NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3 – Furry Situation
Benjamin’s eyelids fluttered, a heavy grogginess weighing them down as he slowly fought to open his eyes. His body felt distant, sluggish, as if he were waking up from the deepest sleep of his life. For a moment, his mind was a haze, unable to grasp what had happened or where he was. There was no pain now, though—the fiery agony that had consumed him before was gone, replaced by an eerie numbness. He tried to move, but his limbs felt heavy, unresponsive, as if they weren’t quite his own.
What… happened? The question floated weakly in his mind, but no answers came. Memories of the glitching character creation, the unbearable pain, and the darkness that followed were foggy and fragmented, like a bad dream he couldn’t fully remember.
Gradually, his senses began to trickle back to him. First, he became aware of a strange smell—fresh, earthy, the scent of grass and damp forest air. His skin prickled as he realized he was lying on something soft. Am I… outside? He tried to focus, piecing together the strange sensations. There was a warmth against his face, like sunlight filtering through trees, and the faint chirping of birds echoed somewhere nearby, melodic and peaceful.
Where am I? he wondered, his confusion deepening. Slowly, with great effort, he managed to turn his head slightly. His cheek brushed against something cool and soft. grass? He was lying in the grass. Benjamin tried opening his eyes again, but his vision remained blurred, the world around him a haze of light and shadow and he was forced to close his eyes again.
He strained his ears, hearing more clearly now. Leaves rustling in the breeze, birds singing, the subtle hum of life around him. It felt peaceful, almost too peaceful after what he had just experienced. But how had he ended up here? Was he really in a forest, was he in the game or was this some strange, vivid dream? He had no idea, but whatever this place was, it felt real.
Benjamin’s eyes fluttered again, this time with more success. The blur in his vision slowly cleared, revealing a vast blue sky overhead, framed by towering trees swaying gently in the breeze. He blinked a few times, taking in the vividness of the scene around him. He was, without a doubt, in a forest. He lay in a small clearing, surrounded by lush grass and wildflowers, the earthy scent of nature filling his lungs.
He propped himself up slightly, resting on his elbows as he took in his surroundings. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled patterns across the ground. Birds continued to sing, their melodies drifting through the air, peaceful and calming. The whole place felt alive, too real to be the game right?
Benjamin focused his eyes up at the sky again, its vibrant hues almost hypnotizing. There was something about this place that felt... right. Comforting, even. The gentle warmth of the sun on his skin, the soft grass beneath him—it was as though he belonged here in some way, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him. But as soon as that feeling settled, another, more unsettling one followed close behind.
Why does it also feel... wrong? The thought tugged at him, an uncomfortable weight in his chest. He couldn’t explain it, but something about this place didn’t fully sit right with him. It was beautiful, serene, yet there was an undercurrent of unease he couldn’t shake. It wasn’t fear exactly, but rather a sense that something fundamental had shifted. He didn’t know whether to embrace this feeling or be wary of it.
Benjamin pushed the unsettling feelings aside—whatever they were, they could wait. Right now, he needed to figure out where he was. He braced himself, trying to push up from his elbows into a sitting position, but as he strained with effort, a strange, guttural sound escaped his throat. A growl. His eyes widened in shock.
What the hell was that? He froze for a moment, but even more than the growl, it was the tone of the sound that threw him off. It didn’t just sound wrong—it sounded almost... feminine. The realization hit him like a jolt of electricity, and before he could think, he scrambled to his feet, the sudden movement sending his pulse racing.
As Benjamin scrambled to his feet, a flood of unfamiliar sensations came crashing in all at once. His heart pounded as his body felt strangely lighter, more agile, but there was something else—something behind him. His breath caught, and he spun around, only to catch sight of a long, bushy fiery fox tail swaying behind his back. His eyes widened, and he instinctively reached out to touch it. The soft fur brushed against his fingers, and a jolt of disbelief shot through him. What the... a tail?
But before he could fully process that, more things began to register. His hair—long, fiery red strands fell over his shoulders, spilling down his back like molten flames. Since when did I have long hair? He ran his fingers through it in a daze, feeling its softness, the way it moved with each slight turn of his head.
Then his eyes dropped, and he saw the dress. A simple, flowing dress that fell just above his knees, swaying lightly in the breeze. It was nothing flashy, just a plain outfit, but it felt wrong—no, it felt foreign. He’d never worn anything like this in his life, yet here he was, standing in the middle of a forest, wearing a dress as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
His mind spun as he took in the final, undeniable realization—he wasn’t just different. He was a girl. His chest tightened, the weight of that thought hitting him like a wave. He ran a hand down his body, feeling the unfamiliar curves, the soft lines that weren’t there before. His reflection wasn’t available to him, but the feeling of being in someone else’s skin was undeniable.
