《No Longer Human》 Prologue part 1: Escapee The cold wind whipped against my cheek as I clutched a crystal and ran. I swerve to the right as I narrowly dodge a bullet being fired at me. The snow-ridden ground beneath me crunched as I ran on it and a frosty vapor escaped from my mouth every time I exhaled. It was winter. Soft fluffy flakes of snow rained down from the sky and to the ground, blanketing it with a cold, white carpet of snow. The snow draped over the lampshades and houses, giving the city the look of a winter wonderland. The sight was enough for one to stop and snap a picture of the picturesque snowy landscape. However, I wasn¡¯t doing any of that. I was busy running -- running for my life. ¡°No. 167, stop running at once or we¡¯ll shoot!¡± a guard shouted, while trying to aim his gun. Once he took aim, he pressed the trigger and fired at me. However, due to the low visibility caused by the falling snow and wind, he missed. I looked back at him for a moment, rolling my eyes. Who in the world would stop when told to by a captor, especially if you are trying escape? It is like trying to ask a mouse to stop when it is being chased by a cat. Clearing my head of unnecessary thoughts, I shook my head and focused on running. I could feel frostbite on my limbs and hypothermia setting in, making my body feel lethargic and numb. Not good. I need to find a place to hide and warm up ¨C FAST. After running for a while, I found a narrow alleyway and squeezed into it and hid behind a trash can, hugging my body to make it as compact as possible.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Sir, we lost No. 167.¡± ¡°Useless bastards, hurry up and find him! He stole an important item from the facility! The loss of that crystal equates to the loss of years worth of data. We must find him at any cost!¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± Holding my breath, I hugged my body tighter and pressed against the cold hard metal of the trash can. Only when I heard their footsteps subside, then I relax my body and exhale. As I calm myself and let the adrenaline pumping inside me dissipate, I realized how exhausted I am. How can I not be when I was chased by people who were hell-bent on catching me? As I look at the crystal in my hands, I felt my memories came flooding back towards me. -------------------------------- Year 2020, the year of technological revolution which technology is a part of everybody lives. Humans, with the power of technology, tried to play god and an era of human experimentation was born. Humans wanted to create the perfect ¡®human¡¯, just like how god wanted to create a perfect being. However, unlike god, humans wanted to create these perfect ¡®humans¡¯ for one reason-WAR. In order to achieve this insane goal, the government began taking away children from poor families. They come down like an angel from heaven, giving the parents a choice, in exchange for their children, they would be provided with money and basic necessities needed to live, or suffer living in a poor, malnourished environment, while their children suffer with them. Now one might think that there is no way parents would sell away their children in exchange for their own well-being and survival. Parents love their children too much to do such a thing. However, humans are very selfish creatures and have an extremely strong sense of self preservation. Their will do whatever it takes to keep themselves alive, just like how a knight will use his fellow men as a meat shield to save his own skin. I for one, found out this truth the hard way. Prologue part 2: Betrayal "Mom, where are you taking me?" "You will know soon Aaron." I looked at Mother, slightly nervous and apprehensive. It wasn''t because I was afraid of being taken to an unknown location, it was because we were being escorted by two armed guards. Did Mother and I do something wrong? No, it was impossible as mother was calm when interacting with them. We were being escorted through an unknown facility. The walls of the facility were white and spotless, the air conditioning occasionally making my skin prickle and develop goosebumps. I shivered and rubbed my arms to warm myself up. I could also smell the occasional pungent scent of antiseptic, making me sneeze from time to time. "We''re here." one of the guards announced. He stopped and grabbed the handle of the door closest to us and ushered me in. I looked up and saw that I was brought to an empty room. The room was similar to the rest of the facility ¨C the walls clean and the floor spotless. However, if you were to notice closely, tiny holes can be seen on the walls. Suddenly, I heard the door shut, followed by a loud clicking noise. I swiveled my head and saw that the guards and Mother locked the door, trapping me in the room. I panicked and grabbed the handle in an attempt to open the door, but was met with failure. "Mother, what is going on?" I shouted, my heart thumping furiously. I banged against the door vehemently, hoping I could get an answer from Mother. "I''m sorry my son," she replied, her eyes tearing up. "It pains my heart greatly but for the sake of my survival, I had no choice but to do so. It was either me or you. I am sorry, sorry, sorry...."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I looked at Mother''s crying face, shocked. Thoughts raced across my mind, causing me to panic even more. Mother was the only pillar of support I had in my life. My father passed away before I was born so I had no memories of him. Mother became my only family member. Due to our impoverished status, we were often looked down upon by other people. Mother''s relatives, ashamed that they had connections with lowly beings like us, cut off ties with us. We only had ourselves to rely on. Mother worked hard to make ends meet. She took up multiple jobs and worked for long hours, just to earn enough money to afford basic necessities and to provide for my education. Despite all the hardships, we were a happy family. Now, that illusion of the happy family I had was slowly cracking and crumbling to dust. I couldn''t help but feel a sense of betrayal and anger. "This can''t be happening, this can''t be happening...." I muttered to myself over and over again, a futile attempt to calm myself down. What did she mean by ¡®It was either me or you¡¯? Am I going to die? No, no, no.... Suddenly, I heard a hissing sound, similar to when gas is leaking out from a pipe. I turned around and saw that the holes on the walls were now emitting a strange colorless gas. Instinctively, I held my breath and ran as far away as I could from the unknown vapor. I noticed that the room seem to lack a vent and I immediately came to a conclusion - I was trapped inside a gas chamber. "Let me out! Let me out!" I pleaded, tears streaming down from my eyes. I kept banging against the door, hoping that what I have heard just now was a lie. Mother looked away, ashamed to meet my face. The guards simply looked at me with a stoic expression, as if as they had seen this scenario thousands of times and had developed immunity to it. Even though I knew it was hopeless, I kept banging against the door. I was speedily loosing energy and becoming tired. I could no longer hold my breath and started to inhale the gas. When the vapor entered my lungs and to my bloodstream, my eyelids suddenly felt heavy and I could feel myself beginning to lose consciousness. I concluded that I was breathing in sleeping gas. My vision became blurry and I could feel my senses dulling. I cast one more look at Mother, whose face was one of guilt. Anger and disbelief filled my heart. ¡°Why¡­.? I thought we were family¡­..¡± I fainted. Prologue part 3: Truth When I woke up, I noticed that my body felt strangely light, yet heavy at the same time. I looked around and noticed that I wasn¡¯t in the gas chamber anymore. Instead, I was in a glass tube and was surrounded by an unknown fluid. This was the fluid that created the peculiar feeling that I was currently experiencing. Basically, I was in a giant test tube. A gas mask was attached to my mouth, enabling me to breathe and there were several tubes attached to my body. The tubes were filled with a strange green liquid that seem to emit an unnatural glow. