…

A blue sky.

What?

Where am I?

What happened?

I… What was I doing again?

A painful headache is forming in my head. This feels familiar.

I… I remember people, wait it’s golem not people and… explosion everywhere, monster and black… flame?

I… Did I just lost it?

I remember I felt fear and… anger, and hate.

What happened after that? Where’s the monster?

First I need to check my surroundings

Just where the hell am I? I’m surrounded by vegetation. Did I got transported to a forest somehow?

Whoa, my body… is covered by a moss and there’s a lot of cracks on my body. How the hell did I ended up like this? What happened after… after what exactly?

Ouch! another headache is coming!

It’s all coming back to me… I remember what happened.

I fought the monster and… what’s next?

I, how did the fight ended up? Did I lost or he lost?

Well, I’m clearly alive right now, but what about the monster?

I looked around, there’s a lot of trees and vines. I don’t even…

Wait, what’s that? It’s a giant pile of bones. A monster’s bones.

The skeleton has the same structure like a bull with two horns.

Don’t tell me…

How long was I passed out?

The walls that surrounded us are no different, it’s covered by a lot of vines and moss. I’m surrounded by a heavy vegetation, and the only thing that remains from the monster is its bones.

How long it would takes to decompose a huge monster like that? How long was I asleep? A year? two years? … It doesn’t really matter right now, I can’t change anything. I can’t stay here forever, I have to go somewhere.

My black flame, can I still use it?

I tried to focused and a black flame burst out of my right hand. Yep, it still working.

Is there any survivor? I saw dozen-ish people still alive before I got knocked out.

If they are still alive, where would they go? The possibility is very low, if they survived they could bring me with them. But still, even if they survived, they have no reason to bring me with them.

I hear birds chirping.

This place has become a forest, I suspect there would be a lot of wild animals. I have to get out of this place as soon as possible.

But it’s very hard to move with these mosses covering my entire body. Is there something I can do?

Oh yeah! The black flame can burn anything except me, the user, I think.

I focused on my power and the black flame enveloped my whole body.

After couple of seconds, I put out the fire and the moss is gone completely.

This power is very convenient, I wonder how did I get this power? Ah yeah, that song... or was it a music?

That music… I can’t remember anything about it, but I know it’s a music. It’s drowning people into a world of pain. It’s like… The Devil’s Music isn’t it?

The music give me a power to destroy but it’s painful like hell, and it’s not just me. What about the others? Who are they?

Huh, there is so many questions left unanswered. I wonder will I ever get my memories back?

Ah, while I lost deep in thought, I noticed something shining from my peripheral vision.

Is that a crystal? No, a gemstone? This is the first time I’ve seen something like this.

Its color is purple, a round form, very shiny, and its size is about… 3x3 meters I think? It’s a pretty big gem… or crystal, whatever.

This thing is actually in the middle of the monster’s corpse and covered by a lot of leaves and vines, but not moss. It’s emitting a faint glow.

Should I touch it? Well, there’s no harm.

Just as I touched it, a pleasant feeling flowed all over my body.

What is this sensation? I never felt like this before.

I noticed that cracks on my body slowly regenerating and fixing it self.

After couple of minutes, the cracks are gone and I’m completely healed. But that’s not all. The pleasant sensation keeps flowing and I’m feeling much stronger than before.

After 30 minutes passed, the flow is getting slower. Finally the crystal ball seems stopped glowing and the pleasant sensation is gone.

I’m absorbing the crystal? Seems like it, the crystal has run out of juice.

[font=ArialI inspected my body again. The cracks are gone, instead my body feels much lighter, stronger, and faster than before. My vision is much, much sharper, and my hearing is better than ever.[/font]

It truly feels refreshing, like flying on the sky.

This crystal… I wonder how do I obtain one of these?

I don’t know why, but I’m on fire! It’s like I can do everything.

I crouched and jumped from the ground with all my might.

Whoa! I jumped so high, even higher than the walls. Then I looked where I was standing before, The ground was actually destroyed! Is my kick really that strong!?

In this altitude, I can see beyond the walls. It’s an endless meadow.

There are lots of flowers in the meadow. The wind was blowing the flowers gently, swaying around. The sun shining on the meadow giving it a relaxing atmosphere.

I was amazed by the scenery before I realized I’m falling very fast.

Boom!

I landed outside the wall with an explosion.

Somehow I’m still alive. There’s not even a scratch.

This power doesn’t exist before. Was it because the crystal?

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. Now, where I’m supposed to go? It’s an endless meadow.

I think I should keep walking until I found a road or a highway… if there is one.

… Lots of walking later…

I hear something. A creature, not sure what it is.

