A wolf's den

I spent around an hour walking through the passageway and killing rats along the way. Some managed to escape, others tried to fight back, but I killed as many as I could without losing any time more than necessary. Exploring it without a light source was the worst idea I had in a while. I could not be more than a couple of steps away from where I was, and there was another thing.

[HP: 120/132]

I tripped a couple of times with pieces of rock, some vermin, or some of the discarded trash that was lying around. It was getting annoying!

THUD

"AUCH! CRAP!" I yelled and cursed when I hit something with my head "What the hell?!" I looked up and reached with my hand.

I inspected with my hand what I had in front of me. It was made of wood and went down at an angle. Then I find a handle. Seems I reached the end.

I pull on the door. The other side was dark, but I could see some light enter in the end, so I stepped inside. I prepare my sword in case I need it to defend myself. As my eyes adjusted I could notice some barrels and boxes. It was a storage room but seemed to have seen less use than the ones of the castle. Cobwebs, spiders, and other creatures were running around. I could see dust on the light that came in from a door up on a stairway.

"Creepy" I comment and make my way towards the stairs.

The door was open so I just made my way through, and saw what seemed to be an abandoned cabin. The smell of decaying wood was in the air, impregnating the whole place. It was a single room, I could see a bed made of wood and hay, a fireplace with an iron pot, a small kitchen, and a small spot with what seemed to be a desk.

[New place discovered: Cabin in the wood!]

[+50XP for exploration]

"What?" I said to myself "Since when do I gain XP for exploring?"

That was probably some of the elements removed by the Kals and that Selene gave me access to. Why would they remove such a convenient element? People would gain levels much faster with it and not just have to kill monsters or other people to get levels.

There may be other ways to gain points of experience. Probably I can get myself prepared faster than I was expecting. This was a huge advantage!

I approached the desk as it was calling my attention too much. I could find something useful. The first rule of RPGs! Check everything! I start to inspect it and open the drawers of the furniture and find mostly nothing, except for a small book. Seemed to be a diary and there was no dust on it. Now that I think about it, the desk has no dust either, and seemed to have seem some use recently.

I open the diary on a random page and I start to read the contents. The writing was messy, but I could understand it.

"I still cannot believe I finally found someone like I imagined I would fall for and I failed to protect him. Now his allies are out of escape routes, he is dead and I can see the soldiers carrying the fox people out of the castle"

This diary tells what happened after the castle died! And who is this person talking about? Falling for a man?

"I wish I would have been stronger. I cannot understand why I cannot go up in…"

"Grrrrrrr"

I heard growling behind me and the creak of wood. I let the diary fall on the desk and turned around with my sword on my, ready to fight.

And what I found in front of me was a big snout and two yellow eyes looking at me with anger, growling at me. A giant White Wolf.

I froze, thinking about my next move, I could feel sweat running through my face while I was looking at it. This time I was alone against it, I had no way to fight it at my current level without the same help Dara gave me.

While growling at me, started to sniff my scent, and then with more vigor…. the growling stopped.

"W-why do you smell like him?" the female voice of the wolf asked… I forgot she could talk "No, why do YOU look like HIM?!" she asked, I could hear her voice filled with anger and confusion.

"I-I suppose it has been a few months, r-right?" I asked with a nervous smile on my face, trying to sound casual.

"N-no!" She took a few steps back. Her frame was big, how did she sneak up on me like that? She barely could fit through the door! "He died! Months ago! I saw him die!"

"I don't know what to tell you" She tried to protect me, maybe she could be an ally if I tried carefully "Some weird stuff happened, and I was revived… if you can believe that," I said, trying to see if she would believe me.

"How? I have never seen someone come back to life" She sits. Her head is touching the ceiling. Her tail wraps around her paws. There is a certain excitement in her voice now.

"I was summoned to this world and a goddess decided to help me," I said, lowering my sword "You can believe I am me, I did die, but I got returned to her… several months after it seems"

"If I figure out you are lying to me…" She said and barked at me right after. I could feel my ears hurt when she said "I won't be merciful"

"N-noted…" Maybe I could keep myself safe.

"Why did you try to help me back then?" I asked, curious about her reason.

She lowers her face and covers it with her paw.

"Don't make me say it! Is embarrassing!" She said, her voice was shaking.

"What are you talking about?" I was extremely confused "Look, it doesn't matter. And how did you manage to sneak up on me? You are too big"

"Hey! I am a lady! Don't call me big!" She demanded… but she was.

"You are the size of the room" I answered.

"Hmph!" She looked to the side with her eyes closed, and I swear she was pouting "Well if you must know!"

Then her whole body started to shine, I had to cover my eyes for a few seconds, but I managed to see how it became smaller. When I opened, I looked up, but I could not see the female wolf anymore. I lowered my face a bit until I saw a girl's face with yellow eyes, gray long hair, wolf ears, a wolf tail, and a playful smile staring at me. Her clothes seemed to be made of some kind of fur, and was wearing only a simple top and shorts of the material. She was only a few centimeters smaller than me.

"I can transform!" She said, smiling. Then she jumps at me with her arms stretched and buries her face on my chest, making me fall to the ground with her on top.

"Agh!" I yelled as I felt the pain of the fall. I was on my back while she was hugging me and not letting me move. I could feel her small breasts pressing against my chest, making me lose even more focus.

"W-What are you doing?!" I asked, confused at what was happening.

"Didn't I say it back then? You are my mate now!" she said while looking up at me.

"W-w-w-w-w-what?!"

"We are going to make a nice pack together!"

"What are you talking about?!" I was confused. The way her small frame felt against my body was making me lose focus and think straight.

"Don't tell me your parents never explained to you where babies come from?!" She said while placing her small hand on her mouth, surprised.

"I know where they come from!" I studied (attempted) medicine! Of course, I know! "I am just trying to understand when was this decided"

"After you managed to defeat me, I-" Then she stopped herself and seemed to have realized something, Her face went to the desk "You were reading my diary…"

The wolf girl stands up from me and quickly takes a few steps back and sits on her knees. I take this chance to sit.

"You didn't read…. uhm…" she was nervous for some reason, pressing both index fingers together and avoiding eye contact "You didn't read what I did after you made me have to escape with my pack, right?"

"What? N-no…" I was even more confused. What did she do?

"Oh… good… that would have been embarrassing," she said and took a long breath. Then pointed a finger at me, her face was completely red "Don't you dare read a young girl's diary again or I will punish you!"

It is obvious at this point, but I was genuinely confused about what was happening. Who was this wolf girl and why was she so obsessed with me? I felt this was not going to be the kind of ally I was expecting it to be.