Chapter 2 - Acheron Island

"Should you really be taking such a risk, shithead? I mean, isn't it way too soon?" Frowned Arkiela, hovering over my right shoulder.

"Zip it, bitch. Don't tell me what to do," I responded dryly as I swatted her away with the back of my hand.

"Grr, stop treating me like a bug, you fucking dickhead!"

"No."

"Why, you little...!"

Five years have passed since I reincarnated in this world. My new body is now thirteen years old, I've managed to develop and build it up nicely over the last five years or so, my progress in that regard has been quite steady.

I'm still a long way from the level I was at in my previous life, but that can't be helped, considering that this body is still young and growing, only recently having started to go through puberty.

I've found out that my full name is Jaedfern Meraled, I'm about average height for my current age, with medium-length straight black hair that has a couple of green locks of hair down the middle and falling over my forehead, and I've got bright green eyes and a fair complexion.

The current year in this world is 1026, the date is the 17th of October. My new body's birthday is apparently the 13th of October, 1013, which is 10/13/1013 if you write your dates the wrong way, so that's a cool little detail. It also means that I turned thirteen just about four days ago.

I've spent the last five years working with a daily routine, I go off into the woods and train in secret every chance I get, with a focus on sharpening my speed, agility and acrobatic skills, along with training with my weapons besides my guns, making sure I'm wielding them as best I can.

I've also avoided interacting too much with the people in the orphanage, though for no particular reason, honestly. I just don't feel like wasting time with socialing or whatever, I've got more important things to worry about.

And besides, there's no sense in getting too close to people, I can't trust anyone but myself. I mean, my own parents literally sold me off in my previous life, the people I trusted the most betrayed me. And sure, the little bitch hovering around me played a part in that, but still, in the end, they were the ones who made the final decision with that.

Also, I don't plan on staying in that orphanage for much longer. For starters, the living conditions are a straight up violation, it would've been shut down ages ago if a health department existed in this world. The food is terrible, I've been making do by foraging for fruits and nuts, as well as hunting birds.

Kids get sick and die all the time in the orphanage, I've gotten sick a few times too, but Arkiela is capable of healing me. It's pretty convenient, she'll do it without a fuss since she needs me to stay alive, it's like I've got free healthcare in a world where the concept of healthcare doesn't even exist.

The orphanage is located in a small, poor town called Bael Town, it's a rundown dump of a place with a pretty atrociously high crime rate. And I have to say, getting used to this medieval, backwater world is fucking rough after being accustomed to modern society and technology.

This world is pretty messed up...at least, the part of it where I am is, I've managed to gather a decent amount of information about this part of the world over the last few years.

Specifically, I'm on an isolated island continent, called Acheron Island. It's a large body of land in the middle of the ocean that was discovered over one thousand years ago, a place teeming with ferocious Monsters, and was used as a dumping ground for the world's worst criminals by the rest of this world.

In other words, it's basically Isekai Australia.

Also, today's date that I mentioned earlier, it's based on a calendar that was established on the island. The current year is 1026, and it was exactly that many years ago that the island was first discovered.

In other words, Acheron Island follows a different calendar to the rest of the world. Which doesn't really matter, since the island is completely cut off from the rest of the world in the present era.

While it was used as a dumping ground for criminals for a few centuries after being discovered, things changed a little over five hundred years ago. Vicious Monsters and powerful, heavy storms began appearing in the seas around the island continent, making it next to impossible for anyone to enter or leave the island.

When that happened, for the next few decades, there was utter mayhem on the island, the criminals massacred and violated each other while also being feasted upon by the Monsters. I don't know the specific details though, they didn't exactly keep thorough historical records, at least not anywhere that's accessible to a poverty-stricken orphan.

Around four hundred and fifty years ago, a group of individuals fed up with the state of the island banded together to establish peace and order on the island. A goal that they ultimately achieved about four hundred years ago.

There are four races on the island, or seven, depending on who you ask. I'll elaborate on that in a bit. The first are the Sapiens, who resemble the humans of my old world, and that's also the race that I am, or at least that my new body is. The second are the Demons, they're also considered to be the most powerful race on the island.

Next, there's the Elves, a powerful and long-lived race, with average lifespans of upto around five centuries. And finally, there's the Animoids, people who possess some animal-like features, like the cat girl in the orphanage.

However, while some people consider all Animoids to be one single race, others count them as four separate races.

There's the Felinoids, cat people who have cat ears and tails, along with high levels of agility and strong instincts. Then there's the Kaninoids, people with dog-like features. Next, there's the Oryctoloids, people with rabbit-like features, and finally, the Cervidoids, people with deer-like features.

Four hundred years ago, when peace was finally established on this isolated island, it was accomplished by splitting each of the four races, counting the Animoid races as one, into their own territories and having them establish their own nations.

