“Look, everything about these so-called “memories” fit the description of a ghost!”

Undeterred by the look that Asger was giving him, despite the fact that Asger doesn’t even have a face in the first place, he continued on with his reasoning.

“They’re restless spirits, who attack others in search of bodies, and they have memories of the past. Not to mention the fact that they’re apparently angry all the damn time!”

Look, I’m judging you for the fact that the first thing that comes out of your mouth when you have that thought is, “Do you have dead people inside of you.”

Hans shrugged. “Well, it wasn’t exactly wrong was it?” Ghosts were dead people after all.

Even if it was correct, you could have said that in a better way. Besides, we don’t know if it’s actually correct.

A frown appeared on his face. “What do you mean by that?” He questioned.

I’m saying that we don’t know if it’s actually ghosts or not.

“What do you mean we don’t know! I literally just explained how everything about it for the definition of a ghost!” Hans shouted, throwing his claws up in outrage. “Or are you deaf?”

Really, what was Asger going on about? It was like he was being an asshole on purpose. Actually, that might just be the case now that Hans thinks about it.

I can hear that you know.

“It’s not like it’s untrue,” He grumbled. “The first thing you did when you appeared was trying to make me think that I was insane.”

True. Can’t deny that.

“I still think that they’re ghosts.”

Well, if you’re so confident, why don’t you ask Em? They’re the one who has the “memories” after all.

That was a good idea, Hans had to admit.

“Hey Em, what do you think these memories of yours are?” Hans asked, turning his attention toward the crystal in his hands.

Their eye blinked as they were pulled out of their musing.

██ may be ghosts.

“See, even Em agrees with me!” Hans said smugly. “Now what do you have to say! Huh?”

Yeah, yeah. That still doesn’t mean that they're actually ghosts.

Heh. Sore loser.

Feeling that he won the argument, he marched on forward through the desert. As he does so, the man scorpion…Thing began asking Em questions.

“So…What were people like in the past?”

They lived █ a village where they ███ farmed ██ raised animals ██ food, though ███ occasionally hunted ██ animals as well. They had █ [Village Chief] as their leader who made ███ █ the decisions in the village.

“What about the people outside of the village?”

A pause.

Unfortunately, I ██ not know much about people outside ██ the village. However, I do ██ that occasionally people came ██ ██ village , whether they ██ adventurers or ████.

Hans stopped. “Adventurers? Em, tell me, are they like what I’m thinking of right now?”

…Yes, they have a guild and ██ divided in rankings and ██ take various types of requests ██ money.

Huh, guess he really was in a fantasy world.

I must admit, the fact that you’re from another world both vexes and unnerves me whenever I think about it.

“Wait, why?”

A hint of frustration leaked through as he felt Em mentally taking a deep breath. Really, this was the most emotion he had seen Em showed beside the time they first learned of his otherworldly origin.

It seemed to have really fucked them up.

Because…I don’t know how it happened and that is what unnerves me.

“Ah, right, because you don’t know,” Hans said. “I can’t really understand as I don’t have the same issues since I just ignore and repress into the back of my mind. Much better that way.” Saved him from a lot of existential crises during his life, both as a human and a scorpion.

God knows what would have happened if he didn’t. Hans shuddered just at the thought of that.

I envy you.

Hans blinked before realizing what Em had just said and puffed his chest up in pride. “Of course, I’m just the best aren’t I?”

You do know that they just called you an idiot, right?

Eyes snapping opened, Hans spluttered, “I-I am not an idiot! Would an idiot survive in a place like this!” He spread his upper arms wide at the vast desert as he made his statement.

A really durable idiot, yeah.

“What was that?”

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Nothing, nothing. By the way, have you noticed that things have been really quiet right now.

“Hmm, now that you said that, things have been real quiet lately,” Hans said. “Although, it’s nothing new.” This type of stuff had happened before after all.

First there were some loud and disturbing events like a fight, then everything went back to normal, albeit seemingly a bit quieter as he went on his day. It was a pattern. A pattern that he just realized was a tad bit concerning.

Also, now that he was thinking about by this logic, something will happen sooner or later after this period of quiet…

Eh, whatever. Worrying about it wasn’t going to do anything besides causing him stress and he preferred being happy over being stressed out all the time. That stuff just ain’t healthy for you, you know? If something happens then he’ll take care of it.

Whether through violence or through other means.

Besides, he also wanted to test out this new body of his but like he said before, right now was a time between friends and fighting was for a later date, a later time. Oh, he felt his shoulders becoming lighter just thinking that.

It was quite an enjoyable experience too.

…

“What? Something’s wrong, Asger?”

Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.

“If you say so…”

Clicking his mandible, he moved his upper arms to snatch a jackalope that was trying to sneak by. Bringing it closer, Hans could see that the thing was shivering so much that it was practically vibrating.

“Now, why did you come so close?” Hans questioned, feeling quite puzzled. Usually when one encounters something that scares them, they’ll do their best to avoid it the best they could.

