The battle with the beast lasted longer than I thought possible. The creature was relentless, its claws slicing through the air, each strike echoing like thunder. My stone body creaked and groaned with every impact, but I refused to back down. The more it attacked, the more I realized: I couldn't just survive. I needed to win.
"Retreat?!" I hissed, barely able to think straight with the adrenaline coursing through my core. "I can't retreat!"
My limbs were heavy and stiff, my movements sluggish as I staggered to my feet after yet another attack. The monster had gotten in a lucky hit, and my chest was cracked, jagged edges like shattered glass running across my torso. The cracks in my body felt like they would break open at any second.
But I wasn't going to let that happen. Not now.
The beast lunged again, its massive maw snapping shut with terrifying force. I barely reacted in time. My stone hands shot forward, pressing against its chest as it collided with me. Its weight pushed me back, my stone feet dragging through the dirt.
The cold, emotionless voice of Nexus was enough to make my blood boil. Was that all it could offer? A probability that practically guaranteed failure?
I growled, tightening my grip on the beast's fur and forcing it back. Every instinct in my body screamed that I should run. But I couldn't. I wouldn't.
"Come on!" I snarled, my voice hoarse. "Give me something, Nexus!"
There was a brief silence before Nexus responded, as if calculating something in the depths of its systems.
The words were clipped, mechanical. But I felt a small surge of something—like a flicker of hope. If Nexus could help me now, maybe, just maybe, I had a chance.
The beast growled again, pushing harder against me, its claws raking down my arms, but I didn't flinch. I locked eyes with it, refusing to show weakness.
Then, Nexus spoke again, its voice colder than ever.
My heart—or whatever passed for it in this golem body—sank. I could feel the weight of those words. Time was running out.
Suddenly, there was a burst of energy—a faint but noticeable surge. My hands tingled, the stone that made up my fingers seemingly becoming lighter, more agile.
I felt the difference instantly. My arms, though still made of stone, felt more responsive. They didn't move as gracefully as human limbs, but they could *move*. For the first time since waking up in this world, I was able to make a coordinated strike.
I pushed against the beast with all my might, forcing it back just as it tried to lunge again. The creature stumbled, giving me just enough time to twist my body and grab a large branch from the ground. I swung it with all my strength, the weight of the wood crashing against the beast's head with a sickening crack.
The monster howled in pain, recoiling from the blow. It wasn't enough to take it down, but it staggered, its movements slow and disoriented.
"Better than 9%," I muttered, a wry grin pulling at my lips. It wasn't much, but it was progress. A small victory in the midst of chaos.
The beast, clearly enraged, charged once more, but this time, I was ready. I shifted my stance, positioning my stone arms in front of me like shields.
With a burst of force, I threw myself forward, slamming my body into the creature. The impact sent a shockwave through my stone limbs, and the beast was knocked off its feet, crashing to the ground with a thud.
I didn't stop there. I lifted one of my legs, bringing it down onto the creature's chest, using my full weight to pin it to the ground.
The voice was insistent, but I didn't care anymore. I was so close. I could feel it. I could win this.
The beast struggled, its massive claws swiping at my legs, but I gritted my teeth and held firm. My stone body trembled from the strain, but I could feel the power Nexus had given me surging through my form. I could *do this*.
With one final push, I brought both of my hands down onto the creature's skull, crushing it beneath the weight of my stone fists.
It wasn't graceful. It wasn't clean. But it was enough.
The beast went limp beneath me, its body twitching once before falling still. I stood there, panting heavily despite the fact I didn't have lungs, staring at the fallen creature beneath me. My hands shook from the force of the blow, the reality of what I had just done sinking in.
I had won. I had actually won.
My body creaked and groaned as Nexus worked to repair the damage. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep me functional. I didn't know how long I could keep this up—how long I could survive in this body that seemed to be falling apart at the seams—but for now, I had proven something. I wasn't just a failure. I could fight. I could survive.
And that was enough.
The aftermath of the fight with the beast left me exhausted. My body—my stone body—was battered, fractured, and yet, it still held together. Nexus's emergency repair systems were barely keeping up with the damage, and I could feel the low buzz of energy warnings pulsing through my mind like a constant reminder that time was running out.
