《Death Count》 Chapter 1: Perfect Regeneration ¡°I¡­ wish to live a carefree life, one outside of this darkness, where I can watch the clear sky and feel the spring breeze¡­¡± That was the last I heard from Experiment Number 99; it has been a whole year since I last saw her face or heard of her voice. Surrounded by darkness and cold air that I have already numbed myself to, the stench of blood assaulted my nose as a frenzied scream echo loudly in the room. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh! My arm! My arm!¡± The middle-aged man under my feet screamed as his arm gets ripped apart from his body. Under normal circumstances, anyone would make a disguised expression if they were to see this scene, but not only have I seen such a scene before, I have also experienced it, hence my nonchalant expression as I throw away his torn arm like trash. ¡°Please! Please spare me!¡± The middle-aged man begged with snot and tears covering his face. But his begging went directly past me; I didn¡¯t care ¡ª I couldn¡¯t. Bang! The closed-door burst open, and light illuminated the dark room, allowing me to clearly see the desperation and horrid on the man¡¯s face. ¡°E-333! E-333 is rebelling!¡± The man at the door shouted in shock upon seeing the bloodied room that was littered with dozens of corpses, none of which are fully intact. Seeing that there will be more reinforcements, I quickly ended the life of the man underneath me by bursting his head open with a heavy stomp, before running towards the one near the door. ¡°Let thy enemy before me burst into flames ¡ª Fire Blast!¡± The man casted an Advanced Tier Magic Spell, and a giant ball of fire covered my view as it flew towards me, but I didn¡¯t stop my legs and continued to run towards him. Boom! The Fire Blast exploded in my face, burning my skin along my muscles, revealing my white bones, and slowing my movements.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. However, despite the pain and burning sensation, I continued to run towards him. ¡°Monster¡­¡± The man showed an expression of terror before having his head bashed into the wall nearby, exploding like a watermelon. The injuries on my body healed in almost an instant; it was as though that Fire Blast to my face never happened. This is one of my unique skills, which also happens to be the reason why I was kidnapped at the age of 5 and have been tortured here ever since. ¡°E-333, halt your hands!¡± A cold voice echoed from the end of the dungeon-like hall, and I turned to face the old woman there, her gaze glaring at me as though she wanted to kill me. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a family? Did you know that your parents had adopted a daughter when we took you in?¡± said the old woman with a grin. ¡°...¡± I stayed silent. Her threatening words would¡¯ve pierced my heart like sharp swords if this was 10 years ago, when they first kidnapped me, but after all that I¡¯ve been through, do I really care about something like family, any more? I no longer cared about the family that I haven¡¯t seen in 10 years, but my silence in the eyes of the old woman was a sign of obedience and hesitation. ¡°If you stay put and let us continue with the experiment until we reach our goal, then not only will we release you, but we will also compensate you for all that you¡¯ve been through¡ª¡± ¡°Compensate me¡­?¡± I interrupted her in the middle of her speech, ¡°If you really... want to compensate me¡­ then die... along with this place!¡± Kicking my bare feet, I dashed towards her. ¡°Then die, along with your family!¡± The old woman shouted as she stabbed the wooden staff in her grasp at the ground. ¡°Heed my call, ruler of the undead and lord of the labyrinth, and consume thy enemy before you ¡ª Summon Elder Lich!¡± The solemn atmosphere turned ghastly at her words, and a creature wearing black robes appeared from underneath the ground, hovering beside the old woman. A red name appeared beside the Elder Lich. ¡°Calamity God, bless me with thy power of darkness ¡ª Bone Javelin!¡± A large bone-shaped javelin appeared above the Elder Lich as the old woman chanted. Shuu! The javelin launched, and before I could react, my vision blanked ¡ª I had died. Plop. My lifeless body drops onto the floor as blood flows from the hole in the middle of my face. I was dead, but I didn¡¯t feel anything, not fear, nor nervousness. Despite being dead, I could feel a familiar feeling wash over me, as though I was bathed in sunlight. The warm feeling only lasted for a few seconds, and I slowly opened my eyes to see the old woman and the Elder Lich standing at the same spot, but she didn¡¯t seem to be surprised that I had managed to stand up after that injury. In fact, she seemed excited. Chapter 2: Death Count ¡°Ha...ahahaha! No matter how many times I see it, your skills would always amuse me.¡± The old woman laughed coldly, ¡°But¡­ even if you cannot die, if you do not have the strength to leave this place, how will you ever escape, let alone kill me?¡± She suddenly narrowed her eyes into a sharp glare. