The Voice of the World

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After a long walk, Merlin and I decided to take a break. We had finally left the dense forest and found ourselves in a more open field. The number of different biomes we had crossed was impressive, and that forest seemed to stretch on forever.

Merlin continued helping me understand the world I was in. She shared everything she knew, and while she spoke, I remembered my biology and history classes from school.

"[Did you understand?]" she asked.

"I think so" I replied, not very confidently.

She explained that humans have hearts, while monsters have cores. These cores are essential to their lives; without them, death is certain. Even the most powerful monsters wouldn't survive if their cores were destroyed. However, locating and hitting those cores could be extremely difficult depending on the monster.

In the middle of this explanation, I discovered something unsettling about myself: I had a core. When I touched my chest, I didn't feel a heartbeat. That could only mean I was a type of monster. The idea of seeing my own core intrigued me, but I knew trying that would be suicidal.

"[And about your species. You're a Metamorph, which means you can change your appearance at will.]"

That really caught my attention. A Metamorph? I wasn't sure how to feel about it. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was definitely something to get used to.

"A Metamorph? How did you find that out?"

"[Thanks to my skill [Enlightened]. I can receive information about everything within my field of vision.]"

The idea of receiving so much information seemed confusing to me. Just imagining it would give anyone a headache, but Merlin was a spirit, so maybe it was different for her.

"You can do that? Is it something only spirits can do? That's really cool."

"[No. Anyone can have powers like this, even a regular human, though not the same ability as mine—it's unique to me. The Voice tells you when you receive your ability. It speaks to you once you reach a certain level of knowledge and intelligence.]"

"Like... a computer notification?" I murmured more to myself, knowing Merlin probably wouldn't get the reference.

"[That's not from my time, but I guess that's it.]"

Merlin then began telling me everything she knew about the Voice. According to her, the Voice is an entity that grants powers and abilities to any living being smart enough to use them. It's like the administrator of the world, omnipresent and omniscient. It only communicates with those who have the minimum required knowledge. The Voice wouldn't give an ability to a baby, for example.

I got excited about the possibility of receiving something like this [Enlightened].

"So I can get one too? Even if I'm not human?"

"[Yes! Normal monsters only have innate abilities but are great mana producers and conductors. However, they don't receive abilities because they're not intelligent enough, with a few rare exceptions. Humans can gain many, but they don't have much mana.]"

I don't even know how to use my innate abilities…

"Really? Everything I've done so far was relying on my natural instincts."

"[Relax, you'll see it's pretty simple once you get used to it. All you need is a good memory. I'll teach you a few things, so pay attention and read carefully, okay?]"

" Yes!" I replied excitedly. "Wait… is it a lot?"

"[Let's start slowly. I'll teach you the basic fundamentals. With time, you'll get used to it and learn more.]"

I smiled. With Merlin by my side, I felt comfortable—it was nice having company. She not only gave me crucial information but also a sense of purpose and direction.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

After a long explanation about abilities, Merlin finally finished. At first, I thought Merlin knew as much as a book, but now I realized she was an entire library!

"[Alright, now tell me about the skill system in the body?]"

"Umm... Well... There's the class… types and... Fusion?"

"[Hmm...]" she didn't seem very satisfied "[Well, if you've learned about classes and types, that's already good. With time, you'll learn more.]"

It took longer than I expected—we stayed there for hours. But the truth is, I didn't understand much.

Things like class and types are very theoretical. There are many types of abilities, each with its own uniqueness. In the beginning, she explained about the Voice and what happens the moment one gets their first ability—this is the "gain," basically the simplest stage.

Then came the part about the cost and activation rules. Every ability has a cost, whether it's some energy or even specific conditions, like abilities that only work when the body is heavily injured or after reaching a certain level of blood.

There was something about organization too, but that seemed important only for those with more than five abilities—something I didn't need to worry about yet.

In the middle of this, Merlin evolved from "guide" to "teacher," and my brain was not okay! It felt like it was going to explode!

"Enough for today, I can't take it anymore. Let's continue another day" I said, defeated.

"[Don't worry, you'll learn in time. But since you're an experienced human, the Voice will probably speak to you any moment now. Pay attention, okay?]"

She said all of that was the basic stuff to finally start receiving abilities, but I hoped I wouldn't have to learn anything else for now. She just dumped information on me without mercy; my history teacher was an angel compared to Merlin.

