'It hurts…'
As Ryu was dragged at high speed, the chain cutting into his ankle, his back scraped over jagged rocks, splintered logs, and patches of hard-packed dirt. Every impact sent jolts of pain through his battered body.
He couldn't help but wonder, 'How did my life come to this…?' The answer didn't come immediately.
'Right… it's been like this from the very beginning.'
Through the blur of movement, he caught sight of a large fallen log—a thick, broken trunk. He seized it with all the strength he had left. Not to stop himself from being dragged—that was impossible—but for another reason entirely.
Looking ahead, he noticed the faintest tint of dark blue creeping into the night sky. Morning was close. The dim light gave him just enough visibility.
'How much longer will this go on…?'
After what felt like an eternity, the dragging finally ceased. Wasting no time, Ryu let go of the log and pushed himself to his feet. His body was a mess of fresh cuts and deep scratches, his sides bruised, his fingers bloodied, nails nearly torn from gripping the wood so tightly.
'Rocks… I need rocks.'
He searched quickly, finding a large, solid stone. Then another. Smashing them together, he managed to break one into a sharp-edged fragment.
'Finally… some luck.'
Without hesitation, he took the shard to the nearest thick tree and began hacking at its trunk. For an hour, he struck the wood relentlessly, his muscles screaming, until a deep hole was carved into it.
"This will do."
He then retrieved the log he'd dragged earlier and worked its tip against the sharp rock, fashioning it into a crude but sturdy spear. This task was easier, as the log was much thinner than the tree. Once done, he found another piece of wood and carried both to the prepared tree.
Slotting the spear firmly into the hole, he braced it with the second log, forcing it upright. Then he gathered long strands of vine, climbed the tree, and draped them around the spear—creating a wall of greenery to conceal it.
When he landed back on the ground, his voice was calm but cold.
"It's time to kill."
He began walking toward the chain's other end. His steps were steady, conserving energy for what was to come.
'Strange… just how long is this chain?'
After fifteen minutes, he froze.
"Chains…"
The ground ahead was littered with them—dozens, just like his. Most were empty, but some were stained with dark, dried blood. The sight put him instantly on edge.
And then he saw it.
"The hell…?"
The creature had vaguely human-like limbs, but its body was nothing close to human. All the chains, including his own, were connected to it.
"So… I wasn't the only one."
These chains meant there had been others—others who had ended up like him, only to be killed or devoured.
The thing appeared to be sleeping.
Ryu hesitated. He knew it was strong, but had no idea how fast it could move on land. Still, one truth was clear: as long as it lived, it would hunt him.
He moved back a little, found a fist-sized rock, and hurled it. His aim was perfect—too perfect.
The rock struck its head, or what passed for one.
'Why do I have such good aim only in situations like this?'
The creature stirred. Then it released a deafening, nails-on-metal screech that tore through the air. Birds erupted from the trees in a frantic storm of wings. The sound was enough to make anyone's knees buckle.
'Ah… here we go'
It lunged forward on its many limbs, charging with terrifying speed. Fortunately, it was just barely slower than Ryu.
'I'm so damn thankful right now.'
They raced through the forest, rain suddenly crashing down in heavy sheets, turning the ground slick and treacherous. After three more minutes, his trap was close. He forced himself to keep running, careful with every step.
Finally, he reached it. Turning, he planted himself with the wall of vines at his back, eyes locked on the creature hurtling toward him.
'Yes… come. As fast as you can.'
It leapt, limbs outstretched to snatch him—
At the last moment, Ryu dove aside.
The monster tore through the vines—
And straight into the hidden spear.
A sickening crunch and tear echoed through the clearing as the sharpened wood drove through its torso and impaled several limbs. But to Ryu's horror, the creature didn't die.
"You've got to be kidding me! God, isn't this too much already?!"
Panic clawed at him. His eyes darted to the sharp rock—now dulled from use, but still enough for what he had in mind.
"…Can you talk?" he asked, his voice oddly steady.
No answer.
He sighed. "You see… I don't want to kill you. Feels kinda lonely here. Only living things I've seen are you and some birds. But… bad luck, I guess."
He didn't even know why he was talking. Maybe to steady his nerves.
Then he went to work—smashing the rock against its limbs, breaking them one by one. The sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing filled the air, but he didn't flinch.
The rain had already passed, brief as it was. Where once he was drenched in water, now he was soaked in a strange, dark red fluid.
"It's like blood… but no salty smell. Weird."
Once the limbs were gone, he yanked the broken bones from their flesh, fashioning them into crude blades. One after another, he stabbed the creature—eyes, neck, and every inch of its body—until it was studded with the sharp fragments.
It had stopped moving long ago, but he didn't stop stabbing until he was sure.
By the time he was finished, an hour had passed.
'I'm tired… I don't want to do this anymore.'
He didn't care to understand what had just happened. Not anymore.
"I need to start looking for food," he muttered.
'When was the last time I even did that? I don't remember. Well… no need right now.'
Grabbing the chain, he heaved the corpse off the spear and began dragging it toward the lake.