Rogue the rat crouched silently, poised behind the makeshift line of laying clothes. The bedroom door stood ajar, and I waited just beyond it, positioned discreetly to the side.

On your marks….

Rogue’s body tensed.

Get set….

Rogue’s legs twitched.

GO!

Rogue bolted forward in an instant, streaking past the line of clothes and through the open door. Within seconds, it had darted beyond my position, the first checkpoint. Exiting the hallway, it hugged the walls and dashed into the kitchen. Without breaking stride, Rogue leapt gracefully over a light blue ant—an insect I had summoned to serve as the second checkpoint. Zigzagging effortlessly between the chairs, Rogue skillfully avoided the wet patches on the floor. It pivoted in a smooth semi-circle, following a trail of ants that marked the third checkpoint. Navigating around the table and chair in the living room, it accelerated further, undeterred by the mounting obstacles. Reentering the hallway, Rogue veered into my siblings’ room, slipping under the beds before darting out again, deftly bypassing the scattered piles of clothes. Finally, it returned to my parents’ room, racing past the original line once more, completing its rapid and precise journey.

59 seconds. That’s a new record.

I entered the room, and crouched down to get to Rogue’s level. I then gave it a fist bump, to which it answered to with its tail.

And with that, you completed another side-quest. As promised, you get some more experience.

Level: 27

* Strength: 47

* Speed: 42

* Stamina: 54

* Endurance: 53

* Durability: 45

* Mana: 68

* Soul Rank: Tarnished

* Soul Color: Purple

As you can see, it’s been a few weeks since the last account. Since then, I’ve been trying to have a closer bond with Rogue, the rat summon. It’s a cool name, isn’t it? I was actually thinking of something different, like Bandit and Shadow, but I felt like those two were too generic, so I-

Don’t get off topic.

Oh, right. Like I was saying, things have been going pretty well. I’ve been spending as much time as I can with Rogue—usually when I’m alone and no one’s around to see. We’ve been playing together: I tickle it, pretend to wrestle with my fingers, and even arm-wrestle it with just one finger. Outside, away from Mom’s watchful eye, I’ve let Rogue explore the forest edges, scurrying through logs and underbrush. With all this time together, Rogue and I started to build a stronger bond. It began following my commands—simple ones, of course. If I told it to go under the bed, it would. If I called it over, it would come to me without hesitation. But despite this progress, I realized Rogue’s abilities were limited to straightforward tasks, like “go to the corner” or “come here.” They were effective but lacked complexity. After getting some advice from Sys, I decided to work on improving Rogue’s intelligence by creating a series of puzzles for it to solve.

It’s clear that Rogue possesses intelligence far beyond that of a normal rat. After it breezed through my custom maze feeders and forage boxes, I decided to raise the challenge. I gathered all of my clothes into a single pile and demonstrated how to sort a few pieces into separate piles based on their colors. Once the example was set, I let Rogue take a turn. To my surprise, it only took three attempts before it consistently sorted the clothes with precision. To confirm its capability, I tested Rogue further by having it sort food based on color. It succeeded effortlessly on the first try. This led me to theorize that, along with reflecting aspects of my own attributes, my summons might also inherit an elevated intelligence—potentially equivalent to that of a small child’s—based on my own mental capacity. With continued puzzles and training, I’m confident Rogue could become even smarter, perhaps reaching the cognitive level of a teenager.

Raising Rogue’s intelligence mainly affects how complex my orders can be. But whether it can act independently—moving and thinking on its own—depends entirely on its experience and practical skills, like navigating obstacles. One glaring issue is that I can’t give Rogue a specific order to avoid every single obstacle it encounters. It has to learn how to escape and avoid dangers on its own. That’s why Sys and I started training it with races around the house. At first, it was a challenge. Rogue would frequently stop mid-race, waiting for new orders. Realizing it needed another example, I decided to crawl alongside it, instructing it to mimic my movements. I led the way under tables, around piles of clutter, and carefully avoided walls, wet spots, and the edges of furniture. Fortunately, this hands-on demonstration seemed to click with Rogue—it began avoiding obstacles on its own without needing specific commands. This became a regular part of its training, and eventually, Rogue managed to complete an entire lap around the course independently. The first time, however, it took a painstaking 10 minutes because Rogue kept getting distracted by the smell of food.