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in a testing chamber kiddo.¡± As soon as I heard the voice, a woman stepped out of the shadows that seemingly encroached the entire area. She was tall for a woman, about 175cm in height. She had a slender body and voluptuous breasts that were barely contained by her rather revealing clothing. Her wavy blond hair swayed as she approached me and a white lab coat was draped over her. I squinted my eyes and could barely make out her name that was printed on her name tag. ¡°Ev¡­er¡­Everlyn.¡± ¡°Oh so you know my name!¡± she exclaimed, acting surprised. ¡°That¡¯s right, my name is Everlyn and I am your new buddy! Just kidding.¡± she smirked looking at me up and down. As her gaze landed on me, I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. That was when I realized that I was completely naked and was devoid of any clothing. My underwear was also gone too, exposing my¡­. ¡°Calm down kiddo, I have no intentions on your ¡®precious part¡¯, though, I¡¯ve got to say, it is pretty big for someone your age.¡± she continued, licking her lips. My face immediately went red and I could feel my inner body temperature rising. Even though I did not have any carnal desires, it is impossible not to blush when a female is staring at my private part. ¡°Just kidding, just kidding,¡± she said, savoring my reaction. ¡°Now you might be confused right now, but don¡¯t worry, big sis Everlyn here will explain everything to you. Right now, you are in a human experimentation facility. Your body and mind will be altered to become the perfect killing ¨C I mean ¡®human¡¯ and you will work for us, isn¡¯t that great? Now I bet you are curious as to why you are here. The answer is very simple! It is because your loving mother sold you in order to survive! She sold her biological child to a group of strangers in order to live, isn¡¯t that hilarious?¡± she continued while laughing manically.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I stared at her, struggling to absorb all the information from the bombshell she dropped at me. Human experimentation facility? Sold? Altered? What is she talking about¡­. Suddenly, my memories came flooding back towards me, as if a flash bang went off inside my head - my mother avoiding my gaze, the guard¡¯s stoic expressions, the gas chamber slowly filling up with sleeping gas and last but not least, anger that filled my heart. When I pieced everything together, I realized that Everlyn was right ¨C my mother sold me. My mother was the joy in my life, the only ray of light illuminating my dreary existence. The illusion of the happy family I had cracked when she trapped me in the gas chamber. After hearing Everlyn¡¯s reply, it vanished completely, leaving behind a sense of betrayal and rage. Was the time I spent with Mother genuine? Or was it a fa?ade put up by her so that she could cast me aside without me noticing until the last minute? Now that I was trapped here, I could never get the answers from her. I was angry, angry at my mother who betrayed me, angry at myself for not noticing that she was planning to sell me away. Before she sold me away like a piece of property, Mother was always away for long periods of time. When I asked why, she simply said she had matters to take care of, and was very busy. Me, being the na?ve child that I was, did not suspect a single thing and believed in my mother¡¯s words wholeheartedly. I loved my mother too much to do so. However, after knowing the truth, the trust that was built between me and mother tumbled down like a house of cards, leaving behind distrust and anger. ¡°Why¡­.? I thought we were family¡­. I trusted you Mother¡­.¡± I cried. Tears unknowingly flowed out from my eyes, mixing with the liquid that surrounded me. I wanted crawl and hide myself in a place where nobody could find me. ¡°She sold you in order to survive kiddo.¡± Everlyn¡¯s words shook me out from my stupor. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said, she sold you to survive. Your mother was given a choice, in exchange for you, she would be provided with money and basic necessities needed to live, or suffer living in a poor, malnourished environment together with you. Now you might think that there is no way your mother would sell you away in exchange for her own well-being and survival. However, humans are very selfish creatures. They will do whatever it takes to keep themselves alive. In order to live, your mother sold you, the end. Do you get it now? When it comes to survival, love or trust doesn¡¯t matter, only your life matters, so stop crying like a like a baby. Crying is not going to help you in this situation.¡± Everlyn continued lazily. I could hear a hint of annoyance in her voice, as if she is telling me to shut up. Strangely, after hearing her cold reply I felt better. I couldn¡¯t explain the phenomenon. Maybe it was because deep in my heart, I knew that she was right. Crying is not going to help me in this situation. It is not going to turn back time neither is it going to help me escape. I quickly stopped crying and regained my composure ¡°Good you finally shut up. Here¡¯s something you might want to know. From this day onwards, your name is no longer ¡®Aaron¡¯ its ¡®No. 167¡¯ got it? Like I said, you will be altered and you will work for us, whether you like it or not. As an apology for making you do things against your will, I have one last piece of advice for you.¡± She placed her hand in her pocket and fished out a small metallic disc with a red button on the center. Her finger hovered over the button, as if debating whether or not to press. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± She pressed the button. Prologue part 4: Death ¡°Woof, woof!¡± I was snapped awake from my memories by a loud barking sound. I turned around and noticed that there was a stray dog staring intensely at me and barking loudly. I seem to have entered the territory of the beast. It was barking wildly at me, as if as it was telling me to get lost. Whoa chill there dog, I¡¯m not here to invade your territory. I raised my hands and backed away slowly, signaling to the dog that I was not an enemy. The further I backed away, the softer the barks got. ¡°Good, good.¡± I muttered to myself. I wasn¡¯t afraid of the dog. In fact, even in my hypothermic state right now, I was confident I could defeat it. This is due to the fact that my body had been enhanced countless of times due to repeated enhancement surgeries and experimentations. I was more afraid of the commotion it was making. It could unintentionally alert my pursuers of my location and I will be hunted down and killed like a beast. The guards were armed with state of the art weaponry, designed to take down enhanced humans like me. When I finally made my way out of the dog¡¯s territory, I was no longer in the alleyway and was out in the open. ¡°Sir, We located No. 167. Initiating recovery of stolen memory crystal right now.¡± I turned around and saw that there were a couple of guards approaching me. They must have been alerted by the commotion caused by the dog. Dammit. I immediately turned tail and began running. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, ignoring the searing pain on my thighs due to overexerting my muscles. Gunshots were occasionally heard but non of the bullets seem to hit me. Thank god for the snow for lowering the enemies¡¯ visibility. I ran and ran, not daring to look back. However, I was visibly slowing down. My limbs were numb due to frostbite and my body temperature was rapidly decreasing due to hypothermia. Furthermore, the falling snow now felt like icy needles piercing my body, further weakening my body. A normal human would have either collapsed or died by now. I could hear my pursuers closing in on me. Looking ahead, I could see that there was one last stretch of road. At the end of the road, it was a dead end. Anything further than that was just a vast, desolate sea. I didn¡¯t take me long to become cornered by my pursuers.