《Rover》 Prologue: Day Zero-The End A sharp pain wakes me up. I try to get up but my back feels stiff from lying on the ground so long. My nose won¡¯t stop bleeding. ¡°I am pathetic.¡± After struggling for a while, I manage to sit and clean my nose. I check my surroundings but he is no longer here. Neither is my bag. Upon checking my pockets I can confirm they are empty. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this¡± Today my dead end job suddenly ended. I got fired and humiliated. With no compensation nor warning, my boss just kicked me out in front of everybody. He even threatened with calling the police when I tried to defend myself. The memory of my coworkers insulting me behind the door is still fresh in my mind. All those idiots made a spectacle of my misfortune. All because of her. ¡°Who cares about them¡± While I was going home under the hot summer sun a kid walked towards me. He asked for change. The boy was half my size, he could not have been older than 13 or 14 years old. Because I was in a very bad mood and because this kid poses no threat to me, I decided to push him away. Everything went dark after that. ¡°I am truly pathetic¡± After walking for a while I made it to my house. The moon is already out. Standing in front of the door, I put my hand on my pocket. Of course my keys aren¡¯t there. I also have no cellphone so I can¡¯t call my family. Knocking would be pointless. I slam the door with all my strength and after a few tries the door breaks. The lights are out. There is no one home. At this hour my younger sister should be partying with her friends, my father is definitely drinking at the bar and my mother is probably sleeping with one of our neighbors again. I walk upstairs to my room.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°This all ends today¡± I sit on my bed and open my old laptop. This piece of garbage takes ages to boot up, it stresses me out but it is necessary. I¡¯d like to doublecheck the steps one last time. After fighting the laptop for a few minutes I realize I can¡¯t access the internet. The neighbors changed their password again. In frustration I toss it to the side and grab the box behind my bed. I empty its content on the floor. I no longer need these books on self-help, the occult and ancient societies. These old tarot cards ended up being worthless. All those bottles filled with oils and colorful rocks were a waste of money. I grab the red and white plastic bottles and start working. The red bottle has blood. The site said to use the blood of three doves. Killing and draining those pidgeons took hours. I also spent hours arguing whether pigeons and doves are the same thing with my coworkers. I am sure those idiots don¡¯t know what they are talking about. The white bottle has semen. Mine of course. The site gave detailed mantras and rituals to obtain it but porn got the job done faster. Filling a whole bottle takes a lot of work, you know? The last ingredient was supposed to be a strand of hair from a virgin maiden. Cutting the hair of the highschooler that started working yesterday was easy enough but I did not expect her to start screaming like that. Firing me over this was definitely an overreaction. Not that it matters, the hair was in the bag that got stolen. I decide to cut my own hair as a substitute. Despite being 30 years old I have never been with a woman and after getting mugged like that I can not call myself a man. This should work. I mix the ingredients together and use my sister¡¯s brush to draw the symbols on the floor. I wish I could check online if I am doing it correctly. Drawing the big circle on the floor proved to be particularly difficult. I could not make the two ends meet and standing on the chair it looks more like an oval than a circle. I am sure it doesn¡¯t matter. Nothing matters. I finish the noose and ready myself. ¡°Is this really going to work? Well, not that I care after coming this far¡­¡± ¡°¡­Please work!¡± I kick the chair away. Chapter 1: Day 1-The beginning Desperately gasping for air I open my eyes. The cold wind assaults my body and the grass on my back tickles me unpleasantly. I breathe heavily. No matter how much air enters my body I still feel like I am choking. My heart beats so frantically it seems its going to pierce my chest. ¡°D-Did it work?¡± I don¡¯t recognize my own voice. This sweet, high pitched voice could only belong to a little girl. This can¡¯t be my voice. ¡°W-What is happening?¡± I sit and stare down but don¡¯t recognize my own hands. These small, delicate hands can¡¯t belong to me. I open and close the hands to test them. These hands are definitely mine. That¡¯s when I notice I am naked. This petite body is that of a young girl. I quickly close my legs. ¡°W-Wha¡­ for real!¡± I feel my fingertips run across my figure. This is my body. I can feel the tall grass under my butt and the cold wind moving my long hair. This is definitely my body. I stare at my flat chest and notice my hard nipples. A reaction to the cold temperature? After hesitating for a while, I slowly move my hands towards my chest. I deviate my gaze to the side in shame as I fondle my own breasts and that¡¯s when I notice it. On my left arm, a creature I have never seen before. A darkish brown colour and roughly the size of a tennis ball, this furry bug looks something like a spider or a crab. It has no thorax nor head, just a round flat butt and a weird tube between its many eyes. Its eight short legs are clinging to my arm but I cannot feel them. In a panic I quickly stand up and slap the creature off my arm. It dives into the grass and disappears. The unpleasant sensation of bugs crawling on my skin invades me but after frantically spinning around slapping my own body I can confirm there is nothing on me. I also don¡¯t see any bug bites. Having calm down I look at my surroundings. Tall trees and yellow leaves all around me. Grass as tall as my calves. A cold breeze that forces me to hug my arms. This doesn¡¯t look like any place that I know. That monster bug was like nothing I have seen before. ¡°It worked!¡± I proclaim loudly with a smile on my face and start laughing like an old witch. ¡°HA HA HA HA HA it worked!¡± The spell was a success. To be honest, I had my doubts when I first found that weird site on the darkweb. Promises of ascending to higher dimensions by ritual suicide are very common among cults. Only an idiot would fall for that but after investigating for a while, I decided to try it. I didn¡¯t want to believe it at first but this weird place and weird body are proof that it worked. ¡°Maybe I was some great wizard all along and I didn¡¯t know it¡± Although I would have preferred to stay a man this body is not bad either. I want to look at my face. I look around and notice a river on the distance. After stumbling for a while I finally manage to walk straight. Making it all the way to the river on these short legs took a while. I drop to my knees exhausted and look at my reflexion on the water. ¡°I-Is this really me?¡± A cute face decorated with delicate features. Big, beautiful violet eyes with vertical slits for pupils, almost like a cat. Skin as pale as snow and as soft as a cloud. Small sharp ears, smaller than a fantasy elf¡¯s but definitely not human. Long, messy, pink hair with bangs covering my face and going all the way down to my butt. ¡°Am I some kind of demon girl?¡± I continue to admire my face and body for a long time, occasionally fondling around here and there. At some point some weird hud appeared in front of me. I could not touch it and I could not read it so I decided to ignore it. It disappeared as soon as I looked away. After playing with my hair for a while I decide that I am very cute. ¡°What should I do now?¡± The sun is starting to get low. If there are more bugs like that one in this forest I don¡¯t want to say here. Wild animals may also be a problem. I start walking without a direction in mind and discover a village after a few hours. I almost start running but stop myself on the edge of the forest. I am naked. I can¡¯t enter looking like this. I need clothes. After thinking it for a while and making sure the people walking the street don¡¯t notice me, I make a run for it and hide behind a house. I repeat this a few times and after sneaking around a few alleys I reach the main street. Hiding behind a barrel I think to myself that I really need to buy clothes.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. This place looks like a normal medieval village, with wood buildings and dirt streets, but that¡¯s where the similarities end. Walking among the normal humans I spot tall, blonde, elf looking men and small girls with triangular furry ears on top their heads. The humans and elves all dress like something out of a fantasy book, casually strolling around with swords and shields on them like it is normal. The beast girls all have collars and their clothes are far more simple and dirty than everybody else. ¡°Slavery is a thing in this world? I wouldn¡¯t mind getting a cute catgirl slave.¡± Suddenly, two muscular humans bump into each other and start yelling in a language I don¡¯t understand. Things must have gotten pretty heated because they draw their swords. Their blades clash and a crowd forms around them, blocking my view. Before I can feel disappointed, a pillar of fire rises above the crowd and is then consumed by a wall of darkness. The sword battle has turn into a magic battle. I can¡¯t tell if the crowd is cheering them or telling them to stop. All that reaches my ears is a mess of meaningless sounds. Not that I care about what they are saying, my eyes are glued to the bits of fire and shadows I see dancing in front of me. I knew magic was real already but I am still astonished by it. That¡¯s when two knights completely clad in armor got involved. They used their swords to draw strange symbols in the air and the magic fight stopped. They then proceeded to disperse the crowd and grabbed the men. ¡°So, are these like cops? Better stay away¡±. I see an old lady getting away from the crowd and I decide to call her. ¡°H-Hi¡­Er hello, Is there any clothes shop around here?¡± No reply. She just makes more confusing noises and stares at me. It seems we really don¡¯t speak the same language. I repeat my question again, just in case, and that¡¯s when I feel a cold, heavy hand on my shoulder. A female knight wearing the same armor as those cops starts making noises at me. The silver and gold armor completely hides her figure, almost making her look like a robot instead of a person. An oversized blade that¡¯s taller than me rests menacingly on her back. The only human attribute she has are the piercing, scary eyes staring at me behind the helmet. I have no idea what she is saying but it can¡¯t be good. A naked little girl in the middle of the street harassing an old lady has to be a crime. In a panic I scream and start running, accidentally pushing the old lady to the ground. The knight stayed behind helping her get up and that gives me enough time to get away. This is bad. I need clothes. This is an urgent matter. After walking around some corners I find a building that looks like a store. Inside all kind of cheap looking weapons and armor are on display. Behind the counter two clerks stare at me. The one that looks like a woman on her 40s turns to talk to her partner, a young elf with breast bigger than my head. A naked little girl walking into a store has to be a weird sight after all. The elf speaks to me in a scared voice, I wish I knew what she was saying. Is she inviting me in? I timidly walk inside and the old one yells at me. I don¡¯t understand what is happening. I am confused. I walk closer and point to the pair of trousers full of belts on the counter. I tell them I want to buy some clothes. The old clerk shoves my shaking hand to the side and starts screaming. They must think I am a thief. A blade appears next to my face. A tall, young looking elf holding a sword is standing behind me. The elf starts talking with the clerks in a very calm voice. In a panic I start running towards the door but I bump into a huge man bigger than the frame of the door. He grabs me by the arm and drags me outside. No matter how much I scream and struggle he doesn¡¯t let go. The elf is closely following us. They are taking me behind the store. I scream at the top of my lungs but no one helps me. The elf lifts me up from behind and the huge guy presses his body against mine. I can¡¯t move. I scream and cry but no one comes. I start punching the big guy with my free hand but it does nothing. The elf grabs it from behind to stop me and licks my cheek. That¡¯s when it happens. A weird black gust shots from my hands and surrounds them. In their confusion they let me go and I start running as hard as I can. With tears in my eyes, I don¡¯t care who sees me or where am I going. I just run. ¡°What is happening?¡± ¡°Why is this happening to me?¡± ¡°What I am going to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this¡± By the time I calm down it is already dark. The streets are empty. I decide I need a place to sleep. After walking around some alleys I find a somewhat secluded space. I sit between some boxes and a barrel. A somewhat hidden place like this should be safer, after all it is dangerous for a little girl to sleep on the streets. No one is going to bother me here. ¡°I am a cute and small girl now, it would be really bad if someone attacked me while I sleep¡±. I don¡¯t want to be kidnapped. I don¡¯t want to get arrested. I don¡¯t want to end up like those slaves I saw today. The temperature seems to have dropped now that the sun is gone. I hug my legs to keep warm but it doesn¡¯t work. The memories of those men keep repeating on my head and tears keep forming on my eyes. I didn¡¯t sleep that night. Chapter 2: Day 2-Clothes&Food Didn¡¯t sleep at all. The morning dew sticking to my body makes me feel extremely cold. The fact I am sitting naked in the middle of an alley doesn¡¯t help. I can¡¯t help but look up to the sky and think how unfair this whole deal is. I am a naked, powerless, little girl lost in a completely different world. I cannot defend myself and I cannot ask for help. This is really bad. Spending the whole night alone with my thoughts made me feel even more anxious about what happened yesterday. Staring at the clouds, I fail to notice someone had entered the alley. I hear a voice calling me. Startled by the figure standing next to me, I try to get up but end up tripping on my own legs and falling on my butt. ¡°A-Are you okay? I didn¡¯t mean to scare you¡± The big breasted elf from yesterday quickly stepped back and created a bit of distance between us. My sudden reaction seems to have scared her. After showing some doubt, she extended her hand to help me stand up. It takes me a few seconds to realize it. As I sit on the floor with a blank stare on my face, her expression turns from slight fear to one of worry and asks me if I am injured. That¡¯s when I notice. I can understand what she is saying now. ¡°No, I am fine¡± Judging by her reaction, it seems she can understand me as well. I accept her hand and get up. That¡¯s when the elf turns her gaze to the side with a troubled look on her face. She must feel uncomfortable talking to me like this. Aware of my own body for the first time, I use my hands to cover my nakedness. Seeing this, the elf takes off her cloak and wraps me with it. ¡°I was worried sick after what happened yesterday. I looked everywhere but couldn¡¯t find you¡± She says. That is a blatant lie. With how much I screamed yesterday that had to be a lie. My throat still felt sore. I repeat I am fine and try to fake a smile. I need to play my cards right. This may be a good opportunity to get some answers and maybe even a benefactor. I should introduce myself and explain my situation. No, she would never believe I am a 30 year old man from another world. Worse case scenario I end up in some asylum or as a slave. I am a little girl now. I need to come up with a story that would earn me her sympathy. ¡°My name is li¡­ lily? Yes, Lily! My name is Lily¡± I stumble with my words a little but manage to come up with a girly sounding name on the spot. ¡°I got separated from my family¡­ some bandits attacked my village! They kidnaped me but I managed to run away¡± This should explain why am I naked and how I got here. Furthermore, it is the kind of sad backstory a girl would not want to talk about, meaning they shouldn¡¯t ask too many questions. I think to myself I must be a genius to come up with something like this. ¡°Lily?... I see. Must have been very difficult for you¡± She just stares at me with eyes full of doubt. Did she realize I was lying? ¡°Y-Yes, it was hard. I made it all the way here after escaping and now I am lost. I have no idea where this village is or how many days has it been. I am also very hungry¡± I move my hands to my stomach and look up at her, trying to act cute. I need information. Where is this place? What day is it? What kind of world is out there? Getting a free meal or some clothes would also be nice. I put my feminine charms to work. ¡°I understand. Please come with me, we need to get you some clothes first¡± With those words, the elf starts leading the way. It worked. She took the bait. We walk the main street and after taking a few turns we are back to the store from yesterday. I tried to talk to her a few times but she kept walking in front of me and I had to focus all of my energy on following her on these short legs without losing her in the crowd. The old clerk greets the elf happily but her smile disappears when she notices me behind her. I stand still near the door while the two argue behind the counter. After a few minutes the elf tells me to come inside. I try to introduce myself to the old lady but she cuts me out. ¡°Here, take these¡± She throws some cheap looking clothes at me. A plain beige t-shirt, a pair of hard shoes, a small backpack and some trousers, all the same boring colour. No underwear. The elf must have thought I could not dress myself because she helps me put the clothes on. She then informs me I can keep the cloak and gives me a small bag with some coins.Stolen story; please report. ¡°There is an inn back at the main street, just walk straight and you will find it¡± The elf ties the cloak for me and pats my shoulders. There was still a lot of things I wanted to ask but I assume this is the end of their generosity. ¡°Wait! I¡¯d like a weapon to defend myself¡± After what happened yesterday, I understand that I need to be able to protect myself. The elf seems very troubled by this. Maybe she doesn¡¯t want to give a sword to a kid. Maybe she doesn¡¯t want to sell me a sword because she knows I am homeless. Either way, after some hesitation she gives me an used dagger. It is not what I wanted but I thank her anyway and exit the store. The sun is high on the sky. With some coin to my name and new clothes, I decide explore a little. This village is very small. Only a few stores here and there but nothing that could be considered a touristic attraction. Most buildings seem to be family homes. All roads seem to lead to the main street, the whole village seems to be built around it. Most of the people walking the streets look like something from a fantasy book. "Some of them are definitely adventurers!" I think to myself. There is also the dudes in silver armor. I try to avoid most of them, just in case. Outside of the village a sea of yellow trees. After deciding there is nothing to see, I head towards the inn. What I find is a rundown, medium size building with an ¡°inn¡± sign on the front. Lowering my expectations as much as possible I get inside. The place is brimming with life. Macho men with giant swords laugh loudly with drinks on their hand. Beautiful women clad in robes chat among them. A handsome elf working on some book stops writing to stare at me. Catgirls wearing collars run among the chaos delivering food and drinks to the tables. After questioning whether it is safe for me to enter a place like this or not, I walk to the counter and ask for prices. The people working there ignore me. Their hands seem to be full with the other costumers. Some time passes and one of the catgirls walking around finally notices me. Both her hands are filled with empty glasses and a mountain of dirty plates balances on her arms. She apologies and signals someone behind the counter with her tail. After that, a fat old man approaches. ¡°I¡¯d like a room and something to eat!