Here’s the translation of the anime novel in a comedic style without commentary:
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[Review] Hello. Nice to meet you. Episode 2.
1. Starting anything new is always hard. Starting anything new is always hard. #1
Suddenly, a scene from a documentary I once saw on TV popped into my head. It was about how many animals hide in trees to escape predators.
━It’ll work out somehow!
Digging my claws into the bark, I finally managed to climb the tree and catch my breath.
When night fell, all sorts of predators swarmed the forest floor, growling and eyeing me like a juicy snack. In my first couple of days in this world, I had no clue what I was doing and ended up rolling around in the mud with them multiple times.
I licked the scrapes and scratches on my soft skin with my tongue.
The bitter taste of bl**d spreading in my mouth wasn’t great, but at least the throbbing wounds calmed down a bit.
━Grrrl.
A three-eyed wolf looked up at the tree, baring its fangs.
It clearly hadn’t expected its easy dinner to climb a tree.
━Arf! Arf!
Under the threat of this wolf that looked at least a few hundred kilos, my neck hair stood on end, and my heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest.
Scratch, scratch—sounds of my claws scraping the bark echoed.
The wolf leaned against the tree trunk, stood on its hind legs, and started clawing at the tree with its front paws.
I was on edge, wondering if it could actually climb the tree. But its hind legs couldn’t support its weight, and soon it collapsed.
━Grrr…
The wolf looked up at the tree, licking its lips in disappointment.
━Get lost, you brat!
I glared down at the wolf pacing below and hurled insults. With no sharp fangs or thick fur, all I could do was bare my teeth at it.
━Grrr…Arf!
The wolf, seemingly frustrated at losing its prey, kept staring at the tree and barking loudly.
Scratch, scratch.
It raised its front paw and scraped the tree a few more times before disappearing into the bushes.
Of course, just because it was out of sight didn’t mean I could relax. If I let my guard down even for a moment, a weakling like me would be a tasty meal in no time.
That’s right. In the forest at night, I was weak.
Someday, I’d be reborn as a majestic magical beast. But for now, in this place called 【The Ancient Nest】, a newborn magical beast like me was just wolf food.
I had a bit of fur, but my skin was soft and squishy.
No wings, no thick hide, no scales. I didn’t have a strong bite or a third eye like that d*mn wolf.
The only thing worth showing off was the fancy claws on my front paws.
‘What even am I?’
As I licked the stinging wounds from the wolf’s claws and pondered my existence, some text appeared in front of me.
Species: Magical Beast
Strength: 9
Agility: 6
Stamina: 7
Skills: 《Omnivore》 《Sturdy Claws》
I waved my hand to dismiss the text like swatting away dust.
My eyes turned to the bushes where the wolf had disappeared. Listening carefully for any signs, I heard the cries of insects and beasts all around.
Some of them were pretty close.
I didn’t know what kind of beasts they were, and I didn’t really want to know.
I let out a big sigh.
The excitement from my fight with the wolf slowly faded. My stomach growled loudly, making a ruckus.
‘Looks like I’ll have to go hungry again tonight.’
It’s already been three days since I was born into this world. In those three days, the only thing I’d eaten was a fruit that looked like an apple.
I ended up throwing half of it away because of its unexpected bitterness. But as my stomach clung to my back, the discarded fruit started to look appealing.
I turned my head, searching for something edible.
All I could see was the dark forest and a bunch of weeds—nothing appetizing.
Then I remembered the skill 《Omnivore》 from that strange text earlier. Omnivore probably meant I could eat both plants and meat.
Suddenly, the weeds on the ground looked pretty fresh and tasty. Back in my old life, I used to eat a lot of lettuce and scallions at BBQ places.
My stomach growled pitifully. I swallowed hard and stretched my leg down toward the branch. Just then, the bushes rustled, and a strange presence appeared.
━Grrr…
Three red orbs were peeking out from the bushes, watching me. The wild beasts didn’t give me a moment’s rest.
━Get lost, you brat!
Scared out of my wits, I clung to the tree and shouted.
Apparently, setting foot on the ground before sunrise wasn’t a good idea. I wasn’t a rabbit, and I couldn’t risk my life for some tasteless grass.
I scraped the tree bark with my front claws. Back in the day, my poor and hungry ancestors used to peel off the bark and eat the inner layer.
After peeling off the rough surface, the soft inner bark was revealed. Using my sharp claws, I scraped the inner bark, and it peeled off in strips.
With my hunger reaching its peak, I shoved the bark into my mouth and chewed.
The bitter, dry taste filled my mouth. It tasted like the back end of a pencil I used to chew as a kid.
Would swallowing this even be safe?
Tears streamed down my face as the taste of nature spread in my mouth.
‘I want something salty. I want a cold soda.’
Memories of my days in a tiny studio apartment, living off instant noodles three times a day, flashed before my eyes. I felt stupid for complaining about wanting to eat something other than noodles.
