Light shined into my eyes as I slowly stood up. I tried to think of what I should be doing now, but nothing came to me. I had no idea who I was or where I was.

There was nothing around me, nothing but a field of endless grass. I can see weird trees in the distance. They were pitch black with blood-colored leaves and tall with branches seemly blocking the sky. What a nightmarish sight.

Was this a nightmare? Is that why I can’t recall anything?

I tried pinching myself and felt the pain. No, this can’t be real. I tried pinching harder, but it did nothing but confirm reality. This was no nightmare.

Behind me, I could see nothing but the blue sun. I don’t think the sun’s supposed to be blue, but I have bigger worries. It looked like you could walk in that direction for days and still see nothing.

Well, I have no choice. I started walking towards the endless sight hoping to see something beyond the horizon.

…

It felt like it’s been hours since I started walking in this direction. I can still see the trees behind me and see nothing in front of me. Just how fucking tall were those trees? I don’t seem to be getting further from them at all.

My legs are aching and my stomach is growling. I sat down and looked at the grass. It looked normal, but the blades were as soft as a feather. It felt like I was on a bed.

Maybe it was edible, I plucked one off the ground and tried to eat it. Nope, it was like trying to eat a car tire. I couldn’t bite through it no matter how hard I tried.

There’s nothing to do but keep walking forward now…

…

The sun wasn’t moving at all.

How many hours has it been? It felt like an eternity and it was still daytime! Was this the afterlife? Was I in hell? This seemed like a sick torture method to get me to walk into the forest. No matter how long I walk I saw nothing but the forest behind me.

Maybe there was no hope for me to begin with and I should just accept death. I wanted to say, “fuck it!” and just lie down until I starve to death, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not because of my courage but because of my cowardice. I feared death, and with that fear came hope.

The hope to not fucking die!

…

Finally! Finally, I can see something moving in the distance. It was a bird; I was happy just to see another sign of life. Maybe next time I’ll see another human.

I recovered my lost hope and started running towards the bird. Maybe I could catch something to eat. I’ll eat it raw if I have to.

As I turned my sight back onto the bird, I saw it coming closer. It was fast, too fast. Then I noticed the size of the bird. Its body was the size of a car and its wingspan could rival a school bus.

That shit was no bird, it was a monster!

*Woosh~*

Before I even noticed its claws were already in front of me.

At the last moment, I managed to get on the ground and avoid its claws. It managed to scratch my back though and damn did it hurt like a bitch.

Just when I got my hopes up, it all came crumbling down.

If I’m going to die, I’ll die fighting.  

I laid on the ground and looked at the monster. It was circling back, I have to think fast.

Maybe I should stand up and try to grab onto it then punch its eyes out.

No, that plan was stupid. Am I even physically able to do that? Dammit! I can’t do anything! I’ll just lay low and try to dodge its claws and tire it out.

*Woosh~*

Here it comes! I waited for that moment it was fully committed to swooping down so it can’t change directions and started running forward.

*Crack*

I wasn’t fast enough, it’s claw were now gripping onto my left legs. That crack just now was my left leg being broken and dislocated. Its grip was so strong it felt like it could cut my leg right off.

Dangling helplessly, the only thing I could do was look around and try to catch my breath.

Looking at it up close, the only similarities it had with a bird was its wings and beak. It didn’t have feathers, it had black scales covering its entire body.

It was almost like a dragon, but the head looked nothing like one. It had a beak made of scales, red eyes, and two horns protruding from its head.

The only conclusion I could come to was that this was a horny lizard bird!

“I hope you get fucked to death!”

Of course, it did not get fazed by my insult.

I pulled myself up and grabbed onto its leg.

I tried to pull my left leg out of its claw but to no avail. I only felt more pain and it felt like strength was leaving my body.

I wasn’t going to give up. I kept pulling my leg until flesh came off. Maybe I’ll die of blood loss before I get eaten now.

…

I managed to pull my leg out. No, it’s more like it’s been cut in half. What was left of my left leg below my knee was some skin and a protruding sharp bone.

Blood was endlessly pouring out, it’s a miracle that I haven’t passed out or died.

Well, nothing else to do but go out with a vengeance now. I grabbed the other sharp bone that was between the monster’s claw and pulled it out.

Gathering all my strength I stabbed it into its stomach.

*Caw!*

“Oh, did that hurt you little bitch!? I’ve got more where that came from!”

I kept stabbing and making the hole I originally made bigger and bigger. Black blood came gushing out of it’s wound as it kept crying for the pain to stop.

…

I could barely open my eyes and my vision was nothing but a blur. I don’t even think I was holding onto its leg anymore.

It seems I was falling from the sky, all I could do was feel pain and numbness. I couldn’t even tell if the wind was blowing past me anymore.

I’m happy dying this way, at least I went out with a fight.

…

I’m still alive?

After all that! I was still alive? I even accepted death! Well, I guess I should be happy, but I don’t know if I want to live anymore.

I opened my eyes and all I saw was darkness. All around me was some sort of dark fog.

Did I land on a cloud?

Wait.

This can’t be real, my left leg was fine and I had no wounds. My clothes were still ripped showing proof that it really happened, but how did I regrow a leg and heal my wounds?

Ah, my leg. My beautiful left leg, oh, how I’ve missed you. Even if it was only for five minutes, it felt like an eternity.

My left leg, the strongest leg in the universe. My left leg, the leg that can turn into a weapon of mass destruction. My left leg, the leg that killed the monster. My left leg, the leg that could slay gods.

My left leg, the most beautiful leg in the universe.

“Um…”

I jolted up as I heard a deep voice in front of me. A dark silhouette of a person was in front of me. No details could be made out, all I could see was the dark fog coming off outlining them.

“Congratulations, you have passed the first test.”

What? That was a test? Is this the person that erased my memories and brought me into this hell?

“Who are you? And what test?”

I asked angrily, I don’t remember signing up for a test! Then again, I literally have no memories but the past hours and some crazy concepts I have no idea why I knew them.

“Who I am doesn’t matter, you will find out soon enough. As for the test, I cannot tell you about it unless you pass them all.”

That monotone voice they had was really creepy, at least show some emotions.

“Then can I just say I quit and not do the test?”

Maybe I could get out of this hell and have a peaceful life, not taking the test at all.

“You can if you’re fine with experiencing eternal torture.”

I was being blackmailed! How much worse can it be than the ten minutes I spent fighting that monster? Then again, I know nothing. Maybe there is something worse, I have to follow along.

“What’s the next test and when do we start?”

I asked unwillingly, please be something easy.

“I am the next test and it starts now.”

As it said that, it disappeared and so did the fog around me. In front of me was now a giant building. It looked like a medieval castle made of iron. The fog still surrounded the castle, so the only way for me to go was inside.

Great! If I ever get the chance to beat that guy up, I’ll do it for eternity.

I opened the surprisingly light iron doors and sucked in the cold air.

Let’s beat that bitch up!