Ch 2: First Impressions (1)

“Status Window!!!”

 

…

 

…

 

“System!”

 

“Bankai!”

 

“Kamehameha!”

 

“Domain Expansion!”

 

“Gum Gum… Pisto–waaAHH!”

 

Thud

 

Damn… I have no cheats.

 

I am in a forest. A forest in another world, a world where I have no powers to defend myself. And I am a rat. I am in a forest, in another world with talking rats.

 

“Ahh… This is driving me crazy.”

 

I can’t even tell if I’m naked or not. None of my clothes came with me, but I have fur now so it’s kind of ambiguous right now. I guess it doesn’t matter right now since there isn’t anyone nearby.

 

For now… I should look around this forest and try to figure out where I am. At least, if I don’t want to die in a random forest shortly after being revived… even if I'm a rat now.

 

Ya, I chose to survive so I’ll make the most of this life!

 

Maybe if I’m optimistic I’ll even find a magician who can turn me human again! Just wait, other world, I’ll find my way out of this forest easily!

 

***

 

Where the F-U-C-K am I?

 

I've been walking around looking for a path for hours, but everything looks exactly the fucking same out here! It’s all just trees and… more trees. Like some sort of… forest.

 

I guess that makes sense…

 

The sun doesn't seem to be going down anytime soon, and despite the unplanned hike I'm not feeling too tired. I've even started to walk on two legs again despite this new rat body so I can at least try to ignore that problem for the time being.

 

But what's really driving my patience right now is my hunger.

 

grrrr

 

Ya that.

 

I didn't even get to have a lunch break before being swept into this mess.

 

Combine that with all the emotional distress of turning into å̷̧̪͖̹̥̠͛̌̕ ̴̹̞͇̭̒͗͆R̸̩̩̘̍͆͌̊A̶̹̭̺̗̺̾͑͝T̵̢̧̲̰̣͂̉̎, along with the now hours of moving without rest, and now my stomach can't stop rumbling whenever I even think of food.

 

grrrr

 

I don't even want to try eating any of the plants and berries around here since they might be poisonous or magically cursed depending on how dangerous this world is.

 

Of course, if I can't find any civilization soon I might need to reconsider this once I start starving.

 

Grrrr

 

Especially when I can already hear the growling getting louder as if it's some kind of animal.

 

…

 

Actually… Was that an animal?

 

rustle

 

When I focus and listen everything goes quiet save for the slight swaying of some nearby bushes to the side of me.

 

Something's there.

 

It's got a large body which although hidden quite well, is forced to move slowly in order to try and keep me from noticing it advance towards me.

 

I can see its intended trajectory as it draws closer, and I can hear it's subtly closed off breathing as it stalks its prey.

 

And given the creature's smell I can assume it's… feline.

 

Wait, smell?

 

Ah, I think I get it now.

 

A body that doesn't tire easily, stronger hearing, better sight, an unnervingly powerful sense of smell.

 

I don't normally have special physical abilities like these. If I were to be in this forest while still a normal human, I would probably have been attacked by the animal stalking me without ever even noticing it.

 

The reason I was able to sense it was thanks to the heightened abilities I now have as a rat.

 

*rustle* rustle

 

The creature, having seen me pause in place to think, also stopped for a while, but now that enough time has passed it seems to believe it safe to continue its approach.

 

Super senses or not, I don't want to fight any big cats today so after looking for a bit I notice a small clearing nearby that is free of any natural greenery for the predator to hide behind.

 

And after entering this clearing, the sounds of animal footsteps stop.

 

“Hmph! I'd like to see you try and ambush me now.”

 

Given all those nature documentaries I've watched it's safe to assume that with its preferred way of hunting blocked the cat will give up on attacking me and walk away.

 

You hear that kitty? This is yet another win for humanity!

 

“…”

 

Yep… Just gotta wait for it to leave…

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Why isn't it leaving?