¡± ¡°Do you have enough money?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know actually, how much is it? ¡°A room is 1 silver. The cheapest lunch is 15 copper¡± ¡°How much is this?¡± I show him my coin bag. ¡°21 copper, that¡¯s 1 silver. You can have the room or the food, not both¡± For real? What am I supposed to do now? The bag was filled with coins so I was hoping it would last a few days. Maybe buy proper armor and a real weapon. With this little money I can¡¯t do anything. After thinking for a while, I decide to buy some food. Sleeping in the street sucks but it is doable. If I don¡¯t eat I may get sick or even starve to death. Securing food is the priority. I can spend another night on the streets. I tell myself it is only one more night. I sit on an empty table on the back. After a few minutes a catgirl arrives with my food. A big plate with some yellow soup and a glass of water. I thank the waitress and start eating. This is definitely the cheap meal. It doesn¡¯t taste bad but it is extremely bland. After looking around I also confirm my plate is actually quite small compared to what the others are eating. It only looks big because I am small. Better not think about it. Behind me I can hear two creepy adventurers talking about weird happenings in the surrounding forest. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°I¡¯d never lie about something like this, I swear is true¡± ¡°But an army of goblins is unheard of. Those things are too dumb to work together¡± ¡°The forest has been acting weird lately¡­Like that light yesterday for example! I¡¯ve never seen something like that!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, that could easily be done with the XII Magick¡± ¡°Then what about the bodies they found near the stables? Something is happening. I know it!¡± ¡°Those corpses were burn to a crisp. That¡¯s definitely a wolf attack and not a goblin attack¡± I¡¯d like to join the conversation but I was never the type to eat with other people. I don¡¯t know how to break the ice. I think to myself that this could be a nice opportunity to learn about the world but it could also be dangerous. Those men look scary and with how little knowledge I have they could easily fool me. Better stay away. I finish my meal in silence and laze around until the waitress asks me to leave. With a full tummy I decide to return to the place where I slept last night. With nothing better to do, I stare at the clouds above. ¡°I accomplished a lot today, I can worry about money tomorrow" I drop my body to the floor and rest against the wall. "Only one more night!¡± Like yesterday, as soon as the sun sets the temperature drops. I hug my legs but the cold doesn¡¯t go away. ¡°If this continues into winter I may freeze to death¡­¡± I don¡¯t sleep that night. Chapter 3: Day 3-The Market Another restless night. I yawn heavily and stand up but as I step forward my vision suddenly blurries. Luckily for me, this alley is narrow. I easily support myself on the wall and don¡¯t fell to the ground. ¡°If this continues I may seriously die¡± I really wanted to take my time and enjoy my new life but I cannot live like this any longer. I need a place to stay, I need food, I cannot sleep in the street. I need money. Again, I walk the streets of the village. This time I enter every store I see and ask if they are hiring. There are all kind of stores in this village. Some sell weird herbs and potions that I assume are ingredients for alchemy. The one I visited yesterday sells weapons and armor that looks too plain to even be considered starting gear. A run down house sells used books but none of them seem to be magic tomes. There is also a jewelry shop that sells rings and stones but they don¡¯t look enchanted to me. They all say no to me rather coldly. Most elves don¡¯t even let me finish explaining my situation. ¡°Of course it was not going to be that easy¡± Having wasted most of my life as a retail clerk, I assumed I could put those skills to work in this world. As much as I hated that job, I often daydreamed about selling mystical artifacts and cursed weapons to my costumers. Getting to live that dream sounded exiting at first. Especially if it was just a temporary thing and I could use the money to set off in an adventure to explore a fantasy world. I may have overlooked how hard it was to get a real job. I make it back to the inn. This place is as crowded as yesterday. I try to talk to the waitresses but they all ignore me. After standing in place for a few seconds wondering what to do I walk to the counter and start waving my hand to call the bartender. It again takes some time but he finally notices me. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t see you behind the counter¡± He says in a mocking tone, ¡°What can I do for you today?¡± This upsets me a little but I try my best to hide it. ¡°I am actually looking for a place to work. My name is Lily. I¡¯ve been living in the streets since my family got attacked by bandits and I would like to make some money so I can survive on my own¡± I try to explain the sad backstory I came up with in the hopes it would help me get a job. ¡°Sorry, but we don¡¯t need more staff¡± He answers with a fake, business like, smile. Seeing all the slaves running around I decide that¡¯s for the best and exit the place. The words ¡°Another failure¡± escape my mouth. Looking down, I continue to walk the main street until I find an open air market. Maybe calling it that is a bit too generous, it is just a bunch of stands and carpets laying in the middle of the street. The vendors here sell all kinds of meat and vegetables. Some also have handmade crafts. I approach one of them, a young human boy sitting on the ground looking bored. ¡°Sorry to bother you, but I am looking for a place to work. My name is Lily. I¡¯ve been living in the streets since my family got attacked by bandits and I would like to make some money so I can survive on my own¡± I lost count on how many times I repeated the same story today. ¡°Sorry miss, but I am not hiring. As you can see, this is not the kind of fancy store that requires multiple people.¡± With a big smile and open arms he points to the vases laying on the carpet between us. ¡°I see¡­¡± Another failure. Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with this village? Why won¡¯t anyone hire me? Is something wrong with me? ¡°Don¡¯t make that face, making it in this village is hard. Have you tried going to other places?¡± They are not hiring but at least he is a little more talkative than the shop clerks I deal with all morning. ¡°I have. I have been running around the village all day but I had no luck. You think any of the vendors in this street would hire me?¡± With a troubled face he makes a pause before answering. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You can try but stands here are run by families. For someone like¡­you to get hired would be pretty difficult. This is a small village, you see?¡± ¡°Really? This place is filled with people¡± I look around me and see all kind of people walking around. The main street is as crowded as ever. ¡°No no no, most of the people here will leave before the end of the week.¡± I follow the finger he raised and see an elf with a spear buying meat in the stall across the street. ¡°No way the likes of him would live in this place. This is a small village on the side of the road and there is nothing really popular or important about it. If it weren¡¯t a stop on the road between two nearby human towns no one would come here. Most of the people walking around are travelers, the actual population of the village is very small.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I look around one more time. The marketplace is certainly busy but looking closely I notice something weird. There is no uniformity to the crowd. The way they talk, the way they walk and even the way they dress is different. Too different for all these people to belong here. I look at my clothes. The only ones wearing plain clothes like mine are the vendors, the few housewives buying ingredients and the kids running around. Most of the people walking the street have stylish armor and weapons on them. The kind I have not seen in any store in this village. Even those who don¡¯t are wearing fancy clothes that don¡¯t fit their surroundings. ¡°I see¡­then what should I do? Is there another way I can make money around here?¡± Even if I can not work on a shop I still need money. As much as I want to explore, without money to buy food and armor I cannot start my journey. ¡°A young girl like you should not make that kind of question so innocently. You may attract the wrong people¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant! I am asking if there are other jobs I can do! I was thinking maybe I should become an adventurer, is there a Guild or something like that?¡± ¡°A Guild? What are you talking about?¡± He asks me with a very confused look on his face. ¡°A Guild, you know? An Adventurer Guild. Those places where adventurers receive quests and stuff¡± Adventurer guilds are a staple of fantasy worlds. Joining one would be a fun way of earning fame and money in this world. ¡°Sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about¡± ¡°Then what about all these travelers? How do they make money?¡± ¡°Most of the people here are pilgrims. They work for one of the churches¡± ¡°What kind of work?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even bother. You are not human, right? Those elves would never let you join them. They like humans but they despise all other races. You would be safer staying away from them¡± ¡°A-Are they dangerous?¡± I quickly put on the hood of my cloak to hide my face. ¡°No, not really¡­Well maybe for someone like you they are. It is not like they actively hunt down your kind but you never know. There are some freaks among them and they all have access to that weird magic¡± The mention of magic piqued my interest. I remember the ritual that brought me here and the magic battle I witness the day I arrived. ¡°Could you tell me more about that? How does magic work in this world?¡± Even in my past life I was always obsessed with the occult. I considered myself a skeptic but I always dreamed of becoming a wizard, contacting an ufo or discovering a hidden city. Now that I know magic is real I want to try it out. ¡°You make some weird questions¡± He looks at me like I am a kid that made a really stupid question. ¡°Sorry but I don¡¯t know much about it. My family is affiliated with the 18thChurch but only because we have this shop, I never bothered studying the sacred texts. I can¡¯t really use the¡­How was it called again? Oh yes, the Hero¡¯s Magick¡± ¡°Hero¡¯s Magick? That sounds cool!¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°Yes! What does Hero¡¯s Magick do?¡± As if having trouble remembering something he never bother to memorize he starts counting with his fingers as he enumerates. ¡°The XVIII Magick of my 18thChurch controls water. The VII Magick of the guards cancels other magic. The IV Magick of the hunters moves objects or something like that. The-¡± ¡°Guards? Hunters?¡± ¡°The guards are the people you see walking around in silver armor. Their 7thChurch is in charge of keeping the peace in the empire. The 4thChurch is in charge of hunting monsters, most of the meat and some of the greens you see here come from monsters. The 18thChurch is in charge of commerce and travel¡± ¡°Do these churches control everything here?¡± ¡°Yes. It is as big a pain as it sounds, we can only buy monster parts from the 4thChurch¡¯s certified hunters and only the 18thChurch¡¯s certified vendors can sell it. All the other ones work similarly as far as I know¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I look around examining the small houses and dirt streets. Vague memories of a history class about the Dark Ages fill my mind. ¡°You should stay away from them. No matter how interesting it sounds, you don¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of one of their weird spells, right?¡± ¡°But I would love to learn more about it. You know someone who can teach me?¡± ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t. Hero Magick is not really rare. Some go as far as to say most people use it, even if they don¡¯t know it. I don¡¯t buy that. To me, anyone who is deep enough into the church¡¯s teachings to learn how to use it is definitely someone you don¡¯t want to meet¡± ¡°Do they really hate non humans that much?¡± ¡°They hate non elves, humans are just an exception. As you can imagine, all the different churches have different beliefs but the one thing they all have in common is that they praise elves above everything else. This is an elven empire after all¡± ¡°I-I see¡­Maybe I should give up on it¡± ¡°Yes, you should. Just focus on getting a job. I am sure you will be fine as long as you don¡¯t cause problems.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, but hearing all of this I am starting to worry it may be more difficult than I thought¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± With a big smile he ends the conversation. Standing next to me I see a man in green robes. It seems now that he has a costumer he no longer has time for me. I say goodbye and leave the marketplace. My future doesn¡¯t look promising. The most urgent matter right now is money. ¡°The social stigma against non humans may have played a part in me not finding a job today but I can¡¯t give up¡± I need to be able to buy food. Once that¡¯s settled I need a place to stay. I walk looking at the sky. ¡°I know I said I would give up but I really want to learn about magic.¡± Walking around lost in my thoughts I stumble into a guard with scary eyes and a giant sword. ¡°We received reports of a weird monster girl walking around town harassing vendors¡± The guard takes off the weird silver and gold helmet with a crab looking insignia on it and reveals her face to me. Blue eyes and short black hair with long bangs. If she weren¡¯t so intimidating I would even call her beautiful. Or maybe handsome would fit her better. Her cold gaze pierces right through me. Unsure if I committed I crime I run away. Only after the fact did I realize how stupid this was. For the moment I just wander around until I no longer see her. Once the sun starts setting I go back to my spot on the alley. I wrap myself on my cloak and hug my legs. The night is as cold as ever. Alone with my thoughts, I can¡¯t help but feel paranoid. ¡°I need to be careful or the Church is going to catch me¡± The fear and lack of sleep starts to pile up. But I don¡¯t sleep that night. Chapter 4: Day 4-Steal I start to doze off but a cute sneeze wakes me up. This has happened several times now. No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t sleep. The cold assaulting my body. The strange noises of the night. The risk of people finding me. The hunger. They all keep me awake. ¡°I need to do something or I¡¯ll get sick¡± I clean my runny nose with my sleeve and stand up. Almost immediately my vision starts to get blurry, forcing me to sit again. ¡°Not this again!¡± I grab my head in frustration and start walking towards the street. I need to find a way to make money quick or I won¡¯t survive. I try to focus my eyes to get rid of the dizziness and that¡¯s when it appears again. That weird hud I could not read. ¡°No, wait¡­ I can read it now, what is this!?¡± The excitement made me speak at loud. Embarrassed, I look around but no one is paying attention to me. It seems only I am able to see it. It again goes away when I stop looking at it. I decide to return to my alley and investigate this weird hud. ¡°I should have done this from the beginning¡° I focus my eyes and it appears again. The gray, translucid, rectangle in the middle of my field of vision has an array of numbers and letters written on it. It meant nothing to me when I first saw it but now I understand that this is written in this world¡¯s language. "These are this body¡¯s stats?".
