then he felt a sharp pain in his back as he crashed against a branch thicker than his torso. The air left his lungs in a choked gasp, but he forced himself to hold on.
The monkey was fast. It was durable too. It seemed smart enough to use faints.
No time to think.
He twisted, pulling himself upright just as the monkey leapt again. It landed in front of him.
This time, there was no hesitation in its movements.
A brutal flurry followed, all of its arms swinging at him one after the other, each like a heavy club trying to break his bones. He dodged the first and managed to block the second. The third hit his shoulder and spun him sideways. Its sharp bark arms scratched his skin.
With a roar, he reversed his grip on the spear and drove it forward—not toward the monkey's chest, but its eye. But it reacted faster than he expected and dodged.
One of the monkey's lower arms snapped upward, catching the shaft mid-thrust. The weapon was torn from his hands and hurled to the side.
He dropped low, barely ducking another swing. Then he kicked—a precise strike to the beast's chest. It reeled back, only slightly, but it was enough to get some distance from the monkey.
He instantly leapt to the side and grabbed his spear again.
He didn't waste time.
Spear back in his hand, he launched forward.
He thrust the tip of his spear into the one arm he'd been hitting, striking through bark-like flesh. It howled, but he didn't stop. He twisted the weapon, dragged it sideways, and ripped its arm off, which was quickly followed by a spray of thick green sap.
The monkey let out a piercing, rage-filled screech.
Its remaining three arms lashed out wildly. He managed to block one of its strikes, but the force still smashed into his ribs.
He coughed hard. He could feel something crack inside him.
But he didn't fall.
Instead, he roared right back and surged forward.
This time, the monkey tried to leap away, but it was too slow. He caught its leg mid-air and shifted his weight to bring it back down. He then drove the spear through its leg and pinned it down.
The monkey shrieked again, thrashing wildly.
It grabbed his arm and yanked him down, so he gritted his teeth and headbutted it in return. Slightly dazed but furious, it punched at him again but this time he dodged it.
He ripped the spear free from its leg, spun it, and with both hands drove it down.
The tip punched into its throat and kept going until it pierced the ground beneath.
The monkey froze.
For a second, everything was still. Then it spasmed, limbs twitching in the air, and slumped. Green blood leaked from its mouth.
He let out a long, deep sigh before finally gathering the strength in his aching body to stand up.
He stared at the monkey's corpse, with energy gathering above it, expressionless.
He turned his gaze back to the apple tree and sighed.
'Would it have killed you to share?'
Before he could even move, he felt the ground tremble slightly beneath his feet, It seemed his fight had attracted some attention. He didn't think twice before he moved and climbed the tree again, this time, he was doing the hiding.
Not long after, he felt a terrifying pressure, and he soon got a view of what was causing it.
A black tiger with purple stripes was walking through the forest. The tiger was almost the size of an elephant, and with each step, it caused the ground to tremble slightly. He knew that if he tried to face of against it he would die. Weirdly, it seemed to be pulling something behind it.
An equally large caravan was behind it. The caravan didn't seem that special, and he could make out a figure sitting at the helm. When the tiger got close to the monkey corpse, it stopped.
A man stepped down from the helm and inspected it.
He then turned around and looked right where he was hiding.
"Hey you... why don't you come down from up there?"
As soon as he said that, the pressure he had felt intensified.