5 The beginning

'So am I supposed to live like this for the rest of my life? Evil Devil, haha, evil Devil, why did you have to be so stingy with the cheats?' I went slightly crazy with my musings as my blue eyes stayed enamored by the moon's silvery radiance.

They say an empty mind is the devil's workshop but mine wasn't one; there are always new thoughts and wild imaginations running in it.

Now with boredom being a literal part of my current reality, aren't I allowed to think up even the most useless of things?

Maybe fantasizing about playing tag or hide and seek with my childhood cartoon friends like Pororo or Prime Tom.

Now that I am a wolf doing arm wrestling with Death won't be so bad if I must say but under the strict condition that he won't take my life.

Is it wrong to be childish in your most vulnerable and bored moments? No.

To me, it's a big 'NO' but to you, it might be a YES. Maybe I am wrong.

When I am high up like this while invested in solitary musings (something I have done on multiple occasions during the two weeks), I normally feel a vague sense of freedom even though in all actuality such a concept is only illusory.

Being a wolf wasn't that bad, that's what the little bits of optimism in me would say. And I wouldn't really disagree or agree.

There have been several non-human novels that I have read or watched their respective anime, for example, Overlord, Skeleton Knight in Another World, Reincarnated as a Slime, and… Invisible Dragon.

Invisible Dragon… This isn't supposed to be on the list but its magnetic pull was so strong that I couldn't resist. The main character was an Invisible Dragon. Yeah, he couldn't be seen. He was invisible but not invincible. But Colbob's disciple, Duike, killed him. Duike could also see the Invisible Dragon making him no longer invisible.

I had mentioned Colbob somewhere in the early chapters, I bet your dummy brains have already forgotten it. I don't care if some wall has been broken.

Let's leave it at that.

Anyway, in manhwas, this genre had been quite rare and I could only opt for 'I grow stronger by eating' since the main character was really not a human but a monster in human skin. The main character ate many monsters and it wasn't really surprising for him to become one as he went on with his quest of being an apex predator. It had been a cool concept nonetheless due to the various abilities he gained from his consumed prey.

Why would the devouring of an Eldritch Horror not be cool? But the damn manhwa rushed its ending and the fanbase couldn't get the chance to see it in action.

Phew, so frustrating. Away with the rants.

I just felt lucky that I wasn't reincarnated as an ant like that Chrysalis protagonist or a caterpillar (Kiriena excluded) or even… a fucking idiotic goblin in Goblin Slayer!

That last scenario would have been a short-lived blissful heaven for degenerates (with all the raping and breeding of captives) before the man clad in iron armor comes to smash goblin heads into gross meat paste.

Just imagining it brought sudden chills in my warm body.

Latom.

'Hmm, what's that? A shooting star?' While I was lost in my own bubble of thoughts, I saw a bright streak of light far up in the night sky. It looked like a shooting star.

And it was heading toward the region I was in at very high speeds or was it just an illusion?

'Don't tell me I have returned to the Triassic era and what I am witnessing are the events before the asteroid impact?' I thought while intently staring at the sky.

'Well, that's dumb.' I joked, treating the bright streak of light like a normal occurrence.

'This world seems like a normal one from my limited investigation.'

I was in a place with a lot of mountain ranges and natural forests, which was honestly not enough to know my location in this foreign world.

'Hmm, it's slowly closing in. That thing smells like a lot of trouble.' I realized the course of the bright streak of light wasn't going to change. I trusted my instincts.

It was impossible. The region I was in was mostly going to be affected and the pack below seemed to be oblivious to what I was seeing.

I abruptly stood up from the ground and started to make my way down the small plateau.

I intended to, at least, warn them.

If it had been my former self, I wouldn't have bothered to care but now after existing in this form for quite some time (even if it just was for two weeks), I had grown a little bit of sentiments.

'My decision feels stupid.' I lightly mused while I stood below the canopy of a huge rock.

Mustering all the energy I could get, I howled with all my might and in the howl, my intent and message were contained.

A danger alert. The pack had to move out of the area.

The ultimate decision was held by the Alpha… and the council of elders if he had one.

Bob would believe me without second thoughts but the Alpha and I didn't have such a strong connection, although we hunted together. The connection I shared with Bob was almost psychic.

The Alpha's intelligence wasn't necessarily on par with a former human like me but for him to lead and organize the social mechanisms of a pack, strength and an ample amount of animal intelligence were a must.

The Alpha looked back at me over the distance, his slightly intelligent golden-yellow eyes shining in the darkness of the night. After that, he then cast a brief gaze toward the sky before releasing a mighty and pleasant howl.

I grinned(could I even do that?). The Alpha understood my urgency.

He then instructed the pack to move out from the place they were chilling.

'I wasn't a physics major but even though that thing is supposed to be decelerating, its impact on landing is going to be quite catastrophic. If it lands on anyone's head, it would spell an instant death. The heat generated by the friction wouldn't even be needed to fry one's head.' I contemplated deeply as whatever was pulling it toward the earth landed in the same spot where the pack had been.

I wasn't a diviner but instincts and the trajectory's prediction factored in my final judgement.

SHWAAH!

BANG!

A resounding sound broke through the night's tranquility as the 'extraterrestrial' object made contact with the earth.

I was, of course, at a safe distance.

Over the distance, I could see the small factor of the foreign 'intruder' but I couldn't ascertain what it really was if I didn't get close.

It was too risky.

'Damn, it might be venom but venom comes in, at least, a capsule but you never know since symbiotes can pretty much fit almost anywhere.' Wild guesses started forming in my mind.

'Kal El or Kara Zor-El can't fit there. Definitely not them, hehe.'

'Or is it a Vandal Savage scenario?'

'It can't be the Omnitrix, right?'

Curiosity.

Curiosity didn't discriminate between individuals. Anyone was prone to it.

And I was hella curious yet cautious at the same time.

'The greater the risks the greater the rewards but what if the risks don't have rewards? Wouldn't I just be sending my ass down the rabbit hole?' My right front paw moved.

'I will not go there. Definitely not.' Another paw.

'I already died once. I like my current wolfish life.' I started slowly walking.

'I am definitely not sending myself to danger.'

'I am the… danger.' From a simple walk, my movement slowly transitioned to mild running.

I even ignored Bob's growl of warning and worry since all the wolves stayed put.

'Sorry Bob. My curiosity wins even though I know it's downright stupid.' And I was the type not to take advice from friends.

It didn't take long before I had traversed the distance between me and the source of my blazing curiosity.

I didn't approach the object.

'A canister. A canister from outer space.'

Something clicked inside of me as various images started flashing inside my mind.

A deep understanding appeared in my predatory eyes.

The fog of mystery that had been blocking my eyes started to slowly disperse until there was nothing at all.

A chance. A risk.

I had been presented with something quite… life-changing.

Use it or don't use it?

Two choices lay before my bare eyes.

Was there really a choice to begin with?

***

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