Stray Soul

Looking at the entrance to the burrow and seeing the rays of sun flooding in filled me with joy as, unsurprisingly, being stuck in a dark hole without being able to sleep or go out to put it lightly, fucking sucks.

I’ve spent the last god knows how many hours trying to entertain my mind with something—anything I could do, and after countless hours of messing with my skills, the system and anything I could get my hands on, the fruits of my labour are… a big fucking middle finger in my direction from the world. How fun! Not…

Seriously, I need to find something to do at nights as soon as possible, preferably before the next night, as if I don’t find anything to entertain myself at nights, I’ll actually go fucking crazy!

Crazy? I was crazy once. They put me in a room, a rubber room, a rubber room filled with rats and rats make me crazy! Crazy? I was crazy once. The-

Okay, okay, I’ll stop… but only because I’ll actually go crazy if I continue repeating that stupid thing… Wait, I should probably go out and escape from here before the sun rises fully and the other animals wake up…

And escape from the burrow I did, though it wasn’t really an escape as I just slowly walked towards the remaining wall of dirt and promptly collapsed it and as I lay my eyes on the forest once again it was honestly… beautiful.

The last time I was able to look around I was quite literally a cockroach so yeah, not the best line of sight. But now, being a bit higher than the literal ground level really helps the view of the forest.

The vibrant trees and grasses, the calming rustling of the trees and wind, and the… dried pool of blood on the ground that has many insects eating it… yeah, I could’ve done without that… maybe this forest isn’t as majestic as I initially thought…

As I looked at the bugs on the ground, I quickly reminisced about yesterday’s events and the bizarre situation I’ve found myself in hit me fully. I mean, I am in a world with magic and a system! Why didn’t I think more deeply about it and just went with the flow yesterday?

But the fact that my life was literally on the line might’ve been a major factor in my repression of that fact… which is, fair to say the least and, it’s not like I can do a lot about this new life I’ve found myself in, so I guess I am going to continue going with the flow… for now.

After I stopped thinking about this world, I shook my head and focused on real life. Taking my gaze away from the bugs and sploshes of blood on the ground, I quickly selected a direction and legged it!

I mean, what else could I’ve done? The lynx that beat my ass yesterday is probably around and about right now, and in case it ever wants to take a bite out of me again, I can’t really do a lot against it. I mean, maybe I can realize my previous plan and make sure it understands I am no easy prey but…

I shifted my gaze to my busted hind leg, seeing the bone and the dried flesh around it. So yeah, even though I would really like for it to understand that I am no easy prey, this body will begin to visibly rot soon and I don’t think pumping it full of mana is going to preserve it… and even if I am able to preserve it at this shape, I am already using a lot of mana to sustain and use my busted leg, so I really doubt this body would be useful for me for long, especially in a forest with potentially tons of weird magical creatures and potentially the fresh corpses of tons of weird magical creatures that are ripe for picking by a stray soul like me.

As I shifted my gaze back to the forest, I once again started appreciating the sounds the nature made. The chirping of birds, chittering of the bugs, the swaying of the branches, the rusting of leaves, and the distinct sound of running water… Wait! Water!

I quickly stopped myself and focused on my hearing, trying to make sure I actually heard a stream or a river and soon enough, I heard the distinct sound of water flowing. Even though I wasn’t sure if it was a large river or something, I was pretty sure a river would be useful in… actually I don’t really have any uses for a river now that I am literally a flying orb of mana, but hey, it’s an important landmark and it could possibly lead me to civilization? Probably not. And I am not even sure if I want to meet people while being an undead rabbit but hey, a man can hope!

And as I finished my thoughts about the river, I quickly turned around and started running at the river after checking my mana counter and seeing I had 11 mana left… Just to trip over something a second or 2 later and fall down face first into the ground like a dumbass.

As I got up, and readjusted myself I took a glance at my busted leg and said to myself.

“Yup, definitely need a new body. Call me an ableist but I am not bothering with being a cripple in another world when I can literally get a new body whenever I want.”

After I said that, I quickly shook some dust and dirt off of me and once again started running at the direction of the water sound but this time paying more attention to the ground to make sure I didn’t make a joke out of myself… again… I really need to get a better hobby than being dumb, it’s kinda bothersome...

After running for a bit, I saw the trees starting to lessen and soon enough, I saw the river I heard a few moments before. And there were some animals around the river too!

I could see a small herd of a few deer drinking water while one of them was looking around, making sure no animal approached them. Then I saw a… I think that’s a hog? I am not sure because its kinda far away but there is a big ass creature with black fur, which I hope isn’t a baby bear because if so, I want to get out of here, as soon as rabbitly possible. And I saw a rabbit or 2 like me too! But their fur was a mix of brown and white instead of pure white like me… yeah that—that seems like a pretty good idea. To shed your white fur for one that is better at being hidden I mean… Eh, I’ll get a new body soon enough, no need bother myself thinking about something like camouflage.

