Chapter 7: Discovery.
The undergrowth and trees of the forest grew denser as she moved further from the place where the massacre had occurred.
Her legs were trembling with exhaustion, every step throwing off her balance. The limping hind leg sent frequent stabs of pain with every footfall.
But she didn't want to stop. Not until she was sure.
-(Fuuuuuu... I need to keep my distance... get far enough away from that monster...)-
[Precise Movement] [Agility] [Vigor]
To minimize the pain, she adjusted the weight of her body for better balance, moving between the twisted trees with impressive efficiency. This wolf's body was much smaller than her previous one. But it was much faster and lighter. Despite the limitation, she didn't care. It was simply a living vessel, and that was what mattered most.
After a long stretch that felt like nearly an eternity, she finally stopped beneath the shadow of a cluster of moss-covered protruding rocks. She lay her body down on the ground, letting the heavy panting in her chest settle.
[Enhanced Senses] [Sense of Smell]
She began carefully scenting the air around her. Analyzing the small shifts in odor: damp earth, tree resin, several distant smells from small animals... but there was nothing that called for her attention, nothing that smelled of danger. Nothing like that beast.
-(Good. For the moment I'm safe.)-
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the breathing of her body calm.
-(I'll need another viable body. This one is badly wounded and isn't very strong. Another encounter like that one is something I couldn't afford.)-
She opened her eyes and began surveying her surroundings with greater caution and attention. The area was very different from where she had been before. The trees looked older, more twisted, their roots plunging deep into the ground and running across the forest floor like tangled knots. The sunlight was barely visible, a faint ray penetrating the canopy and creating an atmosphere of perpetual twilight. There was also a mist, barely visible, covering only as high as the wolf's feet.
-(A zone that's at least safe... a place where I can catch weak prey. Something manageable for this body while it recovers.)-
She rose carefully, ignoring the protest of her injured leg, and began to walk at a slow pace this time, methodically exploring the terrain.
Almost an hour had passed of walking, perhaps a kilometer and a half covered, when something in the surroundings caught her attention.
[Sense of Smell] [Enhanced Senses]
The scent of the air around her carried a faint trace... of something. A subtle sensation that left a feeling of curiosity.
She stopped, crouching instinctively among the undergrowth.
And it was then that she saw it.
The ground, just beyond some bushes, had been disturbed. There were marks that were not made by animals. They were footprints. The footprints of bipedal humanoids.
-(Humans?)-
With curiosity, she approached cautiously, examining the marks left in the mud.
-(No. These are not human.)-
The creature's footprints were smaller, wider than those of a common person. And there was something very notable: they had only four rounded toes.
-(A biped with four toes? I can think of very few animals that walk on two legs and have four toes. Well, it's another world, so there's every possibility that more creatures with that number of toes exist here.)-
Following the trail of footprints with her senses, she noticed there were multiple sets of marks together. At least four pairs of slightly different sizes, but with no variation in direction. They were moving in a coordinated fashion toward the same common destination.
And in one area there was something interesting.
The surrounding ground showed clear signs of a fight: disturbed earth, a few broken branches, dried bloodstains on leaves and some bushes.
-(A recent animal hunt happened here.)-
[Sense of Smell] [Enhanced Senses]
The smell of blood was dry and old. It seemed like nearly half a day had passed since the fight occurred. But mixed into the scene were other odors: sweat, something metallic, and a sharp, acrid smell she couldn't identify.
-(These creatures seem to have developed enough intelligence to be organized enough to hunt in groups. They might be nomadic.)-
She felt a part of her mind stir, the part that still remembered her previous life. A flash of curiosity ignited within her, almost uncontrollable.
-(This is a fantasy world. If there are beasts that aren't even considered living beings... that opens the possibility that there might be...)-
There was no doubt. She made her decision without questioning whether it was dangerous.
-(I'm going to follow the trail.)-
The creatures had left an easy trail to follow. It seemed they weren't concerned with concealing their tracks left everywhere, moving with a careless overconfidence. The path led her deeper into the forest, toward a zone where the ground rose slightly and the trees began to spread apart, creating several small natural clearings.
And in one of those clearings, at the end of the trail, she found the creatures that had left their mark. And she saw them.
She stopped behind a thick tree, poking her head out just enough to observe.
There were four silhouettes.
And they didn't look anything like humans.
-(Those aren't...)-
She stared, letting her mind process the image before her with a mixture of disbelief and fascination.
These creatures had dark green skin, resembling the color of leaves and old moss. Long, pointed ears moved independently of each other, picking up sounds from their surroundings. A pair of large eyes that bore no visible pupils, only an absolute white cornea, which somehow still appeared to track the movement around them. They had wide, long noses, and when one of them opened its mouth to yawn from the walk, she could see rows of small but sharp teeth, with lower fangs protruding prominently.
Both the hands and feet of the creatures were barefoot and covered in filth, with only four long, leathery, flexible fingers.
Their heights were irregular by any common measure. The tallest of them barely reached a meter and a half, while the smallest probably didn't exceed a meter twenty.
-(Goblins...)-
A mysterious creature from her old world. She had come to know them in her previous life through fantasy books she would leaf through when she had the time, always between one visit and the next. A creature of tales. A form of insult toward the image of humanity, some authors had said. But here they were, in green flesh and bone, scratching themselves and grunting.
