{master……..master……MASTER, WAKE UP!} The system shouted in his mind which was effective as Mike slowly opened his eyes.
“Hm…..kugh!?” He starts feeling his bones slowly being crushed and he is finding it very difficult to breathe. [what the hell, i am falling? Wait, how is my body still intact, wasn’t I going through the rebirth cycle to receive a new body?] He thought as the distance between him and the ground rapidly decreased.
{That was thanks to me, master.}
“...........I see, we are connected, you must be the power i absorbed and evolved.”
{Indeed, we are bound and I will serve you for eternity, our bond is beyond reason.}
“That’s nice and all but I am dying here, what the hell is happening to my body.”
{it appears the gravitational force is a 100 times greater than the one you are used to.}
“100 times? Wait, that doesn't make sense, if that’s true, why am I still alive?”
{I am doing my best to keep you alive but i can’t keep it up, do something master or we will die before you even live your new life}
“Already? This power is so draining, if I use it I might pass out but I guess I have no choice.” He closed his eyes and began concentrating, his body started to change, more muscular, stronger bones and organs, stronger everything, he reshaped his body until he was able to handle the gravitational force. He did not stop there, he changed his face so that people wouldn't think he looked weird.
{uh, master, i think we are about to die}
Mike was just a few seconds from hitting the ground but that was enough time for him to activate a barrier around himself just milliseconds before impact. All the trees in the area get blown away by the impact and a massive crater the size of a house is left. Luckily, he is not knocked out but he is unable to move , he expended too much power than his body could handle.
“Kugh! My body is a wreck, I need to stay somewhere while I heal…… but I can't move, dammit.” He stared at the sky until he suddenly heard growling noises getting closer and closer.
“Fuck, of all the times a monster had to show up, why now.” He tried moving again but his body was too damaged and in too much pain to move. “We are so fucked”
{....it appears that way but i can sense something other than the monsters heading our way.}
“Hm? Why can’t I sense those presences like you?”
{well, not only are you tired, you still need to work on controlling your power.}
“Guess that makes sense.”
In the distance, the sound of dying monsters could be heard which put his heart at ease but he could still sense something was off. He could not turn his head so he was completely at the mercy of whoever or whatever was approaching him. For a while he could not hear anything but silence, he thought maybe they were gone but out of nowhere, a half human, half animal girl appeared on top of him sniffing him like a wild animal.
Mike wanted to speak but he was more fascinated that a real beast girl was in front of him, her long midnight hair, piercing yellow eyes and furry ears all captivated him. She finished sniffing him, stood up and whistled, signalling her comrades to come out. They surrounded, beast girls, they all showed killing intent which could mean they dislike humans.
"Grak'vash thiri'nak, urash kel'vath!" the girl that sniffed him spoke, pointing at him as if he is a criminal.
"Vash'taruk, gral veth'na!" The commander of their little group responds and the other girl did not like the answer she got so she goes on a rant.
"Thra'kun lorash vek'ti!
At this point, Mike was curious about what they were talking about. [psst, hey, can you make use of my power to create a universal language translator?]
{what would you do without me huh, give me a second………done}
“Why should this human be spared, look what he did to our forest, we should kill him right away, does she not realise how dangerous humans are or did she forget what they did to our people!”
“There she goes again, acting like she knows what it feels like when she wasn't even born during that era.”
“Well, the elders have been drilling them that humans are as evil as demons so it's not that surprising but still, the scent coming from this human is strange, he smells twisted but also kind, I have never been so confused in my life.”
“Indeed, it's been so long since a human dared to enter our forest but judging from his condition and how confused he is, I don't think he came here willingly, let’s take him to mother, we don’t have the right to place judgement upon him no matter what he did.” The commander stated, with her eyes meeting with Mike’s.
“Stop staring at the commander, filthy human.” The beast girl that sniffed him stomped on his stomach causing him immense pain because his body was already in terrible condition.
“Kugh!”
“Amara, stop, you can clearly see that he is gravely injured.”
“But commander.” The commander stared at her with anger in her eyes. Amara knew if she spoke back she might get punished “Sorry commander.”
