A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 7: I’m Groot (3)

According to my memory, Soul World is definitely not a hope filled game. It is filled with as much discomfort as possible, and even the ending is either bad or sad if the conditions are not met.

First of all, if you let your guard down, the characters can die at any moment. Its not an exaggeration, they can die in the blink of an eye.

One particularly intense memory is when the protagonist entered the forest with a companion to find herbs. The character was quite pretty, so I remember that even more.

Among the choices, there are options to stick together or separate. Most newcomers choose the latter because they dont know any better. They thought they could save themselves even if its dangerous. And that turns out to be the worst choice.

If I had been even slightly late, Ellie would have been killed by Manki. It would be truly shocking to see someone transform into a lump right in front of my eyes.

Anyway, if you choose to stick together, you can survive, and its quite helpful. Its a game where the abilities of other characters, not just protagonists, also improve.

Up until this point, its alright, but the damn battles are the problem. Control is much more important than stats.

What should we do? Does that mean we wont be able to understand each other?

Well, I dont know about that.

Ellie, who was destined to die by Manki, and Luna, the woman who introduced herself as Luna Estel, had a conversation with each other.

Both of them had different outfits, but they both carried small bags. It seemed like they were probably going to dig herbs.

Among them, I glanced at a woman named Luna. Her appearance was very familiar. 

Light yellow hair and sky-blue eyes. Its her right?

Soul World doesnt have appearance customization. Therefore, you have to choose between male and female. Fortunately, the modeling was done well, without that, it wouldnt have received good reviews from the fans.

So, the woman introduced as Luna right now is the protagonist of this world. Memories that were about to disappear begin to resurface vividly.

Is her occupation a knight?

Judging by her appearance, it seemed like the most basic occupation, a knight. Its almost certain when I saw her holding a normal-length sword. 

Regardless of which skill tree a knight chooses, one efficiency is good. Thats why most beginners choose to be knights. 

According to the setting, she received swordsmanship training from a wanderer. This is an official setting, so its the same even if she chooses a different occupation.

First of all, regardless of which occupation she chooses, the basic weapon is a sword. By the way, you can meet that wanderer later. They are a slightly eccentric character that surprises players. The story is also quite good.

Its going to be tough.

As someone who vaguely knows the future, I can only feel pity. Losing a valuable comrade or being betrayed by that comrade could come with a split second moments choice.

However, her future or destiny was not as important as the fact that I had encountered someone. I wanted to go outside first. 

Although I have become accustomed to the forest, I never forgot my longing for civilization. I also need to find a way to return to the original world.

First, I need to find the person who sent me here. I have already thought of some plausible suspects.

What if we start by finding out where that person is living? There might be other survivors, you know. 

Ellie said in a calm voice. Its hard to believe that someone who almost died just moments ago could be so composed.

Come to think of it, shes not bad either.

I struggled to grasp fading memories. There were so many unique characters that it was difficult to remember the details, but I knew Ellie.

She had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair neatly cut, with bangs. Round eyes and golden irises.

Although she was smaller than Luna, her chest stood out prominently. They stood side by side, making a clear comparison.

Among the characters in Soul World, most of them are well-modeled, but Ellie stood out.

I remember her being praised for having an amazing potion bag.

Shes full of energy. Im glad.

If you save Ellie, you dont have to worry about potions from the mid to late game. As far as I remember, shes skilled in alchemy. So, if you save her early on, the story becomes much easier. 

However, until then, youll have to increase her abilities through various quests. Its convenient to think of her as a character who pays for her share. The problem is that shes like a trouble magnet and will face numerous crises even after that. 

Saving Ellie eliminates the worry about potions, so it can be seen as a kind of balance patch. Of course, she may be treated as a burden by players.

Speak sensibly. You just witnessed how dangerous this place is. We need to leave right now.

Are you going to leave that person behind?

Thats

Luna hesitated for a moment at Ellies sharp remark. I just stood there, still and useless, watching them. I wish I could make them understand what Im saying. But all I can do is stumble over my words.

Above all, I missed the timing. They probably already think of me as little more than just a savage. Honestly, its a situation that could help me, so I kept my mouth shut.

