[Quick author's note here, so I guess y'all must have been finding this novel boring up until now and I really don't blame you because this wasn't actually meant to be a fanfic...it was actually my idea for a novel that I turned into this and I'm hoping that I'll get your support when I actually want to start the original novel. Thank you]
Gimme your PS!
***
The forest was way too quiet. It felt wrong, like everything was holding its breath. I dragged the dead goblins into a pile, checking their pockets for anything useful. Nothing good. Just torn leather scraps and broken wood pieces. My stomach hurt so bad from hunger that my hands were shaking.
"I'm gonna starve to death at this rate," I muttered.
That's when I heard it. A long, deep howl that made my blood freeze. It was close. Really close. I looked around frantically and saw red eyes glowing in the darkness between the trees. First just two eyes. Then four. Then six. A whole pack of wolves was surrounding me, their fur standing up and their teeth catching the moonlight.
They were big wolves too. Way bigger than normal ones. Their muscles rippled under their dark fur and their eyes had an intelligence that scared me. These weren't just animals. They were predators that knew exactly what they were doing.
*Ding.*
«Skill Recorded: Wolf Pack Intimidation (Bad Version). Problems Found: Unfocused scary feeling. Weak range. Perfect Version Created: Intimidation (Basic)»
Suddenly I understood how to be scary. Not just looking mean, but actually pushing out a feeling that made others afraid. I focused all my anger, my desperation, my fear of dying, and pushed it outward like an invisible wave.
The effect was immediate. Several wolves stepped back, whimpering. Their ears flattened against their heads and their tails tucked between their legs. But the biggest wolf, clearly the pack leader, forced itself to keep moving forward even though I could see its legs trembling.
"So you're the tough guy, huh?" I said, gripping my club tighter.
The alpha wolf snarled and launched itself at me, jaw open wide, aiming for my throat. I barely got my club up in time to block. The impact sent shock waves through my arms and nearly knocked me over, but I managed to stay on my feet.
*Ding.*
«Skill Recorded: Fang Strike (Bad Version). Problems Found: Only attacks straight ahead. Leaves user open to counter attacks. Perfect Version Created: Fang Strike (Piercing)»
More knowledge flooded into my brain. I could see how the wolf attacked, how it committed everything to one strike and left itself vulnerable. When it came at me again, I was ready. I sidestepped at the last second and brought my club down hard on its jaw. There was a horrible crunching sound as bone broke. The wolf yelped and crashed to the ground, twitching.
The rest of the pack took one look at their defeated leader and ran away into the night, their howls fading into the distance.
I stood there breathing hard, looking down at the dying wolf. Part of me felt bad about hurting it, but a bigger part was just glad to be alive. This world didn't care about my feelings. It was kill or be killed, and I was starting to accept that.
*Ding.*
«Archive Update: Current Skills - 5 out of 10. Skills Available: Fireball (Improved), Club Fighting (Basic), Goblin Group Fighting (Basic), Intimidation (Basic), Fang Strike (Piercing)»
Five skills already. I was halfway to filling up the first floor of the Archive. That was pretty good progress for someone who'd only been in this world for a few hours.
My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I still hadn't eaten anything real since arriving. I looked at the dead wolf. The idea of eating raw meat made me sick, but starving to death would be worse. I used my fireball to cook some of the meat. It tasted terrible and was tough to chew, but it was food. I forced myself to eat as much as I could.
As I was eating, the ground started shaking. At first I thought it was an earthquake, but then I heard it. A roar so deep and powerful that it seemed to come from the earth itself. It wasn't close, but it wasn't far away either. The sound made every tree in the forest tremble and sent birds flying away in panic.
I'd never heard anything like it. It was ancient and angry and full of power that made my bones ache. Even the wolves that had run away were howling in terror somewhere in the distance.
My Archive started making strange noises, like warning bells going off in my head.
«Warning: Huge Energy Signature Detected. Type: Sealed Disaster-Level Creature. Location: Deep in the cave system to the east»
I stared into the darkness in the direction the roar had come from. Something incredibly powerful was trapped over there. Something that could probably kill me just by looking at me wrong.
But I also knew what it was. That roar, that location, the fact that it was sealed away. This was Veldora. The Storm Dragon. One of the most powerful beings in the entire Tensura world. He was locked away in a cave somewhere to the east, waiting for Rimuru to find him and set him free.
"Holy crap," I whispered. "He's really here. Veldora is actually here."
Part of me wanted to run as far away as possible. Veldora was a True Dragon, a force of nature that could destroy entire countries if he wanted to. Even sealed away, he was dangerous beyond belief.
But another part of me was curious. In the anime, Veldora was actually pretty friendly once you got to know him. He was lonely after being trapped for centuries. And he had incredible knowledge about magic and skills.
If I could somehow meet him without getting killed instantly, maybe I could learn something. Maybe even copy some of his abilities with the Archive.
"No," I said out loud, shaking my head. "That's stupid. I'm way too weak right now. He'd probably vaporize me by accident."
But as I finished eating and prepared to continue through the forest, I couldn't stop thinking about that roar. Somewhere out there in the darkness was one of the most powerful beings in existence. And eventually, I was going to have to decide whether to approach him or avoid him forever.
For now, though, I had more immediate concerns. Like finding shelter, getting stronger, and figuring out where the nearest human settlement was. The Archive was powerful, but I was still just a weak kid in a body that could barely handle fighting a few goblins.
I picked up my club and started walking again, staying alert for more dangers. The forest seemed even more threatening now that I knew what kinds of monsters lived here. But I was learning. Getting stronger. Building my collection of skills one fight at a time.
The two moons watched me from above as I disappeared into the shadows between the trees, the echo of Veldora's roar still ringing in my ears.