I wake up to the sound of someone screaming, a sense of panic and confusion washed over me. I look around and see the gruesome scene in front of me, with dead bodies of all kinds of animals scattered around me in a circle, my heart begins to race. Another scream draws my attention away from the dead animals, and I see a person screaming and trying to stop their eyes from bleeding. My mind struggled to make sense of what was happening, and I felt scared. I finally find the cause of all this death, hovering over the dying person like an Apathetic God.
A feeling of pride swelled up in my chest as I looked at Skitter just hovering over everything without a care. The screams of the man who is most likely a bandit, based on his attire and the dagger he was holding, interrupted my thoughts again and I started to get annoyed. So, I walked up to the flailing bandit, touched his head, and stopped his heart, silencing the screams immediately. But then, a moment of clarity hits me and I realize that I needed a live human to test my powers on before using them on myself. So, I started the bandit's heart again and just paralyzed him from the neck down.
I called Skitter to me, feeling grateful for her help, and gave her some upgrades by giving her longer legs and a denser exoskeleton using the biomass of the dead animals nearby.
As I searched for dry twigs and leaves to start a fire, my stomach growled loudly, reminding me of how hungry I was. The thought of eating another bland, green biomass paste made me shudder, and I knew I had to find something else to eat.
After a few unsuccessful attempts at trying to start a fire by using two rocks I found I have a brilliant idea and called Skitter over. I asked her to scratch her steel like legs against a rock, and the sparks were enough to start a fire. I quickly roasted some boar meat, and although it was bland, it tasted like heaven after the disgusting paste I had eaten the previous day.
As I sat there, eating the boar meat, the severity of the actions I was about to commit hits me like a sledgehammer. "I've been in this world for less than a day and am already going to experiment on a person, kill him, and use his corpse to make myself stronger." The thought made me feel guilty and uneasy, but I knew that I needed to do everything I could to survive in this harsh world. Despite my moral qualms, I knew I had to be practical and do whatever it took to survive in this new world.
I, after a few minutes of internal debate, decided to adjust my moral compass a bit. "I will try my best to help the people that need it, but it will not be at the expense of my safety."
With that decision made, I approach the paralyzed bandit lying on the ground and start to test my powers. After a few hours, I realized that I wasn't skilled enough in my control yet to mess with sensitive organs like the brain or eyes, but I could definitely make my bones dense enough that a sword would not even leave a mark on them and I could make my muscles strong enough to lift almost anything. While a sword could still cut through my muscles, albeit with some difficulty, my regeneration would fix it in an instant.
To upgrade my bones and muscles, I used the bandit's corpse and almost all the dead animals in the clearing, leaving only a few pieces of boar meat to be eaten later. I then looted the bandit's corpse, found a decent knife, a few copper coins, some clothes, and a satchel to carry everything in.
I packed everything into my new satchel and prepared to leave the forest. I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and fear for the unknown adventures that awaited me in this strange world.
After telling Skitter to stay hidden in the edge of the forest and to come only when I called her, I ventured back into the small town with more confidence than when I left it. I figure that I had put off finding out which stage of the plot I was in for too long, so I went to the most reliable source of information in a medieval town: the local tavern.
As I take a seat at a table in the corner, a friendly waitress approaches me. "What can I get for you, dear?" she asks with a warm smile. I place three copper coins on the table and request the cheapest meal I can get, along with a large mug of water.
The waitress returns shortly with a hearty stew, a pie, and an overflowing mug of water. I ravenously devour the food, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I satisfy my hunger. As I finish, the waitress returns to ask if I need anything else.
"Well, I'm a little lost. Could you tell me what town I'm in?" I ask.
"Oh, you're in Mole's Town," she replies with a kind smile. "Where were you supposed to be?"
"I was on my way to Winterfell when I got a little lost on the way. Could you give me some directions?" I ask, hoping for any bit of information.
"Hoping to see the Northern army come home, are you? You're not that far off. Just take the Kingsroad out of the village. If you leave now on foot, you'll reach Winterfell in two days," the waitress replies with a hint of excitement in her voice.
Even though I am almost sure why there would be an army returning to Winterfell, I feel it is prudent to confirm my suspicions.
"The rebellion is over?" I ask, my heart racing with excitement.
"Haven't you heard? You must have been lost for a long time. The King and the lord paramount's defeated the Greyjoy rebels a moon ago," the waitress explains, a look of concern crossing her face as she realizes how much I have missed.
"I see. Thanks for the stew and the news. Here's another copper," I say, pulling out another coin and placing it on the table as a tip. She gratefully accepts it and returns to the kitchen.
After confirming that I have a few years before the plot could begin, it is time to decide if I should interfere with the plot.