“Good, pick him up and let’s go, it's getting dark.”
They picked him up and started running back to their hideout. On the way, Mike noticed just how massive everything was, the trees were almost the same size as skyscrapers. Mike looked at the girl carrying him and started thinking. [she looks so buff but also lean and this speed……how are they so fast.]
{Master, their physiology seems to be adapted to this environment. Their strength, speed, and endurance are far beyond that of regular humans, likely due to the intense gravitational force and the unique properties of this world.}
[I can see that. I knew fantasy people were strong, but seeing it in person, I feel like a newborn.]
{Do not underestimate yourself, master. You are only at the beginning of your journey. With time, your powers will surpass even theirs.}
[Yeah, but right now I’m completely at their mercy.]
The group finally arrived at what looked like a large clearing in the middle of the forest, surrounded by gigantic trees that formed a natural barrier. The air here was thick with the scent of wildflowers and damp earth, and in the distance, Mike could make out the soft glow of lanterns hanging from the trees. It looked like a village, but not like any he had seen before. The homes were built into the trees themselves, blending seamlessly with the forest around them.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Amara, take him to the cage," the commander ordered, her voice flat. But there was something dark in her eyes, as though she was suppressing her edge to rip him apart.
Amara shifted his weight on her shoulder, her fingers digging into his skin. She didn’t hide the sneer on her face as she turned away, her mind filled with hate.
“Yes, commander,” she replied, her voice tight with disgust. She walked quickly, her grip on him harsh as she dragged him through the village. As she walked towards the cage, she remembered what they were taught in class, about how humans invaded their forest and killed almost all their people.
[Humans… disgusting. They don’t deserve any kindness. How many of us have they killed without thinking? How dare he even be here? I will make sure you suffer, you will not leave this forest alive.]
Mike, barely conscious, felt every painful jolt.Her grip was tightening with each step and he could feel it down to the bone. He tried to keep his eyes open, but each breath was a struggle. The villagers’ voices rose around him, whispering about the appearance of a human in the forest after such a long time. Their voice were filled with anger and hate.
The cage hung high between two big trees, like a dark, scary box. It was made of thick, ugly iron bars that looked like they swallowed up all the light. Amara didn’t wait; she pushed him inside, hard. He hit the bars with a loud bang. Pain shot through him, but he clenched his teeth, trying not to scream.
[crap, if this continues, i might actually die] He thought trying to sit up while staring at Amara with eyes barely open.
“You dare look at me human? tsk, just your gaze is making my skin crawl!” She slammed the cage door shut. The loud clang echoed in the quiet forest.
Mike sat there still, his body aching. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. The villagers gathered around, whispering. Some looked angry, some curious, and some even sad.
“Why are they staring at me like that?” Mike thought. “Do they really think I’m just a wild animal?”
A boy in the crowd pointed at him. “He looks hurt.”
“Serves him right,” another villager muttered.
He tried to ignore them, but their voices were getting louder.
“Please, just go away,” He whispered to himself. But the villagers kept watching, like he was some strange creature they didn’t understand. This was giving him flashbacks on how he was treated, their gazes looked just like his parents, full of hate and disgust.
“hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, LEAVE ME ALONE!!”
His scream echoed through the forest, and the villagers froze, startled by his outburst. His breath came in ragged gasps, his chest heaving as he struggled to stay conscious. The anger and pain in his voice sent a chill through the crowd, but they didn’t back away.
Amara smirked, clearly pleased with his reaction. “Look at him, so weak,” she sneered. “Humans always think they can shout and get what they want.”
The commander stepped forward, her gaze sharp. “Enough, Amara. He’s in enough pain as it is.”
“But, Commander—”
“I said, enough.” The commander’s voice was cold, leaving no room for argument. Amara’s mouth snapped shut, though her eyes still burned with hatred.
Mike slumped against the bars, his body trembling. [I have to stay strong. I can’t show weakness. Not here, not now. DON’T LOOK DOWN ON ME.] But the pain was overwhelming, and he could feel his strength slipping away. His vision blurred, the faces of the villagers becoming fuzzy shapes.
The commander turned to the crowd. “Go back to your homes. There’s nothing more to see here.”
