Fortunate encounter

*Chirp!*

I was woken up by the chirping of birds, and the sunlight that passed through the leaves.

*Yawwnn.*

"I guess it's morning?"

I sat up and felt mildly uncomfortable.

'Ugh, my body feels heavy.'

My body was weak and new.

*Grrr.*

I looked down the tree and saw a couple wolves lying in wait for me.

'Ah, I guess I woke up at a good time.'

I unsheathed my sword and struck the wolves.

*Swish!*

Their death was swift.

[You have killed 4 wolves(E+)]

[You have gained experience!]

[You have leveled up 3 times!]

'Oh? That's quite a good amount of experience.'

[You can now choose a class]

[Swordsman(Recommended)] [Martial artist] [mage] [spearman] more....

'Oh, already? I guess I'll choose swordsman.'

My previous class was weapon master but I was a swordsman at heart.

'I guess I was forced into becoming a weapon master.'

My reason for being a weapon master wasn't a choice.

'Not that I'm mad about it.'

[You are now a swordsman!]

[You have gained the class exclusive skill: swordsman's blade(C)]

[Skill: swordsman's blade(C)]

Effect: Increase sword damage by 5% and sword durability by 5%

Description: A swordsman is his blade and will.

Character: Sira Katsumi/ Kazumi Quintius (Simplified)

Active title: [Saviour of corruption(EX+)]

Lv: 10

Class: swordsman(common)

Stats: [STR: E-] [VIT: F+] [AGI: F-] [INT: F]

Authority: [Slash that purifies(None)] [Slash that protects people(None)]

Skills: [Swordsman's blade(C)] [Mana circulation(F)] [Sealed]

Equipment: Broken constellation's sword(S-)

Coins: 300

Group: none

I looked satisfied at my status window.

'I guess I'm becoming stronger.'

Interestingly stat increases were silent and not shown.

'Is there a reason for that?'

I remembered when I did that horrifying daily routine of about 1000 push-ups and other body workouts in the past.

'I couldn't even avoid it because I was stuck in a box.'

The goddess put me in a time cube that forced time to stay still until I finished my workout.

'Well, even that stopped after the corruption became a visible problem.'

I reminisced about the past and tried to leave the forest.

But I couldn't find an exit.

I searched around for a while but couldn't find one.

'Was this a cursed forest or something?'

I scratched my head in confusion and decided to try to sense the mana.

[Developing skill...]

'Yeah, If my guess is correct. I'm pretty far away from Onryx.'

It seems I was transported into a deeper part of the forest without me realizing it.

'Did I get too sluggish?'

I sighed and climbed up a tree to see the sun.

'I have to go east to get to Onryx, if I remember correctly.'

I remembered when I was looking at the sun and moon.

I briefly checked the wolves' corpses and found some mana cores.

[Obtained: wolf core(E+) 4x]

'Ohhh, how nice.'

I also tried to get their fur but failed miserably.

I politely bowed to the wolves for their support and started walking.

'This will take quite a while.'

I didn't know how deep in the forest I was but it would probably take a while.

And like that my small journey through a mysterious forest began.

I found some suspicious mushrooms and picked them up.

[Obtained: suspicious mushrooms(?)]

'I shouldn't eat this, at least not yet.'

I continued and found more things.

[Obtained: medicinal herb?(?) 9x]

[Obtained: unknown berries(?) 14x]

[You have killed 2 wolves]

[You have leveled up!]

I also met a few wolves.

'Ah, I should really get a proper sword.'

The broken constellation's sword(S-) was good but it wasn't a good idea to keep using it.

*Grumble..*

'Ah, I'm hungry.'

I sighed and sat down cross legged.

[Activating skill: Mana circulation(F)]

'Now, let's eat.'

In case it was poisonous I could prevent it from being fatal if I used my mana to stop the poison from spreading too quickly.

'If it's poisonous I hopefully gain poison resistance.'

[Dropping: Unknown berries(?) 6x]

I quickly ate the six berries and circulate my mana.

