A crocodile monster with a humanoid body stared straight at me while I drank from the lake.
Its massive jaw slowly opened, revealing rows of sharp, uneven teeth. Scales covered its body like crude armor, and its thick tail dragged heavily across the ground.
Then—
Its eyes turned red.
"…Shit."
That single word escaped my mouth before my body moved on its own.
I ran.
I didn't even think about it—I just ran.
That insane crocodile immediately chased after me.
I had just wanted to rest for a moment.
Damn it.
The crocodile monster roared loudly as it pursued me, its voice echoing through the forest. Every step it took shook the ground beneath my feet.
I kept running, desperately trying to escape.
But no matter how hard I tried, it stayed right behind me.
What terrified me the most was its speed.
That thing was faster than a human.
Much faster.
It was already closing the distance between us.
If this continued, I'd be caught.
Just as panic started to overwhelm me, I suddenly changed my running direction.
The crocodile monster, moving far too fast for its own good, slipped slightly and lost its balance.
I stopped for a moment and looked back at that stupid crocodile.
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
I burst out laughing, pointing straight at it.
I couldn't believe it actually fell for such a simple trick.
The crocodile monster stared at me.
Its expression twisted with rage.
The red glow in its eyes intensified.
My laughter immediately stopped.
"…This is bad."
Really bad.
I turned around and ran with everything I had.
The crocodile charged again.
It was like a professional sprinter—its movements were powerful, efficient, terrifying.
I ran like my life depended on it.
Because it did.
Damn it!
I shouldn't have provoked it!!
Just as it was about to catch me—
An idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
I stopped.
Completely.
Before the insane crocodile could reach me, I raised my hands and shouted.
"Wait! Stop!"
The crocodile halted, clearly confused.
Good.
"I know you're angry because I drank water from your lake without permission—and also because I laughed at you when you slipped," I said quickly, my heart pounding. "But I have an idea that can solve all of this!"
The crocodile monster stared at me.
It didn't attack.
It seemed to understand my words.
This was good.
Very good.
I immediately pointed behind it.
"Look! A dragon!!"
The crocodile panicked.
Its massive body stiffened, and it quickly turned around, fear flashing across its face.
That was my chance.
I ran.
As fast as I possibly could.
I didn't look back.
I didn't slow down.
I just kept running until I was sure it couldn't see me anymore.
Behind me, the crocodile monster looked around wildly.
There was no dragon.
Realizing it had been tricked, it turned back toward where I had been standing—
Only to find nothing.
I was gone.
I had successfully fooled it.
The crocodile monster roared in pure fury, its scream so loud it echoed across the entire area.
I hid behind thick bushes, holding my breath as I watched it search for me.
I couldn't believe it.
Such a stupid trick actually worked.
I bit my lip, trying desperately not to laugh.
After a while, when everything finally seemed safe, I carefully left the bushes and ran back toward my cave.
Once I arrived, I collapsed onto the ground and let out a long sigh of relief.
"…Today was seriously exhausting."
It seemed I really had to get used to this damn forest.
I lay down on the cold ground, adjusting my body until I found a somewhat comfortable position.
Soon, exhaustion pulled me into sleep.
*The Next Morning*
I woke up as usual.
The first thing I did was check outside the cave.
"…Hmm. Safe."
No monsters.
Good.
I stepped outside.
Today, my plan was to explore deeper into the forest.
If something happened, I needed to know the terrain. More importantly, I had to find a way out of this forest.
I began walking, carefully observing my surroundings.
I had to stay alert.
This forest was filled with monsters.
As I walked, my thoughts wandered.
Why did a modern human like me have to face something like this?
At first, I thought I was dreaming.
But the pain from when my arm broke and my leg twisted was far too real.
What actually happened before I came to this world?
What triggered all of this?
The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.
Just as I was lost in my thoughts—
The ground suddenly started shaking violently.
This wasn't a normal earthquake.
Something caused it.
I heard monstrous roars coming from the east.
I moved quickly toward that direction.
When I arrived, I immediately hid behind a tree.
What I saw froze me in place.
A massive battle.
A giant bird monster stood before me.
Its feathers were crimson red with black patterns on its wings. It must have been around six meters tall.
Facing it—
A massive white wolf monster.
Its fur shone like snow, and it stood around seven meters tall.
The two monsters clashed fiercely.
Each step they took shook the ground.
Trees were uprooted and crushed like twigs.
I carefully scanned the area.
No other monsters were nearby.
That's when I realized something.
When large monsters fight, smaller monsters avoid the area entirely.
They're afraid of being caught in the aftermath.
As I processed this—
A massive shadow suddenly covered the sunlight above me.
I looked up.
And my blood ran cold.
The body of the giant wolf monster was flying through the air.
"…Shit!!"
I jumped away instantly.
The wolf's body slammed into the ground where I had been standing just moments earlier.
If I hadn't moved, my body would've been crushed into paste.
I stared in shock.
I never imagined such a massive wolf could lose.
The bird monster slowly approached the wolf's lifeless body.
This was bad.
Very bad.
I couldn't stay here.
I had to leave.
I moved slowly, carefully avoiding the bird monster's field of vision.
But fate had other plans.
I accidentally stepped on a sharp rock.
Pain shot through my foot.
"Ouch!!"
I grabbed my right foot, biting back a scream—but it was too late.
Behind me—
A massive shadow blocked the sunlight again.
My body stiffened.
I didn't even need to look back.
I knew exactly whose shadow that was.
I let out a tired sigh.
"…Damn it. Why does this always happen to me?"
I ran.
Again.
The giant bird monster chased after me.
It let out an ear-piercing roar, so loud my ears rang painfully.
This was dangerous.
My right foot still hurt from that sharp rock, and now I was forced to run at full speed again.
I hated this world.
"I hate this world!!!"
I screamed as I ran with everything I had.
The bird monster continued chasing me relentlessly.
If this kept up, it would catch me.
I had to think.
Fast.
I pressed both my index fingers against my temples.
"Come on, Woo Jin! Think!!"
Then—
An idea.
I looked to my right and suddenly changed direction.
The bird monster followed immediately.
But that was exactly what I wanted.
I didn't actually run to the right.
I dove into thick bushes instead.
Once the bird monster was convinced I had gone right, I bolted to the left.
"Now's my chance!"
I burst out of the bushes and sprinted left.
The bird monster searched frantically to the right, completely missing me.
"Hahahaha!! These monsters are so easy to fool! All strength, no brains!"
I kept running.
Not knowing what awaited me ahead.
But one thing was certain—
In this forest—
If I stopped thinking,
I would die.