So lets start by finding out where that person lives. Is that okay?

But what if that man poses a threat to us? You saw earlier how easily he blocked Mankis attack. I cant handle it either.

Well, if that were the case, he would have killed us a long time ago. Maybe he instinctively realizes that were from the same kin?

Elli lightly tapped Lunas shoulder and spoke. I remembered her characteristic optimistic personality. Luna, with a subtle expression, looked at me as if convinced by Ellis words. I simply kept my mouth shut. 

So, how are we supposed to get to where that person lives? We cant even communicate with them. 

Ill guide you from now on. 

I said, turning my back. As I turned my back, I could sense their bewildered reactions. 

Isnt it better to follow him? 

For now, at least. Is the special compass working properly? 

Its functioning perfectly.

So they have a special compass. That means we can find our way out of this wretched forest. Oh, but before that, I have to bring along Mankis corpse. I dragged Mankis body, whose head, and even brain, had exploded. 

Seeing me effortlessly dragging a giant gorilla of over 5 meters, the two of them were taken aback. Well, its natural to be surprised when someone drags around such a burden. With the protagonists strength, she wouldnt even be able to attempt it. 

Youre a survivor, right? 

He might be someone born here. They said no one has gone missing in this forest since the last disappearance 20 years ago. So that person must have been living here for 20 years? 

Well know once we see his face Just by appearance, he seems to be at least in his 40s.

No, even if Ive lived here for several years, Im definitely not in my forties. Do you think I cant understand what youre saying, so you just blabber on your own? 

It seems like the problem was with this damn hair and beard. Just growing a beard made me look older, but I even let it grow down to my chest. 

Plus, my bangs are excessively long, covering my face. The front looks fine, but other people wont be able to see my face.

Still, its a waste to shave.

I dont care about the hair, but I grew out my beard for a change. Even though I could groom it with magic, I just left it alone. Maybe thats when I gave up on leaving the forest. Who would see me anyway?

Anyway, while two people were stabbing me in the heart, I didnt stop my footsteps. It was amusing to see them flinch every time I looked back.

Why do you keep looking at us? 

Maybe its because theyve never seen anyone other than us?

Think whatever you want. I wont answer what youre saying at all. Whether they bowed or spoke politely, I dragged the corpse of a mongoose and headed towards my hiding place.

Of course, some incidents occurred along the way.

Thunk- 

Huh? Ah, damn it 

Why, Luna?

While Luna was doing well, she abruptly stopped in her tracks and started cursing vehemently. When they stopped, I also stopped alongside them. Luna was grimacing as she looked at a brown lump on the sole of her shoe. Her expression was filled with disgust.

I stepped on poop.

What?

I said I stepped on poop. Its already a place where there are many animals, so we should be careful.

Luna stepped on poop. She muttered various curses, wearing an irritated expression. Her language was rougher than expected.

By the way, I think that poop is mine. Its a marking of my territory, as its near my hiding spot.

Naturally, animals have a keen sense of smell, so I need to leave such traces. To be honest, I even made a bathroom for myself because I wanted to.

Since there are only young animals around, I have no choice but to use animal methods.

I have to carry this until I die.

Anyway, I cant even speak properly, so theres no risk of getting caught.

Luna roughly removed the poop stuck to the sole of her shoe with the nearby twigs. However, her expression remained unchanged.

If she keeps this up, her pretty face will be ruined. Well, even if I stepped on poop, it would be unfortunate, I suppose.

Is her luck score low?

I had such foolish thoughts. When the luck stat is low, all sorts of things happen for real. There are frequent cases where things just dont match up. Like a situation where you can kill someone with just one more blow, but you cant land that one blow. 

I thought maybe luck applies to the pattern of monsters, but its really hard to accurately grasp luck itself. It also has a significant impact on item drop rates. Even with that, there are just people who have no luck at all.

Wow Does someone live here? Oh, wait. Isnt that a bear?

Yeah Looking at the size of the hide, it seems to be a giant bear.

As we walked, we arrived at a hiding place.

Upon arriving at the hiding place, Luna and Ellie gasped at the dismantled bear hide.

It was still lying on the ground before being completely tanned, so it must have had quite an imposing presence.

