After a while, I managed to get to the forest. It was already dark.
My back was still bleeding and the loss of blood made my mind wander.
"Fuck that goblin." (Usagi)
The wound he inflicted on me is certainly not lethal as it did not pierce any organs, but I will die at this rate anyway.
Incidentally, I'm still eating this guy's soul. I felt as if my existence grew stronger, while his own was weakening.
It is a strange sensation that I had never experienced in my past life.
Although not unpleasant, it still makes me uncomfortable.
'What should I do?' (Usagi)
In any case, I have no time to waste. This body would die at this rate, so I should find a new one or try to stop the bleeding.
Since I am greedy and wanted to obtain the abilities of this goblin, I chose the second option.
Also, I don't want to get used to leaving hosts just because they were going to die. More so if they are still "alive".
If I did that with a human in the future, I would no longer be a human myself ... although I think I stopped being one long ago.
With that plan in mind, I started looking for healing herbs or flowers that I could find with Appraisal.
≪Common Looking Herb (Good for making tea)≫
≪Common Colorful Flower (Excellent for making bouquets)≫
≪Common Green Herb (Ideal for fertilizing plants and trees)≫ ...
. . .
Time passed and when I was reaching my limit, I finally found a ray of hope.
≪Common Healing Herb (Stops bleeding)≫
I ignored that message and immediately plucked the grass from the ground.
Then when I was about to apply it to my injured back, I heard a nasty sound.
Howl! (???)
However, I did not hear it just once, but several times. It made me shiver.
Yes, it was a pack of wolves. I used Appraisal out of reflex.
≪Black Wolf Lv. 30 (Beast, 3 years old)≫
≪Black Wolf Lv. 55 (Beast, 5 years old)≫
≪Black Wolf Lv. 42 (Beast, 4 years old)≫
≪Black Wolf Lv. 10 (Beast, 1-year-old)≫
≪Black Wolf Lv. 26 (Beast, 2 years old)≫ ...
I could count about ten of them with a quick glance. The moonlight illuminated their bright yellow eyes.
'Is this my end?' (Usagi)
Even if this body was in his best condition, there is no way that an elite goblin could defeat ten wolves alone, even if half of them were weaklings ...
Once I knew that I tried to escape hastily, but they wouldn't let me.
They already made a circle around me and I couldn't find an opening so I ran towards the weakest of them.
'I'm sorry, but I can't die yet!' (Elite Goblin)
I really didn't want to kill a wolf pup because he looked so cute, but I was left with no other choice ...
As if reading my movements beforehand, they came closer faster than I expected. So this is truly my end, huh?
I'm glad I didn't take that pup's life ...
The wolves began to bite my limbs and neither I nor what was left of this goblin's soul had the will or the strength to fight.
In that moment of great peril, I heard something unexpected before several messages appeared in front of me.
'Thank you ... ' (Elite Goblin)
I saw a memory of the elite goblin flash through my head. He lived with his tribe in a nearby forest.
Everything was at peace.
They hunted what they needed and repelled the human adventurers successfully multiple times.
This goblin was their leader. He was both wise and strong.
This memory ends when robed people suddenly invaded his dwelling and a man grabbed the head of this goblin with one of his hands.
This happened before all the massacres in which he participated.
'I see. So you weren't a bad goblin after all ... ' (Usagi)
His soul was still strong enough to withstand my consumption, but he willingly gave me the rest.
When his memories finished running through my head, we were already on the brink of death.
Before closing my eyes for the last time in this body, I saw something that made me despair.
'Noooo! My dreams as a man are falling apart!' (Usagi)
. . .
But I wasn't dead yet.
If my soul was normally a sphere of bright blue light, it was now becoming increasingly dim.
I felt like I had lost an arm and a leg and couldn't move the way I wanted.
This was worse than the moment when I just couldn't "breathe" and my "heart" was being crushed. Different sensations of pain crossed my soul.
'Damn, those wolves are already gone.' (Usagi)
It seems like some time passed before my soul was released from the goblin's body.
I looked down and saw mostly bones. That's what was left of him. Other than that, his equipment that was in poor condition was now broken and scattered around his corpse.
'Hahaha. Am I going to die here?' (Usagi)
I tried to be optimistic, but couldn't. I have no skill or ability to heal my soul without having a body.
