My heart races as I sprint through an alien forest, the towering trees clawing at the blue-reddish sky. My name’s Shar Roheiz, but the World knows me as Ronin, Earth’s deadliest hitman. Right now, though, I’m just prey.
Four monstrous beasts are on my tail—imagine zombie sheep, but with glowing purple eyes and razor-sharp fangs. Their guttural snarls echo through the forest. I can’t help but think they could easily catch me if they wanted to. So, why don’t they?
“Frey! Anyone!” I shout into my radio. Static. Great. I curse under my breath and hurl it at one of the creatures, hoping to slow it down. It doesn’t.
Ahead, I spot a massive tree. High ground—it’s my best shot. My legs scream in protest as I push harder, leaping for the trunk. I climb, my hands scraping against rough bark. For a moment, perched on a branch, I catch my breath and take in the surreal, twisted landscape below.
Big mistake.
The beasts ram the tree trunk in perfect sync. The impact sends vibrations through the wood. Splinters fly, and the tree groans under the assault. As it starts to topple, I leap for a branch on a nearby tree. My hands find their grip, but my heart feels like it’s about to explode. Whatever brought me here, survival is going to demand every skill I’ve got.
Then, without warning, the beasts stop. Their glowing eyes dim, and they shuffle back into the shadows. A cold wind snakes through the forest, leaving an unnatural silence in its wake. Slumping against the tree trunk, I try to catch my breath. But the uneasy feeling in my gut grows stronger. Why did they stop?
That’s when I hear it. Heavy footsteps, slow and deliberate. My eyes widen as a massive wolf steps out from the underbrush. It’s huge—easily the size of a small car. Its fur ripples like smoke, and its glowing eyes met mine there was a hunting air around it, it seemed to assess me with its eyes like intelligent being, but that soon disappears as it bares its fangs revealing its predatory nature. The retreat of the zombie sheep suddenly makes sense.
“Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” I mutter, gripping the tree tighter.
The wolf’s gaze doesn’t waver. This isn’t just some mindless beast. There’s something deeper behind those eyes, something unnervingly calculating.
It lunges. Massive jaws snap shut inches from my face as I dive to the ground. The impact knocks the wind out of me, but I’m already scrambling to my feet. The forest feels claustrophobic now, the once-towering trees pressing in like a death trap.
“Nice doggy,” I say, my voice steady despite my racing heart. “I’m just a tall, lost squirrel. Surely you’ve eaten enough for today?”
The wolf crouches, muscles coiling. My hand brushes against something in my pocket—a high-frequency emitter, meant for disabling security systems. It’s a gamble, but it’s all I’ve got. I activate it. A piercing whine fills the air. The wolf’s ears flatten, and it recoils with a pained growl.
I don’t wait to see if it’ll work for long. I sprint toward a cluster of dense trees, my lungs burning. The wolf’s enraged howls echo behind me as I weave through the forest, dodging branches and roots. I burst into a small clearing and skid to a halt.
Then the wind changes. It’s subtle at first, but it builds, carrying a strange pressure. Without warning, I’m lifted off my feet and slammed into the ground. Pain radiates through my ribs as I gasp for air. Dazed, I look up to see the wolf standing over me. Its eyes now glow with an eerie greenish-blue light, swirling with energy that feels… ancient. Otherworldly.
Magic? No, that’s ridiculous. But whatever this is, it’s far beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. A burning sensation spreads through my left arm. I glance down to see faint, shimmering scales under my skin. My chest tightens with panic, but I shove it down. Survive first, freak out later.
The wolf lunges again. I twist to the side, my hand closing around a sturdy branch. My grandfather’s voice echoes in my head: “Even a small stone can turn a stick into a deadly weapon.” Muscle memory takes over. I hurl the branch with all my strength. It strikes the wolf’s eye, and the beast howls, staggering back.
But it’s not enough. The wolf shakes its head, the glow in its eye undiminished. It steps forward, snarling. I brace myself for the next attack.
Before it can strike, the ground beneath us erupts. Massive roots, thicker than tree trunks, burst from the earth. They twist and coil around the wolf , some wind around me as raise me up high tightening like a giant fist. The beast’s snarls turn to whimpers before being silenced entirely.
