When I came to my senses, I had become a snake.
How bewildered I was upon first realizing that fact?
My vision was hazy, as if shrouded in static noise.
I tried to rub my eyes, but there were no hands.
Startled, I tried to leap to my feet, but there were no legs either.
When I opened my mouth to scream, all that escaped was a raspy "Shii─".
In that unbelievable, disorienting situation, it took me quite a while to pull myself together.
Only after a long time had passed was I finally able to regain my composure and belatedly assess the situation.
And then I could clearly recognize it.
A slender, elongated body. Smooth, yellowish-brown scales running along it.
A tail that moved subtly at my command, though still awkward.
I didn't want to admit it, but I had no choice.
Irrefutably, perfectly, I had become a snake.
Even after acknowledging and accepting this fact, I lost my mind once more—but since I'd already thrown my tantrum earlier, recovery came faster this time.
...So why the hell did this happen to me?
Shii──
I pondered for a moment, but no clear answer emerged.
The only thing that came to mind vividly was my final memory.
Pitch-black darkness and a massive maw. A pair of glaring yellow eyes staring at me.
That sudden recollection made my body shudder.
Goosebumps... no, my scales bristled all over.
Recalling that last memory brought back the emotions I'd felt then, one by one.
Terror and despair before a predator. Rage and betrayal toward those who abandoned me.
'Kim Jun-su, Lee Ha-na... and Shin Jae-jun...'
Their backs as they turned away and fled, ignoring me.
Especially Shin Jae-jun, who had shoved me directly into harm's way.
'I'll never forgive you.'
-Shiii───
A hiss escaped involuntarily as anger welled up.
In the labyrinth, you had to look out for your own life—but even so, this went too far.
They were people I'd liked and trusted, which made it all the more unforgivable.
I wanted to exact revenge right then and there, but there were a couple of problems.
'First, I'm a snake. Second, I have no idea where I am.'
I awkwardly flexed my unfamiliar muscles and raised my head slightly.
A quick scan of my surroundings revealed a blurry but unmistakable forest.
Thanks to nearly a year as a porter, constantly in and out of the labyrinth like it was my backyard, I could sense the eerie atmosphere unique to these depths.
'At least it's definitely the labyrinth.'
If this was the labyrinth, then me being a monster was certain too.
Which brought my thoughts back to the original question...
'So how the hell did I end up like this?'
I'd aspired to be a hunter—never dreamed I'd become a monster.
Life's twists and turns, as they say? After ten months haunting the labyrinth for awakening as a hunter, becoming a monster was beyond imagination.
At least I could live the labyrinth life I'd dreamed of, even like this?
'No. This is not a blessing!'
-Shiii──!
A sharper hiss leaked out than before.
This bizarre reality was impossible to comprehend or accept; my head throbbed.
Part of me wanted to believe it was all a dream...
'But it's too vivid for a dream...'
-Shiii....
The texture of soil and grass felt through my scales proved this was no dream.
And besides...
'Status window.'
-Shiii───
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Name:Yu Jun-young(?) 👤 Race:Monster - [Baby Snake] ▶ View Details Stats StrengthG1 VitalityG1 AgilityG1 DurabilityG1 ManaG1 Skills Soul Separation SS [Unavailable]
In my hazy vision, the status window stood out in sharp clarity—the only thing visible.
Recalling my porter days, I checked on a hunch, and sure enough, it appeared as expected.
'I thought status windows were only for hunters... turns out monsters have them too.'
I muttered softly to myself as I examined the contents.
The basics were much like what I knew.
The '?' by my name and the 'G' ranks—unfamiliar to hunters—piqued my curiosity, but I chalked it up to monster specifics. Nothing too strange.
What really bothered me, though...
-Skills
Soul Separation SS [Unavailable]
'Why the hell is it unavailable?!'
Excitement over an SS-rank skill—enough to make any hunter A- or S-rank overnight—faded instantly at that label. I wanted to tear my hair out.
Though I had no hands for it.
At least the description explained why, sparing me a third meltdown.
