I opened my eyes.
What greeted me wasn't the sky, but towering stone walls surrounding me. Their surfaces were rough, filled with cracks and chisel marks, as if I were inside an underground mining tunnel. Damp air pressed against my chest, mixed with the stench of wet soil and rotting flesh.
I slowly sat up.
My line of sight was level with the rocky ground. Large stones were scattered everywhere.
I frowned.
"What happened…?" I muttered in confusion.
I looked around.
Near me, several figures were moving. From my perspective, they were about my size—round-bodied, dull yellow in color, moving slowly while picking up stones and dirt from the tunnel floor.
They looked like chibi characters. Even though they all looked similar, I was sure I had never seen creatures like this before. Still, at a glance, I somehow understood that they weren't dangerous—and were oddly a little cute.
But as I observed them longer, something felt wrong. Shouldn't I be dead? Then where was this place? Was this hell? Confusion and unease filled my chest. I was certain I had died. If so, then this must be reincarnation—but into what?
I looked around as the yellow creatures ate rocks and dirt. Some of them even climbed the walls to eat stone.
Expressionless. Without hesitation, they chewed dirt and gravel as if it were normal food.
My chest felt tight.
"…Is this a dream?" I whispered.
DUK.
A small vibration ran through the ground.
DUK. DUK.
The shaking grew stronger.
I turned toward the sound.
From the darkness in the distance, a huge leg emerged, slowly moving closer. Just seeing its size shocked me. Instinctively, I looked up, trying to see what kind of creature could have legs that big.
And that was when—I realized the difference.
That leg was as tall as the stone wall I'd been staring at earlier. Its foot alone was bigger than my entire body. Its skin was a dull green, covered in dark blotches and hanging folds of flesh.
I looked even higher.
My neck strained, my head tilted far—too far—just to see its face.
The face was torn and asymmetrical, like a corpse forced to walk again. Its belly was bloated and open, red flesh exposed and glistening under the dim light.
A zombie.
My breath caught in my throat.
I quickly glanced at the yellow creatures around me.
Then I looked back at the zombie's leg.
Only then did my mind fully grasp the reality.
"…Small," I whispered.
It wasn't them who were normal.
We were all small.
The yellow creatures—and me—weren't even taller than the zombie's calf.
My heart pounded.
"What the hell is this…?"
The zombie let out a low growl. Its voice was heavy and terrifying. In its hand, it gripped something long and flexible—a whip.
I stepped back instinctively.
Then I turned and ran.
"Is this hell?!" I shouted, trying to get away.
But my steps felt strange.
Short.
Restricted.
Every single step I took, the zombie only needed half a stride.
WUSHH—
A burst of heat exploded across my back.
My body slammed into the ground.
I heard harsh shouting above me. The second lash landed. Then the third.
I was too scared to move.
Until—
DOR!
A hard kick smashed into my body.
My vision spun as my small body was launched into the air, then crashed and rolled across the rocky ground.
I coughed, gasping for breath.
The zombie pointed at the ground around me, ranting angrily, then turned away and walked off with heavy steps.
Silence fell again.
I lay there, trembling.
The yellow creatures stared at me. From this close, I could see their bodies shaking slightly—fear… or maybe pity.
But after a few seconds, they bent down again and went back to eating dirt and stone.
I swallowed.
"…So," I muttered quietly, "it wants me to do the same thing."
I looked at my own body.
Short arms. Small legs. Yellow skin.
"I…" my voice trembled, "I'm the same as them."
That realization hit harder than the whip earlier.
"…So I really did reincarnate?"
I let out a small, hollow laugh.
"Did I commit sins that bad in my previous life?" I muttered.
I went silent for a moment, then remembered something absurd.
"…I remember selling expired pomade."
My laugh turned bitter.
"Who would've thought I'd end up in hell like this after dying?"
Heavy footsteps echoed again.
The zombie was back.
My body stiffened.
I tried to run, but my short legs made it pathetic.
WUSHH—
The whip struck again. The zombie lashed me several times before kicking me like before.
My small body was sent flying and crashed to the ground.
The zombie ranted loudly, pointing at the dirt and stones around me, then finally turned away.
The yellow creatures stared at me.
Their bodies trembled.
Then, just like before, they went back to eating dirt and stone.
I took a deep breath.
Reluctantly, I grabbed a handful of dirt.
I pretended to eat it, biting a little—afraid the zombie might come back.
As I chewed in disgust, I forced my mind to think.
Whatever this place was… it was clearly real.
And when my awareness fully focused—
a transparent screen appeared in front of me.
Race: Brick EaterRank: F
Physical Level: –Battle Power: 0.001
Skill:
Dirt Eating
Brick Poop
I stared at the screen for a long time.
"…Brick Eater," I whispered.
My face twisted as I looked at my status. Setting aside the battle power, which honestly made sense, what bothered me were the skills I had.
I looked around and saw one of the yellow creatures writhing in pain. Then, from its rear, a gray brick came out. It didn't stop—another brick came out, and another—until it finally stopped after the tenth one.
"Wait… do I have to do that?" A deeply uncomfortable feeling washed over me.
The yellow creature started stacking the bricks it produced, then went back to eating stones nearby. Other yellow creatures did the same—producing bricks and stacking them.
As someone from Earth, I couldn't stand imagining myself doing something like that. But at the same time, I was terrified of what the zombie would do if I didn't.
"Should I just steal them?" I checked the status of the nearest yellow creature. No matter what, I was afraid of causing trouble with something stronger than me and ending up dead.
Race: Brick EaterRank: F
Physical Level: 1Battle Power: 0.003
Skill:
Dirt Eating
Brick Poop
Stone Eating
Just as I thought, the yellow creature in front of me was stronger than me. But I also noticed its skills—and the fact that it had a level.
"Is it possible that by eating dirt, I'll unlock the ability to eat stone, and then my level will increase?" I thought about all the possibilities, like the novels I used to read. Somehow, it felt logical.
Reluctantly, I picked up a clump of dirt with my hand and brought it toward my mouth. "This is the only way I have to survive. I have to do it."
I closed my eyes and ate the dirt, but I didn't feel any change. With a heavy heart, I grabbed another clump.
"For survival."
With firm resolve, I began stuffing the dirt into my mouth.