It's dark... can't see.

[Booting OS: 10% >>> 25% >>> 69% >>> 100%]

What...? What's happening? I can't see and feel anything.

[Neural link synchronization: 12% >>> 47% >>> 100%]

[Loading Data: 10% >>> 33% >> ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND]

[Initiating with lost data…]

Is this voice inside my head? Am I dreaming?

Wait—am I dead? I don't even remember anything about myself. Don't tell me I died as a newborn…

But do newborns even have intelligence? Fucking hell, what am I even thinking about?

His mind was a whirlwind of questions, but no answers emerged. Trapped in a vast, silent darkness, he couldn't even hear his own voice. Only his thoughts gave him the faint illusion of existence.

[Connecting Neural Network with Physical Framework…]

Suddenly, cracks began to form in the oppressive darkness surrounding his consciousness. Behind them, violent streaks of color clashed chaotically. The darkness shattered like fragile glass, glitching uncontrollably.

On the left side of his view, streams of text scrolled at an absurd speed. Strangely, he could read it all but couldn't understand a single word. It was gibberish.

Xyworgh gypho la visala...? What the hell is this?

On the right side, strange, alien symbols appeared, while a glowing circle emerged in the center of his vision. It darted around erratically, like an annoying mosquito desperately searching for something, spinning at dizzying speeds.

What the fuck is this shit? If this is a dream, it better end soon—this is creepy as hell. Or wait… is this some kind of sleep paralysis? But does sleep paralysis make you forget everything about yourself?

The violent flashes of glitched colors finally began to stabilize. Slowly, like a fading mist, his surroundings came into view. He saw leaves—thick, green leaves—and rays of sunlight streaming through the gaps, casting dappled patterns on the ground. It seemed like he was lying flat on the forest floor.

Though he could now see, it didn't feel like he had opened his eyes. He couldn't blink, nor did he sense the movement of his eyelids. His vision felt strange—the colors of the world seemed slightly saturated, and even from a great distance, he could make out the intricate details of the tree leaves towering above him.

[Would you like a diagnostic report?]

The cold, synthetic voice echoed through his question-filled mind once again.

"Diagnost—wait, why does my voice sound like this?" The first sentence that left his mouth shocked him.

His voice was jarring, mechanical, as if it had been distorted by some malfunctioning machine, as if it was coming through speakers that were barely working.

Ironically, the weird voice inside his head sounded far more human than his own. It was as if he'd swallowed a broken computer, chewed it up, and then caught a nasty sore throat. Not the best comparison, but nothing about this situation made sense. So, fuck the comparison.

"I'm definitely dreaming. I'll just sleep again. Who knows, maybe I'll wake up in a comfortable bed. Yeah, it's definitely a dream. There's no other explanation. Let's just go back to sleep like a good boy."

"Hmm… I'm sleeping. Just have to close my eyes… yeah, that's it..."

He tried to close his eyes, but there was no sensation of eyelids, nor could he feel his eyes at all. He could clearly see every detail of his surroundings, yet he hadn't blinked in five minutes. No burning sensation. No tears from the prolonged exposure to light.

"Haha! I'm fucked!"

[Would you like a diagnostic report?]

"Fuck you!! Stop saying nonsensical shit to me. Who the fuck are you? Where am I? If you don't answer my questions, I'm gonna.."

Sigh... "Yes."

In an instant, a red flickering floating window appeared in his vision:

System Diagnosis:

(Warning: Critical Data Loss Detected)

Hah! What is this... Am I a robot? No, that's not possible.

Even though I can't remember anything, I'm pretty sure I was human. But was I really a human?

It shows that data is lost... Is it about my memories? I guess that's what it is... And the body synchronization is poor. I suppose that's why I can't move.

Whatever this is, it's definitely not a dream. It's real, and it's something I must accept. First, I need to move—I can't lie here on the ground forever.

Determined to rise, he attempted to lift his right arm. Still unable to look down upon himself, he pushed with all his strength. The limb trembled, feeling unusually heavy but not heavy at the same time.

He glanced at the body synchronisation status:

[Body Synchronization: Poor]

He concentrated, imagining his arm slowly lifting. It shuddered, but it moved. His effort slowly paying off, and when he checked the status again, it had changed to:

[Body Synchronization: Fair]

The improvement gave him a confidence boost. With renewed focus, he ignored the annoying mechanical whirring of his arms and managed to raise his arm completely. Now, he could see it in his vision clearly.

