LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT’S BEEN ANOTHER WEEK SINCE THE LAST ACCOUNT, BUT WHATEVER THE CASE, IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER RACE. ON THE LEFT SIDE-

Yeah, sorry, I know Sys is a bit loud, so I’ll just cut him out. Like Sys said, it’s been another week, but we’ll get back to it. Right now, we have a race at hand.

Nightclaw and Rogue took their positions, each poised for the impending race. Nightclaw's obsidian body, sleek and shadowed, reflected its singular purpose: to catch Rogue before it could reach the finish line. The hawk’s form glowed with an eerie light, a soft blue radiance that was interwoven with streaks of purple. The mysterious intricate black patterns littered the back, revealing its true identity, my new summon.

I got my bets on Rogue.

“I got mine on Nightclaw…... .since everything would be for nothing if it still can’t catch Rogue.”

The two spectral creatures’ bodies tightened, as Sys began the countdown.

3…….2……1……Go!

Rogue surged forward like a streak of black lightning, vanishing into the distance and leaving Nightclaw in the dust. It nimbly weaved around piles of clothes, slipping through the bedroom door with ease, showing no sign of slowing. But Nightclaw was ready. It leapt into the air, attempting a graceful barrel roll through the door, its flight allowing it to bypass the obstacles below. However, as it neared, I began closing the door. The sky held its own obstacles. Yet, Nightclaw was undeterred, soaring through the narrowing gap with skillful finesse. Now, the race was on—could Nightclaw close the distance and subdue Rogue?

On the other side, it was evident that Rogue had perfected the art of running and evading. The obstacles I had so carefully arranged seemed utterly ineffective. Despite the wet spots, scattered chairs, piles of clothing, and even strategically placed food intended to distract it, Rogue breezed through the course without a sweat. It leapt effortlessly over the clothing, drifted around the wet patches with a graceful swerve, and nimbly squeezed between the narrow gaps between chair legs. Watching it, it was as if Rogue was speed-running the entire course.

Then came Nightclaw. As soon as it saw Rogue darting beneath the chairs, Nightclaw took immediate action, soaring above them. Using its sharp instincts and keen reasoning, it anticipated where Rogue would emerge. It lowered itself, targeting the right end of the chair, since the other openings were blocked by even more obstacles. If I could imagine Nightclaw’s thought process, I’d guess that it took into account Rogue's desire to finish this as quickly as possible, which meant that Rogue would take the fastest route: a route that had the least obstacles, the right end. Nightclaw's theory was proven correct when Rogue appeared exactly where it had predicted. But Nightclaw wasn’t the only one capable of thinking this far. Rogue had also prepared for this. Just before Nightclaw could pounce, Rogue executed a swift roll, narrowly avoiding the grasp of Nightclaw’s talons. Nightclaw barely managed to pull up in time to avoid crashing to the ground, its mind scrambling to reassess the situation. But before it could fully recover, Rogue darted off once more, leaving Nightclaw behind once again.

Looks like it’s another loss for Nightclaw.

It looked like Sys was right…….but I had an inkling that this was going to be different. I peeked at Nightclaw as it got back up in the sky.

Rogue is much faster and more experienced than you. It’s been training in this course for a much longer time now. It’s even evaded a hawk in the wild before, while this is your first real attempt at catching a rat……….With all that in mind, how do you plan on catching Rogue, Nightclaw?

Rogue’s speed was beyond what my eyes could track. It zipped through the doorways of my siblings' room, easily sidestepping obstacles, all while maintaining an astonishing pace. With effortless grace, it exited the room and darted back into mine. Just for a fleeting moment, Rogue glanced over its shoulder to check on Nightclaw’s whereabouts. Seeing that Nightclaw was nowhere near………did it smile? It shifted its gaze to the finish line, then lunged toward it.

But then, something remarkable occurred. You see, rats have poor, near-sight vision. Their eyes are only capable of seeing up to four feet away from them. Anything beyond this limit is too blurry for a rat to accurately see. Rogue, due to being my personal summon, has, in comparison, a much more exceptional eyesight. It has the ability to detect predators and obstacles within a 20-foot radius, which is much better than the near-sight vision of an average rat. With superior physical and mental attributes, it seemed obvious that Nightclaw would struggle to catch it.

