The days blurred together as I marched across the wasteland. My mechanical legs never tired, though they occasionally needed adjustment when dirt and grime worked into the joints. The familiar rat-dogs and worms proved little challenge now. Despite the aged and rusted blade, my sword cleaved through them with ease when they dared approach.

  A new threat emerged on the fourth day: massive, diseased-looking boars that charged at me with frightening speeds. Their flesh hung in rotting strips, exposing blackened bone beneath. The first one I encountered managed to catch me off guard; it slammed into my legs with enough force to knock me sideways. Thankfully, my five-legged stance allowed me to recover quickly.

  The beast quickly wheeled around for another charge. This time I was ready. I braced my legs and swung the greatsword in a wide arc, catching the creature in the midst of its rush. The rusted blade bit deep into its shoulder, nearly severing the limb. Foul black ichor sprayed from the wound as the boar crashed to the ground. Before it could recover, I brought the sword down and cleaved open its skull.

  I grunted upon seeing the notification. So my score went up again. I called up my status.

  I read through the entries, still wondering what it all meant. I noticed that the score for all my physical stats increased by 10 each when I received my new mechanical body. It made sense, in a way. Perhaps this "System" truly was breaking down all my attributes in a numerical way. But why? What was the purpose of this thing?

  I dismissed the blue box and continued on my way.

  More of the corrupted swine appeared each day, sometimes in pairs. My armored form proved resistant to their attacks as their tusks couldn't penetrate the metal plates I'd assembled. My sword made short work of them, though their thick leathery hides required more force than the smaller beasts.

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  The increasing frequency of monster encounters puzzled me. When I'd first emerged from the earth, these creatures had been scattered and rare. Now I faced multiple battles each day. The closer I got to the mountains, the more of the fiends had appeared. Perhaps this meant I was approaching more hospitable lands? These beasts had to be surviving on something, after all.

  I paused atop a small rise, scanning the horizon. The mountains loomed closer now, their peaks shrouded in thick, misty clouds. Somewhere ahead there had to be signs of civilization, either ruins, roads, anything. I refused to believe this entire world was composed of nothing but empty wasteland and vicious monsters.

  The mountains grew larger with each passing day. My mechanical legs carried me steadily forward, the familiar creak of metal joints a constant sound amidst the dreadful silence. The wasteland's emptiness stretched endlessly, until I heard it.

  Voices. Human voices.

  My inner mechanisms clicked faster as excitement coursed through whatever remained of my body. After endless days of solitude, the sound of speech felt like a much needed balm upon an infected wound. I picked up my pace, my five mechanical legs working in concert as I moved toward the source.

  Through a cluster of dead trees, I spotted them. Six figures huddled around a small fire, their faces illuminated by the flames. Four had the tall, sturdy builds of sapiens, while two were shorter and broader: dwarves. The scent of cooked meat drifted on the breeze as they passed around what looked like trail rations.

  I steadily approached their camp, eager to finally have human contact.

  One of them glanced up and froze upon seeing me. "M-monster!" He shouted.

  The camp erupted into action. They grabbed their weapons, pulling out swords, spears, and a bow. Each of their faces were contorted with fear and determination.

  "What manner of beast is that?"

  "Look at those legs - it's unnatural!"

  I raised my arms in what I hoped was a peaceful gesture. The last thing I wanted was to frighten them. They approached cautiously, weapons still raised.

  "What are you?" One of the dwarves demanded. "Where did you come from?"

  Finally, a chance to communicate! I opened my mouth, eager to explain. But instead of words, a piercing inhuman shriek tore out of my throat. The sound echoed off the dead trees, amplifying its otherworldly pitch. The humans cried out, dropping their weapons to clutch at their ears.

  "It's attacking!"

  "Kill it before it can do that again!"

  The sapien with the bow loosed an arrow that pinged off my chest plate. Another charged with a spear, aiming for the gaps in my armor. What had meant to be a greeting had turned into exactly what I'd feared.

  "Stop!" I wanted to tell them. "I'm human, I swear!"

  But all that came out of my mouth were more shrill, painful shrieks that caused the group to cringe and cry out in agony.

  I stumbled backward, metal legs clanking against rocks. Their weapons found purchase where monster claws could not. A dwarf's axe bit deep into my chest plate, tearing through the carefully assembled armor. A sword sliced through the vine bindings at my joints, threatening to unravel my mechanical frame.

  "Aim for the gaps!" one of them shouted.

  An arrow whistled through the air, headed towards my head. Pain exploded as it found the slit in my visor, piercing the raw red flesh where my eyes should have been. My shriek of agony shattered the night air. The humans dropped their weapons again, covering their ears, as my unholy cry felt echoed across the desolate landscape.

  Something snapped inside me. My body moved on its own, driven by a primal need to end the pain. The greatsword swung in wild arcs. Metal screamed against metal. Flesh parted. Blood sprayed.

  I became a whirlwind of death, my rusted blade slicing through their armor and the soft meat underneath, each of my desperate strikes empowered by my mechanical body.

  When the red haze finally cleared, I stood alone in the ruined camp. Six bodies lay scattered around the dying fire, their blood soaking into the parched earth. I hardly fared better; my armored frame bore numerous dents and gashes. Several of my legs hung loose, their bindings severed.

  I stared down upon my handiwork in horror. These were the first humans I'd encountered, perhaps the only other thinking beings around for miles. And I'd slaughtered them like animals.

  I sank to my many knees among the corpses. The System had labeled me a monster from the start. Now I understood why.