The spinner gradually slowed before finally coming to a halt.
"...Mystery Slot!"
A burst of golden light erupted from the gacha interface, forcing me to shield my eyes. The glow lingered for several seconds before eventually fading away.
Standing before me was a rooster.
Not just any rooster, either. This magnificent bastard stood nearly three feet tall with brilliant crimson and golden plumage that shimmered beneath the filtered sunlight. Its comb resembled a scarlet crown, while its sharp eyes carried an intelligence that made me slightly uncomfortable. It stared at me, and I instinctively stared back.
[PFFT—BAHAHAHAHA! A ROOSTER!]
ChatZero's interface immediately exploded with laughing emojis.
[OH MY GOD, THIS IS PERFECT! You could've gotten a wolf! A bear! A freaking eagle! But NO—you got a CHICKEN! 🐓🤣]
"It's a rooster, not a chicken," I corrected calmly while continuing to observe the creature.
[Same difference! You're trapped inside the deadliest forest on Erandor with a FARM BIRD! How exactly are you planning to survive with—]
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOO!
The rooster's crow exploded across the forest with such force that ChatZero's interface flickered and fell completely silent. The sound reverberated through the surrounding woods like a war horn. Birds scattered from nearby trees, leaves trembled, and somewhere in the distance, something large crashed through the undergrowth as it fled from the sound.
I stood frozen for a moment with ringing ears while the rooster calmly finished its declaration of dominance, ruffled its feathers with obvious satisfaction, and immediately returned to pecking at the ground as though nothing unusual had happened.
[...Okay, that was actually impressive.] ChatZero admitted after a brief pause.
A translucent window materialized above the rooster.
---
SUMMON INFORMATION
Species: Gallus Rex
Rank: Initiate ★★
Age: 2 Years
Trait: Territorial Lord
Loyalty: 45%
Special Ability: Rallying Cry
Boosts morale and combat effectiveness of all allies within a 50-meter radius.
---
"Gallus Rex? So you're not a normal rooster then..."
I crouched down and slowly extended my hand. The Gallus Rex immediately cocked its head sideways and regarded me through one sharp eye.
"Hey there, buddy. I'm Marfin. You and I are going to be working together from now on. Let's build something great, alright?"
The rooster stared at me for another second before pecking my hand.
Hard.
Not hard enough to draw blood, but definitely hard enough to establish who was in charge.
The system quietly reminded me:
[Loyalty: 45%]
"Right..." I rubbed my fingers. "Guess I'll have to earn your respect."
Standing up, I brushed the dirt from my clothes—clothes that technically belonged to a dead sixteen-year-old boy whose memories I now carried around like unwanted baggage.
"ChatZero, can he understand commands?"
[He's Initiate Rank Two-Star. One full star above you, by the way. Yes, he can understand basic instructions. Whether he'll actually obey them is another matter entirely.]
I glanced toward the rooster, my very first summon, companion, and perhaps the first citizen of whatever village I would eventually build.
"Alright... Nepoleon."
The rooster immediately lifted its head.
"Yes, you. Nepoleon. That's your name now."
The Gallus Rex puffed out its chest proudly, seemingly approving of the designation.
[You named a rooster after a famous emperor. How delightfully pretentious.]
"He'll help me conquer this forest one day. Might as well give him a fitting title."
The plan itself was simple. Assuming Nepoleon could leave the restriction zone, I would send him outside to scout the surrounding area. If he discovered a nearby water source, I could focus future expansion in that direction.
I crouched down once more.
"Nepoleon, I need your help. We need water. Can you search the surrounding area and find—"
A loud crash suddenly echoed through the forest.
The words died in my throat.
Slowly turning toward the source, I found myself staring at a creature emerging from between the massive trees. It stood nearly twelve feet tall with a humanoid shape covered entirely in bark-like skin. Moss hung from its shoulders while small mushrooms grew from various parts of its body. Its face resembled a twisted knot of ancient roots, and within two hollow eye sockets burned an eerie green glow.
A Forest Troll.
The inherited memories immediately supplied the name.
[Oh! How exciting! You're about to die for the third time. Should I start taking bets on how long you'll last?]
This guy was still joking around. Then again, considering it actively wanted me dead, I wasn't exactly surprised.
"ChatZero," I muttered without taking my eyes off the creature. "What rank is that thing?"
[Scanning...]
A brief pause followed.
[Initiate ★★★★.]
My heart sank slightly.
Great.
I was Initiate One-Star.
Nepoleon was Initiate Two-Star.
Even if we combined our strength, we were still weaker than that thing by a considerable margin.
The troll's mouth creaked open, revealing jagged wooden teeth.
"HUMAN..."
Its voice sounded like countless branches snapping simultaneously.
"FLESH..."
I swallowed.
Honestly, I was terrified.
Back in my previous life, I had been a writer, not a warrior. Sure, I had written monsters far more horrifying than this thing. I had created nightmares capable of reducing entire civilizations to ash. But writing monsters and standing before one were two completely different experiences.
I possessed Gravity Manipulation, that much was true. The problem was that I had absolutely no idea how to properly use it.
Tsk.
My legs trembled despite my efforts to remain calm.
