As the beast steps out of the darkness produced by the trees, everyone froze in their tracks. The Chanteret flew from its branch toward the beast. It landed on a tree near it and as the beast walked toward us it followed it.  Even though I didn’t dare to move the slightest, I still decided to observe it.

Race

Silver Wolf

Level

83

The wolf was still walking leisurely toward us and the entire forest was silent. Not the slightest sound could be heard. At least until someone spoke. He looked like an American judging by his patriotic cap and the gun he was holding. Since he didn’t use it to pressure everyone and be the leader of the group. He looked like a good guy.I was already immobile but now even my heart felt frozen. The world looked like it was collapsing. Although I don’t know much regarding the levels in this world, I don’t think that an over 80 level difference is something that can be overcome with hard work, tenacity or teamwork. Maybe luck could do something about it.

“This really is a game like world! Hehe, I’ll be the first to earn experience guys.”

Was he stupid? I mean I know that modern armament is very powerful but this is a fucking rpg world. Does he really think he could swim through all of this with his gun? Or maybe he doesn’t know about the [Observe] skill and thus doesn’t know about the level difference. I could warn him, but I feel like screaming in front of this beast is all but a good idea. I could whisper it to him though.

‘Stop, observe’

I only used two words because I didn’t want to waste my magic points. At least not until I can regenerate them somehow. When he hears it, he turns toward us and scan the group then with a evident disgust, he spits on the ground and whisper a barely audible “Coward”. Okay then keep me a place in the afterlife, if there is one. Although I don’t want people to die it doesn’t mean I’m ready to put myself in danger for someone else.

When he is around fifty meters from the wolf, he raises his gun and aim for it. The wolf stop walking and only stare at the gun and the little creature holding it. The man presses the trigger and a ball is shot toward the wolf. To everyone surprise except mine, the wolf doesn’t even move and only the sound of metal against metal is heard. The wolf then continues to walk toward the man and in one fluid movement rip his upper half from his lower half.

After a few seconds, we can hear some of the group throwing up. When the wolf proceeds to eat the lower half, it sends and electric shock to the bravest or the stupidest, I don’t know and they start running toward it brandishing their makeshift weapon. The girl next to me start to run seeing everyone doing it but I stop her. I think they are all as stupid as one can be.

The wolf that was going to pounce on the fools coming at him saw my action. Then, as if it was a ‘real’ person, it nodded towards me. Did he appreciate the fact that I acknowledged his superiority? While I was wondering on his reason, he let out a shout. It was so powerful that it stunned me for a second while, the closer they were, the more damaged they received. I think that one of them died while several of them were heavily injured, probably deaf.

At that sight, the ones that were the farther and that weren’t stunned fled as fast as they could. They amounted to a little bit more than a third of the group. The wolf looked displeased with that but he returned his attention towards me. It seems that I was more interesting than the rest of them. Well I appreciate but you really shouldn’t. Anyway, we are far from being saved but at least everyone stopped trying to attack it and it stopped retaliating. I should at least thank him … I think?

‘Thanks’

Mind whisper has been noticed by the target

Mind whisper has been deflected by the target

Huh, I guess that no high-level monster would leave its mind defenseless. But when I tried, I saw that he noticed my attempt. Maybe he has access to MaGI like us or he felt it one way or another. Since then, he looks at me intently as if asking me to try again.

‘Thanks’

…

Well since there is no notification of failure, I guess it worked? It seems that the wolf wanted to communicate too. I felt a link of some sort forming between him and me and then I nearly passed out from the sheer amount and intensity of information.

“Urgh …”

Letting out a growl, I fall on my knees and try to calm my respiration. The link is so much different than any kind of communication I ever experimented. What was conveyed wasn’t anything like words or thoughts. It was composed only of intents, emotions, and concepts. Some may consider it kind of barbaric or primitive but I felt like it was more truthful.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

The wolf somehow explained me that he thought we were monsters. But once he noticed my sentience he stopped attacking us. Not that it doesn’t want to eat us anymore but sentient beasts were sometimes interesting.

The great things with this link is that it’s easy to convey something.

As soon as I ‘asked’ him about monsters and beasts he explained it to me. In this world, they were three kind of existence within the corporal realm. When I started wondering about the different realms he was amused by my curiosity and my eagerness but it asked me to stay focused. The three kind of existence were monster, beasts and sentient beasts. Due to the link, I could see all kind of image of creature that could only exist in books or games.

The beasts were your run-of-the-mill existence. They were the equivalent of our animals. When the consciousness of a beast or its resistance was too weak compared to the mana density it turned into a monster. Monsters also spawned from dungeons. Lastly, there was the sentient beasts. They included every group of beast that managed to be given a recognition by the world.

