Chapter 1
Those were a rough interpretation of my thoughts a second ago. Now, not only am I thinking in full sentences, but I have an odd amount of knowledge about myself that I never knew, or cared to know a moment ago. Name, s.h.i.+ro Okami, or White Wolf. Age, 14. This is... odd?
I mean, could I even really call my situation odd? Is it in my right to do such a thing? Darkness. It can drive a man mad. And, yet again, I am still being soaked in it.
I don't like the dark. I want to see everything there is to see. I wish to hear all the curses there are to be wished upon a person. I want to live long enough to experience it all.
[Acknowledged.]
[Generating skills... u003c???u003e and u003cEnhanced Hearingu003e]
[Generating Traits...]
[Acquired: ~Tainted Blood~]
[Acquired: ~???~]
I've always been driven by desire, but now I'm ignorant to even desire. I want a purpose. I want to make a purpose. I want to understand... why I exist.
[Acknowledged.]
[Generating skill... u003c???u003e]
[Insufficient.]
[Generating skills... u003cScan, Observe, Mimic, Inventoryu003e]
[Simulating the application of skills...]
[Completed.]
[Pa.s.sive Trait ~Tainted Blood~ has been affected by the skills u003c??? Eyesu003e and u003c???u003e]
[~Tainted Blood~ has become ~??? Blood~]
[Processing... Confirmed.]
[Applying skills and traits...]
[Completed.]
[Confirming creation of appropriate body...]
[Destroying previous body...]
[Transferring soul to the new host body...]
[Completed.]
============================
[Admin's Status Menu]
Name: Undecided
t.i.tle(s):
[Pitiful Creature] [Blessed]
[Orphan]
Age: 0
Race: Demi-Human (Fox-Wolf)
Skills:
u003c??? Eyesu003e
u003cEnhanced Hearingu003e
u003cScanu003e u003cObserveu003e u003cMimicu003e u003cInventoryu003e
u003c???u003e
Magic:
Traits u0026 Resistances:
~??? Blood~ ~???~
============================
"Have fun..."
'HUH?!'
That thought resounded throughout my mind as I heard a voice. I HEARD a voice! I mean, at first I thought that was strangest thing to ever happen to me, but then bright light flooded my eyes as the darkness retreated.
'Eh?'
That was all I could manage to think as an impressively tall woman with fox ears swooned over me, tears in her eyes.
Her swooning only lasted a moment as I was torn from her arms by two tall men, both fitted in some type of armor.
I desperately want to know why they are so tall, but my consciousness fades as an eerie fatigue washes over me.
***
I've fallen asleep again and again, only waking up to an intense feeling of hunger and then a hearty "meal" of warm... milk?
By now, even an idiot could tell I was a baby... Why though?
Has G.o.d given me some kind of new chance at life? The voice that had told me to enjoy myself would support that idea.
Well, I can't really talk or move, so no use trying to stress over it.
***
An ear-piercing scream startled me awake, followed by a bath of some type of warm and red liquid... blood?!
The two armored men lay on the ground beneath me, framed perfectly by two wooden wheels, and only then did I realize I had been on a carriage the whole time.
Just what is going on?!
Honestly, I was oblivious to being in motion the whole time I was on this carriage. Maybe they had stopped every time they had fed me? Wait... where did the milk come from? That milk better have been bottled milk...
Wait... why do I even care about milk right now? Two people were MURDERED in front of me!
Yet again, an unfortunate wave of fatigue overwhelms me, while a group encircles me as my consciousness fades.
***
I remember waking up at the foot of what seems to be a church, falling asleep, then waking up again only to be greeted by the wails of other children. Then, a woman cared for me and breastfed me.
She had a few visitors everyday, whether they be tired travelers or patrons of some type of night job she may have,
After a few days, I had decided to tune into the woman's conversations more often.
Of course, I can't understand her.
[Would you like to activate the skill u003cObserveu003e for the first time? YES/NO]
The moment that thought crossed my mind I was greeted with that message spanning across my vision.
Woah! This is a... skill? From what little information I was given about my old life, nothing about skills came up. Maybe this is a new world, not just a chance at a new life in my old world...?
Yes! I called out in my mind. Immediately some type of... progress bar(?) appeared in the bottom-middle of my vision. After listening in to the woman for about 10 minutes, a few notifications popped up as the progress bar filled.