It walked very carefully that I can barely hear it. If my hearing is normal, I doubt I could hear this creature’s steps.

Suddenly-

*Roar!!!

-I heard a roar coming from behind.

Something jumped at me with high speed, but my reflexes is faster plus I already know of its existence.

It landed on front of me, it has 4 legs, claws, sharp teeth, a tail, and it’s green. It’s a lion. A green lion. What the hell?

He’s baring his teeth at me, why is he attacking me!? Do I look human to you!? I don’t even have a flesh!

If I’m a human, I’m sure I would be soaked by my own cold sweat.

He looked at me with his green slitted pupils. I feel like my soul is being pierced by his eyes.

He jumped again at me, huh? His movement is actually quite slow? No, his movement is fast, it’s just my perception of time is faster that his movement seems so slow.

And so, I punched it face with all my strength while dodging his attack.

Boom!

The green lion exploded! My punch is that strong!? The lion’s body exploded because of the impact. Everything on my path got blown away by the force of my punch.

Shit, my strength is way too strong.

Huh? something shining came out of the green lion’s belly. A crystal ball. It has the same form like that monster’s crystal, but this one is smaller.

I grabbed it reflexively. Another pleasant feeling flowed through me, but I barely feel it.

This crystal… could it be this is what people called a monster’s core? That big crystal inside the wall was a monster’s core? that giant monster’s core?

That explains why I could barely feel anything from this core. It seems the stronger the monster, the bigger and better the core is.

I’m starting to wonder how the in world did that monster got killed.

The difference between the green lion’s core and that giant monster is like heaven and earth.

Suddenly, I realized I’m stepping the corpse of the green lion. Jesus, it’s intestine… it’s making me sick.

I reflexively jumped back. If I have a mouth maybe I would vomit already.

I hear lots of sound getting closer. It seems the commotion I’ve caused has attracted another monster’s attention. It’s better to get out of here fast.

…

I’ve walked quite far, maybe around 6 hours.

It’s already dark, my vision should be limited, but it’s not. Well, my vision is still better at daylight of course, but at night, it’s not that worse either.

Suddenly I hear a faint sound of monsters screaming from far away.

It piqued my interest, but I decided to ignore it and continue walking.

It seems the majority of monsters in this place is nocturnal.

…

…

…

3 days has passed.

I don’t feel tired at all.

Being a golem has it own merits and demerits.

Along the way, I’ve encountered 3 bulls, 5 green lions, 2 anacondas, and 12 times sneaking away from sleeping monsters. What a harsh place to live.

It was scary. Very scary actually.

I’m not used fighting monsters, so my movement is very dull. I survived this far only because my absurd strength and reflexes.

I wonder what would happen if I didn’t notice that monster’s core and continue walking through the meadow, what would happen when I encountered the green lion? Would I survive or not? Thinking about it gives me the chills.

…Wait, I hear something.

A crying monster, or is it a wolf? I’m not sure.

It’s just straight ahead of me. Should I check it out? I don’t think that is a good idea.

The cry is getting louder. At this rate, other monster probably will go toward the source of the sound.

It’s not that far, I think I could take a glimpse what could possibly make a monster crying for it’s life. But it’s very risky too… huh.

…

I walked very carefully to not step on any branch or leaves.

After a couple minutes I found the source of the crying sound. It’s a dog… or wolf, whatever that thing is.

It’s color is black, golden eyes, sharp claws, and one of its leg is caught on a trap. Wait, that trap… that trap is for bears right? And it’s very big too.

Why would there be a trap around here? Am I getting closer to a city or a village? There’s actually a human nearby? What do I do? Should I helped him or not?

The wolf is crying for help, but sadly no one come.

Wait, I hear something. Another monster is getting closer. From how it walks, I’m sure as hell it’s not one of his kin.

It wasn’t just me, the wolf hear it too. The wolf is getting panic, he tried to shake his leg off, but to no avail, he only making it more painful for himself.

This wolf… he reminds me of someone.

Who is it?

It’s…  me.

I remember a piece of my memories.

I’ve been in the same condition like him once.

Being alone, trapped, I’ve cried for help, But no one came. No one even gives me a second look.

I was abandoned by my own kind.

I was hated by my own kind.

It’s getting blurry… I can’t remember the details.

Suddenly, another monster appears. It’s a bear. An actual bear this time.

The bear have a big horn facing upward in the middle of his forehead, bigger teeth than any bear that I know of, big claws, big body, big muscle, and its color is pink. From all the monster I’ve seen, probably only this wolf is the most normal.

The wolf shrieked in horror. He started to yelping.

When I see his eyes, I can tell what he’s been through. Wolves always moving around in packs, but this one is alone.