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ how did you escape your chains made with magic-sealing materials and deal with the guards?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Keep silent if you want, but I will find out sooner or later¡­ Elder Lich, capture him for me!¡± The Elder Lich made a ghastly cry and pounced at me like a ghost. It appeared behind me with spread arms that were without skin or muscle, only bones, looking as though it was about to hug me. Cough! I forcefully coughed up a mouthful of blood when the Elder Lich suddenly pierced both of its arms into my body like spears, before hugging me in an awkward position. Looking down calmly, all I could see were two skeleton arms penetrating my chest and stomach, while binding my entire body like a rope; it was a gruesome sight, but it didn¡¯t faze me one bit. I looked up at the old woman who had an arrogant expression, one filled with ridicule. She probably believes that I have no way to fight back and that victory was already in her hands. How hysterical. I would laugh at her foolishness, but I couldn¡¯t. How could I, someone who can no longer make a proper expression, someone who cannot express his emotions properly, smile and laugh like a normal person? ¡°Since you cannot even listen to simple orders, I will have to punish you¡­ Elder Lich, go ahead and kill him a few times while keeping him secured.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The Elder Lich moved according to her command, biting my neck from behind and ripping my head off my body as though he was eating food off a stick. My vision blacked out instantly, and the warm feeling returned. Ah, it¡¯s here again. For every 10 Death Counts, I would receive a permanent increase to my overall stats, silently making me stronger. And the people of this place aren''t the slightest aware of that hidden power from my Undying Soul, not even this old hag, hence why she and everyone else here thinks I am powerless. When my vision returned, I was in the same position as prior to my execution, feeling as though time had reversed. Blood continuously flowed from my wounds like an endless river, creating a puddle of blood, but my Perfect Regeneration would kick in before I die from blood loss. Being in this position is getting uncomfortable. I should stop letting her kill me and just hurry up and kill her and leave this place; there¡¯s no point in letting her, who is too slow in killing me, to increase my Death Counts. With that in mind, I spread my arms casually, easily freeing myself from the Elder Lich¡¯s grasp. ¡°What!¡± The old woman seemed shocked at my actions. Then, I quickly turned and fed the Elder Lich a single fist of mine, completely obliterating it. The old woman began shaking violently, seemingly shaken by my strength. ¡°Whe...Where did you get such strength? You should only be Level 1!¡± Her trembling voice sounded like music to my ears, but I didn¡¯t bother to answer her. No, I answered her, but it was not with words. My body flew forward as I kicked the floor, creating a small crater from where I leaped. Splat! The old woman¡¯s head exploded into a bloody mess instantly at my slap towards her face. And without waiting for her body to finish falling to the ground, I continued walking towards the stairwell that spiraled upwards. I can¡¯t tell how many floors this place has, but I do know that this is the lowest floor because there was only a path for going up. "If only my Death Count would increase with suicide..." I sighed silently as I climbed the stairs. By the time I reached the next floor, reinforcements were already there waiting and blocking my path to the next stairwell. ¡°He managed to get past Beryl the Necromancer!? How is that possible!¡± The reinforcements were shocked to see my presence there, some even filled with fear. Chapter 3: Demi-Humans ¡°E-333! What do you think you are doing?! Do you really believe that you will be able to escape this place?!¡± ¡°Be a good boy and let us capture you, it¡¯ll make things easier for both sides!¡± What are these idiots talking about? Allow myself to be captured with a fight? I have no chance to escape? It was so funny that I wanted to kill myself¡­ but it wouldn¡¯t increase my Death Count, so I¡¯ll spare myself from pointless pain. There were 17 people on this floor, each with a weapon of their own. Spears, swords, staffs, maces, even whips. However, none of them looked even remotely close to being as strong as Beryl, that Necromancer I had just killed. It¡¯s a pain, but I¡¯ll have to deal with them, too. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t move, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡± They became even more alert when I took a step towards them. Their weapons were raised, looking as though it was prepared to strike at any given moment. But I didn¡¯t care about that and charged forward, my thin arms swinging left and right like a whip. Bang! Pow! Pa! Their armors were crushed to fragments by a single punch, and the weapons would either snap or shatter depending if its a sword or mace; their heads would either explode or fly depending if I chopped or slapped. Terrified cries of horror echoed in the one-way hall, echoing in every direction.