Quickly losing my interest in my brethren, I willed my mana counter to appear in front of me.

Mana Points: 9/15

So, I’ve lost a good 6 points? Huh, I would’ve liked it to be even less, but this seems… acceptable. Not like I am permanently stuck at 15 mana points anyways.

I can always gain more exp through… actually… how do I gain experience? I know I can get some from quests, but it’s not like I can just suddenly materialize knowledge of souls in my mind, and there should be other ways of gaining exp so… System! Tell me how I can gain more exp!

*ding*

Though there are a variety of ways through which beings can gain exp, as a Stray Soul you can only gain exp from completing quests, killing other beings that are close to your strength or stronger, and improving your skills.

But please note that there are other ways of gaining exp, you just don’t have access to them right now.

After reading through the system message, and listening to the feminine voice narrating it, I could understand why system gave me exp from quests and killing things. I mean, they are literally fantasy 101, anyone that has the slightest interest in games or fantasy can tell you as such but, improving skills? Seriously? And if you get exp from improving skills, why didn’t I get exp from gaining new skills? System?

*ding*

The System only gives you exp from improving skills, not gaining them.

…Why?! Isn’t gaining skills harder than improving them? I can always sit around for half an hour and improve any one of my skills, but coming up with ideas to get new ones? That shit’s not easy! And what is the difference between gaining and improving skills anyways! System!

…

..

.

Of course you’d not answer… fucking hell…

After waiting for a few more moments for some kind of response from the system, and not getting any, I focused on the last part of the system window.

“But please note that there are other ways of gaining exp, you just don’t have access to them right now.”

Hmm… I feel like in here the system isn’t talking about anything like exp potions or some stupid shit like that, but just other functions of the system I cannot access because the system’s a bitch, but we all know that already.

Wait… how did I forget! Classes are a thing! Fuck! System, how do I get a class?!

*ding*

Only sapient beings can have classes.

What?! But I AM a sapient being!

*ding*

The system recognizes you for your intelligence, and thus marks you as an intelligent being, but there is a difference between intelligence and sapience.

WHAT!? What are you talking about! I was a human for fucks sake! Of course I am a sapient! And how do I even get the system to accept me as a sapient!?

…

..

.

No! You are not going silent in a conversation as important as this! System! Answer me! How do I get you to accept me as a sapient being!

…

..

.

You son of a-

After that, I started pestering the system for questions, trying to learn something from it, but alas, the system either didn’t respond to my questions, and when it responded, the things it said were not useful to me in any way. So after what I assumed to be a hour or so, I don’t know I wasn’t paying attention to the sun and I kinda lack clocks or any time keeping mechanism, I begrudgingly accepted the system wouldn’t answer my questions easily, and decided to wander around a bit to clear my mind.

And while I was wandering around, I heard a loud cracking sound below one of my paws and immediately stopped.

“Huh?!”

I then quickly jumped back, not wanting to risk some weird bullshit happening due to magic or something, but when I landed down, I heard another cracking sound, this time a bit softer.

“What the hell…”

After that, I lifted up my paw and looked down at it, just to see some kind of sticking to my paw.

“Ewww!!”

So, I quickly scarped it on the ground, but after I was done getting rid of it, I heard a familiar dinging sound.

*ding*

Congratulations! You have defeated Chitinous Bug (Z) level 2!

1 exp > 0 exp

“H-huh?! I gained exp from just killing a bug?!”

As I looked at the system message with wonder in my eyes, an idea came to me, if the system wasn’t going to accept me as a sapient, I would become strong enough to give it no other option to accept me as one!

This can’t go wrong in any way whatsoever!

So, after experiencing great amounts of pleasure for coming up with such a great idea, I started looking around for more of those weird bugs, and soon enough, I saw a couple and got to work.

*crack*

*ding*

Congratulations! You have defeated Chitinous Bug (Z) level 3!

1 exp > 0 exp

*crack* *crack* *crack*

*ding*

Congratulations! You have defeated 3 Chitinous Bug (Z) level 2-3!

3 exp > 1 exp

Wait! How much exp do I have now?! System, my status window!

Name: William Race: Stray Soul (Rabbit)

Level: 4 Exp: 2/4 Rank: Z

Health Points: 0/10 Mana Points: 12/15

Strength: 0 (0)

Vitality: 0 (1)

Agility: 0 (3)

Intelligence: 1 (0)

Wisdom: 6 (0)

Charisma: 0 (1)

Free Stat Points: 0

Skills: Ethereal Body (S), Mana Sense (Z), Bind (Z), Soul Sense (Z), Soul Manipulation (Z)

Titles: Reincarnator (S), Otherworlder (A)

Quests: Meddling with the Unknown (S)

Are you serious… 2/4 exp… well, hopefully killing a few more of those helps…

As I said that I spotted a few other bugs and quickly squashed it.

