CHAPTER 05……………………………………………….
2. Encounter with the Unknown
Encounter with the Unknown #1
“—.”
“—. —.”
I heard sounds I couldn’t understand. They were clearly different from the roars or howls of beasts I had heard so far.
I wasn’t certain, but they were definitely a language—speech with intent. Different voices were talking to one another.
Crouched in the bushes, I cautiously crept toward the source of the sound.
From beyond the thick undergrowth, I could sense at least three or four presences. If I moved just a little closer, I should be able to identify what they were.
So there really are humans?
Relief and happiness flashed through my mind—followed immediately by anxiety. If you’re mysteriously stranded in a forest and encounter other humans, you’d call that a stroke of incredible luck.
But that was when I was still human. Even if I thought like a person now, wouldn’t my outward appearance look no different from a beast or a monster?
And judging by the fact that I couldn’t understand their language, it was unlikely they’d understand mine either.
There’s no guarantee they won’t attack me.
If I were human, I wouldn’t be confident I could stay calm after seeing some strange creature that might be a dog, a cat, or maybe even a lizard.
The thought “This could be dangerous if things go wrong” clashed with “This might be a huge opportunity for survival.” My mind wavered back and forth.
After a brief struggle, I made my decision.
The curiosity swelling inside me overcame my fear and anxiety.
Slowly, I raised my body and peeked out past the bushes. Only my eyes and pointed ears were exposed, so the risk of being noticed seemed low.
What… is that?
I twitched my brow at the sight before me. All my worries about how to deal with humans vanished in an instant.
“—.”
“—. —.”
In the middle of what looked like broken stone slabs and ancient ruins, a fire had been lit, and several figures were milling about it.
They stood on two legs and held tools in their hands—something that would normally qualify them as human. But no matter how I looked at them, I couldn’t accept them as such.
They were far better described as non-humans or demi-humans.
Ash-gray and green skin, strangely split mouths, long ears, sharp teeth, and leather garments wrapped around their bodies.
Their height was roughly the same as mine when standing on two legs. Small horns protruded from their foreheads, and something like a mane—fur or hair—grew from their heads.
What the hell are those!?
They might have been this world’s version of humans, but I felt none of the familiarity or comfort I would associate with my own kind.
If I searched my memories from my roughly twenty years of life, they were closest to what I’d call imps or goblins.
A creeping, instinctive revulsion made me shudder.
Tap, tap.
A dull pounding sound echoed. One of them, wearing a bizarre animal skull over its face, was striking a rock with a long wooden stick.
In rhythm with the pounding, the others made strange noises. I guessed it might be accompaniment, a chant, or perhaps some kind of religious ritual.
What should I do?
I hesitated.
If they’d been humans as I expected, I could’ve chosen to reveal myself or flee depending on the situation. I never imagined creatures like these would appear.
I studied them more carefully.
There were five in total. If a fight broke out, I wasn’t sure I could win.
They knew how to make fire, and while crude, they used tools like wooden clubs and leather clothing. Retreating instead of taking a gamble might have been the smarter choice.
Still, my feet wouldn’t move.
They look weaker than that wolf, at least…
I swallowed hard. My eyes kept drifting to the meat sizzling over the fire.
The slime I ate earlier was long since digested. I’d only had a taste of wolf meat—hardly enough to call it a meal.
That looks good…
I didn’t know what kind of animal it was, but the timing was perfect. The smell of roasted meat gently tickled my nose.
Still, five is probably too many.
As I agonized over the roasting meat and the imps, I picked up a small stone.
I didn’t know how strong I really was, so as annoying as it was, I decided to use my head instead.
Let’s hope this works.
I tossed the stone far away from the imps. It wasn’t meant to hit them—it was bait, meant to draw their attention elsewhere.
“—.”
“—.”
They muttered something, but didn’t react much. Maybe the stone hadn’t made much noise when it landed in the grass.
This time, I picked up a much larger rock—something closer to a chunk of stone than a pebble. After putting strength into my arm, I hurled it far to the right.
Thud.
The heavy impact echoed through the forest.
The hand striking the rock stopped abruptly.
“—?”
“—.”
Startled by the sudden noise, they looked at one another, making strange sounds. I worried for a moment that I’d been discovered—but thankfully, a few of them began moving toward where the rock had landed.
As their attention shifted to the right, I lowered my posture as much as possible and crept toward the left side of the fire.
My heart pounded with the urgency of not being discovered and the tension of doing something terribly wrong.
I suppressed even my breathing, crawling forward inch by inch.
I pictured the three-eyed wolf that had stalked me from the bushes for days.
I hadn’t noticed it hiding there until I was about to fall from the trees trying to escape the spider.
If something half my size could manage that, then so could I.
As I crawled forward, clinging to that optimistic thought, strange text appeared before my eyes.
【Achievement “Watch Your Back” unlocked.】
【Reward acquired: Skill 《Silent Movement》.】
Oh…
I was impressed, even if I didn’t fully understand what was happening. Whatever it was, it clearly helped in this situation.
