The twisting, endless maze of hallways started to wear on my nerves. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their layout. Every junction, every turn felt like I was going in circles, the walls never changing. For a moment, I wondered if I'd be stuck wandering this labyrinth forever.
But then, something new caught my eye—a narrow stream of water, neatly paved with bricks. Unlike the chaotic mess of the metal mountains outside, this looked... deliberate. Almost like it had been cared for, or at least intentionally built. The water was crystal clear, and beneath its calm surface, small stones glimmered, catching the faint light of the crescent-shaped lanterns.
Curiosity tugged at me. I crouched down and reached into the stream, pulling one of the stones out. It felt cool in my hand, smooth and solid. Almost instantly, the interface sprang to life, scanning the object with a flash of information.
True Magrite Stone. Status: 97% purity. Properties: Mineral imbued with Mana.
Mana?
The word nagged at me. That wasn't a term I was familiar with—at least not in any real-world context. I was about to toss the stone back when the interface expanded, offering more information about Mana. I read through it quickly, trying to wrap my head around the concept.
Mana: A magical energy inherent in all living beings, and in some cases, objects.
Magic. Real magic. I was officially lost.
The world I had come from—though advanced in ways that could seem magical to an outsider—never embraced concepts like this. Science, technology, and reason ruled my past life. But this world was something else entirely. Magic, Mana—things I would have dismissed as fantasy were now staring me in the face. It was hard to swallow. Almost laughable.
"Is this seriously happening?" I muttered, pocketing the stone as a souvenir of my growing confusion. "Feels like I'm living in some RPG I played back in university."
That comparison brought some weird comfort. Maybe I could figure things out the same way I did back then—through exploration and learning. Except this time, it wasn't a game. This was real.
I continued forward, leaping over the stream with ease, and instantly noticed how light my body felt. The old creaks of my joints, the burning ache of fatigue that had plagued me for years—gone. My movement was effortless.
There was no denying it now. This body was not human. At least, not fully. I couldn't deny that whatever I had become was something... different. And strong. I needed to understand it better. Maybe then I could figure out where I was, and why.
As I moved through another corridor, something flickered at the edge of my vision—an alert from the interface.
!!
A marker appeared in the darkness of the hallway ahead. I squinted, focusing on it until the interface did its thing, revealing the source of the disturbance. Two insect-like creatures crawled out of the shadows. Their alien forms were twisted—something between a praying mantis and a hornet, with long, snake-like bodies. They were the size of large dogs, but the system identified them as juvenile.
The picture on the interface made my stomach turn. These things were nothing like the insects I had known, even the mutated monstrosities that had crawled out of the post-nuclear wastelands back home. And now, here they were, lurking in front of me.
Threat Level: D.
D didn't sound too bad, but I wasn't about to let my guard down. I hadn't survived this long by being reckless. Even if these things were supposedly low-tier threats, they were still dangerous enough to be marked by the system. I clenched my synthetic fists, wondering what my next move should be.
"Okay," I whispered to myself, trying to calm my nerves. "Just stay focused. Handle this smart."
I watched as the creatures clicked and hissed, their mandibles twitching in the dark. Whatever they were, they hadn't seen me yet. I could try sneaking around them or... test out what this body could really do.
I weighed my options.
I decided to take the cautious approach and sneak past the two juvenile creatures. My body moved silently, my footsteps not making a sound against the stone floor. For the first time, I appreciated the cybernetic precision of my new limbs. I slipped past the insects easily, their heads twitching but never turning toward me. I was almost out of their reach when I spotted an open archway leading to the next room.
A sense of relief washed over me as I crossed the threshold, but that feeling was short-lived. My breath caught in my throat the moment I laid eyes on the scene before me.
The room wasn't just a simple passageway. It was an expansive chamber, filled with piles of what looked like half-devoured carcasses and debris—and crawling all over them were dozens of those monstrous insect creatures. They varied in size, from the juveniles I had passed, to much larger ones. Their sharp, alien eyes glimmered in the dim light, all of them fixed on me the moment I stepped into their nest.
For a moment, they didn't move. Just... stared. It was as if they were trying to decide what I was—prey or threat.
I didn't wait around to find out.
I slowly backed out of the room, praying that none of them decided to attack. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I kept my movements controlled.
Just stay calm. Don't make any sudden moves.
The moment I stepped out of the nest, I turned and bolted back the way I came.
But my luck ran out.
The juveniles that I had snuck past before now stood directly in my path, their eyes locked on me with renewed interest. The sudden screech that filled the corridor made my blood run cold. It was a high-pitched, deafening sound, and I knew it meant one thing: I'd been spotted.
Without hesitation, one of the juveniles lunged at me. Its mandibles snapped with a sickening click, trying to take a bite out of me. Instinctively, I raised my arm to shield myself—and to my shock, its razor-sharp jaws couldn't pierce through my cybernetic skin. Instead, the creature recoiled, ichor spilling from its shattered mandibles.
I blinked, momentarily stunned. I wasn't flesh anymore. I was metal.
Another insect came at me, its claws scraping against my body with the sound of nails on a chalkboard. But once again, there was no damage. I was... invulnerable.
"Alright," I muttered, as the first insect came at me again, this time angrier. "If that's how you want it."
I swung my fist, and to my complete disbelief, the creature's head exploded under the force of my punch. Its body crumpled into the wall, leaving behind a grotesque smear. The power behind my hit left me frozen for a second.
"What the...?"
I didn't have time to process it. The other insect screeched in response, calling for reinforcements. The entire corridor erupted with the sound of more insectile screeches echoing from the nest. I had no choice but to run.
I sprinted down the hall, but the swarm was on me almost instantly. They were faster than I expected. Each time I felt them closing in, I'd whip around, punch, kick—anything to clear a path. My blows shattered exoskeletons, sending their bodies flying into the walls like ragdolls, but the swarm seemed endless. For every one I knocked down, two more took its place.
The tattered cloth that hung from my waist was ripped apart as they clawed at me, but my body remained undamaged, save for a few superficial marks. Their bites and slashes barely scratched the surface of my metal frame.
I was still trying to make sense of it all. The power I had, the way my body worked—it was unreal. But there wasn't time to marvel at it. If I didn't keep moving, I'd be buried under the swarm.
Then I saw it—the stream of water I had crossed earlier. The familiar sight of the glimmering stones gave me a strange sense of hope. Maybe I could lose them in the water.
But just as I made my way toward the stream, my eyes widened in horror.
Blocking my path was the largest insect I had seen so far. It was almost the size of a bull, its grotesque wings folded against its massive body. Its mandibles twitched as it gazed down at me, its many eyes reflecting the dim light. Unlike the others, this one didn't need to screech. Its presence alone sent a message: I was in real danger now.
The interface raced to scan the creature, bombarding my mind with information.
Adult Mantidox. Threat Level: B.
That was... much worse than a D.
I knew I was screwed.
The creature hissed, its mandibles clicking in a menacing rhythm. Behind me, the swarm closed in. I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever came next.
"Alright," I whispered. "Let's see what you've got."