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Shit. ¡°No. 167, this is the end of the line for you. Give us the crystal and we might just spare your life.¡± Spare? Spare my life? I nearly laughed out loud. I highly doubt they would spare my life, especially after I killed most of their comrades. ¡°I would rather die than give you the crystal, you shit-heads.¡± I sneered, spitting out my words. Hearing my answer, the leader of the guards seethed with fury and aimed the gun right at my temple. ¡°I give you one last chance,¡± he snarled. ¡°Give us the crystal and you might just live to see another day. Even if you don¡¯t, we can just take it by force¡± I looked at the gun, attempting to put on a false bravado, but was given away by my trembling legs. No, they we not trembling because I was cold, it was trembling because I was afraid. Even though I had been enhanced by numerous enhancement surgeries and experimentations during my time in the facility, deep down I was still a human - a human who could feel fear. I somehow managed to retain my humanity despite being altered to something more similar to a monster.The fear of dying creeped towards my throat as I eyed the gun barrel. However, I was true when I said that I would rather die than give them the crystal. The reason why the facility was so desperate to retrieve the stolen crystal was because the crystal acted as a storage device, capable of storing much more information than a supercomputer. Even though there were multiple crystals in the facility, the loss of a crystal equates to the loss of a few years worth of information, something the facility cannot afford, since the loss of data halted the progress of their research. I decided to take my life along with the crystal. Even if I gave them the crystal like they wanted, I will most likely be killed. At least this way I would be able to cause the facility some damage. Looking at the raging sea behind me, I jumped, taking the crystal with me. I landed in the water, creating a loud splash. The swirling current tossed me like a rag doll. The icy cold water numbed my limbs, sapping away my remaining energy. At first, my body instinctively caused me to hold my breath. After a while, I began to inhale some water. I spluttered and coughed, causing me to inhale even more water. I was drowning. As the water entered my lungs, piercing pain shot though my body. The feeling of tearing and a burning sensation was felt as the water went down into the airway, causing me to writhe in agony. I desperately tried to swim up, my arms weakly grasping, as if trying to climb a non-existent ladder from the sea but soon lacked the energy to continue doing so. The lack of oxygen made me dizzy and caused my brain to slip out of consciousness. My vision blurred and the surroundings dimmed to almost black. The pain of drowning was much worse than the pain I experienced when I was experimented on. Desperate for a way to escape my suffering, I raised the crystal which I somehow miraculously managed to hold onto. Using the miniscule amount of energy I had left, I plunged the crystal deep into my chest where the heart was located. The crystal easily cut through my flesh, piercing my heart. Blood splurted out of the wound, causing the surrounding water to be dyed red. I let out one last cry of pain before my vision completely blacked out. I died. Chapter 1: Mithra ¡°Hey!¡± A powerful deep voice called out. ¡°Hey!! How long do you plan to sleep for?¡± The voice called out once again Upon hearing the voice, my eyelids fluttered open and I gasped for air. *Huff* *Huff* I began to breathe heavily. The memory of me stabbing myself with the crystal was still firmly etched in my mind. I touched my chest instinctively, as if to feel the wound I inflicted on myself. To my surprise I felt nothing. I looked down on my chest ¨C there was no wound or crystal jutting out of my chest, just smooth bare skin (covered by my clothes of course). I looked around puzzled, I was sure I had died but here I was completely fine. I was in a white world that seemed to go on forever. The place was surprisingly brightly illuminated despite lacking a light source (maybe I just couldn¡¯t see it). A layer of mist hovered above the ground, making this place seem more ethereal. Where am I? Is this the afterlife? ¡°You finally woke up huh? Took you long enough.¡± The voice from before could be heard again. ¡°Who are you?¡± I shouted nervously. I looked around at my surroundings in an attempt to locate the source of the voice, but there was no one around. ¡°Where are you?¡± I asked again, struggling to get my feet to take a fighting stance. ¡°Who are you?¡± At this moment, the mist that that covered the ground started to rush and coalesce on a spot in front of me. As more and more mist gathered, it grew thicker and thicker eventually forming a humanoid shape. Suddenly, the mist dissipated and swirled back towards the ground revealing a humanoid male wearing a loose red robe. The figure had curly brown hair that tumbled down his shoulders and black eyes that seem as dark as the abyss itself. He donned an azure blue cape that every now and then, sparkled as if it was made of glitter. He had handsome facial features that would have made every woman on earth swoon. However, he emanated an extreme aura of omnipotence which made me feel like a lowly bug. I retreated a step back, cautious of the figure in front of me. If I were to fight him, I¡¯ll surely be decimated. ¡°No need to be so tense, human.¡± The figure spoke. His voice was exactly the same as the voice from before. ¡°My name is Mithra, the god of rebirth and reincarnation as well as the Divinity of Covenant and Oath. I apologize if I had scared you earlier. ¡± Mithra continued in an apologetic tone. Attempting to process what I was hearing, I tried to ask Mithra. However, I couldn¡¯t get myself to speak. After all, one can be tongue tied from meeting a god. I simply just gazed at Mithra in awe. ¡°I sense that you have many questions to ask me. Don''t be shy and ask, I will answer those that are appropriate.¡± "Where am I? Why am I still alive?¡± Why am I here?¡± ¡°You are not alive, human.¡± Mithra replied. ¡°The only thing of you that is here right now is you soul and nothing else. You appearance is the same as when you were alive as that is the only form of yourself you remembered before you died. As for where you are¡­¡± Mithra stopped his speech. Raising his hands up dramatically, he continued. ¡°You are in my domain right now. Everything in this place is controlled by me, making me the god of this place ¨C not that I wasn¡¯t one already.¡± He announced dramatically. As if right on que, a bright flash of golden light appeared right behind him, making him look even more godlier than he was before . I squinted my eyes to protect them from the blinding glare emitted by the lightshow he created. ¡°You see little human, the reason I bought you here to my domain is to judge you. Base on the deeds you have done in your past life, I am happy to say that you passed!¡± Mithra announced, clapping his hands. Cheering sounds could be heard from all across the domain and confetti rained down from the sky, covering the misty ground with pieces of glittery paper. ¡°But, but¡­.¡± ¡°But what? Aren¡¯t you happy that you passed?¡± Mithra asked questioningly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you wanted me to say that you failed and as punishment, you would be cast into Tartarus and be tortured by either Thanatos or Hades and his furies for all eternity?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°No¡­. I do not want to be tortured, thank you very much.¡± I quickly replied. ¡°I am confused as to why was I chosen to be judged. When I was alive, I wasn¡¯t a good person and killed a lot of people. So why was I chosen? Why did I pass the test? What makes me so special?¡± ¡°Special?¡± Mithra repeated the word softly. The surrounding atmosphere began to darken as he repeated the word over again. ¡°You¡¯re special? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± The surrounding air chilled as he replied coldly, catching me off guard. It was like his personality did a 180. His voice transformed from a kind and cheerful tone to a cold and emotionless one. I instinctively took a step back. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who receives this opportunity. Right now, there are billions of others that are judged by me. Those that fail are sent to hell, never to be seen again, while those that passed are given the option to either ascend ¨C which is very rare, or be reincarnated to another world. NEVER, ever think that you yourself are special. There would always be someone better than you, someone much more powerful than you. Just because you have power, or something extraordinary happened to you, it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re special or some kind of ¡®Chosen one¡¯. It just means that you are either lucky, or have worked hard to attain power in some way or another. If I was in a bad mood, I would have I would have destroyed your soul right this instant. ¡° He spat. Note to self, don¡¯t say that you¡¯re special to a god. If they happen to be in a bad mood, they will probably annihilate you on the spot. ¡°Besides being a god of reincarnation, I am also the Divinity of Contracts and an all-seeing Protector of Truth. That means I value truth, trust and loyalty very highly. I don¡¯t really care if you have killed or not.¡± He continued impassively. The surrounding atmosphere began to lighten as he continued. ¡°I judge those who have betrayed, or have been betrayed. You were chosen because of one of those reasons. You know very well why you were chosen, don¡¯t you? Do you remember the day which your mother sold you just to survive, the day which marked the beginning of your hellish life?¡± Flashbacks of my mother¡¯s face ridden with guilt raced across my mind. I gripped my fists tightly to stop them from flying at Mithra¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, hit a soft spot there didn¡¯t I? You couldn''t hurt me even if you tried.¡± He mocked. ¡°I am a major god, a being that is all above others. However, there are beings that are definitely much more powerful than me out there, such as the Titans and the Primordials. I was cocky about my status as a major god once and I nearly descended and became a fallen god. Remember this human, no matter how powerful you are, or how much authority you hold, there will always be someone stronger than you.¡± Mithra said solemnly. When he finished talking, the surrounding atmosphere returned back to its original state and the chilly aura around him faded. ¡°I apologize for aggravating you. I sense that despite being betrayed by your mother and going through hell ¨C not literally of course, you still hold a strong affection for her, an unwavering symbol of loyalty. It was one of the requirements needed to pass the test. You made sure that you have carried out the mission given to you, which was to escape the facility and make sure that the government doesn¡¯t get their hands on the crystal, even if it cost your life. This makes you a reliable and a person worthy of trust, fulfilling the second requirement. You weren¡¯t very truthful and told quite a few lies though, please work on that in the future. This leaves you with a score of 2 out of 3, which means you passed the test! Please note that this is an incredible achievement as most of the souls I judge couldn¡¯t even pass the first requirement. Nobody has ever gotten a full score.¡± Mithra said cheerfully. His aura is now the one of happiness and the surroundings brightened up considerably. His domain seems to change according to his current mood. For him to be this happy, just how many people had failed the test?! Itching with curiosity, I wanted to ask him. However, I was afraid that doing so might anger him again, bringing me one step closer to being annihilated. Better be safe than sorry. ¡°97 percent.¡± Mithra replied airily, as if he read my mind. ¡°And yes I can read your mind. You are in my domain after all.¡± ¡°97 PERCENT?! Are you saying that only 3 percent of the souls you judged passed the test?!¡± I exclaimed. I thought there would be more souls that passed his judgement. However, if you were to calculate 3 percent out of a billion people, actually quite a lot of people passed the test. ¡°Yeah quite a lot people passed when you think about it, but whatever, we are getting side tracked over here.¡± Clapping his hands together, he continued. ¡°As a reward for passing the test, you will be reincarnated to another world. Unfortunately, your score wasn¡¯t high enough to be eligible for ascension. As for which world and species you will be born as, it all depends on your luck. You will also receive a unique blessing from me ¨C it is mandatory for people who had passed god¡¯s trial to receive it. As the blessing was mandatory, you will reborn with your memories as an additional bonus. Be grateful human, this is your one chance to be special.¡± He chuckled. He walked towards me and placed his left hand on top of my forehead. The moment he touched my forehead, I felt extremely sleepy. My body relaxed as the world around me began to turn black. My eyelids closed as I felt extreme fatigue take over my body. ---------- ¡°Goodbye, little human, may fate allow us to cross paths again.¡± Mithra said as Aaron vanished. If one were to see the face of Mithra right now, one would be able to see a huge grin on the god¡¯s face. ¡°Overcome your obstacles Aaron, and become someone truly special.¡± Aaron lost consciousness for the second time.
PS: So tired.... Need sleep.... To much anime and manga Btw watch ''Nanbaka''. It is super awesome Chapter 2: Reborn Warm¡­. and wet. That was my first feeling when I woke up. It was dark but I could see traces of red around me. I was surrounded by a mysterious thick liquid that felt strangely warm. Despite being submerged in the liquid, I could breathe perfectly fine. I felt my body, relieved that I could still feel all four of my limbs. I could also feel an appendage sticking out of my butt. Where am I? What is this place? Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness washed over me, making me sleepy. I fought the drowsiness but it was too much even for me. It didn¡¯t take long for me to fall into slumber. ---------- I woke up, feeling much better. I felt more ¡®complete¡¯ than before. My stomach growled, signaling to me that I was hungry. My instincts kicked in. I pushed the walls surrounding me with my body and was surprised at how soft the wall was. Suddenly, I heard a ripping sound. The liquid surrounding me started to drain away. ¡°Argghh!¡± A coarse scream was heard. However, the scream sounded more like a howl. The walls around me started to contract and tighten. I could feel myself being pushed out. Every time the walls contracted, a scream could be heard and I would be pushed out even further. Seriously where the hell am I? First I was swimming in some sort of weird liquid and next I was being pushed out. All this comes down to one explanation ¨C I was in somebody¡¯s womb and I am in the process of being born. Can¡¯t Mithra have reincarnated me as an adult so that I won¡¯t have to experience the process of being shot out of a woman¡¯s ass? I wriggled and squirmed, struggling to get out. The more I struggled, the louder the screams got. It wasn¡¯t long before I could see a bright light. ¡°Freedom!