He opened his eyes again.
The pain was still there, throbbing, but his mind was already operating with cold clarity. He couldn't remain exposed. He forced himself upright, walked over to the corpse of the horned wolf, and, grabbing it by the hind legs, began to drag it.
The body was heavy much heavier than it looked. The creature's claws carved grooves into the ground as he stepped backward, panting. Each pull drew a grimace of pain from him, but he didn't stop until he reached the entrance of the cave.
Once inside, he let the body drop with a dull thud against the rocky floor.
He leaned against the wall, breathing deeply.
"Aisha…" he said. "Is it edible?"
The response was not immediate. Invisible sensors swept over the corpse, analyzing tissue, blood, and organs.
"Analysis complete," she replied. "Biological composition compatible with human consumption. High protein content. No toxins detected in muscles or vital organs."
He nodded slowly.
"Good… but first I need to take care of this."
He looked at his forearm. The wound was still bleeding slightly; the fangs had pierced deep. It wasn't fatal, but in an unknown environment, an infection could be a death sentence.
"Proceeding with emergency treatment," Aisha said. "Detecting nearby flora with medicinal properties."
He left the cave, careful not to strain his arm too much. Aisha guided him step by step.
"Plant identified," she indicated. "Antibacterial and mildly regenerative properties. Functionally similar to combinations of antiseptic moss and terrestrial plant resins."
He cut the indicated leaves, pulled up part of the root, and collected a thick, amber-colored sap.
Back in the cave, Aisha explained the procedure with surgical precision.
"Crush the leaves to release the oils. Mix with the sap. Apply directly to the wound. Maintain constant pressure for five minutes."
He followed the instructions.
The burning sensation was immediate. He clenched his teeth as the mixture made contact with the open flesh. The pain was intense, but tolerable.
"Normal sensation," Aisha clarified. "The tissue is reacting."
After bandaging the wound with improvised strips of cloth and plant fibers, he allowed himself a few seconds of rest.
Then he looked at the wolf.
"Time to work."
Using the sword, he began dividing the body carefully. He separated the limbs, removed the hide, and opened the torso. The process was crude, bloody, but necessary. Aisha guided him at all times, indicating which parts to keep and which to discard.
When he reached the chest, just as he opened the thoracic cavity, something caught his attention.
He stopped.
"Aisha… wait."
Among the organs, near the heart, there was something that didn't belong to any animal he knew.
A sphere.
It was the size of a large marble, perfectly round, with a smooth surface. It didn't look like flesh or bone. A faint glow pulsed within it.
He picked it up carefully between his fingers.
"This… isn't normal."
Aisha remained silent for a moment longer than usual.
"Unknown object detected," she finally said. "Does not correspond to any biological organ. Anomalous density. Energetic signature… present."
A faint chill ran through him.
"Can you identify what it is?"
The sphere vibrated slightly almost imperceptibly.
"Not with current data," Aisha replied. "Preliminary hypothesis: biological energy core. Possible evolutionary adaptation of this world."
Ian studied the sphere once more, turning it between his fingers. It felt cold to the touch.
"Then…" he said calmly, "could it be some kind of evolutionary energy core?"
Aisha processed the question instantly.
"High probability," she responded. "I recommend deep analysis. There is a possibility it stores usable energy."
Ian narrowed his eyes.
"Could you extract that energy?"
"I can attempt it," Aisha affirmed. "No guarantees. The detected energy does not match any pattern known to humanity."
That was enough for Ian to make a decision.
"We'll try it later," he said. "First, I need to eat."
His body was beginning to demand its due.
He took one of the wolf's legs and prepared it as best he could. He had no spices, no salt, no sophisticated tools, but the fire did its job. The meat sizzled slowly, releasing a strong, wild aroma very different from any synthetic or processed food he had ever eaten on Earth.
When he took the first bite, he noticed it immediately.
It wasn't just satiety.
It was… energy.
Warmth spread through his chest, flowed down into his limbs. His muscles, exhausted from the fight and the effort, seemed to respond more quickly. Even the pain in his shoulder became more bearable.
"Aisha," he said quietly. "Do you feel it?"
"Confirmed," she replied. "Slight but perceptible increase in metabolic activity. Your body is assimilating more than basic nutrients."
Ian swallowed another bite, thoughtful.
"Then… it's not just food."
"Correct," Aisha said. "High probability that organisms in this world contain some form of unknown energy integrated into their biology."
That left him silent.
He finished eating, extinguished the fire, and sat with his back against the cave wall. Fatigue began to weigh on him like a slab of stone.
"Before sleeping…" he murmured. "Let's run a test."
He extended his hand.
For the first time since awakening in that world, the black cube manifested physically. It emerged from his palm as if it had always been there, folded within him. There was no pain, no resistance. It simply… appeared.
A perfectly black cube, without reflections, suspended a few centimeters above his skin.
Ian held the energy core in front of him.
"Let's see," he said. "What you really are."
He pressed the sphere against the cube.
There was no explosion.
No light.
The core was simply absorbed, disintegrating in absolute silence, as if it had never existed.
For an eternal second, nothing happened.
Then Aisha's voice echoed in his mind.
"Process initiated. Analysis in progress. I require time."
The cube reintegrated into his body, disappearing beneath the skin as if it were a natural part of him.
Ian exhaled slowly.
"Notify me when you have results."
"Understood," Aisha replied. "Rest is recommended. Biological cycles altered. The environment is hostile."
He didn't argue.
He lay back, using the wolf's hide as improvised insulation, and closed his eyes. Outside, night had fully fallen. Unknown sounds filtered in from the forest, reminding him that this world did not sleep when he did.
Even so, exhaustion was stronger.
He slept.
When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the silence.
Not the absolute silence of the laboratory.
But a natural one… expectant.
"Ian," Aisha said immediately. "I have results."
He sat up abruptly, ignoring the slight pull in his shoulder.
"Tell me."
"The biological core contained a form of energy not registered by human science," she explained. "Not electrical. Not nuclear. Not quantum. It is… different."
Ian frowned.
"How powerful is it?"
"With a single core," Aisha replied, "my energy reserves increased by less than one percent."
That was… disappointing.
But Aisha continued.
"However, my total energy capacity is extremely high. If a significant quantity of these cores is obtained… I could recover my "
Ian smiled for the first time since arriving in that world.
"Then it's good news."
"Correct," Aisha affirmed. "You have found a viable local energy source."
Ian rested his elbows on his knees, thoughtful.
"My other plan was to find electrical storms… lightning… anything that could serve as an external power source for you."
"That remains an option," Aisha replied. "But biological cores appear more efficient and accessible in this environment."
Ian lifted his gaze toward the cave entrance, toward the forest.
Out there were dangers.
But there were also answers.
And resources.