The sight is horrifying, but it’s not over. My body freeze as a massive, spiderlike entity descends from the roots. Its skeletal frame glints in the dim light, its bony limbs tapping against the bark of the tree with an eerie rhythm. It has no eyes, I don’t particularly hate insects but I certainly don’t like this insect. My chest tightens as it steps closer. Each tap of its limbs feels deliberate, like it’s savoring the moment. I’m frozen in place, unable to look away as it finally stops a few feet from me, I feel dizzy but losing consciousness here would mean my doom.
For a moment, its head stays looking towards me. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, it tilts its head, as though examining me. My breath catches in my throat.
“You...” it rasps. Its voice is low, grating, and it feels like it’s speaking directly into my mind.
I want to move, to run, but my body refuses to defeated by pain. The spiderlike creature inches closer, Just as its limb stretches toward me, the world tilts. My vision blurs, and a strange, dizzying sensation washes over me. The last thing I see before darkness takes me is the creature’s skeletal frame folding in on itself, its shape twisting and contorting into something more humanoid.
In the void, I find myself in a dreamlike haze. Floating in an endless white expanse, I’m drawn to a colossal black sphere, its surface rippling with liquid shadows. A blood-red symbol—a ‘T’—pulses at its center. As I stare, the spiderlike creature reappears, its humanoid form taking shape. Though its limbs are now folded and more humanlike, its grotesque, bony structure remains.
“I am Geolard,” it says, its voice resonating in the emptiness. “The 126th demon lord, and the only Bone-Demon to claim such a title. You witnessed my weakest form… but even that was enough to end the beast that hunted you.”
It circles me slowly, its crimson eyes studying me with an unnerving intensity. “You are... intriguing. A human, yet not bound by this world’s laws. Your body... it will serve me well.”
I glare at it, every fiber of my being fighting to stay defiant. “I couldn’t care less about whatever schemes you’ve got,” I say, my voice sharp despite the confusion swirling in my mind. “Who are you? And where the hell am I?”
Geolard paused, its head tilting again. “Defiance. How quaint. But futile.” In a blink, it was on me. Its clawed hand wrapped around my throat, and I was lifted off the ground. My vision dimmed as I clawed at its grip, desperation flooding my senses. The red ‘T’ flared on the sphere, bathing the space in crimson light. A beam shot out, striking Geolard. It howled in agony, releasing me as it staggered back.
“You... are no ordinary human,” it rasped, its form flickering as though struggling to hold itself together. “But I may not be able to meet you again. My soul is being decimated by this black sphere. However, I can still offer you my powers.”
“What do you want from me?” I asks, my heart racing. “What’s the catch?”
Geolard’s eyes glinted with a mix of desperation and resolve. “You must kill the evil elven king of the Royal Clodian family. He is the source of much suffering in this world, and his reign must end. In return, I will grant you the strength you need to survive.” His voice fades as I wake up.
Sunlight filters through the canopy above. My left arm and eye burn, and as I pull back my sleeve, faint scales glint in the light.
“What the hell is happening to me?” I mutter. My mind races as I try to make sense of everything.
“So it was all a dream, huh?” I mutter, blinking away the lingering vestiges of sleep. “Well, I don’t know what’s even real anymore.”
As I shift, trying to free myself from the vines’ grip, a sharp pain lances through my left arm and my left eye. I crane my neck to look and freeze, my heart skipping a beat. Where my normal arm should be, there’s now something else—black scales like obsidian and golden veins passing through it glinting in the morning light, claws where my fingers should be.
“What the hell?” I whisper, a mix of fascination and horror washing over me.
Geolard’s words rush back: “...consider this new body of yours as a payment of mine. It should be of great use to you in this world. If you absorb enough things—be it a tree’s pulp or the flesh and bones of a living being—you can get stronger...”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Great. Not only am I stranded in some nightmare realm, but now I’m part demon? Just perfect.”
As I struggle against the vines, they suddenly loosen their grip. For a moment, I feel relief—until I realize I’m plummeting toward the ground. I crash through several thick branches, each impact sending shockwaves of pain through my body.
