Pain. That was the first thing I felt—an all-encompassing ache spreading through my body, as if every nerve had been jolted awake at once. I took a slow, controlled breath, letting the thick, humid air fill my lungs. The scent was overwhelming—moist earth, rotting leaves, and something distinctly unfamiliar. I forced myself to focus. I had been through worse. I would handle this. As I opened my eyes, the sunlight was harsh, glaring down through a dense canopy of towering trees. I blinked several times, adjusting to the light as my Hawk-Eye Vision kicked in, allowing me to take in every detail in perfect clarity. I could see the individual veins on each leaf above me, the glistening dew clinging to thin strands of spider silk, and the faint shimmer of heat rising from the jungle floor. Everything was sharper than it had ever been. As I shifted, my hand pressed into the damp soil beneath me, and my Tactile Hyperacuity mapped out every minute detail—the tiny ridges of the dirt particles, the moisture clinging to decomposed plant matter, the sensation of small, crawling insects moving just beneath the surface. It had rained recently. That meant fresh water nearby. I inhaled deeply, filtering through the layered scents with my Heightened Olfactory Sense. Damp wood, decomposing leaves, the musk of distant animals. Then something else—the faint scent of something predatory, something carnivorous. I exhaled slowly, dialing back the intensity of my senses before the input became overwhelming. My instincts urged caution. I wasn't alone. I focused next on my hearing, activating Hyperacusis to parse through the chaotic symphony of jungle noise. Chirps, rustling leaves, running water, the rhythmic buzzing of insects. I separated each layer, pinpointing their sources. A large animal—quadrupedal—moving through the underbrush sixty meters east. Something smaller darting across the canopy. No immediate danger. That was enough for now.
Shelter. First priority.
I moved with careful precision, my Hypermobility allowing me to weave through the uneven terrain with fluid grace, avoiding protruding roots and unstable ground. Every step was deliberate, minimizing noise, conserving energy. The jungle was alive, shifting, watching. My Hawk-Eye Vision caught movement—a flicker of something blending into the undergrowth. Predator. Watching. Calculating. I kept walking, unchallenged—for now. But I would not count on that lasting. Then, a sound—subtle, too deliberate to be part of the usual jungle ambience. Close. Too close. I stopped instantly, lowering myself slightly, instincts sharpening. My Urbach-Wiethe Disease suppressed the usual fear response, leaving only clarity and control. Something was stalking me. I turned my head slightly, catching a glimpse. Low to the ground, its eyes locked onto me, muscles tense, waiting for the right moment. A test. It was assessing whether I was prey. I didn't wait. My hand shot down, fingers closing around a jagged stone. My Tactile Hyperacuity mapped its shape instantly, letting me find the perfect grip. The beast lunged, but I was already moving. Superhuman Reflexes kicked in, my body reacting before conscious thought. I sidestepped, pivoting smoothly as the creature sailed past me, claws slashing the air where I had been. I shifted my weight, using its momentum against it, and drove the sharp edge of the stone into its exposed throat. A gurgled snarl, a violent spasm, then silence.
I crouched over the carcass, studying it. Its hide was thick—potential armor material. Its scent was sharp, musky, mixed with traces of blood and decay. A scavenger-predator hybrid. I cut away a section of its hide, rolling it up to carry. Waste nothing. Use everything. With the immediate threat gone, I resumed my search for shelter. Half an hour later, I found it—a rocky outcrop with an entrance just large enough to slip through. I pressed my palm against the stone, activating Dermo-Optical Perception, feeling for any vibrations or hollow spaces. Stable. No signs of recent habitation. Good. I stepped inside, setting down my makeshift pack. The air here was cooler, dry. That meant less risk of mold, rot, or excess moisture buildup. A defensible location.
Now—fire.
I gathered dry wood, testing its density with my Tactile Hyperacuity. Good burn material. I struck two stones together, watching as sparks danced into the kindling. Within minutes, flames flickered to life, casting shifting shadows along the cave walls. I let out a slow breath, watching the firelight. The jungle had changed. The nocturnal world had awakened. My Hyperacusis picked up movement outside—low growls, the rustling of large bodies shifting through the underbrush. Predators, sensing the shift in power. I didn't move. I simply stared into the darkness beyond the firelight, my Hawk-Eye Vision picking up the faintest outlines of creatures lingering at the edge of my perception. They hesitated. Then, slowly, they backed away. Fire was a deterrent, for now.
Leaning back against the stone, I gazed up at the sky. The constellations above were unfamiliar—alien, yet strangely mesmerizing. My mind settled, cataloging everything I had observed. The jungle. The creatures. The dangers. The resources. I didn't know how long I would be here. Days? Years? Forever? But that didn't change my objective.
I would survive.
Either by adapting to this world—or by bending it to my will.
Either way, I would make it my home.
End of Chapter One