A New Beginning

* * *

Bang!

I stand in front of a stone placed in the shade of a tree, bring my hands together, and close my eyes.

This stone is Masters grave.

I dont know how to mourn the dead in this world.

Well, if you ask if I know how its done in my previous life, Im not sure about that either.

I doubt many Japanese people could perform a proper funeral service if they were left alone with a corpse and told to mourn.

Even Extra, who should know from watching isekai broadcasts, had a vague memory about funeral practices.

Well, it seems like dignity for the dead isnt much of her interest

After all, she thinks since everyone just reincarnates anyway, how the funeral is conducted doesnt really matter, right? Thats how Extra thinks.

<To be spoken of as if I lack humanity is quite disheartening, though>

No, Im not blaming you.

Its just that even after being together for so long, there are some differences in values that we cant do anything about.

But, youre not human to begin with, right?

Well, anyway.

Since I dont know the proper way to mourn, I decided to do it in the way that felt most heartfelt to me, and so I made this grave.

This stone was cut from a cliff where I once practiced jumping.

Using Grasshopper and Silverfish to climb to the middle of the cliff, and then cutting it out with Mantis, its a beautifully square stone.

This stone is filled with the techniques Master taught me and my gratitude towards him.

Myogo Myogomyogomyog Shugoooooooooo

From far away, I hear the cry of the Myogomyogoshugo, slightly different from the one I heard in the Forest of Naso.

I feel that summer has finally arrived, even on this unknown mountain.

When I open my eyes and look up, I see a beautiful, shining blue sky through the gaps in the tree leaves.

In the distance, large cumulonimbus clouds are forming.

<Well then, Emi>

Yes, youre right, Extra.

Its time for a new departure.

* * *

Wearing the clothes Master made for me, carrying some dried meat and other essentials.

And with nothing else in my hands.

I left Masters house behind.

Of course, I have a fond attachment to that place.

There are enough beasts that I dont have to eat bugs, and theres no shortage of food.

However, there are several reasons for leaving this place.

Firstly, if people like that bald guys comrades come looking for Master, I still cant handle them on my own.

After all, who was Master?

I couldnt hear it from him directly but given that bald guys reaction, Master seems to be a legendary figure.

Crazy, powerful people might come looking for Master.

But now, theres only me.

To be killed out of spite.

I think its not an impossible scenario, considering the behavior of that bald guy and his group.

Next, I want to eat delicious food. It sounds extravagant, but Ive grown slightly tired of the barley porridge, hunted meat, and edible wild plants that Master prepared for me. Not that Im complaining about Masters cooking.

But one of my life goals is to eat a feast with Extra in a warm home. Unfortunately, if I continue hiding in Masters house, that goal seems unachievable.

So, Im off to search for delicious feasts.

Another reason is Masters last words: Hang in there.

What was Master thinking when he said that to me?

What did he want me to persevere in?

Since Master passed away without saying anything more than hang in there, I cant know for sure.

But

Continuing to live in Masters house, fearful of assassins who might come for Masterwhom Im not even sure will comedoesnt feel like Im really persevering.

I want to become strong.

Of course, this was something I felt even before meeting Master.

Because I need to be strong to survive.

But this desire became even stronger after spending six months with Master.

I want to become strong.

I want to learn many different skills.

Like Master.

No, someday, even stronger than Master!

I want the strength to overcome any injustice!

Thats why Im setting out.

To see various things and absorb them.

Thats how I want to live.

I think thats the kind of life Master would have supported.

Hang in there.

* * *

Pushing through the bushes, I make my way on a pathless path.

I dont know where Im headed.

Since I had no particular destination when leaving Masters house, I knocked down a stick and headed straight in the direction it pointed to.

I fend off attacks from poisonous insects and plants with Body Strengthening, and if theres a cliff, I overcome it with Silverfish or Grasshopper.

And then

<Emi, theyre coming.>

Yes, I know, Extra.

In the mountains, theres a clearing that suddenly opens up.

It seems to have been created by a storm that knocked down a large tree.

As soon as I arrived there, I was surrounded by those who had been tracking me here.

Their name is the Grim Reaper Wolves.

Before I met Master, these monsters chased me all the way to the mountain where Master lived.

There are five of them.

They encircle me, snarling as if mocking.

I thought I had deployed Presence Concealment properly, but it seems I couldnt fool the wolves noses.

Im still inexperienced.

Gyaooh!!

Two of them leap at me, one from the front and another from directly behind.

The slight delay in their attack timing shows a cunning intelligence only a beast could possess.

The plan likely was for the one attacking from behind to strike at the moment I was distracted by the one in front.

But, unfortunately for them,

Gyaoh!?

I bisect the Grim Reaper Wolf attacking from the front with a hand-chop.

Mantis.

The one that attacked from behind, hoping to exploit a moments delay, splits into two in mid-air, even before reaching me, in what should have been empty space.

This was thanks to the Magic Slash Thread I had deployed beforehand.

While I cant freely control it yet, setting it up as a trap is enough to make it one of my key offensive methods.

The remaining three, meant to torment their prey but instead finding themselves countered, are surprised and bewildered.

You know, you guys.

Youre out hunting, right?

This is a matter of life and death.

Theres no time to be dawdling.

For beasts, youre soft.

I quickly scoop up a clod of earth from the ground and launch it with Stone Throw.

Bang, bang, bang! The wolves heads burst, and their bodies collapse to the ground.

Thanks either to Solidify or Body Strengthening, my Stone Throw, which was ineffective six months ago, now possesses enough power to kill even Grim Reaper Wolves, reflecting my growth.

And with that, the fight is over.

<The sun is beginning to set. Perhaps its a good time to rest for today?>

That sounds like a good idea.

With that decision made, its time to prepare a meal.

I decide to process the fresh meat lying around.

Ive heard in my previous life that carnivorous animals dont taste good, but at least Grim Reaper Wolves are tastier than naked mole rats.

Theyre perfectly edible.

And theres plenty of it.

As I disassemble the Grim Reaper Wolves, I wonder how Master would have defeated these five.

Maybe he would have decapitated them in the blink of an eye.

I can easily imagine him doing so.

Ah.

No good, tears are welling up.

Master.

Master, Master, Master

Ill become even stronger.

Please watch over me.

Support me.

Promise me?

The souls of the deceased are sent to the underworld, where they undergo several processes before quickly joining the cycle of reincarnation.

The underworld is merely a soul-processing facility, and theres no afterlife as commonly imaginedplaces like heaven or hell where the dead exist with their memories intactin this world.

Even though Extra explained this to me,

Even though I understand that Master no longer exists anywhere,

I still cant seem to stop talking to Master.