Here’s the translation in a comedic style:
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[Author’s Note] Thanks for reading! Likes and comments give writers a boost of motivation!
2. Encounter with the Unknown #1
“━.”
“━. ━.”
What on earth was that sound? It was unmistakably different from the usual roars or howls of beasts I’d heard before. It was like a strange mix of a Twitter argument and a lost puppy.
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it definitely felt like a conversation—a very weird conversation.
Crouched in the bushes, I stealthily approached the source of the mysterious chitchat.
From what I could tell through the thick undergrowth, there seemed to be three or four of whatever those things were. Just a tad closer, and I could finally get a glimpse of what was making such a racket.
“Looks like there are humans after all!”
Excitement and joy bubbled up, but a wave of anxiety hit me like a cold shower. Stumbling upon other humans while I was lost in the woods would feel like hitting the jackpot.
But wait—was I still considered human? Outwardly, I must look more like a beast or a monster! And judging by the fact that I couldn’t understand their chatter, they definitely wouldn’t get what I was saying either.
“No guarantee those people won’t attack me.”
If I were human and saw a bizarre creature that looked like a mix between a cat and a lizard—yeah, no way I’d stay calm about it.
Thoughts collided: “This could be super risky!” versus “Maybe it’s a huge opportunity for survival!”
After a quick mental tug-of-war, I finally decided.
Curiosity swelled in my chest, bouncing off fear and worry like a pinball.
I slowly raised myself and peeked over the bushes. If only my eyes and pointy ears were visible, I thought I’d be safe from detection.
“What on earth is that?”
My eyebrows shot up at the sight before me. All my plans on how to approach humans just vaporized like my chances of winning the lottery.
“━.”
“━. ━.”
In the center of what looked like a ruined building with broken tablets everywhere, there were several bizarre creatures loitering around a campfire like they were at a weird barbecue.
With tools in hand and standing on two legs, they might look human, but no way I could classify them as such.
They were clearly some mix of weirdness: gray-green skin, oddly torn mouths, long ears, sharp teeth, and wearing leather like it was a fashion statement.
They were about as tall as me—but they sported little horns on their heads and had a wild mane that could confuse even the most astute hairdresser.
“What in the world are they!?”
This could very well be what passes for humans in this world, but they gave off zero vibes of comfort or familiarity that I’d expect from my fellow humans.
Honestly, if you asked me to use a similar term from my past life, I’d probably call them imps or goblins without batting an eye.
A wave of visceral disgust crawled through me.
“Tap, tap,” went a creature drumming on something. One wearing a bizarre animal skull and holding a long stick was pounding on a rock like a wannabe drummer.
The others joined in with weird sounds in what might have been music, a chant, or perhaps something that passed for a religious ceremony. Who knows? Maybe they’d started a goblin band.
“What do I do?”
I hesitated, paralyzed with indecision.
If they were the humans I imagined, I could reveal myself or take off running, but this bizarre crew wasn’t anything I’d planned for.
I took stock of the situation.
There were five of them. If a fight broke out, I was totally not sure I could win; they had fire-making skills and were using makeshift tools like the crafty little creatures they were. Better to retreat than gamble my life away now.
Still, my paws felt glued to the ground.
“They look weaker than wolves, at least,” I thought while swallowing hard. The sight of meat sizzling over their fire was getting hard to ignore.
My previous meal of slime had long been digested, and the wolf meat I’d nibbled on couldn’t exactly be considered a full meal.
“That looks tasty.”
Whatever kind of meat it was, it smelled delicious! My appetite kicked in as the aroma tickled my nose.
“Five of them is definitely too many, though.”
As I pondered over the well-cooked meat and the imps, I picked up a small stone from the ground.
Not knowing my own strength, I decided to go the crafty route instead of brute force.
“This plan better work!”
I threw the stone, launching it into the air. It landed far away from the group, nowhere near them. The goal was to distract.
“━.”
“━.”
They murmured something, but it didn’t seem like I got their attention. I must’ve thrown it low because it didn’t make a sound when it hit the grass.
This time, I opted for a bigger rock—a boulder, even. I flexed my muscles hard, preparing for a stronger toss.
THUD! The heavy stone hit the ground, reverberating through the forest.
“Tap, tap!” The drumming stopped.
“━?”
“━.”
Startled by the unexpected noise, they exchanged glances, making bizarre sounds that clearly screamed, “What was that?!”
Might they have noticed my little rock attack? Luckily, a couple of them walked towards where the rock had fallen.
Now that they were distracted, I dropped my posture, tiptoed, and made my way around the blind side of the indescribable being.
The anxiety of not getting caught tugged at my insides while my adrenaline had me feeling like a racquetball.
Staying as quiet as a mouse, I slinked along the ground like the three-eyed wolf that had been lurking around my hiding spot for days.
I had no clue it was there until it was almost too late!
