Rex leaned against a tree, arms behind his head, one leg crossed over the other. Still no sign of the cube's return.
Close to where he had gotten scared- surprised, by the pop-up sound.
"Yawn This whole 'other world' business doesn't feel too solid yet. Well, at lea-"
He stopped himself just in time.
No way he was jinxing this. He'd read enough stories to know what came after "at least nothing bad has happened yet."
The probability gods were more volatile and crazy than him. Rex didn't want to tempt them. Or so he believed.
But as Rex was thinking about that, focusing on the sounds in the forest, he noticed something stirring- leaves rustling in the bushes ahead.
Rex slowly stood, eyes narrowing. His new body felt alert- every noise, every shift in the wind rang clearer than ever.
'Should I hide? Doesn't sound that big. Damn, I love this body's hearing.'
---
Some minutes passed. No sign of the cube. So the half-beast man continued his little plan- and perhaps, his first hostile encounter in this world.
Rex opted for the classic monkey move: climb and chuck rocks at it. It was what made humans the peak of evolution, no?
With the agility of a parkour junkie on pre-workout, he scaled the nearest tree, found a decent-sized stone, and chucked it with all the strength his demi-human arms could manage.
Thwack.
'I probably overdid it… I hope nothing else hears this.'
He jumped back down with ease, stretching his shoulders and grinning like a kid who just got away with breaking a vase.
"God damn, I love this body. Okay- this might not be so bad after all. If only that damn cube would stop disappearing every five seconds."
He pulled back the bush to inspect his victim.
"Oh."
It was a bunny.
Or something like one. Red fur, little blue eyes- well, eye. Half of its skull was caved in, twitching pitifully, thanks to a rock thrown by some maniac.
"Well, first hunt! My bad, lil' guy, you weren't lucky today. I am."
He picked it up by the leg, inspecting the limp form. Perhaps he could sell it- what was left of it.
"Meh, just get a fourth of the price. No big deal."
And right then, like a cruel joke from the universe, a deep growl rumbled behind him.
'Oh fuck me, please don't be a monster bear, don't be a monst-'
He turned fast. Faster than expected, actually.
A massive wolf stood a few meters away, black and gray fur, blue eyes glowing, muscles tense. A single jagged horn jutted from its forehead like a rhino's.
It had been watching. Waiting.
In the rules of nature, the one who showed first, lowered their guard, or got too overconfident-lost.
Luckily, Rex's new body proved fast enough to not leave himself open for too long. He didn't want to imagine what would've happened had the beast attacked him by surprise. Still, things weren't good.
Rex dropped the carcass, shifting into a stance- half-ready, half-panicking.
Running wasn't an option. Even with this body, this thing wasn't normal. It was the size of a deer, and its eyes held nothing but raw hunger.
For a moment, silence dominated the forest. No birds. No sounds of leaves being stepped on. Just a serene wind, making the plants sway.
Rex could feel something shift inside him-his senses heightening, muscles primed. Maybe it was the beast blood. Maybe it was adrenaline. Either way, it felt... natural.
Then the wolf charged-opening its jaws to dilacerate and crush the half-beast.
Rex rolled to the side, sharp instincts keeping him one step ahead. As it passed, he pivoted and grabbed the beast around its midsection.
More than that- even his nails, no, his claws, pierced the animal's stomach, sharper than before, growing as the battle started.
He arched backward, gritting his sharp teeth and pulling all the beast's weight over him- slamming it headfirst into the ground.
PAM.
A suplex.
For all his life, Rex had never skipped a fighting class- especially not wrestling.
No time to admire the move. He pounced, grappling the stunned beast, trying to hold it down and press the horn into the ground. His grip around its neck tightened.
'Shit shit! How heavy is this thing?! 270 kilos??? Stay down, stay- FUCK!'
The wolf bucked, surging backward and tearing free. Its horn scraped his armpit, a hot flash of pain slicing through him.
Blood hit the ground.
He stood, breathing hard.
So did the wolf.
Cracks had formed along its horn, blood dripping from the damage he'd done.
"Heh, guess we're even, bastard."
Even if the wolf didn't understand the slurs Rex threw at it, the beast growled back-rage mixed with bloodlust and hunger.
When the beast started to move again, Rex dodged to the side, trying to copy the same movement.
Rookie mistake.
The wolf feinted.
"Wh-!"
Too late.
Its jaws clamped down on his left bicep.
Pain exploded through his arm. He grit his teeth so hard they pierced his lip.
But that reminded him-he had teeth too. And claws. And rage.
Half a roar, half an animalistic growl, Rex opened his mouth and bit the wolf's neck, tasting blood and fur. He kneed its ribs, trying to force a release- but it held firm.
He could really lose an arm if this continued.
Ripping his mouth away- now full of the beast's blood, mixed with his own- he snapped into action.
In that moment of despair, pain, and rage, Rex reached into the old memories of muscle and instinct. Wrestling. Myth. The move that walked with humanity since Hercules strangled the Nemean lion:
The rear-neck choke.
He wrapped his left arm around the wolf's wounded neck, made easier by the tear from his earlier bite, and pulled tight.
This time, he didn't let go.
The wolf thrashed, trying to repeat its earlier escape.
But Rex kicked off the ground, dragging it sideways and wrapping his legs around its body like a professional grappler.
He tightened.
Harder.
More.
Until its struggling slowed.
---
Minutes passed.
---
Finally, it slumped.
Still, Rex didn't let go- not until the beast's chest stopped moving entirely.
Six minutes later, he collapsed to the side, bloodied and panting.
The adrenaline began to fade, and the pain bloomed- his mouth, his arm, even his torso where the beast had slammed into him.
"Ah… ha… ah… holy s- this… wow."
Instead of fear, he felt euphoria.
He had just fought a giant, horned monster-wolf... bare-handed.
And he won.
Perhaps this was how the old heroes felt-after defying death and coming out on top.
Rex loved it.
---
Within seconds, the angelic ping sound returned.
He turned his head toward the sky, bloodied lips curled in a grin.
There it was: a floating prompt.
{WHAT HAPPENED MONSIEUR!?!?!?!?!}
Rex let out a blood-soaked chuckle.
"Took your sweet time, cube."