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Crimson blood and organs flew, splattering on the walls, ceiling, and the stone floor, quickly creating a large puddle of blood beneath my bare feet at where I stood. No, this can no longer be considered a puddle; it should be called a pond of fresh blood. It didn¡¯t take long before the place turned silent, like a deserted house. A strong stench suddenly assaulted my nose, and my bloodlust calmed. When my senses fully returned, everybody was already dead, their lifeless corpses scattered all over the place painted a gruesome scene of a butcher¡¯s room. When did I become capable enough to kill with such ease, not even batting an eye at the horrifying scene before me? It scares me when I think of what I had become, but when I looked at the pond of blood that reflected my face, all I could see was a nonchalant expression, one void of all any signs of remorse or emotions. It¡¯s been many, many years since I last saw my own face, so I took a good moment to look at it. My hair was messy and long with knots created by dried blood at many places. My eyes were sharp and jet black, just like that of a black hole without light. But my hair was the opposite, being pure white like clean snow. It was probably due to the intensive and continuous stress during my early years being locked in here. My facial features were pretty scary looking; it would definitely scare the living soul out of myself if I saw myself in my younger years. After spending a few moments to take a good look at my own face, I finally had enough and decided to head to the next floor. However, my steps halted halfway to the stairwell, and I turned my head. Beside me was a large jail cell, inside filled with prisoners, both young and old. I must have missed them at first due to the now-dead people blocking my view. These prisoners looked at me with shivering bodies, fear in their gazes. My actions just now must have been the cause. Ah, they look miserable, and the despair in their expression reminded me of when I first came here 10 years ago. These guys must be similar to me, people forced to stay here for the purpose of experimenting with them. However, not every single one of them was completely human. A few of these prisoners have human bodies, but some parts of their body were anything but human-like. One of them has a lizard-like tail, while another has dog-like ears. Some have scales as skin, and one of them even have a pair of bird-like wing behind his back. We call these existences demi-humans, beasts with human features. Chapter 4: Willing to Be Tortured and Killed Demi-humans are beasts with human-like features, and they usually have unique skills that are only available to their species. They are not an uncommon sight in this world and can be found almost everywhere. However, there are some rare species out there such as the man with the bird wings behind his back ¡ª a Birdman ¡ªwith highly desirable skills. ¡°Please¡­ save us¡­¡± The Birdman said, his voice hoarse-sounding. There wasn¡¯t any reason why I shouldn¡¯t break the cell open and let them free, especially not when they are fellow prisoners who had been wronged and kept here for experiments. And thus, I answered his plead for help by tearing down the entire jail cell, freeing everybody there. After breaking the cell, I began walking towards the stairwell without giving them a second glance. It wasn¡¯t surprising, but when I walked, they also walked, following behind me like a group of afraid puppies following their master. Some were injured, and some were even clearly limping, but despite the pain, they clench their jaws and endured it. This was their only chance of freedom; there is no second chance ¡ª that is what they believed. After climbing the stairwell, I was greeted with a nostalgic scene. The only path was blocked by reinforcements, again. ¡°He¡¯s here! And there are also the other experiments behind him!¡± ¡°Not even the 3rd floor was able to stop their rebellion?!¡± The prisoners behind me retreated a few steps upon seeing the massive group of people blocking their way. I don¡¯t blame them; they must have experienced enough traumatic events to be instinctively fearful of them. I know very well how they felt¡­ I was the same before¡­ The reinforcements also noticed their fear towards them, so they grinned widely. ¡°Hahaha! Capture all of them! If they resist, kill them!¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As the one who seemed to be the leader declared, I also took my step forward. ¡°Blow him up with ranged attacks! He can¡¯t die, so there is no need to hold back!¡± Arrows and magic suddenly covered my view, and where I stood exploded into a fiery mess. It is a pity, but these kind of weak attacks from them are unable to kill me anymore and only activated my Perfect Regeneration. ¡°If you¡­ cannot¡­ kill me¡­ then¡­ die!