I gritted my teeth. "I don't need an estimate," I muttered to myself, trying to push away the panic that threatened to rise. "I need a plan."
I staggered to my feet, my limbs heavy with the weight of exhaustion. The small forest clearing where the battle had taken place was eerily quiet now, the only sounds coming from the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant calls of animals.
There was a brief pause before Nexus spoke again, its voice cold and efficient, as always.
Predators. Of course. The world I'd been reincarnated into wasn't exactly welcoming. My stone body might have been strong, but it wasn't fast or agile. Even now, with my energy reserves at an all-time low, I couldn't afford to be caught by something faster, stronger, and more dangerous than I was.
I needed to move. *Now.*
I turned toward the nearest path—a narrow, overgrown trail leading deeper into the forest. The trees here were tall, their canopies thick and dark, blocking out much of the sunlight. It seemed like a good place to hide for a while.
But the truth was, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know this world. I didn't know the creatures that roamed it. All I had were the broken fragments of my former life as an office worker and the strange, lifeless body I now inhabited.
Of course, I thought bitterly. Nexus's ability to analyze the environment wasn't exactly foolproof. It had only worked a handful of times, and each scan usually ended in failure. My body couldn't even walk properly yet, let alone navigate a new world. I wasn't special—just a weak, broken golem with barely any power left.
I ignored Nexus's advice. Rest wasn't an option. Not when I didn't know what was lurking out there. I had to keep moving.
I forced my legs to move, my stiff stone joints grinding together with each step. I looked down at my hands—small, childlike, and barely able to hold anything with any kind of strength. If anyone or anything came after me now, I had no confidence that I could defend myself.
The cool, detached voice of Nexus was always there, a constant reminder of how little I could rely on it. It wasn't that Nexus didn't want to help—it just couldn't. Whatever its "unique skill" was, it wasn't enough to fix everything. And it definitely wasn't enough to help me survive this harsh new world.
As I trudged down the path, my thoughts raced. I had no memories of my past life, only fragmented moments—mundane, trivial things. The clack of keyboards, the hum of an office printer, the endless emails that filled my inbox. How had that life, that simple, boring existence, led to this? Why had I been chosen to be reincarnated as a golem? Was there any purpose to this?
Was I even supposed to have a purpose?
Again, Nexus was working to help, but it was all so… mechanical. So cold.
I clenched my fists, my stone knuckles scraping together. Shelter. A place to rest. A place to *survive*. That was all I could focus on now. Just finding a safe place to stay. Everything else could wait.
I pressed on.
The hours dragged on as I walked—though it felt like days. My body ached, my limbs were stiff, and Nexus's voice had become a constant, nagging presence in my mind, offering only the occasional scan that ultimately ended in failure. My power reserves were dwindling rapidly, and I could feel the panic rising in my chest, even though I knew my body didn't have one.
I stopped in my tracks, grinding my teeth together. "No. I can't rest yet."
Just as I was about to take another step forward, I heard something—a faint rustling of leaves behind me. My body stiffened, every muscle going rigid, and I immediately froze. Something was out there. Something was following me.
Great. Another failure. I could feel the creature getting closer, the air around me thickening with an unspoken threat. There was no way I could outrun it—not with my body in this state. And my power reserves were almost gone. I had no strength left to defend myself, even if I could fight.
That was it. I was done for.
The rustling grew louder, closer, until I could hear the faint clicking of claws on stone, the sound of something moving swiftly through the underbrush. There was no way to hide now. My only option was to face it.
I turned, my stone feet grinding against the dirt, and braced myself. Whatever it was, I had no choice but to fight.
The creature stepped into the clearing, its form barely visible in the dim light. What I saw made my heart—if it still had one—drop into my stone stomach.
It was huge. Taller than me by a considerable amount, its body long and sinewy, covered in thick, spiked fur. Its eyes glowed with a predatory gleam, fixed directly on me, and in that moment, I understood the kind of danger I was in.
It wasn't just any predator. It was a hunter. A predator that had been tracking me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
And now, it was here.