A fifth nation was them established at the center of the island, with the primary purpose of maintaining peace between the other four nations.

To the north is the Sapien nation of Septen, where the town I currently live in is located. To the south is the Demon nation of Meridion, then there's the Elven nation to the east, Orien, and the Animoid nation to the west, Occiden.

And finally, the nation in the center of the island, Centralis, where a mix of the various races reside. Of course, it's not like each race is isolated in their own nation, there are small populations of the other races in each nation at this point...well, except for the Demon nation Meridion, the current Demon King who rules over it established a strict isolationist policy when he came into power, they haven't interacted with any of the other nations in decades.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the race I am is called Sapiens instead of humans, well...that's because all the races I mentioned fall under the category of Human. In other words, Sapiens, Demons, Elves, Felinoids, Kaninoids, Oryctoids and Cervidoids, they're all just subcategories of 'Human' in this world.

Basically, all intelligent races fall under the category of Human, and the so-called Demons in this world are just another race, not supernatural beings or the opposite of Divine Beings like Arkiela. In fact, they're technically mortal since, even though they don't age once they reach their prime or die of natural causes, they can be killed.

Then there's the Monsters...I've still never actually seen a feral one up close, though there are some species of Monsters that can be domesticated, I've seen a few of those, like Cockatrices, which are giant chickens, and Caprabovines, which are a sort of cross between cows and goats.

There are little to no normal animals here on Acheron Island, apparently they were hunted down by the Monsters centuries ago. There are still normal insects, fish and the occasional birds, but not much else beyond that.

Well, as I understand it, Monsters are just animals with unusual powers or abilities, there's nothing particularly special about them aside from that, at least not as far as I know.

Anyway, that about sums up the summarized history and basic current structure of the island continent I'm on. I'll gradually get into the details later, this has become quite the info dump already, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Getting back to what I'm currently doing, I was roaming the town for the first time. I haven't ventured too far outside the orphanage before today, deciding to play it safe as much as possible until I'd developed this weak body a bit and gained more information about this place.

But I've had enough of playing it safe now...I've still got a lot of room for improvement, but I can move around quite nimbly and quickly at this point, so I figured it was about time I take my new body for a test drive. Also, because I'm bored. But, uh, mainly because of the first part.

It was currently sometime around the middle of the night, so it shouldn't be too hard to find what I'm looking for. Telling time in this world is a real pain since clocks don't exist, you tell time based on the position of the moons.

Yeah, plural. Two, to be specific, one large and one small.

The two moons are clearly visible during the day, not just at night. The smaller one orbits the larger one, and based on its position, you can tell what time it is. Well, not that I can read it, at least not with much of any accuracy.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, since it's nice and dark as there's no street lights or anything, finding a fitting target to test my skills out on should be pretty easy. But I can't be too reckless...I've strengthened and trained this body to a pretty decent level, but that's no reason to be cocky.

I'm confident, sure, but not cocky.

I'd be even more confident if I were planning to use my guns, but I have to use them sparingly or I'll run out of ammo in no time. I have a whole lot of bullets stored up, but I can't use them too carelessly.

Hm? Well, now, what do we have here?

"Okay...yeah, these'll do nicely," I chuckled quietly to myself, peering down from the roof of a building into an alley below, where a group of three men had cornered a woman.

"P-please, leave me alone..."

"Come on, beautiful, there'sh no need to be shcared, jusht relaksh and let ush show you a good time."

"Mm, yeah, you'll be schreaming with pleasure by the time we're done with you."

Based on their expressions and words, it's pretty obvious what they're after. They look pretty damn drunk too, so this should be easy.

"Heh, this'll be good...it's too bad popcorn doesn't exist in this world. This'll be the first time I see you in action from up close," Smirked Arkiela with a gleam in her eyes, as the woman began resisting and trying to get away from the men.

Is she really an Angel?

"Wait...you had popcorn in the Divine Realm?" I responded in bemusement.

"Oh, we had everything up there. Which is exactly what made it so boring," She sighed in reply, before adding as she glanced back down into the alley, "Hey, they just stabbed her. Shouldn't you do something?"

"Huh? Didn't see that coming, though they were going a different route," I mused in surprise.

"Hey, what d'you do that for!? What a washte!"

"Not my fault, the damned bitsch tried to kick me in the nutsh!"

"Ugh, these guys are the worst," I sighed, as the woman collapsed onto the ground and bled out, before I added with a smirk, "And that's exactly what makes them the perfect targets. Now, then, [Open Slot 06]."

"Yeah, really wishing I had that popcorn right about now," Sighed Arkiela wistfully, as I opened one of my Item Box slots and took out a long, curved dagger.