¡± My communication skills are lacking because I rarely spoke in here, only screaming during torture sections until my lungs hurt. I ran towards the startled group, and I began my assault. Blood rained, and limbs flew as I tore apart these people like I would forcefully disassemble toys not meant to be taken apart in my younger days. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°My arm!¡± The place shrieked with terror. A river of blood quickly appeared, reaching even the stairwell where the prisoners trembled at the scene, feeling the warmth of the blood as it flowed downstairs. I¡¯m sure they are all wondering why someone as strong as me would be locked up in this place. In actuality, I could¡¯ve left this place long ago, but I wanted to increase my Death Count, so I endured it and willingly stayed for a few more years. Since I became immune to pain after five years of imprisonment and constant torture, I didn¡¯t mind staying for another year or two at the time. But these worthless trash no longer killed me as often after the ninth year mark. It was mainly because they have already exhausted their experiment materials after nine years of nonstop experimenting, so they were forced to slow down the progress. But I had realized that fact a year too late, hence why I am angry and releasing my anger by killing these people in the most gruesome way possible ¡ª things I have already personally experienced. After the last body drops to the ground lifelessly, I turned my head to look at the cell beside me. I wasn''t surprised to see more prisoners, but their condition did make me wonder some things. Inside the cell was obviously more prisoners like the ones from the previous floor, but they were also in worse shape than the ones from the previous floor. Many of these prisoners are missing an arm or leg, while others are half-dead, and some had already begun rotting away as a corpse. None of the ones from the previous floor was in such a poor shape since they were at least all alive with complete bodies. Why is there such a difference in the treatment between these two floors? After looking at them for a moment, I found my answer. These prisoners are not as rare and as valued as the ones from the lower floors, so they are held with less regard and importance, hence the harsher treatment. Bang! I tore away the entire cell from the wall like I did with the previous floor, and I continued walking towards the stairwell. Even if they cannot stand to walk, even if they might die halfway to the exit, I will still give them a chance to survive, but whether or not they are able to leave this hell today and live long enough to tell the tale is none of my concerns. Chapter 5: Leaving Hell and Stepping into the Sunlight Since the people called the previous floor the ¡®3rd floor¡¯, then I must have been on the fourth floor, and the next one would obviously be the first floor. As I walked to the first floor that was longer than expected, I prepared myself for another wave of reinforcements. Surprisingly, however, not a single soul greeted me upon my arrival. I felt empty when I realized that I have probably already killed everybody in this place. The bloodthirsty feeling in my blood has yet to calm, and I am not satisfied with just killing a few dozen people ¡ª it just wasn¡¯t enough to compensate me for my last 10 years of life. I turned to look at the prisoners still following behind me. There are 27 of them, each with unique characteristics. No¡­ If I take account of the ones on this floor, there will be 40 prisoners in total. Every prisoner on this floor seemed to be human, but none of them were injured like those from the lower floors, with only messy hairs and dirty clothes. They also don¡¯t seem as terrified or traumatized as the ones behind me. Additionally, the atmosphere in this place is not as ghastly as the previous floors, and it did not stench of blood ¡ª it seemed¡­ almost peaceful when compared to the second floor. This is weird¡­ it feels as though I had just stepped an entirely different place. ¡°Hey... you¡­ are you alright? You¡¯re covered in blood¡­¡± One of the prisoners behind bars said to me. His clear tone made me uncomfortable, and his bright eyes almost blinded me. How can he make that kind of expression in this hell? Is he perhaps¡­ new to this place?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Bang! I didn¡¯t answer his question and instead ripped the cell open, but that action had caused their face to twist with shock and anger. ¡°W...Wh...What do you think you are doing?!¡± ¡°Are you trying to kill us?!¡± ¡°I do not want to look like an escapee when the guards arrive!¡± ¡°Hurry and capture him! The guards might spare us if we prove to them our innocence!¡± The prisoners exclaimed with fearful voices, and they rushed at me. I was shocked when they surrounded me. What the hell are they doing? ¡°What¡­ are you¡­ doing¡­?¡± I revealed to them the question in my head. ¡°What do you think we are doing?! I only arrived here yesterday because I was caught stealing! I would¡¯ve been released sooner or later if it weren¡¯t for you! Now thanks to you, we will be branded as your accomplices and might be executed!