¡± I shouted in my mind. I squirmed even more, making my way to towards the light as fast as I could. I was excited to get out of my mother¡¯s stuffy womb. Suddenly, the walls stopped contracting and relaxed. White light blinded my sensitive eyes and a howl of relief could be heard by my mother. I was finally born. ------------ When my eyes adjusted, I looked around my surroundings. I was in a damp cave. The cave walls were embedded with crystals that gave of a pale light, illuminating the place. There were about 5 wolf pups milling around me, some of them observed me with curious eyes while others sucked the teats of a large wolf next to us. The wolf was about 10 times our size. It had sliver fur that was tinged red at the ends. It was barely conscious and was breathing heavily. Strangely, I could feel a sense of attachment to it. 3 of the pups had sliver fur while 2 of them had grey fur. Their fur was stained with dried blood, signaling that they have been born not long ago. Wait, why am I surrounded by wolves? Don¡¯t tell me that¡­ I looked down at my body. Instead of pale peach colored skin, I had snow white fur that was tinged golden at the ends. Bloodstains could be seen on my fur. I looked down at my hands. Instead of seeing normal human hands, I saw paws instead. I turned around and saw that there was a tail sticking out of my butt. It must have been the appendage I felt before. My head felt heavy and I noticed I had a snout. Situated above my head were dog-like ears that twitched now and then. ¡­I was reborn as a wolf. I remembered that Mithra said that which species I would be born as would all depend on my luck. I didn¡¯t know whether I was lucky or not to be reborn as a wolf. Well better than being reborn as a goblin I guess. My stomach growled again, urging me to eat in order to satiate my hunger. I rushed towards my mother¡¯s teat, sucking the milk out of it. The milk was warm and creamy and easily slid down my throat. I sucked her teat for about a few minutes and stopped when my hunger was satiated. Satisfied, I let out a small burp.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Suddenly a screen flashed before my eyes. *Triing*
You have received a message Hello, Mithra here. Congratulations on being reborn! How does it feel like being reborn with your memories eh? Pretty disgusting right? I know that you want me to reincarnate you as adult. However, all creatures start out as a baby, no matter beast or human, so please understand. Please take note that the world you are currently residing in possesses mana, so superhuman feats (not that you are a human now) are possible. To check your status, please think of the word ¡®Status¡¯ in your mind. A panel should appear in front of you, showing your current status. It is invisible to others except you. Unless someone has an appraisal skill or you allow it, others cannot look at your status. To close it just think ¡®Close status¡¯ and the panel will disappear. This will be the only message I send to you. The rest is for you to figure out on you own. Overcome your obstacles and become someone truly special. Good luck! Mithra -This message is written by Mithra, the Divinity of Covenant, Contract and Oath as well as the god reincarnation and the sun¨C
Think of the word ¡®Status¡¯ huh. I followed Mithra¡¯s instructions. I didn¡¯t know that Mithra was also a sun god. No wonder he was so flashy. To my surprise, another panel appeared before me. *Triing*
Name: [Unknown name] Race: Elemental Wolf Pup (Light) Bloodline: ??? Level: 1 HP: 15/15 MP: 10/10 Str: 6 Agi: 7 Vit: 4 Def: 5 Int: 8 Wis: 8 [Passive skills] [Language translation: Lv MAX] [Thou that betrayed you, shalt feel thy wrath] [Theory of evolution] [Novice Mana Control: Lv 1] [Active skills] [Scratch: Lv 1] [Paw swipe: Lv 1] [Roar: Lv 1] [Novice Light magic: Lv 1] [Bite: Lv 1] [Appraisal] [Bullshit detector] [Divine Judgement] [???] [Affinity] [Light affinity: 25%] [Fire affinity: 25%] [Divine Affinity: 10%] [Titles] [Favored by Mithra, the Divinity of Covenant, Contract and Oath] [Blessed by Mithra, the Divinity of Covenant, Contract and Oath]
I looked through my stats, feeling pleased about what I saw. My stats were similar to my siblings¡¯ except for my unnaturally high intellect and wisdom. I also possessed way more skills than them. I guess this is due to Mithra¡¯s blessing. A few of my skills were straightforward and need no explanation but I don¡¯t get what the others do. I was also curious as to why I can¡¯t I see my bloodline. I could see my new mother¡¯s and siblings¡¯ bloodline just fine but why can¡¯t I see mine? Just when I was about to use [Appraisal] on the skills which uses I don¡¯t know, I felt someone¡¯s gaze on my back. I turned around to see who was staring at me. I was greeted with my mother looking at me. Although her face was haggard from exhaustion, her eyes were wide in disbelief and her face was full of shock. ¡°Child,¡± she muttered. ¡®What are you?¡±
PS: I dont know how to do the blue stat sceen thing. Can someone help me? Chapter 3: Fear of loneliness ??? POV: My body felt weak. My muscles ached and my breathing was ragged. Mustering my strength, I looked at my pups. I had given birth to 5 pups. 3 of the pups had sliver fur while 2 of them had grey fur. They milled around me, some of them sucking my teats while others snuggled near me, observing their surroundings with curious eyes. I looked at my children proudly, satisfied that I had given birth to such a fine litter when suddenly, my stomach heaved and my abdominal muscles contracted, causing me to howl in pain. Viscous thick fluid flowed out from my *vulva as my abdominal muscles continued to contract and relax, pushing my unborn child out. ¡°Argghh!¡± I howled, causing my children to become startled. They snuggled around me, eyes filled with worry as they rubbed their snouts against my fur. ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­.¡± I breathed. ¡°Mommy¡¯s fine¡­. Mommy just needs to give birth to one more pup¡­.¡± I felt my unborn pup squirm in my womb, trying to get out. The more it squirmed, the louder my howls got. I was already exhausted from birthing 5 pups. I wasn¡¯t sure whether I had the energy to give birth to another. The more the pup struggled, the more intense the pain became. I felt my conscious slipping as I continued to push out my unborn child. Where¡¯s the husband when you need him? I continued pushing out my child with all my might. My paws were pressed against the ground so hard that the pressure released was enough to form a crack on the stone floor. Just when I thought the pain was never going to end, my muscles stopped contracting and relaxed. I howled in relief. I had finally given birth to my child. ---------- I looked at my newly born child. I could tell it was a male by just looking at it. Mother¡¯s intuition I guess. Will he resemble his father, bearing a grey coat or will he resemble his mother, bearing a sliver coat? However, what I saw was beyond my expectations. Unlike his siblings, he had snow white fur that was tinted golden at the ends. Bloodstains could be seen on his fur but that is due to the fact he had been born just a few moments ago. He observed his surroundings with curious yet intelligent eyes that shone bright golden. He then looked at his body as his siblings looked at him with curious eyes. Some of them continued observing him while others got bored and continued sucking my teats. Suddenly, his stomach growled and he rushed towards me, sucking my teat. After sucking my teat for about a few minutes, he stopped, signaling that his hunger was satiated. Satisfied, he let out a small burp. What in the world is he? He does not inherit my traits, neither does he inherit my husband, Ragna¡¯s traits. At first, I thought he was a variant. However that thought quickly goes away when I noticed his golden fur and eyes. Elemental wolf variants have either pure white or black coats. They also possess blue eyes instead of golden eyes.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. An elemental wolf¡¯s fur and eyes changes color only when they reach adolescence and they attain their elemental affinity. My fur is tinted red and my eyes are red due to my affinity with fire. My husband has yellow fur and eyes, signaling that his affinity is lightning, which is a rare element. Never in my life have I seen an elemental wolf have golden fur. Furthermore, he hasn¡¯t even reached adolescence but yet his fur is dual colored. Maybe he is a new species of elemental wolf? I don¡¯t know. Despite my maternal instincts screaming at me that he was my pup, I began to wonder whether he was truly my child. I looked at him, trying to find similarities between him and his siblings. Just then, he turned around, as if he knew I was observing him. My eyes grew wide in disbelief and my face was full of shock. ¡°Child,¡± I muttered. ¡°What are you?