Chương 1

In the trade of slitting throats for money, any assassin worth their salt knew that survival often depended on adaptability, and that began with reading the situation clearly. Lying low on a rooftop and watching the scene unfold before him, Ethan had a flawless grasp of his new reality. I'm fucked. He was in an ancient ruin that looked mythical with all the bizarre vegetation that surrounded it.

The lush forest had seamlessly blended into this small city, with giant trees towering over the old buildings and eager vines covering what seemed to be once a bustling town. Some of the trees had bark that gleamed with a silver hue, while frail vines had carved deep marks into the stone. The moss on the walls somehow felt alive, and strange wildflowers scattered the landscape. Peculiar as they were, these weren't what troubled him. Not at all.

That was the blood-curdling monsters of all kinds that occupied this lovely hellscape. A golden hawk with occasional sparks of lightning trailing through its feathers, a colossal snake with long fangs and two leathery wings, or an overgrown lizard with thick scales that seemed to be moving as it breathed. You name it. The ruins were full of exotic creatures with unknown abilities, and miraculously, they weren't bothering each other, dwelling in their determined spots and eying one another nonchalantly.

Well, that was until someone new entered the town. A feline creature made an entrance and gathered all the attention for itself. It resembled the jaguars back on Earth, but it was almost double the size and had massive front paws. One of its ears was missing, and its body was full of scars. It walked along the worn-down cobblestones gracefully while watching the others with caution.

When it came in front of a two-storey building that was almost completely wrapped by the giant winged-snake, it let out a deafening roar. The snake answered with a menacing hiss from the flat rooftop, lifting its head and spreading its wings. A shiver ran down Ethan's spine as he gulped. Hearing the primal confrontation only made him more aware that he didn't belong here. This wasn't a fight he could participate in.

Which only rang more true when he failed to register the speed of the big cat that launched itself over the bigger snake. It aimed for the wings but couldn't manage to reach it. The snake rolled its body to constrict the cat, but it slipped away easily, landing on the roof. When the snake attacked, the cat retreated just enough and swatted its claw without holding anything back. It didn't injure the snake but seemed to stun it for a moment. The denizens of the forest also started to move.

Most of them only shifted their positions slightly, while a few left their spots and got closer to the fight. The duel looked pretty much one-sided because the big cat was just too agile. It always reacted in the perfect time frame and attacked back viciously. Without a choice, the snake took flight and tried to strike from the air. But the cat switched its tactic accordingly, stabbing with its claws to climb the colossal snake and treating its opponent's body as a playground.

A dark, mist-like substance started to spread around the furious snake as the observers backed off. Landing on the rooftop once again, it folded itself swiftly and launched toward the enemy. Instead of retreating, the cat met the attack head-on with its claws glowing in crimson, for the first time, every hit tearing a bloody scale apart.'' Magic!'' Ethan blurted out with wide eyes, clenching his hands.

''This world really has magic!'' The battle continued for a few more minutes. Although the cat became dazed toward the end, it still managed to kill the snake and dragged its bloody mess of body from the building, throwing mean glances at the spectators. The others lost interest and started to return to their corners. The pressure on his chest lifted, letting him breathe again. He made his way down from the roof with a thoughtful frown.

Ever so carefully and silently, he entered the empty building and started pacing in the living room. Magic is real. So are monsters with unreasonable strength. This is more than I hoped for, but… I'm not equipped for this shit. Not by a long shot! This wasn't how it was supposed to be. None of this should have gone like this! Gritting his teeth, he looked around the room before letting out a frustrated sigh and plopping down to the floor. Alright, let's try this again and start with a simple question for a change.

'What's my name, Ani?' he probed mentally.

'Ethan Walker,' Animus replied with a monotone voice.

'What do you suggest I should do in this situation?'

'Command unclear.'

'Do you have anything to say that's useful to me right now?'

'Command unclear.' Ethan bit his lip. Just what the hell happened to Ani? Some kind of EMP attack? Shouldn't the biochip be immune to such things? He caressed his nape absentmindedly, furrowing his brows. I didn't feel any pain around my spine either. One moment I was on the ship, chatting with my friends, and the next moment, I found myself on the street of this ruined city. I didn't even have any time to get my backpack. Worst of all, Ani… lost its self-identity?

I should rewatch that memory at some point and see if there is anything I'd missed. But first, I need to know what I'm dealing with.