-(Hoho. So there really are these kinds of interesting creatures inhabiting this forest.)-
She said it to herself with a calm that struck her as strange. It should have surprised her more. But after a beast with black blood and multiple eyes...
She began to observe these creatures more carefully, analyzing their behavior.
The four individuals were in the middle of the clearing, apparently preparing to set up a small improvised camp after the hunt. In the center of the area, there was the carcass of an animal resembling a wild boar of larger than usual size, with spear wounds in its flank. The goblins had tied it with rudimentary ropes and were using a long stick to drag it.
Two of the goblins were collecting dry branches and wood from the surroundings and piling them together. Another was sharpening what appeared to be a crude stone dagger. The fourth, the largest, was seated on a rock, watching the others with what appeared to be authority.
-(They seem to have rudimentary tools, weapons that aren't very elaborate, and a very primitive coordination and hierarchy.)-
One of the goblins grunted something, a series of guttural sounds that almost resembled words. The other responded with a sharp cry and both began piling the wood in a more organized manner.
-(And on top of that, they have a language made up of only sounds and gestures, but it is a developed language.)-
Her mind worked quickly, processing the information.
-(They have low intelligence. They're not similar to humans, but they're more useful than simple animals. This makes them... far more viable as hosts.)-
The largest goblin, apparently the leader, rose from his rock and walked over to the dead boar. He pulled a bone knife from his improvised belt and began cutting the meat with practiced movements.
-(They're developed minds capable of hunting, and they even know how to process food. It's very likely they can also use fire.)-
But there was something else that caught her attention.
These goblins didn't move with the pure instinct of the wolves. There was calculation in their actions. Decisions. One of them even stopped to scratch its head, apparently thinking about where to place the next branch.
-(Conscious creatures. They have free thought of their own.)-
A question rose in her mind.
-(Will I be able to take control of one of them?)-
If they were so different from the animals she had encountered until now... would the system recognize them as valid hosts?
-(There would only be one way to test my hypothesis.)-
She needed to get closer. But doing so without being detected would be complicated.
[Enhanced Senses I] [Danger Detection I]
She analyzed the situation. The goblins were distracted with their tasks. The wind was blowing in her direction, carrying her scent away from them. And there was enough vegetation between her position and the clearing to move with stealth.
-(I'd only need to get close enough. I could attack them, but this body isn't suited for a fight. Or I could let them eat me. Hmm, better not. I don't want to feel death again. I just need to find an opportunity to infect one of those goblins without the others noticing.)-
She waited patiently, observing their movement patterns.
The smallest goblin, the one that had been collecting wood, eventually separated from the group, heading into the nearby forest in search of more branches.
-(In position.)-
She moved.
[Precise Movement I] [Agility I] [Endurance I]
She circled the clearing silently, staying crouched within the undergrowth. Her wounded leg protested, but she forced herself to ignore it. Every step was deliberate, avoiding dry leaves and brittle branches.
The small goblin had its back turned, bent over a fallen tree, inspecting some dry branches.
-(My moment is now.)-
She launched herself from her hiding spot, not to attack, but to get close enough.
Applying [Saliva Transmission I]
She released a small quantity of pathogens, letting them drift in the air just in front of the creature. The goblin, completely unaware, inhaled as it grunted to itself, trying to pull free a particularly stubborn branch.
The pathogens entered.
She immediately withdrew, disappearing back into the vegetation before the goblin even realized anything had happened.
From her hiding spot, she waited.
A buzz. An announcement.
New host infected.
New skills have been acquired from the new host: [Manual Dexterity I] [Teamwork I] [Hunger Resistance I]
New symptoms have been acquired from the new host: [Cough I] [Fatigue I]
New infection types have been acquired from the new host: [Contact Transmission I]
-(Phew! They're Animalia. It was obvious these little ones could be infected.)-
The relief was immediate. If it had been like the previous creature...
But no. These goblins were normal living beings. Infectable. Dominable.
-(But... would it be a good idea to take control of the body right now?)-
She watched the small goblin return to the clearing, carrying an armful of branches. It looked completely normal. The virus was replicating inside it, but it wasn't yet showing any visible symptoms.
-(No. Not yet. First I need to understand more about them. Their behavior. Their intelligence. How useful they could be in this forest.)-
She settled into her hiding spot, preparing for a longer observation.
-(Besides... if they're intelligent creatures, with language and tools...)-
An idea began to take shape in her mind.
-(Maybe I don't just need to dominate one. Maybe I could... use them in a different way.)-
The goblins continued with their tasks, unaware that one of them now carried an invisible passenger. The fire began to catch, flames crackling as they consumed the dry wood. The smell of roasting meat soon filled the air.
And Rain watched. Learning. Planning.
-(This world has more to it than I thought. And if there are goblins... then there are probably more. Far more.)-
-(Civilization. Villages. Maybe even cities.)-
-(And if I want to condemn the life of this world and fulfill the deal...)-
-(I need to understand this world. All of it.)-
The infected goblin coughed lightly, scratching its chest in confusion before returning to its work.
No one else noticed.
And Rain smiled to herself.
-(First step complete.)-