My name is Leo Wager. I proudly served my country during World War II, and yes, I've been called a hero. But let me tell you, heroics weren't exactly what I signed up for. In the heat of battle, I did what any soldier would do – I fought to keep my comrades safe. Whether it was charging into enemy fire to drag a wounded buddy to safety or taking on impossible odds to secure a strategic position, I did what needed to be done. But let me be clear, I wasn't out there chasing glory. I was just doing my duty.
After the war, all I wanted was a bit of peace and quiet. Away from the chaos and danger, you know? I dreamed of a simple life, surrounded by loved ones, with nothing more to worry about than what to plant in the garden come springtime. But life, as they say, has a way of throwing curveballs.
Before I knew it, the years had caught up with me, and I found myself old and weary, staring down the final stretch. At the age of 87, my consciousness slipping away, a single thought lingered in my mind – a wish, really. I wished for a chance to live again, to experience life anew, without the weight of age and regret bearing down on my shoulders.
Funny thing about wishes, though. Sometimes, they come true in ways you least expect. So here I am, once again in the prime of youth, with the whole world spread out before me like a blank canvas. And this time, I intend to make the most of it. No more war, no more battles to fight. Just me, living life to the fullest, one day at a time.
So here I am, in a body that’s young again, but something was peculiar – this wasn’t the world I knew. It was like waking up in a dream, only this dream felt all too real.
The landscape before me was something out of a fairy tale. Towering trees loomed overhead, their branches reaching towards the heavens in a silent prayer. Strange creatures roamed the land, their forms unlike anything I had ever seen. Dragons glided gracefully through the air, their scales gleaming in the sunlight, while unicorns pranced through fields of wildflowers, their horns aglow with magic.
The air was thick with the scent of unfamiliar blooms, and the sounds of nature surrounded me, a symphony of chirping birds and rustling leaves. It was a world alive with wonder, a place where the impossible seemed within reach. Amidst the beauty, I found a sense of tranquility I had longed for. I may have found myself in this strange new world, but there was a serene calmness to it, a sense of peace that I had been yearning for all my life. Here, amidst the towering trees and fantastical creatures, I felt like I had finally found my place in the world.
As I took in the breathtaking scenery, a sense of excitement bubbled up inside. This was a fresh start, a chance to embrace a life free from the horrors of war and the chaos of battle. With my youthful body and a world full of possibilities spread out before me, I couldn't help but feel exhilarated at the adventures that lay ahead.
With every step I took, I felt closer to fulfilling my deepest wish – to live a peaceful life away from the dangers of war, to savor every moment of this newfound tranquility. As I left the memories of the past behind me, I did so with gratitude in my heart, ready to embrace whatever the future might hold.
Realizing I was in the middle of nowhere, in a dense forest, I started to wander aimlessly. Luckily, my army training kicked in. The first task was to find water and food, and then I could begin building a shelter before it got too dark. I stopped and listened for the sound of water. Fortunately, I heard the faint sound of flowing water and decided to follow it.
I found a clear, clean-looking stream. Although you're never supposed to drink water from natural sources that haven't been purified, I had to take the risk since it was getting dark. After quenching my thirst, I needed to find food. I discovered some fruits but wasn't sure if they were edible, as they were unlike anything I had seen before. I decided to use them as bait.
I created a snare trap using a long vine and some branches, setting it up by a small tree with the fruits as bait. While waiting, I started building my shelter. It wasn't extraordinary – just a small hut made of big logs, branches, and leaves. It wouldn't protect me from wild animals, but it was the best I could do in a short amount of time.
A few hours later, a strange creature took the bait. It looked like a mix between a squirrel and a rabbit – it had the tail and head of a squirrel but the body of a rabbit with a small horn on its head. Despite its odd appearance, it looked delicious.
Now it was time to create a fire and cook my catch. Using the leftover branches and sticks from my hut, I used the fire plow method to start a fire. Although it took a while, I managed to get one going. I added more branches and sticks to build the fire up, then used the horn on the "Squabbit" to skin it. It was a rough job, but I got it done.
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I put a sharp stick through the meat and cooked it near the fire. The final wait had arrived, and the meat looked cooked and delicious. I took the awaited bite, and it was NOT WORTH IT! The meat was so bland, with no taste or texture; it was just unseasoned meat. But it still filled me up, so I couldn’t complain. After having my fill, I went to sleep in my hut. Even with the fire, it was still a cold night, but I managed to sleep through.