Then suddenly—
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOO!
Nepoleon's crow exploded across the battlefield.
[Nepoleon has activated Rallying Cry.]
[You are under the effects of Rallying Cry.]
[All Physical Attributes Increased by 25%]
[Fear Resistance Increased by 50%]
The fear didn't completely disappear, but it diminished enough for me to think clearly again. My racing heart steadied while my body felt noticeably lighter and stronger.
The troll roared and charged.
Before I could formulate a plan, Nepoleon had already launched himself forward like a feathered missile.
The troll's massive fist descended toward him.
"Nepoleon!"
Fortunately, the rooster dodged at the last second. The attack smashed into the ground, creating an opening that my body instinctively seized. I rushed forward almost without thinking, gravity gathering around my hand as though it had always belonged there.
The moment I entered striking distance, I slammed my palm into the troll's face.
BOOM!
The giant creature staggered backward several steps.
A grin spread across my face.
"Hah... that felt surprisingly natural."
The original owner of this body must have been far more proficient with Gravity Manipulation than I initially thought.
Unfortunately, my satisfaction lasted only a few seconds.
Vines erupted from the ground and wrapped around my torso before I could react.
"Fuck!"
The restraints tightened immediately. More vines followed, climbing toward my neck as they sought to completely immobilize me. I struggled, but every movement only seemed to make the grip tighter.
Then a crimson blur shot forward.
Nepoleon.
The rooster launched himself directly at the vines and tore through them with a series of vicious pecks. The restraints shattered instantly.
Freedom returned.
However, before he could retreat, several additional vines erupted from the earth and slammed into him.
His body crashed violently against a nearby tree.
A loud crack echoed through the forest.
For a brief moment, something inside me snapped.
My gaze locked onto the troll.
The sight of Nepoleon crumpled against that tree filled me with unexpected irritation. Perhaps it was because he was my first companion. Perhaps it was because he had just risked his life to save mine.
Either way, I was pissed.
"You dare touch my rooster?"
Extending my hand toward the troll, I gritted my teeth.
"Kneel."
Gravity surged outward.
The surrounding air distorted as invisible pressure descended upon the giant creature. The troll's massive legs immediately buckled and crashed onto one knee. Yet it still resisted, cracks spreading beneath its feet as it struggled to stand.
My eyes narrowed.
The resistance only made me push harder.
"Stay down."
Gravity intensified further.
The invisible force multiplied until even the troll's enormous frame began trembling violently. Finally, with a thunderous crash, the creature collapsed completely.
Subdued.
For several minutes, I maintained the pressure while using a Normal Potion on Nepoleon's injuries. It cost ten SP, which hurt my soul considerably, but seeing the rooster gradually recover made it worth the expense.
Soon, several notifications appeared before me.
[Forest Troll Subdued.]
[+50 SP Acquired.]
[+25 EXP Acquired.]
[Congratulations Host.]
[You have ascended to Initiate ★★.]
I blinked.
"That can happen?"
According to the memories I possessed, every native of this world was born with stars engraved somewhere on their body. Those stars represented their potential and ultimately determined the limits of their growth. Once their rank was established, whether Initiate, Adept, Elite, or beyond, it became an almost unchangeable truth.
Then a sudden thought struck me.
Wait.
Where is my star?
My expression changed immediately.
I inspected my arms.
My hands.
My chest.
Nothing.
Not a single star.
The realization sent a chill through me.
[What are you so surprised about, Mortal? You are not from this world. Naturally, the world's rules do not entirely apply to you.]
I remained silent for several moments before slowly smiling.
"Hmph."
That explained quite a lot.
"Because I'm an anomaly."
The smile widened.
"I possess no stars... which means I am not bound by them either."
[Correct.]
That realization opened countless possibilities.
And now that I thought about it, another question surfaced.
Why was my Gravity Manipulation so absurdly powerful? Even a Four-Star creature had been unable to resist it. Could it be that I possessed advantages far beyond what I currently understood?
The thought lingered in my mind, though it would have to wait.
My attention shifted toward Nepoleon.
The proud rooster had already climbed back to his feet. Despite his lingering injuries, he slowly approached me. For a brief moment, he lowered his head and lightly nudged my leg before immediately puffing out his chest and looking away as though nothing had happened.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
A notification appeared.
[Loyalty Increased: 45% -> 78%]
Much better.
At least now he probably viewed me as something close to an equal.
"HUMAN..."
A groan interrupted my thoughts.
"FLESH..."
The subdued Forest Troll continued staring at both me and Nepoleon with glowing eyes.
I raised a finger to my lips.
"Shhhhh."
Almost instantly, the troll fell silent.
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Good boy."
To think I had been terrified of this thing earlier.
Now it looked more like an oversized tree that happened to be sitting down.
How ironic.
"What should I do with you?" I muttered, stepping closer and placing a hand against its bark-covered body.
Immediately, another notification appeared before me.
[Requirements Fulfilled.]
[Would You Like To Tame The Forest Troll?]
[YES] | [NO]
I stared at the prompt.
Right.
I had Beast Taming.
For a moment, I had completely forgotten.
The question now was simple.
Should I tame it...
Or kill it?