¡± This man¡¯s word dumbfounded me. No, it was his ignorance that really dumbfounded me. ¡°Do you¡­ really¡­ think that¡­ you can leave here¡­?¡± I grinned¡­ inwardly. ¡°You bastard! I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± One of them jumped at me with a raised fist. But I didn¡¯t move, only glancing at him with narrowed eyes filled with killing intent. The man instantly dropped to his knees upon feeling the dreadful pressure, feeling as though he was staring at a death god. He pissed himself moments later. ¡°If you want¡­ to stay here¡­ then stay¡­¡± I ignored them and walked towards the exit behind them. None of them dared to block my path and stepped aside to make way for me. ¡°Foolish humans¡­¡± The Birdman mumbled as he followed behind me. The other prisoners from the lower floors also looked at them with disgust. ¡°Ungrateful bastards¡­¡± ¡°You should all just rot here¡­¡± One by one, those who have already experienced hell silently cursed at them and followed me to the exit. Upon reaching the door, I halted my steps. My hand trembled the moment I touched the door handles. It¡¯s been ten years since I first entered this hell¡­ Now, I will be leaving for the first time¡­ I turned the knob and pushed it open, and the warm feeling of the sunlight that I have long forgotten blinded my view. Ah¡­. this warmth¡­ I nearly mistook it as my Undying Soul activation... With the door now fully open, I took my first step into the outside world for the first time in ten years. Chapter 6: The Beginning of an Unknown Journey After my eyes fully adjusted to the sunlight and I was able to see properly, it was obvious to me that we are stranded in the middle of nowhere with trees in every direction. I turned around to look at the cave-like entrance. This is where I have been staying for the past 10 years? Inside a cave that had its interior made into a prison? ¡°Where¡­ is this¡­?¡± I asked the others. "Waaa..." "Sniff... Sniff..." But they were all crying at the clear sky and did not hear my question. ¡°...¡± Just as I closed my eyes to let them cry, the Birdman said, ¡°Allow me to look at our surroundings.¡± He spread his wings and began levitating off the ground. He was flying. It is my first time witnessing someone with the ability to fly; it must be his species¡¯ unique skill. The Birdman didn¡¯t stay in the air for long and came back down shortly after. ¡°E-333, we seem to be in the middle of a forest. There were only trees as far as I could see into the horizon. However, we are definitely still within the Southern Region. This type of trees only grows in the Southern Region, after all.¡± I don¡¯t recall ever mentioning my experiment number, how did he know I was E-333? Noticing my stares, the Birdman slightly smiled, ¡°You¡¯re quite famous amongst us, so we already knew of your name prior to meeting you¡­¡± I¡¯m famous? I wonder why¡­ ¡°Experiment number 333. Whenever I hear of your number from the guards, there would always be the word ¡®undying¡¯ or ¡®immortal¡¯ somewhere in the same sentence.¡± ¡°Finally being able to witness your abilities, I now know why they called you the ¡®Immortal number¡¯.¡± Immortal number, huh. After a moment of silence, he asked me, ¡°Do you have any idea of what you want to do now that we have escaped hell?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Do¡­ whatever you want¡­ you are now¡­ free¡­¡± I said to him. ¡°...¡± The Birdman became silent, and the others stopped crying. I looked at the blue sky and continued, ¡°I do not know¡­ what I want to do¡­ but I will find something¡­ As for you guys¡­ go live your life¡­¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The Birdman suddenly walked in front of me and kneeled. ¡°What are you¡­ doing¡­?¡± ¡°You have saved my life ¡ª¡± ¡°No, you have saved our lives, and I cannot thank you enough for that, not even if I devoted my entire life to serving you. If you need anything from me or my tribe after today, please, visit the Thousand Wings Forest in the Eastern Region and look for me.¡± ¡°I am Wright of the Birdman Tribe, what is your name?¡± My name, huh¡­ ¡°My name¡­ I do not remember¡­¡± I lied to him, ¡°Just continue¡­ to call me¡­ E-333¡­¡± ¡°I understand, E-333.¡± Wright said after a moment, ¡°Then, E-333, I will be the first to leave. I have been kept here for far too long, my tribesman is definitely anxius and waiting for my return, so I must go¡­¡± I gave Wright a glance before turning away. What he will be doing after this point is not of my concerns. I have not even thought to have him stay with me, nor any one of the prisoners that I have saved today. If they wish to leave right now, I will not utter a single word. ¡°Go¡­¡± I said to him only because he didn¡¯t seem like he would move unless I gave him the permission. ¡°Once again, I thank you for freeing me from that hell, E-333. One day, I will return the favor, I swear on my name.¡± Wright bowed before taking flight and soaring into the distance. I watched him fly away in the sky for a moment before turning to look at the others. ¡°What¡­ about you guys¡­?