We get ready to end the night. Ignis had his fill with berries and other fruits we took along the way. He grumbled for a while about it, licking his pointy teeth while missing meat. I don't doubt he could eat an entire cow if he wished so, but he would never show it on his face. It must be his demon pride, heh. On the other hand, I think the only thing I can consume now is water, and I'm not feeling the least thirsty.

Instead of sleeping on the ground, we decided to rest on one of the trees. Some of them are big enough for one to lie down comfortably. As I manage to hold on to his back, he then starts using the lower branches as platforms to jump higher until we find a suitable spot. Amazing, with strong legs like these, he doesn't even need arms to climb it! We each take a branch close to the other.

Ignis checks his missing arm wound once more and sighs of relief. I don't know the details of his encounter, but it seems Multum didn't leave any surprise on his wound. I can't help but sigh too, seeing that wound makes me feel terrible for causing it and for not being able to help. He stares at me with a frustrated look, lies down looking in the opposite direction, and seems to fall asleep in an instant. At least someone here isn't feeling guilty.

Though I wish I could turn off my head and also go to sleep, I don't feel tired enough for that, at least not physically. It must be one of the 'perks' of not being of flesh and blood anymore, huh? I try to use this idle time to practice my human transformation and my magic. But I barely see any progress before I'm unable to continue.

I seem to have already exhausted my mental reserves today. I can barely process that this cursed day is finally ending before I collapse in a puddle of water. Good night, Ignis.

...

Walking through the village, it's usually the same, but the traveling merchants and hunters usually bring cool stories and stuff to impress us kids and make a coin. For days like these, I try using my cleanest clothes and hope dad and mom don't send me for a heavy chore.

...

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The stalls are pretty boring today, no cool animal hides, not even a big hunting knife! But the hunters have been saying it's been a bad week. Something has scared the bears out of their lairs, making them rampage outside, so the hunters haven't gone deep into the forest, getting only some small game close to the village. They say that if this doesn't resolve somehow, it could mean a shortage of food for us, but only the other hunters and some family elders seem to care about their warnings.

Huh? Someone is heading to the forest while everyone is discussing the bears. Weird, he doesn't seem to be from here, and he doesn't have a big knife on his belt or a bow. Is he deaf or something? I should warn him that it's dangerous right now! I run in his direction, but not only he's an adult, but he's also abnormally fast for someone that is just walking.

...

I messed up, BIG time! I got so distracted with that man's weird walk that I got deep in the forest myself, oh no! I don't understand, I just forgot everything else, but that doesn't matter now, I want to go back, please! Yet, I hear animals growls all around- eeeek, something just touched my leg! I look down and see a snake. Thank god it just decided to leave me alone. Don't mind me if I leave the forest alone too!

...

I should be going towards the village for some time already, but I don't seem to be getting any closer! I want to go home! Yet, things seem to turn for the worse, as I keep trembling while the bushes on the left start shaking, something big comes out, it's a bear! It growls at me. The sound brings my trembling body to a full stop, making me close my eyes in fear. I'm too afraid to do anything! If I run, he will catch me, and I'm just a kid. I can't fight a monster like this! I open my eyes again and notice something. He seems to be wounded. Perhaps I can really escape!

As I prepared myself to run for my life, another thing happened, two... things, jumped from the bushes, they went straight for the bear's wound in its neck. I could only stare at their round, blood-red eyes as they ripped the bear's neck apart. It tried fighting back but couldn't. They were too fast, too strong, too brutal. Blood spurted everywhere, splashing on my face and clothes. When my body finally decided to react, the bear was already lying lifeless on the ground.

These... things, they looked like dogs but had the faces of sheep, but abnormally longer, they seemed to have no ears, and no skin too, only bloodied pink muscles, those red glowing eyes never blinked at me, and worst of all, after dealing so fast with the bear, they were coming towards me!