Chapter 3 - Aftermath and Backlash

Once the fight was over the blue tint receded, and I felt like my body was my own again. However, immediately after I fell, the injuries of my fight finally caught up to me.

I opened my right eye only for my left eye to close on its own a second later. I tried opening it again but it wouldn't move, as if I was trying to open a locked door. Immediately, I thought about what happened a few moments ago, especially the voice's words right before it happened.

-Thanks, you saved me. But why didn't you do that before I got hurt?

'...'

-Hello?

'...'

-Hellooo-

'Cough, cough, shut...up...cough cough... for... a second...please.'

-What happened? Why do you sound like that?

'I...di-di-didn't...cough, cough....want to use that right...now.'

-That? What do you mean by that?

'Me...taking control...over your body. And using...my powers'

-Those were your powers?

'Yes...I managed to remember a...bit during that fight. I could...cough...only use a bit of my...power but it seems...it was enough for these...wolves.'

-Your power? So, what exactly can that power do? How did time stop? What were those glowing things?

'I can give you...some basic information regarding your surroundings, enemies...and yourself. Plus, I can give you higher processing power. That...is why it looked like time had stopped when I took control...over your body. It was merely you processing things faster which resulted in them looking slower. Of course, though, ...that effect will be way worse when you use it, it was merely...that strong because I took control over your body. Don't expect me...to do that again anytime soon...Not only will I receive a backlash, but your eye will become unusable for a bit...and your brain will start frying'

-What do you mean by my brain will start-ARGHHHH

It was only after it stated that, that I actually felt the immense pain coming from my head in the form of a headache. I was so focused on my bodily injuries that I didn't even pay attention to my brain.

-Fuck, so what do we do now?

'We have to...get away from here first. The smell of blood will probably attract...more beasts. We have to do...2 things. First, stop your bleeding. You are...still bleeding from your arms and especially that wound...on your torso. You won't die any time soon from it...but you will lose a lot of your strength...and eventually die from blood loss if we don't...stop that. Second, you need to...take some food.'

-Take some food? From where?

'From where? You have...3 sources of food right... in front of you.'

-The wolves' bodies? But how will I get food from them?

'Try to open your left eye. I will...give you the information about what to do.'

I listened to the voice's advice and tried opening my left eye. It took about 3 seconds of trying before it finally faintly trembled, and then another 3 seconds before it fully opened.

However, opening it barely served any purpose. After all, everything was so blurry that if I closed my right eye I might as well call myself a blind person. Not only was it blurry, but my vision was also filled with blood, blood originating from my eye. It seems that that power put a great strain on my eye.

'Good. Now, do you see the wolf in front of you? The one...with the open mouth staring right at you? I have highlighted...the fang with the weakest connection to the gum. You will have...to first pull off that tooth. Though, this will be very hard...as your arms are in no state to exert the force necessary for...doing this task. You will have...to use your feet.'

-How am I supposed to do that with my feet?

'There is only...really one way. Get in front of it, put one of your feet on the head of the wolf, or at least what's...left of the head after our last attack..., then...start hitting that specific fang until it gets dislodged. Don't worry, that attack really...damaged its head a lot. It won't take that many kicks to dislodge the tooth.'

I couldn't think of a better alternative so I could only do that. I got up, after a few failed attempts, due to the fact that I couldn't help myself up with my arms and my legs were still wobbly, walked to the smashed head of the wolf, put my left foot on its head, and started kicking. It took a solid 30 seconds of weak kicks for the fang to finally fall off.

'Good, now, pick it up, go on the...left side of the wolf, turn it over so that its underbelly is facing your face, and then, ...using the fang, cut off the fur and skin. You can use that...to wrap it around your wounds. Then, cut off a piece of meat. Small enough so that you can...carry it in one arm.'

I picked up the fang and proceeded to do the task. It hurt a lot to exert the strength necessary, but I could only move on. After all, I can understand that I'm short on time, both because of the threat of other beasts and the threat from my own wounds.

Once I was done cutting the fur and skin, I proceeded to wrap them around my arms and torso. Although they were hastily done with poor materials, at least it stopped some of the blood leaking out for now. Then, I cut off a piece of meat.

'Good, now, get away from there...right now. Just start...running in a random direction. We need to take shelter somewhere until...both of us recover. Try to find...a cave or something'

I started running in the direction opposite of where I first started walking before those wolves attacked me. And it was a good choice, because once I was around 40 meters away, already in the forest, I heard the sound of other beasts from where I was once before.

Had I been a minute too late, those beasts would have not 3 but 4 bodies to eat.I ran for about 5 minutes when the voice started talking again.

'Wait, those 2 rocks I highlighted, pick them up'

-Pick them up? The rocks? why?

'We will need them...to start a fire. Eating that meat raw will...do you no good'

I couldn't understand how the voice expected to start a fire from 2 rocks but I complied, after all, till now, it had never been wrong...Although that doesn't say much because it hasn't even been 10 minutes since I started hearing it.

I ran for another 5 minutes before I finally found a cave.

'Good, now, pick up some fallen... leaves and tree branches around and head into the cave.'

I picked up those items and headed into the cave. By this point, I was barely conscious, the exhaustion of the fight and running plus my injuries fully draining my stamina.

'Now, put them in one...pile, although set aside that big and girthy stick, get the 2 rocks, and clash them against one another above the pile'

Still not understanding where this was going, I did that, only to be amazed once I saw a spark fly out of the rocks and land on the pile, which then caused a chain reaction that set the pile ablaze. Wow, so this is what fire looks like.

'What do you mean by this is what fire looks...like? It's as if you've never seen one. ... Wait, have you ever seen one...before'

-Hmm? Strange, I think I know what a fire is, but I can't remember ever seeing one. Wait, I can't remember anything for that matter. So how do I know what a fire is?

'I think...I have a theory for that, but...that we can talk about that later. Now, you need to eat.'

-Oh yeah...Uuumh, I have a question.

'Ask'

-How do I eat?

'...'

-...

'...'

-...

'Sigh... Pick up that stick you set aside...before, pierce it through the piece of meat, put it above the fire, and wait. Rotate it a bit as well'

I picked up the stick and the meat and set the meat above the fire. It took about 3 minutes before the voice started talking again.

'That's enough, you won't stay conscious any longer, although it is still a bit raw, it's edible. Now, just bite into it with your teeth, chew, and gulp it down.'

I did as instructed and bit into it. Although, I have to say, it didn't taste great. It was taken hastily, so it still had patches of skin and even fur on it. Plus the fact that it was still very raw only worsened it. But worst of all was that for some reason it was very hard in the center of it and that part had a...woody taste to it?

'You idiot, don't eat the stick. Eat...around it.'

-Oh.

Yeah, now it tastes a bit better. After I had eaten it whole, I finally couldn't hold on anymore and laid down, ready to pass out.

I had a plethora of questions left unanswered swarming my head, like why I can't remember anything yet still somehow know some things, who I am, where I am, and a bunch of other questions.

I knew that I would probably get some of them somewhat answered from what the voice said, but still, there was one question I had to get answered before I fainted.

-Hey, I couldn't ask earlier, but, what should I call you? Do you have a name?

'Wow, I'm surprised this is the question you were dying to get an...answer for. Hmm, I can't really remember my name just like you but I still can remember 3 letters. You can just call me by them. From now on, you can call me... Mai. Now...Good Night.'