「Ahhhh! It used to be such a warm place…」

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“I’m not quite sure where I am......, but that place—it was like my haven. It was like sleeping under an endless, sweet sunshine, a cradle of warmth that wrapped around me completely. I couldn’t move or open my eyes, yet I was at peace, drifting to the gentle rhythm of a constant,Drum sound—

(thump, thump, thump),

like a beat of heart. I’d lose myself in that melody, carried along by its quiet hum. My body seemed to thrive on it; I never even had to think of food. Every time hunger started to stir, it vanished, my belly filling up as if by magic.”

「Ahhhh, those were the days. But now... now it’s cold and damp. The musty air clings, and I haven’t been fed for who knows how long… wuuu.」

This place, once so safe, is no longer the cozy refuge it used to be. The melody’s gone, that sweet, life-giving bubble I lived in has burst.

「And the worst part isn't that? It was these tiny weird, crawling creatures who keep invading my space…」

*(Scrr...kk...kk...) *a wriggling sound started filling the air.

「Awawawa! They’re coming back—again!」

These little, slimy, squirming invaders… they’re utterly revolting! I don’t know how else to put it.

「What’s so disgusting about them, you ask?」

「Everything!!! Their tiny, ugly faces and those monstrous mandibles trying to tear into me. Their slippery bodies ooze some sort of horrible-smelling slime, and the countless legs, writhing all over… ugh, just thinking about them makes me want to *(blurrrrgh)*.」

But no, I can’t throw up. This was my home, my sanctuary… and, unfortunately, they’re my only food right now.

(Gulp… slurrrrp.) **"Ugh… it’s so disgusting."**

"Should I leave and find somewhere better?"

[Nahhhhh! I can bear this much… yeah, I’ll just take a nice, long nap." Let's close my eyes, hoping for peace.]

*Skkk...reeee...ckk...*

「What the—? I ‘just’ ate, you little pests. Give me a break」!

And yet another reason to despise them.

「Alright, you disgusting little freaks. You want a fight? Lemme show you who’s bossss...ss......

W…Wait.... the hell?!」

I brace myself, feeling a bit of excitement as I prepare for some action. But what no one told me was that in this game, there’s no such thing as fair rules! Who said they could swarm in groups, all attacking at once?

Isn’t this way too unfair?! I’m all alone, there’s no space to dodge… and how many are there? Twenty? Thirty? Let’s say a hundred so I don’t lose face if things go badly.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

So began the legendary battle of one brave soul against a supposed hundred wriggling creatures.

…And ended just as quickly, with a nearly immediate defeat.

「No, no, I didn’t lose! It was a tie. Yeah, a tie.」

They’d ganged up on me, and as we wrestled, the chaos grew until—*kabooom!*—I crashed right through the wall.

"「Oi, wait…!」" *(Bomp!)*

"「Ouch」!" *(Blomp!)*

"「Oye…o.o.o…awwwwch!」" *(blomp—bomp—bummm..)*

"That hurt…"

I landed hard, my first encounter with the rough, rocky world outside. And of all places, I hit my head.

But I have to get away before those filthy little pests find me again.

Now, just to be clear, I’m not scared, and I didn’t lose either. This is what they call a tactical retreat.

「If only I had my ar#y fi#₹arm&@₹#****」

…Wait. Something just beeped, a strange sound cutting me off. It was like something muted me or erased part of what I said.

「Huh?! What… what was that?」

「What did I say just now? I was saying… if I had my…(?)..something?... what was that again?」

Ah, whatever. Running away should be my focus right now.

But i can't move my limbs. Was I asleep for too long? Or was eating those wriggling worms a huge mistake? Is my body actually paralyzed?

Well, with my (self-proclaimed) muscular, strong arm, I’ll drag myself out of here.

Dragging myself through the wreckage of my old home, my vision is clouded by debris. I couldn’t see where I was headed until, suddenly, the ground just disappeared beneath me.

So i fell.

「Ahh, this one’s going to hurt.」

*Splashhhh!* I plunge into water.

But I can’t even tell if I know how to swim. Luckily, it was shallow, just deep enough to roll out of. For the first time, my eyes open, clearing away all that gunk. My body, which felt tied up and stiff, finally feels free.

「…It was just a muddy puddle?」, I realize, disappointed as I glance back at the murky water.

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Then, a single leaf flutters across my field of vision, catching my attention. As I follow its path, I finally see the world around me.

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I’m mesmerized. Before me, a massive green tree stretches like a canopy, its branches reaching out like sheltering arms. Through a crack in what looks like a cavernous ceiling, a single beam of sunlight shines down, illuminating the dim, damp cave like a secret, enchanted realm. The air smells humid and musty, yet to me, it feels as if magic itself is unfolding before my eyes.

This scene, which left me no words to describe its beauty.

「What the hell is this.....place...??」 I nearly shouted.

Everything around me felt strange, so new and overwhelming. I could barely keep my eyes open, as if the world was too bright, too vivid to bear. Tears welled up and trickled down my face, stinging, as though they too were part of this harsh new reality. I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut, covering them with both hands.

Eyes closed, I let my other senses fill in the story around me. My ears twitched, catching sounds drifting through the cave—the faint drip of water, the scratch of hidden creatures in the shadows, the restless hum of life around me.

A sudden gust of cold air brushed past, shocking and sharp, prickling my nose, making it cold. I rubbed it to bring back warmth, shivering as I did. My fur, still damp from the puddle, clung to my body, and each draft of air seemed to chill me to my very core.

「Ugh....」

This was nothing like the warmth I had known before. Instinctively, I turned back, trying to return to the safe place I had come from—the place where I’d known only comfort and gentle warmth.

But as I looked, there’s nothing left to go back to...

Instead, what loomed in front of me was..a massive, decayed form.

Once, it must have been majestic. Now it lay in ruin, a skeleton of its former self, its flesh and bones picked clean by pests and other beasts, leaving a haunting, hollow carcass. What remained was almost unrecognizable, yet something in me knew, could almost feel what it once had been.

I took a few stumbling steps,

catching sight of myself in a small puddle, my first glimpse at my own face. My reflection looked back at me—a creature covered in dark, soaking fur, round, tiny teeth just peeking out from my mouth. How small I looked, so different from the great body lying in front of me. I was so small next to its massive frame, which must have once carried a powerful body with large legs and strong fangs. A strange, aching feeling crept through me—a kind of emptiness I didn’t know how to explain.

I didn’t understand what any of it meant. I had no memories, no answers, but somehow, looking at that fallen creature brought an uncomfortable tightness to my chest, a weight that was both strange and painful. each second, that hollow ache only grew, spreading through me like an icy chill.

A shiver ran through me, colder and deeper than anything the air around me could cause. My nose tingled sharply, and my eyes—already filled with tears—overflowed again, hot against my cheeks. The shivering of my body no longer seemed to matter; I was frozen from the inside out, trapped in a feeling I couldn’t name.

「Why...?」

My voice came out in a soft, trembling whisper. I didn’t know who I was asking or what I wanted to know. Why did the sight of that lifeless creature hurt me so much? I didn’t know it. I barely knew myself. And yet, there was something so familiar about it, like an echo of a memory I couldn’t quite reach, stirring both confusion and grief.

I had never felt anything like this before. I didn’t know if I was ready to feel it now.

Time passed; the day had set, and night rose.......

I think I had grieved enough for the loss of my haven. Slowly, I moved away, curling my round body tightly to shield against the cold. I found shelter beneath an upturned root of the massive tree, folding myself into the curve of it. My tired eyes began to close, the weight of the day heavy on me,

Until finally, sleep came.

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