 

*step* *step* step

 

Ah, it's moving again! Only it's still heading in my direction…

 

“Grrrr”

 

“Wait, why are you heading towards me?! Aren't you supposed to turn around and look for easier prey?!”

 

But the crude beast refuses to listen to the enlightened truths of an intelligent being, and as it steps out of the underbrush the previously hidden figure is fully revealed.

 

An animal feline in appearance with a build similar to a mountain lion. The most striking difference being that while most mountain lions have pale brown coats, the beast in front of me boasts a palette closer to a muted yellow with long and jagged gray stripes wrapping around the upper torso.

 

This is an admittedly interesting feature and I would love to learn more about why and how this trait developed, unfortunately it is charging straight at me.

 

“HOLY SHIT!”

 

I don't know what to do! I've never fought a mountain lion before, why is there even a mountain lion in a forest!?

 

The lion takes a leap hoping to pin down and immobilize the frightened rat. As it approaches rapidly my mind also begins to move at a rocket’s pace in order to think of a way to defend against this charge.

 

My body still stiffened with fear, however, is only able to put up my arms in a meager defense as I run out of time and am forced to brace for impact.

 

CRACK–

 

Huh?

 

“Gruahh!”

 

I was expecting the sound of flesh tearing and me falling to the floor, but instead when I open my eyes I'm met with a still standing me, and a now partially toothless lion.

 

What happened?

 

The lion seems confused and is stumbling around so I can assume it doesn't know. No one else is around so it couldn't have been a third party that caused this. 

 

Does that mean I punched its teeth out?

 

But that doesn't sound right either. All I did was put my arms up once it pounced.

 

Looking at the arms in question I can see the lion's teeth marks confirming that they were used to defend from its attack. Only… If my arms were bitten by a lion shouldn't they have been torn off, not just faintly marked?

 

Thinking about it though, I just found out that I have keener senses than normal thanks to noticing the stealth attempt earlier. What if I also happen to have a high durability and strength.

 

Stronger hearing and smell is one thing, but it would be weird to think that being in a rat's body would give me super strength. If I did have super strength though, a power like that could be considered a high class skill… or a cheat.

 

“And with a cheat in another world, I could fight monsters. Isn't that right Mr. Lion?”

 

“!”

 

The lion seemingly recovered from its daze was once again startled when I addressed it in a calmer manner than I showed previously in our skirmish.

 

It also seemed to realize that I was indeed the one responsible for its recent dental work.

 

“Here, kitty kitty~”

 

“...”

 

Franklin: :)

 

Lion: 0_0

 

Franklin: >:)

 

It ran.

 

“Get back here you coward!!”

 

And I chased.

 

***

 

There have been a lot more monsters around the edge of the forest lately.

 

“Hah.. hah… ha”

 

They seem to be coming out from the center, that's why I thought it would be fine for me to go in still since I've been to the center before.

 

“Urk!”

 

That was until I saw a group of topaz lions just off the path to the village.

 

After watching them for a while the group split so I followed one, planning to kill it and take it back to warn everyone how close the monsters are getting.

 

I was too focused on how dangerous things were getting for the village, so when my crossbow jammed right when I had lined up the shot, I didn't have a way to escape the danger I had just put myself in.

 

The lion's roar alerted most of the previously fragmented group and is now hot on my tail. I couldn't put others in danger by leading these monsters back to the village, but running in the other direction has only gotten me deeper into their territory without a plan to escape.

 

Dammit. If I was going to die like this I should've at least waited until after I got to warn everyone.

 

The way things stand there could be a beast tide soon. If they're not prepared to face it…

 

“Shit!”

 

No. I have to escape.

 

Even if it costs an arm or a leg, I'll make it back in time for them to prepare and evacuate.

 

“Hehe. I hope you've had time to dig your graves before this, topaz lions, for now you will face the full power of I, Evelyn Mayor!”

 

I just hope that the exhaustion and blood loss I'm experiencing will come up with a plan great enough to follow through on the baseless confidence it's feeding me.