Chapter five... Ruined World

Agony consumed me. Every inch of my body screamed in pain, yet no sound left my lips. Even the act of breathing felt like a punishment. I remained motionless for minutes, the weight of my injuries pinning me to the ground, until a sound—unnatural and grating—forced me to move. It was like a razor scraping metal… if both the razor and the metal were alive. And judging by the world I'd awakened to, that might not be far from the truth.

Adrenaline overpowered the pain, and I scrambled to my feet, diving behind a crumbling wall—something I had far too much in common with. The screeching creature barreled past, oblivious to my presence. Only then did I allow myself to breathe, each inhale sharp and shallow. It took a moment before the memories returned, unspooling in vivid clarity.

I had awakened from what I thought was a dream, standing exactly where I was before—atop the clocktower, a floor above the city's ancient mechanism. The rising sun painted the skyline in gold and crimson, and for a brief, irrational moment, I had smiled. My body, miraculously unscathed, had only added to the illusion that all was well.

"Now, where do I—"

The words had barely left my mouth when the truth struck me. The sight below—the twisted ruins, the grotesque scar where the clocktower plaza had once been—ripped through my delusion. But realization came too late.

Something impossibly massive moved. It should have been slow, bound by its sheer size, but it was already upon me before my mind could process the threat. Its shadow swallowed the entire tower floor.

"Fuuuuuck."

Instinct had made me raise a hand—a useless, laughable attempt at resistance. Then the force hit. A colossal hand slammed into my body, launching me through the air with terrifying speed. Before darkness claimed me, I caught a glimpse of the city's outer boundary, far beyond where I should have been able to see.

And yet, I had survived.

I didn't know how. But in that moment, lying broken in the wreckage, I almost wished I hadn't. Then I remembered what would have happened if I had died.

This wasn't how Isekai stories worked. Even in twisted versions of the genre, you weren't supposed to face the final boss immediately after arriving. You weren't supposed to lose right at the start. I stared at my hands, flexing my fingers, feeling the subtle shift in my body's limits. Stronger than before, but not nearly strong enough. My so-called ability—the one that was meant to change everything—was nowhere to be found.

"Scammed by a deity. Just my luck."

With a weak sigh, I forced myself up. Staying here was not an option. If the creature from before didn't find me, blood loss would do the job.

So I moved.

The city—no, the world—was unrecognizable. Hours ago, it had been alive with human voices, traffic, and the pulse of civilization. Now, only the sounds of collapsing buildings, distant screams, and the guttural howls of nightmare-born creatures filled the air. This was no longer a place for people.

I had to survive. Not just for myself, but for my family.

I had barely let out my ninth exhausted sigh when I saw it.

A wolf—if it could even be called that. It was the size of a truck, its eyes milky white, devoid of anything resembling a soul. But the worst part wasn't its sheer scale. It had no fur. Instead, pale, sinewy flesh stretched over its monstrous frame, its claws glinting like jagged blades.

It was feasting.

For a fleeting moment, I believed I had gone unnoticed.

Then I remembered—wolves could smell fear.

It stopped mid-meal. Slowly, it turned its head, its dead eyes locking onto mine.

My blood ran cold.

"Nice… doggy."

The words barely made it past my throat, my body already betraying me with cold sweat. It didn't move—not at first. It just stared, watching me with unnatural stillness. Then, with fluid grace, it stretched its front legs forward, lowering its body into a predatory stance.

A hunter's stance.

I wanted to joke about it looking like a baby's resting pose. But there was nothing childish about the death that stared me in the face at that moment.

I turned and ran.

Every step sent agony rippling through me, each jolt threatening to rip the breath from my lungs. My speed was pathetic—nothing compared to what it had been before this nightmare began. But even at my best, I was nothing against this creature.

The sound of claws scraping against the ruined pavement drew closer. I barely managed to swing around a pole, pivoting just in time as those monstrous talons slashed through the air where I had stood a second ago. The maneuver cost me—I nearly collapsed, pain searing through my body like fire. My vision blurred. And then, I screamed.

I hadn't meant to.

But it hurt. God, it hurt.

And now it knew I was weak.

Somehow, I kept running. My mind, working on borrowed time, registered a movement—something huge, fast. Out of instinct, I ducked. A shadow passed overhead, and the beast missed me by inches.

An idea formed. A desperate, reckless plan.

I veered left, sprinting through the shattered remains of an alleyway, weaving between collapsed buildings and skeletal ruins. The pain didn't matter anymore. I had to find it.

Then, finally—there.

A jagged piece of metal, sharp enough to be useful.

But the path was straight. No cover. No obstacles. Just me, the blade, and the monster closing in behind me.

It wasn't a contest.

I wasn't faster than a normal wolf. What chance did I have against this?

None.

But if I was going to die, I'd rather die trying.

I pushed forward, every ounce of strength pooling into my final steps. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a collapsed skyscraper, though it was too far to reach, but it didn't matter much.

I had made a decision.

At the last possible moment, I planted my feet and leapt.

Something went wrong.

Or maybe, something finally went right.

Because I overshot.

Confusion barely had time to register before instinct took over. Twisting in midair, I reached out, fingers barely grasping the sharp metal as I spun.

And then—I faced it.

The wolf's jaws were closing in. A nightmare of obsidian fangs, ready to sever me from existence.

And I grinned.

Because it was perfectly positioned.

With speed and strength that shocked even me, I drove the blade forward.

A sickening shhk tore through the air as the metal sank into its throat, blood—wine-red and boiling—spilling over me in torrents. The wolf let out a strangled, guttural sound before its body collapsed. I was about to life maniacally, but couldn't. Cause the creature fell.

Right on top of me.

And I passed out once again.