Cold.
Dark.
A burning pain, like hot embers, pulsed in my stomach. Each throb was like the strike of a sledgehammer, yet I refused to give in to this mere sensation.
I, Chen Mo, lay at the bottom of a silent chasm, cloaked in thick darkness and the foul scent of damp earth. My stomach was torn open, sticky blood soaking the worn-out robe clinging to this new body.
This body was fragile, so weak, even more than I had imagined. But my mind, which once orchestrated intricate schemes and controlled thousands of destinies on Earth, now raced at full speed, unfazed by its physical frailty.
I'm alive. That bastard god really did throw me here. Into a dying body. In a remote ravine. This isn't the hell I envisioned, but... it's interesting. A new challenge, laid out on a blood-stained altar.
My fingers fumbled at the tattered pockets of the clothes. They touched something hard and cold: a hairpin, made of an unknown metal, too sturdy to be a mere decoration. Without hesitation, I snapped it in half.
The metal creaked softly in the silence. Crack! I secured the sharp, pointy, and solid piece. This was enough. A sewing tool.
The wound in my stomach demanded immediate closure. Blood continued to flow, and I had only a little time before this weak vessel succumbed to a second death.
I pulled several long strands of hair from this head, gathering them into a crude thread. The hair felt strange, thicker than my old hair, yet strong enough.
Pain is merely an illusion. A signal. I can ignore it. I have done so countless times before. This is just flesh, just bone. It can be mended. I've faced worse.
With the sharp tip of the hairpin, I pierced the skin around the gaping hole in my stomach, creating small, precise punctures.
Fresh blood dripped, soaking my fingers, but I didn't flinch. I threaded the hair through the holes and began to sew, pulling the torn skin together, forcing the flesh to reconnect.
Plat! Plat! Plat!
Each stitch sent a strange sensation, like a thread pulling at nerve fibers, but I remained focused. I had stitched myself up countless times on Earth, after failed experiments or injuries during a hunt.
This was nothing in comparison. The pain... it was just a stimulus. A tangible reminder that I was still functioning, still alive.
When the final stitch was complete, the wound looked horrifyingly crude and messy, but it was closed. A brutal work of art, a monument to my unbreakable will.
I took off the old clothes. The fabric might be recognizable to anyone who knew the previous owner. I didn't want the ghost of the past haunting me. I had to erase every trace, sever all ties, burn every bridge connecting me to a useless past.
My gaze fell upon the broken hairpin, now stained with my blood. I picked it up, staring at the faint reflection of a face on its surface. This unfamiliar, innocent, even pathetic face... A blank canvas, ready for me to carve.
It wasn't enough. It was still recognizable. I needed a new identity. Something that would never be forgotten.
Something that would make them shudder, or at least not recognize this old face.
I aimed the sharp tip of the hairpin at my face. First, above my right eye, then below. A deep gash, tearing the skin, leaving a trail of flowing crimson. Splat! Then, the left eye.
Above and below. Blood dripped, soaking my cheeks, feeling warm on my cold skin. A sharp, stinging pain, but I felt nothing but satisfaction. This was not pain; it was art. A declaration.
This wasn't just a disguise. This was a rebirth. I was erasing the old face, erasing your traces, owner of this body. You are dead. Now, there is only Chen Mo. And this Chen Mo will be a terror to anyone who dares to cross his path. Even if it means trampling on your memories.
I stared at the dark sky above the chasm, a terrifying grin etched onto my now blood-scratched face.
"Look at me, you bastard god! I know you gave me no clues about this world, I know you threw me into this most remote of places! But I, Chen Mo, am not afraid of it!" My hoarse laughter echoed in the silent ravine, rebounding off the towering rock walls.
"I will fight and find information on my own, even in this silent chasm! Hahahahaha!"
I staggered forward, the pain in my stomach and face a constant reminder. My first steps in this new world. I looked around, analyzing.
This chasm felt so far from civilization; its walls were steep, and there was only the sound of the wind howling. There were no human footprints, no clear signs of battle other than my own blood and that of the previous body's owner. Just rock, moss, and some strange plants I had never seen before.
An ancient world? Or something else entirely? No technology, but I feel something familiar in this new world. Interesting! But first... water.
Top priority: water. I was thirsty, and this body desperately needed fluids to survive. I walked along the bottom of the ravine, my footsteps crunching on the gravel. The air was damp and cold.
After a while, my eyes caught a faint gleam among the rocks. A puddle, perhaps from a rock seepage. The water looked clear, though a little moss clung to its edges. I knelt, drinking slowly, feeling the cold liquid quench my dry throat.
Afterward, I washed my dirty face and body. The dried blood and grime washed away, revealing the fresh scratches on my face, which now felt raw but clean.
The scars were distinct, like the claw marks of a wild beast tearing at the skin around my eyes, drastically altering my facial features.
Just as I finished, a strange sensation spread across my back. Not cold, not physical danger, but a clear feeling of being watched. My instincts, which had saved me countless times on Earth, screamed.
Something is watching me here? It doesn't seem to be human.
I stood up straight, letting the water drip from my hair and body. I moved slowly, silently, toward the direction from which the sensation came. I wasn't afraid. Only curious.
Among the large rocks, a pair of golden-yellow eyes stared at me. Not the usual wild eyes. There was intelligence, even a hint of curiosity there.
I stepped closer, and from behind the rocks, a small tiger cub emerged. It was no larger than a grown dog, its fur beautifully striped, and there was a faint, strange aura around it, as if the air around it buzzed slightly, radiating an energy I didn't yet recognize.
A tiger? But... this aura. And its eyes. This isn't a normal animal. This creature... can it talk?
"Why is there a human here? This place is very far from any settlement," a clear voice, like a child's, came from the tiger cub.
I grinned, my smile now looking even more terrifying with the scratches on my face. "Do you want to eat me, little tiger cub?"
The tiger cub shook its head, its tail swishing gently. "No. I just wanted a drink, and I saw you were bathing, so I was waiting for you to leave."
Waiting? This creature talks? And it waited? A new variable. A new weakness to exploit. An opportunity. It's innocent. Easily bent.
"Hmm," I mumbled, my head tilted slightly, analyzing. Nonsense. Everyone will eventually stab you in the back. The weak will become prey. And I will not be prey. I will be the hunter. "If you don't want to eat me..."
My eyes narrowed. With all my might, I lunged. Woosh!
"...THEN I'LL EAT YOU! SHAAATTT! HAAA!"
I pounced. My hands seized the little tiger cub's neck with a strength I didn't expect from this weak body. Its muscles tensed under my grip, and its eyes widened in fear. Its claws raked my arm, tearing the skin, but I felt nothing. The pain was just seasoning.
"Aggghhh! W-why do you want to kill me?! I didn't want to kill you!" its voice choked, pleading, tears beginning to well up in its yellow eyes, reflecting pure terror.
I looked at it with a cold stare, my smile widening, to reveal my white teeth. "Hahaha! Nonsense! In this world, you don't want to hunt me? I'll hunt you!"
The little tiger cub struggled, its entire body trembling violently. Its breathing grew heavier, its eyes began to fade, and tears streamed from the corners of its terrified eyes.
My grip didn't loosen. As I watched, I spoke to myself: Nothing is safe in this world, not even this new one. No one can be trusted.