Anyway, I learned the basics. The rest I'll learn through practice. Looking at it that way, I'm excited; I really want to know what my first ability will be…

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Without even realizing it, we had spent the entire day there. Merlin explained things beyond powers and abilities; this world was rich, to say the least. But I was still far from accepting any of this as normal—it was going to take some time…

I sighed, exhausted. Everything was so new, I didn't know how to react. I was just going along with it, pretending everything was fine. But after everything Merlin told me today, I realized none of this was normal.

"I think I'll stay here a bit longer. We have plenty of food. Tomorrow, we'll continue our journey."

"[Alright. I'm going to walk… I mean float around a bit,]" she corrected herself and started to drift away, bouncing slightly.

"Don't wander too far. If I lose you, I'll be in serious trouble."

A waving emoji appeared in her speech bubble.

So far, we'd just been walking in a straight line. If we got lost now, we'd be done for.

Cirgo was supposed to be the coldest city in these parts. Hopefully, the people there would be generous enough to give me a coat. Otherwise, I was about to truly understand what it meant to be freezing.

I laid down on the ground and closed my eyes. Everything was quiet—just me and the forest. The rustling leaves were incredibly calming. Soon, I heard birds singing, and thoughts of my past life came and went. The more they came, the more I tried to focus on the sounds around me.

"Good afternoon," a mature female voice spoke to me.

I jumped in surprise. I hadn't seen anyone nearby, and she had appeared so suddenly.

"Oh, did I scare you? Sorry, I was looking for you, but I guess I came on a bit strong," she chuckled, covering her mouth.

She was tall. Very tall—over two meters at least. Her light green hair fell all the way to her knees, and her eyes were red. She wore a black outfit with a massive cloak, a hat that looked like a classic witch's hat, and two thin antennae poking through it.

"Looking for me? Do I know you... ma'am?" I asked, standing up and realizing just how small I was compared to her.

"'Ma'am'? That's a first. But no, you don't know me. Still, in a way, I know who you are."

She kept her eyes on me the entire time. It was intimidating. Her presence radiated a kind of silent power. I cleared my throat and tried to compose myself.

"So… did you come from the same world I did?" I asked without thinking too much. I immediately worried I'd said something wrong, but she didn't react.

"No, I was born here. I've seen people from other worlds wandering these parts, but you're the only one who caught my interest," she said, kneeling in front of me and gazing deep into my eyes.

"So others have appeared in this forest. Do you know where they are now?"

"Oh, yes. They're dead. If you look hard enough, you might even find their corpses."

That made me even more nervous. I really didn't want to be next.

"H-how did they die?"

By now, I was sweating cold, a chill crawling down my spine.

"Some were eaten by monsters. Others got lost and starved. And a few were led to their deaths by a witch. By the way, I'm the one keeping the monsters away from you. I hope you appreciate that."

I had noticed—there hadn't been a single hostile wild animal nearby until now.

"Why are you helping me?"

"I don't want you to die too soon. Something interesting might happen once you grow up. Until then, I'll protect you the best I can. But starting today, you should be able to fend for yourself. So I won't keep the monsters away anymore."

Wait, didn't she just say she didn't want me to die early? And now she was leaving?

It seemed like she wanted me to stop depending on her protection. I had no idea what she really wanted or what she was thinking. But I guess I could "trust" her… for now.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked, curious.

"That's a secret. I'll tell you another day, pup," she said before vanishing into thin air, leaving only drifting wind and floating specks of dirt.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. That woman's face looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it… I wasn't even sure I'd seen anyone like her back in my world…

» Analyzing individual… analysis complete. «

"Uh-huh… glad that's done…" I said calmly, only to realize another voice was speaking to me. "Wait a second, who is this?"

A white screen appeared, with bold text repeating what I had just heard.

» Searching for special ability using soul as a base. «

Then it hit me. That was the Voice. It was talking to me, but it felt more like it was talking to itself. Merlin had said it was harmless, so I had no reason to be afraid.

It was strange—the Voice spoke in such a calm manner. It was really pleasant to hear. There was nothing intimidating or overwhelming about it.

» Ability [Skill King] acquired. Would you like to see the abilities it contains? Yes/No «

"Yes… please."

I was cautious. [Skill King] didn't sound very impressive at first. But it had "King" in the name, so it had to be good, right?

» [Skill King] contains the abilities: Defragmentation/Fragmentation — Absorption — Appraisal — Application. A class (S) ability. «

When it said "class (S)," I felt a surge of joy. Maybe it really was an amazing ability! Though I had hoped for an explanation on how it worked—which I didn't get.

