'Hmn...'
I woke up groaning, my body feelin' like numbing TV static and an unhealthy dose of full body phantom pain.
Most of my senses felt muffled in a way. Ears ringing, I could barely hear all the noise. I smelt the faint scent of dirt? M' not sure, don't care. Can't even speak either.
Only thing working for me was my mind. Little disorienting, but I can still think.
So I opted to just go and try to open my eyes first while I wait for my body to wake up.
I barely managed to force open my damn eyes with how heavy they felt. Even as I opened them, it was blurry.
All cloudy and shit. Is this what people who need glasses see without them? I have to give them more respect for what they go through.
I decided to just close my eyes back and just wait a couple of minutes for my body to wake up.
Until then, I wonder if the Systa—
[Good evening, Host. I am here at your will.]
'What. I didn't get to–alright.' I won't question how they read my thoughts.
'System, what the hell happened to me? And what's happening to me right now? Everything in my body ain't working.' I asked the System.
Now that I actually think about it, I remember most of what happened to me back at that boring afterlife void thing.
I remember ignoring the last few things the System said. What was it...? I'm pretty sure it was along the lines of 'Commencing co...' and something something.
After that, was the pain that was similar to my, uh, first life's death. Then suddenly, there was... there was a familiar calm and comfort. I remember a hand holding me? It was familiar. After that I...
I don't remember.
...
Maybe it wasn't important. Even if it feels wrong not to know.
I don't wanna think about it.
[Currently, your soul is still trying to integrate itself within your new body. You will need to rest for approximately, 30 minutes.] The System replied.
'My new body?' Well, they did say I'll get reincarnated. It's obvious I won't look the same.
[Previously, you have been put into a comatose state.]
'Wait, what?'
[You have been put into a comatose state.]
'You're tellin' me, all that pain... was to put me in a coma?! I can't fucking believe it. All that?'
[Yes.]
'Couldn't you give me a warning?! I was actually going to go to take a nap at that time and you ruined it!'
[Unfortunately, that would have made you wary, Host. And that would lead to an inability to put you to sleep. I apologize for the painful inconvenience, but it was necessary for you, Host. I promise to not initiate anything that involves you without your consent.]
'I...' I do whatever was the thought equivalent of a sigh. Let me just think about this.
I never really stayed angry for long, it's exhausting and not worth a dime if it's towards something that can't be fixed.
Especially if it's towards some mind-melding, body removing, soul relocating, reincarnating System thing that comes to you in the afterlife and offers you a second chance to live.
Actually, they didn't really 'offer' me a second chance. They just said I will get a second chance. No reject option.
I guess that's on me. I did accept it and went with the flow.
Still, how the hell would I even compare to whatever the fuck that is? I'm just a rando.
I basically owe the System. And I can't really get mad at them if they thought it was necessary. Plus, they apologized and promised to not repeat it. Although...
'Don't make promises you can't keep, System. You'll have ta prove it to me later on. I forgive you. Just make sure to ask me first, alright?'
[Yes. I will, Host.]
'Good. Thank you.' Now what should I do with the extra few minutes that, to be honest, will take a long time.
Hm, another nap? Or should I talk with System? Maybe I can ask System to set up a timer, I'll wake up when this soul fiasco is done.
'System?'
[Yes?]
'Can you wake me up when my soul is, uh, done? I'm taking another nap.'
[Of course. Timer has been set. You can rest assured, Host. No harm shall threaten you while you are... "dead" asleep.]
Was that a pun? Well, they're trying. 'Heh, nice. Remember, I trust you.'
I don't have a choice but to do so anyway.
I closed my eyes and took a nap... Again.
....
— • • • —
On the rise of the three moons, that shined its pitiful, tiny rays through the thick clouds, between the branches and leaves of the tall, dark trees.
Shining moonlights upon the forest of death and desperation.
A calm, gentle whisper of winds. The sign of fall, summer reaching its end in a few days time.
A slight haze that formed too early, covered the forest. Calming, and allowing none outside to see the once, intense battle that had taken place. Leaving only traces of it.
As if nothing had happened.
Giving it a facede of a calm, beautiful, dimly lit night in a dark forest.
In the center of all that once existed, a river glistens, pieces of ice flowing within its waters.
Ways away from the river, there laid within blood, guts and ice, was a corpse. Long dead and gone from the world. Including its opponent. Brought down with them.
Not too far behind the bloodied corpse, laid under the shades of a damaged tree, was a curled up and hardly seen creature of hunger and greed.
Laying there, sleeping, without a care in the world.
Heh. Crazy, right?
And now, they wake.
— • • • —
[Host, please wake up.]
Said Host only stirred. The System takes another, much louder approach.
[Wake up, wake up, wake up, wa—]
'Yeah, I'm up! I'm up. Now stop repeating, it gives me the creeps.' Even so, I was still on the ground of whatever I'm laying on.
Right now, all of my senses seem... muted. I don't feel like any sudden shit is about to jump out at me. So maybe it's time to stop hesitating and really wake up.