I roughly tossed Mankis corpse aside and looked at them. I had no time to spare as I looked around the hiding place.

Lets eat some meat.

Coincidentally, there was some smoked bear meat. I put the tender and smoky meat into my mouth.

It was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. There was no unpleasant smell of meat, and the juiciness was just right.

It was the result of using a special plant as fuel for smoking. It seemed like I would soon finish eating it all.

I wonder if they would settle down if I gave them food?

Anyway, since they cant speak, I have no choice but to express my favor with my actions. I glanced at them, who were restless while looking around for a hiding place.

Meanwhile, Luna was nowhere to be found, only Ellie remained. Judging by her gestures, it seems Luna went into the cave.

Swoosh- 

Hmm? 

While Ellie was curiously staring at the bears skin, I quietly offered her some meat.

As I handed her the meat without saying a word, Ellies golden eyes widened. They were round and quite beautiful up close.

In the meantime, she alternated between looking at the meat I offered and at me, then opened her mouth with a puzzled voice.

Do you want me to eat it?

She pointed at herself with her finger, asking. I nodded my head.

Upon understanding my response, Ellie blinked her eyes and murmured softly.

Hmm so you do understand to some extent. Maybe I can communicate through gestures?

Well, in any case, Ill eat it well. It looks delicious.

After making her own assumption, she took the meat as it was and held it, not with her bare hands but skewered on a branch.

It seemed like my hands were too dirty, so it was a bit difficult to give it to her with bare hands. 

Ive been washing them regularly because theres a stream nearby, but they got dirty again due to the dismantling I just did. 

Wasnt she also from the countryside like the protagonist? 

While the protagonist somewhat fit the image of a village girl, Ellie was known as the epitome of the countryside. Moreover, it was established that she personally collected herbs, and it seemed like she had a strong stomach for such things. Its a relief that the meat  wasnt too repulsive. 

Wow, its delicious! Was bear meat always this tasty? 

Ellie exclaimed after putting a piece of bear meat in her mouth. Her round golden eyes twinkled with cuteness. Wild animals naturally have a distinctive gamey smell. I once ate it without thinking and almost got sick. 

To eliminate that, herbal medicine was needed. I made it by using various herbs in the surroundings to get rid of the smell. Thanks to that, instead of the gamey smell, the unique aroma of the herbs fills the air, guaranteeing a good taste. 

Why do I eat organs raw, you ask? Well, even if you cook them, they taste the same, so its pointless. Organs are meant to satisfy hunger and provide calories, while meat is for emergency rations and for satisfying ones appetite. 

By the way, it seems like he considers us as his own kind. He even shared his food. 

Shibal (what are you saying).

Are you considering me a clueless savage? I was taken aback, and an immediate response came out of me.

Of course, its not like Ellie would understand. I dont know when this damn language barrier can be fixed.

But where did Luna go earlier?

She went to the cave. It doesnt matter anyway since theres nothing special about being in the cave.

Poorly drawn murals helped me remember the story of the game and the time I lived here.

The heads of the prey I hunted were even displayed as decorations. And also the weapons I made as backups.

I should see whats going on.

I changed my footsteps towards my hiding place where Luna entered. What is she doing that shes coming out so late?

Ellie, who was pondering over the bear meat, hurriedly followed my actions.

Lets go, Sivar! 

Pause-

I abruptly stopped my footsteps at that sound. What did that woman just say?

As soon as I heard Ellie calling me, I turned my gaze to her. She seemed surprised by my gaze.

She wouldnt be referring to me as Sivar, would she? She pointed at me with her index finger and opened her mouth.

Shibal (me)?

Lost in the warmth of a smile as radiant as sunlight, my gaze was momentarily stolen. But as I listened to the following words, a feeling of surprise flew far away. 

Yeah! Since you keep saying it, lets use a nickname. How about it? Is it okay? 

Call me whatever you want. Now, I cant even remember my own name. 

With a disappointed heart, I took another step forward. 

Do you understand what Im saying, or cant you? 

I guess you dont know. Is there a special meaning behind it? Shibar! 

Shibal. 

As I thought! 

What does as I thought mean? She cursed. This girl, she cursed.

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