Level 1
Hit Points 14/15 Stamina 7/10 Mana Points 28/30
STRENGTH: 5 INTELLIGENCE: 15 DEXTERITY: 11 SPEED: 15 CHARISMA: 2
¡°This can¡¯t be right. There must be some kind of mistake.¡± Seeing those low numbers is disheartening to say the least. I was kinda hopping to be an extremely overpowered hero or have some broken hidden talent but now I am glad I did not pick up any fights here. This body is really weak. ¡°N-No, I can¡¯t lose hope now. Maybe these are really high stats for this world. I have nothing to compare them with so I can¡¯t say for sure these numbers are low¡­ha ha ha¡± Trying to escape the bleak reality in front of me, I look down and notice there is more at the bottom. ¡°Skill List? This is what I wanted!¡± As soon as I stare at it, the status screen closes and a new window pops up.
SKILL LIST
/steal/ Allows user to steal a random skill from a target /stone skipping/ Allows user to bounce flat stones across water /bilingual/ Allows user to speak and read the common language of the empire
¡°Well, that¡¯s disappointing¡± All these skills seem weak, none look like the kind that would let me slay dragons or save damsels in distress. Being an adventurer and getting rich exploring dungeons seems like a very unrealistic dream now. I close the Skill List and hug my legs. With a heavy sigh I close my eyes. A cute sneeze returns me to reality. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this, I need to get money quickly and find a place to live. I can''t keep living like this¡± I open the status screen again. ¡°There must be something here I can use¡± I read the Skill List again and again until I reach some conclusions. I must have obtained /bilingual/ and /stone skipping/ from those men that attacked me. That means I had /steal/ from the very beginning. It must be that black wind that let me escape. /bilingual/ is the reason I can talk to people now. /stone skipping/ sounds completely useless. After thinking it for a while, I decide that I want to test my /steal/. ¡°If I don¡¯t have any cool powers all I need to do is steal them!¡± With that in mind, I get out of my alley and look around trying to find an easy target. As usual, the main street is filled with people. I look at the travelers carrying swords and shields. They all look tough, getting in a fight with any of them would be a bad idea. I look at the villagers chatting at the marketplace. They all look weak, I don¡¯t need more useless skills. I look at the guards in silver armor. The female guard with the giant sword is easy to spot, she looks very dangerous so I hide behind a house before she sees me. I look at the forest. Then I remember those dudes in the inn were talking about wolves and goblins. A weak monster would make for an excellent test target, they should be easy enough to defeat and they probably know skills normal villagers and travelers don¡¯t know. With that in mind I venture into the forest. After walking for a few hours I hear an animal growling. I quickly hide in some bushes and start sneaking around. It takes me a few seconds to process what my eyes are seeing. Two imposing beasts are fighting over a carcass. One black and the other white, they only resemble wolves in their silhouette. Their fur looks as sharp as spikes. Their paws are scaly and end in five claws. Most astonishing of all, their tails seem to be completely made of fire. Fighting these things would be a terrible idea. That¡¯s when I realize they haven¡¯t noticed me. They are fighting each other. I foolishly think to myself that I don¡¯t need to fight, all I need to do is steal from them and hide away. The white one is the closest. Only a few meters in front of me, giving me its back. The black one is on the other side of the carcass, staring at the white one. I open the status screen to look at my skills again and ready my dagger, just in case. I wait until they start fighting over some bones. ¡°This is my chance!¡± I activate my /steal/ skill. It comes to me as easily as walking or breathing. As soon as I think about it, I extend my right arm and a black wind extends from my hand. It hits the white wolf on its back. The effect is immediate, I focus on the screen and a new skill is already listed there.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
SKILL LIST
/steal/ Allows user to steal a random skill from a target /stone skipping/ Allows user to bounce flat stones across water /bilingual/ Allows user to speak and read the common language of the empire /bite/ Allows user to exert extreme force with their jaw
I soon realize averting my gaze from the wolves was a mistake. The black one seems confused at first but the white one is already charging towards me. They found me. It seems /steal/ is not an stealthy skill, the victim immediately notices something is wrong and where the culprit is. Before I can even react, the white wolf tackles me to the ground and gets on top of me. It menacingly opens its mouth but those shark like teeth don¡¯t burry into my flesh. It doesn¡¯t bite me. It forgot how to. I don¡¯t have time to think. In a panic, the trembling hand holding the dagger moves and stabs the wolf. I roll to the side to use the white wolf as a shield and see the black wolf¡¯s teeth sink into the wounded monster, tearing a chunk of its flesh. The thick fur of the wolf provided no resistance. The monster¡¯s leg muscle and bone are now exposed. I keep rolling to create some distance between us and realize I let go of the dagger. A quick look lets me know it is still firmly buried inside the injured white wolf. The black wolf growls at me with embers coming from its mouth. I try shooting /steal/ again but the beast dodges it and starts running towards me. Seeing the bleeding wolf on the ground and my dagger still on it I realize there is nothing I can do. All my thoughts grew to a halt and fear fills my mind. I cannot think. I cannot run. I cannot fight. I have no weapon. I have no armor. My skills are useless. If the black wolf bites me it is all over. If it bites me. With an almost primal rage I rush towards the black wolf. Ramming into it sends my tiny body flying to the ground. The grass below and the sky above violently switch places as I roll and a dull pain extends on my chest as I suddenly come to a stop. All the air seems to have escaped my lungs already. With no time to think, my hazy mind focuses on the black beast currently on top of me. As its fangs approach me I use both my arms to grab the fur on his neck and manage to hold onto it with an embrace. Like it tried to do to me, I burry my small teeth into its neck. With more force than my jaw should be able to generate I bite down and manage to tear out a chunk of its flesh. Blood starts pouring over like a fountain and the injured animal gets off me. With a weak howl the white wolf charges towards me but now its movements are slow and sluggish. I easily evade the attack and bite into its skin. Pinning it down with both my hands, I use /bite/ one last time. As I firmly hold the wolf¡¯s leg on my mouth I pull as hard as I can. With a sharp sound whatever was keeping the leg attached breaks and I fall on my butt with the severed limb still in my mouth. The now red wolf lies on the ground defeated in front of me, allowing me to recover my dagger. The limping black wolf tried to attack me as I grabbed it but I quickly turned around and stab it in the face. The black wolf is now dead. The white wolf is in a pool of its own blood. With jagged breathing I slowly realize that I won. It doesn¡¯t feel real. With a wicked smile on my face I start to laugh. The fear is still there but an overwhelming joy starts filling me as well. Sadly the happiness is short lived. A weird taste permeates my mouth. With foolish curiosity, I explore my gums with my tongue until I realize a disgustingly squishy object is stuck between my teeth. Touching it with my tongue was a mistake. Recognizing the taste of flesh and blood I can¡¯t help but puke. Luckily for me I had not eaten in a few days but the flavour of bile is still disgusting. I rest my back on a nearby tree until I calm down. I can still hear the white wolf whining in the background from time to time. I cannot help but feel bad hearing the animal in pain. Guilt starts filling me as well. ¡°I really should end its pain¡± To distract myself I decide to open my status screen. To my surprise, I leveled up.
Level 2
Hit Points 13/16 Stamina 5/20 Mana Points 26/32
STRENGTH: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 16 DEXTERITY: 11 SPEED: 20 CHARISMA: 2
Not the kind of gains I would have hope for but not bad either. It is a bit disheartening seeing charisma not go up at all and Stamina being that low worries me a little. With some trouble, I get up from the tree and walk towards the black wolf. Now that is safe there are a few things I want to confirm. I open the hud and shoot /steal/ at the wolf. My MP goes down by one but no new skills appear. I deduce I can not steal from corpses. I walk towards the other one and see it is still agonizing. I use /steal/ on it and once again my MP goes down by one but no new skills appear. I remember the white wolf is the one I stole /bite/ from and deduce I can only use this skill once per target. Considering I used it several times today there should be no limit on how many times I can use it other that my limited MP. I am feeling very tired already so I decide that this is enough for today. The experiment was a successful one. I proved /steal/ to be useful and gained a powerful combat skill in /bite/. With a heavy sigh I tell to myself that ¡°I need to think positive¡± I burry my dagger on the monster¡¯s neck, killing it. The sensation of the blade cutting through its flesh and bone crawls up my arm. With no danger to distract me, the weight of killing that wolf fully sinks in. It is completely different from killing those dumb birds. It is completely different from killing that first wolf. I slowly back off and sit near a tree. All I can do is hug my legs and burry my face on my knees. Almost immediately, my body starts to shake and tears start to flow. By the time I calm down it is already sunset. The forest around me is surprisingly dark. Staying here any longer would be dangerous. After all, the corpses around me could attract more wolves or other wild animals. I look at them one last time. ¡°Should I sell their pelt?¡± I ready my dagger but quickly realize I have no idea how to skin it. Then I remember the merchants won¡¯t but from me anyway and put my dagger back on its sheath. ¡°But it is such a waste to kill an animal like this¡­maybe I should eat them¡± The thought alone makes me feel sick. Remembering the texture of the wolf¡¯s flesh I puke once again. I had no idea it was even possible to puke this much on an empty stomach. I quickly clean my mouth with my cloak. The mix of blood and bile is disgusting to say the least. Seeing blood I first worry I may be injured but I soon realize it must be their blood. Touching the dry blood on my lips makes me feel dirty. Seeing the stain on my cloak makes me feel dirty. ¡°I can¡¯t return to the village looking like this¡± I stumble around for a while and manage find a small river. I must be close to the place where I first arrived. Looking at my reflection on the water I can no longer say this face is cute. Covered in blood like this I am nothing but dirty. I wash my face with a disgusted look in my eyes. No matter what I do the stain on my cloak doesn¡¯t go. By the time I make it to the village it is already dark. The wet cloak sticks to my body making it unpleasant to walk. My crotch feels uncomfortable because of the lack of underwear. My feet hurts because of the lack of socks. Seeing the female guard in the distance, I sneak into an alley. It takes some time but I finally return to my spot. I sit on the floor and hug my legs, resting my shoulder on the side of a barrel. The cold wind pierces through my wet, dirty, cloak. I don¡¯t sleep that night. Chapter 5: Day 5-Slave I stare blankly at the wall in front of me. Because of yesterday¡¯s fight all of my body hurts. I open my status screen to confirm it, my numbers are the same. I am not recovering the health and stamina I used yesterday. I need to find a way to fill them again. Being low on stamina feels like crap. Worst than running a marathon or gym class back at school. Muscles I didn¡¯t know I had hurt. No, since I am no longer human maybe this body does have extra muscles. I don¡¯t know what being low on MP may do to me but I can imagine what running out of HP means. ¡°Death¡± With that gloomy thought I force my tired body to get up. There are still some places in this village I had not visited. Yesterday I got distracted with my newfound powers but I cannot delay getting a job any longer. I want a place to rest. I want a meal. Slowly stumbling around, I walk the main street while covering my face with my hood. I enter the run down pubs I ignored the other day. ¡°I am looking for a place to work. My name is Lily. I¡¯ve been living in the streets since my family got attacked by bandits and I would like to make some money so I can survive on my own¡± I repeat my made up story again and again. They all turn me down. ¡°We are not hiring¡±, ¡°This is not a place for kids¡±, ¡°We don¡¯t accept your kind here¡±, They give all kind of excuses for not hiring me. ¡°I have a job for you right here hehehe¡± Some make rude remarks but I ignore them. I have not sunk that low. I continue walking. With no stores left in the village I start knocking on random doors. ¡°My name is Lily. I¡¯ve been living in the streets since my family got attacked by bandits and I would like to make some money so I can survive on my own¡± The frustration and desperation starts to pile up with every failed attempt. ¡°P-Please open¡± At some point I even started crying. ¡°I can clean, I can cook, I can tutor your kids¡± I start lying more and more but it doesn¡¯t work. ¡°Please! I want a place to stay!¡± They all turn me down. Most don¡¯t even bother answering the door. I honestly had no idea what I was expecting. Feeling completely defeated, my body gives up. Like a puppet with no strings I fall to the ground and everything goes dark. I wake up still feeling tired. The sun shining high on the sky tells me it has only been a few minutes. Looking around in confusion I notice I am no longer in the middle of the street. I am resting against a wall. My sudden moves seem to startle the small girl sitting next to me. Before I can even open my mouth, she leaps away from me. The unhealthy slim girl in front of me is even smaller than I am. Her short, brown hair is not combed. One of the triangular cat ears on top of her head has a nasty cut on it. Looking closely, I notice her whole body is covered in similar injuries. Her plain clothes are even dirtier than mine. I don¡¯t even need to look at the collar on her neck to tell she is a slave. I can¡¯t help but fell taken aback by her appearance. It takes me a while to realize that she must be the one that helped me. ¡°Sorry to startle you¡± It would be rude to just stare at her. I probably look just as bad too, I shouldn¡¯t judge her. ¡°My name is Lily¡± ¡°P-Please forgive me. You fell in the middle of the street. I t-thought¡­It looked like you may be sick¡± The girl that created some distance between us starts apologizing in a panic. ¡°Wha-Please s-stop that¡­Thank you for saving me¡± I grab her by the shoulders to make her stop. She freezes as soon as I touch her so I quickly let go.