The villagers hesitated, casting uncertain glances at Mike before slowly dispersing. The whispers faded as they retreated, leaving him alone in the cage with the commander and Amara.
The commander crouched down to his level, her eyes studying him closely. “You’re different from the others we’ve encountered,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “I don’t know why you’re here, but you’re not going to die tonight.”
He blinked, trying to focus on her words. “Why… why do you care, you are the one that ordered her to put me in a cage?” he managed to choke out.
The commander didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stood up, looking down at him with a mixture of pity and caution. “You’re more than what you seem. But don’t mistake my mercy for kindness, human. If you prove to be a threat, I won’t hesitate to end your life.”
With that, she turned and started walking away, leaving Amara to glare at him one last time before following her. Amanda bumped into the commander who was frozen in place with a dark expression on her face.
“c-commander, what’s wrong?” [I have never seen the commander have such an expression]
“He knows.” The commander whispered.
“knows? What do you mean commander?”
“He spoke our language, this human has spoken the ancient language of our people.”
As the realization dawned on him, he could feel the tension in the air shift. The beast girls had paused, and Amara, the one who had treated him the harshest, slowly turned around, her sharp eyes narrowing at him.
"You… you spoke our language, didn’t you?" she hissed, her voice dripping with suspicion.
He cursed internally. [Damn it, the fuck, why did i not notice this earlier..]
{Master, I believe I can explain.} The system’s voice chimed in, almost too calmly for the gravity of the revelation.
[Explain!? You just let me speak their language without telling me!]
{I thought it was an obvious consequence of the universal translator I created.}
[You didn’t mention that it would make them understand me!]
{It appears that the translator works both ways. They’re now hearing you in their language as well.}
He groaned inwardly. [Great. Just great. They know I understand them now… This could get complicated.]
The commander stood in front of him, her expression now furious, her eyes boring into him. "How do you know our tongue, human? Speak!"
He hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. [What should I say? I can’t just tell them I have a system that translated everything for me.]
{Master, perhaps honesty—}
[Not helping!]
Before he could answer, Amara’s fist connected with his jaw in a vicious punch, sending him crashing to the ground. Pain exploded through him, but he forced himself to look up defiantly, despite the blood now spilling from his split lip.
She whistled and beast girls surged forward from the trees, surrounding him. One of them, with a wicked grin, kicked him in the ribs, causing a sharp, painful crack. His body folded under the impact, but he gritted his teeth, trying to suppress any sound of pain.
Another beast girl grabbed his hair, yanking his head back painfully. Her fist came down in a relentless barrage, each punch landing with brutal precision. His vision swam, and he could barely keep track of what was happening. Blood and sweat mixed, and he tried to focus through the haze of agony.
“Tell us how you know our language!” Amara’s voice was a cold, unyielding demand. She stepped back to allow her teammates to have fun, it’s not everyday they get to beat up a human, but decide her joy, she was still cautious, her eyes remained locked on him, watching his every reaction.
His attempts to stay upright became increasingly difficult as the beating continued. One of the beast girls grabbed a metal rod and began hitting him with it, the metal cold and unforgiving against his flesh. Each blow made his head spin, and he could feel his strength waning.
{Master, if this continues-}
[i know but i can’t do anything even if i wanted.]
Despite the agony, he managed to look up at them with a defiant glare. “I don’t know,” he managed to say through gritted teeth, his voice rough and strained. “I didn’t even realize I was speaking your language. I also only realized it now.”
The brutality didn’t relent. Another punch landed in his stomach, causing him to double over, gasping for breath. His ribs ached, and he could feel the bruises forming across his body. The beast girls showed no mercy, their faces hard and determined to break him.
“Enough,” the commander said, her voice cutting through the chaos. “We will take him to see mother and if he’s lying, the elders will know what to do.”
The beast girls reluctantly stopped, leaving Mike crumpled on the ground, barely conscious. His body was a mess of bruises and blood, and each breath was a struggle. They roughly dragged him to his feet, his legs barely holding him up.
[c-crap, one more h-hit and i might have actually died]
{....Master……..begin system fusion}