¡± ---------- Aaron¡¯s POV: What am I? A former human, a test subject, a wolf? These thoughts raced across my mind. I did not expect my mother to question me. Hell, I did not, even expect myself to even understand my mother¡¯s words. When she talked, what came out were barks and squeaks instead of proper words. I guess I could understand her was due to the fact my language translation being maximum level or either because I was a wolf. I highly suspected that it was the former as my siblings just stared at my mother puzzlingly, unable to comprehend her words. I noticed that I looked very different from my siblings. They had either silver or grey coats instead of white fur. Their eyes were either black or brown colored, while mine was golden colored. Sure my mother had dual colored fur and different eyes, but they were colored red instead of golden. I must have looked like an abnormally between my siblings, causing her to question me. What should I tell her? I can¡¯t possibly just say that I am a reincarnated human that just so happened to be reincarnated into a wolf right? She would definitely look at me like I was some sort of freak. What if she thinks that I¡¯m a freak? What if she doesn¡¯t like me? These thoughts raced across my head. Memories of my previous mother abandoning me, as well as my time in facility resurfaced in my mind. ---------- White** That was the only color I saw. I was thrown into a solitary confinement cell after accidentally killing one of their prized test subjects during a spar. We were supposed to fight to test our limits but I accidentally killed him, staining my hands with blood. A scientist ran towards me, face full of anger. ¡°Think about what you¡¯ve done! You just wasted precious amounts of data! Do you know how hard it is to gather this much data?¡± That was the last voice I heard. After that, I was then tranquilized and thrown into a solitary confinement cell. The cell had no windows. The soundproof walls that surrounded me as well as my clothes were white. My meals consisted of white rice on white plates. I was forbidden to speak and when I was experimented on, they would always gas me so when I wake up, all I would see was white. All I could hear was my own breathing and nothing else. No footsteps, no voices ¨C nothing. I¡¯m so lonely. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯ll be good. Please let me out. I don¡¯t want to be alone. I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­. ---------- The memories distorted my thoughts, making them darker. The fear loneliness crept towards my heart. I shook my head as if to clear out the thoughts that were clouding my mind. ¡°Please¡­.¡± I whimpered softly. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me. I¡¯m scared¡­. I don¡¯t want to be alone again.¡±
*a female wolf''s pussy **Flashback. Referencing to ''White Torture'' Chapter 4: Family ??? POV: ¡°Please¡­.¡± He whimpered softly. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me. I¡¯m scared¡­. I don¡¯t want to be alone again.¡± When I heard his voice, all of my doubts concerning his identity vanished. His eyes were slowly tearing up and his voice was filled with fear ¨C fear that I might leave him. Like all children, he is just a small child who is afraid of being alone, afraid of being cast away by their family. Just because he looks different from the rest of his siblings, that doesn¡¯t give me the right to cast him away. I looked as his small quivering figure, whose eyes were filled with fear, begging for me not to abandon him. The sight made my heart fill with guilt. He is not just some random creature that just so happened to be birthed by me, he is my son. I was ashamed of doubting his identity as my son, even for a minute. I hugged his trembling body in an attempt to calm him down. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Mommy is here.¡± I replied soothingly. ¡°Mommy won¡¯t abandon you. You¡¯re my child, and always will be. We¡¯re family, and nobody is going to change that fact.¡± His siblings snuggled around him, as if they were agreeing with me. They rubbed their snouts against his fur, as if they were accepting him as part of our family. Suddenly, a wave us dizziness washed over me, making my vision blurry. My stomach growled, signaling that I was hungry. I looked around the den, in search for any remaining scraps of food that might have been left behind. Disappointed that I couldn¡¯t find any leftovers, I shifted my hunches and sat down, attempting to force down my hunger. I was tempted to leave the den to hunt for food. However, I was in no condition to do so. Giving birth to 6 pups had exhausted me mentally and physically. Even if I had the energy to hunt, I would be putting my pups in risk of being attacked by other predators while I was away. With no options available to me, I had no choice but to try and control my hunger. I could only wish for Ragna to return home quickly. ---------- Aaron¡¯s POV: Warm. That was what I felt when my mother hugged me. Her warm embrace calmed me down as my muscles lost its tension to the air. My body relaxed as I felt the heat integrate into my body. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Mommy is here.¡± She replied soothingly. ¡°Mommy won¡¯t abandon you. You¡¯re my child, and always will be. We¡¯re family, and nobody is going to change that fact.¡± Family¡­. That was something that I thought I had lost when my previous mother abandoned me. The warm embrace from a loving parent, the affection from the one you trust the most, I thought I had lost them all. However in my second life, I was able to experience what I thought was out of my reach. Unbeknownst to me, I had broken into a smile. Thank you, Mithra. ----------Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. My siblings snuggled around me as they rubbed their snouts against my fur, as if they were welcoming me to the family. In response, I rubbed my snout against theirs¡¯, grateful for the affection shown by my siblings. Suddenly, I heard a loud growl, startling me. I looked up and noticed that the growl was coming from my mother¡¯s stomach, signaling that she was hungry. She looked around the den in search for food. Disappointed that she couldn¡¯t find any leftovers, she shifted her hunches and sat down, attempting to control her hunger. Despite her efforts, I could still hear her stomach growling. She must be really hungry after giving birth to us. I¡¯ve also noticed something else. Where is my father? So far, I have only seen my mother, but not my father. I scanned the entire area, hoping to find him, but he was nowhere in sight. I deduced that he was busy hunting for food in order to feed the family. I hope he comes back soon. Mother looks like she is about to starve. Curious to know what Mother¡¯s stats were, I used the skill [Appraisal] on her. *Triing*
Name: Alpine Lupinai Race: Elemental Wolf (Fire) Status: Tired, Hungry Bloodline: lupus elementa ignis Level: 68 HP: 8700/8700 MP: 7500/7500 Str: 74 Agi: 78 Vit: 81 Def: 65 End: 54 Int: 76 Wis: 72 [Passive skills] [Wolf language] [Advanced Mana Control: Lv 3] [Greater Fire resistance: Lv 8] [Lightning resistance: Lv 4] [Keen smell] [Regeneration: Lv 4] [Advanced hearing Lv 9] [Night vision] [Active skills] [Scratch: Lv 10] [Paw swipe: Lv 10] [Roar: Lv 10] [Advanced Fire magic: Lv 7] [Bite: Lv 10] [Fire coat: Lv 10] [Mirage fire: Lv 9] [Berserker: Lv 7] [True sight: Lv 9] [Affinity] [Fire affinity: 96%] [Titles] [Flame of the forest] [Incinerator] [Flaming terror] [Mother]
When I looked at her status, I was surprised to see a stat which I don¡¯t have. Curious to know what the stat was, I quickly appraised it. *Triing*
Endurance [End] This stat increases your pain threshold as well as your stamina. -Can be obtained by enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way. -Synergises with the stat [Def] *Increases one¡¯s defense if endurance is high enough -Can be increased by leveling up
