The cabin was beginning to feel too small.
He had spent hours wandering its familiar-yet-unfamiliar halls, exploring every corner, touching every surface. It was comfortable here, yes—but also too safe, too contained. A prison of his own making.
He didn't want to be trapped.
So he stepped outside.
The cold hit him immediately, but he was prepared for it this time. His body felt warmer, more resilient now, as though his very skin had adapted. But that wasn't enough to stop him from pulling his coat tighter around his frame as he stood on the snowy ground, looking out into the distance.
He had no idea where he was.
Nothing but an endless white landscape stretched before him, and yet—he could sense something more beyond it. The world felt alive, vibrant even, pulsing with hidden forces that he couldn't quite grasp.
Something in him stirred.
He blinked, watching his breath mist in the air, before a thought popped into his mind.
What if...
What if he could change the cold?
The idea didn't seem all that strange. He had already summoned warmth inside the cabin. Why not the outside world too? It wasn't like he had any real concept of limits, not anymore. He had power—a lot of it.
With a casual shrug, he stretched out his hand.
Nothing.
He frowned, letting his arm drop.
Maybe he needed to focus more. This wasn't something as simple as summoning fire from nothing; it felt... different. He had to understand how the world worked before he could bend it.
So he stood there for a moment, lost in thought.
Then, with an almost bored sigh, he tried again.
This time, he closed his eyes, focusing on the cold around him. The biting wind. The chill sinking into his skin. How did it feel? What was it made of? He thought of the air, the molecules, the currents that moved through them. It wasn't about controlling the cold—it was about understanding it.
The temperature around him began to change. The air, once icy and harsh, grew warmer. Slowly at first, but then faster—until a comfortable heat filled the air.
Oh. That's better.
He opened his eyes and looked around. The snow beneath his boots had melted away, leaving puddles of water in its place. The air was now warm, the freezing winds silenced.
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Guess I figured it out."
But as the warmth spread, a strange feeling crept into the pit of his stomach.
It wasn't like before, when he had manifested warmth in the cabin. This time, it felt... wrong.
He glanced at the now-melting snow, the warmth spreading further than it should have. The snow beneath his feet began to crack and shift, as if something deep below the surface was disturbed by the sudden change.
It wasn't natural.
Wait... what's going on?
Before he could process further, a tremor ran through the ground beneath him. His heart skipped a beat, but he stayed calm. The sensation wasn't as violent as an earthquake, more like a ripple—something off. Something not quite right.
Without thinking, his hand shot out, and the tremor stopped. The air around him grew still once more.
The sense of unease didn't vanish, though. He felt... watched.
"Okay, that's enough of that." He muttered to himself, pulling his coat tighter around his body.
He wasn't sure what had just happened—whether it was a side effect of his powers or something else entirely. But there was no mistaking the feeling. He wasn't alone here.
Something else was in the world with him.
And if he was going to survive, he had to figure out how to deal with it.
With a sigh, he turned back toward the cabin. His curiosity itched at the back of his mind, but he wasn't about to throw himself into something he didn't understand.
Not yet.
One step at a time.
The snow-covered wilderness stretched on as far as the eye could see. The trees around him whispered in the cold wind, but all the protagonist could focus on was the strange, unsettling energy growing in the air. It wasn't the wind or the cold. No, this was something different—a presence, like an invisible pressure that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Okay, this is getting a little weird. He paused for a moment, scanning the trees around him.
The snow beneath his boots creaked as he took another step forward. Something felt off.
Maybe I should've just stayed at the cabin today. The thought barely registered in his mind as he shook it off. He wasn't going to let some strange feeling ruin his day. After all, there was no point in panicking. He had bigger things to figure out, like where exactly he was. Siberia? The middle of nowhere? He couldn't be sure.
But the sudden growl that echoed in the distance pulled him from his thoughts. His eyes narrowed as the sound of something large lumbering through the trees reached his ears.
He stopped. Waited. And then…
What the hell is that?
The sound grew closer, and that unsettling presence thickened. He heard the snap of branches, the low growl, and then—through the fog—he saw it. A Honkai beast.
It was massive, a grotesque fusion of flesh and machinery. Its body was twisted, too large to be anything natural. Metal and bone jutted out of its sides in sharp angles, and its eyes—glowing with ominous energy—locked onto him. It let out a roar that sent a shiver down his spine, but he didn't flinch.
Instead, he stood there, arms casually crossed, an eyebrow slightly raised.
"Oh, cool, a monster. Guess I'm not in Kansas anymore."
The Honkai beast paused, glaring at him. The growl it let out was primal, filled with rage and hunger. But the protagonist? He just watched, unbothered. He barely even seemed to notice the beast's threatening posture, his expression still calm and detached.
The creature lunged at him, its claws gleaming with deadly intent. But before it could reach him, the protagonist simply stepped to the side, effortlessly dodging the attack.
"Alright, let's see what you can do."
With a flick of his wrist, the air around him shifted, and his Personal Reality activated. He felt the familiar surge of power, the world bending to his will. The snow beneath his feet hardened and rose into jagged spikes, and the ground around the beast warped to trap it. But the creature wasn't so easily contained. It roared again, thrashing, tearing through the constructs he had made. His powers were having little effect on it. The beast seemed immune to his attempts, as if it were made of something far stronger, far more chaotic than the world around him.
"Huh. Guess I'll have to think of something better."
He dodged another swing from the beast, casually rolling out of the way as the creature's claws sliced through the air. The power in the beast's strikes felt almost unnatural, warping the very space around it. The Honkai energy crackled violently, interfering with his manipulation of the environment.
"Okay, okay, you're tougher than I thought." He smirked, stretching his arms out like he was preparing for a long day ahead. It was clear now: this thing was different. Unlike anything he had faced before.
The beast charged again, and this time, he didn't move fast enough. Its claws slashed across his side, tearing through his coat and skin. It hurt—but only for a moment. The cut started to heal almost immediately as the Personal Reality activated, closing up the wound.
"That's a neat trick."
But the Honkai beast wasn't done yet. It snarled, its body pulsing with energy as it continued its assault, faster and more erratic now. The protagonist kept dodging, his movements smooth and effortless, his nonchalance never wavering. But he could feel it—the strain of his powers against this creature's chaotic energy. It was pushing him to his limits.
"Okay, guess this is a real fight now."
He couldn't keep up with the Honkai beast forever. It was too wild, too unpredictable. And his reality-warping abilities weren't enough to get through its ferocity. He needed something more, but right now, his options were limited.
With a final, decisive move, the beast lunged toward him, and he ducked behind a nearby tree just in time to avoid a crushing blow. He took a deep breath, leaning against the trunk, his chest heaving. Despite the close call, there was no fear in his eyes—only mild frustration.
"Well, that was fun, but I think I've seen enough for today."
The beast roared one last time, but the protagonist was already backing away, walking calmly as the creature howled in the distance. It was clear that the fight wasn't over—but it wasn't going to happen today.
"Whatever that thing was, I don't think I've got time to deal with it now. I'll figure it out later, I guess. No big deal."
When he was a safe distance away, he stopped. Leaned back against a tree. The adrenaline was still there, but his cool demeanor never wavered.
"I've got no idea what that thing was or where I am... But whatever. I'll figure it out. No rush."
As he walked back toward the cabin, the snow falling gently around him, he didn't feel fear. No, he felt curious. Whatever this world was, it was definitely throwing more challenges his way. And he couldn't wait to see what would come next.