The forest was quiet after the creature had disappeared. The only sound that filled my ears was the rhythmic pounding of my own stone feet against the ground. My body felt like it was a hundred times heavier than it should've been, and the cracks in my chest throbbed with a faint, uncomfortable ache. I hadn't felt pain in the same way I did when I was human, but it was still... there.
Great. Another failure.
I didn't even have a chance to ask for help before the creature attacked. The damn thing could have killed me with one swipe, and yet all I could do was stumble and try to get away. My body had no instinct for battle—no natural response to danger. It was like I was a puppet with its strings cut, trying to make sense of the world around me.
"Come on, Nexus… do something!" I grumbled aloud, frustration building in my chest as I dragged myself through the thick underbrush.
"I'm gonna lose it…" I muttered, my voice barely a whisper against the wind. I didn't even know how long I'd been walking. Minutes? Hours? I couldn't keep track. The only thing I knew was that I needed to find some shelter, or I wouldn't survive the next encounter with something like that creature.
I moved forward, scanning my surroundings. The trees were dense, their trunks wide and ancient. Every now and then, I'd catch a glimpse of movement in the shadows—something watching, waiting. I didn't know if it was friendly, or if I was about to meet my end, but I didn't have a choice but to keep moving.
Of course, another scan failure. But there was no time to waste. I didn't have the luxury of stopping.
I didn't know if I was getting better at this walking thing or if I was just getting used to the weight of my body, but for the first time since waking up as a golem, I felt a tiny shred of progress. My steps were still heavy and awkward, but they were more controlled. If I concentrated enough, I could keep a steady pace.
I wasn't sure where I was heading, but instinct told me to keep moving, to find somewhere safe. The world around me seemed so foreign, so dangerous. It was hard to shake the feeling that I didn't belong here, that my very presence in this world was some kind of cosmic mistake.
"Ugh…" I sighed, lowering my head in defeat. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing."
"Yeah, I get it, Nexus. *Everything's* a failure," I muttered bitterly. I was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. This… this wasn't how I imagined starting over in a new world. I'd hoped for a clean slate—something that would give me a chance to *live* again. Instead, I was stuck in this ridiculous stone body, lost and barely able to function. My head ached from the constant failures of the system.
I didn't know how much longer I could keep up this charade of pretending to be okay with it. The more I thought about it, the more it became clear: If I didn't find a way to fix whatever was wrong with me—whether it was my body, my system, or both—then I'd end up dying here.
A light rustle broke through my thoughts.
I froze, my stone body immediately locking up, eyes scanning for any signs of movement.
"Not again…" I whispered to myself.
The rustling grew louder. It wasn't the creature from earlier. This sound was... more subtle. I couldn't make out what it was exactly, but I knew one thing: it was approaching.
Instinctively, I took a step backward. My body lurched, but it wasn't the smooth, calculated movement I had hoped for. No, it was an uncoordinated stumble that almost sent me tumbling. My chest creaked under the sudden motion.
Great. I was about to die.
Out of nowhere, a loud, deep growl echoed through the forest. A low, rumbling growl that sent a shiver down the length of my stone spine. The noise made the hairs on the back of my non-existent neck stand on end. Whatever was out there, it was big. And it was hungry.
Before I could react, a large form emerged from the shadows—a massive beast, covered in thick, matted fur. It looked like a cross between a bear and a wolf, with glowing yellow eyes that locked onto me with terrifying intensity.
I could feel its gaze pierce through me, and I knew—I *knew* that it was about to charge. I didn't have time to think, didn't have time to prepare.
"Damn it…" I gritted my teeth. There had to be something I could do. Even if my body wasn't functioning right, I couldn't just lie down and die, could I?
I had to fight. I had to.
I quickly glanced around, my eyes darting to the environment, looking for something—anything—that could help me.
A rock, a stick, even a tree branch—anything. But there was nothing in sight. My options were limited to the stone body that barely obeyed my commands and the ever-growing threat of the beast barreling toward me.
Then, in the back of my mind, Nexus spoke again, cold and emotionless:
It wasn't much. But it was something.
My body lurched once more, and for the first time, it moved with some semblance of purpose. Not entirely under my control, but it was enough to give me a fighting chance. My stone arms shot out, almost instinctively, and I raised them in defense just as the beast lunged toward me.
The force of the impact rattled through my entire form, sending a tremor down my limbs. My body was battered by the attack, but I didn't falter. I *pushed*—I *fought* back.
It wasn't graceful. It wasn't efficient. But it was the first time I'd felt like I had some control over my destiny.
The beast snarled in frustration, its claws raking against my stone arms, but it didn't matter. I was standing. And that, in itself, was a victory.
I might not have been much in this new world. I might have been weak, clumsy, and barely able to move without falling apart. But right now, with the beast growling in front of me, I didn't care. I wasn't going to give up. I wasn't going to let this stone body dictate my future.
"Let's see how long I can last," I muttered, my chest heaving as the beast circled me. It was a fight for survival now. And I was going to make sure I came out of this alive.