Ah well, guess I should've seen this one coming.
I thought that my time in the elemental nation was meant to be a punishment. But no, all the hardships and struggle I went through was not a punishment. It was all merely a vacation, a simple hope spot before he plunges me down into the dark abyss.
Literally...
After stripping away all my power, the creator teleported me above a gigantic hole. As in like, a hundred times bigger than a volcano crater and literally bottomless hole, kind of enormous hole. The type of hole that suspiciously reminiscent of Dante's Pit of Hell type of gigantic hole.
So here I am plunging straight towards the abyss—the wind pressing up against my face and softly whistling in my ears. I covered my eyes to keep them from drying up, peeking through my little fingers to notice a vast city built around the abyss' edges.
I don't know much about this new world, but I do not think falling from this height would be pleasant. Perhaps that's why I found myself instinctively grabbing a string behind my back. A parachute, he rarely does that, but better this than a painful death.
When I pulled the string to lessen my fall, I've made it past the city and into the abyss. When the parachute is up, I already made it near a massive forest of some sort. All around me, giant winged creatures circling their prey.
Not wanting to get myself killed quickly, I shifted my weight, trying to make this parachute lands on the forest. Thanks to how this parachute was designed, it kinda worked. I found myself landing softly (thanks to my lightweight) beside a riverbank near a waterfall.
"Okay, let's see..." I took off my parachute and found out that the creator has already packed me with random stuff inside the backpack. There's an odd water bottle, some sort of a grappling hook gun, lots of rope, a black whistle, a compass, a pickaxe, a pouch full of pointy pins, and a box containing a pill.
The box reads: 'Seriously, eat this pill.' Truth is, I hate the creator, but I know that he's way above this cheap trick of making me eat poison to make me suffer. His plans are usually more elaborate and well thought.
So I gulped down the medicine without water. Why don't I use the water bottle, you ask? Well, that's because it's freaking creepy. The bottle looks nothing like a water bottle, and I swear it actually squirms a little whenever I hold it.
"All right, let's see what I got..." I stood up from my position and walked towards the river.
Although the current is pretty strong, I can see my reflection on the river. Again, nothing really changed about me. My short white hair is the same as ever, my yellow eyes are still intact, and my body is still that of a twelve-year-old girl.
The only difference is probably my clothing. For one, my light-gray trench coat is now in a darker shade of beige. A belt is tied around my waist, and another, tied from my shoulder across my chest to my abdomen.
It's pretty darn badass actually, especially with the machete strapped on my waist. It felt like I'm more than ready to tackle this forest.
With that, I grabbed my backpack and head straight into the forest.
From the outside, this forest seems to be average. Large canopy trees standing taller than most buildings, overgrown bushes and flowers as far as the eye can see, and the creepy sound of who knows what lurking in the forest.
Okay, so, maybe walking into the forest was a bad idea...
"Okay, calm down Haios, you can do this..." I muttered to myself while taking out my machete. Putting all my survival experience from the previous worlds to work, I hacked my way through the less dense part of the forest.
Hopefully, I can see any monster that came lurking after me before anyone else.
Suddenly, I saw something dropping from the air, and my blood ran cold. My instinct kicked in, and I found myself running away as fast as I can in the opposite direction. I have no idea where I'm going. All I care right now is just creating as much distance between me and whatever monstrosity of nature.
Then I ducked under some bushes and rolled away behind a tree trunk. Rapid footsteps could be heard all around me, and soft thread-like thing flashes away in my peripheral vision.
Oh fuck, what the fuck was that? What the fuck was that? What in the name of FUCK was that!? Spider? No, no, that wasn't a fucking spider, that was a Category Five NOPE. Crooked legs, giant claw-like maws, deformed body with these white tendrils protruding out like…
Oh sweet mercy, please don't let it find me… I don't want to see that thing again, oh fuck me what the hell was that!?