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°No need to thank someone like me¡­¡± She looks down with very sad eyes. ¡°More importantly, how are you feeling? Is your body okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am fine¡± I try to smile but her face tells me I did a poor job. ¡°I just haven¡¯t sleep for a few days¡± My stomach makes an embarrassing noise. ¡°I also haven¡¯t eaten in a while¡± I cover my stomach with my hand but the noises won¡¯t stop. With a concerned look on her face she starts looking at our surroundings. Curious, I do the same. People are walking the street as usual but none seem to be paying attention to us. It is not like they can¡¯t see us. They are ignoring us. When I return my gaze to her she is offering me something. On closer inspection it is bread, or more accurately, it was bread. I try breaking a piece with my hands but it is so hard I start to question whether this is even edible. The catgirl takes the bread from my hands and divides it into two after some struggle. She offers both pieces to me again. ¡°T-Thanks¡± I don¡¯t really want to eat that old bread but I don¡¯t know how to turn her down. I politely accept the smaller piece. ¡°You can have the other one¡± After some hesitation I put it in my mouth. I fail to take a bite even while pulling at it with my teeth and both my hands. I end up having to use /bite/ to munch on it. It tastes as awful as it looks but for some reason I cannot stop eating. With desperation, I finish eating my bread and then snatch the one in the catgirl¡¯s hands. It is only after that hard mass passes down my throat and I start gasping for air again that I realize that I was starving. ¡°You were really hungry¡­¡± She pats my back to stop my coughs. ¡°Sorry¡­Thanks¡± With a deep breath I make sure the old bread stays inside my body. ¡°I already told you, no need to thank someone like me¡± I thought she would be mad because I took her bread, instead I see her smile for the first time. It is a very genuine smile. ¡°I FOUND THE RUNAWAY! THAT WEIRD MONSTER GIRL IS WITH HER TOO!!¡± I turn in the direction of the voice and see a guard half a block away, pointing at us. He seems to be signaling at other guards while reading his sword. With almost perfect timing we both get up and start sprinting. ¡°DON¡¯T LET THEM GET AWAY!¡± We run into another guard. Instead of changing directions we take advantage of our size and slip past him. Now the two of them are running behind us. Soon more and more guards join the pursuit. The catgirl cleverly kicks a wooden box behind us and one of the guards trips on it. We repeat this a few times as we traverse the alleys but they don¡¯t give up. No matter how many wild turns we take they are hot on our trails. Soon my worst fear comes true. Standing in front of us is the female guard with the huge sword. On the corner of my vision I see the catgirl lowering her body. It seems she intends to run pass her. Without thinking I take a hard right and exit the street. I don¡¯t want to confront that woman. I keep running without looking back. Some of the guards keep pursuing me but they all give up when I enter the forest. I collapse next to a tree trying to catch my breath. Deep in my heart I start regretting separating from the catgirl. I tell myself there was nothing I could do. Some time passes while I rest. I open and close the status screen again and again but nothing changes. I still haven¡¯t recovered any stamina. To make things worst the sun is already gone. The plan was to hide in the forest but I now realize that would never work. The forest at night is too cold and I have no idea what dangers may be lurking in the dark. With my hood on I drag my tired body back to the village. As if to confirm my worries, I become aware of how many guards there are in this village as I sneak around. The place is filled with them. Searching for that catgirl won¡¯t be an option. I decide to return to my spot instead. ¡°¡­I am in danger¡­They are after me¡± Sitting on the floor, I hug my legs. ¡°What did I do to deserve this¡­¡± I realize I don¡¯t know the local law. I may have committed a crime without realizing it. Maybe sleeping in the street was a crime. Maybe being a monster was a crime. ¡°This¡­is really bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± I have no money to pay a fine. I don¡¯t know any lawyers. Do lawyers even exist in this world? I don¡¯t know what kind of punishment I may receive either. A barbaric world like this one may have worst punishments than the death penalty. For some reason I force my tired brain to come up with a worse case scenario. The catgirl I met today fills my mind. I look down at my own body as if to confirm my fears and tears start to flow. ¡°I don¡¯t want that!¡± My body feels heavy. ¡°I don¡¯t want to become some asshole¡¯s property¡± My eyelids feel heavy. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± I try to fight it but my body has long reached its limits. I fall asleep. Chapter 6: Day 6-Fugitive Someone violently shaking my shoulders wakes me up. Before I can even react I feel myself standing. There is no force in my legs. There is no floor below my feet. It takes my tired mind too long to realize I am not dreaming. Someone grabbed my upper arm and lifted me up. My legs pointlessly flailing in the air, unable to reach the ground, is what finally returns me to reality. The figure in silver and gold armor holding me in the air takes off her helmet. Her scary blue eyes pierce right through me. ¡°WHO ARE YOU. WHAT ARE YOU. WHERE ARE YOU FROM. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE.¡± She immediately starts asking questions. All very troublesome questions. I must have taken too long to answer because she throws me against the wall and lifts me up again when I bounce. The pain expanding on my back clouds my mind. Her hands grabbing on my cloak make it hard to breath. All I can do is put my arms in front of my face. I must look like a child scared to be hit. ¡°WHO ARE YOU. WHAT ARE YOU. WHERE ARE YOU FROM. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE.¡± She repeats her questions again, louder this time. ¡°I-I am... My name is Lily! I am not a suspicious person!¡± I cannot tell her I am a dude from another world. She would never believe me. She may think I am drunk or insane. I don¡¯t know if I committed a crime. I cannot risk it. I don¡¯t want to end like that catgirl. I cannot tell her the truth. I need to tell her I am not a criminal. Her only response is to shove me into the wall again. It seems she can see right through my lies. Grabbing my shoulder so hard I fear she may crush it, she starts dragging me outside the alley. ¡°You are coming with me¡± is all she has to say. I try to fight her pull but she is too strong. Screaming and struggling is pointless. This small body doesn¡¯t have the strength to fight someone like her. There is nothing I can do. Memories of those men that attacked me start to fill my mind. ¡°NO!¡± In a panic I reach for my dagger and swing it in front of me. The guard is forced to let go of my shoulder to create some distance between us. Only after I see her dodge do I realize what I just did. It is too late to apologize now. The furious guard grabs the huge sword resting menacingly on her back. Luckily for me, this narrow alley is not big enough for her to use it properly. Falling on my butt and crawling backwards is all it takes to dodge the downward swing she sent my way. Seeing the floor crack below the sword should be all the motivation I need to run away but I am too scared to move my legs. ¡°STEAL!!¡± I scream to give myself some courage and extend my free hand. My /steal/ skill has saved me before. Losing their skills distracted those men long enough to let me escape. Losing its ability to bite crippled that wolf. If I can steal one of her combat skills I may be able to survive this. Sadly, it seems against this opponent things won¡¯t be as easy. My clearly telegraphed attack failed. All the guard did was crouch behind the sword. Its size makes it both a dangerous weapon and a convenient shield. I open my status screen to confirm it but no new skills are listed there. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. Averting my gaze from her was a huge mistake. The pain reaches me first. I was too slow to react. The dull pain in my upper body and the weightless sensation of floating in the air seem to slow time around me. While I was distracted the guard must have grabbed one of the empty barrels laying around and hurled it at me with enough force to send me flying. Slamming against the ground returns time to its normal flow. I struggle to get up. My arms and legs won¡¯t stop shaking. Everything looks blurry. Moving makes me feel nauseous. My chest hurts every time I breathe. I try to clean my face to clear my vision.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The first thing I see is my hand covered in blood. Touching my face I can feel the blood dripping on it. The second thing I notice is the broken wood all around me. The barrel completely shattered on impact. The third thing I notice is that I am in the middle of the street. Onlookers seem to be gathering around to see what is happening. It doesn¡¯t look like they plan on helping me. Lastly, I turn around. What I see is the guard holding the huge sword effortlessly on one hand while drawing strange symbols in the air with the other. Without even thinking I shoot /steal/ at her. In my panic I shot it twice. The guard seems visibly surprised by this but still manages to dodge the first one while blocking the second with her sword. Not even catching her off guard is enough to land a hit. To make things worse, she uses the momentum of her dodge to spin around and send a kick in my direction. I, of course, am unable to dodge or block. The kick knocks all the air out my body and sends me flying once again. I desperately try to breath but a dry cough is all I can manage. I cannot fight her like this. This body is too small and light. A single blow from her is all it takes to send me flying several meters. I cannot get close to use my dagger. I cannot get close to use /bite/. All I can do is create some distance between us. I notice the guard ready her sword in the corner of my vision. Without even being able to catch my breath I shoot /steal/ once again. This is enough to stop her from coming closer. She stops on her tracks to block and I start to run. I run as hard as I can. My whole body hurts. My breathing is erratic and my legs feel heavy. I am clearly in no shape for a long chase. Luckily for me the guard¡¯s heavy sword and armor seem to be slowing her down. All I need to do is shoot /steal/ behind me when she starts to catch up. She even jumps to protect the villagers when my attacks miss her. I continue to run into the forest. Unlike yesterday¡¯s guards, she doesn¡¯t give up immediately. With no villagers to worry about and no walls to hold her back, she swings her sword wildly. The dense forest and my small size are barely enough to keep me alive. The sound of trees falling over behind me squeezes tightly on my chest. We eventually reach a wide river. The body of water in front of me looks different from the one I first found when I came here. The current seems stronger and the murky waters don¡¯t let me see the bottom. Maybe it is a different section of the same river. Not that it matters, I have no time to worry about it. Without giving myself a chance to hesitate I start jumping on the rocks to cross to the other side. I assume the guard should not be able to cross the river on that armor. I don¡¯t get to confirm it. Worrying over the danger behind me I fail to notice the more direct hazard below me. Before I can even make it half way through, I slip on a wet rock and fall into the water. The strong current quickly drags me away. Even while inside the water is still impossible for me to tell how deep it is. The water is so muddy I cannot see whats in front of me. The force of the water jerks me around wildly. The only thing slowing me down is the occasional log or rock that gets in my way. With a current this strong even grabbing onto the stuff floating around me seems impossible. I desperately reach for air but all I manage to do is fill my mouth with water. Flailing my hands around in a panic is not enough to fight the current. The water smashing against me and the rocks hitting my body make me lose all sense of direction. As my mind starts becoming hazy I crash violently into a giant rock. The sudden pain wakes me up and forces me to cough up the water inside me. That¡¯s when I notice my butt sitting on the gravel at the bottom of the river. The water is shallow here. I look around but I don¡¯t see the scary guard anywhere. Looking down at my trembling hand I notice I am still firmly holding onto the dagger. No matter what I do the hand doesn¡¯t open. My whole body is shaking. I try to calm down but my heavy breathing only makes things worse. Because of my wet body I fail to notice I am crying. It honestly would not surprise me if some of the water dripping from my clothes were pee. I try my best to stand up once the beating of my heart has slowed down a bit. Everything hurts. I can barely move. Sheathing the dagger was an ordeal. My shaking hands were too numb to put the dagger in its place, it almost felt like threading a needle. Traversing the small distance between the rock and the edge of the river was torture. Just walking straight was impossible. I kept slipping on the wet floor and getting dragged by the water. For every step forward I made the current pushed me back a few centimeters. By the time I made it to dry land my whole body was covered in bruises. As if to mock all of my efforts, looking at my surroundings I realize I need to drag my tired body further away from the water. The colour of the rocks around me tells me I am not safe. I need to move before the water rises. I pathetically try to stand up but all I manage to do is fall face first into the mud. I try to crawl but my legs won¡¯t move. My arms are not strong enough to carry my own weight. Desperately dragging my body on the rocky mud robs me of what little stamina I had. My weak body finally gives up on me. And I pass out in the riverbank. Chapter 7: Day 6-Hunger A cold sensation on my stomach wakes me up. The water has raised all the way to my waist while I was unconscious. I pull my body away from the river and drag myself to dryer land. Lying on my back I see the sun is still high on the sky. My whole body feels numb. I don¡¯t have the strength to stand up. I don¡¯t even have the strength to sit. All I can do is lie on the ground and bask in the sun. To distract myself from the pain I open my status screen. There is nothing else I can do.