¡± The place was dead silent. They all looked at me with troubled expressions ¡ª they didn¡¯t know what they wanted to do. ¡°I cannot fly like that Birdman, and I do not know where we are. If it is not too much to ask, can I follow you for now?¡± said the demi-human with the dog ears. ¡°Me too! Can I follow you, please? I will do anything you ask!¡± ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t leave me here¡­¡± They said one by one after the first one spoke. The younger ones cried, and the older ones begged to follow me. After thinking for a moment, I said, ¡°Follow me... if you want¡­ but I will not babysit any of you¡­¡± ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you very much!¡± They thanked me as I counted the number of people here. There were 33 of them in the group. Seems like some of the prisoners from the first floor decided to stay. That is their choice, so I will not even bother concerning myself with their reasons. After some time, I picked a direction randomly and began walking towards it, and the group followed me like a pack of wolves following their leader. Where this direction will lead us, I will leave that to fate. Chapter 7: Experiment Number 800 It¡¯s been three hours since we set off on our journey, and we have been walking without rest since then. The group of people following me was separated into 3 groups, each group consisting of prisoners from their respective floors. I don¡¯t blame them. They must have their own connections after staying together in the same place for however long it was. Group 1 consisted of prisoners from the first floor, group 2 from the second floor, and obviously, the last group would be from the third floor. There are 11 people from group 1, 16 from group 2, and 5 from group 3. About 70% of them were kids as young as 10 and young adults in their 20¡¯s. ¡°E-333¡­¡± The demi-human with dog ears called out to me, and I looked at her. ¡°Do you think we can stop for a rest? The younger ones are all tired, and their feet have been bleeding for a while now.¡± I looked at the several children there, and they instantly straightened their faces in an effort to hide their exhaustion. ¡°We can¡­ rest¡­¡± I announced. I am not tired, but because I am not used to walking for so long without stop, I also felt like taking a quick break. All three groups instantly abandoned their legs and sat on the dirt, their faces filled with joy and relief. I took my seat by the trees shortly after. ¡°...What do you¡­ want¡­ dog?¡± I said to the petite girl who looked like a young teen standing beside me like some kind of guard. ¡°Wha¡­ I am not a dog!¡± she quickly denied, looking offended by my words.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I gave the sharp, silver dog-like ears on her head of silver hair another look. ¡°Dog ears¡­¡± ¡°These are wolf ears! I am a proud Fenrir! Don¡¯t lump me together with these weak things!¡± I looked down and said nonchalantly, ¡°What is the¡­ difference¡­¡± ¡°We¡­¡± The Fenrir opened her mouth only to close it after a moment of silence. After another moment, she said, ¡°You are right¡­ there is no difference between me and those weak things¡­ hence why I was caught and became their guinea pig for the past year¡­¡± My head lifted at her words, and in her eyes, I saw anguish mixed with anger. ¡°I left home to prove my strength to my parents, and I ended up being caught by some Necromancer. Since then, I became E-800¡­¡± she continued, her voice filled with sorrow. I stayed silent, wondering why she was telling me all this. I don¡¯t recall asking for it, either. She suddenly kneeled like the Birdman, but her forehead was touching the dirt. ¡°E-333, strength means everything to my tribe, and your formidable strength has managed to mesmerize me and earn my respect ¡ª not to mention that you also saved my life and freed me from that hell. Please, allow me to follow you wherever you go and address you as Master!¡± ¡°No.¡± I instantly refused without even thinking. ¡°Why not?! I will do anything you want!¡± she looked at me with pleading eyes. ¡°Because... I do not want a dog¡­¡± I watched as her jaw dropped to the ground. ¡°But¡­ I am not a dog¡­¡± she said, sounding as though she was about to cry. I stood up and glared at her with narrowed eyes, causing her to take a few steps back, her face showing a terrified expression. ¡°You will only¡­ be a burden...¡± I said coldly. ¡°....¡± The Fenrir now looked like she was about to cry, but I didn¡¯t care. My attention was somewhere else at this instant. Suddenly¡ª Awooooooooooooooo! Sharp howls echoed from every direction, alerting everybody. ¡°Monsters!¡± ¡°We¡¯re being attacked!¡± Everybody stood up and crowded together, their faces filled with anxiety and fear. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Over a dozen dog-like creatures appeared moments later and surrounded us. Their names appeared in red as I glanced at them. Chapter 8: The Fenrir Without a Tail These Vampire Wolves reeked of blood and was covered in black fur. This is my first time seeing such a creature. ¡°E-333!