Benjamin stared down at himself, a mix of confusion and shock swirling inside him. His hands trembled as they moved to his face, feeling the softer contours of his features. The tail swayed behind him as if mocking his disbelief, but he couldn’t even focus on that now. I’m... a girl? The thought repeated in his mind, but he didn’t know how to react. Everything about this felt like stepping into another person’s life, and yet, there was something deep inside—something he couldn’t quite name—that felt almost... right?
But that thought scared him more than anything else. He stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to think, feel, or do next. His mind was racing, trying to piece together the situation. This has to be Astralyth Online, he thought, clinging to that one certainty. The world around him—the forest, the strange new body—it all felt too real, but he knew he had entered the Full-Dive Pod back in his room. This was supposed to be a game, nothing more than an immersive fantasy. But how? How could this be happening?
His thoughts stumbled over themselves as he tried to recall what he knew about the Full-Dive Pods. One thing stood out sharply in his mind: they couldn’t change your biological sex. It was one of the few hard limits in the technology, something to do with safety protocols. He didn’t know the exact technical reasons—just that it was supposedly dangerous, messing with something that deep in the neural connection. The game was supposed to create a virtual version of yourself based on your physical traits. Sure, you could tweak things like height, weight, and cosmetic features, but changing something as fundamental as your biological sex? That was impossible. At least, it was supposed to be.
But here he was. His hand moved to his chest, feeling the unfamiliar curves beneath the fabric of the dress, his fingers trembling slightly as they traced the soft, delicate lines of his new body. The realization gnawed at him, a sharp pang of confusion and something else—something he couldn’t quite name but refused to confront.
This doesn’t make sense. His mind kept circling back to that. The game wasn’t supposed to do this. He tried to rationalize it, telling himself that this was the result of the glitch—the one he’d seen before everything went black. Maybe this was all just a bug, something temporary that would fix itself once he logged out. But even that explanation didn’t sit right. This was too detailed, felt too real. Every sensation, every movement—it was like he had been completely rewritten in this world.
Panic threatened to rise again, but he pushed it down. He needed answers, not more questions. Maybe this wasn’t permanent. Maybe he just had to figure out how to log out, or find someone in the game who could explain what was happening. But an unsettling feeling started to form in the back of his mind: that none of this felt like a mistake.
Benjamin's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sharp sound of a twig snapping to his left. His head snapped toward the noise, eyes wide and alert. At the same moment, something else strange happened—a twitch, feeling foreign yet familiar. It was on his head. His hand shot up reflexively, and when his fingers made contact, they brushed against something soft and furry. His heart skipped a beat. Ears. Not human ears, but soft, fluffy ears perched on top of his head.
Of course... he thought in a daze, barely processing it before the weight of the situation came crashing back. His strange new body, the tail, and now fox-like ears. But there was no time to linger on that. His eyes locked on the treeline where the sound had come from, the underbrush rustling softly in the distance.
A cold, creeping fear began to build in his chest. He wasn’t alone. His mind raced, torn between curiosity and fear. The game was supposed to be immersive, sure, but this felt different—more dangerous. What if there were creatures out there? Monsters? I have no weapons, he realized with a sinking feeling.
He stood frozen, heart pounding in his chest, his ears twitching in response to every small sound. The forest, once calm and peaceful, now felt threatening, the shadows between the trees suddenly deeper, darker. The snap had sounded close—too close—and Benjamin could feel the slow, steady rise of panic, his body tense and ready to run.
The rustling in the bushes grew louder, the air around him thick with suspense. He felt completely exposed, vulnerable in a way he hadn’t expected. Whatever was out there, it was moving closer. His breath hitched, and he took a small step backward, his eyes scanning the treeline for any sign of movement. What do I do?
Benjamin’s arms reached down instinctively wrapping around his tail, which had curled up against his belly like a scared animal, pulling it close to his chest like a protective shield. The soft fur pressed against him, offering a strange kind of comfort in the midst of his growing fear. It was as if his body, new and unfamiliar as it was, reacted on its own to the danger, the gesture as automatic as a heartbeat.
His breath came in shallow, quiet gasps as he stood frozen, waiting for whatever had made the sound. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the trees, every rustle of leaves amplifying the tension in the air. The forest, once tranquil, now seemed to pulse with an undercurrent of danger, as if it were holding its breath along with him.
The seconds dragged on, each one feeling like an eternity. His grip on his tail tightened, the soft fur soothing but unable to chase away the rising panic in his chest. He willed himself to stay calm, to think rationally, but his body was on high alert, every muscle tense and ready to bolt if needed.
The rustling grew louder, closer. Whatever was out there was definitely approaching. Benjamin’s heart pounded in his chest, his ears twitching at every subtle sound. But still, he didn’t move. He couldn’t. Fear had him rooted to the spot, waiting, hoping it was just some harmless creature passing by.
Then, through the underbrush, a shadow emerged. His breath caught in his throat as he saw a figure step out from the trees.