This wolf is abandoned like me. He’s crying for help like me. He doesn’t have a place to belong like me.

The bear roared at the wolf while running toward him. The wolf stopped moving, his eyes… He’s already accepted death. He knows he can’t fight, he can’t run, he can only let fate do its job. He doesn’t have a choice.

He closed his eyes and doesn’t move an inch.

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Is he truly giving up just like that?

What I see isn’t a wolf or a dog. But myself. I see myself trapped in a dilemma.

Fighting won’t change anything, I can’t win in the first place. I will die for sure. Even I wanted, I can’t do it with my leg trapped.

Running away isn’t even an option, bear trap is no joke.

It’s hopeless. Life is unfair.

Why I feel very sad and angry at the same time? What does it have anything to do with me? It’s just another monster killing another monster.

Logically, I should walk away and continue my journey…

Logically… But I can’t walk away. Not, like this.

No, I won’t let you die.

I won’t let you die!!

I run and jumped toward the bear and punched it stomach.

Bam!

The wolf was shocked, he has this dumbfounded look on his face. I don’t know how, but somehow I can tell.

The bear wasn’t any different from the wolf, I guess he never expected that a golem could pop out of nowhere and suddenly hit him in the stomach.

The bear was blown away by the force and he still alive.

I looked at the wolf in the eye and the wolf responded by looking at me in the eye too.

The wolf is still shocked, he remain motionless for a couple seconds.

The wolf never expected anyone to come out to save him, he was abandoned by his own kin and already accepting his death. But he never thought that a golem would came out and punched the bear.

*ROAR!!!!!!

The bear suddenly let out a war cry and charge toward me.

This bear is very strong. I’ve punched a bull before, and he died in one hit. This time, when I hit the bear, instead of killing him, my right hand is cracked. The bear must a hundred folds stronger than the green lions.

Can I win this?

I choose to fight the bear head on and charge toward him too.

He sees me charging toward him and let out a growl. Suddenly the bear is charging toward me.

The bear tried to slashed my stomach with his sharp claws but I dodge it by a hair’s breadth. I truly didn’t expect his movement to be so fast. Despite his big body, he’s actually pretty agile.

I kicked him in the stomach again. He vomit bloods and got blown away again. That was a pretty strong kick, I’m sure he’s dead.

I shouldn’t have said that should I?

Contrary to my expectation, it got up again. What!? I’m sure as hell I broke his ribs!

That’s not the only thing that surprised me. His right hand is broken too, but it regenerated completely in matter of seconds.

What!? What the hell are you!?

Suddenly the bear take a really deep breath.

Shit! don’t tell he can paralyze people too!

And then he roared with all his might.

*ROOOAARRR!!!!!!!!!

I got blown away tens of meters and crashed on a tree.

Fuck!! My right arm broke!

His roar is strong! Some trees even got blown away too! But the wolf is still in safe zone, knowing he’s safe calmed me a bit.

Damn it! If I knew this would happen, I would have use my flame from the beginning.

I covered my left hand with the black flame and charging toward the bear once again.

The bear seems accepted my challenge as it charged toward me too.

Burn!! I screamed from the bottom of my heart.

He tried to slash me again as I dodge it by a hair’s breadth again. I jumped and punched him in the face.

Boom!!

His head exploded!

Take that you damned bear!

The flame spreads all over his body but strangely, the bear didn’t collapse.

The bear is still moving! It tried to slash me again, but his movement is much slower that I can dodge it with simple movement.

How much will power does this monster have!?

Dammit! It’s been 5 minutes! Die already!

These past 5 minutes the bear keeps slashing randomly to the point it actually reminded me about a certain game character.

The black flame has burned his whole body, I can see his bones and organs. Damn it! This is too grotesque! Why are you still alive!?

I can see his core inside his belly through his burned flesh. Shit, I have no choice am I?

I grabbed it as fast as I could. Some of his blood and flesh sticked on my arm.

Suddenly my right arm is regenerating to its previous state and my strength increased a bit. It seems this monster’s core is much more better than other monsters around here. It could probably the alpha of this forest.

My punch that could explode a chunk of stones and kill a bull and a lion, is almost useless fighting this damned pink bear. I’ve been thinking too highly of myself.

I glanced at the corpse. The flame keep raging on the corpse, it doesn’t seems about to go off for hours.

Weird, is this really a flame? The color is pure black and it’s not emitting light at all.

His body is actually not burned, it’s just… consuming his flesh and… very hot, I think?

I’m quite confused but there is another thing more important that daydreaming and so I walked back toward where the wolf is trapped.

Ah… The wolf is laying on the ground.