¡± E-800 suddenly called out to me and I looked at her. ¡°I will show to you that I will not be a burden to you and that I am useful!¡± she said with a serious face. Awooooooooooooooooooooo! She suddenly let out a howl of her own; it sounded sharper and had a more domineering tone to it. Awoooooo! The Vampire Wolves seemed to have been shaken by just her howls, and they began trembling with fear. And I watched¡­ as E-800 enlarged in size. Her petite body quickly became as large as an adult, tearing apart the dirty rags on her body. It was at this moment fur began growing on her body, soon covering her every inch. Her body continued to grow, and her shape also changed to look like one of those Vampire Wolves, but bigger ¡ª like three times bigger. Soon enough, the little petite girl that I saw only moments ago is now gone. Now, what stood before me was a dignified silver wolf, whose silver fur fluttered like beautiful silk. In my eyes, she was beautiful and elegant, but there was something amiss, something that cannot be ignored even if I tried. Her tail¡­ Unlike the Vampire Wolves or any dog I have seen before, she had no tail¡­ Do Fenrir not have tails? I don¡¯t know because I have never met one before. However, even without that knowledge, I was able to quickly see that there was something wrong. A name that I have not seen prior to her transformation appeared when I looked at her.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Did it appear because she had turned into a real monster? The others also looked at her with wide eyes, trying their best to believe what they were seeing was real. It was only Group 3 that was not as dazed as the others. Awooooooooooooooo! E-800 gave another howl before pouncing at the Vampire Wolves. She opened her mouth wide and took a quick bite at the closest Vampire Wolf. Crunch! The unfortunate Vampire Wolf exploded into a bloody mess upon the impact from her powerful jaw, and blood dripped from the mouth of E-800. It was at this moment the rest of the Vampire Wolves simultaneously pounced at her, all 14 of them. Blood oozed from the small bite marks on her body, but she didn¡¯t care and continued to find her next victim. Crunch! Another Vampire Wolf explodes in her mouth. Crunch! And another. Crunch! And another. The Vampire Wolves¡¯ attacks against E-800 seemed to be neglectable, almost pointless. Some of them even refused to release their jaw and stuck to her body like fleas sticking to a dog. Awoooooooo! E-800 suddenly jumped into the air and performed a fierce spin in the air, forcing the Vampire Wolves to release their jaw and scattering around. When she returned to the ground, she wasted no time and pounced at the next Vampire Wolf. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Not even 3 minutes have passed since E-800 started her massacre on the Vampire Wolves, yet not a single one remained at this moment. She has killed them all, and it was done brutally and without effort ¡ª at least it seemed effortless. Awooooooooooo! E-800 howled one last time before she began shrinking in size, quickly returning to her human appearance. Her bloodied body was riddled with small bite marks, and she was stark naked, revealing every part of her now hairless body. She turned to look at me with a bloodthirsty gaze that has yet to calm. ¡°I want to follow you¡­ I promise that I won¡¯t be a burden and that if I do, you can abandon me or do whatever you want with me...¡± Her voice sounded lonely, almost as if she just wanted a friend ¡ª a partner. ¡°...¡± I turned my head away from her, and that caused immense pain to appear in her crimson eyes. ¡°Why¡ª¡± Suddenly¡ª Awooooooooooooooooooooooo! An ear-deafening howl echoed in the air, and the ground trembled. Boom! A large creature with a similar frame to E-800¡¯s Fenrir form landed right behind her before the howling in the air could stop and opened its wide mouth, and ¡ª Crunch! Blood splattered everywhere. Chapter 9: Relationship Between Humans and Demi-humans Right before my eyes, a wolf as large if not larger than E-800 appeared behind her and pounced its sharp teeth towards her small body. And I watch, as E-800 suddenly snap around and punch the wolf in the face with the back of her fist. Awooooo! She instantly transformed back into her Fenrir form and quickly dug her fangs into the wolf¡¯s neck. Splat! She rips a large chunk of meat off its neck, causing it to bleed profusely. Her level suddenly went up by one. ¡°She¡¯s strong¡­¡± The people mumbled with awe flickering in their eyes. After ensuring that the Elite Vampire Wolf was dead, E-800 returned to her human form once again. ¡°See? I won¡¯t be a burden,¡± she said to me. I can¡¯t help but wonder why she is going out of her way to follow me. But¡­ ¡°I have already¡­ said that¡­ you are now free¡­¡± My eyes narrowed at her. ¡°Follow me if¡­ you want¡­ but I¡­ will not babysit you¡­¡± E-800¡¯s solemn expression changed at my words, seemingly brighter. ¡°Un!