Also, if my former speed was as fast as a walking person, now I was as "fast" as a tortoise.
When I was about to lose hope, a little wolf came up to where I was. It was the wolf pup that I didn't kill before.
Growl. "Whimper." (Black Wolf Pup)
It seems that he is hungry. Also, there is something different about him compared to the others, but my vision is too blurry to know what.
'Didn't he just eat a part of this goblin? Did the adult wolves eat it all?' (Usagi)
I didn't have the strength or the time to care about him or even appraise him, so I used Possession before "passing out."
. . .
Thus, I had a "dream".
I was a black wolf pup in it, but there was something different about me.
The other pups did not want to play with me and even the adults treated me badly.
I didn't always have food left for me.
They didn't want to share their prey with me, even if I helped hunt it.
My parents weren't here anymore. They were the only ones who loved me.
'I miss them so much ... ' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
But they will not return. They were hunted by humans half a year ago.
When that happened, I wanted to avenge them, but I was too weak.
'I hate humans!' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
They always do what they want when they want. This is not the first time that members of our pack have been killed.
Humans use things like traps to divide us. Some want to rescue our trapped family, while others just want to escape.
'I hate this pack!' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
I'm a year old now and should be strong enough to hunt down a weak human myself, but I'm always hungry.
I'm bad at hunting on my own and I hardly ever get food from my uncles, so I'm smaller and weaker than my cousins.
Then, I went to a small creek and saw myself, as expected, my appearance had not changed.
'Maybe if I were not different, they would give me more to eat like they do with the others ... ' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
My body had different red lines covering it, a dark red mane and my eyes were bright orange. I looked very different from the other pups.
My parents said that I was special, that I would become stronger than my peers, but that has not happened.
'Did they tell me a lie?' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
I wanted to cry. Life is unfair!
. . .
The days passed. Although I don't know how many.
I was still next to this pup (although more like inside her).
We were near the stream that she likes to drink water from. The moon was shining brightly. It was as white and round as the one in my previous world.
If there was one difference though. It would be that I can feel some kind of power emanating from it.
The other members of the pack were close together while she was quite far away from them. It was not because she wanted to be, but that others hated her presence.
I honestly want to know why they have isolated her.
Things like this tend to happen in the wild, but these wolves are smarter than the ones in my old world.
They should know that this wolf pup has the potential to grow much stronger. She is a variant after all.
No matter how much I think about this, I can't find an answer ...
Anyway, it seems like my soul hasn't fully recovered yet.
I also thought that this wolf was a "he" at first, but I eventually found out that it was a "she".
There were days when she managed to hunt down weak prey.
They didn't even count as beasts, they were just animals so she still didn't get stronger.
But she succeeded in killing a beast yesterday ...
Sadly, it was the horned rabbit's beloved female friend.
'I am sorry, Horned Rabbit! I couldn't stop her!' (Usagi)
I hope that the souls I have devoured will properly go to Heaven ...
If they do, then the Horned Rabbit pair will see each other again. If they don't ...
I do not want to think about that ...
Depressing topics aside, I think I've almost completely healed. I can feel it.
As if waiting for my thoughts to end, several messages suddenly appeared in the air.
I'm sure this pup couldn't see them because she didn't react in any way when they appeared.
I immediately appraised it without looking at my status.
≪Soul Share (Lv. 1). The user will be able to communicate with the host fluently and share a part of his strength with it. The more trust they have with each other, the stronger this skill will become.≫
This is a good skill. I should try to use it on this wolf. Hopefully, she won't fight and try to expel my soul or hate my company.
I have grown tired of being alone ... I have no family, friends, or even companions here ...
Also, I shouldn't mention that I was once human. That would make her hate me to the "bones" ... Cough! Not that I have any.
'Okay, I'm ready! Let's try!' (Usagi)
. . .
Slowly but surely, our souls connected.
But she did not fight. I could feel that she was more curious than angry with me.
'Hi! My name is Usagi!' (Usagi)
She listened to my thoughts and was confused.
'What are you? A rabbit?' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
Her words had complicated emotions behind them. I felt like she would fight if I didn't respond the way she wanted.