'SCREECH'
A twisted insect jaw suddenly peeked out on my left, and I flailed my machete in panic. The machete hits the insect, but it also managed to bit my hand. "Aaah!!!" I yelled in agony as I yanked my hand away from its clawed mouth. I didn't dare to look at what's left of my hand and just focus on surviving this next bit.
With my other hand, I pulled out the machete and tripped down just in time to miss a swipe from the giant insect. Then I gripped my machete with all my might thrust it up towards that monster's abdomen.
The machete sliced cleanly through the soft side below the giant insect's body, spraying dark green disgusting liquid all over my body. Thank goodness I was closing my mouth because simply imagining tasting this thing is enough to make me vomit.
Then, with the last of my strength, I stabbed the giant insect's head. It squirmed a little and screeched even more, but soon enough, I managed to kill it.
"Goddammit.." I muttered to myself before dropping down on to the ground. All strength seems to have left my body, and the pain on my arm slowly reappears. "Poison huh?" I muttered to myself while looking at the place where I was bitten.
An insect that big can't possibly leave a mosquito bite. No, an insect that size left a bloody wound that dug deep into my lower arm and forearm. I can even see my shattered bones beneath all the mangled flesh that is my arm.
But it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. I thought I was fortunate, but then the sensation slowly spreads all over my body.
I dropped on the ground, paralyzed and vulnerable in the middle of a vast forest full of who knows what. I am at the mercy of nature. If I'm lucky, I will be left alone. If I'm not, something will eat me alive or perhaps even worse.
As I lay down there on the forest floor, a shape moves above the sky. It seems to be some kind of a bird, though it has an eye on its forehead and is the size of a freaking pterodactyl. It landed right beside me, and I really hope that it's more interested in the dead Nope beside me.
Of course, why would you want a giant creepy bug when you can have a helpless little girl?
So here I am, being lifted fifty feet above the sky by some creepy bird. Though my whole body is paralyzed, I found my stomach churning and my head pounding the second it lifted me above the sky. I will have vomited if it's not for the fact that I haven't eaten anything since I made it here.
The ride itself was a long one. Mr. Creepy Bird here was kind enough to bring my machete along with me. Though, judging by how my machete is painfully pressing against my rib, I'm sure it didn't mean to.
We flew past the regular forest and into the part below it. A second layer of the abyss, if you will, a layer filled with odd and fascinating floras.
There were giant leaf-like plants that point straight to the center of the abyss. There was also gigantic grass that put the square-cube law out of the equation.
But I can't really enjoy the scenery for too long.
Soon enough, I can see a vast chasm right below me and some gigantic trees protruding out of the edge of the cliff. The trees are enormous and look sturdy enough to support a building. However, I can see some sort of curved broken part of the trees that seem to be melted away.
Judging by how it looks, it seems like someone fired a megaton beam from the cliff's edge. Unfortunately, whoever firing it didn't manage to destroy the nest that I am heading towards. A nest full of a miniature version of the creepy bird, howling and chirping away for a tasty meal.
With a resounding crack, the bird slammed me down on to the giant nest. It fucking hurts, oh my god, it hurts so bad. My ribs, they're digging into my lungs and… I can't… please just get this over wi…
"Khhh…" a sharp talon dug deep into my chest, and I'm cursing every known deity that it missed my heart. The bird then slowly, oh so slowly, ripped me apart in half. Just why the fuck am I not dead already? Just fucking end me already!
My vision blurred away, red and blue. Like a fountain of blood, my body squirmed and jerked all over, showering my face with my own blood. Numerous sharp talons started gnawing on my insides and what's left of my skin.
When I thought it couldn't get any worse, they started to feast on me. They have no beaks, my organs, they… They ripped it out of my abdomen and crushed down like…
Why won't it end? I want to die, I can't take it anymore. It hurts, it hurts so much. They're ripping me apart, devouring me, destroying me. I'm breaking, I want to die so badly...
Please, just rip out my heart, just end me... I can't... I want... to... die...