That was until Rogue’s sharp gaze caught, just on the edge of its vision, the form of Nightclaw leaping out from a pile of clothing to its right. In that brief moment, I could feel Rogue’s soul tremble. Rogue, for the first time, felt the true fear of a rat….the fear of a prey.

Nightclaw emerged victorious from within the pile, as the sight of Rogue within its claws burned itself into my mind.

……What the fuck?

A small smile crept on my face as I gazed at Nightclaw.

No, no, no, no, no, no. What just happened? Wasn’t Nightclaw just in the kitchen, when Rogue completely left it way behind?

“It did……which is why it gave up on trying to catch up with Rogue.”

…..What?

Nightclaw initiated the suffocation process, its left talon pressing firmly against Rogue's chest to restrict its breathing. Its beak clamped down on Rogue’s mouth and nostrils, sealing off the airways completely. Meanwhile, Nightclaw’s right talon ensnared Rogue’s entire body, immobilizing the struggling creature with precision and force.

“It knew it couldn’t beat Rogue in a battle of pure speed. It’s known that for a while, considering how many mock races they’ve done now. In an all-out race, Rogue’s speed was simply too much to surpass.”

Rogue tried to break free of Nightclaw’s grasp, but the strength between prey and predator was too much to even dream of overcoming.

“However, it knew another thing.”

Knew what?

“It knew where Rogue would end up. It knew…..Rogue’s entire journey. It knew Rogue’s final destination.”

Rogue’s futile efforts began to slow down, as it began to stop struggling.

“Instead of trying to catch up with Rogue, Nightclaw opted to wait. It devised a plan—simple yet effective. It knew that Rogue, who was focused on finishing fast and dodging obstacles, wouldn’t pay attention to an unusually large pile of clothes. It anticipated that Rogue would glance back, and lower its guard upon the wrong realization of Nightclaw’sl true whereabouts. It knew exactly where Rogue was going to end up…….the finishing line. So, Nightclaw retreated, allowing Rogue to navigate the course unpressured. It returned to the finish line, the very point where everything had begun. There, it concealed itself within a pile just close enough to the line. And so, it waited—silent, patient, sharpening its talons. Rogue, convinced he had outrun the threat of Nightclaw, remained blissfully unaware that, all along, he was still within the reach of Nightclaw’s grasp.”

Holy shit.

And with that, Rogue’s body collapsed, and Nightclaw let go, to reveal the unconscious body of Rogue……except, it wasn’t really unconscious, it just played dead. My summons don’t have lungs.

Rogue got back up as it looked up at Nightclaw. Nightclaw looked back, and the two of them just stared at each other……..Were they communicating somehow?

Ok wait, but did Nightclaw really win? I mean, this is very situational. Like we just saw, Rogue’s speed was simply too fast for Nightclaw to match. The fact that Nightclaw could come up with that is insane, but to actually execute that within a forest isn’t plausible. There’s far too many unknown variables.

“You’re right…..on only one thing. Nightclaw is slower than Rogue, but that’s to be expected. Rogue has been training for far too many weeks for Nightclaw to catch up. But, that’s not the same for the other animals within the forest. Rogue is simply faster than probably most animals in there. In terms of pure speed, Nightclaw has been ready for a long time now.”

Then, why have you continued into making them race?

“I wasn’t satisfied with just speed. I wanted Nightclaw to gain something else, to learn something from these mock races. I wanted it to be capable of catching creatures without relying solely on just speed. If it could eventually catch Rogue, even with the speed difference, then I was sure that whatever it gained, would be enough for practically any creature within the forest. That it would be ready to hunt anything. That it would become “The Perfect Predator.”

…….Woah.

I praised Nightclaw for a job well done, scratching its chin and gently ruffling its feathers. Rogue seemed a bit jealous, letting out a few squeaks in protest. So, I acknowledged Rogue's effort, praising it for nearly making it all the way, and gave its small belly a soft rub. As I reflected on both, I began preparing for the next phase of the plan. With Nightclaw now proven to be ready, it was time to move forward.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Oh, here comes Merrol.

Mom came bustling in the room, primitive broom in one hand, and cleaning rags in the other. “Beric, I thought I told you to stop messing with the clothes and leaving them everywhere.”

How are you gonna get out of this one?

“Sorry, mama.” I wore the most pitiful puppy-dog eyes I could muster, quivering my lips to the fullest.