Fortunately, Sys has been assigning quests for every milestone I’ve achieved so far. The rewards aren’t anything extraordinary, given the simplicity of some tasks—like the recent “Finish under 1 minute” quest—but they’re definitely helpful. The more significant quests, however, come with larger rewards. Tasks such as “Absorb your first soul” and “Summon your first soul” are the ones that really boost my level at a much faster rate. As I mentioned earlier, mana is essential for keeping summoned souls obedient to my commands. These quests have been instrumental in enhancing the efficiency of my training, allowing me to improve both Rogue’s abilities and my own mana control more effectively.

So, why am I putting in all this effort? Well, remember the problem I had with finding more souls to absorb, aside from the insects? That’s all about to change because I’ve come up with a new plan. But for it to work, I need Rogue to be ready. I need Rogue to master running and escaping, to be completely independent of my commands when it comes to avoiding dangers. And now, after this stellar performance, I think it’s time.

What are you going to do about Merrol?

“I’ll think of something.” Since I needed to keep Mom’s attention away from Rogue and its role in the plan, all I had to do was divert her focus onto me. As long as I could keep her distracted, and if Rogue could successfully secure the prey, everything would fall into place perfectly.

Real comforting.

I recalled Rogue and the ants back into my soul. Recalling souls isn’t too different from absorbing them, but instead of being fully absorbed, they’re “saved” like an online template within the shell of my soul. While in this state, my summons seem to just wait, ready to be called upon at any moment. Of course, calling them back isn’t quite like an online template—it’s not as if all of Rogue’s progress would be lost. To make things simpler, think of each recall as an “update” to the template, meaning all of Rogue’s training and experience is saved. Now, what happens if I summon more than one Rogue? Would I have two with the same knowledge and experience? Honestly, I’m not sure. Sys mentioned it could be possible, but it’s also possible I’d need to absorb more rats to create separate templates for each summoned one. Also, I’d need more mana to summon more than one at a time. In short, I won’t know until I absorb more rats, which, in a way, is the real goal of this plan... sort of.

I exited the bedroom, grabbing my slingshot as I made my way to the front door. Before stepping outside, I made sure to glance out quickly. Seeing Mom busy tending to the garden, I cautiously opened the door. I crouched down and silently resummoned Rogue. I mentally relayed the plan, and Rogue responded with a quick nod before slipping out into the shadows. It was mid-afternoon, and I had at most an hour or two before Arthur, Elaine, and Dad would return home. Once Rogue was out of sight, leaving the slingshot behind, I fully opened the door and moved toward the garden. As I walked, my eyes briefly passed over a tall, solitary tree. Its sturdy branches seemed empty, almost as though they once held something. The traces of a yellow substance splattered on the branches and lower part of the trunk only confirmed this assumption. But upon closer inspection, I noticed an occasional bee zipping by, beginning to rebuild what appeared to be the beginnings of a new hive. Even bees could rebuild from such a state like this. Pretty cool.

Arriving at the garden, I picked up the small watering can. Mom was surprised but pleased to see me helping out. The two of us watered the crops in peaceful silence, with Mom occasionally quizzing me on simple, childish topics like math problems and animal questions. It was a calm, quiet moment, and it gave me plenty of time to think. As I watered the plants, I noticed something troubling—some of the crops weren’t as plentiful as they used to be. Many of them looked like they were going to yield less, which probably explained the worry I’d been seeing on Mom’s face. It was clear that the cause of this was the disappearance of the bees’ pollination…….as in, me. But, I didn’t have time to worry about that. For now, I needed to focus on the plan……..But, if it did turn into something worthy of concern, then I supposed I would have to do something about it.

What exactly am I waiting for here? Well, the solution to my problem of gaining more mana is simple: gain more souls. The challenge, however, is the process of acquiring them. I can't just create more traps or elaborate plans around them, as that would become inefficient and far too risky with my family constantly watching. So, I needed to come up with a different approach. What if, instead of targeting rats directly, I focused on a creature that could hunt them for me? If I used this creature, I could passively collect souls, all while keeping my actions hidden from my family.

Minutes ticked by, and the number of crops that needed watering was dwindling. A slight worry crept into my thoughts as I wondered how much longer Rogue would take. My eyes kept darting toward the small fallen log near the outhouse—the spot where Rogue should be appearing soon. But with no sign of it yet, I realized I needed to stall Mom. Thinking quickly, I yelped in pain, then hurried over to her. Instantly, she stopped what she was doing and rushed to my aid.