Level 2
Hit Points 4/16 Stamina 2/20 Mana Points 11/32
STRENGTH: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 16 DEXTERITY: 11 SPEED: 20 CHARISMA: 2
Everything is low. Dangerously low. I need to do something about my HP and stamina. The numbness and pain across my body is almost unbearable. The wet clothes sticking to my body feel unnaturally heavy. The pleasantly warm sunlight only reminds me of the poor state I am in. ¡°I¡­need to¡­d-do something¡­¡± lying on the ground won¡¯t fix anything. The scary guard may come find me. Some wild animal may find me. I need to find a safe place to recover. I need to find a way to recover. My stomach hurts. At first I have no way of telling if it is because of the fight, because of the cold or because of the hunger. Soon enough, the familiar sounds confirm to me that there is nothing wrong with my body, or at least that¡¯s what I hope. The crams on my stomach continue to assault me as I let myself get dry by the sun. I would have never imagined being hungry could be this painful. A pain completely different from the bruises on my skin or the tiredness of my muscles. My body is desperately telling me that I need food. I think to myself that it makes sense. I have not been eating properly since I got here. In fact I have not been eating at all. A lot has happened to me since I came to this world and I have failed to take care of this body. If the stamina stat refers to actual stamina then it makes sense that a proper meal and some rest would help me recover it. Listening to the needs of my body may be the most intelligent thing to do in this situation. In other words, now that the danger is gone I can¡¯t help but feel hungry. With a goal in mind, I force myself to get up. Now the problem is where to find food. I slowly walk the unfamiliar forest. Every step forward is a challenge. The small slope of the riverbank took a heavier toll on me than I expected. Instead of just walking straight, I am now forced to use the trees around me to support my own weight. Just traversing the few meters between them without tripping takes all of my strength. The river behind me has been completely engulfed by the forest. With no landmarks to guide me, the autumn foliage surrounds me in all directions. I have no idea how long I have been walking or where am I going. Out of breath, I decide to stop to rest for a moment. I don¡¯t want to think about the fact my legs gave up and I find myself unable to stand up. I twist my body and get comfortable leaning on a tree instead. ¡°Of course it was not going to be that easy¡­¡± No animal is going to jump in front of me and conveniently let me eat it. No one wants to be eaten. Memories of the nature documentaries I used to watch as a kid start popping up in my mind. All the clever ways predators had for hunting down their prey. How herbivores evolved to run and hide from those same predators. Of course it was going to be hard. I was very lucky to find those wolves so easily. In fact, what I am going to do if I run into wolves or other monsters now? Pointlessly looking around does little to put my mind at ease. I am in no shape to run or defend myself. With a heavy sigh I rest my head on the tree. Embraced by the warmth of the sun and with the rustling leaves as my lullaby I start to fall asleep. As I close my eyes the hunger starts unearthing more old memories. These rose tinted memories of a younger me eating happily with my family in front of the tv are not real. They cannot be real, I never had that kind of relationship with them. My father never ate with us. He spent most nights drunk, sleeping with random whores. My sister never smiled at me like that. Even as a kid, all she did was bully me. My mother¡¯s cooking was never this good. Just entertaining the idea of yearning for her food fills me with disgust. A small smile forms in my lips. As my consciousness drifts away I wonder who was the first one to find my corpse. I would have loved to see their faces while they clean the mess I left behind.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The sound of dry grass being crushed wakes me up. I lethargically open my eyes and find myself lying sideways on the ground. The forest around me is cold and dark but the dim evening sunlight passing through the leaves is enough to let me see. In front of my face, the source of the noise frantically sniffs the air. I guess the creature could be described as a hare. Sure, it may be lacking those iconic long ears but I refuse to think of an animal this big as a rat. In fact its brown fur and six legs make it somewhat resemble a flea. The hare uses the oversized teeth on its snout to dig the ground. The bizarre way they bend make them look less like tusks and more like a helmet. My first instinct is to freeze in fear. As I see it hop around all I can do is hold my breath and wish it goes away. It takes me a while to realize how good an opportunity this is. The hare seems to be ignoring me. All it does is dig a few millimeters and move to the next spot, occasionally stopping to sniff the air. That¡¯s when I notice my cloak is the colour of the bushes around me. It has not seen me yet. I need to think carefully about my next move. I cannot waste this chance. For a moment I consider using /steal/ to aggro it. I decide against it. I have no way of telling whether getting hit by /steal/ would make it react like that white wolf did or not. It may just run away in fear. Either way, it doesn¡¯t look like this thing has any useful skills. I don¡¯t want to waste what little MP I have left. Instead, I turn around to align myself to the ground. Moving is still a hassle. Just pulling my weight with my arm sends waves of pain through my body. The twigs and leaves crackling under me are enough to make the hare stop and start scanning its surroundings. The thing is alert but it hasn¡¯t tried to flee yet. I slowly ready my body trying to make as little noise as possible. I separate my chest from the ground and slowly rise my hips. I try reaching for the dagger on my belt but stop when I hear the rustling of my cloak. I would never be able to unsheathe it before it runs away. I firmly place my hands on the ground and carefully position my feet to start running. All the hare does is look around, frantically sniffing the air above its head. Waiting for my chance to strike the world fades around me. Time seems to drag to a halt . The only thing in my mind is the prey in front of me. I have no idea how long it took but the hare eventually drops its guard and starts digging again. The tired muscles on my legs tense as a twig loudly breaks under my foot. I curse in my mind but there is nothing I can do about it. That sound is my starting shot now. I kick the ground and propel myself at the hare. The loud noise is of course enough to startle the animal. As soon as I move it leaps backwards into the air and stares right back at me. I really wanted to end it with a surprise attack. I really wanted to give it a painless death. It is too late now. Crashing with it midair, I pounce the hare with all my strength. Like a feral animal I dig my teeth into the furry creature. The taste of blood and the prickling of its fur fill my mouth. Using /bite/ is enough to quickly crush its fragile body. With the sound of fractured bones and a horrifying screech the hare¡¯s life ends. I quickly spit it out but the sensation refuses to leave my mouth. The instinct to puke overcomes me despite having nothing on my stomach to puke. With a sore throat and a fast beating heart I lie down next to my prey. ¡°I did it¡­I did it¡­I did it!¡± A satisfied smile starts forming in my face as the unpleasantness starts to fade away. The growling on my stomach eagers me to start eating the hare. ¡°What should I do with it? How should I cook it?¡± With clumsy movements I sit and stare at the dead hare. ¡°Stew? Curry? Stuffed? Maybe I could bath it in some oranges~¡± Of course that wishful line of thinking ends up leading nowhere. My culinary skills are limited to turning on the microwave. After some consideration, I decide that I need a fire. The forest around me is filled with dry leaves and brushwood. Gathering stuff to burn was no problem. The problem was how to start the fire. I have nothing as convenient as matches or a lighter. There is not enough sunlight and I have nothing I can use as a lense. I try twirling a twig but nothing happens. Making embarrassing poses doesn¡¯t make a fireball appear. Striking two rocks together only made them shatter in my hand, leaving me with nasty cuts. Eventually, I got a small spark after hitting a rock with my dagger. Repeating this success was hard at first but since I knew it could be done I kept trying until I got it. Actually starting the fire was also rather difficult. The wind kept putting out the embers and no matter how many sticks I added they would not burn. By the time I got a flame big enough to cook it was already nighttime. Even after all this work, I still had no idea what to do with the hare. Driven by the hunger I decide to just throw it into the fire. I don¡¯t need anything fancy, I just want to eat. At first I was worried it would burst into flames but instead it almost put out the campfire. I kept desperately adding dry leaves until I saw the fur slowly catch fire. From time to time I would stab it to see if it was ready but blood and other fluids would start pouring, setting back the whole process again. I eventually reached the conclusion it was best to leave it alone. I threw in more brushwood and watched it burn. Once the situation stabilized, I sat back and relaxed watching my meal get cooked. The scenery around me was completely shrouded in darkness. The only light as far as my eyes could see was my improvised campfire. Neither the stars nor the faint moonlight could shine through the dense foliage. The night was dead silent. Other than the sound of my own heart nothing could be heard. There where no insects, no birds, no monsters. It was almost like I was sitting in a small island of light surrounded by nothingness. Despite being alone at night in the middle of a forest, the light and warmth of the flames put my mind at ease. With a big yawn, I decide the meat has cooked for long enough. I use a long stick to drag the hare away from the center of the flame and my dagger to cut off one of its many legs. Compared to how hard it was to cut through it, removing the skin was surprisingly easy. All I did was pull a little and most of it came off in one go. Looking closely, I cannot tell if it is cooked. At the very least it is not raw. I cannot wait any longer. The smell entering my nose and the noises reverberating on my stomach compel me to eat. I don¡¯t even care I don¡¯t have any seasonings or toppings. I take the first bite. Needless to say, it tasted awful. Chapter 8: Day 7-The Forest I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. The warm rays of the sun shining through the leaves embrace me as I open my eyes. I look around and find myself surrounded by nature. It takes me a moment to remember why I am sleeping in the open air. I lazily stretch my arms. To my discomfort, my body still feels sore. I move around to test if there is something wrong with me. Moving is still somewhat unpleasant but this is nothing compared to yesterday. Breathing doesn¡¯t hurt. My head doesn¡¯t hurt. Standing doesn¡¯t hurt. In fact, I feel oddly revitalized.
Level 2
Hit Points 7/16 Stamina 7/20 Mana Points 11/32
STRENGTH: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 16 DEXTERITY: 11 SPEED: 20 CHARISMA: 2
¡°Yes! I was right!!¡± Dinner and a good night of sleep really did improve my HP and stamina. ¡°I bet all I need to do is rest and I will keep recovering!¡± It may not be the most efficient way to recover but it is still the only thing I can do right now. ¡°If I keep my body healthy I will feel better in no time¡­¡± The fact that it took me this long to realize it starts downing on me. ¡°I must not be as smart as I think I am if this is the best I can do¡­¡± To distract my mind from that sudden realization I start worrying over breakfast instead. The position of the sun seems to suggest it is lunchtime already but I don¡¯t care. I just woke up. This is going to be my breakfast. ¡°Breakfast is still breakfast no matter the hour¡± Some embers still glow red in the pile of ashes that was last night¡¯s campfire. It looks like the fire went out just a few hours ago. Brushing aside some of the charcoal I find the leftovers of yesterday¡¯s dinner. It seems leaving the hare next to the fire continued cooking it overnight. Most of it has turned completely black. Its fur burned in its entirety and its tusks broke because of the heat. With some trouble I remove the burnt parts and start eating. It is cold. Part of me wants to restart the fire and reheat it but going through all that trouble just for this makes no sense. It also tastes awful. It did not taste any better when it was warm but it tastes a different kind of awful now. Having finished my meal, I leave the improvised campfire behind. The bushes and trees all around me make it very hard to walk in a straight line. Moving is easier now but I don¡¯t want to tire myself out walking with no direction. I need a goal. I never really considered how easy it would be to get lost in a forest like this one. Taking into account that I have no idea where I am going it is probably safe to say I am already lost. There is nothing I can use as a landmark around me. I don¡¯t even know enough about this world¡¯s geography for a landmark to be of any use to me. ¡°I know! I should try finding that river again. If I follow the river I should be able to return to the village¡± Sure, going back to the village could be dangerous but staying here for too long would be equally dangerous. Wandering aimlessly in this forest would be dumb. I am in no state to fight monsters. I am too weak. My odds of survival would be higher the closer to civilization I am. I got lucky no wild animal attacked me while I was down. I need a safe place to recover. The village is that place. I may be a wanted criminal after what happened yesterday but at the very least I doubt any guard would kill me in my sleep. I look around me. I have no idea what direction I came from. I have no idea what direction I should go. Finding that river won¡¯t be easy. My eyes cannot see it through the dense foliage. My ears cannot hear it among the singing of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. There is nothing as convenient as a map or a quest marker on my hud. After some consideration I decide to try climbing a tree. My short stature is not fit to scan my surroundings. Climbing to a vintage point should give me a better view of my surroundings. I walk until I find a tree tall enough to rise above the treetops and twisted enough to be safe to climb. This thick tree in front of me would be the perfect playground for any kid. As I admire its shape I plan my route up its many branches. The more I look at it the more I start feeling increasingly anxious. The trunk is so crooked even I should be able to climb it easily. Even a child could do it. Yet, I am starting to think I won¡¯t be able to do it. I was never the athletic type. Running around in parks and climbing trees may be normal pastimes for kids but it is something I never did in my youth. My first attempt failed as soon as I placed my hands on the tree. With a sharp pain I remembered that I cut my palms trying to make yesterday¡¯s fire. I need to clean my hands quick or these will get infected. Does this world even has diseases?If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. My second attempt failed as soon as I tried to put my foot on a branch. I feel on my butt. Cursing loudly I remembered why I never tried to do this as a kid. There is nothing fun about this. My third attempt stopped as soon as I made it halfway through. I looked down. Seeing how tall I was I found myself unable to keep climbing. With tears in my eyes I slowly climbed down. My fourth attempt was a successful one. After having calmed down I realized how dumb I was for giving up halfway through. This time I kept my eyes on the branches above me and kept going until I reached the top. With a fast beating heart I looked at my surroundings. The view caught me totally off guard. The golden sea of leaves extending in all directions. The winding river carving a path among the trees. The small slope of the forest rising into an enormous mountain range in the distance. I only went up a few meters. It was hard to believe the world could look this different from here. Mesmerized by the view, I lost track of how long I spent up there. Getting down the tree was an ordeal at first but a branch breaking halfway through accelerated the process. As I walked towards the river my bored mind kept worrying over my current situation. ¡°what am I going to now?