……Of course.

“Oh, how could I be mad at you?” Merrol got down as she pulled me into a tight squeeze…….except it was kinda too tight. Is this what the animals would later feel like?

After gently patting Mom on the back, she finally let go and, before briefly telling me once again to be tidy, exited the room.

One advantage of being one year old is that messiness is one of my defining traits, even though I’m unusually responsible for my age. I can set up mock races whenever I please, racing my summons out of Mom’s sight, and then let her clean up the mess afterward. After all, she thinks it’s just me being a baby.

Good grief. How selfish can you be, to call Merrol whenever you wish to, to make her clean up after you?

“.........Weren’t you the one who told me I can do that? Like, when you first talked to me?”

Hey, so, how about you explain your plan to me?

“Real slick. But, can’t you just read my mind to-”

Blah blah blah. I’m hearing too much nonsense and not enough explanations

“Alright.” Well, like Sys said, I’ll explain what I’m trying to do here. As I pondered how to acquire larger souls to absorb, I realized I had been approaching the problem all wrong. I had been focused on direct methods when I actually had indirect means available. I didn’t need to personally hunt rats and other creatures; instead, I could absorb the soul of a creature that could do the hunting for me. At first, I considered using Rogue to hunt other rats, but Rogue's strength wasn't much greater than that of a typical rat. A confrontation between the two could easily lead to bloodshed, which would leave a trail back to my home. I wanted to avoid that, so I thought of another solution: suffocation. I needed a way to render my targets unconscious without causing any bloodshed, making it easier to finish them off without leaving a trace. Rogue wasn’t suited for this, since even killing other rats was a challenge, let alone incapacitating them without bloodshed. That’s when I came up with my current plan: a bird. A bird would have superior mobility, better eyesight, and the ability to knock out the critters safely and efficiently. All I needed to do was find the opportunity to absorb the soul of one, and teach it the proper means.

I have to admit, I was somewhat skeptical about whether I could fully tame the hawk. Given that it was a much larger creature than the rat, I assumed it would take longer to bend it to my will. Surprisingly, I was wrong. The hawk responded much more readily to my warm treatment, and it obeyed my commands faster than expected………Perhaps that feeling I experienced during that Original Insight meant something?........... But, I don’t know for sure, and neither does Sys—though, that’s hardly surprising.

Hey.

Now, there was a small problem. If everything went according to plan, and Nightclaw hunted a rat, captured it, put it to sleep without causing any bloodshed, and brought it back to me, how would I kill it and dispose of the body? Thankfully, after I gained an inventory after absorbing Nightclaw’s soul, a simple answer arose. All I needed to do was have Nightclaw finish it off through asphyxiation, then I’d store the body in my inventory.

It looks like I saved your ass once again.

“......Ok.” As for my family, I don't have to worry much. Mom is too preoccupied with cleaning the house, and the others are out, busy with their own affairs. I can use soul sense to track Mom's movements and ensure she doesn’t get too close, so I should be free from any interruptions. Summoning Nightclaw again, I silently issued the command to hunt any small creature, subdue it, render it unconscious, and return it to me unharmed—all while avoiding detection by any humans. Nightclaw responded with a soft cry, then leapt out the window, performing a barrel roll in midair before disappearing from view.

Nightclaw’s kind of a show-off.

I got comfortable on the bed, laying my head down. Now, we wait. “Got any ideas on how to pass the time?”

Sure. We can sing a song. 99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer.

Take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall.

“98 bottles of beer on the wall, 98 bottles of beer. Take one down and-”

Time skip. Again, you’re welcome.

By the 75th rendition of the song, I heard the faint flutter of a winged creature approaching my window.

There’s no way that’s Nightclaw. It’s only been 3 minutes.

I propped myself up on the bed and poked my head out the window. I nearly jumped back in surprise when Nightclaw came hurtling through the window. It pulled up just before colliding with the wall, coming to a smooth, controlled stop. Slowly, it descended to the ground, and its talons revealed the unconscious body of a dark gray rat.

This is……interesting. I wasn’t expecting Nightclaw to show results this fast.

But, it’s also alarming.

“Yeah.” Sys is right, since now a new problem arises. If Nightclaw was capable of hunting this fast, then would it be possible if Nightclaw would end up overhunting?

