--stab--
A gasp shot out of him, sharp and wet, and blood followed. His body was flung into the air like a puppet on broken strings, and suddenly he wasn't just in pain — he was pain.
From the corner of his vision, he caught the source of the agony.
A creature. Ten feet tall. Not something from any zoo or documentary — more like the worst parts of several nightmares stitched into one. It had scorpion-like stingers — that's what skewered him — and its face was like a scorpion's too, but worse. Extra mandibles twitched around a mouth that didn't even look like it should exist. Its body was shaped like a mammal's, but covered in dull, tough-looking scales. Two massive pairs of scaled and clawed forelegs, and another set of hind legs that bent like some kind of horrific insect.
He should've passed out. Should've been dead.
Instead, he was still here, hole in his gut wide enough to fit a fist through. He could barely even feel it. His nerves had probably given up.
And he laughed.
He actually laughed.
Blood bubbled up as he chuckled, voice weak. "This is just bad design."
The beast didn't care. It yanked him closer, stinger still embedded in his body like a hook through a fish.
Then the mandibles opened.
Inside? Not a mouth. No, it looked more like an industrial shredder with warm, wet breath. Some kind of organic machinery. Like it was built to chew and recycle.
He tried to stay cool. Tried to look unfazed. As he has been in all the years of his life, as far as he can remember. Ego over fear. But deep down? He wanted to scream.
He couldn't.
Couldn't even move.
So he just stared as he was pulled closer.
And closer.
And just when his face was inches from that nightmare of a mouth...
The creatures eyes blurred out and the pupils go their separate ways
And then-
Thud.
The creature's head hit the ground.
So did the rest of its body. Like a building collapsing all at once. He dropped with it, landing hard beside the twitching corpse. He laid there, blinking up at nothing.
Saved?
Or not?
He couldn't know, It could be anything, a hero .. or even another monster wanting to take him in as its food
every possibility that flowed into his head introduced new fear into him
Was he going to die again?
Would he be taken to a new world?
Will it be worse than this ?
Will it be better?
Or maybe.. Just maybe He was gonna live
He wasn't sure. The wound still throbbed, but not in a "you're alive" kind of way. More of a "hey, you're dying, but it's going to be very slow and very uncomfortable" kind of way.
He couldn't move. Couldn't talk. Couldn't even keep his vision straight. Just blurs and shadows. Thoughts raced.
What if this is worse? What if something stronger shows up now and claims me as food?
His lips parted.
"Ah... at last."
But then he heard it.
A voice.
"I knew you were weak... but not this weak."
He recognized that voice. He hated that voice.
But he also respected it.
Maybe even feared it.
It was complicated.
He couldn't explain why he knew this person. He just did. Like he was feeling some emotions that weren't genuinely his own .. There was only one possibility to this situation... He has read too many novels and comics of this very structure.. and in them some do transmigrators do get some memories from the old owners. And thus, there was only one conclusion
These feelings were 'His'
And then the figure appeared into his blurry, scape of vision. Tall, calm, confident... Too confident. He walked right up and grabbed a handful of red hair.
With a grunt, he pulled him off the stinger, dragging him up by the scalp.
The pain? Unholy.
He screamed. Finally.
The scream echoed through the field.
"Dumbass," the guy muttered. Like this was just an inconvenience.
Then he glanced around.
"Now all the small fry are gonna swarm here. Might not be a bad thing."
This man, whoever he was, was completely ignoring his half-dead state.
He crouched beside him and tilted his head. "So... how's it feel having a hole in you?"
No response, obviously.
"No answer? Rude"
He groaned, getting back to his feet. "Thank our ancestors for these durable bodies, huh?"
He chuckled.
This bastard! Why is he joking? I need a hospital. I AM DYING OVER HERE.
If only he could say it out loud.
Instead, he just coughed up more blood.
The guy looked disgusted. "Guess I have to heal you."
"Wait, heal?"
He barely had the energy to think, let alone react.
The man stood and raised one hand over him. Took a deep breath.
Then — the earth shook.
The air filled with the sound of screeches, howls, and roars. Beasts. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. Coming from all directions.
"Oh, there they are," the guy said casually. "Don't die on me now. Actually, if you do, I wouldn't care that much. But for the family's image... don't."
He drew his sword. Assumed a stance.
Right foot planted, left leg stretched behind. He whispered something under his breath.
And then the sky changed.The already red sky deepened, like blood being stirred.
And then... silence.
The approaching beasts stopped in their tracks.
--MC POV--
The sky was still. The screaming was gone.
Then he looked up.
A giant, bloodshot eyeball had replaced the moon.
Its presence was uncanny, and unnatural... It was somewhat divine?
It just stared.
"The moon... again, why is it that It's always the damn moon?" he thought.
A light smile appeared on his lips, his actions were funny to him... He is so pathetic that he takes comfort having sources he can blame all his troubles on.
but he knew he was getting what he wished for
"The world doesn't deserve me? I'm too smart for it? Such a choke"
Memories fill his head; Sitting alone in the corner in class while everyone socialises, because he thinks he is worth more than them, telling his mother he is dropping out... His mother who had done everything he wanted for him, disappointed, sad, angry, but still lets him do what he wanted just because she loved him.
"Life flashing before my eyes now? ....Mom..." tears fall down from his eyes along his pale, almost lifeless face as he looks up at the eye
The eye didn't blink. Just loomed. Enormous. Alive. Watching everything.
It had this presence that had enough pressure to make a second feel like minutes
It should've been the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen. And yet... it wasn't completely unfamiliar.
Like he'd seen this in a dream once. Or he had 'experienced' it too many times
He should've been frozen in fear, but something inside dulled the panic, Maybe its not hostile, this was clearly the thoughness of the previous owner of the body so maybe he was familiar with it.... He became calmer. Still, his body tensed. His breath caught.
And then...
Splatter.
Blood rained from the sky. All over him. Warm, fresh.
He heard thuds everywhere. One after another. Over and over.
He didn't need to look to know.
The beasts had fallen.
And then... the eye moved.
It looked at him.
Not just in his direction — at him specifically.
His chest tightened. His vision pulsed. His calmness faltered greatly. This was too unfamiliar, the old owner of this body has never experienced this before... Then that meant-
His heart slammed against his ribs like it was trying to escape. Maybe it had seen that he was an unwanted guest in this word... It was definitely possible
Then the eye...
smiled.
It curled up as if it was smiling
No mouth. No muscles. But it smiled...He knew it smiled but He didnt know why..or How. And then the sky cleared and it vanished.
"This is a long 1 second"
...."wait.. 1 second?"
More questions stormed into his head.. All this is in a second? But how? Why does he know this? What is the eye? How did the beasts die?
--END POV--
Back on the field, silence again.
And then, one by one, the heads of the beasts hit the ground. Bodies followed.
He stared. Couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe properly.
The figure spoke. "Small fry."
His vision blurred again. His thoughts started to drift.
Something touched his face. Hard. Like wood or metal.
Then, something shifted inside him. His body... filled. Like everything broken had been plugged back together.
His eyes opened.
And he saw it.
A shoe.
On his face.
The man was stepping on his head. No pressure, just... resting there.
What is this world, he thought.
The guy smirked.
"Father's gonna love this story, don't you think... brother?"
Brother?
His thoughts couldn't even form. But the questions remained on top of his floating scrambled thoughts and then one stood out ... familiarity .. triggered by the voice that called him Brother
his lips pathed "Ah...Ashborn"
His eyes rolled back.
And then --
Darkness.