¡± Getting to the village is not enough to ensure my safety. I need shelter. I need food. Even if eating and sleeping are the solution to all my problems, I still have the guards to worry about. I need a place to hide. I need a source of food. My failure to get a job this past couple of days means money is not something I can count on. The half empty coinbag on my backpack may as well be worthless. I don¡¯t have enough money to buy a meal or get a room. After some thinking I reach the conclusion that shelter is not really a priority. Nights may be cold and alleys may be dangerous but it is not like I need a bed to sleep. I was overwhelmed by it at first but I could probably sleep in the street if I put my mind into it. What positive thinking won¡¯t fix is my empty belly. I need to eat everyday if I want to get better. I may not have enough money for food but the forest itself should have enough stuff in it to keep me well fed. Hiding in the streets during the night and exploring the forest for food during the day could be the way to go. Hunting is hard but yesterday¡¯s success proves that it is doable. If I manage to keep it up for a few more days my stamina should recover. My HP and MP may fill up as well. The problem now is what to eat. Big prey would be ideal. I could get lots of meat in one go and not have to worry about hunting everyday. That being said, as I am now I doubt I would be able to kill something big. I simply lack the strength to do it. I also have no idea how to cook a big animal. Small prey could work. The problem is that it is hard to catch. Small animals are good at hiding. Just finding one could be very hard. They are also very fast. I cannot waste my stamina running around trying to catch something that has very little meat in it. I also have no idea how to cook a small animal. Plants and mushrooms don¡¯t need to be cooked and they grow all around me. Sadly, trying to eat them is probably not a good idea. I know nothing about plants. I knew nothing about the plants of my world and I know even less about the plants in this world. I cannot risk eating something poisonous and getting sick. ¡°Are there doctors in this world? There has to be, right? Maybe they use healing magic¡± I could steal that. I cannot afford a doctor anyway. Having the power to heal myself would be really useful. I should really look into that. I could also try eating fruit. Fruit is easy to find, safe to eat and does not require any cooking. It is almost perfect for someone like me. Looking around I quickly realize that is not an option. The dry, yellow leaves remind me that it is autumn right now, there is probably no fruit lying around. ¡°Wait! The river! Fish!¡± Fish should be easy to catch. Fish can¡¯t run away. Fish can¡¯t fight back. Sure, I may have never fished in my life but how hard could it be. It is just sitting around waiting for something to take the bait, right? I can do that. Cooking it should also be easy. People eat fish all the time when they go camping. Some people even eat it raw. Fish must be really easy to prepare, right? With a general idea of where I was going, finding the river only took me a couple of hours. The first thing I did was dip my mouth into the water and start drinking. I did not realize how thirsty I was until I saw the clear, flowing waters of this small stream. This must be a different section from the one I saw from the tree. It doesn¡¯t matter. I can still use it to find my way back to the village as long as it is the same one. Having quenched my thirst, next I washed my hands. The cuts started to sting as soon as I dip them in water. I really wish I had some kind of soap or disinfectant to clean them. ¡°Now, I should get ready to start fishing¡± standing in front of the river, my unfounded optimism is forced to confront reality. I have no idea how to fish. I am vaguely aware of the equipment I need and what should I do but that is not enough to actually start fishing. I know a need a rod but I have no idea how to make one. I know I need a line but I have no idea how to make one. I know I need a hook but I have no idea how to make one. I know I need bait but have no idea what to use. Do worms even exist in this world? I try making a simple spear by cutting some branches but even then no fish swims by this stream. Trying to fish ends up being a complete failure. In frustration I grab a rock and toss it into the river. Seeing it magnificently bounce off the water and make it all the way to the other side only makes me feel more frustrated. Having given up on catching fish, I start working on a fire instead. Even with nothing to cook the warmth and protection the fire provides cannot be overestimated. It was probably what kept the dangers of the night away while I was sleep. I imagine the grass and branches near the river would be wet so I decide to move a few meters into the forest and set camp there. Before the last bit of sunlight disappears into the horizon I manage to lit a fire using my rock and dagger method. This time I knew what I was doing. It was a little bit easier than yesterday. Once again as soon as the sun sets the temperature drops and all the noises of the forest stop. All I can do now is stare at the flames. The darkness of the night and the warmth of the fire invite me to relax. With a big yawn I get lost in the dancing figures created by the light and the crackling of the burning logs. My eyelids start closing on their own. I fall sleep tucked in my cloak. Chapter 9: Day 8-Predator I woke up completely wrapped up in my cloak after another good night of sleep. The contrast between the warmth caught inside the cloth and the cold breeze blowing outside encourages me to go back to sleep. Sadly, I know I should not waste any more time. After some inner struggle I decide it is best to get up. With a heavy sigh I exit my cocoon and face the cold world. The wind immediately sends shivers down my body. Rubbing my arms, I curse the cloudy morning sky and sit closer to the campfire. Even when I put my hands above the flame, the weakly lit fire does little to warm me up. ¡°D-D-Dammit why is it so cold!?¡± Looking up, the greyish clouds seem to forecast a coming storm. I have no time to waste. I need to hurry up and return to the village before it starts raining. I quickly get up on my feet and start stretching. To my surprise my body feels surprisingly light. I move my arms in circles and hop in place to test it. My muscles are still a little sore but for the first time in a while I feel like I can move normally. With delight I open my status screen and confirm I am slowly recovering. Motivated by the good news, I resume my journey. This time I remembered to put out the fire before leaving. Looking back, not making sure the fire was completely out yesterday was really dumb. The forest may be cold but starting a forest fire is definitely not the solution. After stomping around and kicking some dirt on it, I grabbed the unused fishing spear and head back to the river. Following the river should eventually led me back to the place where I fell into the water. From there I should be able to make my way back to the village. Walking along the river should also make it easy to spot fish. I really want to eat. Rubbing my noisy stomach above my shirt, I confirm that I need to take better care of my new body. I cannot afford to keep pushing myself like this. I have no idea what the limits of this body are. I have no idea whether this body can keep living like this. All I know is that I need food and rest. Even then, my knowledge about this body is very limited. Staring at the four winged birds burring themselves into the tree trunks I realize that I don¡¯t really know what I should do about my diet. I probably need a lot of food. This body is small and small animals need to eat a lot to stay alive. I also look like a child and kids need to eat a lot to grow up healthy. That being said, I have no way of knowing if that is how this body works. I could be wrong. I can¡¯t really use the knowledge of my old body as reference. Not only was I awful at keeping myself healthy, since I am no longer human there is a chance all my assumptions could be wrong anyway. I am in a completely different world now. My 30 years of experience as a man may not translate well into this little demon girl. Maybe eating sporadically was better for this body. After all, it¡¯s been several days since I arrived here and I am doing relatively fine. If it turns out this body needs a specific diet, then eating the wrong thing or the wrong quantity could make me very sick. Asking the villagers about the biology of my species may be a necessity if I want to get better. I continue to walk next to the stream lost on my thoughts for what feels like hours. With the sun completely covered in clouds I only have my own tiredness to measure the passage of time. No fish had swam by so far. With a heavy sigh I stop to look around me. ¡°This makes no sense. I have been walking for hours. I should not be that far away from the village now¡± The current did not drag me for that long. Yet no matter where I looked the waters and surrounding forest were completely unfamiliar to me. Filled with uncertainty I pick up the pace, desperately searching for a familiar view. After a few meters I am forced to come to a stop again. The stream in front of me is almost completely encaged by the surrounding trees. This river here is too shallow to be the one that dragged me away. Concerned, I decide to climb a nearby tree hoping that I would be able to see the village from here. But no matter how hard I try, all I can see is forest. Then I realize the distant mountain range I saw yesterday is now just a few kilometers away. I climb down feeling defeated. As soon as my feet touch the ground I let myself fell on my butt. With panicked breathing I realize I have no idea where I am. I realize I have been following the wrong river this whole time. I finally realize that I am lost. Frustrated and scared, all I can do is let out a scream. I let all my emotions pour out as I hold my head between my hands. ¡°I am such an idiot!!¡± As if to reply to my roar, a loud sound echoes through the forest. The sudden noise quickly puts me on my feet. With my makeshift spear in one hand and my dagger in the other, I nervously start scanning my surroundings. It looks like my sudden outburst attracted the attention of some wild animal. The beating of my heart becomes distractingly loud. The rustling of the leaves on the wind drowns all the sound around me. The birds on the top of the trees fly off in a panic. I desperately look around but I see nothing. I take some timid steps with my trembling legs but nothing comes out to attack me. The feeling of being watched weights heavily on my mind. All I can do is wait with my back against the tree, hoping that I won¡¯t be ambush from behind. I have no idea what is coming. I have no idea where it is coming from. I have no idea when it is going to attack. Suddenly, a large figure jumps out from the bushes to my right. All my mind registers is a row of teeth quickly coming closer to my face. I forget to use the spear to attack. Instead, I instinctively rise my hand to protect myself, accidentally sticking the piece of wood on the creature¡¯s mouth. That seems to be enough to stop the teeth from closing on my flesh.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Fully extending my arm to create some distance is not enough to put me outside of its mouth¡¯s range. I don¡¯t even try to pull the spear from its powerful bite. I instead let go and quickly crawl backwards. Remembering I have a dagger on my other hand I pointlessly start swinging it in front of me. The creature doesn¡¯t come closer. Instead, it spits out the wood on its mouth and starts slowly circling around me. The beast in front of me is larger than the wolves I encountered the other day. Its slim figure and long legs gave it a somewhat canine look. It is certainly closer in look to a jackal or a dingo than a wolf. Its almond stripped fur makes it blend to the background, making it hard to pinpoint how far from me it actually is. In its rear end a long tail whips the air, creating an unsettling loud noise that reverberates through my chest. Its most prominent feature however is its absurdly long snout completely covered in sharp curved teeth. With a roar, its mouth opens on an impossible angle and the creature charges towards me. It seems it is capable of dislocating its jaw like a snake. It seems it is planning on swallowing me whole. I roll to the side as fast as I can and somehow manage to dodge its attack. Its teeth sink deep into the tree that was behind me just a second ago. I try to stand up but something pulls on my cloak, cutting my breath. Looking behind I see the cloth is caught between the beast¡¯s teeth and the tree trunk. It seems to be stuck. With no hesitation I use the dagger to cut the knot on my neck and start running. The creature takes no time to free itself from the tree and cut my escape route. With a swift movement of its tail it whips the ground in front of my feet, forcing me to stop dead on my tracks. I reflexively put the dagger between us to defend myself but I quickly realize this is pointless. Neither my arm nor the blade are long enough to put me outside of the range of its bite. This defensive stance provides no real defense against my opponent. As if to mock me, the creature continues to violently whip its tail, forcing me to step back. Rushing in to attack it won¡¯t be an option. As usual, the only thing I can do is run away. Focused on escaping, I use my free hand to shot /steal/ at it. I don¡¯t bother to check if it connected. As soon as the black wind leaves my palm I turn around and start running. I run between the trees as hard as I can. The sound of broken branches and crushed grass behind me tells me that the monster is pursuing me. With swift movements it quickly catches up to me and uses its tail to throw me to the ground. Using the momentum of my fall I manage to roll away and avoid its bite. All the creature gets is a mouthful of dry leaves. I try to take advantage of the situation and stab it on the face but all I manage to do is piss it off. The dagger is not sharp enough to pierce its skin, it only leaves a superficial cut across its nose. Panicked, I quickly try to get on my feet but as soon as I turn around a heavy swing of its tail pins me to the ground. A sharp pain spreads through my back as the air is forced out of my lungs. As I try to put some strength on my limbs a warm liquid stains my clothes. I try to drag myself away but the creature stops me with a paw on my leg. Ignoring the unpleasant pain in my bloodied back I twist my body and shot /steal/ once again. The imposing row of teeth heading in my direction jumps backwards to avoid the attack, letting me escape. With some difficulty I rise my hand and shot again, forcing the beast to create some distance between us. This gives me enough time to stand up again. The pain on my back makes it harder to move. I rise both my free hand and the hand holding the dagger in front of me, hopping that my weak defensive stance is enough to prolong this standstill. The creature circles around me menacingly, cutting my routes of escape. Not that it matters, my legs are shaking too much to run. Careful not to break eye contact with it, I start scanning my surroundings for something I can use. My options are limited. There is nothing in this unfamiliar forest that would give me an advantage. Seeing me distracted, the creature tries coming closer but shooting /steal/ at its feet stops it on its tracks. With a desperate glance I finally notice a hollow trunk on the corner of my vision. With no time to think, I dive into the bushes and crawl into the hollow tree. The snapping sound coming from its mouth closing behind my back pushes me to keep crawling. I crawl until I hit my head with the end of the small tunnel. The hole is a lot smaller than I thought. It is barely big enough for me to sit with my legs extended and the ceiling is too low for me to stand up. I twist my body to turn around in the enclosed space and throw a kick to the mouth trying to get inside. As soon as I retreat my leg, its pawns enter the hole and start digging in the entrance. This is immediately followed by its mouth reentering again. As I kick it in the nose, the creature goes back outside and resumes digging, only to try biting me again. With each time its mouth gets closer and closer, forcing me to squeeze myself against the wall. Cold sweat starts pouring down my body as I realize the beast has digged enough room to fit its face inside the tree. With an unpleasant sound, the creature dislocates its mouth and a pharyngeal jaw shots from inside its long snout. The tiny mouth covered in teeth stops only a few millimeters in front of my nose. The view of that huge maw filled with sharp, hook like teeth clouds my eyes in tears. The alien like mouth shutting right next to my face makes me wet myself in fear. Shaking in despair I try to make myself as small as possible. I try to create as much distance from those scary teeth trying to drag me inside the monster¡¯s throat as possible. This is pointless. Hitting my bloodstained back against the wall is a grim reminder that I am trapped inside this small hole. Having exhausted all my options, all it is left for me to do is scream. I scream as hard as I can. I scream at the top of my lungs in the hopes someone would save me. As if to answer my prayers, the monster lets out a pained growl. It tries to get out but in its panic it seems to have gotten stuck on the entrance. A loud buzzing sound reverberates through the hollow tree as the monster flails around in agony. This continues for what feels like an eternity but the creature eventually drops dead. With it, all of the noise outside also stops. My uncontrollable sobbing and the loud banging in my chest don¡¯t let me process what just happened. It is not until I notice a high pitched voice asking if there is someone in here that I realize the danger is gone. Slowly poking my head outside of the tree, I see a pair of green eyes behind glasses staring at me. Chapter 10: Day 8-Scholar I slowly push aside the dead animal¡¯s head and poke outside of my nook. Even knowing it is already dead I still hesitate to touch it with my shaking hands, I instead send quick kicks in its direction until the exit is no longer blocked. My erratic sobbing certainly made this whole process harder than it needed to be. The first thing to enter my vision as I make my way outside are the remains of the creature that attacked me. The clean carcass of the beast lies motionless on the ground. All the skin, muscles and organs have banished, completely exposing its pale skeleton. Only the head, which had been stuck inside the tree with me, remains with its form intact. If I had not encounter the creature while it was alive, I would have probably mistaken the macabre scene in front of me with some sort of tasteless art installation. Standing next to the carcass, and directly in front of me, is the person responsible for this crude view. Two things immediately take me aback about her appearance. One is her clothes. Not a single speck of dust or drop of blood could be seen on the black robes wrapping her well proportioned figure. The golden, geometrical design and eye shaped brooch decorating her orange scarf are certainly strange as well. The other one is her age. The young woman looks like she could be in her early twenties but it is honestly hard to tell. If it weren¡¯t for her moss colored hair she could probably blend in among highschoolers with no problem. The braids and glasses make her look like she could be even younger. Her cold, green eyes stare at me with visible disdain. ¡°Dammit. I went to all that trouble because I thought a girl was being attacked. I can¡¯t believe I let a monster lure me¡± With a disappointed sigh and words that seem to be only directed at herself, my savior unsheathes her sword and points it at me. The long, thin rapier in her hand reminds me of the needles entomologist use to impale their collections. She is certainly looking at me as if I were less than an insect. ¡°WAIT NO! PLEASE NO!!