As Haruto walked through the forest, pushing past low branches and uneven ground, his eyes searched carefully for any sign of life. The silence around him felt unsettling, and the deeper he went, the more it felt like he was completely alone in an unfamiliar world.
After a while, a thought crossed his mind.
"What's your name?" he asked quietly. "And… your gender?"
The response came immediately inside his head, calm and emotionless.
[I am not human nor a living entity. I do not possess a gender. If you prefer, I can adopt a male or female identity. I do not have a name.]
Haruto fell silent for a moment, processing those words as he continued walking. Then, slowly, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"…Then I'll give you one," he said.
There was a brief pause before the voice responded again.
[That is acceptable. What name will you assign?]
Haruto thought for a few seconds. No gender… no origin… just a presence guiding him in this unknown place. Somehow, one name came naturally to him.
"Sophia."
[Name registered. Current designation: Sophia.]
Haruto nodded slightly and looked ahead again. For some reason, that name felt right.
He continued walking for hours, but the forest never seemed to end. His body grew heavier with each step, exhaustion slowly catching up to him. Everywhere he looked, there were only trees and shadows, and the distant sounds of monsters moving somewhere in the darkness made him stay alert.
Just as the sky began to darken, he finally saw something ahead.
A village.
Relief flashed across his face as he moved closer, but the moment he stepped inside, that feeling disappeared. The houses were broken and worn down, their walls covered in cracks, with plants and vines growing through them as if no one had lived there for years. The place felt empty… lifeless.
"…Abandoned…" he muttered.
Night was already setting in, and staying out in the open wasn't an option. Haruto quickly looked around before stepping into one of the damaged houses, clearing a small space for himself to rest for the night.
But just as he took a step forward, he heard something.
Footsteps.
More than one.
Haruto froze, his body going still as his senses sharpened. At first, he thought they might be people, but the sound didn't feel right. It was heavier, rougher… more like something crawling or stalking.
Then the grass outside shifted.
Haruto slowly turned his head toward the sound.
In the darkness, multiple red eyes stared back at him.
His breath caught.
From the shadows, several wolf-like monsters stepped forward, their bodies tense and their mouths slightly open as saliva dripped down. They looked hungry.
Fear tightened around Haruto's chest.
"Sophia… what are those?" he asked, his voice low but urgent.
[They are wolf-type monsters that inhabit dark forest regions. Individually, they are D-rank, but when in groups, their overall threat level increases significantly due to coordinated attacks.]
Haruto clenched his teeth.
"I'm not asking for details… just tell me how I survive this!"
There was a brief pause.
[There is only one viable option.]
"Then tell me!"
[Run.]
Haruto's eyes widened.
"That's it? There's no other way?"
[You are not strong enough to face them. If they catch you, your chances of survival are extremely low.]
The wolves stepped closer.
That was enough.
Haruto turned and ran as fast as he could, his body moving on pure instinct. Branches scratched against him as he forced his way through the forest, his breathing growing heavier with every step.
Behind him, he could hear them.
Chasing.
Fast.
Too fast.
"They're still following me…" he muttered, panic rising in his chest.
The ground was uneven, and the darkness made it worse. His foot suddenly hit a rock, and before he could react, his body lost balance and he fell hard onto the ground.
Pain shot through him.
Before he could get up, one of the wolves lunged forward and bit into his arm. Haruto cried out, forcing himself to react as another attacked his leg. Gritting his teeth, he kicked them away and tore himself free, ignoring the pain as he pushed himself back to his feet.
He ran again.
Desperately.
Then, suddenly, the forest opened up.
A river blocked his path.
Haruto stopped for a split second, his chest heaving as he turned back. The wolves were already closing in, their glowing eyes fixed on him from the darkness.
There was no time to think.
Without hesitation, he jumped into the river.
The cold water swallowed him instantly, and the strong current dragged his body away before he could even steady himself. He struggled to swim, but the force was too strong, pulling him deeper as water filled his lungs.
His movements slowed.
His strength faded.
And as everything around him grew darker, his eyes slowly began to close.