The faint sound of my footsteps vanished completely, as if someone had pressed a mute button.
With this, I might actually pull it off.
I increased my crawling speed. The imps who went to check the stones could return at any moment.
Moving silently on all fours, I slipped out of the bushes and hid behind large square stone slabs.
From behind the massive stone, I observed the situation only a few meters away.
Three of them—including the one wearing an animal skull and two holding wooden clubs—were guarding the fire and scanning their surroundings.
I picked up another stone, crouched low like an underhand pitcher, and threw it far away.
Crack.
The stone struck wood or rock, making a loud noise.
“—!”
The skull-wearing imp reacted instantly, snapping its head around.
“—!”
It pointed its thin, bony fingers in various directions. The other two, seemingly taking orders, trudged off where it pointed.
Before I knew it, only the skull-wearing imp remained by the fire.
Judging by its behavior and appearance, it was clearly the leader—or something close to it.
Staying alone in such a suspicious situation meant either it hadn’t anticipated an ambush…
…or it was confident it could handle one on its own.
Hoping it was just stupid, I crawled up behind it. A cold wind rustled the branches of the forest.
Using the moment when small sounds were masked by the wind, I accelerated.
Once I was right behind it, I stood up on two legs, raised both forelimbs, and swung them down like a hammer.
Crack.
The bone helmet shattered into fragments and scattered into the grass. The imp let out a strange cry and collapsed to the ground.
I’m stronger than I thought…
I was surprised at my own strength. Knocking down a giant wolf and climbing trees easily—maybe this really was nothing.
“—Nishu…!”
The fallen imp looked up at me and shouted.
Thanks to the bone helmet, it seemed to have avoided a fatal injury. Still, the impact had been severe. Unable to stand, it awkwardly crawled backward to put distance between us.
I stayed alert, wary of any tricks, and raised my forelimb again.
My claws—strong enough to tear up earth and strip bark from trees—glinted sharply. If I brought them down, it would surely be a mortal blow.
A mortal blow. Death.
For just a moment, I hesitated.
Having lived my entire life as a modern human, the question flashed through my mind: Is it really okay to kill a sentient being?
Eating the slime had been necessary for survival. The wolf had attacked me first. But these creatures hadn’t harmed me at all.
Was it really right to take a life like this?
“Nishu!”
The imp shouted again. There was nothing friendly in its tone. In its red eyes burned malice—or hatred.
Whether it was resentment from the ambush or some irreconcilable gap between our races, it was undeniably troublesome for me.
I’ve already crossed the line.
I swung my forelimb, slashing its body. My claws tore deep into its flesh. It screamed in agony, thrashing wildly.
“Kraaagh!”
“—. —.”
Hearing the scream, the imps who had gone scouting beyond the bushes rushed back. They stared at me with their mouths wide open.
“—Kanishu!”
“Bakanishu!”
“Baka!”
They shouted similar-sounding words. I assumed it was a warning or threat and didn’t think much of it.
My shoulders shook with the unfamiliar thrill of combat.
I’d been worried about their numbers earlier, but now confidence—perhaps even fighting spirit—was surging.
Maybe endorphins or adrenaline were flooding my system.
They crouched tensely, grinding their teeth as they stared at me—clearly not a friendly gesture.
“Bakanishu!”
One of them charged at me with a thick wooden club, shouting loudly. Their arms, though slender beneath their leather clothing, were taut with muscle.
If I took a hit from those clubs, I wouldn’t escape uninjured. Still, compared to the lunging wolf, they were painfully slow.
A simple, predictable attack—raising the club overhead and swinging down.
I twisted my body to evade and swung my forelimb at the same time, smashing its jaw. It staggered and collapsed.
Then a heavy impact slammed into my back.
One of them had struck me from a blind spot with a thick piece of wood.
Ghk!?
I nearly lost my balance, but quickly steadied myself. More than pain, rage flared within me.
You bastard!
I lunged at the one who struck me, baring my fangs. Overwhelmed by my presence, it stumbled backward and tripped over its own feet.
I pounced on top of it and bit into its neck. After thrashing for a short while, the creature beneath me went still.
No one had taught me, but my instincts clearly knew how to efficiently defeat an enemy.
“—!”
“—!”
The remaining two let out incomprehensible cries. One of them had somehow lit its wooden club on fire and was holding it like a torch.
It swung the flaming stick from side to side, as if trying to intimidate me.
That might work on a wild beast—but at least on the inside, I was human.
Crouching low on all fours, I circled them, watching for an opening.
They moved frantically, bodies and eyes following my every motion, careful not to turn their backs.
Sizzle.
The violent movement extinguished the flame, white smoke rising from the torch. Since it wasn’t wrapped in oil-soaked cloth or resin, it was no surprise the fire went out easily.
“—!?”
“—!”
Even without understanding their language, I could tell they were panicking at the sight of the extinguished torch.
For me, it was the perfect opportunity.