[Success! u003cObserveu003e Results: u003cTuranian Language Lv. 5u003e]
[u003cObserveu003e UP! u003cObserve Lv. 2u003e]
[Level Up! +2]
Not only did I gain knowledge of a new language, but a name appeared above her head that read out as "Nana Level 25." I tried to talk to myself after learning a language, but it seems my infant body can't talk regardless. I then decided to use u003cObserveu003e every chance I got. Eventually, a notification told me it turned into a pa.s.sive skill, so I didn't need to call out its name.
I did this for 2 years, but never figured out how to see if I had skills other than u003cObserveu003e and the ones I got from using the skill. I also got something called a t.i.tle, [Impossible Growth].
Here are the other skills I got from u003cObserveu003e:
u003cInterpretu003e - On top of gaining a general understanding of something with u003cObserveu003e, u003cInterpretu003e allows me to gain an in-depth understanding. It seems to make up for u003cObserveu003e's faults. For example, I only understood the spoken Turanian language before I gained u003cInterpretu003e. Now, I could read and write if I had the chance. Over all, it makes me feel like a genius.
u003cReplicate/Modifyu003e - This combo skill came naturally, which makes me believe it'll let me recreate and change things I observe. Apparently, it evolved from, and replaced, one of my previous skills, called u003cMimicu003e, which I became aware of as I was starting to be able to form words with my maturing vocal cords.
Anyways, we also had an occasional group story and bath from Nana. By group story, I mean I am not the only kid taken care of by Nana. While sometimes their cries sound like the crying of a million kids, they are actually the cries of only two other kids.
Nana calls me 'Ruto.'
One of the other kids is a cat-girl, Nana calls her 'Asuna.'
The remaining kid is a human-boy, Nana calls him 'Erin.'
The stories she tells us are usually about great adventurers and powerful magicians. As we got older, she'd tell us to get ready to become her brave little heroes.
************
Suddenly, five years had pa.s.sed since my arrival in this new(?) world. We had long since, sadly, evolved from breast-feeding to solid-foods.
Our eating habits aren't the only changes. Two years ago, Erin and I, instead of just being told stories, we started to create our own with sticks and rocks that we find in the forest, honing our "professional" sword-play. Well, at least I was truly attempting to, which ended up making me the superior sword-wielder.
I only lost a fight when Erin did dirty-tricks like trip me or throw sand. He is a tricky little piece of c.r.a.p. But... I've never bled before. It... it is a little odd. Erin ends up with cuts and bruises, but nothing really 'harms' me...
What about Asuna? Well, she usually just watched and giggled, always following Nana around like a little chick.
The forest we gathered our "swords" from surrounds the entire church, meaning we are probably far from a city. Noted.
While I don't really know much about the world, if I do decide to go out into the world I'll have to venture a good bit away.
*
Nana has called us to the kitchen.
She told us, "It is time to say goodbye."
What...? Just like that, she tossed me, a bag of gold, and two other distraught five year-old kids on a carriage.
Honestly, I don't mind that much, because the other two had stopped listening when she had said they would have to be separated, instantly breaking down. I, however, heard clearly that she said we would be going to school. A school for magic.
============================
[Admin's Status Menu]
Name: Ruto
Age: 5
Money: 500 G 0S 0B
Race: Demi-Human (Fox-Wolf)
Racial Effects/Abilities -
+5 STR/AGI Per LVL
Increased spirit affinity.
Heightened sense of danger.
Level: 14
t.i.tle(s):
[Pitiful Creature] [Blessed]
[Orphan] [Impossible Growth]
t.i.tle Effects -
[Blessed]
+2 To All Stats Per LVL
[Impossible Growth]
Skills are easier to obtain/level.
[Orphan]
Relations.h.i.+ps are easily formed. (+??? Charm, Hidden Effects)
[Pitiful Creature]
Effects Hidden.
Cla.s.s:
None
Stats:
Strength/Vitality - 126
Agility/Dexterity - 126
Intelligence/Wisdom - 56 (+35)
Charm - 26 (+???)
Skills:
u003c??? Eyes (Unawakened/Hidden)u003e
u003c??? (Unawakened/Hidden)u003e
u003cEnhanced Hearing (Pa.s.sive)u003e
u003cTuranian Language MAX (Pas.)u003e
u003cScan Lv. 1 (Unknown)u003e
u003cObserve (Pas.)u003e
u003cInventory (Unknown)u003e
u003cReplicate/Modify Lv. 1u003e
u003cInterpret Lv. 8 (+35 INT)u003e
Magic:
None
Traits u0026 Resistances:
~??? Blood~ (Unawakened/Hidden)
~???~ (Unknown/Hidden)
Recently Unlocked: Cla.s.ses, Stats, Effects, Skill Status', Trait/Resist Status'
============================