Thankfully, he would receive his answer not a moment later.

He heard the sounds of barkings as something boomed carving a path through the desert as sands flew all over the place like glitters. His puzzled expression thinned into a deadpan before pulling downward into a frown.

“Em…”

Two signatures coming our way.

It better not be what he thinks it is, because he did not want to see them. Not right now nor at any other time. Unfortunately, it turned out to be exactly what he had predicted.

Another rounds of sonic booms shoot through the air, hitting Hans and temporarily deafening him while annoying, was bearable, and his body took the damages from the sonic booms with ease.

The jackalope, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. It was screaming its head off, blood leaking out of its ears, and now having bloodshot eyes. He could feel its heart beating so quickly that he was surprised that it hadn’t exploded yet. Not for a lack of trying either.

Groaning in annoyance, Hans sidestepped a round of sonic booms and proceeded to throw the rabbit into one. Its eyes burst in a bloody explosion, skins were peeled off, and all that was left of it was a skinles, mangled corpse.

You have slain [Jackalope - Lv. 9]!

Partial experience will be given due to outside help.

Partial experience due to outside help? Guess that answered a question that he didn’t have.

After finally regaining his hearing, Hans could hear the sounds of barkings coming closer and closer before coming to a stop. Turning his head around, he saw them. The familiar golden fur, canine appearance, and headache just at the sight of them.

The accursed Golden Jackals. They were even the same ones he encountered when he didn’t have hands, now standing before him, hackles raised as they growled at him.

Although, they weren’t as threatening as they used to be now that he was towering over them with them being less than half of his size. The fact that their attacks didn't hurt as much didn’t help either.

Really they looked more like a bunch of off-looking dogs to him than monsters which only lowers the intimidation factor even more. Doesn’t mean that he likes them though. They were only ranked third compared to the scuta on his shitlist.

Speaking of jackals, how was that little guy doing? It has been a while since he seen them and he sure hope that they’re still alive, he only hated these two golden fucks, not them.

Lucky for them, they seem to only want the jackalope and nothing more. So they get to live, for now.

One of the jackals feinted a lunge only leaped in fear when he swiped at the air in front of it. Its partner pulled back as well, staying at its side. They hadn’t tried and attacked him yet which was nice but they seemed to be…Afraid of him? Or at the very least wary of him.

Not that he could blame them, mind you; he was a giant monster whose bottom half was that of a scorpion. In fact, he reckoned that he was about the size of that camel he killed. He would need to find one to compare height with in order to make sure but it shouldn’t be too hard.

Turning his attention back to the jackal, Hans decided to simply to ignore and walked away from them, not noticing how they flinched with every movement.

Once he was out of sight the jackals took their prey and left in a hurry, moving as far away as possible.

You have gained the skill [Intimidate - Lv. 1]!

[Intimidate - Lv. 1]

Inflict fear into your targets.

W-Was he really that scary? He knows that he was scary but so frightening that it generated a skill for him?

I would ██ know.

Oh yeah, most definitely. If the old you would have seen the current you, he would have pissed his pants then proceed to faint out of fear.

Huh, guess he was that scary. Wait, shit! If the jackals reacted like that then what would happen if a human saw him?

Piss their pants and have a heart attack? Besides, that sort of question implies that humanity still exists and hasn't gone extinct.

“...I’m sure they still exist,” He said. “You know how we are. Nothing but a bunch of cockroaches.”

You sure? In this vast desert? For all we know, this could be all that remains of the world.

“They could have adapted to the environment,” He argued. “People have lived in far worse places and you know that.” Which was true considering they literally reside in his mind.

Unlikely.

“Well, to each their own then.”

Asger grunted but nevertheless did not continue the discussion any farther. Em had remained mostly silence during their conversation, merely looking at the scurrying monsters who tried their best to stay out of sight before glancing at Hans with a odd gleam in its eye.

Not noticing this Hans continued on his way, telling Em tales of his adventures on the surface partly exaggerated and partly true. Asger chimed in from time to time to dispel any lies that he conducted much to Hans’ displeasure and to their amusement.

----------------------------------------

The sun hung above like a painting, all-seeing and all-knowing. Their gaze, warm and harsh, encompass the world in their light, bringing with it, alongside death.

They did not judge, for that was beneath them as all were lesser when compared to their golden radiant. They allowed others to bask in their lordly presence as they gazed upon the world, residing in their rightful place, above everything and everyone.

In their arrogant gaze, walked something unnatural. A demon. Azure, leathery skin, stained with dry blood. Eyes littered its face, horns peeking out of its head, both snapped in half.

It trudged through the sand with every steps drawing labored breaths out of it. Monsters avoided it, but with one word they walked to their death, their flesh and blood devoured, serving as nourishment for it.

As they made their way through the desert, they kept muttering something to themselves despite their seemingly lack of a mouth.

“Mother…”