"Wait… is that it? No further details?" I looked up at the sky with a disappointed expression. "Very straight to the point, huh…?"

And the Voice said nothing more. I didn't worry too much about it, though. I was already thinking about something else: What exactly was [Skill King]? Maybe it made me really good at something? No, that wasn't it… It said the ability was made of others joined together…

So this was an example of a "fusion." Taking one ability and merging it with others to create a new one. That explained why it was a high-class ability—it was formed by combining multiple abilities. And this one had five, if we counted defragmentation and fragmentation separately. That's definitely class (S).

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

After some time, Merlin finally returned to the spot we were in. Without wasting any time, I told her everything that had happened and explained my new ability. I also asked how to use it.

"[No idea]" was the response I got.

She didn't know. Well, I guess I can't expect her to know everything, right...?

"But, you have an ability, don't you?" I asked, still hopeful.

"[Yes, but that doesn't mean all abilities work the same. Mine is always active. Like I said, it gives me details about everything I see.]"

"I see. But one of my abilities is called [Appraisal]. Any chance it's similar to your [Enlightened]?"

"[Well, maybe. But my ability to receive information is just one part of [Enlightened]. Hey, why don't you try giving it a command?]"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"[Just imagine the name of the ability you want to use. The more you know about it, the easier it'll be to activate. Try to imagine what it does just by the name.]"

A command? That sounded weird, but since I was about to figure out how to use my ability through trial and error anyway, I didn't have many options.

"Appraisal... Appraise Merlin."

"[Me?!]" the crown on her head sprouted spikes from the shock.

» Name: Merlin

Species: Medium Spirit

Age: 21

Threat Class: (B) «

"Oh! It worked!" I said, excited.

I could see the information like a screen in my mind, but it felt more like an image projected directly into my brain. It wasn't literally floating in front of me — more like when the Voice spoke to me earlier.

"[Hey, what does it say?]" Merlin asked, curious.

"Out of what I didn't already know… just your age and threat class."

"[Oh no, my secret's out!]" a crying emoji popped into her speech bubble.

It felt satisfying knowing my ability worked, but I still wanted to test it a bit more. So, I decided to appraise myself.

» Name: Victor

Species: Metamorph

Age: 2 days

Threat Class: (A) «

It only gives basic information. I'm a Class (A) monster… which means I'm strong, right?

I was trying to stay calm on the outside, but deep down, I was thrilled. This was so cool!

"Looks like it works. I'm only two days old."

"[Then your body is brand new. It's like you were reborn, maybe something like reincarnation?]"

"But if that were the case, shouldn't I be a baby? My body's already well-developed for someone two days old. Besides… I didn't die, Merlin."

"[Let me see. Metamorph offspring aren't necessarily dependent on their kin. When they're born, they separate from their progenitor to live on their own. Metamorphs only clone themselves once in a certain cycle, creating a new life. I can't figure out what exactly happened to you, but you're a Metamorph offspring.]"

She was literally reading from a book. Her ability should be called "Wikipedia," not [Enlightened].

So, my parent must've cloned themselves and I was born, then left alone. Nothing to be done — wild animals just do what they're designed to do.

"But what about my appearance? I mean, I can't seem to use my Metamorph abilities to make myself look more masculine."

"[Ah, about that. Metamorphs are born from pure mana. Remember how I said monsters generate and handle mana better than humans? Metamorphs are among the best at it, since they're born from mana itself — no physical reproduction involved. Those are called "original Metamorphs." They can freely change their appearance. But a Metamorph born from an original retains a fixed appearance based on their progenitor at the moment of birth. They can't alter their looks too much.]"

"So my progenitor might've been an original, and looked like this at the time. Damn! I wanted to be all buff, but now I'm stuck like this forever!" I joked, though I honestly didn't mind my appearance much. I was actually starting to accept it pretty well.

"[Don't be so down. You're kind of cute. Could be worse. Metamorphs are savage and violent creatures that attack anything they see as a threat. Your progenitor wasn't bad-looking. Imagine if you'd ended up as some big hairy guy with fur in humanly impossible places!]"

Please protect me, whoever's up there. I'm thankful for being a decent-looking Metamorph.

I had the idea of meeting other Metamorphs someday, but yeah, no thanks. If I ever see one, I'll probably be traumatized. He'll try to eat me, won't he? Yep. Let's shelve that idea. For now, I just want to learn more about my ability.

"So I'll have to be asexual, huh..."