It wasn't like a normal human arm. The surface was sleek, black, and shiny, like polished obsidian. Along the edges, faint veins of glowing purple light pulsed rhythmically, resembling a heartbeat.

In this moment, he didn't question why his arm looked like this. He already had experienced plentiful of bizzare things. Being immobilized on the ground felt far worse than having a robotic body. At least now, he had the ability to move.

Next, he lifted his left arm. The status updated again:

[Body Synchronization: Average]

With this further improvement, his confidence grew once again. Using both hands, he pushed against the ground. His arms quivered under the strain, but he pressed on, pulling himself upright.

After a few attempts, he finally managed to sit. Looking down, he saw that his legs and torso were identical to his arms—metallic and cold. His body resembled an armor, making him feel more like a machine than a human.

Is this really what I look like? What's with these purple lines? They're along the sides of my arms and even on my legs. And why do my limbs make this strange, mechanical noise every time I move? Am i not oiled up correctly...

Guess I'm really a fucking robot.

A sudden question broke through his thoughts. Frantically, he glanced down between his legs, searching for confirmation.

Fuck…! As expected. There's nothing here. Why am I even thinking about this shit? It's crazy how being a robot doesn't bother me, but the lack of balls does. Guess I really am a man.

Wait. Was I a man?

Ignoring weird thoughts of his own he forced himself to stand, his limbs still jerking with unsteady movements. His body wasn't fully responsive yet, but he managed to stand. He looked around.

The clarity of his surroundings confirmed that he was in a forest, but it was far from ordinary.

Tall trees surrounded him, some with green leaves but most with vivid hues of yellow, blue, and red. The vibrant colors painted the forest in an otherworldly palette. Tiny particles of glowing neo-blue light floated lazily in the air, adding a dreamy touch to the environment. The canopy overhead blocked out most of the sunlight, draping the forest in a dim, eerie shadow. The air carried a rich, earthy scent.

But despite its vibrant beauty, the forest had eerie feeling.

With shaky, unbalanced steps, he started moving in a random direction. His gaze wandered, taking in the strange sights around him. The forest floor was dotted with luminous flowers, their soft glow casting faint light in various shades—red, blue, white, but mostly it was purple.

One particular flower caught his attention. It stood out with its size and intensity of glow as if it's attracting him with it's beauty. A mesmerizing purple. He crouched down carefully, his mechanical legs still shaking with every movement. He touched the flower, marveling at its soft glow. For a brief moment, he felt a strange sense of calm, as if nature's beauty had momentarily erased his worries.

But that moment was short-lived.

The flower's roots began to stir, glowing faintly as they stretched upward. Slowly, they wrapped themselves around his metallic fingers. At first, he didn't react, staring in confusion. But as the roots tightened their grip, his realization dawned.

What the hell?

The roots continued to spread, climbing further up his hand. Refusing to panic, he used his strength to wrench his arm away. The roots resisted, but with a sharp tug, he tore himself free, leaving the flower's glowing tendrils dangling behind.

As he walked further, he heard something behind him.

Is something behind me? Uh.. It's probably just some wild animal. Makes sense, since this is a forest.

He kept moving forward, walking slowly and trying to ignore the sound.

The faint sound of footsteps crushing old, dry leaves persisted. Though the noise was quiet, he could hear it clearly. It followed him, step for step, even after some time.

Hmm... something is definitely behind me... and it's following me. Wow, what a great fucking discovery, what the hell should I do now?

Focusing harder on the sound, he could make out more details. The slow, steady breathing of something—or someone—following him. There was a faint growl, almost like a wild animal, low and guttural. His heightened senses kicked in, and he heard the strong, rhythmic heartbeat of whatever was stalking him.

Hmm.. just like my vision, my hearing is also enhanced. But this is no time to wonder about my abilities. The main question is what the hell do I do now? Should I look back? Or should I run?

He stopped, taking a moment to think.

But wait, I'm a robot. I must have some combat functionality. I'm made of metal—what could hurt me? I'm not alive, so I can't die... makes sense.

He slowly turned his head, scanning behind him. At first, there was nothing—just bushes rustling in the breeze.