'You could say that I'm a soul ... Anyway, I want to make a deal with you!' (Usagi)
She grew wary of my first words but wondered about the deal I wanted to talk about. She is really like a little girl.
'Soul? What is that? What is this "deal" about?' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
I was glad that my words reached her and I felt that we could truly communicate with each other.
'Don't worry about me being a soul. It means I don't have a body, that's why I'm here with you ... Before we talk about the deal, tell me. What's your name?' (Usagi)
I couldn't hear any wolves say her name as most of them just ignored her and the others insulted her for being different.
Also, I felt it was better to ask her this than to try to figure it out myself.
'I ... I don't remember ... My parents gave me one, but no one has called me by my name in a long time ... ' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
'I see ... ' (Usagi)
So that's what happened ... I opened my status. Maybe I can see her name here.
≪??? (Usagi)≫
Race: Beast (Spirit)
Species: Black Wolf [Variant] (Wandering Soul)
Gender: Female (None)
Age: 1 (0)
Level: 15 (25)
≪Inherent skills≫
Sharp Fangs Lv. 2 (Passive), Sharp Claws Lv. 2 (Passive), Darkvision Lv. 1 (Passive)
[Possession Lv. 3 (Active), Soul Eater Lv. 3 (Active), Soul Guard Lv. 2 (Passive), Assimilation Lv. 1 (Active), Soul Share Lv. 1 (Active)]
≪Active skills≫
Bite Lv. 2, Charge Lv. 1
[Appraisal Lv. 3, Charge Lv. 3, Ambush Lv. 2]
≪Passive skills≫
Wolf Language Lv. 3, Quick Thinking Lv. 1, Escape Lv. 2, Evade Lv. 1, Increased Intelligence Lv. 1, Increased Movement Speed Lv. 2
[Lunaria Kingdom Language Lv. 3, Goblin Language Lv. 5, Shortsword Mastery Lv. 4, Club Mastery Lv. 2, Leadership Lv. 1, Quick Thinking Lv. 1, Night Vision Lv. 5, Danger Sense Lv. 3, Stealth Lv. 3, Climbing Lv. 3, Evade Lv. 4, Escape Lv. 3, Increased Piercing Power Lv. 2, Increased Dexterity Lv. 1, Experience Boost Lv. 1, Etiquette Lv. 1]
She is really weak. If she were to fight a super-strong horned rabbit right now, she might even lose ... She is a smart pup though.
Also, my hopes of finding her name were in vain. She is similar to me and the elite goblin.
When you can't remember your name, it doesn't appear in your status window.
'If she doesn't have a name anymore, I'll give her one!' (Usagi)
'Did you say something?' (Black Wolf Pup)
So she can hear me when I think too much "out loud"? Good to know. Better not think of anything that could make her angry ...
'I'll give you a new name! How about it?' (Usagi)
I could feel her mind wander.
'I am not sure ... ' (Black Wolf Pup)
In times like these, one should be a bit persuasive.
'I'll give you one even if you don't want to!' (Usagi)
Maybe I was too persuasive. Haha ... Sigh.
' ... Okay.' (Black Wolf Pup)
But it worked!
'I know you don't like the way you look ... But how about Ember?' (Usagi)
She didn't know what an ember was, but she still got angry at my suggestion.
'I hate it! I don't like to be different! Leave me alone!' (Black Wolf Pup)
<'Assimilation' cannot be used on a struggling host!>
No, don't do it. I will make her accept her new name! Even if I have to force her!
'Wait! Don't fight or I'll kill you! I'm serious!' (Usagi)
Was I always this forceful? Are the memories of the elite goblin affecting my personality? I don't know, but ...
After a few moments, I managed to calm her down that way.
'I think Ember is a cute name!' (Usagi)
'Cute?' (Unusual Black Wolf Pup)
'That's right. It's a very lovely name.' (Usagi)
She finally conceded after I persuaded her a bit more.
'Okay. Then ... my new name is Ember.' (Ember)
She was wagging her tail happily. I was also very happy like her.
Although, if I had a face right now, I'd be sweating too ... That was close ...
'You are a good girl, Ember.' (Usagi)
I want to pat her head. I'm sure it's pretty soft and fluffy ...
'Now, let's talk about that deal ... ' (Usagi)