As I was impaling the ribs of a wolf with my sword, I saw face to face the countless gleaming, sharp fangs of two wolves approaching my throat.
As if to delay the moment of my death a little longer, everything seemed to have gone into slow motion.
I even began to remember various things from my past.
I think my death is final...
***
Hmm, that is the memory of when I was reincarnated, or rather, transmigrated.
I can say that it was very strange. I was quietly in my room and suddenly I found myself in a space that was so white that I felt pain just by keeping my eyes open.
When my eyes finally got used to it, I looked around. It was a space that seemed endless, somehow reminding me of a certain training room used by certain warriors with colored hair.
Strangely enough, even though I should be scared or at least surprised in a situation like that, I was very calm.
As I tried to understand the situation, my shadow, which before was just a circle below my feet, began to stretch out to the side. However, the shape it took on the white ground looked nothing like my body line.
"It's because I'm not you."
Surprised by the voice, I started to look agitatedly from one side to the other, but I couldn't find anyone, I was still the only one there.
"Down here," The voice sounded again.
It was then that I realized that the voice was coming from my shadow.
As I watched intently, she turned from black to yellow and stood up while her feet remained connected to mine.
As a relatively normal person, this would be the moment when my vocal cords would work hard while I would scream and run away. But despite the strange situation, I was still strangely calm.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
The shadow extended its hand to me in a courteous manner.
As I shook the shadow's hand, I realized that although it was my shadow, it was not a male voice. More specifically, it was neither male nor female, I could not distinguish the gender.
As I still did not understand the situation, it began to explain to me. The shadow told me that if I accepted its proposal, I would be taken to a world called Tauphus. That was still not all, I even heard things like I would have to become stronger to fight evil and blah blah blah. All this talk sounded like those things I always saw in the isekais.
At that moment I thought it was just a dream, after all, what else could anyone in their right mind think? Was reincarnating in another world really possible? Although it was my dream to end up in a fantasy world, I am quite realistic. If someone were to ask me if this was possible, my answer would definitely be no.
Ignoring my internal monologue, the shadow kept saying this and that. After a long and boring story, it gave me two choices. To live in a fantasy world or to go back to my world and have my memories of what happened erased.
If I stayed in this fantasy world, the Shadow was going to give me a system like in those isekais novels, a weapon of my choice, and let me choose two unique skills. But for this to happen, I had to accept a magical contract. Apparently it would prevent me from talking about what happened here to the people of that world, and I also could not use my powers to go against the gods.
Faced with these options, I didn't even think before I chose to go to a fantasy world. Although I think this is a dream, it never hurts to have a little hope.
About the contract, it's not as if I wanted to draw attention to myself unnecessarily and go out screaming 'I have an OP system', so that wasn't a problem. Even if the last condition seemed strange, it's not as if I would want to go against the Gods just to die.
After my choice, the shadow also told me that although I could choose any skill, it was not guaranteed that they would get strong. But if these skills were generated using my existing characteristics, abilities or knowledge, they would be stronger and have greater potential.
As I thought about what might be useful in me, the shadow told me to put my hand on a large blue sphere that appeared out of nowhere and floated before me. Apparently, this sphere would simulate common skills that could be generated according to the requirements said before.
After I got my hands on it, a list appeared. On it were several skills that I had never imagined I could have.
Apparently they were listed from the one with the highest potential, which was at the top of the list, to the one with the lowest.
Strangely enough, the first five had a gold star in front of them. When I read it, I realized that they were really things I am very good at.
Self-taught, Reinforced memory, Animal trainer, Cooking, and Master of masturbation.
I never thought that masturbating so much would make me have such a huge potential that I could generate a skill…
Apart from animal trainer, which could become monster tamer, I don't know what could come of the rest.
"Don't worry, just put your finger on any item in the list and the orb will show a preview of the skill," the shadow said.
That's good and all, but it would be great if I could choose them all instead of just two….
"Even if you can't choose all the skills now, that doesn't mean you can't learn them on your own in the future. The only difference is that the skill won't have a divine backing, making it become unique."
Perhaps because it saw the look of greed on my face or simply because it read my mind, the yellow shadow comforted me.
Putting my finger on the skill icon on the sphere, some information appeared.
Reinforced Memory, in essence, would remain almost the same after it becomes a unique skill, but with some improvements. It would become a skill called Reproductive Memory, it would allow me to access my memories freely and help recreate and improve things I know.
Self-taught would become Self-Evolution, it would help me improve in every way possible. It was too vague a description for me to really understand the strengths of this skill.
The next one, Animal trainer, as I imagined, would become Monster Tamer. This needs no explanation.
Cooking would become Master Chef and I could supposedly make a meal so good that I could even win the favor of a dragon. Which I find very difficult to be true.
Master of masturbation would become Super Stamina. I would gain an overall stamina far beyond what humans possess and could last for hours in bed.