⚡ SKILL DETAILS ⚡
Soul Separation SS
Separates your body from your soul.
The separated soul can always return to the body, but straying too far forces a return.
If the original body is destroyed, the soul can possess another body. (This skill becomes unusable afterward.)
Only after reading the description did the full picture snap into place.
The reason for my current state.
I had definitely died as a human back then.
Awakened in that moment of death, and my skill had immediately possessed this body.
...So this body is that egg from before?
Saiwongjima or whatever—life's ironies—but reincarnating as the offspring of the monster that killed me?
In this absurd situation, a sigh escaped me inevitably.
'At least that thing—its mom or dad?—isn't here...'
No way I could face the parent of the creature that killed me, now that I was its spawn.
Even now, the memory was traumatic enough; meeting it again would...
Brr—
Shaking off the resurfacing trauma, I calmly surveyed my surroundings.
'It seemed devoted to its egg back then... where'd it go?'
Despite spending a fair amount of time in this body, I sensed no other life nearby.
I puzzled over it briefly, then shook my head.
Pondering it now wouldn't yield answers.
Understanding how I ended up like this was enough for now.
Instead of dwelling on unknowns, I turned to more productive thoughts.
I fully grasped that I was now a snake monster.
No point denying it after piecing everything together.
So I thought ahead.
About the future.
Nothing good came to mind immediately.
I hadn't fully adapted to this body yet, and deep down, I half-hoped it was all a dream.
'Like that butterfly dream or Zhuangzi's dream.'
Maybe I was just dreaming I was a snake? Wake up in my cozy bed?
Such thoughts flickered in this surreal haze, but...
'No chance.'
Vision still blurry, sensations too vivid.
The status window remained, unchanged. This couldn't be a dream.
'This is reality.'
Realizing that, my body shuddered violently.
Sorrow at my wretched state. Vengeance against those three who caused it.
And above all, despair for what lay ahead.
A torrent of emotions left me trembling in place for a long while.
'...Yeah. Let's move. Do something.'
Staying put felt like surrender.
I'd collapse into this cruel reality and let it all go.
I couldn't allow that.
'I survived becoming this—no way I'm giving up.'
Future plans could wait.
Until this misery eased a bit, at least.
-Shiii───
And so, I pressed forward blindly.
The long, long snake life had begun.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
▶[Baby Snake] G-rank
: The lowest rung as a monster. Weaker than ordinary beasts. Sits at the very bottom of the labyrinth's food pyramid. Possesses an un-snake-like cute appearance, also called [Petit Snake]. Due to its cuteness, it's popular as a pet among some wealthy black market elites.
However, no matter how cute, it's still a monster—accidents happen. Plus, upon growth, the adorable look vanishes, replaced by a ferociously snakelike form, leading to frequent abandonment. Needless to say, abandoned specimens meet grim ends.
Race: [Baby Snake] - Details
Curiosity piqued while scanning the status window, I checked the "View Details" on the race entry—and this was the result.
Reading it through, a sigh slipped out automatically.
-Shiii───
As a human, I'd have chuckled it off. But as the subject? Not even a smirk.
'G-rank. Lowest monster. Below beasts. Ecosystem bottom-feeder...'
Every descriptor dripped despair.
No upsides, just downsides galore.
Not even a full day as a snake, and my resolve already wavered.
'And what's [Petit Snake]... [Petit Snake]...'
Even the "advantage" rang hollow.
I couldn't see my own appearance anyway, and this was the labyrinth.
Monsters discriminating by looks? Never.
Cuteness offered zero utility here.
Despair lingered briefly, then clarity struck.
No time for leisure.
'Lowest means prey for anyone, anytime, anywhere.'
No coincidence the description mentioned the food pyramid base.
No presences nearby felt safe at first, but now? This place seemed far from secure.
Was anywhere in the labyrinth safe for me now?
Those glaring yellow eyes and the black void beyond flashed traumatically.
Terror of death revived; my body quivered unbidden.
'...Gotta move. Find somewhere safe...'
I didn't want to die so helplessly again.
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