“What’s wrong?”

I pointed to my leg. “Bite.”

She examined my leg, but she found nothing. “Are you sure?”

I pointed back to the crops that I was near. “Rat.”

Like hell that’s going to work.

Mom’s eyes widened. She then got down as she started searching within the crops.

Bruh.

I quickly glanced back at the log. Still, nothing. But then, I noticed a shadow passing over the trees nearby. I couldn't help but smile—it seemed like everything was going according to plan. I squinted, watching closely as the bushes rustled. Out of them sprang Rogue, darting towards the log. But right behind it, something unexpected followed. A small... hawk? I froze, both startled and intrigued. I had been expecting something smaller, like a sparrow or crow. But, a hawk? This was an incredible surprise. I hadn't planned for it, but I wouldn't complain. A hawk was a perfect find. Rogue sped ahead, sprinting with all its might, then slid and swiftly maneuvered left, diving into the log. The hawk, just a hair too slow, missed Rogue, and began pecking at the log’s holes. Perfect.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Mom, pee.”

“Be careful.” Mom voiced while still searching for the rat.

I rushed to the front door, still holding the watering can. Picking up the slingshot, I moved quickly toward a nearby tree, eyes fixed on the log. The hawk was still there, perched patiently, waiting for Rogue to make a mistake. Its black wings gleamed in the sunlight, the white underside contrasting with a brown stomach and golden beak. A sharp-shinned hawk? I couldn’t be certain from this distance. I quietly readied my slingshot, ensuring the rocks were smooth and not too sharp. Crouching, I steadied my arms on my knee, taking careful aim at the hawk. Oddly, it wasn’t paying attention to the log anymore, its gaze fixed on the sun. I made sure Mom was still preoccupied and the hawk remained still. With a quiet exhale, I let the rock fly. It shot out like a rocket, whizzing through the air and striking the hawk’s head with a sharp crack. On cue, the bird collapsed, its black wings folding around itself. I quickly set the slingshot down and rushed over to the log. Before continuing, I gave Rogue a new task. The rat scurried off toward the garden, to fully distract Mom. I opened the outhouse door, bringing the hawk and the watering can inside. I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath… which probably wasn’t the best idea, considering the air in the outhouse.

Oh, please hurry up. It smells rank here.

“You’re not even capable of smelling.”

That says a lot about this outhouse.

Placing the water can on the ground, I pinched my nose with my left arm, and I grabbed the hawk’s head with my right. I then submerged the hawk’s head into the watering can, attempting to drown it. Of course, drowning isn’t a particularly “fast” process, so that meant I would have to be in here, for up to around 5 minutes. Thankfully, since my slingshot had knocked it out, the hawk shouldn’t wake up and cause any more problems. The only possible problem that could arise is if Mom were to notice how long I’ve been and come to check up on me, but Rogue should take care of that. So, for now, all we can do is wait.

I’ll skip ahead for us. No need to thank me.

Somehow, I managed to hold out. There were some instances where I was close to……expelling my stomach contents, but nevermind that. I checked the heartbeat of the hawk and was pleasantly surprised when it finally stopped.

About time.

Entering soul sense, I began the soul absorption process. Now, I could instantly find the soul, so I once again used my siphoning technique. It took a while, considering how much larger the hawk’s soul was compared to the rat’s. Little by little, the shell started dispersing, until finally, a book appeared. This time, I was ready. I took hold of the book……..

It was black again. Rough, cold winds battered against me, but the warmth of large, protective wings shielded me from the harsh gusts. I could hear the high-pitched whines of other birds, and I tried to mimic them. All that escaped from me was a soft squeal, a sound that was lost in the fierce wind. But what wasn’t lost was the shrill whistle of what I assumed to be a larger hawk, swooping down onto the nest. The nest vibrated as it landed, and then the hawk forcefully fed me worms.

It tasted horrible.

My eyes opened to the sight of a large nest, filled with juvenile hawks, all hopping and gliding around. I tried to join them, but my body wasn’t strong enough yet. I could only sit and watch, the runt of the nest, the youngest of them all. I sat there, both in jealousy and awe, as a few siblings attempted to fly off the nest—and actually succeeded. They flapped their wings with everything they had, rising higher and higher, until they hovered above me. Then, with a swift beat of their wings, they flew off, weaving through the thick trees, riding the rough wind as though it was nothing more than a gentle breeze. They were masters of the wind, and they knew it. They kept going, heading toward the orange, setting sun, until they became nothing but specks in the distance. They were free. Free from the shackles that weighed down those of us on the ground. Free from the constraints of the nest. They were above me. They were above it all.