¡± Having not recovered from my previous encounter, I am quick to freeze in panic. My heart starts beating rapidly in my chest as all strength abandons my legs once again. It takes all of my courage for that weak plea to escape my trembling lips. My words seem to reach her as the blade stops right in front of my face. The out of focus tip of the rapier almost touching my nose suddenly disappears from my field of vision. Even with my eyes frozen in fear, I can still feel the cold steel slowly traveling down my body, carefully tracing the contour of my face and neck. It only comes to a stop when it reaches my shoulder. ¡°Say that again¡± Her cold stare turns into one of cruel curiosity. Making sure to put enough of her weight on it to make the presence of the rapier known without piercing my skin, she opens her mouth again. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me!¡± ¡°I-NO P-PLEASE NO DON¡¯T!!¡± It is hard to order my thoughts. It is almost impossible for me to find the words I want to use. My mind went completely blank. I can¡¯t even beg for my life. All I manage to do is string a series of meaningless pleas. To pathetically sob and pointlessly squirm seem to be the only things my body can do right now. ¡°Whoa¡­ Do it again!¡± With a swift movement of her hand, the green haired girl puts away the sword and crouches down. With her face down at the same level of mine, she stares right into my eyes. ¡°Come on! Talk again!¡± With eyes filled with childlike inquisitiveness, she nags me to talk for some reason. My brain is too agitated to speculate about what she wants to hear. All I want to do now is run away. Regrettably, I can¡¯t stand up. My legs won¡¯t stop shaking no matter what I do. She is so close right now, I could probably bite her face off. But I can¡¯t. My body won¡¯t move no matter how hard I try. Even as I open my mouth, my erratic breathing does not let me form any words. The world around me seems to fade in and out of focus. I slowly start to realize that I may be hyperventilating. Something tells me that if I pass out now I will never wake up again. That I need to calm down and do what she wants. ¡°I know! If you talk again, I¡¯ll give you this¡± Without breaking eye contact, she uses her free hand to reach for the small pouch on her belt. From there she takes a pale disk and waves it in front of my nose. The smell of flour enters my head. ¡°This is food. F O O D. You want this, right? Then talk to me. T A L K. T O. M E¡± Maybe she realized I am panicking and is trying to help me relax. Maybe she thinks she is talking to someone particularly stupid and wants to make herself clear. Either way, she starts talking slowly, unnaturally pacing her words to deliver each sound correctly. She repeats her order loud and clear as she dangles the flat bread in front of my face. ¡°Er-mh¡­ T-Thanks?¡± I finally manage to push a word outside my mouth. This is probably the most stressed out I have ever felt trying to talk. My throat feels so dry forming words is as painful as the open wound in my back. ¡°Whoa¡­ WHOA You are talking for real. This is incredible!¡± With an overly excited expression, she shoves the bread on my face and stands up with her hands raised in celebration. She then quickly crouches again and reaches for another bread. ¡°Can you say more? Can you tell me something about yourself? Come on, come on¡± She once again starts dangling the bread in front of my nose. Does she think I am some kind of animal? The sudden realization makes me stare at the bread that feel to the ground between my legs when I failed to grab it. Is this supposed to be a treat? Even if you are not supposed to, feeding wild animals is something most people do while visiting parks and natural reserves. Me and my sister used to do it as kids, or more accurately, my sister would always force me to do it. There certainly is a charm to slowly approaching deer and foxes and seeing them eat your food, the big ones were scary but even I enjoyed getting close to the small ones. Some would even let you pet them. The problem was that my sister would often get bored and loved to scare them so I would get bitten. She would also make me dangle the food above their heads so they would have to jump to get their food. That little trick would also often end with me being bitten. The eyes of the girl in front of me remind me of the way my sister looked at those animals. I take a deep breath and I try to calm myself. I try to think as carefully as possible about what my next words are going to be. I cannot let her think of me as less than human but I should not antagonize her either. After all, the rapier is still in her hand. She has not let her guard down. I cannot let her perceive me as a threat or I will end up as the carcass lying next to us. ¡°I-I-I am not an animal¡± Her gaze is too intense, I can¡¯t help but look down to the side as I timidly try to affirm my humanity to her. ¡°Hahaha it is intelligent too! At first I thought you were one of those monsters that mimic human voices to lure its prey but this is amazing¡± Satisfied with my response she shoves the second bread into my trembling hands. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat that? It is for you, you earned it¡± ¡°Sorr-Tha¡­ No¡­ I am not hungry¡± With some trouble, I move my scared hands and try to grab the bread from the ground. I don¡¯t want her to think I am ungrateful or to kill me because I didn¡¯t accept her food. ¡°Good, good. I see¡± I have no idea if she is talking to me or talking to herself. Her tone could hardly be called aggressive; she no longer has any ill intention towards me. It is merely condescending now. She does not seem to realize she is talking to another human being. I guess to a certain extent she is right, I am no longer human in this body. ¡°You are a weird little thing, you know? Monsters that can talk are very rare and I never heard of one living in this forest. Are there more of you? Where do you come from?¡± The questions start coming one after the other, giving me no time to think, let alone answer. She doesn¡¯t seem to be expecting much of an answer either. Instead, she seems to be entertained inspecting my hair. Is she searching for lice or something? Unsure how to react, I slowly try to back away. I don¡¯t want any sudden movement to scare her into attacking me. Before I can get away from her grip, she places the hand holding the rapier on my shoulder, its blade coming dangerously close to my long ears. She doesn¡¯t want me to move. ¡°You are even wearing clothes! I didn¡¯t even notice with how filthy you were¡± With no care for my safety, she starts rubbing the back of the hand holding the sword on my dirty shirt. ¡°P-P-Please be careful¡± Seeing that sword moving so dangerously close to my face I can¡¯t help but close my eyes and tense my shoulders even more than they already were.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Oh, haha my bad¡± When I open my eyes I see her standing, putting the sword back on its sheath. At least that dangerous thing is out of the way for now. After making sure her belt is in the correct place she returns her attention back at me. ¡°Can you stand in two feet?¡± I do as I was told and try to stand up. My legs still feel a little weak, making me stumble for a bit, but I am able to get up on my own in the end. As soon as I get on my feet, she places her right hand on my head. I quickly realize she is not petting me. She is measuring me. As I stare at her stomach, I see her take a book from her pouch. The black leather tome is decorated with an eye, similar to the one on her clothes, shining like a sun on what seems to be a bird and a snake. As I look up, I watch her move between different pages and ultimately stopping to write something with a reed pen. From this angle I have no way of reading what she is writing but I assume it is about me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I am curious so I decide to ask. After all, if it is about me I have a right to know, right? She moves the book to the side to allow our gazes to meet again. ¡°You know what this is?¡± She closes the book to show the cover to me. There is nothing like a title or anything similar on it, only those weird, gold colored drawings. The smug smile on her face and the way she dangles the thing between her fingers tells me that she doesn¡¯t expect me to know. ¡°A book?¡± I had to reply something and that was the best answer I could come up with. Not answering is not an option. I am at her mercy. I need to show her that I am an intelligent creature. That she shouldn¡¯t treat me like an animal. ¡°You know about books, eh? That¡¯s kinda impressive but you are wrong. This is called a notebook. It is a book you use to write. Wait, you know what writing is?¡± She seems genuinely impressed by the fact I know what books are. In a medieval world like this one, this level of culture should be impressive. Or at least I hope it is. ¡°Yes, I know. In fact I can write and read too¡± I send a confident smile on her direction. This is my chance to prove to her that I am her intellectual equal. I should be able to prove that I am more than an animal if I can read. I have never tested it but the /bilingual/ skill I stole is not only for talking. If I remember correctly, I can use it to read and write too. ¡°Really?¡± With a swift movement, she opens the book and presents it to me. With some hesitation, I timidly grab the book from her hands. Even as I inspect the pages, I can feel her gaze, expectant to see if I can really do it. I turn the pages one after the other but none of the symbols there mean anything to me. The most I can deduce from the handwriting is that two people wrote on this. One used blue ink to write elegant, wedge shaped letters on the center of the page. The other used black ink to scribble sharp looking squiggles on all the leftover space. Most pages also contain drawings of weird creatures, equally filled with scribbles, but I don¡¯t recognize any of them. After a while I reach a bunch of blank pages. ¡°I can¡¯t read this¡± In shame I hand the notebook back to her. ¡°I expected as much¡± I honestly can¡¯t tell if she is disappointed or not. ¡°You were writing about me, right? What did you write?¡± I have no option but to ask. I want to know what her interest in me is. This information could be the difference between life and death. ¡°This is a bestiary¡± She raises the tome and points at it with her other hand. ¡°It is something we use to record data about the different creatures living in this forest. I belong to something called the 16th Church. No, that would be too hard for you to understand. You can think of it as a group of people like me that studies creatures like you. Although no one has recorded anything like you living in this forest as far as I know.¡± She stars lecturing me about the purpose of the book without really telling me what she wrote about me. She seems to be the type to run off at the mouth about her own interests but never listen to others. At least I understand that about her now. ¡°I know about the churches. I am not dumb. I am also not an animal. I am people too¡± I need to assert myself or she would never listen to me. If this thing is some kind of diary or textbook filled with notes then she must be some kind of scholar or researcher. The word creature repeats in my head. If this continues I may end up taxidermied in some museum. ¡°Sure, sure. Can you tell me more about yourself? Like what are you or where you came from¡± She is not listening. She only cares about her discovery, not about me as a person. I should really get away from here. This girl is bad news. Looking at the carcass in the ground, I don¡¯t think running would be possible. All I can do for now is cooperate and hope for the best. That being said, those are questions I can¡¯t answer. I don¡¯t really know anything about this body and lying under this circumstances would not be wise. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Telling the truth is the best I can do. ¡°You don¡¯t know? I am asking where do you live. Are there more of you? Do you understand me?¡± She seems confused. Her last question is voiced slowly, making sure I understood her. ¡°I understood you the first time. I am telling you I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know a lot about myself¡± I am hesitant to speak to her. I need to be careful not to say too much but at the same time I need to tell her something, anything. ¡°I used to live in a nearby village but after¡­ some circumstances I found myself in this forest¡± ¡°You know, you are not very good at lying. There are no villages around here. Reaching the closest one would take you several days. Besides, monsters are not allowed inside villages¡± This is bad. I knew I was lost but I had no idea I was this lost. Now she thinks I am a liar. First the reading thing and now this. This is bad. She seems to be raising her guard again. If she starts mistrusting me I may end as that corpse. ¡°Stop eyeing that thing. I need you to focus.¡± She casually rests her hand on her hips and talks to me like I am a disappointment. All I can focus on is that her hand is now closer to the hilt of her sword. She may be losing her patience. ¡°It is the truth! I-I am lost. I fell into the river!! I have no idea where I am!¡± I rise my hands above my head and start talking without thinking. I wish I were brave enough to start running. ¡°Maybe I was expecting too much from you¡­ Still, you are quite the finding. I¡¯d love to study you.¡± As she says this, she dangerously leans forward to look me directly in the eyes. The sudden movement makes me fall on my butt. The way she rests her chin on her hand may seem innocent at first but the hand on her hip is still reaching for the rapier. She has not let her guard down. I don¡¯t have a choice. ¡°P-Please don¡¯t kill m-¡° Before I can even complete the sentence she cuts me off. ¡°Haha don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t kill you yet, there are a lot of things I want to know about you¡± The way she handwaves the problem seems to downplay all of my worries. My concerns are certainly not an issue for her. ¡°T-Then what are you going to¡­ do to me?¡± as the question leaves my lips I think to myself that I shouldn¡¯t have asked. That maybe I don¡¯t want to know. ¡°You seem to be somewhat smart for a monster, I think we could make a deal. Let me observe you for a while. You can do whatever you want as long as you stay with me. In exchange¡­ mm, I know! I¡¯ll give you more treats¡± As if to convince me that this is a good deal for me she pulls a third bread from her pouch and waves it in the air. ¡°N-No¡­ er I don¡¯t¡­ want to¡­ ¡± I know I need to reject her but I don¡¯t know how to. I fear the consequences of rejecting her. I need to think this carefully. ¡°I thought that was a fair enough deal. Then what do you want? You said you didn¡¯t know about yourself. If you let me study you I can share what I learn with you¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting her to try bargaining. It is true that if I let a professional study me I could find more about the functions of this body than if I tried to do it myself. To make things worse it seems that I may be a rare species, I may have a hard time finding information if I try to investigate myself. Whats more, my experience in that village tells me that monsters have a hard life in this world. Collaborating with someone from the church may give me some degree of protection. If she really cares about her research she might even put some effort into keeping me healthy. This may be an unique chance for me. As if she were reading my mind, she opens her mouth to deliver one last deal. ¡°I can also protect you. Most people would kill your kind without batting an eye but if you are with me I can assure you no one will touch you. The Scholars of the 16th Church take good care of their research materials.