The deeper Macarius walked into the forest, the more difficult it became to believe that anything could possibly be wrong with it.
The trees were enormous.
Their trunks rose straight from the earth, some thick enough that Macarius doubted he could wrap both arms around them. Their branches intertwined high above his head, forming a vast green canopy that filtered the sunlight into soft patches across the forest floor.
Leaves rustled gently whenever the wind passed through them. Somewhere nearby, water trickled over stone. Birds called to one another from branches hidden somewhere above him. The air smelled of wet soil, leaves, flowers, and something faintly sweet that Macarius couldn’t identify.
He slowed his steps.
"This place is... beautiful."
For a moment, he almost forgot that he had been thrown into an unknown world with no memories.
Almost. Then his eyes dropped toward the sword in his hand.
"Wait."
His expression became confused.
"What am I actually supposed to do here?"
He looked around. Nothing. No monsters. No people. No instructions. The Tower had told him to survive.
’But survive what?’
He frowned.
"Am I supposed to find food?"
He looked toward the trees.
"Or build something?"
His eyes moved toward the sword.
"Fight?"
His grip tightened slightly.
"Fight who?"
He looked around again.
"And if I’m supposed to find something... what am I supposed to find?"
The questions continued appearing in his mind, one after another. Nobody had explained anything. That woman, Anna, had spent more time threatening him than actually teaching him anything.
"If she had just explained things properly instead of pointing a sword at my face..."
Macarius muttered under his breath.
"...this would be a lot easier."
He continued walking. His footsteps pressed softly into the thick layer of leaves covering the ground. He had no idea where he was going. He simply chose a direction and kept moving.
Perhaps he would eventually find something. Or someone.
Then–
Rustle.
Macarius stopped. His entire body stiffened. The sound had come from somewhere to his right. He slowly turned his head. Another rustle.
Crack.
A small branch snapped. Macarius’s heart jumped. His hand immediately went to the sword. He pulled it free. Both hands wrapped around the hilt.
The blade pointed toward the bushes. His breathing became shallow.
"Who’s there?"
No answer. The leaves moved again. Macarius took a step backward. His palms were already beginning to sweat. Something was coming. Something alive. He raised the sword higher. His arms trembled.
"Come out..."
The bushes suddenly parted. A small creature hopped out. Macarius froze.
It was a rabbit. A grey rabbit. Its fur looked incredibly soft, almost silver beneath the sunlight. Two long ears twitched as it looked at him. And between those ears, protruding from the center of its forehead, was a tiny orange horn.
Macarius blinked.
"...A rabbit?"
The creature tilted its head. Macarius slowly lowered his sword. His shoulders relaxed.
"So that’s what scared me?"
He let out a nervous laugh.
"You’re... actually kind of cute."
The rabbit continued staring at him. Macarius looked around. There didn’t seem to be anything else nearby. His fear gradually disappeared.
He crouched.
"Are you harmless?"
The rabbit remained still. Macarius smiled faintly.
"I guess you are."
He placed the sword beside him and slowly extended one finger. The rabbit watched his hand approach. Macarius’s expression softened.
"Come here."
His fingertip was only a few centimeters away.
Then–
CRACK.
Macarius’s smile disappeared. His finger vanished. For half a second, his mind couldn’t understand what had happened.
Then he saw it. The rabbit was chewing. His finger was inside its mouth. Blood dripped onto the leaves. Macarius stared.
"...Huh?"
The pain arrived a heartbeat later.
"AAAAAGH!"
He collapsed backward, clutching his hand. His face twisted violently. His entire body convulsed.
"My finger!"
He stared at the bleeding stump in disbelief.
"My fucking finger!"
The rabbit calmly swallowed. Then a translucent blue window appeared before Macarius.
[Adaptive Regeneration activated.]
[Severe tissue damage detected.]
[Damage Type: Biting.]
[Adaptation process initiated.]
[Required successful regeneration cycles for complete adaptation: 1,000.]
[Current Progress: 1/1,000.]
Macarius barely had time to read it. Something moved beneath the wound. His eyes widened.
"What...?"
Flesh began growing from the stump. First came tiny strands of muscle. Then blood vessels. Then pale tissue. Bone formed beneath them. Skin spread over everything. His finger reconstructed itself before his eyes.
It was grotesque. Fascinating. And agonizing. Macarius screamed.
"AAAGHH!"
He pressed his other hand against his mouth, but another scream tore through his fingers. The pain wasn’t simply coming from the wound. He could feel everything.