One minute passed.

'Nothing.'

Five minutes passed.

'Nothing.'

T-

*Grumble..*

'What?'

I heard a grumbling stomach.

It wasn't mine.

I quickly looked around and didn't see anyone.

[Skill: mana circulation(F) has been upgraded!]

'Nice. Now where did that sound come from?'

I searched around but didn't find anyone.

"Hmm, was it my imagination?"

'It's probably hiding. Let's not waste time searching.'

I continued walking and after twenty minutes.

*Grumble...*

'I knew it.'

I quickly turned around and ran to where I heard the sound.

"Ah!"

*Thud.*

I heard a small thud and immediately ran towards it.

"Oh, there you are...."

There a kid had fallen down.

"Ah!"

The kid quickly got in a stance like a wild animal ready to strike.

'Hmm? It's a werebeast?'

Werebeasts were uncommon in gates but they did appear occasionally.

The kid had silver hair with wolf ears and ragged clothes.

'...'

It also had injuries everywhere.

'Which jerk did this?'

"Grrr!"

The kid made threatening noises and slowly backed away.

"What's your name?"

I asked looking at it.

'Hmm, is she a girl?'

It was hard to identify a gender but her voice sounded female, although she was growling.

"Grrr!"

She continued to make threatening noises now slightly shaking.

'Huh? Exhaustion?'

"Hey, are you alright?"

I tried to approach but she swiped her hand at me.

*Swish!*

I, being experienced, dodged the swipe without problem and looked at the werebeast worried.

'There was no strength in that.'

"Hey, you'll faint from exhaustion if you continue. Please stop!"

"Grrr."

The werebeast didn't back down and held its ground.

I checked my inventory and took out some berries.

[Dropping: berries(F) 8x]

'They're just normal berries.'

After eating a few I realized that they were completely normal.

I held the berries in my hand and stretched it out.

"I won't hurt you."

"Grr.."

The werebeast still held its ground but was slowly getting quieter.

I quickly composed myself.

"Hey, it's food. You can have it."

I placed the berries gently on the ground and sat down.

The werebeast flinched and looked at the berries but didn't approach.

I slowly backed away.

'It's not working.'

*Sigh.*

I sighed and turned around and continued walking.

I also noticed that the werebeast flinched quite a lot when I sighed.

I continued walking but made sure not to get too far away.

I moved out of sight and waited a bit.

*Ruffle.*

I heard the werebeast shabbily picking up the berries.

'Now, let's hope she follows me.'

I continued moving while listening quietly to subtle sounds.

'Good, you're following.'

I nodded to myself and tried to find berries and such.

[Obtained: berries(F) 6x]

'There are quite a few.'

I ate one medicinal herb to check its effects.

"Ugh."

'It's bitter. But it has a small trace of mana.'

I left some berries behind and continued.

This cycle went on for about thirty minutes.

[Obtained: berries(F) 32x]

[Obtained: medicinal herbs(F+) 21]

'Let's hope this can continue.'

Now I could barely see building in the distance.

'Now h-'

I heard something fall.

*Thud.*

My thoughts couldn't continue.

I quickly turned around and ran towards the sound.

'Crap, I knew I was stretching it but I didn't expect her to fall now!'

The werebeast was already injured and close to exhaustion.

To be honest just getting this far was a miracle.

"Damnit."

When I saw her she was on the ground breathing heavily.

[Dropping: medicinal herbs(F+) 5x]

I quickly crushed the herbs and applied it to her wounds.

"Eek!"

She flinched in pain.

[Activating skill: mana circulation(E-)]

[Developing skill....]

I tried my best to pour mana into the herbs.

"Shit, hey, please forgive me for this."

[Dropping: medicinal herbs(F+) 24x]

I removed her clothed carefully and applied the crushed herbs to where she was injured.

'This is gonna take a while.'

"Ahhh!"

It was probably really painful.

I did this for quite a while.

Then after twenty minutes she stopped shaking.

"Huff, now I gotta carry you. Sorry again."