I wanted to be like them.

Time passed, and I could feel new strength coursing through my body. My wings were fully covered in feathers now, and my legs were finally strong enough to support my weight. I could walk, hop, and glide with ease. The act of flying still eluded me, but I could feel it on the horizon—within my grasp, just waiting for the right moment. The nest was now empty, save for me and my parents. Everyone else had already flown off, venturing out into the world. They had left me behind, but that was okay. I will catch up. I would see the same sights they had seen. I would master the wind, just like they did. And when that time came, I would reach the sun, just like they had.

I will fly.

I could feel it now—the surge of strength, the confidence, the certainty that this was the moment. My wings, black and sharp, were ready. With a determined screech, I let out a sound that sharpened my focus. My parents were watching closely, prepared to intervene if needed, but I wasn’t going to need them. I have come too far to fail now. I took a few steps, then walked to the edge of the nest. My heart pounded. Without hesitating, I leapt into the open air. The wind slapped against me, pulling at my body. Panic surged through me, my talons scraping at empty air as my wings flapped frantically. I could hear my parents’ cries of concern, but I pushed the thought away. This was my moment, and I wasn’t going to be saved. I would succeed on my own. My instincts kicked in, guiding my wings to catch the wind beneath me. The rush of air stopped my fall, and I quickly adjusted my legs, finding stability. I was gliding. The wind, once a force against me, was now my ally. I felt its power beneath me, supporting me. I raised my wings, flapping harder, pushing myself higher and higher. My nest, my parents, everything below me became a distant memory as I soared. The wind, once uncontrollable, now obeyed me. I was the one in charge. The sun was setting, casting golden light across the sky, just as it had when I watched my siblings take flight. I set my eyes on the horizon and flew towards it. I was no longer tethered to the nest. I was free, like they had been.

And with that, I soared the skies.

I zipped through the trees, the wind under my wings, as I closed in on my prey. A small marsupial darted between the bushes, its movements swift, but not swift enough. I barrel rolled through the branches, my wings cutting through the air with precision. I could see its path—knew exactly where it was going. I flapped faster, adrenaline pulsing through me. I was ready. The creature darted into another bush, but it didn’t matter. I had already predicted its move. With a sharp extension of my talons, I grabbed it, pinning it to the ground. Its feeble cries echoed in my ears, but I didn’t hesitate. In one swift motion, I silenced it, swallowing the remains in one gulp. The hunt was over, and I soared back up into the sky. My new nest awaited me, empty and barren. It stood alone, a collection of scattered sticks in a lifeless place. I perched there, looking at the horizon, the sun dipping below the trees. Once, it had been a symbol of promise, of something beautiful, but now, it was just another reminder of the loneliness that surrounded me. Another day gone, the same as the last.

What changed?

The nest was small, dirty, and a little worn, but it was mine. A lonely place, but it was home. When I wasn’t hunting, I would find myself perched here, staring off into the vast distance. Today, my gaze caught two hawks mid-fight, their talons slashing through the air as they battled, pecking each other’s wings, tearing at each other’s faces. I couldn’t tell if it was over food, territory, or mates—it didn’t matter. Hawks weren’t known for their socializing. We were solitary creatures, hunting for ourselves, living for ourselves. I hadn’t seen my family in a long while. Whenever I found my siblings and I tried to approach them, they reacted as if I wasn’t their kin at all—talons bared, hissing in warning. My parents treated me the same way. They didn’t care that I was their child. They would drive me out like I was a hostile intruder………….I saw that they had new hatchlings…….They replaced us. I should probably stop now. I should stop trying to approach them, stop trying to be part of something. I wasn’t wanted. So I stayed alone, watching the world from my perch, hunting when I was hungry, keeping to myself when I wasn’t. Maybe it was better that way.

But, why do hawks have to be solitary creatures?

