I click my tongue.
« Hoshino? If you turned off the lights again just to scare me, I swear I'm gonna strangle you with my charger cable. »
Silence.
« Okay. Hilarious. Great vibe. So, what's the plan, guys? Are we doing a mime play now? Where's the hidden camera? »
I laugh. It's more nervous than funny.
« Seriously, are you all dead or what? »
I freeze.
…That was a joke. It was a joke.
I listen. Not a sound. No breathing. Not even Satou's snoring, that sleepy idiot who's always out cold.
« If this is some survival game simulation, I'm warning you—I'm cheating. No way I'm respawning in this crusty classroom with a plastic knife. »
I sit up. My body feels weird. Stiff. Like I slept curled up inside a locker. Or packed in a suitcase.
I reach out to lean against a wall. It's not smooth. It's cold. Rough.
« ...Did they redo the walls? Weren't they supposed to be drywall? Who replaced the school with a dungeon? Smells like damp stone and academic failure. »
I crack my neck. Loud. Too loud.
« Come on… You're not seriously gonna make me believe I'm the only one in this Dark Souls-sized classroom. »
I wave my hand around like someone's gonna jump out with a banner that says "PRANK."
Still nothing.
A way-too-wide smile creeps up my face.
« Okay. Fine. Either I've been drugged, I'm dead, or I finally got isekai'd. »
I stare into the darkness like it's going to give me an answer. Nothing but void.
« Whatever it is, I'm warning you—I don't want an overpowered cheat skill. Just give me a big hammer and a cute companion. Not a slime. I've got standards, thanks. »
I take a step. Then another. My foot bumps into something hard… but weird. Not metal. Not wood either.
I try to look down—pointless. It's pitch black. Like being inside a sword sheath. I grimace.
« Okay. Let's pretend I saw nothing. »
I shuffle forward, hesitant in the dark. The ground's uneven, I trip with every step, leaning on walls that seem to close in on me like an old forgotten cellar.
The kind of place rats and spiders wander around like they own it.
But as I move, there's something off about how my body reacts. My muscles stretch, but not like before. I feel… more flexible. Quicker. But also… different.
My arms move almost on their own, like they remember something my brain hasn't caught up to yet.
I rub my neck again. Still weird. Still cracking way too loud. I frown and keep walking, trying to stand a little straighter. My legs feel charged with some strange energy.
Too much for human muscles. Too much... like a beast.
I put a hand on the wall again, and that's when I feel it—my fingers scratch.
My nails. They're long. Sharp.
Wait. What the hell?
I freeze.
Are my fingers… still human?
I touch them slowly. That's not soft skin. It feels... harder. Rougher. What the hell is going on? Like my nails turned into claws.
I tug on them gently, half-hoping it's a hallucination, but the feeling's real.
I clench my fists. My hands are different, no doubt. The bones under my skin, the whole structure…
None of it feels like my old body.
I let out a shaky laugh—half-nervous, half-unhinged.
« Haha, great. I'm turning into… some kind of monster. Wonderful. Is this a roleplay? Nah, not quite. »
I shake my head, like that's going to change anything. Then I keep moving, even with the strange sensation of muscles that aren't quite mine anymore.
« Well... if I really am in an isekai, guess I better adapt, right? Maybe this kind of body comes with the starter pack. »
I keep walking blindly, my foot-claws scraping softly against the rough ground. The heat's oppressive, and the air's thick with humidity. I'm starting to get used to it, but something's still missing—landmarks. Familiar stuff. From the classroom.
And yeah, claws and demon muscles weren't part of that package.
« If this is some kind of survival test, I'm already failing... »
Eventually, I stop. After wandering this endless maze, my body's telling me loud and clear—it's not the same.
The muscles are tighter, warped, weird.
Everything's off, and it's starting to feel… almost normal. Like someone changed the game controls and didn't tell me.
If only I could figure out where I am.
Then suddenly—a metallic sound. Not outside. In my head.
Like some cold, robotic voice just dumped a message straight into my brain.
[Skill Points in possession: 100.
Skill Points required to acquire [Appraisal LV 1: 100.
Acquire skill?]
« What? Huh?! »
I freeze. A wave of dizziness hits me.
« What the hell... what is that?! »
I blink, but nothing changes. No glowing window, no floating text. Just... a voice. Cold and sharp, like a speaker buried in my brain.
A chill runs down my spine.
« So... I can buy stuff with points now? Really?! Since when do I have points?! Where is this even coming from?! »
I laugh. That kind of laugh people make when they're about to break down completely.
« Okay, let's pretend this is a game... but like... what kind? Is this a chill isekai? A hellish labyrinth with skills and grind? Seriously? »
I pause, thinking.
This still feels like a bad dream, but if it's real, I'll have to deal with it.
I focus, trying to gather my thoughts.
« 100 points for that? Thanks, universe. Fine. Give me my powers—just not something too busted, alright? »
I smile a little. Honestly, this is getting ridiculous. I take a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare for whatever comes next.
