Chapter four: The Voice Within
Alex woke up slowly.
Pain was the first thing he felt. A burning sensation in his shoulder, sharp pulses in his chest, and exhaustion screaming through every part of his body. He opened his eyes with difficulty, the rocky ceiling of the cave coming into view, faint light seeping in from outside.
He was alive.
Barely.
He tried to move and failed. His body refused to obey.
He inhaled deeply… then exhaled.
> "I was going to die…"
His voice was hoarse, the words heavier than the pain itself.
Then—
A voice.
Not from outside.
Not from the forest.
But from inside him.
Calm. Cold. Emotionless.
> "Status check complete. Your body is in a state of partial collapse."
Alex froze.
His heart pounded violently as he forced himself to sit up despite the pain.
> "Who's there?!"
His voice wasn't trembling.
It was angry.
Reckless—just like him.
> "That question is unnecessary."
Alex's eyes widened.
> "Unnecessary? There's a voice inside my body talking to me, and you say it's unnecessary?!" "Who are you?!"
Silence followed.
Then the answer came.
> "You are not worthy of knowing who I am… yet."
Anger flared inside Alex.
> "Bastard." "You appear out of nowhere, mock me, and refuse to answer?"
But he stopped himself.
Because despite his rage… he knew the truth.
This thing saved him.
He clenched his fist.
> "Fine…" "If you won't tell me who you are—then tell me where I am."
This time, the reply came immediately.
> "You were transferred." "I do not possess sufficient data about this world."
Alex frowned.
> "You don't know either?"
> "Knowledge is acquired through power."
Then, with clear mockery in its tone:
> "And you… were seconds away from dying to a tiger."
Alex gritted his teeth.
> "I would've won if the fight continued."
The voice laughed.
Not warmly.
Not humanly.
> "Delusion." "Your current body is incapable of that."
Then—
Everything changed.
> "However…" "I can make you stronger."
Time seemed to stop inside Alex's mind.
> "…What did you say?"
> "Partial integration has already occurred." "You have obtained a cursed structure… far superior to a natural one."
Something moved along Alex's spine.
Heat.
Cold.
Pressure.
> "A cursed… structure?"
> "Power demands a price." "And you… are compatible."
Alex closed his eyes, then opened them slowly.
> "So you're a system? An artifact? Something my parents left behind?"
> "Too many questions." "We have limited time."
The voice sharpened.
> "I will grant you basic techniques." "Training is your responsibility."
Suddenly—
Information flooded Alex's mind.
Movements.
Breathing methods.
Focus.
Body control.
Energy circulation.
He screamed in pain.
But he understood.
> "Damn it… this is real…"
> "Remember." "Without power… you will be prey."
The voice faded.
> "Entering dormancy."
Silence returned.
But Alex didn't sleep.
---
That night, he left the cave.
His body ached, but his mind was sharp.
He trained.
Fell.
Stood up.
Repeated the movements burned into his mind.
Sweat mixed with blood.
The night dragged on endlessly.
When hunger struck, his old skills surfaced.
Tracking.
Patience.
A precise leap.
A rabbit.
He wasn't proud.
But he was alive.
He started a small fire, ate quietly, his eyes fixed on the dark
ness beyond.
And at dawn—
He saw smoke.
He froze.
Focused.
> "…A village?"
Slowly, he stood up, clenched his fist, his eyes shining.
> "If this is a new world…" "Then that's where it begins."
And he moved toward it.