Every strand of muscle forming. Every nerve reconnecting. Every piece of bone pushing into existence. It felt as though thousands of needles were being driven through his hand from the inside.
His eyes watered. His breathing became ragged.
"What... what the hell..."
He looked at his restored finger. Then at the rabbit. His fear had disappeared. Something much darker had replaced it.
"You..."
His eyes narrowed.
"You fucking bit me."
The rabbit stared back.
Then–
Rustle.
Macarius’s expression changed. He looked behind the rabbit. Another pair of ears emerged from the bushes.
Then another. Then another. His face slowly lost its color. More rabbits hopped into view. Grey rabbits. Brown rabbits. White rabbits.
Dozens.
Then dozens more. They emerged from between the trees until the forest floor seemed to move. Macarius slowly counted.
He stopped. There were too many.
"How many of you are there...?"
A rabbit hopped closer. Then another. Then another. Macarius grabbed his sword.
"No."
His breathing quickened.
"No, no, no..."
The rabbits lowered their heads. Macarius’s instincts screamed. He turned and ran. He managed three steps. The rabbits moved. They didn’t chase him. They swarmed him.
"WHAT?!"
The first rabbit slammed into his leg. Another bit into his arm. Then another. Then five. Then ten.
Pain exploded across his body.
"AAAAAGH!"
Macarius swung his sword wildly. He struck nothing. There were too many. Teeth sank into his legs. Claws tore through his clothes. Something bit into his shoulder. Another rabbit tore into his side.
"GET OFF!"
He kicked desperately.
"GET OFF ME!"
More rabbits climbed over him. He fell. His sword slipped from his hand. The forest floor disappeared beneath a mass of fur and teeth.
"NO!"
His screams echoed between the trees.
"HELP!"
He reached toward the sky.
"Someone! Please!"
Nothing answered. Only the rabbits. And the System.
[Warning.]
[Multiple instances of damage detected.]
[Damage Type: Biting.]
[Severity: Rapidly increasing.]
Macarius screamed again. His body began repairing itself. Flesh that had been torn away returned. Bones reformed. Skin closed. And then the rabbits tore the newly regenerated flesh apart again.
Pain. Regeneration. Pain. Regeneration. There was no end.
[Adaptive Regeneration activated.]
[Body is adapting to Damage Type: Biting.]
[Progress: 250/1,000.]
[Progress: 423/1,000.]
[Progress: 611/1,000.]
Macarius couldn’t read the rest. His vision was blurring. His thoughts were breaking apart.
’It hurts.’
Another bite.
’It hurts.’
Another wound.
’Make it stop.’
His body healed. Another rabbit attacked.
’Please.’
His fingers dug into the dirt.
"Help..."
His voice had become barely audible.
"Someone... please..."
His eyelids became heavy. The forest blurred. The sky disappeared behind the green canopy. He couldn’t feel his legs anymore. His consciousness began slipping away.
Then–
[Innate Ability: Painbound activated.]
Macarius’s eyes snapped open. His pupils trembled.
"What...?"
[Warning.]
[Awakener is approaching loss of consciousness.]
[Innate Ability: Painbound prevents loss of consciousness during regeneration.]
[Death during regeneration is likewise prohibited.]
Macarius stared at the words. His breathing stopped for a moment. Then another window appeared.
[Multiple simultaneous injuries detected.]
[Regeneration rate increased by 20% to maintain consciousness.]
[Effect will remain active until the body has completely regenerated.]
His body suddenly moved. Muscle regenerated faster. Bones reconstructed faster. Skin sealed faster. And with every fraction of a second his body repaired itself, Macarius felt every bit of it. Every nerve. Every muscle. Every bone. Every wound. Every bite. His eyes widened until tears streamed down his face.
"NO!"
He screamed with everything left inside him.
"NO, NO, NO!"
The rabbits continued feeding. Macarius clenched his teeth until his jaw hurt. His hands shook violently against the ground.
He couldn’t faint. He couldn’t die. He couldn’t escape. All he could do was remain awake and experience every second of it.
"What..."
His voice cracked.
"What the hell is this..."
Another rabbit bit into his shoulder. Macarius screamed. His body regenerated. Another bite. Another scream.
He stared at the System Window through tears. Then at the endless swarm surrounding him. His face twisted between terror, fury, and disbelief.
"What kind of..."
His voice broke.
"...fucking curse is this?!"