Deviant: No Longer Human

The forest held its breath, an uneasy stillness echoing the impending unknown.

\'Is it gone?\' Wang Xiao pondered, cautiously reopening his eyes. However, the sight that met him wasn\'t relief but a descent into a chilling abyss of horror.

Three malevolent eyes fixated on his, their gaze penetrating his very soul.

The bear, a ugly face of nature, revealed unnaturally large teeth, and a sinister grin widened its monstrous maw.

Hahaha...

The illusion of the bear laughing echoed through Wang Xiao\'s mind, a cruel jest before it aimed to claim its gruesome prize — aiming to bite off Wang Xiao\'s groin!

"Ah, Wang Xiao," the bear\'s imaginary voice echoed, not in growls but in human language, deepening the hallucination, "Pathetic being, aren\'t you? Lost, helpless, at the mercy of a creature you can\'t comprehend."

Wang Xiao\'s pulse quickened, an unnerving chill settling in his bones.

"You thought you could conquer the unknown? Stare into the eyes of Absyss? But here you are, a mere plaything. The forest knows your fears, and I embody them — pay the price for your sins!"

The illusion deepened, the bear\'s eyes gleaming with a sadistic intelligence as it prepared to unleash its terrifying grin.

"Fuck!"

Wang Xiao\'s expletive hung in the air, a raw expression of terror as he instinctively pulled himself backward. The monstrous bear, momentarily stunned by the outburst, soon regained its predatory instincts.

Without a second thought, Wang Xiao sprinted, his heart pounding in his chest, each step fueled by sheer desperation.

"Fuck! Fuck! No!"

"Fuckkk the gods, I am not dying like that!!"

His own body betrayed him – a chilling numbness spreading, leaving him uncertain of what remained after the grizzly\'s approach. Legs heavy, he ran through the rain-soaked forest, a symphony of fear and raindrops drowning his senses.

\'Don\'t yell, the animals can hear you!\'

\'Stop yelling!\'

Wang Xiao, teetering on the brink of terror, couldn\'t suppress a nervous chuckle. "Look behind me!"

Roar!!!

The grizzly, unleashed and enraged, thundered after Wang Xiao, its roars echoing through the mountains, a symphony of primal fury.

\'What use is suppressing your own voice when the bear\'s roar would have shaken the whole mountain and scared away everything already!?\' Wang Xiao questioned within the chaos of his mind.

Running at full throttle, adrenaline coursing through his veins, Wang Xiao\'s legs were pierced by rocks, blood leaving a trail behind.

Yet, the pain was a distant echo in the rush of survival. "What the hell is it?" he yelled, glancing back but still unable to comprehend the creature\'s type.

Bear? Three eyes?

And what\'s with the cracks in its skin and those orange eyes?

"Roarrr!"

Wang Xiao continued to run, closing his ears against the deafening sound. In a desperate sprint, he moved in a straight line, only stopping when the terrifying roars gradually faded behind him. He slowed down, exhausted.

"Haaa... Ha.... Haaaaa...."

Breath heavy, he turned around, whispering to himself, "Did I outrun him? Hahah..." A chuckle filled with relief escaped Wang Xiao\'s lips, momentarily oblivious to the dangers still lurking in the shadows.

\'No, you didn\'t.\'

Wang Xiao shook his head in disbelief, "What do you mean!?"

\'Look around you.\'

The shadows seemed to guide his gaze, though his eyes were fixed on the front, struggling to process the information during this refractory period. His own shadows materialized, becoming tangible representations of his brain\'s intricate workings.

"What... is this... now!?"

Wang Xiao\'s eyes squinted as he found himself in an even more bizarre place. Surrounded by glowing flowers emitting ethereal blue and pink light, everything around him seemed abnormally huge, like a scene from a surreal fairy tale.

Wang Xiao paused, a realization dawning, "Was that monster scared of following me here... But why...?"

Wang Xiao winced, feeling the stinging pain in his legs with each step. "Argh!"

"Damn! Again!?" Frustration echoed in his curses, yet a glimmer of hope ignited within as his eyes caught sight of a mountain peak shining beyond the forest.

His heart raced in ecstasy — the peak signaled he was nearing the edge!

A surge of determination propelled him forward. A few more steps, and he would break free from this damned forest!

The distant peak, adorned with glistening snow, beckoned like a beacon of freedom. Unbeknownst to Wang Xiao, the vibrant flowers acted as a magical barrier, separating two entirely different worlds.

Oblivious to this mystical divide, he walked with a hopeful smile, his consciousness fading, consumed by the singular desire to escape the enigmatic confines of the forest and embrace the promise of the snow-capped summit.

The towering flowers, as tall as Wang Xiao, caressed various parts of his skin, leaving a delicate trail of golden substance. With his leg bleeding, he dared not divert attention to inspect the state of his own body.

!!!

Abruptly, he halted, an unsettling sensation creeping in as he lost feeling in his hands.

"Hmm!?" Wang Xiao strained to move his hands, but they remained stuck, unresponsive. A chilling paralysis gripped him, rendering control over his own body parts impossible.

"What!?"

His gaze fell downward, revealing a surreal transformation. He was bathed in a golden glow, coated by the ethereal dust from the flowers.

With each passing second, his skin turned paler, as if a silent poison was coursing through his veins, the once inviting forest now revealing its treacherous side.

"The flowers were poisonous!?" The harsh realization struck Wang Xiao, an empty void filling him. He shook his head, battling the sinking feeling, and pressed on determinedly along the path.

"Ugh!"

His stomach churned violently as Wang Xiao felt a strange metallic taste clawing at his throat. Despite his resolve, his body betrayed him. Just as the exit loomed close, his strength waned, and he crumpled to the ground.

Thud!

Dust settled around him, coating his coughing form. Each raspy cough echoed through the now ominous forest. "Cough, cough, cough.... Cough..."

Wang Xiao\'s eyes resembled those of an overdrunk man—bloodshot red, fixated on the exit from this damned place filled with poisonous flowers.

He could see it—the ice, the path—it was right in front of him. The once treacherous flowers had vanished.

Screech...

With a desperate effort, Wang Xiao extended his hands forward, attempting to drag himself toward the freedom he glimpsed. However, a cruel realization seized him; his body was paralyzed.