Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Beginning
The world dissolved into a swirling vortex of colors and sounds. Aiden felt himself adrift, a lost soul in an endless void.
Time became meaningless, a concept lost in the swirling emptiness.
Soon a drop of water, fat and heavy, landed on Aiden's cheek, sending a jolt through his body.
Due to the sudden prickle of moisture, Aiden's eyelids fluttered open, revealing a scene bathed in the muted light of dawn filtering through the dense canopy above.
He was alive. Disbelief battled with a wave of searing pain that ripped through his body with each ragged breath.
He was sprawled beneath the massive tree, rain drumming a relentless rhythm on the leaves overhead. Each drop that splattered on his face felt like a tiny hammer, a harsh reminder of the precariousness of his situation. His body throbbed with a dull ache, a constant echo of the agonizing pain that had wracked him before.
He squeezed his eyes shut, the memory of the creatures' relentless pursuit flashing behind his eyelids. They had seemed to abandon him, but a gnawing suspicion lingered in his gut. Were they truly gone, or was it something else, something he hadn't yet grasped?
As his vision cleared, Aiden tried to rise, but he was unable to do so, soon a horrifying realization slammed into him. His leg, twisted at an unnatural angle, lay unnaturally still beneath him. Panic clawed at his throat as he once again tried to move it, but only a searing agony met his efforts.
The same horrifying truth had mirrored itself on his hand, the once agile fingers rendered numb and useless. Blood trickled from the gaping wounds, staining the ground beneath him with a crimson that seemed to mock his despair.
Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision as he contemplated the cruel irony of his situation.
Abandoned, crippled, and alone, condemned to a slow and agonizing death.
The creatures, perhaps, had tired of their cruel game, leaving him to succumb to the inevitable suffering.
A choked sob escaped his lips as he tried to push himself up, the muscles in his leg screaming their protest and he collapsed back down with a thud.
Rain lashed against Aiden's face, each drop a harsh reminder of his predicament.
He squeezed his eyes shut, the memory of his foolishness burning bright. He had ventured out into this unknown realm woefully unprepared, his naivety costing him dearly.
He could have done better.
A memory flickered in his mind. He remembers the screen told him about levels and attributes. At each level, he'd gain points to strengthen his attributes, but that also meant killing those terrifying beasts. Could he even manage that?
The rain continued its relentless assault, soaking his already chilled body. "I can't die here," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the downpour. "I haven't even seen the world."
He forced his eyes open, drawing strength from the faint light filtering through the canopy. His gaze fell upon the status screen displayed in his mind's eye.
He scrolled down, his eyes landing on the "Primordial Predator" ability. An unorthodox idea, a desperate gamble, began to take shape in his mind.
What if he ate the long, slender two-headed creatures that feasted on the nectar of the strange flower? Maybe, just maybe, he could gain its regeneration ability.
A spark of hope flickered in his eyes. Perhaps he could heal his crippled hand and leg.
The thought of consuming another living being repulsed him, but in the face of his desperate struggle for survival, the disgust faded. Necessity had a way of altering one's moral compass.
With the remnants of his strength, he pushed himself up, ignoring the searing pain that flared in his leg. His movements were slow and labored, but he was determined. He needed to find that creature, fast.
He looked towards the flowers, hoping to see it feeding. Instead, he was met with an unexpected sight.
The same rodent creature that had bitten his leg was now dangling from a strange, grass-like string that stretched out from the flower's center. The string was wrapped tightly around the creature, slowly draining its life force.
A sudden understanding dawned on Aiden. The creatures hadn't abandoned him out of boredom, they had fled in terror. Maybe that was also the reason why they'd tried to pin him down so quickly – they were terrified of the colossal tree.
Perhaps the tree itself posed a threat to them, a predator in its own right.
And it was also the reason why there was not a single beast around the majestic tree.
But then, a new question arose. If the tree was capable of such predatory behavior, why hadn't it devoured him? Was it showing him mercy, or was there a deeper purpose at play?
Aiden didn't dwell more on the possibility of the tree harming him. Even with nine lives, he wasn't sure he'd survive if it wanted to kill him.
As for the Rodent creature, he didn't care.
He wrestled the unsettling image from his mind, directing his attention to the immediate task.
Aiden's mind fixated on the single-headed creature he'd seen earlier.
He wrestled the unsettling image from his mind, directing his attention to the immediate task.
He desperately searched for the familiar two-headed creature, finally spotting it at the branch near the vibrant flower, eager to reach the sweet nectar.
Fuelled by a surge of determination, Aiden attempted to stand. His body, however, refused to cooperate. He couldn't even stand, let alone walk.
Desperation gnawed at him, but he refused to surrender. With gritted teeth, he used his remaining strength to push himself forward. Using his right hand as a makeshift crutch, he began to inch across the ground, his face contorted in pain.
Each movement sent fresh waves of pain rippling through his body, but he ignored them, his focus solely on reaching the creature. The journey felt like an eternity, the earth stretching out before him like an endless desert. His progress was punctuated by the sharp sting of tiny stones embedding themselves in his open wounds, drawing guttural gasps from his lips.
"Just a little more," he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice barely a whisper.
As he crawled, his gaze remained fixated on the creature. Just like before, it reached the flower, attempting to take a sip of the nectar. Predictably, the flower reacted the same way.
A sickening crunch echoed through the air as the flower devoured half the creature.
Severely weakened and lacking the grip, the creature tumbled to the ground.
Seizing this opportunity, Aiden mustered the last vestiges of his strength and launched himself towards the creature.
The creature, devoid of any predatory instinct, didn't even try to escape. It simply coiled around his hand, its slender body warm and surprisingly smooth.
Ignoring the pang of guilt that arose within him, Aiden steeled his heart. With a swift movement, he tore the creature's remaining head off. But to his utter shock, the severed head began regenerating instantly.
"Is it immortal?" The horrifying possibility dawned on him. He realized he couldn't kill it.
Faced with this new dilemma, a grim resolution hardened his features. He knew what he had to do, but the thought revolted him. To save himself, he was forced to become a predator, an act that felt utterly barbaric. To consume another living being whole, alive, filled him with disgust.
But in this desperate fight for survival, he had no other choice.
With a heavy heart, Aiden closed his eyes, pushing away the rising tide of guilt and self-loathing. He brought the creature closer to his mouth, feeling its soft body pulsate against his lips. He took a deep breath, trying to block out the image of its pleading eyes, and swallowed it whole.
The creature's body squirmed against his tongue, eliciting a primal gag reflex. He forced it down, the taste of its fear and desperation lingering on his palate.
As he chewed, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he collapsed back onto the ground.
This wasn't him. This wasn't who he wanted to be.
Yet, at this moment, survival trumped morality. He had become the very thing he felt disgusted about.
A Devil!
….
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