The next day, I managed to survive somehow. However, I'm not sure if it was because of the meat or the unpurified water, but today I have a massive stomach ache. I can't give up now—my new life is just starting. So, I picked myself up and started looking for some food. Amidst my pitiful search, I heard a loud roar. Even with my survival instinct telling me to run the opposite way, I was too curious to pass it by. After all, it’s a brand new world, and for all I know, it could just be a small animal capable of making loud roars. Oh, how wrong I was.
Slowly creeping and crouching, I made my way to a bush near the location of the roar. It was NOT a small animal. In fact, it was a mythical creature I knew of, even though it didn’t exist in my world. There were ancient stories of it. It was the creature "Chimera" from Greek mythology, and it looked wounded and pissed off.
Even from a distance, I could see the scars the creature had. It could almost make you pity it—a scar on the lion's head, a scar on the goat's head, and even more scars on the snake-tail. From the bushes, I could see an arrow stuck in the right leg of the Chimera, and it looked painful.
“Oh well, it is what it is,” I thought. I decided to turn back and leave since my curiosity had been satisfied. But as I turned around, my stomach decided to tickle my ass, and I let out a massive fart. BOOM! I didn’t wait for the Chimera to notice me. I stood up from my crouching position and sprinted in the opposite direction. I thought I was good since I had a head start, but when I turned around to look, the Chimera almost bit my head off. “Ahhh!!” I managed to dodge its attack, but in the process, I tripped and fell.
Here I was, lying on the ground, face to face with a ferocious creature, and all I could think about was how I might die because of a fart. Yet, I couldn’t accept it. “I don’t wanna die,” I muttered. As the Chimera closed in, about to eat me, I screamed, “I DON’T WANNA DIE!!”
Ding! “You have met the conditions to open Avalon.” I was surprised. I didn’t know what the hell an “Avalon” was, but I knew it could save me. I mean, it F*cking stopped time. The Chimera was there with its mouth open, stuck in time! Everything was frozen, except me and this weird floating screen that wouldn’t leave my face.
Ding! “Hi, Welcome to Avalon, an online store where you can buy anything and everything. Your first three purchases will be free, so choose carefully. In 10...9...8...”
F*ck. Now here I am having to decide what to buy. First, I thought of running far away, but with my stomach, I wouldn’t go far. Plus, I think the Chimera can easily track me down with its nose, and the time was ticking. So, I thought of killing the beast. However, I wasn’t confident that even a gun would be effective. Plus, the creature looked pitiful despite its razor-sharp teeth and growling face.
I decided! I’m going to buy a TRANQUILIZER GUN—the CO2 Injection Rifle Model JM SP 25, which can even take down big grizzly bears. “Let's hope this works.” After the purchase, I climbed a nearby tree and shot the Chimera 12 times, just to be sure. “3...2...1...0” The frozen time resumed. The Chimera looked confused, swinging its head back and forth. Using its nose, it sniffed and looked up, seeing me in the tree, terrified and possibly having shat my pants.
It roared and jumped onto the tree, trying to knock it down. “F*CK,” I screamed, “I knew it wasn’t gonna work!” Suddenly, the shaky tree stopped. I looked down and saw the Chimera sleeping like a baby. I breathed in and out and decided to climb down because I’M A MAN. Anyway, I was about to leave but saw the poor creature all injured and hurt. It reminded me of my old self. So, I brought out the “First Aid Kit” I purchased for my stomach ache and tended to the Chimera’s wounds. I took out the arrow from its leg and treated it carefully. Luckily, I had experience from the army, so I knew how to treat wounds, even worse than these.
After a while, I was done. Instead of running away, I just sat there accepting my fate. What was the point? Not even two seconds later, the Chimera opened its eyes. It looked angry and surprised at the same time. Either way, I’m gonna die. So accepted my fate, as the Chimera rushed over to me. I closed my eyes, ready to be devoured. But instead of feeling pain, I felt something—or someone—licking my cheeks. Not gonna lie, it kind of reminded me of my first bl*w-job.
I slowly opened my eyes, and sure enough, it was the Chimera licking my di—I mean, cheeks. “Hahaha, my plan worked. I planned this from the beginning” (he didn’t). But it turns out Buddy was just hurt and needed a little bit of care. After a series of licking each other (not like that;), I decided to name the Chimera. Honestly, it was really hard since I never had pets before.
In the end, I decided to name him “Leo.” It was NOT because I couldn’t come up with any cool name for him, but because he reminded me of my old self—a man who went through a lot, losing those he cared about and ending up hurt. I also thought the name would mark a new beginning of his journey with me. I decided to introduce my new self to Leo as “Kai.”