It’s not moving at all.

There’s a pool of blood around him.

Did he lost to much blood?

Was everything I’ve done is for naught?

Was I too late?

If only I used my flame from the very beginning, I could have probably saved him.

I’m sorry, I couldn’t save you.

It was all my fault.

Guilt and sadness has filled my mind, I feel angry to myself. If only I wasn’t so smug, I’m sure I could save him.

I clenched my hands tightly. Was his fate already locked to be killed by a mere trap?

I couldn’t save him. I couldn’t save myself.

I walked closer to his corpse. I will not let him be another monster’s food. I will make a respectable grave for him.

Ah…

He’s actually…

He’s actually still breathing! But his breath is very slow that I almost thought he’s already dead.

Don’t die on me dammit!

What do I do now!? First release him from the trap first.

Done!

Now, how do I stop the bleeding!?

Shit, the only thing I can do is to destroy! What do I do!?

Oh crap! Because I released the trap from his leg, the blood is gushing out from his wound!

What the hell I’m supposed to do!?

I don’t know how to treat an injury like this!

What do I do!? What do I do!? What do I do!? What the hell do I do!?

Ah…

What… do I do indeed…

It’s another memory of me… It’s a question that I keep asking myself repeatedly.

I’m helpless… I can’t even save a dog.

I can’t save anyone. It was all my fault. I’m sorry.

I’m truly sorry.

Why can’t I save you? Why can’t I save him? Why can’t I save anyone!?

I was an useless boy in a harsh world, who can’t save anyone and is abandoned. That is who I am.

A piece of my memory came back. I was an useless boy. Someone that always hated by people.

No matter where or when I go… I’m still the same old me.

…

No!

Not this time!

I will save you!!

Maybe I was an useless boy, hated, and abandoned by the world, but that was all in the past! The moment I was awake in this place, I’m a new me!

I won’t make the same mistake again! I will save you!

I will save you, dammit! I swear!

C’mon! Think!

What do I do? Stop the bleeding!

With what!? There’s no bandage! There’s nothing that clean enough to cover his wound!

But… How about fire?

People in the olden times use fire to close an open wound!

Can I control my flame to stop the bleeding!?

I do not know!

But I have to try. I must.

I lit a tiny flame on my index fingertip. I have to control it so it won’t spread and kill the wolf.

I move my finger tip slowly on top of the wolf’s wound.

Now I see it, the wound is very deep, I can see his bone and muscle.

Very slowly, I touched the wound with my fingertip, suddenly the wolf cried loudly in pain and thrashing around.

Shit! Was it too much!?

It’s either sink or swim!

I smeared my flame on his wound while hoping the flame would close the wound. The wolf is yelped while crying and the thrashing is getting wilder.

It’s not closing the wound at all!

I must control the flame!

I must in control!

C’mon!!

I focused everything I’ve got on the tiny flame covering the wolf’s wound.

It’s useless. The flame won’t do anything.

The flame is only making it worse.

It was a mistake. It was a fatal mistake.

I got to confident believing I was in control.

The flame is blazing on top of the wound, it doesn’t do anything. It’s just there.

Huh… It’s not spreading? It’s a fire, won’t it spread? Maybe…

Maybe my hunch is correct, it’s not a flame at all. It could be something else.

Then what is it? If it’s not a flame, that what is it? Can I use it to heal the wound?

This isn’t the time to experiment, but I have no choice.

I tried focusing on changing the form of my flame into a box.

It changed!

It’s not a flame after all!

I wanted to use the flame to close the wound, but it wasn’t a flame in the first place, so of course it won’t close the wound!

It’s something else indeed!

If this black thing isn’t a flame, then what is it!?

Let’s try something else. Let’s try to ‘control’ the fire.

I imagine to move the the black thing from the wolf’s wound and take it away.

It actually moved!

The wolf’s cry and thrashing stopped, but his life is about to ceased to exist.

This black thing became a flame because I wanted it to be one, but only its appearance is a flame, it’s not hot or cold. The bear’s flesh is consumed by the ‘flame’, not burned by the ‘flame’.

I have an idea, but it’s a gamble.

Please work or I don’t think I can live in this world anymore!

I smeared the black thing on his wound again. But this time, the wolf didn’t scream or yelping. He just quiet. No, he’s not dead.

The wolf’s wound slowly closing it self. He doesn’t crying or thrashing.

I waited a couple seconds… It seems to be working. If I’m a human, I would be drenched in cold sweat.

His breathing has stabilized but he’s unconscious.

I think I’ve figured it out on how to control my ‘flame’.

It seems… I am in control after all.

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If you found any grammar mistakes, please do tell. I'm a human after all.