'Can you locate the ship or the other biochips?'

'No, they are not in the 10, 000 mile radius.' That's a lot of miles. They can't all be dead, right? Maybe we only got separated and this world is bigger than we'd expected? Or perhaps— he shook his head, deciding not to lose himself in assumptions.

'What other abilities do you have available at the moment?'

'Analyze, calculate, and memory transfer.'

'No simulations?'

'Insufficient data.'

'Do you remember anything about your hivemind?'

'I have full access to your memories, and that's all the information I have right now.'

'Okay. That's good. Let's see…' Ethan massaged his forehead as he pondered. This all sounded like returning to factory settings or something along those lines.

'As you gather more information, I'm sure you'll gain your semi-sentient form again, but the process will be long and arduous. For now, I need you to analyze and imitate your old speech pattern from my memories. Study the way I speak as well. Learn the abbreviations and slang words I often use, so that you can understand my intent better. Other than that, let me know if you recall anything about who you were. Also… don't worry, Ani, I'll find a way to fix you. It's a promise.'

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

'Understood.' He winced at the cold response. Seeing his old friend in this condition hurt, but even before thinking of helping them, he had to focus on his own survival. A puny human like him had no place in whatever was going on here, and even staying alive was a tall order. Okay, baby steps. Shelter won't be a problem, but if I decide to stay in this crazy place, I'll have to sleep with one eye open. Then, I will need food and water. Some tools and weapons to get them. And more importantly, information.

Any kind of information is a blessing right now, especially about magic. With a glint in his eyes, Ethan jumped to his feet and started to search the house one more time. He'd already taken a look inside before the fight of the beasts, but this time, he did a more thorough job. Sunlight broke through the narrow windows, shedding a soft glow over the floor that was paved with glossy gray stones. The single-storey house had two rooms, a living room, and a separate kitchen.

Despite the archaic vibes, the building itself was actually in great shape, but that couldn't be said for the furniture inside. A small bed with a wooden frame was tucked into the corner, partially collapsed, its mattress reduced to little more than a pile of discolored straw. Against the wall sat a low table, its surface rough and scarred. As for the kitchen, it contained nothing but some moldy and broken kitchen utensils. Not finding anything useful, he left for the next house.

He'd already spotted the closest beasts around this area from the roof and knew the risky directions. Still, he didn't drop the vigilance. The name of the game was straining his hearing and sight while tip-toeing at a snail's pace. The neighbor's house turned out to be more of the same. Its interior was in even worse condition, likely due to the missing door and windows. His next stop was a two-storey building.

Speaking of it, this whole city seemed to consist of one or two storey buildings, except for the temple-like structure at the center. If there was one thing that stood out in this city, it was the grand architecture of a mysterious temple, looking both primeval and timeless. It was located right in the middle of the city, not too far away from him. Ethan naturally would love to peep inside, if not for the giant lizard lying in front of its gates.

Fingers crossed it has a big fight coming soon, and it's away from the temple. He pushed the door of the duplex and found out it was some kind of shop with a high ceiling and a mezzanine floor. The counters and tables were hidden beneath layers of dust and cobwebs. A rusted cauldron rested near the entrance. Shelves carved from something like cedar lined nearly every wall, full of pottery fragments, broken glass jars, and brittle scrolls. His eyes lit up as he dashed toward the scrolls.

Grabbing them delicately, he blew the dust off them as gently as possible.

''Ani, start analyzing and deciphering the language. Let me know once you become more than 70% proficient in it.'' With Ani's confirmation, he carried on with the rest of the written material. A simple glance at the page was enough for Ani to store the content. There weren't many texts, but this was a great indication that the other buildings may also have something similar. Happy with the lucky find, he switched to the backyard. The air carried a sweet, loamy scent.

At the corner of the forsaken garden, nestled a charming plant with jewel-like flowers in shades of deep violet and bright green. The large blossoms had a mesmerizing appearance. Marveling at what he stumbled upon, Ethan was a tad late to discover the hazy blur that pounded on his chest, hurling him to the wall. Pain flared through his back, jolting him awake and bringing his awareness to the creature on his chest: a nasty-looking rodent, as big as a medium-sized dog.