...

*ding*

Congratulations! You have defeated Chitinous Bug (Z) level 3!

Due to possessing a body stronger than your enemy, your exp gain has been reduced.

1 exp > 0 exp

Congratulations! You have levelled up and become level 5!

“Yes!!!” after seeing the confirmation of me becoming a level 5, I quickly turned back to my status screen to see my free stat points and the increase in my exp cap.

Name: William Race: Stray Soul (Rabbit)

Level: 5 Exp: 0/5 Rank: Z

Free Stat Points: 2

“So, I only need to kill… what, 9-10 of those bugs to level up once more? That’s- that’s super easy! God, why didn’t I do this before???”

But, as I was celebrating my new progression, I heard a weird noise, something like pebbles hitting ground, and when I turned back, I saw a bug nearly as big as me, that looked similar to the ones I had been killing, looking at me with clear blood lust in its gaze, and at that moment I understood something.

“Oh… they were hatchlings…”

And as the mama bug emerged from the ground, where it was clearly brooding in, I started to think…

“What kind of crazy shit will I see in this world?

… Well, nothings gonna beat a momma bug as a big as a rabbit that nests so closely to a river… hopefully…”

In a dwarven city build into the mountains of the south, that rivalled even the capitals of some kingdoms, a light purple haired man with a strange spring to his steps was traveling to the outer gate of the city, his final destination unknown, but not himself.

Clearly half-elven in origin, not only due to his distinct pointy ears but also the calmness of the air around him, the man known as a… “truth seeker” by the academic community that always tried to overachieve and… umm… ahh… succeeded a couple of times… that depends on what you mean by success though… anyways, with his numerous “successful” and “academic” ventures, the man was known by… his father who was actually a great historian and a man whose discoveries and theories will surely be thought to future generations.

And as the peculiar half-elf neared the cities outer gates, he took out a weird grimoire and, after fixing his glasses, started writing in it, but because of some weird magic, whatever he wrote lost its shape and joined a sea of other characters and sentences, floating freely in the pages of the grimoire, becoming readable to only himself.

And after the man passed behind a young city guard before he finally exited the city’s outer walls, the young guard tried to stop him, only to be stopped by an older and more experienced looking guard.

And as the weird half-elf left the city’s gates, and neared the graveyard, that was a bit away from the city and warded off with runes with the purpose to keep animals and the teenagers that wanted to have a scary experience away, and make sure no wayward dungeons appeared, he started making his way to 2 seemingly normal and unassuming graves. And as he came next to them, he looked at the graves with a weird look in his eyes before taking a piece of cloth from a spacial bag on his hips and quickly wetting it with a quick spell and starting cleaning the graves.

After he was finished cleaning the gravestones, he started fidgeting in his place a bit and after stopping fidgeting started talking with a dwarven accent, something he probably picked up from the owners of the graves.

“Vater, Mutter… I know it’s been a while zince I’ve been here, but I have an important thing to tell you… well… the thing is… I am zelling your haus.”

In a faraway place, a certain dwarven soul got pissed off by something unpleasant someone said in front of his grave while another dwarven soul started trying to calm it down.

In a town of a few dozen thousand that was located near a kingdoms edge and acted as the headquarters and the home base for many adventurers, explorers, and thrill seekers, in a 2 story house near the towns centre, a human woman with long brown hair was selling potions, herbs, remedies, and anything else she could make that would also make her some money and help her gain levels in her shop.

And as the last customers left her shop the women stopped forcing herself to smile and wandered her gaze through her shop that was filled to the brim with growing stands for many herbs and plants that were useful in potion crafting and alchemy related things, the women then let off a heavy sigh, for a moment showing the tiredness she had accumulated over the day… and the last one… and the one before that… and basically every day for the last few years.

And as she reached out for her herbal tea she had prepared before hand for herself, she realized it had already gone cold.

Completely exhausted, with another heavy sigh she put her head on the table in front of her, using her arms as a pillow, and after a few moments she looked up and started focusing on a peculiar plant on one of the shelves for a few moments.

And with a thoughtful expression she said, “Hmm… should I finally off my self and be done with everything?”

Err… wait, maybe this woman is too crazy for this story.

C-cut this part, we are not showing this on the public release, if we do people might relate too much to a clearly suicidal character and the show might get taken down.

*Muffled talking*

What are you talking about just cut it—okay if you are not going to do it, I am going to!

*Muffled struggle*

S-stop resisting! Let me just—hey be careful of where you are touching! Okay here it go-