Ahem, in my defense, this skill doesn't just come from me masturbating a lot, I also tend to run in my spare time.
Anyway, apart from Cooking, all are promising skills, considering that this is just a general and simple description.
Certainly there may be some flaws in them, but the problem is that it doesn't say here... If I take Self-Evolution as an example, it says it helps me improve in all aspects, but it doesn't say how much I can improve, which makes me worried...
"Don't worry, as I said before, skills generated using your existing characteristics, abilities or knowledge are strong and have huge potential. I can guarantee that you have first class skills. I recommend that one of your choices be Self-Evolution, as for the other, either one will be extremely useful to you."
Shadow-san is very perceptive, always helping when needed.
"Since that is the case, I will choose Self-Evolution and Monster Tamer," I said with conviction.
Since Shadow-san recommended it, Self-Evolution must surely have enormous potential.
As for Monster Tamer, the reason for the choice is simple, it's better to have someone to fight in my place while I support with magic in the back. It's not as if I chose this skill just because I want to fulfill my dream of having a harem of monster girls...
Ahem, definitely not because of that...
As I was convincing myself of my choice, some words suddenly appeared in my line of vision.
---
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Welcome to the system created by the gods of Tauphus!
Your information can be checked below.
Name: Kaname Minashi
Age: 16
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Level: 0
Inventory: 1000x White bread, 1000x Water, 100x Healing potion, 100x Mana potion, 10x Set of clothes, Leather armor, Sword.
Affinity: Lightning
Unique skills: Monster Tamer, Self-Evolution.
Skills: N\A
---
The system I had so longed for, finally appeared before me. But looking at it now, it seems very simple.
Well, at least I won't have to worry about some basic necessities when I get there.
Trying to see the skill description, I used my index finger to touch the words in front of me, but my finger just went through.
"To see the description, just think you want to do that, the other features work the same way." Shadow-san said.
Just when I thought I wanted to see the description of the Monster Tamer skill, the screen in front of me changed.
---
Monster Tamer, level 1 - 0%
This skill makes it possible to form a bond with a monster, but you must either convince the monster peacefully or weaken it enough to accept subordination.
The magic essence of the monsters killed by a tamed monster goes to the master, and it is only up to the master to decide whether to give part of the essence to the tamed monster or not. Since the skill is low level, the user will not be able to decide where to invest, so the essence will make a general improvement in the characteristics of the tamed monster.
With the current level of the skill, the user can have only one monster tamed.
Sub-skills:
Glossary - You can find out information and characteristics about monsters. Does not consume mana.
Calm down - Passive skill- Makes monsters feel more comfortable when you approach them.
Status - You can see the status of a monster.
---
Instead of one skill, there are actually four, and they all seem useful! It seems that this unique skill thing is really amazing.
To be level 1 and be this amazing, I wonder how amazing it will be when it levels up.
But what is this magical essence?
"Magic essence is the purest and most refined form of mana. That is something you can call XP."
As expected from Shadow-san, although it is strange to have someone reading my mind, this seems to have its good points.
Now let's look at the Self-Evolution skill. Being a recommendation from Shadow-san, I was looking forward to what was to come.
---
Self-Evolution, Passive Skill
It helps you to improve in every possible aspect.
---
What is it? Why is this description so short and vague?
"Although short, the description already tells you everything you need to know," Shadow-san said. "But I will tell you something, the people who have this skill can be counted on the fingers of your hands."
If Shadow-san says so, then I have no choice but to contain my disappointment for now. But truth be told, they were pretty lazy with the description of this skill.
Furthermore, there is something that bothers me, why does this skill have no level?
"Passive skills have no level," Shadow-san answered my reverie.
After this, I felt a slight pain in my head and several pieces of information started to come into my mind.
"That information is about the common sense of the world and the language that the native people speak." Shadow-san said.
Well, that will certainly be helpful.
***
According to one theory, the reason people see these kinds of memories of the past before death is because we look for a way to avoid it.
But it seems that my recollections were not very useful….
Although I wanted all of this to be just a dream, shortly after arriving in this world, I discovered that this is reality.
Damn it!
My new life has barely begun and I'm already going to die like this?
If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have attacked those wolves. I was too greedy…
Since there was no use complaining, I simply closed my eyes. Now all that was left for me to do was to accept my fate.
*Rip*
While I waited, although I heard the sound of tearing flesh, I felt no pain, or rather, I felt nothing touching me.
Maybe it's due to the high adrenaline...
"Guiiiiiiiiiii!"
But contrary to my expectations, the next thing I heard was a pitiful cry of pain.
Immediately after the scream, sounds of a loud bang and breaking bones resounded vividly in my ears just before another pitiful scream echoed.
Or rather, instead of a scream, this time it would be more correct to say a grunt.
Feeling that something was wrong, I opened my eyes.
To my surprise, Rin was standing in front of me.
Despite her short stature and thin body, she bravely stood between me and the wolves.
