'How did I not notice it before...?'
The unmistakable iron pole topped with a glowing glass globe was clearly the structure of an old streetlamp.
'It's definitely in bad shape...'
Dirty and rusted, the streetlamp stood among the dense vegetation, abandoned, and likely forgotten.
It might have seemed strange, but Nikolas didn't think so. There was a logical explanation:
The System.
A streetlamp created through the System didn't need artificial power or human maintenance. Even if left abandoned, it would continue to activate itself at preset times, using the energy flows it had been imbued with at the moment of its creation.
In short, its fate was either to break or burn out over time, eventually becoming nothing more than a useless piece of metal, not even good for insects.
The sight of the lamp post stirred a mix of emotions in Nikolas. First, he now knew he hadn't reincarnated as a butterfly, but rather as its nocturnal counterpart:
A moth.
This didn't change much. He was still trapped in the insignificant body of an insect, in an unfamiliar forest.
However, at the same time, Nikolas could draw another conclusion.
'The presence of a streetlamp can only mean one thing... the existence of humans or intelligent creatures.'
Though this discovery didn't prove definitively that he was in his original world, it was enough to lift Nikolas's spirits. Just knowing that civilization existed somewhere was enough to make him feel a little more hopeful.
Even if, for now, that light remained only a symbol of hope, it was a welcome piece of information. After all, it was the first good news he'd received since finding himself in this body.
Still swaying under the light's disorienting effects, Nikolas rested his body on the cold wood of the branch.
'Will hope be enough to keep me from collapsing...?' he asked himself nervously.
'I'm not even in the mood to welcome reality right now... but I'm also starving.'
His body was behaving strangely, but the sensation of hunger wasn't all that different from what he had experienced as a human.
'What can I even eat now?'
Nikolas wasn't an expert on the life of moths, but he could make some educated guesses about their diet. Being similar to butterflies, it was likely they fed on nectar or other natural plant products.
'Disgusting...' No matter how much he tried not to think about it, food was an inevitable concern. Nikolas had always been used to good food, and now he was reduced to eating like an insect.
Disgust was the bare minimum.
'But now I have no choice but to act like a moth.'
He seemed to have made a decision, but reality was more complicated. His pride and life experience boiled within him, making him reluctant to accept the restrictions imposed by his condition.
'It would be ridiculous... Even if this were my destiny, I couldn't survive the rest of my life mimicking the habits of an insect.'
Nikolas possessed the developed intelligence of a human being, a mind capable of logical reasoning. He couldn't afford to follow only instinct like a normal moth.
Could he really consider himself alive if he merely survived as a pawn following nature's prewritten rules? No, that wasn't life—that was just a waste of time and effort.
At that point, he might as well die… maybe.
He'd rather not exist than become an insignificant being adapted to a meaningless existence.
Of course, he wouldn't reject learning from his fellow insects in order to survive—but he would never become one of them.
'That, for the sake of my human pride!'
Nikolas leapt and began flying among the lower plants of the lush forest. The goal was to find a suitable flower for his first meal. He scanned the area, watching his kind to see what the best choices were.
'Not becoming like them doesn't mean ignoring their experience... After all, they've been living here longer than I have, and they surely know what they're doing.'
Nikolas noticed a particular moth preparing to land on a large red flower. It resembled a poppy, with a dark, spongy corolla, and petals the color of blood—thicker and tougher than the pretty flowers Nikolas remembered from his home garden.
'Maybe those are edible...'
Summoning his courage, and aware that he had no other options, Nikolas approached the flower. His flight remained smooth and precise, just as it had been when he was drawn to the streetlamp.
He had to admit, there was a certain joy in being able to fly on his own wings. A normal human could never experience such a sensation—unless they possessed a specialized power, but even then it was extremely rare.
'My professor was an incredible exception...'
Nikolas carefully observed the other moth. He didn't want to interrupt its meal. Even if there were no written rules, he preferred to respect the idea of "one flower per moth."
However…
'What's happening?'
Just before landing, Nikolas noticed something strange in the moth he had been watching. For some reason, it was shaking the flower, which trembled under the force of the insect.
Nikolas didn't immediately understand what was happening but kept watching to gather the missing information.
When the reality of the situation finally hit him, he felt an overwhelming wave of disgust and fear.
'No, it's not the moth that's moving!'
'It's the flower...'
Nikolas's realization came slower than the plant's intent. The seemingly harmless red flower moved, and with a sudden snap, turned its corolla into a gaping mouth. The petals, acting as jaws, clamped down over the poor insect who, whether unaware or resigned to its fate—vanished, swallowed whole by the poppy.
'Damn it! A carnivorous plant...!'
Nikolas was frozen, eyes locked on the closed flower, and on the one next to it, which he had initially chosen as his potential meal.
"I seriously almost got eaten alive."
Had he not paid closer attention, he would've been the nutrition for some other living being.
Nikolas backed away from the terrifying red flowers, silently thanking the unfortunate moth who had sacrificed itself to teach him a vital truth:
In this environment, he was nothing more than an insignificant creature at the very bottom of the food chain. If he wanted to survive, he would have to be cautious of every little detail and never underestimate anything around him.
'I really hate all of this...'
After calming himself, Nikolas resumed his search for another flower, hopefully one that was less deadly and not prone to turning into a monstrous mouth.
To minimize the risk, he approached the flowers with the largest number of moths and other insects.
'The safest route is the common dining hall.'
Nikolas wasn't surprised to see that the red poppies weren't popular among his kind.
Those flowers seem to be the favorites.
Most of the moths had chosen to land on large plants that resembled white daisies.
At first glance, they looked significantly less threatening. They featured a wide yellow corolla, spacious enough for five insects to rest comfortably on it. The petals were much smaller than those of the carnivorous poppies.
Of course, before making a decision, Nikolas carefully studied the moths' behavior and any potential movement from the plants. After a few minutes, convinced that there was no danger, he finally landed on one of the many flowers.
He paused for a moment, noticing the presence of another occupant. Another moth had chosen the same flower.
'To think that I now resemble that thing... It's honestly disturbing to see an insect the same size as me.'
Unlike when he was human, Nikolas could now see every detail of the grotesque creature.
A large, hairy body, from which two huge folded wings emerged and clung to the insect's upper section. Because of the close distance, its face appeared terrifying, with two massive, round black eyes and two thin antennae sticking out.
If he hadn't known that the creature in front of him was just another insect seen from the perspective of something similar, he probably would have fled in fear.
Seeing that the creature seemed indifferent to him, Nikolas also tried to focus on his next move.
'First, I need to figure out how my body works.'
Moths, like butterflies, feed through a special organ called a proboscis, which acts like a tube, sucking and drawing in nutrients.
Nikolas hoped that, like his wings, the proboscis would function on its own. But the more he concentrated, the more he realized that something wasn't working.
He stared at the spongy part of the corolla with the intent to feed on it, and yet, his body showed no reaction. In fact, it even seemed disinterested, trying to avoid the very thought of approaching the flower.
Nikolas felt an almost intrinsic sense of revulsion, as though he were about to consume something vile and unpleasant.
'Why do I feel this way...? Maybe I'm targeting the wrong kind of food?'
Searching for an answer, Nikolas looked at the moth sharing the same flower. Unlike him, it showed no hesitation as it sucked the nectar with satisfaction.
It gave the impression of truly enjoying the meal, and disgust clearly wasn't part of the experience.
'Why does it work for you?'
As Nikolas pondered, the moth turned to look at him, as if it had just read his thoughts.
'Huh...?'