I kept chewing the bitter bark until the two moons set and the sun rose over the pointed mountain peaks.
I had to make sure I didn’t fall asleep and drop to the ground, becoming a meal for the beasts.
*
The red orbs hiding in the bushes finally disappeared just before sunrise.
They’d been watching me all night. I don’t know what kind of beast it was, but it sure had a lot of persistence.
When the cries of the beasts quieted down and the gentle chirping of birds began, I finally stepped onto the ground.
‘It should be safe now? Yesterday morning, they all disappeared too.’
I was a bit worried someone might attack me when I stepped down, but thankfully, nothing happened.
My mouth felt dry and painful from swallowing the dry bark.
Thirsty, I headed toward the stream I’d found on my second day.
While walking, I realized that moving on all fours was much more comfortable than walking on two legs. The ‘me’ I knew was drifting further from being human.
When I reached the stream, I dipped my head into the flowing water. About to drink, I froze when I saw my reflection.
Even after seeing it again, my face didn’t look familiar.
It was a strange mix between a dog and a cat, but by modern standards, it looked pretty cute, like a young animal.
My soft, round appearance looked like a mascot character or a well-crafted doll. Honestly, even as a beast, I think I’m better-looking than I was in my past life.
I could walk on two legs without much trouble, and I could move on all fours, making me look like a Pokémon or Digimon.
My front paws were more human-like than a raccoon’s, making it easy to grasp things or climb trees.
But my white fur and delicate appearance probably made me an easy target for the beasts.
‘I don’t need this kind of popularity.’
I swatted at my reflection in the water with my paw. The ripples distorted my cute face.
‘Is this water even drinkable?’
From a modern perspective, I doubted if this stream water was safe, but dehydration was worse.
I didn’t know much about water quality, but it looked clean enough to see the bottom, so it was probably safe.
I stuck my head in the stream and gulped down the water.
After drinking my fill, I lifted my head and took a deep breath.
I hadn’t enjoyed water this much since my military training days and night marches.
My body, which had been wobbling like a balloon at a festival, finally felt a bit stronger. I looked around to see if there was anything edible.
The savagery of the night was gone, and the forest, wet with dew and bathed in morning sunlight, looked beautiful.
The fresh air pierced through my chest.
━Today, I’ll eat something proper.
I muttered to myself like a promise.
I didn’t want to eat bark like last night. Thankfully, I didn’t get an upset stomach, but honestly, it wasn’t a taste I wanted to experience again.
Rustle.
Just then, a white puff of fur popped out from the bushes behind me. On closer look, it was a small white rabbit with long ears.
But unlike any rabbit I knew, it had tiny horns above its eyes.
I guessed it had woken up in its burrow and come to the stream to drink.
For a moment, I felt sentimental at its cute appearance, but soon my growling stomach took over, and I glared at it.
━That guy… I think I can take it.
From what I’d seen over the past few days, the forest’s day and night were like two different worlds.
The creatures of the night, like wolves and giant spiders, were terrifying, but the daytime animals were cute, like round blue birds and fluffy little rabbits, giving off a peaceful, fairytale-like vibe.
In the daytime, I might be the most ferocious beast here.
Well, I’m a Magical Beast with a scary title.
━Stay still.
I lunged at the rabbit with my claws out. But the quick little guy dodged me and vanished.
Honestly, I didn’t think it would work, but losing it so easily made me feel like an idiot.
Maybe I could’ve caught it if I’d thought more. If I see it again, I’ll try a different approach.
━Tweet.
A blue bird perched on a tree above me chirped. It felt like it was laughing at my failed hunt.
━What are you looking at?
Annoyed, I picked up a pebble and threw it at the bird.
The pebble missed pathetically, and the bird flew off to another tree, snickering. I realized my aim was terrible.
━For real? How am I supposed to survive like this?
Without tools, catching quick animals seemed impossible.
Wasn’t there a more docile, pitiful creature out there for a beginner hunter like me?
I wandered through the forest, searching for my first victim.
As the sun began to set, I finally found it.
It was a strange beast. Or maybe calling it a beast was a stretch. It had no head or limbs, just a weird, gelatinous body.
Its black, glossy body looked like a solid liquid or gel—what many games would call a “slime.”
At least, I decided to call it a slime.
The slime wriggled slowly through the bushes.
Hiding behind a tree, I observed it, more curious about whether it was edible than what it was.
My hunger soon outweighed my concerns and curiosity.
If I didn’t eat something today, I might collapse and d*e from starvation.
Like the predators that had hunted me, I crouched low and slowly approached the slime.
━Squeal.
I don’t know where its mouth was, but the slime made a cute sound as it wriggled.
I didn’t know much about slimes, but I didn’t think I’d lose to something half my size.
With my body coiled, I tensed my hind legs like a spring and lunged at it.
━Squeal!
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