« Alright. What do I do now? Take the skill or keep wandering around in this nightmare with no clue? »
Eventually, I decide.
Take the skill. Duh. That's what anyone would do in a damn RPG, right?
Always pick appraisal first. At least then you know what you're dealing with.
I close my eyes, trying to concentrate. It's strange... but also natural. Like my body and mind are syncing up with this world somehow.
And that voice in my head... I still have no idea what it is, but I guess it's better than nothing.
I confirm the skill.
[Skill acquired: Appraisal LV 1.]
A soft metallic beep.
Feels… official, somehow.
I feel kind of ridiculous. Like I'm in a video game, except… none of this is virtual.
I'm really here, in a place I don't understand, in a body that barely feels like mine anymore.
A little doubt creeps in.
Maybe I really am dead.
Maybe I really did get sent to another world.
The system just gave me a skill.
Cool, I guess…
But what kind of game is this, anyway? Am I the main character now? The one who has to survive with skill points and random power-ups?
I pinch my ear. Just to check.
It hurts a little—soft skin, tender.
So yeah.
It's real.
I let out a loud sigh.
« Well, at least I've got appraisal now. Great. »
I get up slowly, paying attention to every move. My feet sink into the uneven ground. The world around me is still shapeless, blurry, black.
But I keep going.
« I guess it's up to me now. No maps. No instructions. Just me and… whatever this thing is. »
I shake my head.
« Wonderful. »
The labyrinth's still here, just as endless as before. A wave of dizziness washes over me, like this might never end.
Like one of those dreams you can't wake up from.
I decide to head toward a wall… I think?
Hard to tell. It's really dark. I can't see a damn thing.
A night vision skill would've been nice. You'd think that'd be basic in a game like this!
I reach forward, blindly. After flailing around like an idiot for a few seconds, I finally touch something rough. Solid. The wall.
Hallelujah.
I run my hand over it. Cold. Damp. Uneven.
What a charming place.
Then on a whim, I think really hard:
Appraise this, creepy brain voice.
[ Wall ]
I freeze.
« ...Wall. Just… wall? Not like 'ancient underground civilization's forgotten wall'? Not 'possible hidden treasure or deadly trap'?
Nope. Just… wall. »
I click my tongue, exasperated.
« Wow, thanks for the top-tier analysis. I'm so impressed. Appraisal skill tells me I touched a wall. Totally worth my 100 points. »
I click my tongue again, still clinging to that stupid wall like some poor beast having a sensory breakdown.
« Okay… Appraised a wall. Check. Riveting content. Let's step it up a notch, shall we? How about… me? »
I close my eyes, focus really hard—like I'm trying to go Super Saiyan or something. Except instead of glowing with power, I just want that weird voice to give me more than 'object: rock'.
[ Nameless Demi-Human ]
I pause.
Total silence.
« ...Excuse me? Nameless demi-human?! »
I laugh.
A real laugh. A desperate one.
« So, one: I'm not human. Great. That probably explains the claws, the teeth, the weird muscle flexing.
And two: I don't even get a name? Seriously? Even Pokémon get nicknames when you catch them, and I get nothing? »
I slump against the wall with a groan.
« I'm a nameless demi-human, lost in a pitch-black dungeon, with a single skill that tells me walls are walls. This world is so damn generous…»
I lean back, forehead pressed against the cold stone.
« I... I can't believe I wasted all my points on that. »
I groan and slide down to the floor.
« Appraisal. Seriously. I blew a hundred points just to learn that I can identify a wall. A. Wall. »
I lift my hand in front of my face—even though I still can't see a damn thing.
« For all I know, I could've gotten night vision. Auto-heal. Built-in flashlight Level 1. Laser hawk eyes?! Something useful, damn it! »
I kick at the floor—not hard—but just enough for a rock to bounce off my toe.
« OW! Great! Even the rocks are judging me now. I'm the shame of all isekai protagonists. »
I sigh.
« Okay, okay. Maybe appraisal isn't completely useless. Maybe. But next time you offer me something like 'see in the dark', I swear, creepy voice, I'm jumping on it like it's a legendary loot drop. »
I push myself up again, not-so-gracefully.
« Alright. Let's keep moving. Maybe I'll find a torch. Or a wall that actually tells me something. I still believe in miracles, alright? »
Honestly, I thought I was just gonna walk a bit. Get used to this screwed-up gameplay. But nope.
« This cave... is WAY too big! »
I shout into the void. My voice bounces off the walls, giving me a vague sense of scale.
It's huge. Okay, maybe it just feels huge because I'm smaller than I used to be, but still.
The ceiling? Invisible.
The walls? Endless.
Even the echo's more responsive than my old classmates.
« It's like I'm stuck in a final boss arena. Without the boss. Without the loot. And without the lights. »
I keep walking, trying not to trip on the scattered stones.
Trying.
Of course, I trip—hard—faceplant style.
