Who am I? Where am I?
I felt panic engulf my being as I stared at the void of nothingness around me.
'Fuck! Am I still stuck in that stupid dream? Just what the hell kind of drug did those idiots slip into my drink?'
'I knew Adrian was a prankster who took things too far, but this is ridiculous even for him!'
'I need to get up as quickly as possible and get to the Church! I need to look after the budget for this month-wait, what!?'
My panic increased even further as I noticed memories and habits not my own just appear out of nowhere in my mind.
Memories not my own, thoughts not my own.
I saw the faces of many people that made me feel many different kinds of emotions associated with them, along with names that my mind automatically associated them with.
And yet, I could tell clearly that they were not people that I, Lee Jinwoo, recognized from my life.
No. These memories, these people, these emotions, they belong to another.
A monster unworthy of being called a human.
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With a start, I woke up from that nightmare.
Instantly, my senses went into overdrive as time felt like it had slowed down because of how fast my brain was processing information, while all my senses picked up on everything in my surroundings.
It was only after a few minutes of this heightened state of combat, confirming that there was no threat to my body, that I finally relaxed and gave out a sigh.
"Fucking nightmares."
I pushed down the anger and turned to look at my surroundings.
Colossal trees that seemed as if they would touch the sky at any moment, ambient noises of various beasts that would make even the roar of a lion seem like music to the ears, the rushing noise of the river nearby that sounded as if I was sleeping next to a waterfall, but was just a normal river in this world.
And most importantly, the two moons hanging in the sky. One that looked similar to the moon I am familiar with, if with a different pattern of craters than I knew of, that I could somehow spot even from all the way here, and a smaller blue one.
"…Fuck! Looks like I need to give up on this being a damned acid trip."
Two days. That is how long it has been since I woke up from this nightmare.
In those two days, I tried as many times as possible to fall asleep and hoped to wake up back home, even if it would be just another loop of trying to save my loved ones and my world from that manipulative bastard.
But of course, just like always, Lady Luck decided that I had offended her by simply existing and denied this desperate wish of mine and the only thing I found every time I woke up was that I was still semi-naked, stranded in the middle of what looked like a classic fantasy setting, if the monstrous creatures that i could see within the darkness, thanks to my new sight were anything to go by.
For some time, I even suspected that I was trapped inside a dungeon, but that theory was also thrown out the window after some testing and wandering around.
At this point, I am really, really, tired and can't do anything but just keep pushing forward, hoping to find any traces of civilization and reorient myself.
I need information. Location, current situation, geographical knowledge, everything.
Ever since I was a child, my parents have always taught me that, should I ever find myself lost, the first thing I need to do is gather information about my surroundings before calling any available authorities for help.
Given that I am stranded in an entirely different fucking world where the only thing that matters is strength and connections, the latter part of that advice needs to be thrown out the window. But the first part is still viable.
I can't make any plans or get any ideas if I have no information about my current situation.
I could try to piece together the scattered mess of memories in my mind that somehow just appeared after I woke up here after my last loop, but I don't want to touch that mess for now.
Not when I feel so emotionally vulnerable.
Seriously, whoever did this to me, Fuck You!!
But, first things first. Civilization.
I got up from the ground and made sure that the tattered remains of the strange robe that I wore were covering my privates down there.
It would not do for me to flash any human that I come across when I am about to ask for some help.
Slowly, one foot after another, I walked forward as carefully as possible, trying to make sure that my new body's dimensions didn't mess with my judgment and make me ram straight into a tree. Again!
Which was valid considering that I was a bit shorter and much fatter than my original body, not to mention that this body feels like it hasn't exercised in its entire existence.
Which might be the truth, given what little I can tell based on those foreign memories.
'Fuck! I want this nightmare to be over so bad!!'
I continued walking deliberately and slowly through the forest, searching for any signs of civilization.
How long did I walk? My internal clock said that it was a few hours, and based on the movement of the sun in the sky, the math seemed to check out.
Of course, I can't be too certain given that this is a fucking alien planet!
Seriously, fuck my life.
As I continued to curse my luck, my life, the universe, and everything in between, my nose picked up a strange smell, aside from the disgusting smell of sweat that I had gotten used to in the past few hours.
Smoke, Blood, Burnt Meat, and Rot.
...This is going to be one of those days, isn't it?
The Hunter in me sighed in exasperation as the familiar violence of my profession dominated my mind, filling me with annoyance at the inconvenience, while the new emotions that I got cringed at the smell.
Pushing those emotions aside, I started walking towards the source of the smell.
This is it, the first clue, and a possible lead, for finding civilization and safety.