Nicholas strained against the heavy branch, muscles trembling with exhaustion. The wood groaned and splintered under the pressure, but it still held firm. Below him, the beast circled, blood dripping from the wounds he'd managed to inflict with the rocks. But it wasn’t backing down—it was waiting, eyes gleaming with a cold, predatory intelligence.Nicholas grip tightened around the branch. His body was screaming at him to stop, to rest, but there was no time for that. The beast would not give him a second chance.With a grunt, Nicholas gave the branch another violent shake. It splintered more, cracking like a whip in the still air of the jungle. Below, the beast growled, pacing in tight circles, as if anticipating his next move. Sweat dripped down Nicholas’s forehead, blurring his vision, but he couldn’t afford to stop.The branch finally gave way with a loud crack. For a heart-stopping moment, Nicholas hung in the air, feeling the world tilt as the massive piece of wood began its f
Nicholas stood frozen, every muscle tense, as the figure slowly approached him. The jungle’s oppressive silence seemed to amplify the sound of the stranger’s footsteps, each one deliberate, almost too measured. Nicholas had never seen anyone like this before, and the man’s glowing eyes made his skin crawl. Despite the man’s frail appearance, there was something unsettling in the way he moved, like he wasn’t fully human. "You seek power," the figure repeated, his voice a rasping whisper that seemed to slide through the thick air like smoke.Nicholas swallowed hard, trying to ignore the knot of fear twisting in his gut. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied, his voice rough from exhaustion. He stepped back, his hand instinctively reaching for the sharp stone he had used against the beast earlier.The figure chuckled, a sound that seemed far too deep for someone so gaunt. “Do not play games with me, boy. You wouldn’t have survived this long if you weren’t seeking somet
The beast's snarling echoed through the jungle as it turned to face Nicholas once more, its eyes glowing with primal hunger. Nicholas's breath came in ragged gasps, the world around him spinning as fatigue and fear gripped him in equal measure. He stumbled backward, his mind scrambling for any solution, any way out. But there was none.The beast lunged again, claws extended, saliva flying from its jaws as it hurtled toward him. Nicholas raised his arms in a futile attempt to defend himself, but he knew it was hopeless. This was the end.Suddenly, a shadow flickered at the corner of his vision, fast and silent. Before Nicholas could comprehend what was happening, a blur of motion slammed into the beast with bone-cracking force. The creature let out a deafening roar as it was knocked off course, crashing into a tree with enough force to shake the ground.Nicholas blinked, his mind struggling to process the scene. The man, his new teacher, stood between him and the beast, his movements
You're Nothing. Your Life is Meaningless.After Nicolas' parents were involved in a fatal accident that claimed both their lives, He was given to live with his uncle and aunt, his only relatives in the world. They took care of him like he was their own and they allowed him do whatever he wanted."You're like our our son now. We will love you just like your parents" Nicolas' aunt said."Don't ever feel like you're alone," His uncle placed a caring hand on his shoulder."We're here for you."Although Nicolas was happy, he couldn't help but feel like he was to blame for his parent's accident. He felt like if he was strong enough, if he was a hero, he would have been able to protect them. His life went downhill as soon as he lost the sense of obligation and responsibility. He went on to make friends with the wrong crowd, going to parties, drinking and doing drugs.He got his first girlfriend when he turned eighteen. He felt like he was on top of the world whenever he looked at her smiling
"Wake up, Human."Nicolas' eyes jerked open and he immediately sat up breathing heavily. He tried to regulate his breath as he looked around surrounded by complete darkness. Confusion took over him and his memories were in a complete mess. He continuously tried to remember what had happened before he appeared in the dark void that seemed to make everywhere smaller by each minute.He suddenly remembered his overdose and being rushed to the hospital followed by his the sound of his heart gradually coming to a close. He was dead.He stood up from where he sat and looked around, wondering if this was the way death was; total darkness and solitude. He walked around trying to find a way out but it seemed to lead to nowhere. He ended up walking in circles until he came up to where he had first left several minutes ago. He realized he had began to get thirsty and he wondered if it was possible for him to want to drink water when he was dead. Several thoughts of his family rushed into his m
Nicolas was confused as to why an arrow had been shot towards him but soldiers. He attempted to move away, but more arrows flew to him and he fell on his back in a bid to escape being hit."What the hell is happening?" Nicolas asked.His hand touched a small puddle of water and he looked at it, an unfamiliar reflection of an handsome man staring back."Who are you?" Nicolas asked the reflection that the puddle showed him.He put his hand on his face, trying to figure out if he was really the owner of the face he saw in the puddle. He immediately understood why he was being attacked; they mistook him for someone else.A knight who seemed like their leader drew out a golden sword and increased his speed towards him. In an instant, Nicolas was face to face with a golden sword being swung towards him.With the help of instinct and his new found magical powers brought about by being reincarnated, he slowed time just enough to quickly dodge the attack. He couldn't believe his eyes when he r
Nicolas could smell the stomach wrenching smell of blood all over him. His eyes opened in a jolt and he quickly sat up. He couldn't believe what he saw. All around him were organs and fleshy walls that made it seem like he had been swallowed whole by a mammal.He could feel the warm wetness of a liquid soaking his hands and clothes. He looked down and the sight of it's red colour making him sure what he was sitting on was blood made his skin crawl. He instantly stood up as he screamed."Are you that scared of your body?"Nicolas had been oblivious to the fact that a person was watching him all along. He turned to see a man, dressed in the way he had been earlier when he was with Lou-ra, sitting on a throne made of bones that looked like ribcage.Nicolas' mind replayed what the strange man had said earlier; he had called the place where he had suddenly woken up after suffering a severe pain in his chest his body. There was no way he had entered his own body, that was impossible, howev
Lou-ra had lot all hope of Nicolas waking up when she saw he didn't budge after she shook him several times. She suspected he must have collapsed because his body, mind and source were still adapting to being reborn. She immediately started to use the healing magic she had learned during her five hundred years of exile. Hero Hinnel stood up from the ground, angry he had let Demon King Abron completely subdue him and his comrades with just one attack. If word got out of their defeat, he might lose face as the Hero that has been reborn to save the world. As he began to make his way towards Lou-ra, slowly gathering mana he would need to fight, he felt air heavy with the smell of sulfur and decay as he walked through the barren wasteland that had once been a beautiful place where flowers bloomed, majestically making the environment seem more of a heaven on earth. The Demon king had spoilt all of that in just once move. His heart pounded with a mix of fear and determination, his golden