The endurance stat looked very useful. Not only does it increases one¡¯s pain threshold and stamina, it also increases my defense stat too. I have to find a way to obtain it. Just when I wanted to use [Appraisal] on my skills which uses I do not know, a large grey wolf entered our cave, startling me. It was dragging a carcass of a dead deer that was almost as big as him. The deer had a silvery grey coat and sharp ivory colored horns that were stained with blood. It would have been a beautiful beast ¨C if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that it was badly mutilated and dragged across the floor like a sack doll. I looked inquisitively at the newcomer, wondering who he was when suddenly he shouted, ¡°Dinner is ready!¡± Chapter 5: Another family member The wolf had a grey coat that that was tinted yellow at the ends. Its eyes were electric yellow in color. I swore I saw tiny sparks of electricity arcing across its body. Its fur was stained red with blood and there were cuts all across its body. It dragged the deer that was almost its size with its teeth as it approached us, leaving a trail of blood and entrails on the floor. It then dropped the bloody deer on the floor and said, ¡°Dinner is ready! Now who wants some?¡± Dinner? Why would a random wolf bring us food? I looked at the wolf inquisitively. Strangely, I could feel a sense of attachment towards it. Could it be that he is my father? I used [Appraisal] to confirm it. *Triing*
Name: Ragna Lupinai Race: Elemental Wolf (Lightning) Bloodline: Lupus Elementa Electrica Level: 77 HP: 8132/11000 MP: 6593/8300 Str: 91 Agi: 97 Vit: 87 Def: 79 End: 70 Int: 79 Wis: 79 [Passive skills] [Wolf language] [Advanced Mana Control: Lv 4] [Greater Lightning resistance: Lv 8] [Fire resistance: Lv 5] [Keen smell] [Regeneration: Lv 5] [Advanced hearing Lv 9] [Night vision] [Active skills] [Scratch: Lv 10] [Paw swipe: Lv 10] [Roar: Lv 10] [Advanced Lightning magic: Lv 8] [Bite: Lv 10] [Berserker: Lv 5] [Mind eye: Lv 9] [Spark: Lv 10] [Lightning strike: Lv 10] [Electrical coat Lv 10] [Lightning bolt: Lv 9] [Affinity] [Lightning affinity: 99%] [Titles] [Blessed by lightning] [Anything goes] [Lightning on land] [Ex ¨C alpha] [Father]
Yup, he¡¯s definitely my father. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Mother growled, standing up. ¡°I thought I was about to starve back there. ¡° ¡°Hey don¡¯t blame me, I didn¡¯t expect that iron fur stag to be at such a high level. It gave me quite the beating.¡± The male wolf pouted. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Mother immediately ran towards the carcass, as if her previous fatigue was gone. She wolfed down the carcass in a matter of minutes and when she was done, only one quarter of the deer was left. The rest was just a pile of bloodstained fur and bones.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I looked at the remaining meat left. The amount available for us to eat was measly compared to what Mother had consumed. She looked at the carcass, slightly ashamed that she had left us with rather little to eat. Using her claws, she then proceeded slice the meat as equally as possible, making sure that we had the same amount of meat to avoid the sense of favoritism. I looked at my dinner, hesitating to eat it. The rest of my siblings had already dug into their meal, ripping the flesh into smaller, bite ¨C sized pieces that were small enough for them to consume. I hesitated to follow my siblings¡¯ example. Being once human, the thought of eating raw meat disgusted me. However, my instincts screamed at me to take a bite of the meat, telling me that it would be worth it. In the end, I trusted my instincts and took a bite of the meat. I braced myself for the disgusting flavor of raw meat and blood to assault my taste buds. Instead, I was greeted with a rush of flavors in my mouth. It was so incredibly delicious that my mind went blank for a second. I was shocked by how delicious the meat tasted. The meat tasted sweet, juicy and had a hint of saltiness. It tasted better than anything I had ate on Earth. Because my family was poor, the food I ate was bland and flavorless. The quality of food did not increase even after I became a test subject. My meals in the facility were drugged with body enhancing drugs, giving the food a mediciney taste. I slowly chewed the meat, savoring the delicious taste in my mouth. The milk before was nothing compared to this. After my first bite, I immediately went for another. It wasn¡¯t long before I had consumed everything. I looked at my siblings to see whether they had enjoyed the meal. Their expressions were ones of joy and satisfaction, signaling that they too had savored their meal. Mother looked at us, happy that we had enjoyed our meals. After dinner, our parents played with us for a while and showed us some of their skills. Mother took a few steps back and proceeded to set her fur on fire, illuminating the entire cave. We could feel intense heat radiating from her, causing us to retreat a few steps back while staring at her in wonder and amazement. Fire swirled around her, making her silver fur look red. I instinctively guessed that this was her [Fire coat] skill. For Father, he created a small arc of electricity. It grew bigger and started arcing around in left paw. He then proceeded to punch a large rock in the cave a distance away from us. The result was a resounding BOOM that echoed across the cave and the rock was instantly smashed into pieces. I was surprised by the destructive power of his attack. I deduced that this was his [Lightning strike] skill. While they were showing off their skills, I noticed that both of them kept eyeing me. They tried to do it as discreetly as possible but I still noticed it. When you once lived a life of being monitored and observed for 24 hours a day, you become very sensitive to your surroundings. This is the reason why I noticed that Mother was looking at me before even though my back was turned towards her. I was curious as to why they were doing so. Was it because I looked different from my other siblings? I doubt that was the reason as Mother had already accepted me as her child and Father did not seem to question my appearance. One of his titles was [Anything goes] after all. Before I could get a chance to ask them, Mother announced that it was time for us to sleep. She then ushered us towards an area in the cave that was covered in fur and leaves, creating a soft makeshift bed that made sleeping on it much more comfortable. Once we were all settled down, she sang us a lullaby (how can wolves sing, I don¡¯t know) and snuggled us to sleep. Father just simply swayed his body to match the tempo of her lullaby and promptly fell asleep soon after. I on the other hand, was still awake. I looked at my family whom were sleeping peacefully. I wondered how they could fall asleep so quickly. Looking at how peaceful my parents looked, I decided not to disturb their sleep and put aside my question for the time being. I was sure that I would be able to have my question answered in the near future anyways. I took this time and opportunity to finally appraise my skills which uses are unknown. I did not bother to appraise the rest of my skills as their uses were pretty straight forward. I will look into them some time in the future. *Triing*
[Thou that betrayed you, shalt feel thy wrath] - Those that have betrayed you will be automatically marked permanently by you. You will always know their location no matter where they hide. -The person who is marked will suffer bad luck as long as they live. - Your attacks will deal 100% more damage when you attack a marked person. - The skill is still active even after the betrayer dies. Those marked by you will suffer eternal torture after death. - The curse can only be lifted if you choose to forgive the person.
When I read the description of the skill, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver. The skill was truly overpowered but it was extremely deadly at the same time. I sincerely hope that this skill will never be activated.