¡± I can¡¯t help but be persuaded by her words. Even if I cannot trust her, I cannot deny this is a good deal for me. After all, going along with her offer could solve all of my problems. Trying to come up with a reason to reject her, I end up looking at the monster¡¯s skeleton on the floor once again. Even if I wanted to, saying no to her may not be a real option. ¡°I want food AND protection! Take me to a safe place. Take me to the Church with you. Promise me that you will keep me safe and well fed and I¡¯ll let you study me!¡± For some reason I close my eyes as I finish explaining my conditions. Maybe I expected her to get fed up and impale me. I honestly don¡¯t know anymore. ¡°So, you want to join the Church? Fine. I can take you to back to Stadtahir with me but you need to promise me you will do everything I ask. Deal?¡± I slowly open my eyes after no repercussions fall on me for daring to bargain my fate. What I see is her crossing her arms, waiting for an answer. ¡°Stadtahir?¡± I have no idea what or where that is. I ask to make sure I am not agreeing to go to a slaughterhouse or something like that. ¡°The biggest city in the empire¡­ How do I explain this to you? A place as big as this forest but made completely of white stones¡± Maybe because she assumes I am a creature of the forest she thinks I don¡¯t know what a city is. She would probably be surprised if she knew the kind of world I come from. To emphasize her description of the size of a city she opens her arms wide and spins around. ¡°It is the place I come from. I am sure you will like it¡± ¡°Can you really assure my safety with the church?¡± I ask once again just to make sure. ¡°Yes, I would not have it any other way¡± She replies quickly and extends her hand. ¡°Deal?¡± ¡°Deal. Whats your name by the way? I am Lily¡± I shake her hand in agreement, proud of myself for not only making it alive of this but also making the best of this dire situation. ¡°It even has a name! How cute. Lily, eh? You can call me Merian¡± For some reason she starts giggling after I give my name. ¡°How long will it take to get there?¡± To stop her from laughing in my face I make what I think is a valid question. ¡°It is going to take a while. Actually, I need to visit another place first and you are coming with me¡± She uses her free hand to point to the mountains behind us. ¡°That mountain range you see is called hohljabal. I am searching for something important over there¡± ¡°But after you are done with that you will take me to the city, right?¡± She is already ignoring our agreement not even a minute after we agreed upon it. I cannot let my guard down around her. I probably should escape as soon as I get all the useful information that I can. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it is only going to be a few extra days. Think of it as extra time to know you better¡± The smile on her eyes is anything but trustworthy. With that shady agreement between us now in place, we head towards the mountains poking from the forest in the horizon. Chapter 11: Day 8-Research A few hours have passed since my encounter with Merian. More and more clouds have gathered and now the sky is almost completely dark despite a few hours remaining on the day. As we walk towards the mountains I occupy myself with the flat breads I received from her. The flavour may be a little salty for my taste but they fill my stomach surprisingly fast. On this time, Merian has not really talked to me. After convincing me to carry her bag under the promise that she would carry them afterward, she started leading the way a few steps ahead of me. She seems completely focused on her notebook. She is probably recording all the details of our encounter, occasionally stopping to add notes about the forest around us in previous pages. Her skill to walk and write at the same time is certainly impressive. ¡°It seems it is going to rain soon¡± Coming to a sudden stop after a raindrop falls on her page, she looks up to the sky for the first time. Her palm extended upwards seems to be searching for a second drop to confirm what action to follow. ¡°Should we search for shelter?¡± I don¡¯t really know how to make one but after being talked to for the first time in hours I feel compelled to reply something. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. After all providing protection was my job, wasn¡¯t it?¡± With that she unsheathes her sword and starts waving it around. The patterns drawn in the air start to glow as they convert into a single clear symbol. As if to answer her call, a loud buzzing sound reverberates all around us. The shadows of the forest itself seems to be vibrating. No, those are not shadows. ¡°B-BUGS!?¡± Countless insects fly all around us. They dance following the rhythm set by Merian¡¯s blade. ¡°The forest is filled with life. Even in this climate my magick is still strong¡± She doesn¡¯t seem concerned at all with all the tiny monsters flying around us. She is in total control of them. What those creatures swarming above trigger in me could only be described as primal fear. The loudly buzzing cloud quickly descends around us and starts consuming a fallen tree. Before I can start running one of them lands on my shoulder, forcing me to stand still. That thing looks too much like a bee for me to dare swipe it. Or maybe a wasp would be a more accurately description. That proves to be the wrong move as more of them start landing on me with their freakishly skinny legs. Even as they rest on my clothes, they continue to loudly move their wings, almost as if they are communicating using those sounds. The big, beetle like pincers on their head resemble scissors while the mouthpieces between remind me of meat grinders, it is no wonder they could clean those bones so easily. The fat, cylindrical tail swings menacingly up and down every time I breath but it is hard to tell from this angle whether there is a needle at the end of it or not. Their compound eyes seem to stare right back at me no matter where I look. Words won¡¯t come out of my mouth. I desperately search for Merian¡¯s gaze with my eyes but she seems too busy conducting her minions like an orchestra leader to notice my predicament. The trees nearby have almost completely disappeared by now. It is not like the swarm is covering my view of them. The trees are truly no longer there. The wasps seem to have used their powerful fangs to completely consume the plant life around us and create a small clearing. They then proceed to use their mouthpieces to start spewing a thick, white liquid on the surviving trees. As more and more of them start congregating and the substance starts to solidify, the shape of a nest starts to form. It is not a simple dome or tent, like you would expect from a makeshift shelter. The multiple chambers that compose it come in all sizes and are interconnected with an intricate web of tubes and vents. As creepy as it is to see the insects crawling in and out of the structure it would not surprise me if that thing had bathrooms and air conditioning inside. The complex, multistore paper tower is finished in a matter of minutes. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± With a smug smile that tells me that she is proud of what she build, she signals me to come closer as the wasps on my clothes fly away. I am not really looking forward to spending the night there but I am in no position to disobey her. The cold drops of rain that start falling on me seem to be pushing me to accept her invitation. We enter the nest from a whole on the side that quickly closes behind us as soon as we are inside. The darkness doesn¡¯t last long as Merian pulls a gem out of her pouch that fills the room with a faint glow. As she adds more of those gems to the walls, the interior becomes completely illuminated. With how tall the nest is on the outside, seeing the ceiling so close to my face is certainly surprising. As I clumsily unload my cargo, careful not to reopen the wound on my back, I start to feel a bit claustrophobic. There is more than enough space for the two of us inside but even with my small size I can only rest on my knees before my head hits the ceiling. Seeing my roommate uncomfortably twist around to rest the sword in the wall only reaffirms how small this place really is. The lack of bugs inside is also concerning. The dry, soft substance making the walls, ceiling and floor is pure white, completely devoid of any of the insects that build it. Even then, as I place my hand on one of the smooth walls, I can feel their little legs crawling on the other side. Once I noticed it, I also realize that there are similar sounds coming from above. We are completely surrounded by them. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± My panicked inspection of the room seems to finally caught Merian¡¯s attention. At first, I mistake her question for one of concern but the gleeful eyes behind her words are ones filled with nothing but curiosity. The book and pen on her hand ready to record my answer only cements that her interest in my wellbeing is purely academical. She doesn¡¯t care about me. ¡°T-The bugs¡­ Why are the walls filled with bugs!? Why is this place so small!?¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. They are doing their job. This nest may be sturdy but paper is still paper. Constant repair is needed for us to remain warm and dry for the rest of the night, especially if a storm is coming. Some of them are also busy collecting rainwater for us to drink and processing the stuff they ate to make tomorrow¡¯s breakfast. After all, now I have to feed you as well. We are going to need more bread. All of that takes space¡± ¡°The food you gave me is made by insects!?¡± Disgust accumulates in the base of my stomach but I thankfully manage not to puke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t worry. That bread may taste funny but it is safe to consume. I eat it all the time in my expeditions. I doubt a creature like you would get sick from something like this¡± With that she starts crawling towards me and extends a hand above my shoulder to grab her bag behind me. As if to prove her point, she takes a bread from the bag and bites on it. ¡°Sorry but this was the last one. You already ate today so I am sure you can wait until tomorrow¡± ¡°Its fine¡­¡± It is not like I am really looking forward to eating more of that salty bug bread. ¡°More importantly, as you can see I am upholding my side of the deal. I think it is time you start doing your part, don¡¯t you think?¡± Having finished her meal and cleaned her hands by licking the crumps, she once again grabs her pen and notebook. As unsettling as this whole thing has been for me so far, I guess she has a point. She promised food and shelter and this disgusting treat and creepy nest are food and shelter. In a hesitant voice so low it is almost drown by the noise of the bugs crawling on the wall and the rain hitting outside I ask what should I do. ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± Her first request is loud and clear. I almost reflexively try to complain but a quick look at my surroundings tells me that I don¡¯t really have a say in the matter. I am trapped here. With a distant, almost disinterested voice, she points at me with the back of her pen and orders me to undress again. The dehumanizing way in what she talks helps me remember once again that she does not see me as a fellow human. I am nothing but a curious animal to her. The realization that she is indeed only interested in my body but it is not really attracted to my body is something I am not sure how to deal with. The cramped space makes it very difficult to remove my pants. Finally noticing the stain of urine that had formed on my crotch and remembering my lack of panties only added to the feeling of shame condensing on my cheeks. The scar on my back limiting my movements and the long, dirty hair getting caught on the neck hole made it an ordeal to take off my shirt. With what has to be the least sexy striptease ever, I get rid of the clothes covered in mud, grass and blood and bare my naked body for Merian to examine. All she has to say to me as she starts working on her bestiary is to stay still. As she inches closer to my face, she grabs one of the shiny stones from the walls. Forcing my eyelids open with her free hand, she shines the blinding light right into my eye. The lack of care with which she shoves her fingers into my skull makes me believe any sudden movement may end up with her pulling out my eyeball out of its socket. All I can do is hold my breath and remain perfectly still in fear she may blind me by accident. She comments that despite their size and shape my vision seems to be rather poor. As I used glasses for most of my previous life, I can¡¯t really say whether this is true or not. To me this eyesight is an improvement. Once she finishes with both eyes she moves to the mouth. Placing one hand on my forehead while the other grabs my chin, she forces my lips apart and makes me open my mouth. She then starts carefully tracing my tongue and teeth with her fingertips. As I held back the need to puke, she describes my dentition as weak and not particularly specialized for any kind of diet, although she does remark on the presence of four small fangs that could indicate a need for meat. Having seemingly collected all the information she could with her fingers, she then proceeds to insert a slim wooden rod even deeper down my throat while using the light of the stone to explore my insides. This is a process she would repeat with every orifice on my body. No matter how hard I tried to tell her to stop, no matter what I did to convince myself this was okay, it would not end. I was forced to endure it. The humiliation of having my genitals meticulously examined. The sensation of having that instrument forcefully inserted inside me. They would not leave my mind. As tears started to dwell on my eyes I could hear Merian talking about how both my excretory and reproductive systems were surprisingly similar to those of an adult human. Despite my juvenile appearance, I am apparently a sexually mature member of my species. From the all fours position I am currently in, I can feel how her fingers finally exit me and start slowly moving up my back, perfectly tracing my spine as if she were counting my vertebrae one by one. Her hands finally stop when they reach the injury from my fight with the monster. Using her thumbs to separate the skin, I can feel how the hot blood starts to pour once again. With a pained scream as the tips of her finger force their way into my body once again, I ask what is she doing and beg her to stop. All she has to say is that the wound is not that deep and will probably leave a scar. As she wonders out loud to no one in particular whether healing magic would work on me or not, she remarks that the flavour of my blood is oddly human as well. Before I can even process that last comment, she grabs me by the upper arm and forces me to get on my knees. With a hand on my shoulder and the other on my arm, she starts testing my joints one by one. From the back of my elbow, to the wrist and all the way to the tip of my fingers. Rotating them on a painful cycle, bending them on unnatural angles, pinching them with excessive force. Making sure not to break me but with no visible concern for my wellbeing, she continues to test the limits of my body. From the base of my hip, down to the knee and all the way to my ankles. By the time she starts digging her fingers into my sore muscles I have no energy left in me to scream. I have no strength on me to complain. All I can do is hope that this torture ends soon. As I cry silently while lying on the ground, I feel her grip let go of me as my feet hits the floor. With a satisfied yawn, Merian finally announces that we are done for the night. After adding a few last minute lines, she quickly puts her notebook away and rest her head on the bag, ready to go to sleep on the floor. She does not care about how much of a mess I am. She simply turns around and gives me her back, immediately falling asleep. Accepting her offer was a mistake. Letting her study me was a mistake. Not realizing her side of the room is the one that had the door was a mistake. Getting inside this thing was a mistake. The night here is not dark. The stones illuminating the place continue to shine brightly. The night here is not silent. The wind and rain of the storm rage outside. The sound of the tiny insects crawling on the walls reverberates inside. Needless to say, I did not sleep that night.