"C-Come out!" His mechanical voice wavered, the fake confidence in his words leaking.

The bushes parted, and from them emerged the long snout of something— a wolf. But not just any wolf. Its gray fur gleamed like silver strands, and the crimson glow in its eyes was intense, as if it had found its prey after a long wait. In between its eyes, a glowing crimson stone shone brightly, resembling a third eye.

The wolf's teeth glistened with saliva as it took a step forward toward him.

Then, another wolf emerged from the bushes.

Equally terrifying, both wolves were muscular, yet their bones were visible beneath their thick fur, giving their bodies an unnatural, emaciated look, as if they hadn't eaten in a long time. The sight of such starved creatures only made them more horrifying, because a hungry beast is more dangerous than a normal one.

As if that wasn't enough, they were enormous—easily twice the size of a normal wolf

W-what the hell are these things?

His mind raced, but his body trembled in fear. There was something otherworldly about them. They exuded an unnatural, almost deadly aura, making him feel vulnerable.

The wolves took slow steps toward him. With each movement, he backed up, muttering under his breath, "S-System combat enable..."

"Turn on weapon systems!" he commanded, louder this time.

"F-Fuck."

He turned and bolted, his legs propelling him forward with increasing speed. What had once been trembling steps now became a full sprint, faster than lightning. Fear gripped him tightly. His body was made of metal, but what about his heart? If it even existed, he wasn't sure it could keep up with the terror pulsing through him.

"I'm not your fucking food! Leave me alone! You can't even eat me!" He shouted, as if they would understand him.

One wolf closed the distance. It leapt, sinking its sharp teeth into his metallic leg. The force of the bite knocked him to the ground.

He fought back, struggling to shake it off.

Finally, the wolf released him, but not without leaving a deep mark. He looked at his leg, expecting to see wires or sparks. But instead, the wound began to heal. Tiny purple particles swarmed over the injury, knitting the metal back together.

Nanotech?

For a split second looking at his leg regenerating, he forgot he was being chased. He tried to stand, but the second wolf jumped onto his chest, knocking him down again.

He grabbed its front legs, pushing against its weight, but the wolf's grip tightened. He could feel its hot breath on his face, the growls vibrating through his chest. The other wolf was still focused on his leg, gnawing at it. Looking down at the wolf he screamed. "Hey.. you motherfucker do you have some kind of feet fetish."

In middle of chaos, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glowing crimson eyes of the wolf. There was no face, no human-like features—just a smooth, featureless mask with two glowing purple vertical lines where eyes should be.

The first wolf was determined to tear apart his leg and wouldn't let go. He jerked his leg as hard as he could, but the beast didn't budge. Desperation surged within him. He glanced down and saw the pinkish jewels dangling between the first wolf's back legs.

Let's see who you care about more: me or your future fucking generations.

Without hesitation he grabbed them, squeezing as hard as he could.

*Whorf* He let out a small howl that was filled with pain. His partner who was focused to tear apart his leg froze at the horror of the moment.

"If you don't leave me alone, I'm gonna squeeze harder, think carefully who you love more your balls or me." he threatened, tightening his grip.

The wolf's eyes rolled back as the pain overwhelmed it. Its body trembled, and its strength began to drain away. The second wolf, gave up on his leg and pushed his partner with his head with full force to free him from the deadly grip.

The wolf, driven by anger, leaped onto his chest, its sharp claws slashing the glowing purple area in the center of his chest. With a final snarl, it grabbed its partner by the mouth and quickly pulled it away, retreating into the shadows.

As the wolves retreated, a brief sense of relief washed over him, only to be interrupted by a sudden warning messages flashing across his vision.

[Warning: Thorium Reactor Damaged!]

[Radiation leakage detected. Engaging nanobots for containment.

Due to damage to the power supply, most functions are now in battery saver mode.

Nanobot containment can handle the unstable thorium for up to 112 hours. The matter is highly unstable.

The host is required to find a safer method to dispose of the radioactive matter.]

My reactor is destroyed... Does that mean I'm gonna die..?

[Warning: System is shutting down for emergency maintenance. Putting host's consciousness into sleep mode.]

As his mind started to fill with thoughts, his vision flickered. The darkness began to cover his sight.

I feel like a joke…

ByteZerÖ