The moment I opened my eyes, I was hit with everything.
The sheer contrast of once not being able to smell, feel, hear, and see would've given me whiplash with what I'm experiencing right now.
'I jinxed myself.'
I feel everything in absolute detail, it's fuckin' overwhelming.
I can smell the scent of dirt, the familiar metallic smell of blood, the scent of nature and other smells that I don't recognize. It's so detailed, it's almost like I could taste them on my tongue.
I feel the texture of the solid wet earth on my side, the subtle wind blowing over my body. What seems like my, uh, hair? Anyway, I feel each strand of hair moving along as I began to stirr.
I hear the sound of flowing water in a river, which, sounded like crashing waves. I can hear the wind blowing, the sounds of crickets from what seemed like miles away. Heck, I think I hear the sound of a butterfly fluttering its wings.
And then, what I see.
And holy shit, it's like someone gave me HD mixed with 4K... Uh, what was it? Was it graphics or camera lenses...? Er, whatever is better than normal lenses for eyes. I don't know jack-shit about either of 'em.
I can see everything in excruciating detail. I can see every grain of dirt that was close to the side of my face. I can see the falling leaves of the trees far off over the river. I can see a weird looking snail moving on a tree branch.
I can see every detail of the bone-y snout in between my–Wait a second, somethin' ain't right about this...
I started to get up and man, does it feel so good to finally do something without getting fucking tortured for it.
As I got up with my hands, I notice they weren't the same calloused or scarred hands I was used to seeing. No missing fingers, either.
'Something isn't right at all.' I ignored most of my surroundings and focused on my... new hands? From the wrist, all the way to the palms and the tips of my fingers, all of them were... skinny. Almost bones.
Not only just that, the skin on them was so tight I could almost see the shape of the bones and everything else. They all looked rather fragile, like sticks and stones could easily break them.
I noticed there weren't any nails on my fingers, but I felt like there are things inside my fingers. It was an instinctive kind of feeling, telling me to flex the muscles in my hand and something useful will pop up.
So I did just that, flexed the muscles in my hand. Sharp bones the shape of claws popped out the the tips of my fingers like a pen, or like a cat's claws.
And what's more shocking was the fact that, it didn't look wrong to me. As if it was the most normal, natural thing to see and do.
'That's it, I need a mirror. Right the fuck now.'
I turned to the river that I heard and was nearby to where I was napping and walked over to it. Hearing what sounds like hooves hitting stone when I got to the rocky part of the river made me realize, as I looked down, I had literal hooves for feet. It made me rush to the running water to really see what the fuck is going on.
'What in the...?!'
When I reached and took a look at my reflection on the water, I was met with a deer skull. Or a dog's skull? Ugh, whatever the hell it is.
Even so, I didn't flinch at the sight, which was the most surprising thing. Again, as if it was natural.
Raising a hand to the caress my, face... or head. From the top, where there are tiny bumps, to the small but sharp teeth. I dragged my fingers across my teeth, hearing the sound of it, and feeling their smooth cone-shape on my fingers.
I didn't exactly feel my hand running across my face and teeth, only that I felt it in my hand. It's what I imagine a bird would feel if you caressed its beak. Faint, but not completely unfeeling.
'So this is me...' As I stared into the darkness of my empty eye sockets like it was clear as day, as if it wasn't nighttime, that very thought seemed almost impossible.
But, then again.
Dying then getting reincarnated wasn't something I thought possible.
Yet here I am.
But did it have to reincarnate me into a... skinny dog? A small bone-y deer...? A very hairy, with some feathers, hunched over... thing?
'What the hell am I?'
[You are a baby Wendigo.]
'Hm, a Wendigo, aye...'
Instead of thinking about my new self, while I glanced at a floating piece of ice running with the river's current, I thought about something else, something bad.
It's the terrible, horrible, terrifying need to make a bad, baad pun.
'Hey, System.'
[Yes?]
'Ice to meet you.'
[...]
I began to chuckle. A few quiet wheezes of air puffing out.
[...sigh.]
After I had my need for puns sated, there was another need that hit me harder than a punch to the face.
Pure, absolute, hunger.
[Host, you must find a food source immediately.] System warned.
'Damn, it's that bad?'
[Yes, very bad. It is top priority.]
'Well shit.'
If this is bad enough to make the System straight up tell me I have to eat, I'll ask all the important questions later. Food comes first.
I remembered I smelled the scent of blood somewhere while I was processing the sudden overflow of senses. Maybe if I...
I took a sniff, and I got exactly what I needed. Blood, detailed.
It was fresh, and dead, at least a few hours old. Big and close. Perfect, it's not far behind me too. Delicious...
'Wait, what? How did I know that from a single sni–?' A deep growl from the stomach made itself known.
[I will answer your questions later, Host. For now, please, you must eat. Your survivability depends on that.]
'Alright, I'll get to it.'
I turned to be hehind me followed and found the source of where the scent came from. Exactly like I dissected; Dead, fresh, big, and close.
And I headed towards my first meal in this world.