I put her clothes back on and picked her up.

'I guess it's good that I'm close to town.'

I could see the town.

I started running towards the town.

********

"Hey, do you think you can trust other species?"

A question was directed at a werebeast with silver hair and wolf like ears.

"Mhm!"

The werebeast nodded enthusiastically.

"Hmm, then how do you check their trustworthiness?"

Another question.

"Hmm."

The werebeast had to think for quite a while.

After all it was a hard question to answer.

"Friend!"

The questioner laughed lightly.

"Hahaha so, if they're a friend they're trust worthy?"

The werebeast nodded.

"Yeah! If they're a friend they're trustworthy!"

*Ruffle.*

The questioner ruffled the werebeasts hair and smiled widely.

That time was nice.

"Haaa, haaa, haaaa."

*Rustle!*

The werebeast ran quickly.

'Friend?'

"Find her now!!"

The werebeast ran.

'Friend?!'

It didn't know where it was going.

It ran through the forest as fast as it could.

"Haaa, haaa, h- cough!"

*Thud!*

The werebeast fell, but quickly got up running away.

It remembered what happened.

-"Huh? So she's a werebeast?"

She was brought to the adventurers guild.

-"Oh, nice to meet you I'm....."

The man was nice.

-"Huh? She can't talk? Alright, it's fine."

-"Oh, can you stay here for a bit. Just think of it as helping a friend."

'Friend..'

She ran desperately.

-"Ah, you can just go back to sleep."

So why did h-

*Thud.*

The werebeast fell again.

Now it could no longer hear the sound of people.

But it continued to run. Just in case.

It no longer had a destination. It just wanted to escape, to go home.

*Thud.*

'Ah.'

It no longer had any strength to run.

'Death?'

It had heard of death.

It pulled itself together and continued running.

*Rustle!*

*Thud.*

Ah, it fell again.

The only comforting fact was the moonlight that kindly showed her some berries.

*Rustle.*

It crawled towards the berries and ate.

That night was peaceful.

*Chirp! Chirp!*

When it opened its eyes again it was the sun was rising.

'Ah, hungry.'

It searched for a while with its tired body and then saw a strange woman.

The woman was sleeping on a thick tree branch and bellow were multiple wolves waiting.

'Wolf?'

The werebeast moved away slowly.

Wolves were dangerous for children. That's what she had learned.

The werebeast looked back one last time.

*Chirp!*

And it witnessed something amazing.

*Swish!*

In one swift slash, one wolf died helplessly.

*Swish!*

And in two more the rest followed suit.

"...Woah..."

In that moment the werebeast decided to follow the human woman.

*Thud.*

Then she fainted.

Now she was suddenly being carried somewhere.

'Huh?'

She was barely conscious.

She could smell something.

*Sniff.*

'Human?'

It was the sent of a human. Her instincts should have kicked in but they didn't.

What was carrying her was an untrustworthy human. One of the worlds most evil races that would even sacrifice family for a little change.

"Ah."

She tried to speak but couldn't.

She didn't even know what to say.

"Huh? Oh, it seems you're awake. Please rest. I won't hurt you."

The woman said kindly.

'...'

The werebeast didn't even know what to think. So her mind went blank.

*Sniff.*

Then a word came to mind.

The reason her instincts didn't kick in.

"Ah..."

Her eyes felt heavy.

But she felt safe.

"Home."

The scent reminded her of home.

********

I continued running and eventually reached the Onryx.

Laura was talking to a guard looking worried. She quickly noticed me and called out.

"Ah! There you are! Where were y-!?"

She quickly stopped talking after noticing I was carrying someone.

"Hey do you guys have bandages?"

I asked immediately and Laura being quick, ran in town while I followed her and after a few seconds found bandages.

"They seem severely hurt. Where did you find them?"

"Long story short, I picked them up in that forest."

I pointed towards the forest.

Laura looked at me surprised and asked.

"The forest of wishes?! That one?"

"Yes?"

What's that supposed to mean?

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