Silence settled over the room. The air felt heavy.
The elder sat with his hands resting on his knees as Leo stared at the cup of tea. Steam curled upward and vanished.
Execution… The word sat in his head, ugly and simple. Even the hunt wasn't mercy either. If he refused, he would die here quickly. If he agreed, he might still die, but he had a higher chance of survival, even though he had never hunted anything before. The casual tone of it all made him feel sick to his stomach, that the second life that he'd managed to obtain would end so abruptly without even amounting to anything, just some random dead person.
His leg throbbed beneath the bandages. Each pulse reminded him how close he'd come to bleeding out on the mountain, how easily this could end with him face-down in the dirt again.
He lifted his head.
"I'll take the hunt," Leo said.
The elder nodded, acknowledging his answer, even though it was expected. Only then did his tone shift.
"The hunt will take place a week and two days from today, and last three days," the elder continued. "All participants who return alive with their hunt are considered to have passed, although what you bring back determines rank."
Leo listened carefully.
"There is only one winner," the elder added, "and that comes with more rewards."
"You will not be protected, and death is expected," the elder said. "Although participants can fail and return empty-handed, don't count on it."
Leo swallowed and nodded. Only after the elder was done did he ask the question that he had been wanting an answer to.
"If you don't mind me asking, where exactly am I?"
The elder's eyes opened a little more.
"This area is part of a small island," he said. "An oni outpost that lies between the western and eastern continents."
"There are beastmen and other non-humans here as well," the elder continued. "None without permission."
"So humans aren't allowed?" Leo asked.
"We rarely get humans," the elder corrected. "But you are not the first stray we have found. The circumstances that brought you here do not matter much."
"You also crossed into restricted ground," the elder said.
The elder rose with the help of his cane.
"You may remain at the compound," he said. "You will be given meals, you will be healed. You may train and prepare however you wish. After all, someone at your stage would not survive otherwise."
"It wouldn't be honorable to send off to die without giving you a chance to earn your survival." He paused, then added, "If you need anything, ask the maids."
Leo felt a little relieved. At least he'd have a better chance with such support.
Before leaving, the elder turned slightly.
"You should thank her," he said, tilting his head toward the doorway. "The hunt was her suggestion. Without it, you would not have been given a choice."
Then he left.
The room felt quieter immediately.
Leo looked toward the doorway. She was still there, leaning against the wall like before, watching him without expression.
"Thank you," Leo said.
But she didn't answer. After a moment, she pushed off the wall and walked out. The door slid shut behind her.
Leo lay back against the mattress and stared at the ceiling. Relief came first, then anger followed close behind. He thought about the many things that had happened in succession, which made him more angry, especially since he was thrown into this situation without any form of help.
"What even is the point of giving me another life if I'm just going to die again!?"
He lay there, sighing hard multiple times.
"Synchronization complete," a voice said in his mind.
"Who said that?" Leo asked, shocked.
"Don't tell me you have forgotten me so quickly," Axiom said almost playfully.
Leo exhaled sharply.
"So, now you show up!" he muttered. "That's fucking convenient. Where have you been?"
"Calibration required uninterrupted processing," Axiom replied. "My presence during the dire wolf encounter would not have improved survivability."
"I almost died," Leo snapped.
"But you survived nonetheless," Axiom said.
Leo clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.
"And you're supposed to be some spirit guide," Leo said, trying to calm himself down.
"I couldn't have helped previously. But now," Axiom continued, "conditions are more favorable."
Leo opened his eyes.
"How?"
"The ability given as you transmigrated is the ability to adapt through exposure to any form of stimulation," Axiom said."But your body is not yet a sufficient vessel. The ability's full nature would destroy you in your current state."
"So for now, it operates in survival mode: anatomic efficiency only. Optimizing your biology to keep you alive. Gradually Improving physiology and slow efficiency gain , nothing drastic. As you strengthen, it will evolve. First the body. Then the mind. Eventually... something more." Axiom added
"With one week and two days," it continued, "meaningful preparation is possible, as long as you eat and rest well..."
Axiom's words reminded him of what the old man had said.
"What did the elder mean by at my stage?" Leo asked.
Axiom was quiet for a moment before replying.
"There are stages to personal strength," Axiom said. "Universally, these stages are referred to as Stars."
"Stars?" Leo asked with a quizzical face.
"Correct. Stars measure how much energy your body can contain and endure. The energy itself differs: mages wield mana, warriors wield aura, and sages wield prana." Axiom said. "Sages though are exceptionally rare."
Leo chuckled a bit upon hearing about things he had only seen in novels and movies. It felt like his life had been turned upside down then turned again. In just one day he'd died, woken up in another world, and almost died again.
"So this really is a fantasy world," Leo said, coming to terms with his new reality
"Even in your world," Axiom replied, "there are individuals with limited access to these energies."
"…You're kidding."
"I am not."
The thought unsettled him for a bit, thinking about how some things he'd seen online might have been real.
"So," Leo said slowly, "what about me?"
"You can neither sense nor manipulate any of them," Axiom said without hesitation.
That stung Leo a bit.
"However," it continued, "calibration has prepared your body to begin training."
Leo's inner child felt happy at the idea, even though he was still somewhat annoyed by the entire situation.
"With your current constitution," Axiom said, "you should be capable of accessing both mana and aura. Proficiency will depend mostly on you."
Leo huffed quietly.
"Sounds like a lot of work."
"If survival is your objective," Axiom replied, "it is necessary."
There was a pause.
"Besides," it added, "do you intend to live this life the same way you lived the last?"
The question lingered in the air, unanswered.
Leo let out a slow breath. Outside the paper walls, far from the compound, the outpost sounded busy. Hunters were already preparing.
"Alright then," Leo said quietly. "Let's get ready."
"By the way," Axiom said, "you don't need to speak out when talking to me. You might look crazy to people if they saw."
"Fuck you, Axiom."