[Theory of evolution] - Increases the chances of evolutions and mutations. - Increases the chances of a [Rare], [Variant], [Royal], and [Ancient] evolution.
[Bullshit detector] - Detects bullshit lies by other people.
[Divine Judgement] - When activated, you will be able use divine power to deal an incredible amount of damage to your foes. *All your mana will be consumed* *The more mana you possess, the greater the damage output* - This skill can only be activated only when your health is at 1%. - This skill can only be used by somebody who has a divine affinity. - You will be unconscious for a certain (unspecified) amount of time after using this skill.
[???] *You did not meet the conditions to unlock this skill*
I was satisfied with the skills that I possessed. The skill [Divine Judgement] would be extremely useful when fighting enemies out of my league. However, I would be extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks after using the skill. I decided to call this my *last resort* skill. The skill [Bullshit detector] seemed to be a skill the lie¨Chating god Mithra would give to someone. However, the skill that caught my attention was the skill [Theory of evolution]. The thought of evolving into an overpowered creature excited me. After a while, drowsiness began to overtake me. The sound of cicadas and soft snores entered my ears, making me sleep. My eyelids began to close and I soon drifted off to sleep, dreaming about my new life with my new family. Chapter 6: Ragna Ragna¡¯s POV: Dragging the dead deer with my teeth, I strutted towards my family, leaving a trail of deer blood and entrails on the floor. Alpine immediately looked up, clearly pleased to see me. Her face looked haggard from exhaustion and her stomach growled loudly as she looked at the deer. Poor Alpine, she must have been starving after giving birth to so many pups. I regretted for not coming back earlier. Who knows how long she had to hold her hunger. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Alpine growled, standing up. ¡°I thought I was about to starve back there. ¡° ¡°Hey don¡¯t blame me, I didn¡¯t expect that iron fur stag to be at such a high level. It gave me quite the beating.¡± I pouted. Using [Mind Eye], I managed to find out its level. The iron fur stag¡¯s level was an astonishing level 73. Even though it was 4 levels lower than me, its fur was as hard as iron, causing my attacks to deal little damage. Usually iron fur stags were low level creatures, making them easy-to-kill prey despite their high defense. Thinking that this stag was low leveled like the others, I attacked it without checking its level. I was so surprised when my teeth and claws failed to completely pierce through its hide. It took a lot of biting and slashing (not to mention lightning zapping) to kill that damned deer. "Yeah, yeah." she replied, her interest now fixed on the dead stag. Alpine immediately ran towards the carcass, as if her previous fatigue was gone and began feasting on the dead stag. The sound of cracking bones and tendons ripping reverberated across the cave. I took this time to take a look at my children. There were about 6 pups around Alpine. 3 of the pups had sliver fur while 2 of them had grey fur. They looked incredibly adorable as they snuggled against each other. Alpine truly had given birth to a fine litter. However, what caught my attention was a pup that was looking at Alpine eating. Unlike his siblings, the pup had snow white fur that was tinted golden at the ends. He also possessed a pair of golden eyes. I could sense intelligence deep within them. With his different colored fur and eyes, he stood out amongst his siblings. Could he be a variant? No, that can¡¯t be right. Elemental wolf variants have either pure white or black coats. They also possess blue eyes instead of golden eyes. Could he be that he is a new species? I was curious to find out. ---------- After a few minutes, Alpine finished eating. When she was done, only one quarter of the deer was left. The rest was just a pile of bloodstained fur and bones.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. I looked at the remaining meat left. The amount available for the cubs to eat was measly compared to what she had consumed. Furthermore, they had to split the meat, reducing the portion each cub received. Alpine looked at the carcass, slightly ashamed that she had left them with rather little to eat. Using her claws, she proceeded slice the meat as equally as possible, making sure that each and every pup had the same amount of meat to avoid the sense of favoritism. When the pups received their meal, they immediately dug into their meals, ripping the flesh into smaller, bite ¨C sized pieces that were small enough for them to consume. Well, all the pups except for one. The white furred cub looked at the meat, hesitating to eat it. He then looked at his siblings whom were busy feasting on the meat. For a moment, I thought I could see his cogs turning, debating on whether to eat the meat or not. In the end, he took a bite of the meat. His eyes grew wide as he tasted it. He chewed it slowly, as if he was savoring the taste. I could see from his expression that he really enjoyed the meat. I took this opportunity to ask Alpine what he was. ¡°Hey Alpine,¡± I whispered. ¡°Is that white furred pup a variant or is he a new species?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Ragna. I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± She replied sighing. ¡°I doubt he is a variant. He might be a new species but I doubt so too. He seems to be more like an adult elemental wolf variant that has been reduced to the size of a cub.¡± ¡°However,¡± she continued. ¡°No matter what he is, he is still my son, OUR son. If you are planning to cast him away, just because he looks different, I won¡¯t let you.¡± She growled. Surprised by her sudden aggression, I took a step back. It was rare to see her get worked up like that. I wonder what happened when I was gone. Furthermore, I wasn¡¯t planning to abandon him. I was just curious to know more about him. Maybe he would tell me more about himself in the future, who knows. I turned around to see that the cubs had finished their meal. Alpine looked at the cubs, happy that they had enjoyed their meal. After dinner, we played with them for a while and showed them some of our skills. Alpine showed the cubs her [Fire coat] skill. She lit her fur on fire, illuminating the entire cave. Due to the heat, the pups retreated a few steps back, all while staring at her in wonder and amazement. When it was my turn, I decided to show them my [Lightning strike] skill. When using this skill, my paw will charge up with electricity. When it was fully charged, a forceful blow will be delivered, dealing large amounts of damage and inducing the stun effect to my enemies. When I was showing off my skill, I reduced the amount of electricity used. When it was partially charged, I proceeded to punch a large rock in the cave a distance away from the cubs. When my paw connected with the surface of the rock, the result was a resounding BOOM that echoed across the cave and the rock was instantly smashed into pieces. While we were showing off our skills, we kept casting glances at the white furred pup. Maybe it was because we were curious to know what sort of skills he possessed. I wished that I had an appraisal type skill that allows me to see his status. My skill [Mind Eye] only allows me to see the status of my enemies. After the show, Alpine announced that it was time for us to sleep. She then ushered the pups towards an area in the cave that was covered in fur and leaves, creating a soft makeshift bed that made sleeping on it much more comfortable. Once we were all settled down, she sang us a lullaby and snuggled the pups to sleep. Listening to her soothing voice, I swayed my body to match the tempo of her lullaby. With each verse, I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier. It wasn¡¯t long before I drifted off to sleep.
PS: If there is any grammar mistakes, please write it down in the comments. Thanks! Announcement (not a chapter) I will be on temporary hiatus for about 2 -3 weeks. Going to China for vacation. I will be uploading a chapter right after I return (about 3000 - 6000 words or smth)This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Sorry!