The forest that encompasses “Lurindell” is roughly 3000 acres in size, a comparatively small forest to the other forests within the region. If I try to estimate approximately how many animals are within this forest……….it would come up in the hundred thousands, but all of them are capable of being hunted by Nightclaw.

If Nightclaw overextends and hunts too many and destroys the natural balance, then there would be a possible extinction of the local animal life. If that happens……then the other villagers could lose their main sources of food, resources, and income.

What are you talking about?

….? If Nightclaw hunts too much, then the village as a whole would suffer from the repercussions.

Why are you still allowing other lives to interfere with your own?

…….Shit. It’s you, isn’t it?...... The Corrupt Voice.

Weren’t you the one who stated you would do anything for your goal? Of getting stronger?

Shut up.

The goal that you so dearly wished for, that you were willing to abandon both family and friends. And yet, what’s this? You still allow the villagers, villagers who you don’t even know, to influence your decision? Are you really going to let the invisible voices control you even in this life?

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

And it’s not even just the invisible voices. What about this new family of yours, oh wait. My apologies. This “fake” family of Beric’s that you took over like a parasite. What about them? Did you forget how your plan almost failed because you chose to be swayed by the words of Merrol, and that you forsook progress just to guarantee Arthur and Elaine’s survival, out of what? Guilt?

Please…….be quiet.

Do you know why you still falter? Do you know why, despite the strong beliefs you have about freedom, you still consciously allow your choices to be affected by others?

…………

You decided to befriend your summons, and for what? Just to feel a little less lonely? Because you fear making friends with the other villagers? If that’s so, then why do you choose to entertain the thought of getting close with this family, when you know that you took away their true son? Do you know why?

………….

It’s because you’re a hypocrite. You preach the feeling of being free, yet you still willingly wear the shackles of society. You occasionally wonder about the whereabouts of the real Beric, yet you unashamedly treat this family as your own. And even with that, you still commit acts that put them into harm’s way, all for the goal of becoming stronger. What will it take for you to choose a side?

………..

What will it take for you to wake up?

…….Shut the hell up.

Beric?

My eyes shot wide open. The first thing I noticed was that my hands were gripping my hair tightly, covering my face. I let go and pulled my hands away, only to find that nothing had really changed. Nightclaw remained on the ground, the unconscious rat still firmly held in its talons.

Are you okay? You suddenly went quiet for a little bit.

“Uh…yeah. I’m fine. I was just…..thinking about how to prevent overhunting.”

Are you sure? Your vitals were spiking.

“I’m sure.”

………Alright.

I got off the bed and walked over to Nightclaw. After Nightclaw removed its talons, I started soul absorption. This time, things were much quicker, and like I had thought, there was no Original Insight.

It’s not anything crazy, but this is definitely much more than from just meditating.

“Inventory.” A game-like inventory appeared, showcasing lines of empty squares, aside from a square that contained the dead body of a hawk. I moved the rat to a square, and I promptly closed it.

So, how are you going to deal with Nightclaw?

“I have an idea.” I knelt down to get on the same level as Nightclaw. “Nightclaw, I have one more special order for you.” Nightclaw leaned its head in a quizzical like motion. “You can target any animal within your hunting ability, but don’t focus on specific types. If you spot a rat and, say, a rabbit, go for the rabbit. Always aim to diversify your hunt, rather than going after the first thing you see. Lastly, avoid groups as much as you can. Seek out only solitary creatures and focus on them instead. Understood?” Nightclaw cooed in response. I stroked its chin and sent it off. Nightclaw soared back into the air, in search of new prey. The Perfect Predator was back on the prowl.

I suppose that’s the current best move given our situation. However, you will have to come up with a new means if Nightclaw ever becomes dangerously close to overhunting.

“Of course.”........But, if I was being honest, I wasn’t really thinking about that. The Corrupt Voice’s words were still ringing in my head. I was used to them by this point, but something was puzzling me. Was Sys not capable of hearing them too? And, was it also not capable of hearing my thoughts right now?.......Or maybe, Sys can’t even pick up on thoughts concerning The Corrupt Voice………Back on Earth, I had originally pinned The Corrupt Voice as just an exaggerated form of an inner voice…….but now, I question if The Corrupt Voice is something else entirely……………………………….

Which makes me wonder, why can you hear it?