"[I'm not sure about that. I believe you might be able to change your appearance a bit as you grow older. Right now, your natural abilities are still developing. Maybe with time, you'll be able to "reshape" yourself better.]"

"Oh! I get it! So that's how it works. What a relief!"

I did like the way I looked, so I figured I'd stay like this. Of course, I might add some masculine traits later — just to feel a bit more comfortable.

"As for my ability, that was just [Appraisal]. There are still four more."

"[So it's a phased ability. The Voice listed them in order, right? Try using them in that order. Here, do something with this fruit I found.]"

A fruit that looked like a regular apple floated toward me. Seems like Merlin has other abilities too — maybe it's normal for spirits. I mean, in movies, spirits can make things float. That must be a racial ability.

"Defragmentation."

The apple turned into small glowing fragments, like shards of glass floating in the air. After that, I said "Absorption," and the fragments were drawn into my hand. When I used [Appraisal], it didn't show details about the apple, but a message appeared: "Process complete." Finally, "Application." Nothing seemed to happen — I just felt like I'd eaten something delicious.

"[What happened?]" Merlin asked, intrigued.

"I think… I ate it. It was really good, by the way."

"[So your ability just eats things. Maybe that's not the proper way to use it?]"

"I'm not sure. A message said my body is now producing vitamins A, B, and C, and a few other proteins as well."

"[It applied the apple's nutrients to your body! That's incredible! How do you feel?]"

"Healthy?"

*[Nice!]"

A new discovery: if I use [Skilled King], I'll never have to chew again. That saves me from having to eat piece by piece. Doesn't sound all that powerful, but hey — it's useful! No more chewing!

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Night fell quickly, and this would likely be our last day in the forest. With nothing nearby, we decided to sleep out in the open, in a wide field that didn't offer many options. The sky was dotted with stars, and the full moon bathed the landscape in silver light.

While Merlin floated beside me, lost in thought, I curled up on the damp ground and tried to settle in for the night. The evening breeze brought a refreshing chill, but it was starting to get cold.

A few hours passed, and soon it was morning. But something felt off. My senses were uneasy. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, when suddenly — I smelled something strange.

Wait, what is that smell? Something's burning… Wait, I'm burning!

Panic rushed through me as I realized my leg was being scorched by a blast of fire. A fire lizard, with gleaming scales and blazing eyes, had crept up silently and was attacking.

I jumped up in a panic, shouting as I looked for a lake or any water source to put out the flames. With no luck, I decided to take a riskier approach.

"Defragmentation!"

Surprisingly, the flames shattered into glass-like shards in the air. I then absorbed the shards, feeling energy flow into my body as the ability did the rest.

» [Fire Manipulation] acquired. Class (C) ability. «

What?! I gained another ability — already? Oh, so you do that too…

With a mix of excitement and curiosity, I tried to use my new power. A burst of flame shot from my hand, hitting the fire lizard directly. But the attack wasn't very effective — it was a fire creature, after all. Still, the ground around us started to burn.

Suddenly, an explosion rang through the clearing. The lizard was torn to pieces, and blood sprayed in every direction, staining the ground red.

"[Such a racket this early.]" Merlin floated over to me, her speech bubble showing an annoyed emoji.

"Merlin, did you do that?"

"[Oh? Yeah. I reversed its blood flow using my [Psychic Order] ability — it's kind of my species' skill.]"

"That's amazing! Can you do that to anyone?" I asked, in awe… and slightly terrified.

"[No. People nowadays use a kind of mental barrier, so my thoughts can't reach them. But it works on any unprotected creature, so it's fine.]"

"You're terrifying…"

"[Ha! Don't be afraid, I'm not the type to go around killing everything in sight.]'

*Good to know... Are you sure you're just class (B)?"

"[Don't let those letters fool you. There's a huge difference between threat classes. Believe it or not, a class (B) monster is still very powerful.]"

"If you say so, I'll believe it..."

"[Come on, I think we can reach Cirgo today.]"

"Right, let's go" I crossed my arms, trying to warm myself. — It feels colder today… I need a jacket... Maybe Cirgo is close.

Our probably-last day in the forest began with a sense of optimism. I felt confident — after all, we still had plenty of food...

Wait, where's the food?

Looking around, I realized our food stash had turned to charcoal. It must've been that damned fire lizard...

"... I hate fire spitters..." I muttered, accepting the reality with a sigh of defeat.

My nose twitched involuntarily, and I felt tiny shivers on my face. The air was growing supernaturally cold…

I think it's going to rain again... With that thought, we began our final walk toward the closest city: Cirgo.

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