I was hunting again. After hours of searching, I finally spotted something small—is that a rat?.......Wait, no, it’s blue……What is this thing? I didn’t care anymore. My hunger took over. I crouched, staying hidden in the leaves, and began following it silently. The rat must have sensed me because it picked up speed and dashed off. I wasn’t about to let it escape, so I matched its pace, my talons at the ready. The rat confused me, not only of its color, but because of its usage of zig zag movement and quick turns. Was it even worth it?........I don’t know. However, to my surprise, the rat started to slow down. I was closing in on it. Almost there………Just a little more……….But at the last second, it twisted, leaping into a fallen log. I landed right beside it, pecking at the holes, but the inside was too narrow for me to get in. I hopped to the other side, trying to find another way in. But nothing. It was too small.

I could only wait.

…………..No. Why do I have to wait? I'm a hawk, a master of the wind. I can go anywhere, no limits. I'm free from the burdens of those stuck on the ground. So why should I endure this? Why be forced to hunt this small rat, trapped in a log, when I have the power to fly anywhere? Why settle for such trivial prey, only to return to an empty nest? What’s the point of all this effort? What’s the point of hunting, of flying? Why did I even choose to learn to fly if this was what awaited me?........... I looked up at the sun. It wasn’t setting, it was high in the sky, unreachable. No matter how hard I flew, it would always be too far. Not even the wind could take me to it. It was beyond my grasp, something I could only observe, never touch……….Is that why it felt like it was laughing at m-

Something struck me, I’m sure of it. What exactly, though, I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. Why? Because I’m drowning. Even if I could remember what happened, it wouldn’t change anything. I was going to die here. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move…………This feeling, I know it all too well. The cold, harsh water filled my lungs, much like the wind that almost carried me away. But unlike the wind, I had no control over the water……..I suppose I got too caught up with what was above—the sun and my family—that I grew too arrogant and neglected what was below me.

I underestimated those below me. I underestimated their strength, their resolve, and just how powerful the water truly is. I thought that my ability to fly freed me from such dangers, but it never did. All it did was shift my focus upward. It distracted me from the truth—that I shared the same shackles as those below. In fact, I was worse off. They knew their limits and thrived within them, while I, blinded by my flight, thought the sun was within reach. I was a fool. I was a slave, but I never realized it until now……………At least, I suppose, I should be grateful that I now acknowledge this, in the last breaths of my life… but is that enough? Is there something else I’ve overlooked? A secret my wings kept hidden from me?............

Ah, that’s it. My main reason for flying, the reason behind my attempts to reconnect with my family, and my confusion about the hawk’s solitary nature... Back then, when I saw the backs of my siblings as they flew off into the sun... I always thought it was the sun I wanted to reach. But, it wasn’t. It was my siblings. They were the limit I had been so desperately trying to reach. My parents were the wings I trusted to help me catch up, but they were actually the shackles that trapped me in the first place. Is that it then? Did I... want to catch up with them?......Did I….not want to be left behind?............That’s it. I flew, not because of the sun, but because I wanted to be with them………….But that could never happen. In the back of my mind, I always knew that. Even when I spent hours searching the forest for them, I knew there was no point. There was no purpose in trying to reconnect with them. Why?

Because we’re hawks.

My eyes shot open. My head flared with pain, as I tried to stop myself from vomiting. That Original Insight……felt much more…..in sync that time. It felt like…..my own personal words came out.

Deep breaths.

I did as Sys said…….which again, I probably should not have, since I was in an outhouse. Unfortunately, this just enhanced my urge to vomit more, which ended up becoming reality. However, I couldn’t just stay still, so I mustered the strength to open the door. Squinting through the haze, I checked to make sure Mom was still in the garden. Once I saw she was, I stumbled out, leaving the hawk just outside the log. After cleaning myself up with the watering can, I noticed Rogue standing beside the log. I patted it and praised it for a job well done before recalling it and walking toward Mom. I tried to act normal, resuming my task of watering, but that’s when she mentioned I smelled strange. I must have forgotten that I’d reek of shit.

An improvement, if you ask me.

“That’s why no one asked you, so shut up.”

That’s why you smell like shit, so shut up.

“That’s why……damn.”

Yeah, that’s right. But, anyway, good job. Now that you finished that quest, not only do you get more experience, but I also gained a new ability for you to use.

“Really? What is it?”

You get your very own pocket-space inventory. If you have any belongings, just drop them in and you can get them back whenever.

……Wait, what the fuck? That’s actually so stupidly overpowered right now. “Sys, no way. Swear on it.”

Ong.

“Holy shit. You’re finally useful!”

Yeah, okay, buddy. You still smell like shit.