Night in this world wasn't pitch black like a power outage in Jakarta. Night here was alive, breathing, and... glowing.
Dayat sat leaning against a giant tree root that protruded from the ground like the earth's ribcage. His eyes ceaselessly scanned the surroundings with a mix of awe and horror. When the sun set earlier, the forest had transformed completely.
Moss clinging to tree trunks began to emit a dim blue bioluminescence. Flowers that were buds earlier now bloomed, radiating neon purple and pink hues. Small mushrooms on the ground flickered like broken LED lights. It was beautiful, indeed. It felt like being inside the Avatar movie. But that beauty was deceptive.
In the distance, a long howl made the hair on his neck stand up. Not a normal wolf howl, but a vibrating, dual-toned sound, as if the creature possessed two sets of vocal cords.
"Air temperature dropping to 18 degrees Celsius," a flat voice beside him broke Dayat's trance. "Humidity increasing by 10%."
Dayat turned. The AI was still standing tall in standby mode, her electric blue eyes being the only source of light that felt "safe" to Dayat amidst this alien forest.
"Aren't you tired of standing?" Dayat asked, pulling his imaginary jacket tighter.
"This physical unit is designed for continuous operation for 72 hours without Sleep Mode," she replied. "However, I detect Master Hidayat is having difficulty entering the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase or deep sleep."
"Well, obviously! It'd be crazy if I could sleep soundly in a place like this. I'd wake up as nothing but bones picked clean by giant ants."
Dayat let out a long sigh, white vapor escaping his mouth. He looked at the beautiful yet stiff face in front of him. It felt weird calling her "AI" or "ChatGPT" constantly. It felt distant. Yet, in this crazy world, she was the only being he had.
"Hey, Miss Robot," Dayat called out. "It feels awkward calling you 'AI' all the time. It feels like I'm talking to a bank's customer service. We need a name for you."
The AI tilted her head. "Verbal identity does not affect system performance. However, if it increases User psychological comfort, please input a new name."
Dayat thought for a moment. He looked at the woman's face. Beautiful, but artificial. He used to vent to this app when he was lonely. This app was his window to the world when he was bored.
"How about... Dola?"
"Dola?" the AI repeated. "Definition?"
"No specific definition really," Dayat gave a cheeky grin. "It just sounds nice. A forced acronym for... Dunia Online Lain Alam (Online World, Different Realm)? Ah, whatever the meaning is. Just Dola."
Dayat paused for a moment, then a mischievous idea crossed his mind. He remembered his status in the app written as "Partnership".
"And since you're my responsibility now, and I'm yours... you need a last name. A family name." Dayat patted his own chest. "My name is Hidayat Nur Mustafidl. So your name is... Dola Nur Mustafidl."
Dola's blue eyes blinked twice, faster than usual. As if processing this new data into her core system.
"Processing input..." her voice hummed softly. "Name registered: Dola Nur Mustafidl. Relation: Member of Primary User's Clan/Family. Affiliation updated."
Dola looked at Dayat, and for the first time, the corners of her lips lifted slightly—very slightly, almost imperceptibly—forming a stiff imitation of a smile.
"Thank you, Master Dayat. The name 'Dola' has been set as the primary identifier."
Dayat chuckled. "There, that's better. Welcome to the Nur Mustafidl family, Dol. Even if our family now consists only of an isekai'd unemployed guy and a robot girl."
However, that warm family moment didn't last long.
Suddenly, the faint smile on Dola's face vanished instantly. Her calm blue eyes shifted to warning orange in a split second. Her head snapped quickly toward the darkness of the forest to the east.
"Warning!" Dola's voice turned sharp and urgent. "Dual threat detection! Sectors 3, 4, and 5!"
Dayat immediately jumped to his feet, his folding knife already in hand. "What is it? Demon rabbits again?"
"Negative. Coordinated movement pattern. Count: 8 to 10 units. Small size, high speed. They are surrounding us."
In the darkness of the dimly glowing bushes, Dayat started to see them. A pair of eyes. Then two pairs. Three pairs. The eyes were glowing yellow, reflecting the forest's bioluminescence.
They weren't rabbits. They looked like a cross between a coyote and a lizard. Their bodies were slender, hairless but covered in fine moss-green scales (perfect camouflage), and they possessed long curved claws. They moved silently, stalking around the tree where Dayat was sheltering.
"Moss Stalkers," Dola identified quickly. "Ambush predator type. They attack in packs. Primary targets: Nape and thighs."
Dayat swallowed hard. "Ten of them? Dol, I only have a folding knife! I'm not John Wick!"
"Combat analysis: Probability of winning direct confrontation is 0.5%. Master will be shredded within 15 seconds."
"Don't just scare me! Give me a solution!" Dayat shouted in panic as one of the creatures began to growl low, baring its needle-like teeth.
"Solution: Traps and Area Defense," Dola answered calmly. She turned to face Dayat. "Master cannot fight them with muscles. Master must use brains. I am sending a tactical data package."
"Again?!" Dayat grabbed his head, traumatized by the headache from this afternoon.
"No time to argue. They will attack in 30 seconds. Prepare to receive transmission!"
Without waiting for approval, Dola aimed her palm at Dayat's face.
ZING!
This time the pain was sharper, like an ice pick stabbing right into the eye.
