I didn't know what else to do except walk.
The forest was dense, and the moonlight barely penetrated the thick canopy. Every step I took was muffled by a carpet of fallen leaves and damp earth. My heartbeat thundered in my ears — whether from fear, cold, or exhaustion, I couldn't tell.
The branch I'd grabbed as a makeshift weapon felt laughably useless in my hands, but it was all I had.
I tried to convince myself I'd be okay. After all, the goddess cursed me, but hadn't she said I would never level up? Maybe that meant no monsters would come after me. Maybe I could just walk out of this forest and find a town or a friendly face.
I was about to breathe easier when a soft rustle came from the bushes nearby.
My head snapped toward the sound. The leaves shook gently as something moved within.
Out slithered a creature — about the size of a thick garden hose. It looked like a snake, but not quite.
It had smooth green scales and a single long horn, rough and rocky, rising from the center of its forehead like a unicorn's. Near its neck was a ribbon-like lash, thin and fluttering, almost like a scarf caught in the wind.
I blinked, a little relieved. "Okay, small snake-monster. Not too bad," I muttered. "I can handle this."
I turned to keep walking.
But then… the creature's eyes gleamed. Not the harmless blink of a garden snake, but sharp and calculating.
Without warning, it grew.
Its slender body stretched and thickened until it towered over me like some nightmare from a horror game. The ribbon-like lash near its neck hardened into a jagged, steel-like blade that whipped through the air with a metallic hiss. Its single horn sharpened and lengthened into a long, rocky spike.
The creature's mouth opened wide, revealing rows of giant venomous teeth dripping with greenish poison. Its eyes burned bright and fierce, like emerald fire.
I froze.
This wasn't a small snake anymore. It was a monster.
I swallowed hard and tried to back away slowly.
Maybe if I just kept calm, it wouldn't attack.
But as I turned my back, hoping to escape, I felt the rush of air behind me.
A sudden strike—
And then a flash of steel.
A sharp slash cut through the air, clean and swift.
The beast's head jerked violently and then fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
From the bushes stepped out a boy — about my age, maybe a little younger. His hair was black and messy, tied loosely at the nape of his neck. His clothes were simple but practical — leather armor that looked worn but well-maintained.
In each hand, he held a dagger, dripping with fresh blood.
He stared at me with piercing dark eyes.
I stumbled backward, heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. "You saved me?" I managed to whisper, relief washing over me.
But the boy didn't say a word.
I tried to speak to him in Hindi, English, even broken attempts at the local language I had overheard earlier. Nothing.
He only pointed sharply at me, then made a motion that looked like a fist slamming down.
Confused, I gave a weak thumbs-up and a shaky smile — my universal "thank you" gesture.
The boy's eyes narrowed.
Then he raised his daggers, stepping forward aggressively.
"No, no, no—" I said, panic rising like a wave. But before I could move, the blades slashed through the air — and sliced into my left hand.
Sharp pain exploded through my arm as warm blood welled up. My shirt sleeve tore apart, and I screamed, collapsing onto the forest floor.
Tears stung my eyes as I clutched my wounded hand. "Why… why is this happening?" I whispered, trembling. "I just wanted to say thank you…"
The boy's expression was unreadable. Then he spoke quickly in his foreign tongue, but I understood none of it. His movements were sharp, demanding, like a challenge.
I realized, painfully, that the "thank you" gesture in this world was not gratitude — it was a duel challenge.
I had just been tricked into a fight I didn't even understand.
Pain pulsing in my hand, I tried to crawl away. But the forest floor was uneven. Suddenly, the ground beneath me shifted.
Before I could react, the earth gave way.
I tumbled down a slope, arms flailing. The cold wind rushed past my ears as I fell.
My head hit a rock and my vision blurred.
Then I plunged into icy water.
The cold shocked me awake for a moment before unconsciousness pulled me under.
As I slipped into darkness, my blurry eyes caught a shadow moving above me.
Was it another monster? Another enemy?
I closed my eyes, expecting the end.
Maybe death was better than this nightmare.
But then… silence.