Blue skies, white clouds, golden sunlight, the gentle rustle of wind through leaves, and the lively chirping of birds - it's enough to make me feel a bit at ease for once.
Nearly eight years have passed since I "died" in my second life, and this is the first time I've felt this free. Breathing fresh air, surrounded by open space instead of the stench of blood and the suffocating confinement of underground rooms and tunnels, feels like a luxury for anyone who's been through that hell. This "time skip"… how do I put it? It's like a blink for me, but my mind and soul were "paused" for a damn long time, so I'm probably as outdated as a fossil in this world now.
Good thing this form isn't half bad. Aside from looking like Carnage from Venom, I'm not much different from a normal person… Well, ignoring the fact I ate a ton of people in that dungeon, trashed a bunch of facilities, tortured my "prey" - those lab folks - and dug a tunnel with my bare hands for a whole day to escape. Let's just say nothing happened. Everything now feels… new.
『The system detects that the surrounding environment may be incompatible with the user's current state. Recommend initiating Shapeshifting protocol?』
- Whatever. Do what you want. I don't care much.
『Initiating Shapeshifting protocol. Appearance will be selected based on the user's memories.』
The familiar human sensations slowly return after all this time waiting for it.
Warm sunlight, the scent of flowers and greenery, the tangible feeling of touching trees and grass - it's like I'm "alive" again, as a "human," not some freakish thing.
Hell, this skill even whipped up some slick new clothes!
But these clothes feel… weirdly familiar. A neatly tucked white dress shirt, dress pants, black-and-white sneakers, a red wristband on my left hand, and glasses? I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this…
While I'm tangled up in this mess, I sense someone behind me, snapping me back to focus. I scan around to see who's trying to ambush me. I brace for an attack, but when I realize no one's there, I relax a bit. Still, to be safe, I check the area again before doing anything else.
- What the hell is this… no, what kind of creature is this?!?
Cat ears, cat tail, but a human body. Who the hell designed this reverse-evolution shit? Oh, right, this is another world, so weird crap like this makes sense.
Putting aside how Darwin's evolution doesn't apply here, this beastkin girl looks rough - enough to make me wince. Her "outfit" is basically a potato sack made of rough fabric, with holes cut for arms and head, tied with a thin rope around her waist like a makeshift "belt" to pass it off as actual clothing. Her body's covered in scars - big, small, old, new - plus fresh, bleeding wounds and a collar with some kind of magic sigil. She's 100% an escaped slave. Her being unconscious in the middle of this deep forest either means she nearly made it or got too exhausted and passed out, planning to keep running later. Big mistake…
Despite her worn-out look, her face - how do I put it - is probably part of why she's in this mess. She's pretty, with that youthful charm - not my type, but still. Her silver-gray hair and tail fur are sleek, like a cat's, though a bit dirty. Not bad at all…
She's not waking up anytime soon, even with my killing intent leaking out, so I check her body closer. Several ribs, her tail, and fibula are shattered. Add severe malnutrition, and those broken ribs stand out even more. How the hell is she still alive like this?
- System, scan the target and assess injury severity.
『Initiating Appraisal protocol on designated target. Scan complete.』
『Target is a demi-human, beastkin subtype. Injuries include: fractured ribs, tail, and fibula, 15 external wounds affecting muscle tissue, severe malnutrition, and critical anemia.』
- How long does she have?
『Approximately one hour until the target expires.』
Talk about rotten luck. Even I'm not this unlucky…
Should I give her a quick, painless death as mercy? Nah, that'd be pointless. After fighting so hard for freedom, only to die? I'm cruel, but not that wasteful. But how do I save her? It's not that I don't want to, it's just I don't have the means… Wait, maybe I do.
- System, can I use Parasitic Cell Division?
『Not recommended. While the infected subject can regenerate 100% of injuries due to the user's DNA embedding all abilities, including Rapid Regeneration for tissue reconstruction and vitality restoration, cellular compatibility cannot be determined due to insufficient "species" data for comparison.』
- Try it anyway. Might work…
『Initiating Parasitic Cell Division protocol per user's intent.』
It's risky, and I'm not holding my breath, but if it works, I can confirm the mechanics *and* maybe get a free sidekick - or, well, a catgirl assistant. Two birds, one stone… Not that I want to exploit anyone. I'm fine handling my own shit.
The separated cells - or rather, this *thing* with hair-thin tendrils and a tiny, finger-sized head like a mutated squid - gets shoved into the beastkin girl's mouth. It crawls down to her stomach and somehow assimilates. The healing's ridiculously fast. Within minutes, her wounds close at a visible rate, and her broken ribs and tail mend like nothing happened.
