Blinding pain suddenly shot out along with a freezing cold sensation. The tips of my fingers had lost sensation by the time I woke up, and my wet work suit had been frozen in place. A sudden shock froze my mind and I started taking shallow but quick breaths.
As I tried to take a dee breath, the cold air froze in my lungs and made me cough violently.
My blurry eyes regained vision for a moment. All I could see were endless snowflakes dropping from the sky, along with a dense, dark green forest with trees so tall that they seemingly reached up to the heavens. If there was one.
Every nerve of my body screamed in pain as I got up. There were traces of frozen blood all over my pale and freezing face and body, but no visible wounds or damages anywhere.
My fingers were red and white from nerve damage, if I didn't find shelter and a fire soon, they'd turn black from frostbite.
I looked to my right and was faced with endless snow and barely any visibility. The snow coated the landscape knee-deep, even though I was around 182 cm tall. To my left, there was a snow-covered mountain, barely visible, with rocky terrain that dared anyone to climb it.
And finally, in front of me was a forest. I should go there. At least it would shelter me from more snow, and if I were lucky, I could find freshly fallen sticks and try to create fire through friction.
At first, I took small steps. One… two… I counted silently in my head as dragged my numb legs through the ruthless snow that crunched beneath my worn-out leather work shoes. I struggled for a while, the cold made it hard for me to make even a slightly large step and my legs fought me everyime I tried to move them.
"One… two!!" I started to forcefully but gently move my lings faster. If I didn't, I wouldn't get enough movement to stay at least a bit warm.
In this freezing weather if i didnt warm up through momentum a slightly suddeny movement might tear apart something in my body.
Five minutes passed in a blurred daze as I moved my body. At last, I had reached the forest. The snow in the dense forest only reached around half of my shin. My body had stopped shaking too violently now and was somewhat movable now.
One by one, I looked at the bottom of every tree, searching for a tree branch that wasn't too frozen. The forest was too quiet for my liking, even in this weather there should at least be birds… right?
I moved through the snow and jogged a bit as i took deep breaths to keep myself moving and not freeze to death but.
Just then, a faint crunch sounded from somewhere. I froze, then looked around silently barely taking any breaths now, searching for the source of the noise, but all I could see were tall trees that towered over me and barely allowed any sunlight in. Then it started getting louder… along with many footsteps, lighter but… many more.
In this harsh landscape, there could only be a few things that could make this sound. And I was confident I knew the source.
I had to move quickly, right now I need a weapon, anything long and pointy to defent myself with. My frantic eyes scanned my surroundings and spotted a particular tree branch that hung somewhat low to the ground.
With my trembling hands, I slapped my thighs and calves a few times to wake them up, then jumped and clawed at the long tree branch.
I couldn't reach it, but I had to try again. I took a few steps back and hit my thighs and calves with clenched fists this time… I was running out of time too. The tips of my fingers had already lost all sensation and were starting to turn black. I let out a loud scream—as loud as my frozen lungs and throat could produce—and ran toward the tree.
Reaching out one leg, I stepped on the root of the tree and jumped up with desperation.
My fingertips grazed the tip of the branch, and I felt like I would fall down, but I twisted my upper body extending my right shoulder and arm in desperation.
"UUURAHH!"
I finally grasped the branch. But it wasn't enough to hang on to the branch… which was fine. I needed just needed the branch.
The tall branch made snapping sounds and quickly broke under my weight, and rough splinters pierced into my fingers and hands, but I didn't care. I frantically stepped on the end of the branch and broke a small piece off from the top, making it spear-shaped,
Foot steps got more louder and only then did turned my eyes around in fear.
There it was, approaching from my front—a pack of wolves with white fur and blue eyes. Their eyes were glowing, and their breath strangely reflected the barely shown sunlight, almost as if the steam produced by the wolves was ice.
And in the front was the source of the first few footsteps I had heard. A girl, around 160 cm, with tattered and dirty black-and-white nun clothes. She had a black blindfold covering her eyes, yet ran like she knew the exact position of the wolves and the trees.
Her blonde hair was covered in fresh blood, and she was bleeding profusely from her thigh and forearms.
In my previous life I had only seen wolves in zoos and even then they weren't as big as these ones.
I gulped a cold air and smiled weakly as my face twitched and my eyes started trembling.
In my last life, I probably would have run. After all, that's what I did all my life—I ran and ran from everyone until they gave up on me.
I reached out to my neck and tore off the frozen tie, I wanted to use it as a handle for my make shift spear.
But this time it will be different. And I don't plan on dying again either. I will fight, and I will somehow make it out alive.
My breath suddenly seemed hotter, and my eyes stopped shaking as I took a deep breath and let out a heavy scream to psyche myself into running.
Something in me told me I would win for certain and I grinned until my leaps almost reached my ears.
I ran straight toward the wolf pack that was chasing after the small girl.
Deep down, I was scared. But I had already died once, and now I was no longer that scared of the pain it might bring me.
Snow crunched under my frozen boots as I ran, and I kept on screaming until my lungs were on fire.
"BRING IT ON, YOU BASTARDS!!!"
I didn't know if I was doing it to attract the wolves or to strengthen my courage. Either way, I brought up the broken tree branch over my head and jumped as high as I could then into the wolf pack.
The small girl wasn't surprised by my presence or my scream. As soon as I jumped up, she stopped suddenly and turned around.
I dove headfirst into the pack of wolves and brought down the tree branch onto the head of the wolf with all my might.
Crunch! … My tree branch broke, and the wolf seemed to have gotten a little annoyed. The biggest wolf, who was hit by my pathetic attack, roared in anger, and the rest of the pack started shivering while drooping their tails. Even I dropped down to my knees in shock as my ears rang and blood started dripping from them.
Shit… I should have known this would happen. I wasn't in a novel… this is real life.
What the hell was I actually thinking? Did I think I was some kind of a tragic hero who got isekai'd into another world!?
Well… even if I wasn't a hero that doesn't mean I should give up now and accept death, giving up meant throwing away my life for certain. I clenched my teeth with all my might while my hands shook violently and uncontrollably. I wanted to take a step back but couldn't. I was frozen in place with fear. I muttered a curse under my breath, then brought my hand back as far as I could, ready to throw hands and fight until I died.
"FUCK! AT LEAST LET ME DIE AS A MAN—"
My scream was cut short by the fireball that burned the tip of my hair and struck the head of the wolf.
My eyes widened and I slowly turned my head around with a dumbfound expression and saw the nun muttering small words to herself. She was moving her lips in a calm and consistent manner in a language I couldn't understand. Then six fireballs appeared one by one out of thin air above her in a circle. All of them struck their marks and burned the wolves violently.
…magic? Huh? So this really isn't earth.
The smell of the burned flesh suddenly made my stomach growl, and my hands started trembling a bit less, slowly. I looked back at her again. then tried to get up from my kneeling position.
Oh. What froze me wasn't fear after all… The cold… got me first…
My vision suddenly blurred, and I fell down headfirst into the snow.