In a forest, a man walked slowly. His steps were so light they seemed to make no sound; yet, it was not skill that silenced them, but fear. It was night, and the dark forest was lit only by three moons.
The man trembled with fear: at the shadows, the hiss of the wind through the trees, the cracking of branches… even his own breathing frightened him. But where was he? That was the question haunting him.
His confused memories came back in flashes: a car speeding, his body flying through the air — and nothing else. Whenever he tried to focus his thoughts, a stabbing pain warned him to stop.
"Shit…" His murmur slipped out like a whisper.
Lost and in great pain, fear consumed him more and more. Yet, driven by the will to survive, he kept walking east, where a faint spark of fire flickered. Perhaps that was where his hope resided.
It would probably be wiser to climb a tree and wait until dawn. But, like any foolish man, he truly believed he could face a wild beast and still escape alive. God help him.
He pressed on, each step making his body tremble. He didn't understand, but something strange was happening around him. And not because an animal was stalking him, but because this was not his world.
And even more: finding a creature from his own world here? A joke. This was the Dead Zone, a place completely dominated by evil gods. A place where demonic beasts and dark deities hunted humans like cattle.
Around him, a being stared with curiosity. It was a Terror, a level-1 evil god. Cannon fodder, a true vermin. Yet, to its eyes, a mere human was nothing but a piece of meat.
And this Terror was sadistic. It loved to torture humans, to watch them suffer before death. Its pleasure made it tremble as it observed the man cowering in fear.
Crack!
Distracted by excitement, the Terror snapped a branch and fell. It landed right in front of the man. At the sight of it, the fragile human shivered in terror. The creature had a form similar to his own, yet shorter — about 1.5 meters tall — and it radiated a terrifying malice.
"Hehe…"
A laugh slipped from its mouth full of teeth. Seeing its prey, seeing fear etched on his face, drove its excitement into a frenzy.
The once-paralyzed man bolted in a desperate sprint, running with all his strength. The Terror chased after him, deliberately giving him a head start, just so he could feel the illusion of escape.
With each pounding step, the man's heart sank deeper. What was that creature? Why was it chasing him? Why had he fled without thinking? Could it all be just a game? No. His instincts screamed the truth of what awaited if he stayed.
Death. Yes. A cruel, slow death, under laughter.
And that terrorized him in an inexplicable way. How he was so sure no longer mattered, for the creature was closing in, running at full speed.
Boom!