I am torn. On one hand, I am curious about what would happen if I disrupted the events that are already set in motion. It is tempting to see how things would play out if I interfere with the story. On the other hand, I am afraid of the unknown and the potential consequences of my actions.
But as I walk towards the edge of the town, a feeling of excitement begins to grow inside me. I can't shake the feeling that this is my chance to make a difference, to leave my mark on this world.
With a surge of determination, I make my decision. "Fuck it," I say aloud. "It would be boring to keep the plot intact anyway. I'm going to go to Winterfell, and see where the wind takes me."
My heart is racing as I consider the possibilities that lie ahead. I know that this decision will change the course of the story, and there's no telling where it will take me. But that's part of the excitement - the unknown, the potential for adventure.
As I leave the town, I call Skitter to me and tell her to follow me discreetly. I walk along the Kingsroad for a few hours, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety at the prospect of interfering with the plot. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm determined to make the most of my time in this world.
However, my thoughts are interrupted when Skitter notifies me of three bandits lying in wait for me a few meters ahead. My heart races as I prepare myself for a confrontation, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I know that with my abilities, I have the upper hand. I approach the bandits with a sense of confidence and determination, ready to take them on.
I smile and continue walking while mentally commanding Skitter to deal with two of them while I deal with one on my signal. As soon as I get close enough, they jump out of their hiding spots, surrounding me and pointing their swords at me.
"It's your unlucky day, boy," one of them sneers. "Give us all your coin and we might let you keep your head."
I stand tall, my fists clenched at my sides and smile. "You'll try," I say, my voice filled with confidence. "But you will fail."
The bandits looked at each other and chuckle, clearly thinking the boy was an easy target. But I was ready for them. At my command, Skitter emerged from the bushes and attacked two of the bandits, while I focused my attention on the third one.
I moved quickly, dodging his sword strikes effortlessly because of my speed and size. He was skilled, but I had the advantage of my powers and the element of surprise on my side. After dodging one more strike I close the distance and touch his uncovered face, he drops like a puppet with its strings cut off, completely paralyzed.
I turn to check on Skitter and saw that she had already taken down the other bandit. They lay on the ground, their eyes destroyed and holes in their necks.
I loot all of their money and look at the corpses in front of me. Instead of letting all of that biomass go to waste, I start dragging them into the forest and ask Skitter to scout around for an animal, preferably a predator, that I could upgrade. I know that I can't upgrade myself or Skitter anymore without months of practice fine-tuning my powers.
Skitter returns after I have dragged the corpses a bit deeper into the forest and beckons for me to follow her.
As I walk, I come across a shocking sight that fills me with a mix of emotions. A direwolf pitch black in color, half my height, lies on the ground, breathing slowly, with two arrows sticking out of its stomach. I approach the animal cautiously, and as it spots me, it has no energy to do anything other than slightly glare at me.
I slowly reach out to touch it, putting it to sleep and stopping the bleeding. The feeling of relief that the animal is no longer in pain washes over me as I make sure it is asleep. I slowly remove the arrows, making sure not to do any more damage and heal its wounds.
I then loot the corpses of the bandits, finding some more coin and a decent-looking sword. After that I start working on upgrading my new companion, excited at the thought of having another powerful companion by my side.
As I work on the direwolf, I realize that adding any extra organs or appendages to the direwolf would work against the predator who has naturally evolved over time. I feel a sense of respect for the animal's natural abilities and decide to give it basic upgrades, such as stronger muscles, denser bones, and sharper teeth. I also make it almost twice as big as it originally was, using all the biomass the bandits provided.
Just like that, after a few hours of work, I have a huge, overgrown dog that is trying to lick my face. I had always wanted a dog in my previous life but my dad did not like dogs so it never happened.
"You shall be named Fenrir, because my creativity in naming leaves much to be desired."
The feeling of affection and bonding towards my new companion washes over me as I calm it down and mentally give it a command to go and test its new body while trying to hunt something. After Fenrir runs off into the woods, I notice that it's almost dark, so I start looking for twigs to start a fire. I find a nice clearing not too deep in the forest and start a fire with the help of Skitter, and just in time, Fenrir comes back dragging a dead deer bigger than him with his mouth. The sight of the proud animal with its big catch fills me with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
I whistle in amazement at the size of the deer, and it drops the animal at my feet and sits down like the good boy it is. I pat its head affectionately for a job well done and separate the good meat from the animal to be cooked over the fire.
Just as I am resting while waiting for the meat to cook, Skitter, who had been flying over the trees, informs me of some people running in the direction of my temporary camp. My heart starts racing and my mind instantly goes into flight mode, but then I remember that I have powers now, and I have Skitter and Fenrir with me. So, with confidence in my ability to survive, my curiosity wins over, and I decide to go see who they are.