I hit the forest floor with a sickening thud, my left collarbone snapping on impact. Pain explodes through my chest, stealing my breath away.
“F**k,” I groan, gritting my teeth against the agony. “Great, now it’s broken as well.”
Lying there, trying to catch my breath and assess the damage, my mind races. A demonic contract, a transformed arm, and now more broken bones than I care to count. This world seems determined to kill me at every turn.
As I struggle to sit up, leaning against the tree trunk for support, I feel something hard digging into my backside. Wincing, I reach around with my right hand, careful not to jostle my broken collarbone. My fingers brush against something metallic, tucked into my belt and partially trapped beneath me.
With a bit of awkward twisting and a few choice curses, I manage to free the object. As I bring it in front of me, my eyes widen in disbelief.
“No way,” I breathe, staring at the sleek device in my hand. “How could I forget about this?”
It’s my plasma spear, a piece of cutting-edge technology I’d completely overlooked in the chaos of the past day. The weapon’s potential floods back to me—its blade, when activated, burns at over 3000°C, capable of slicing through most carbon-based matter like it’s nothing.
A humorless chuckle escapes my lips. “Some hitman I am, forgetting about my best weapon when I needed it most.”
As I stand there, plasma spear humming with deadly energy, I become acutely aware of how uncomfortably tight my suit has become. It’s stretched in odd places, no doubt a result of my recent transformation. I file that observation away for later consideration—right now, I have more pressing matters.
My eyes are drawn to the wolf’s corpse, a grisly reminder of the night’s battle. Despite my years as a hitman, the sight turns my stomach. Human targets were one thing, but this... this is something else entirely. The sheer brutality of it all catches me off guard.
“Pull it together,” I mutter to myself, forcing my feet to move. I approach the carcass cautiously, each step calculated to minimize the pain in my collarbone.
As I near the torn upper half of the beast, something catches my eye—a faint, otherworldly glimmer emanating from its belly region. Curiosity overrides my revulsion, and I find myself reaching toward the source of the light.
My hand plunges into the wolf’s chest cavity, and I immediately feel something solid and warm. With a grimace, I get a grip on the object and pull.
What emerges nearly makes me drop my plasma spear in shock. It’s the wolf’s heart—but it’s massive, easily half the size of my own body. The organ pulses with an unnatural light, and there seems to be some kind of shiny object inside the heart, but it soon loses its glow.
I notice something else on the ground nearby—the book I was clutching last night, now covered in dirt. But it’s not the book that catches my attention; it’s what’s lying next to it. I see a strange fruit, and my stomach groans. I’m both thirsty and hungry.
At this point, I figure I might as well take my chances. After all, I’ve already absorbed a demonic entity and a giant wolf heart. How much stranger could things get?
I bring the fruit to my lips, ready to take a bite, when suddenly something unexpected happens. The skin of my right hand begins to ripple and change, taking on a texture similar to my transformed left arm. Before I can react, the fruit starts to dissolve, being absorbed directly into my palm.
“What the—” I exclaim, dropping the half-absorbed fruit in shock. I stare at my right hand, watching as the scales and strange texture recede, leaving behind normal human skin once more. “Oh, come on! Now both arms are getting in on this alien act?”
I flex my fingers, feeling a surge of energy course through my body. The hunger and thirst that were gnawing at me moments ago have subsided, replaced by a feeling of renewed strength. Even my broken bone starts to heal a bit. But I can also see strange things from my left eye, its every uncomfortable, as if I am on some heavy drugs.
I look down at the remainder of the fruit, then at the book lying in the dirt. With a sigh, I pick up the book, brushing off the soil as best I can. Who knows—in this world of magic and monsters, even a dirty old book might hold some crucial information.
As I tuck the book into what’s left of my stretched-out suit, I can’t help but wonder what other surprises my body has in store for me. It seems that with each passing moment in this realm, I become less human and more... something else.
“Alright, gods.” I mutter, gathering my plasma spear and what’s left of my wits. “What’s next on the menu? Because at this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if I start breathing fire or growing wings.”
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