« Ow! Damn it, who the hell left that rock— »
I reach out and touch whatever I just slammed into.
It's not a rock.
It's... soft?
No. Hard. Plated.
Like a shell.
And it stinks.
I swallow, suddenly uneasy.
« Appraisal. »
[ Corpse ]
I freeze.
« ...A corpse? Seriously?! »
I yank my hand back, wiping my fingers frantically on my leg.
« I touched a corpse in the dark. I want to die. Wait—am I already dead? I want to re-die. »
I stay still for a moment.
Then I smile. Slowly.
Too slowly.
« Okay... interesting.
There are monsters here.
And they can die. »
A twisted grin curls on my face.
« That means I can kill them too, huh? »
I stay crouched next to the corpse. The smell is revolting, but honestly?
I don't even care anymore.
My stomach, though?
Yeah. It does care.
GRRROOOOAAAAARGH
A monstrous growl echoes from the depths of my gut.
I freeze.
A little ashamed.
A lot alarmed.
« ...Was that me? »
I place a hand on my stomach. It replies with another roar, even more desperate.
This isn't just a little hunger.
This is full-on red alert.
The kind where if you don't eat right now, you die.
« Great… So not only am I lost in the dark with a freaky monster body, now I'm starving too. »
I grit my teeth.
Literally.
They're sharper. That doesn't help.
« Am I seriously thinking about eating this corpse? »
I glance down at the lump of cold, chitinous meat by my feet.
Silence.
My stomach screams again.
« Yeah, yeah, I get it. »
I gulp.
« It's either this, or I eat my own fingers. And I still need those to fight, you know. »
I reach for the carcass again.
« You better not be poisoned. »
I take a deep breath… and bite.
I bite into the flesh.
Bitter.
Sticky.
Tastes like dead rot and burnt tires.
« ...Yum. Gourmet delight. »
But I keep going. Because my stomach is ready to devour itself if I stop now.
But then— as I chew like a desperate gremlin - a heat spreads across my tongue.
First faint… then way too intense.
A second later, my mouth's on fire.
I choke. I spit. I scream.
« AAAH! WHAT THE HELL?! IS THIS FOOD OR A DAMN CHEMICAL ATTACK?! »
My throat burns, my gums are on fire, my tongue twists like it's trying to escape my skull.
The pain hits so hard I collapse backward, twitching like a dying bug on the floor.
« I SAID NO SPICY FOOD! »
I roll to the side, drooling like some toxic slug.
Every breath is torture.
And then, mid-agony, the voice comes back:
[Skill level reached. Skill acquired: Poison Resistance LV 1]
I freeze, panting, still twitching.
« Oh… okay...
Cool... awesome, even... »
I laugh. A cracked, sick laugh.
« I just almost died eating a corpse, and now I've got poison resistance.
Does someone give out medals for this crap, or do I have to keep licking dangerous things to level up? »
I spit one last time, for dramatic effect.
« Note to self:
Next time, check if something smells like death before eating it. »
I point a finger at the half-eaten corpse.
« And you, you disgusting mutant cockroach—you tasted like crap... but at least you were useful. »
I stare at the chunk of meat like it's an ex I'm breaking up with.
I sit cross-legged and grab another dripping piece. My hands are shaking, my fingers already burning just from touching it.
I bring it to my mouth with a mix of dread and defiance.
« If I have to turn into a resistance machine to survive here... then fine. Let the suffering begin. »
I bite.
My body screams.
My teeth grind.
But I don't let go.
I chew.
Slowly.
Like it'll somehow help.
And then—cold and triumphant as ever—the voice returns:
[Skill level reached. Skill upgraded: Poison Resistance LV 2]
I freeze, eyes wide open in the darkness.
« Hah… HAHA! I knew it!
I'm literally grinding my defense like a tank build in an old MMO! »
I throw my arms up toward the ceiling.
Which is probably just some wet rock 20 meters up.
« There it is! First step toward god mode!
Who said suffering was pointless, huh? »
I collapse onto the floor—not dead yet, but definitely more unhinged than before.
I sit up again, jaw still burning from the poison. My stomach's calmed down a bit, but my brain?
Yeah, it's starting to spiral.
« Wait a minute... »
I squint into the void like it'll help me think.
Literally.
« I wasn't alone in that damn classroom, right?
There was Hoshino, Satou, Tanaka with his crappy earbuds... and the others. »
I freeze.
« So where are they? »
Long silence.
Nothing.
No voices, no screams, no signs.
Just me and this cave that reeks of damp stone... and the guts of my dinner.
« This... this isn't a solo isekai, is it? I mean, sometimes the whole class gets reincarnated, right?
Maybe they're around? Maybe I'll run into someone? »
I get to my feet, slower this time, brain fog creeping in.
« Or maybe... they're already dead. »
A nervous chuckle slips out.
Almost a sigh.
« Honestly, I don't even know if I'd rather be alone here… or not. »