One of the wolves was tearing her left arm while the other was on the ground, with his back bent down in a strange, almost V-shape.
Considering that the wooden club she was using is broken, I immediately understood what happened. Not far away, I could see that there was another wolf on the ground, she probably knocker him out at the same moment that I pierced the wolf's ribs.
Seeing her with her whole bloody body, sacrificing herself for me made me feel emotional.
But this is no time for that.
Trying my best to pull myself together, I pulled my sword from the dead wolf. Using all my strength, I severed the neck of the wolf that was biting Rin's arm.
Although she groaned from the pain caused by the impact, she seemed fine.
"Fuuuuu~~~~" I sighed in relief as I realized that I would not die here yet.
That was a close one, I need to be more careful next time.
While the system collected the scarce magical essence that escaped the wolves, I put away my sword and held Rin. She looked like she was about to pass out at any moment.
When I pulled the wolf's head off, which was still attached to her arm, I saw her bone appear. At that moment, I was sure that I would die if this bite reached my neck.
Even if she was in need of urgent treatment, we didn't have time for that. If we stayed in this place any longer, we would only be looking for more danger.
After all, we just attacked a small group of wolves that probably broke away from the pack.
I immediately took out a scarlet colored healing potion and made her drink it.
According to the information Shadow-san put in my head, these are high-level healing potions that can even regenerate a person's lost limbs. Although I don't know if this information is correct, we don't have a better choice at the moment.
To my surprise, the potion started working instantly. The torn tissues were reconnecting so quickly that it would make any doctor slack-jawed.
In the blink of an eye, Rin's arm returned to the skinny green arm it had been before.
Without wasting another minute, I immediately put the corpses of the four wolves into inventory and we got out of there as fast as we could.
When we finally got back to our base which was in a cave, I made sure that we had not been followed and then we closed the entrance.
Soon an immense fatigue invaded my body, all I wanted at that moment was to rest, but before that, I looked at the system warning.
---
Magic essence collected.
Where do you want to invest?
---
Looking at the wolf magic essence that was stored in the system, even though I wanted to invest all of that essence into my strength and magic. I felt that I should give some of it to Rin, after all, if it weren't for her, I would have died.
After I made up my mind, I put half of the essence into improving my magic ability and the other half I put into Rin. Since the tamer skill doesn't allow me to choose which attribute to invest in, her improvement is focused on her racial characteristics. Which would be agility and strength according to the skill's glossary.
When the system finished inserting the essence into our bodies, I felt my magic increase a little.
*Ding*
---
The tamed monster, Rin, has risen to level 7!
---
After so much effort, Rin rose only one level while I didn't rise even one.
"Fuu~~~~~~"
In this situation I could do nothing but sigh. Even after several days in this world, I am still at level 9, not to mention Rin who was already a level 5 goblin when I tamed her.
When I arrived and immediately became level 1, I thought it was going to be easy, but it seems that was just because I came into contact with magic. And for some unknown reason, after I reached level 9, it seems that my level is taking longer than usual to increase.
So far, Self-Evolution skill doesn't seem as good as Shadow-san said... In fact, it hasn't shown itself to be of any use yet.
If only I could tame another monster, that would be great.
"Fuuuuu~~~~"
After my umpteenth sigh of the day, I sat down on my sheet bed. As I sank into thoughts of what to do next, I came back to reality when I felt something slightly rough brush against my shoulder.
When I looked, Rin was rubbing her bald head against me.
Although before I felt a little afraid when I looked at this ugly face with its nose, ears, and pointy teeth. Now it actually looks like a lovely creature, that is, if I leave out the stench.
"Fuu~~ It's already nighttime, you must be hungry aren't you?"
Without answering anything, Rin just looked at me, with her little yellow eyes, which somehow, instead of being scary, seemed cute.
"I'm exhausted today, so let's have some bread, okay?"
Even though I know she won't answer, I still ask. She can't speak, but still, the tamer skill makes her, in some way that I don't know, understand what I say.
After fiercely devouring four loaves of bread and getting a huge belly, Rin finally seemed satisfied.
"For someone who is not even one and a half meters tall, you eat quite a bit."
As if she didn't understand, she tilted her head to the side and just kept looking at me with her big curious eyes.
Kuh! An unexpected critical hit!
Such a cute act coming from a scary creature... For a brief moment I felt like hugging her, luckily, thanks to the stench of her body I managed to restrain myself.
"Oh, right, I haven't thanked you yet for saving my life. I know you won't understand anything properly, but still-" Standing up, I bowed to her and continued, "Thank you very much! I promise that from now on, I will take good care of you."
When I looked at her again, she came and rubbed her bald head against my belly. Well, even though she stank, I let her do as she pleased and just stroked her rough head.
Thinking about the future prospects, it seemed that I will have a lot of work ahead of me.
"This life is going to be harder than I thought..."