The only thing it can't fix is her malnutrition. It's just "cells," after all - no nutrients, no fix…
Just as it's wrapping up, an arrow flies straight at my head. With this body's new instincts, I catch it barehanded without looking, toss it aside, and turn toward the shooter, radiating killing intent laced with dense mana as a "warning" to whoever's approaching…
- Oy, isn't shooting someone without warning kinda rude?!?
A team of three appears about 20 meters away, fully geared: leather armor with various accessories, short swords at their waists, a magic grimoire, a bow with a quiver, wooden shields with iron rims, and helmets covering their faces - except the eyes - making it impossible to tell gender or age. Judging by their setup, they're after the beastkin girl. Probably bounty hunters or "adventurers," explaining why that arrow came so fast I barely noticed.
- Step aside if you don't want to die. This demi-human is an escaped slave. We have the right to reclaim it. - A cold, feminine voice, likely the leader, speaks.
Technically, she's right. I'm interfering with someone's "property," and they're within their rights to do whatever to complete their mission.
BUT, that was before I messed with her. Now? Good luck prying my cells out of her before you try anything.
Reasoning with these types is 100% pointless, so…
- System, initiate Shadow Weaponry protocol.
『Activating protocol as requested. Randomly generating Shadow Weaponry: Ninjato.』
A sleek, black ninjato materializes in my hand, its straight blade shimmering with faint blue and wreathed in dark smoke, like it was forged in hell. Normally, I'd use Shadow Enhancement barehanded and go all-out, but with multiple foes, this ninjato's perfect—fast, precise, and light as a feather.
The hunters tense as the blade appears from nowhere, but they draw their weapons and charge, shouting a motto:
- "For the Guild's honor, seize the quarry!"
It's clear they're all-in until someone's dead. I flip them a "friendly" middle finger in response and brace for combat.
The first to strike is the burly one on the left, charging with a massive shield raised and a battle axe swinging in a wide arc toward my chest. Blocking with my ninjato would leave me open to the other two, so I sidestep, feeling the wind from the axe graze my shoulder. The leader seizes the opening, chanting:
- "Blade of the storm, rend the foe—Tempest Slash!"
Her short sword glows with a swirling green aura, and she unleashes a flurry of precise slashes and thrusts, each strike whistling through the air with deadly intent. Her movements are fluid, leaving no gaps, but they don't even nick me. My enhanced body shrugs off the blows, and I counter with a swift kick to her side, sending her stumbling. She would've crashed hard if the burly guy didn't chant:
- "Wall of iron, stand unyielding—Bulwark Fortify!"
His shield pulses with a faint silver glow, absorbing my kick's force as he steps in to cover her. He swings his axe again, roaring:
- "Cleave the earth, shatter the weak—Mountain Rend!"
The axe glows red, descending with enough force to split stone. I dodge again, barely avoiding the shockwave that craters the ground where I stood.
The third hunter, positioned further back, raises a grimoire and chants:
- "Flames of wrath, consume the enemy—Fireball Barrage!"
A volley of six flaming orbs rockets toward me, each crackling with heat. I react fast, raising my hand:
- Dark Barrier!
A shimmering black wall intercepts the fireballs, which explode harmlessly against it. But the barrage doesn't stop—the third hunter keeps chanting:
- "Embers of ruin, rain without mercy—Scorching Cascade!"
Smaller, faster fireballs pepper my barrier, forcing me to maintain it while dodging the leader's renewed slashes and the burly guy's relentless axe swings. Their coordination is tight—each attack covers the others' openings, keeping me on the defensive. I weave through their onslaught, my ninjato parrying the leader's sword when I can't dodge, but I'm backed up to the beastkin girl without realizing it.
I'm trash with swords—my Swordsmanship's stuck at {Basic}. A 1v1 is shaky enough, but this 1v3 is brutal. Going full berserk would crush them, but they'd likely distract me and grab the girl, making this fight a slog.
How are they so damn durable?! No, it's not that—they're not even at full power yet, and the girl's dead weight, holding me back. The fight's only been a few minutes, so they're pacing themselves. If they went all-out from the start, protecting her would be impossible. I need a way to guard her and unleash everything… Wait, I've got it.
- Dark Barrier: Sphere!
A black, spherical barrier envelops the beastkin girl, shielding her from becoming a target. Smart move. Now, they're done for, divine help or not…
- Any last words?
- You damn brat, you're about to die and still meddling in others' business!
- Sounds like a memorable epitaph.
I've been humane enough…
You could've avoided this if you didn't shoot that arrow at my head. I might've even negotiated. This is just payback.
- Shadow Explosion - 75%
As the name suggests, it's a wide-area mana blast. Yeah, a broad shot, but with 75% mana - around 7,500 units - it's overkill for this. The result? A chunk of the forest gets obliterated, leaving only scorched earth marked by my dark mana. Those hunters probably vaporized instantly, or maybe they teleported to safety. Who knows? Probably the former.
I'm never using that skill recklessly again. Too damn dangerous…