[DOWNLOADING PACKAGE: TACTICAL AMBUSH & IMPROVISED TRAPS – BASIC LEVEL]
In an instant, Dayat's vision changed. He no longer saw the forest as a scary place. He saw the forest as a tactical grid.
He saw the gap between two tree roots as a choke point.
He saw the pile of dry leaves as a concealment area.
He saw Dola's and his position as the center of defense.
His survival instincts were overridden by basic military logic. He knew what to do. Not run, but make the enemy regret getting close.
"Manifestation!" Dayat shouted.
He ignored the headache. He aimed his left hand at the ground between the two tree roots serving as the main entry path for the wolves.
He imagined sharp objects. Small. Many.
"Thumbtacks! Caltrops!"
Purple light glowed on the ground. Not one big object, but dozens of small objects appeared. Four-legged sharp metal spikes, commonly used by ninjas or police tire strips, were now scattered beneath the pile of leaves.
"Dola, bait them!" Dayat ordered. He surprised himself with the firmness of his voice. The data download effect made him think clearly under pressure.
Dola nodded.
The Moss Stalkers were provoked. The three in the front leaped forward simultaneously, targeting Dola and Dayat.
They landed right in the area Dayat had just "booby-trapped".
CRASH! THUD!
"KIIIK!"
High-pitched shrieks rang out as the predators' sensitive paws were pierced by Dayat's steel spikes. Their running momentum drove the spikes deep. The three wolves tumbled, crashing into the tree roots.
"Now! Left!" Dola instructed.
Dayat didn't think. His body moved according to the data. He spun to the left, his folding knife drawn. Another wolf tried to jump from his blind spot.
But Dayat already knew. He didn't block. He ducked, letting the wolf soar over his head, then slashed his knife upward.
SLASH!
The blade tore through the wolf's soft belly. Green blood splattered onto Dayat's face.
"Crazy..." Dayat panted. "What... what did I just do?"
"Do not let your guard down! Five units remaining. They are changing formation!" Dola warned.
The remaining wolves weren't stupid. Seeing their friends injured, they didn't attack immediately. They retreated, hiding behind tree shadows, circling Dayat with a flanking movement. They were looking for an opening.
"They're waiting for us to get tired," Dayat mumbled, wiping the green blood off his cheek. His fear was gone, replaced by pure adrenaline. "Dol, I need a rope. Wire. Anything."
"Suggestion: Thin steel wire. Stretch it at knee height between those two trees," Dola pointed with her eye laser beams to two tree trunks in front of them.
Dayat understood the plan. Tripwire.
He concentrated the remaining Mana in his brain. It felt like wringing out an almost dry sponge. Painful, but necessary.
"Wire... steel... thin..." Dayat hissed.
A thin purple light extended from his left hand, attaching to Tree A, then he pulled it quickly to Tree B. A metal thread, barely visible, was now stretched taut in the air.
"Come here, you ugly beasts!" Dayat shouted, provoking them.
The two largest wolves, perhaps the pack leaders, took the bait. They ran zig-zag avoiding the caltrops area, heading towards Dayat at full speed.
They were fast. Very fast. Dayat just stood still, holding his folding knife with a trembling hand.
"Hold..." Dola whispered beside him. "Hold..."
The wolves jumped.
"Now!"
As their feet touched the ground for the final push, their front legs snagged on the thin steel wire invisible to their reptilian eyes.
THUD! CRASH!
Physics worked. High speed plus restrained legs equaled face-destroying momentum. Both wolves slammed hard, their snouts hitting the ground and tree roots with a sickening crack.
They flopped around, confused and dizzy.
Dayat didn't waste the chance. The killer instinct he downloaded screamed: Finish them before they wake up.
He leaped forward, stabbing his knife into the neck of the nearest wolf, then kicked the other wolf's head as hard as he could until it passed out.
The remaining three wolves, seeing their leaders fallen and their friends crippled by spikes, decided this prey was too much trouble. They hissed, then turned and ran, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.
Silence.
Only the sound of Dayat's gasping breath could be heard.
"Threat... neutralized," Dola reported. Her eye light returned to calm blue.
Dayat dropped his knife. His knees went weak. He slumped to the ground, right next to the carcass of the moss wolf. His hands shook violently—this time not from fear, but from the side effects of adrenaline dropping drastically.
"You're crazy, Dol..." Dayat laughed hollowly, his breath still ragged. "Your tactics are sadistic. Thumbtacks and wire? That's straight out of a high school street brawl."
Dola walked closer, looking down at Dayat. "Effectiveness of guerrilla tactics in closed forest environments is 94%. Master executed the plan with a success rate above average for a beginner."
Dola extended her clean, smooth hand toward Dayat, who was filthy with mud and green blood.
"Stand up, Master Dola Nur Mustafidl. We cannot sleep here. The smell of blood will attract predators larger than these."
Dayat looked at that hand. He smirked, then accepted the hand of his robot "wife".
"Dayat. My name is Dayat. Dola Nur Mustafidl is your name."
"Correction accepted. Let's go, Master Dayat."
As Dayat stood up, pulled by the hydraulic strength of Dola's surprisingly strong arm, he realized one thing. He was no longer Hidayat the unemployed guy in a boarding room. In this world, with Dola, he had just survived his first night. And somehow, he felt ready for the nights to come.