It was something like our system. And each sentient beast group had a different one. Regarding beast that achieved sentience without recognition of the world were called high beasts but that was basically a name as it didn’t grant them any different aptitude. In a similar fashion, some sentient beasts called themselves as part of the Sentient or the Races. It was like human back in the old world differencing themselves from the animals. In the end, it was just a name.

The Races were mainly composed of humanoid sentient beasts and legendary sentient beasts like dragons, old golems, and other such case. There was so much information that I was overwhelmed. But I confirmed several things, first there were other humans, several species of them in fact. By the way, species were determined by the form of acknowledgement or the system given by the world and the smallest species that could be made was composed of three members. The other thing that I confirmed was the existence of elves, dwarves and most of the fantastical setting races.

Adrenaline was once again pulsating through my veins but it all froze when killing intent overflowed through the link. It seems that he wanted to be paid for all the information he gave me. According to him I could either give him ten people, sacrifice myself or find something of equal value. I wondered what was something of equal value and he told me that he wanted to either learn something interesting or see something interesting or beautiful. As he placed me in front of this dilemma, he severed the link between our mind and looked at me eagerly waiting for my decision.

You have learned [Mind link]

[Mind link] has been added to [Mind tinkering]

My mind was currently overclocked at least two to three time and I’m sure one could have seen smoke rising from my ears if they paid attention. I doubt that a wolf would find beauty in Mona Lisa or the profound concepts that any of our philosopher established. Not that I could myself. Then, the beauty of nature maybe? Something like fractals? Or one of the landscape conceived by an fantasy-author of earth? Well it might not work that well here since we’re already in a fantasy setting. Then the beauty of the immensity of the universe? Since it’s a sword and magic world they shouldn’t have started their race to the stars, right?Something of equal value, if I repaid with knowledge, I needed to use the old world’s knowledge since I knew close to nothing from this world. No giving such knowledge without knowing the development of technology in this world would be stupid. Then something interesting? But most of the things I found interesting were related to technology … Then the last option is something beautiful, the problem being: I have no sense of aesthetic.

Whatever, I’ll propose several of those choices and he will decide on his own. Looking back toward the calm yet terrifying beast in front of us, I resolved myself and contacted it via [Mind whispering].

‘I have made my choice.’

When he reestablished the link he immediately asked me how many I would sacrifice. It seems like it didn’t doubt an instant that I would sacrifice everyone. Although I like being alone and I enjoy the peacefulness of the solitude, that doesn’t mean I’m heartless. As they fellow human beings I would rather have them live than letting them die, much less sacrificing them. Plus, surviving alone or with a small group might not be the smartest idea. Since there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of food here, the more, the better.

Anyway, I explain that I will present him with three things that I consider ‘interesting’ or ‘beautiful’. Starting with the fantasy landscape, I show him several floating Island linked together by moss and vine-covered giant chain. On the main one remains of an ancient kingdom can be seen. I just made the most fantasy-like picture I could. However, it seems it somehow looks like a wall picture in some abandoned temple. Well shit.

Trying my best not to think about the coincidence that just happened, I think about fractals, that is a big gambling since even amongst humans some people doesn’t understand the beauty of fractals. I imagine the rules and the creation of some fractals, I make a mental (and inaccurate) zoom of a Mandelbrot fractal, I even begin to put some three-dimensional fractal but I cut short as he finds it boring. Oops …

Well then, third try's the charm, right? I imagine the void of space, then starting from human scale I zoom out again and again, trying my best to put the most impressive memories of space pictures I saw. Putting nebulae and galaxies while insisting on their immensity. The wolf shows happiness and decide to let us go but somehow, it doesn’t look like he has been moved by the beauty of space or its immensity. Now that I think about it, if our group’s survival had based on my personal aesthetic then in any normal situation, we would have been dead already. Even though it bothers me that I did something unknowingly and that it is enough to compensate for a starter kit for world travelers, I’m just happy we’re alive.

The wolf parts way with us withdrawing his overbearing aura, he Chanteret looks at us a last time and then follows the Silver wolf. It seems like they are helping each over. If I had to guess, the Chanteret provide easy preys with his [Lullaby] and the Silver wolf provides security.

In the end the result of our first encounter is 12 people that ran away, 8 people with buzzing ears or minor injuries, 4 people with heavy injuries and 2 dead. I think it was the way for the world to tell us ‘It may look like a game or a novel but it’s certainly isn’t one.’

Looking around me, I knew that the following day would be anything but calm.