This particular dagger was the very first weapon I bought with my own money after the trafficking ring recruited me into their ranks...so it'll be pretty fitting to use it to complete my very first kills in this world. Alright, here I go...

I then leapt off the rooftop swiftly and silently, plunging down into the alley before slamming my feet onto one of the men's shoulders as I closed in on him from above, eliciting a startled cry for him before I swiftly jammed my dagger into the top of his head, giving it a sharp twist and killing him instantly.

"Who the hell are-...!?" One of the other two began to snap in alarm, before trailing off as I swiftly leapt straight towards him off the shoulders of the one I killed as his corpse began to collapse, yanking the dagger out of his head.

He began to raise a hand in my direction in clumsy desperation, before I swiftly whipped my arm across, about an inch of the tip of the blade slicing through his neck before he could do anything. He let out an agonized, wheezing gasp as his neck split open and blood gushed out.

He stumbled back in excruciation while clutching his neck, tearing welling up in his eyes as he collapsed onto the ground and writhed around in despairing pain.

"And then there was one," I smirked as I turned my gaze towards the last one, who began to try and run away in alarm before tripping over his own feet and collapsing onto the ground, as I strolled towards him while spinning my dagger around on my finger by the ring at the base of the handle.

I found myself humming as a sense of nostalgic euphoria washed over me...I haven't killed anyone in five whole years, this is the fucking best! I missed this so much...

"N-no, get away! Stay away from me, I-I'm warning you!" He exclaimed in fear as he raised a hand towards me, the look of terror in his eyes giving me a rush as he stuttered, "T-take this, [Fire Arrow]!"

I swiftly shifted my body across as he fired out a narrow projectile of flames at me, which whizzed past my left shoulder and hit the back wall of the alley, dissipating following the impact, a burn mark left on the wall.

"Huh, you're so scared that you stopped slurring, isn't biology fascinating? And as for that attack you just shot at me...good try," I remarked dryly, spinning my dagger more rapidly before letting it fly off my finger.

It flew forward with a rapid spin and struck the man in the middle of his forehead, piercing through as he began to charge up another attack. His arm went limp and collapsed, as his upper body slumped forward and fell over.

His head hit the ground with a thud as the dagger got pushed deeper into his head upon impact, his ass pointing up at the sky.

I walked over towards him and kicked his left side, knocking his body over onto its back before I reached down and yanked the dagger out of his head, before swinging it across to get the blood off it. What a blast...and talk about easy. I mean, I know they were super drunk, but still.

"H-help me...," The woman the men had stabbed gasped weakly, shakily reaching her arm out towards me.

"Nah, I'm good," I responded with a shrug, walking away indifferently.

I have nothing to gain from helping her...and even if I did, there wouldn't be any point. With the amount of blood she's already lost and at the rate at which she's continuing to lose blood, she'll be dead within a couple of minutes.

"I see you haven't lost your touch, that was the best entertainment I've had since being banished to this world, which isn't saying much, but still," Said Arkiela, as she flew down towards me.

"I wonder, when was the last time before this that I killed someone without using a gun? It's a different kind of rush to kill someone with a blade, to feel the cold metal piercing through flesh and bone...and as much as I fucking love guns, they can feel sort of indirect and too easy at times," I replied as I let out a satisfied sigh.

"You last killed someone with a blade about three years before you died, more or less."

Oh, right, she was spying on me for most of my previous life for her own entertainment, the damned bitch.

"Cool."

"By the way, while that was a pretty impressive performance, it could've been better...before you killed the last guy, you should've licked the blade with, like, a sadistic look on your face, that would've scared him even more!" She suggested with an amused laugh.

"What, are you kidding me? No way, that's so fucking gross. I don't know what kind of diseases are flowing through these lowlives' bloodstreams, I don't want to end up getting AIDs or something," I pointed out with a shudder.

"Hm, fair point, though I can heal any illness you contract, so no need to hold back. Anyway, now what? Going back to the orphanage?" She asked me.

"Huh? No, of course not. The night is still young, isn't it? It'd be a waste to go back now," I responded incredulously, before glancing down as some papers suddenly hit my leg with a crinkly rustle, blown in by the wind, "Maybe I am a bit rusty. I didn't even notice this until it hit me."

Looks like a newspaper. I reached down and picked it up, about to crumple it up and toss it away, before pausing as the headline on the front page caught my eye.

"What is it?" Inquired Arkiela, as I skimmed through the article.

"Oh, just a report of a streak of serial murders and rapes that've been occurring in small towns across the nation of Septen. Hm...too bad there's no bounty offered for killing or capturing the culprits, I could've made some money by hunting them down. And considering that I have absolutely no money to my name whatsoever right now, that would've been great," I sighed wistfully, as I crumpled up the paper into a ball and tossed it away...

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