Discovered

Sunlight streamed down mercilessly, the scorching heat stinging my face and waking me from a restless slumber. I groaned and poked my head out from the haystack where I had been hiding.

The world was silent. No movement, no voices. The nearby house stood eerily still, its doors shut tight. In the yard, a few chickens and ducks waddled about, pecking at the dirt in search of breakfast.

I narrowed my eyes at them: "I wonder… can these poultry evolve into humans too?"

That thought alone was enough to make me shrink back into the haystack. What if one of them suddenly stood up on two legs, stretched out a feathered arm, and grabbed me? I shivered. The absurdity of this world had eroded my sense of what was possible.

Not long after, the gnawing pain of hunger began to creep in. I hadn't eaten since… well, I couldn't remember exactly. A few days ago, I'd found a stale bun to nibble on, but yesterday I hadn't eaten a single bite. My stomach growled like a wild animal, my throat was parched, and my lips cracked and peeled.

Then I saw it, a well not far from the haystack. I tiptoed over, drew a bucket of water, and greedily drank until my stomach bulged. I splashed some on my face, trying to wash away the dirt and fear. When I looked up, I took in my surroundings properly for the first time in days.

It was like stepping into a historical drama, an old rural village straight out of ancient times. Stone paths, thatched roofs, wooden houses. Desolate. Quiet. Too quiet.

I circled around the back of the house I had been spying on. The kitchen window was open. I gathered my courage, jumped inside, and scanned the shelves. There was half a bun left, a radish, and a few vegetables I didn't recognize. I eyed the bun suspiciously. Given what I'd seen them eat the other night, live rats and frogs, who's to say this bun wasn't stuffed with something horrifying? Rat meat? Or worse… human meat?

The thought alone made me gag. I dropped the bun and grabbed the radish instead, chewing it down to the root.

I dared not go far from the house. I still didn't understand anything about this world. The creatures, the rules, the dangers. I felt like prey, trapped in a jungle without a map. For all I knew, I could be eaten the moment I set foot in the wrong direction.

And those animals, those creatures, were terrifying. Even with human faces, they moved with a predator's strength and instinct. One wrong step, and I was done for.

So for the next few days, I did what I had to do: I survived. I hid in the haystack and waited. I watched the dog-rabbit couple go off to the fields each day, then snuck into the house to scavenge what little food I could find. A vegetable here, a crumb there. I rationed every bite. I listened. I learned.

No one was more miserable than me. If I were back in my own world, I'd be lying under a warm blanket, scrolling through my phone, maybe watching a drama. But instead, here I was—eating radishes in secret and dodging evolved animals like some medieval thief.

But fate doesn't pity the unlucky.

A few days later, I got caught.

It was just like any other day. I was sneaking past the neighboring house, climbing through the kitchen window. Just as I stepped onto the floor, a deep voice muttered behind me: "Smells so good…"

I froze.

I turned slowly. A man, or what looked like one, stood behind me, sniffing the air with an eager expression. But his appearance… Oh gods, he looked like a pig. Literally. About 1.9 meters tall, with a round, plump body, thick lips, a flat nose, and tiny squinty eyes that glistened with something I didn't like one bit.

His eyes widened as he looked at me: "Who are you...? I've never seen anyone so stunningly beautiful."

My heart dropped into my stomach. I took a step back, my mind racing: "You... you... stay away from me!" I shouted.

His eyes practically popped out of his head the moment he heard my voice. He stood there, dumbfounded, as if he'd just seen a goddess descend from the heavens.

"I want to mate with you," he said, moving toward me.

I almost choked on my own breath. "Your damn mother!" I screamed, kicking him in the stomach.

But his fatty body barely budged. He reached out to grab me, leaning in to sniff again: "So fragrant... you smell so good…"

Panic surged through me. I flailed like a trapped bird. The more I struggled, the tighter he gripped me in his arms. Desperate, I leaned forward and bit down hard on his arm.

"Let me go, bastard!" I shrieked.

Still, he held on. Then my survival instincts kicked in.

With every ounce of strength I had left, I delivered a vicious kick to his groin.

"Ah... ah... that hurts!" he howled, bending over in pain.

I didn't wait. I jumped up and kicked him again, this time in the stomach. He staggered backward. I ducked under his arm and sprinted away.

Behind me, I heard his heavy footsteps thudding after me, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He was fast. Too fast.

Just as he was about to reach me, I bent down, scooped up a handful of dirt, and flung it into his face. Dust flew into his eyes. He stumbled, blinked wildly, and fell flat on his face.

I didn't look back. I ran.

I ran until my legs gave out and the sun began to set.

By nightfall, I found myself in the middle of a vast field. Rows of crops stretched into the distance. I had no idea where I was or if I was even safe. My legs gave out. I collapsed onto the ground, tears falling freely.

"Huhu… why is my life so cursed… If you've got guts, just kill me already instead of tossing me into this hellish world… huhu…"

I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't stop myself. I sobbed into the dirt, the weight of fear, exhaustion, and loneliness crushing me until I fell asleep right there on the field.

Morning came too soon. Sunlight warmed my cheeks, pulling me back to the land of the living. I sat up slowly, sore from head to toe. All around me, the world was green. Crops swayed gently in the breeze. Birds chirped overhead.

I stood up and fled again, not daring to stay in one place for long.

Eventually, I found a small bush to hide under. As I crouched there, something odd struck me.

I touched my face. My skin still felt smooth. Fair, even. In fact… despite the sun, the poor diet, the stress, I looked better than before. My skin had lightened, my cheeks were soft, my figure somehow more delicate.

Strange…

"Could it be," I whispered to myself, "that I'm unaffected by the physical environment here because I'm from another world?"

That thought lingered in my mind. In a world this bizarre, anything seemed possible.

But whatever the truth was, one thing was clear, I had to keep surviving, no matter what.

Even if this world was insane.

Even if I had no idea how to get back.