When the system's countdown began, I just kept looking at the girl.
Her clothes were torn, and she held a small bone dagger in her hand.
But in her eyes, there was more than fear… there was fury.
"You're a monster, aren't you?"
Her voice trembled slightly as she asked.
I cancelled the shapeshift.
Took on my neutral humanoid form — featureless and silvery.
I said to her:
"I am whatever I need to be. A ghost for my enemies… and a shadow for my friends."
---
[Choice Registered: Protect the Girl]
> Quest Activated: Bonds of the Wild
Objective: Escort and gain trust of Beastkin Survivor
Reward:
– Skill Unlock: Wild Speech (Lv. 1)
– New Path Access: Shapeshifter of the Pack
– Stat Boost: Charisma +1
---
I placed my hand over her wound and injected a healing enzyme using my liquid skin.
She flinched at first, but then… grew still.
Her name was: Kaari.
"I'm from the Sun Fang Tribe. The Bone-Eaters killed everyone."
I said, "You're not alone anymore."
---
Night crept in.
Kaari and I took shelter in a small cave.
She stared at me, then asked:
"You're a shapeshifter, but you didn't eat me… why?"
I stayed silent for a moment, then replied:
"Maybe... I'm a monster who became another monster… just to try becoming human."
Kaari smiled faintly for the first time.
She gave me a name — Shad, meaning Silent Hunter in her language.
---
[Skill Unlocked: Wild Speech (Lv. 1)]
> You can now communicate fluently with non-human sentient races.
---
By morning, the system gave a new notification:
[New Quest: Tribe's Echo]
> Objective: Help Kaari reach the ruins of Sun Fang Tribe
Secondary Goal: Collect 3 Beastkin Memory Totems
Warning: Hostile Mutant Insects detected in area
Reward:
– XP +100
– Memory Integration: Partial Beastkin Culture
– Skill Unlock: Tribal Tracking (Passive)
---
But beneath the system message, a red line appeared:
> Unknown Entity is tracking you.
Codename: The Hollow Herald
Threat Level: ???
---
And then… a cold wind swept through the jungle.
I placed my hand on Kaari's shoulder.
"Let's go. The echo of your people still lives. And we're going to awaken it."
---
Next Chapter Tease:
Chapter 5 – Ruins of Sun Fang, Insects of the Abyss
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