Much bigger than me and very scary, it reminded me I could pull this off.
As I kept slinking around, strange writing appeared before my eyes.
【Achievement Unlocked: ‘Watch Your Back’】
【Reward: Skill ‘Stealth Movement’ Acquired!】
Whoa! I couldn’t help but marvel at my luck. Whatever was happening, it seemed like a definite boost for my current situation.
The sound of my movements shrank to silence, like I’d hit a mute button.
“Now, this might actually work!”
I sped up, desperate to reach the bushes before the imps returned from their rock investigation.
Crawling on all fours, I slipped out of the underbrush and behind the large stone slabs.
From behind the enormous rock, I was just a few meters away from the remaining creatures’ antics.
There were three in total, including one with an animal skull for a hat—the apparent “leader” as he checked the area like he owned the place.
Clearly, he thought he was safe, either oblivious to a potential ambush or overconfident that he could handle whatever came his way.
I crawled closer to him, hoping he was not as sharp as he looked. A chill breeze rustled the trees above.
I took advantage of the chattering leaves to speed up my approach, moving behind him with hardly a sound.
Once I was right behind him, I stood up, raised my front paws, and swung down like I was wielding a war hammer.
CRACK!
His bone helmet shattered into a zillion pieces, scattering across the grass. He let out a weird squawk and collapsed to the ground.
“Stronger than I thought!”
I was surprised by my own strength. I had just knocked out a goblin—doing so felt like second nature.
“━Nishuu…!”
Looking up, the fallen imp shouted at me, probably more astonished than hurt. Luckily, the bone headgear must’ve cushioned the blow somewhat.
Yet, he couldn’t rise quickly and staggered backward, clearly trying to create distance between us.
I was on high alert; this could be a trick. So, I raised my front paws again.
My sharp claws glinted like cold steel, ready to rip into him. One hit like this would definitely put him out for the count.
Heavy injury, potential d*ath.
For just a moment, I hesitated. Having spent my entire life as a modern human, I wondered if it was really okay to k*ll a sentient being.
Sure, I caught the slime out of survival, and the wolf had come at me first, which meant it was fair game—but these guys hadn’t done anything to me.
Was I really okay with ending a life?
“Nishu!”
He shouted at me again, and his tone was definitely not friendly. His red eyes sparked with some mix of malice and disgust that made me uneasy.
Maybe this was his desire for revenge because of an earlier ambush or just the natural hostility between our kinds—who knew? It was definitely annoying.
“Well, I’ve already started, so I can’t turn back now.”
I swiped my front paw down toward him.
His yelps echoed in the woods as he wriggled helplessly under my powerful strike.
“GRRR!”
Possibly hearing my antics, the others who had been scouting reappeared quickly.
They opened their mouths wide, staring at me with confusion and terror.
“━Kanishu!”
“Bakanishu!”
“Baka!”
They clamored with similar babble—it was probably their version of warning or alert!
My previous worries about their numbers faded, replaced with a rush of adrenaline.
Even a moment ago, I was fretting over the odds against me, but now I felt the surge of confidence rising within.
Maybe it was the endorphins or adrenaline kicking in!
They crouched down, tensed up—definitely no friendly business, as they bared their teeth at me with growls.
“Bakanishu!”
One of them holding a hefty wooden stick charged at me, looking all serious. Beneath his leather outfit, he had gaunt arms with muscles coiled like springs.
A hit from that stick would surely hurt, but compared to the wolf, his attack was painfully slow.
Just a simple overhead swing—nothing fancy.
I quickly sidestepped and swiped at his chin.
He teetered back and slammed to the ground.
But suddenly, a solid jab hit my back.
One of them swung a thick tree branch from the shadows—sneaky little devil!
Ack!?
For a brief moment, I lost my balance, but I quickly regained myself. The pain was overshadowed by fury from being attacked.
“YOU LITTLE WEASEL!”
I lunged at the one who’d hit me, my mouth wide open, baring my teeth.
He stumbled back, tripped up over his own feet, and fell.
With a swift move, I pinned him down and sank my teeth into his neck.
He squirmed for a bit before lying still.
How did I know instinctively how to do this? It was like my instincts were a masterclass in fighting!
“━!”
“━!”
The remaining two let out incomprehensible cries. One of them waved a burning stick around like a torch—oh, great, a fire hazard!
He swung the torch back and forth like he was trying to intimidate me.
If this was meant to scare a wild beast, it might work. But hey, I had a human brain deep down!
I huddled low and circled them like a curious cat evaluating its prey.
They seemed desperate not to show their backs to me as they shifted and darted their gazes my way.
“CHIT!”
The fire from the torch flickered out as they moved too violently, a puff of white smoke rising. It wasn’t an oil or resin torch, so naturally, it went out.
“━!?”
“━!”
I could sense their panic as they stared at the extinguished stick, even if we didn’t share a language.
And just like that, fortune smiled upon me!
