Cold. Damp. The scent of soil and vegetation filled Ron's nose as he gasped awake. His body ached all over, but the burning pain in his chest was gone. No smoke. No fire. No collapsing lab.
He wasn't dead.
He was… somewhere else.
Slowly, he pushed himself up from the damp ground, his fingers sinking into soft, moss-covered dirt. His breathing was ragged, his head pounding as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
Towering trees stretched into the sky, their canopies blocking out most of the sunlight, casting the forest in eerie shadows. Massive vines curled around thick trunks, and the chirping of strange creatures echoed in the distance.
The air smelled clean—too clean. No pollution, no artificial chemicals, no hum of machines.
Ron looked down at himself and froze.
He was naked.
His clothes, his smartwatch, everything was gone. Only his body remained, lean but weak—just as he had been on Earth.
His fingers clenched into fists. His mind was sharp, but his body was useless here. If this was real—if he had truly been thrown into another world—then he was as vulnerable as a newborn.
A rustling sound in the bushes snapped him to attention.
He wasn't alone.
His breath caught as he turned his head slowly.
A pair of yellow reptilian eyes stared at him from the underbrush.
A creature, about the size of a wolf, emerged from the foliage—its scaly body covered in green and brown stripes. Its long claws scraped against the ground, and its snout curled into a silent snarl, revealing razor-sharp teeth.
A raptor.
Ron's blood turned to ice.
"You've got to be kidding me."
His heart pounded as the predator stalked forward, its head tilting as if studying him.
He had no weapons. No tools. No armor. Nothing.
For the first time in his life, Ron was prey.
Then—
"Ding!"
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Devour System Activated]
[Analyze Mode: Enabled]
[Target: Juvenile Razorclaw Raptor]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
[Status: Hungry, Hunting]
The words floated in his vision, translucent yet clear, as if his mind had projected them.
Ron's shock lasted only a second.
His instincts screamed at him.
The raptor lunged.