¡± she nodded. After the wolves were wiped out, we took a few more moments to rest before continuing on our journey. As we walked, I couldn¡¯t help but look at E-800 with lingering eyes, almost as though I was mesmerized by her. I don¡¯t know why, but there was something about her that caused me to look at her differently than before. Perhaps, it was because she was naked? I looked at the others, and sure enough, they too were gazing at her with weird eyes, especially the men. They were gazes that made me feel uncomfortable. I wonder why. E-800 suddenly looked at me and asked, ¡°Is there something bothering you, E-333?¡± She probably noticed me looking around. I shook my head. It doesn¡¯t bother me that she¡¯s naked, but the atmosphere was weird. It was at this moment someone spoke up, ¡°Fenrir, are you okay with looking like that?¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The one who spoke was from Group 3, another female like her, but the majority of her body was covered in scales, almost like fish scales or some sorts. E-800 looked down at her own body. ¡°It¡¯s just my skin,¡± she said as though it was nothing weird. ¡°...¡± The female with scales showed a look of surprise at her words, almost like she couldn¡¯t believe what she¡¯d just heard. ¡°You should at least cover your vulgar parts; it¡¯s causing trouble for the rest of us in many ways.¡± Another one spoke up; it was someone from group 1. So I wasn¡¯t the only one who could feel the weird atmosphere. And for some reason, E-800 looked at me. ¡°Am I troubling you¡­?¡± she asked in a saddened voice. ¡°No¡­¡± I said. ¡°Then it¡¯s all good!¡± she smiled and no longer paid attention to the topic. The middle-aged lady from group 1 frowned when she realized that she had been ignored. ¡°Shameful... This is why demi-humans are vile creatures... disgusting...¡± she mumbled underneath her breath. E-800 suddenly stopped walking and looked at her with killing intent flickering in her red eyes. ¡°What did you just say, human?¡± she said in a low voice, almost sounding like a growl. The middle-aged lady instantly paled and shook her head, ¡°Nothing! I said nothing!¡± I glanced at their short interaction and no longer bothered. Although humans and demi-humans do not fight each other at sight like we do with monsters, they are not without animosity. Not all, but some humans view demi-humans as monsters because of their inhuman traits, so discrimination and hostility between us exist ¡ª at least this is what I was told by my parents. After seeing the fearful expression on the middle-aged lady¡¯s face, E-800 sucked her teeth and turned around, continuing to walk. She probably doesn¡¯t see humans in a bright light, either. We continued to walk silently for another 3 hours before stopping to rest again. During this rest period, I couldn¡¯t help but look at the 2 children in group 3. They don¡¯t seem any older than 10 years old, and the two looked 100% human. Why were they captured and put on the third floor? They must have some sort of unique talent or skill that have caught their attention. The female with scales as skin also interested me. What kind of tribe does she belong to? There was also the man with a lizard tail, and another with a monkey tail. ¡°Um¡­ Master¡­¡± E-800¡¯s voice resounded beside me; it was low-sounding and filled with uncertainty. I gave her a calm look, and I didn¡¯t say anything about how she just addressed me. That gave her expression some confidence. ¡°What should we do about food?¡± she continued to ask. ¡°Food¡­?¡± It took some time for that word to register in my head. I have long forgotten the fact that we as living beings needed food and nutrition to survive. Because I can¡¯t die, ¡®they¡¯ didn¡¯t bother to feed me and allowed me to starve. There have been many occasions where I have died from starvation or dehydration, but every time I revive, that feeling would be gone, so I no longer thought about food or water. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you¡­ have eaten¡­ the Vampire Wolves¡­?¡± I said. E-800 looked at me with wide eyes and said, ¡°Master, undead monsters cannot be eaten even if we cooked them or else you¡¯ll get sick¡­¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± That fact, I wasn¡¯t aware... ¡°Then the next time¡­ you see monsters¡­ that are edible¡­ eat it¡­¡± ¡°I understand¡­¡± E-800 nodded. For now, we can only wait for food to come to us. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± I stood up, and everybody looked at me, some with dissatisfaction. ¡°I know you¡¯re the leader and all, but can¡¯t we rest some more? We have walked for over 6 hours now! My feet are numb and my legs hurt!¡± said someone from Group 1. I looked at the middle-aged lady who spoke ¡ª the same one who seemed to dislike demi-humans. ¡°You can rest¡­ for as long as¡­ you want¡­¡± She suddenly brightened up after hearing that. ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°But I will be leaving¡­¡± I turned around and started walking. The middle-aged lady instantly froze, her mouth wide open with shock. The others smiled bitterly, but they didn¡¯t say anything and followed. When the middle-aged lady finally returned to her senses, her face twisted with anger and hatred.