Its dirty black fur was disheveled, matching the bright red eyes and the crazy look. He tried to get the ugly rat off himself, but only ended up getting injuries on his arms from its sharp claws. Gritting his teeth, he shoved the beast with full power. The moment it touched the floor, the rat charged once again, this time receiving a hefty punch on its face. No different than hitting a block of steel, Ethan's hand hurt like hell, yet the beast looked unfazed.

Desperate, he looked for a weapon as he regained his feet. There was nothing handy. Let alone the small backyard, even the shop itself was full of rubbish. The rat was on him in no time, slashing its claw toward his leg. He pulled his leg back and threw a kick, but it dodged easily before jumping again. Caught off guard, he watched with wide eyes as the rat sank its teeth into his jeans and tore off a small chunk of his flesh.''

You little–'' Ethan clenched his jaw in agony and grabbed the rat's tail, swinging it to the floor. He didn't let go. Again and again, he smashed it left and right with everything he had. Fatigue built up quickly, but the little bastard was still energetic, trying to attack with its claws relentlessly. With one last push, he tossed it to the wall and searched the garden one more time with ragged breaths.

When the rat came to its senses, Ethan bolted toward the plant, threw himself toward its roots, grabbed a large stone, and rolled over. Lifting his left hand as bait, he only waited for a second. As the beast arrived, he withdrew his hand and smashed the rock on its skull. The sound of a sickening crunch was followed by a high-pitched screech. A savage grin spread on his mouth. There was no hesitation as he bashed the rock over and over again until the sounds ceased and the creature stopped moving.

The overwhelming feeling of relief came so suddenly that it startled him. It was soothing but also strange. Just as he relaxed, a sharp pain assaulted his calf. He uttered a yelp before looking over his shoulder. The three flowers of the gorgeous plant had been morphed into maws, packed with long, sharp, and bristling teeth. One of them was chewing his leg. You gotta be kidding me! Ethan kicked the flower with his other foot and managed to free himself. Another maw attacked from above.

He threw the rock he was holding and tried to stand up. The flowers backed off momentarily, but vine-like roots shot up from the ground, snarling around his ankle. For every vine he broke free, he found another two coming at him. It didn't matter whether he broke a vine or not, the rest of it continued to assault him swiftly. The damage he was doing felt nonexistent, and unlike the plant, he was getting exhausted at a fast rate. His head started to throb as his breath turned erratic.

He felt another vine on his back, creeping toward his neck. Trapped in a futile wrestling match and out of his mind, Ethan reached out to the rat's carcass and threw it toward the flowers. It worked. The plant seemed to be surprised for a moment, the flowers hesitating between dodging it and catching it. Without delay, he doubled his struggles to free himself and barely managed it while losing one of his shoes in the process. Taking a few steps, he fell down again, his left leg going numb rapidly.

Though he didn't look disconcerted as he started crawling at high speed, likely because of the loud crunching noises coming from behind. Arriving at the other side of the backyard quickly, Ethan turned to look back and was relieved to see that the plant wasn't moving around, still munching on the rat.

''I hope you enjoyed the meal, you backstabbing murder weed!'' he yelled between breaths, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.

''It'll be the last one before I burn you to a crisp!'' He gave his back to the stone fence and looked at his leg wryly, pulling out the two weird teeth of the plant.

''What happened, Ani? Did I get poisoned?'''I t seems to be a sedative toxin, nothing lethal. More data is needed for extensive research.' Ethan sighed, his shoulders dropping. Other than the paralysis of his leg, he was feeling… good, pleasant even.

''Godsent painkillers. Right on time,'' he mumbled, chuckling. He eyed the supposed teeth in his hand. They were about a finger long, straight, and thin. The material seemed wooden, albeit quite heavy. Pointing them toward the plant, he narrowed his eyes.

''You know what? Fire is off the menu. I will pull those teeth of yours, though. Don't get your hopes high.'' Despite surviving by the skin of his teeth just now, he put the murder plant to the back of his mind. There was a more important matter that demanded his attention. A minute ago, just as he killed the overgrown rat, a foreign energy had entered his body. That was no sensation of relief, or adrenaline wearing off.

Because it still plainly resided in his body but also appeared to be outside of it, hard to explain. What was clear, though, he was able to control it by his will and improve different aspects of himself with it. Such as turning his muscles denser and stronger, or refining his bones and tendons to make his body more agile. Ethan's breath grew labored as he tried to understand the implications.

''C-Could it be… did I just… level up?''