Chapter 16: Whispers of the Wild
—The Start of Training
The morning sun bathed the village in a warm golden hue, scattering light over thatched rooftops and dew-kissed fields. Birds chirped like background music, and Elric—now eight years old—bounced out of his bed with a grin too wide for someone who'd been kicked off his bed by a goat last night.
Yes, the goat was still his. And yes, it still thought it owned the room.
He stretched lazily and looked around the modest wooden house. The scent of roasted roots and fresh herbs wafted from the kitchen. Grandma was up. Probably cooking a massive breakfast again just so Grandpa could brag about how strong their "skinny boy" was growing.
"Oi! Don't forget to wash your face before coming to eat, Elric!" Grandma's voice traveled like a spell through the walls.
"I will, I will!" he yelled back, pulling on his faded training shirt and trousers.
Outside, Grandpa sat on a wooden stump, sharpening a rusty blade with more ceremony than necessity. His wild beard, full of twigs and who-knows-what, made him look like a half-retired bandit… which wasn't far from the truth.
"You're late, runt," Grandpa grinned. "Sun's already standing taller than you."
"That's unfair. The sun's been training longer."
Grandpa chuckled and tossed a wooden staff to Elric. "No more excuses. If you wanna grow strong enough to protect what you care about, you need to stop being cute and start being dangerous."
Elric puffed up. "I can be both!"
"Greedy, eh? I like it."
---
Training Begins
Grandpa led him behind the house, where an open field sloped into the forest. This wasn't going to be fancy swordsmanship or flashy magic. Today's training was about instincts, reflexes—and surviving a goat charge.
Yes, again with the goat.
"Lesson one," Grandpa barked, pointing to the angry-eyed goat chewing on a stick, "is awareness. I've fed her a tiny bit of spicy root. She's pissed. Good luck."
"You're joking."
"I never joke about goats. Now run."
What followed was a chaotic, hilarious, and terrifying sprint across the field with Elric screaming and the goat bleating like a war horn behind him. Every stumble sharpened his instincts. Every dodge improved his steps. It was silly, yes—but effective. After half an hour, he collapsed under a tree, panting and laughing.
Grandpa joined him, handing over a cool water pouch. "You're quicker now. That's progress."
---
Building the Pack
Later that day, Elric wandered toward the edge of the village forest with a few treats in his pocket. He had a plan—make friends with more animals.
He already had the goat and an old, sleepy dog named Crust. But now he wanted a bird. Or maybe a fox. Or a giant bug that wouldn't try to eat him.
Instead, he found a small lamb trapped between two roots, crying softly. Its leg was hurt, and it looked up at him with frightened, trusting eyes.
"Hey there, little guy…" Elric knelt gently. "Let me help you."
As he touched the lamb, a warm glow pulsed from his hand. It was faint—barely visible—but the lamb's leg stopped bleeding. The System, silent all this time, finally flickered a soft message in his mind:
> [Beast Bond Formed: Injured Lamb]
[Pack Growth +1 | Compassion Recognized]
"Oh! You little cheat," Elric grinned. "You're actually a good class, huh?"
The lamb nuzzled his hand, and the sleepy dog Crust trotted up and flopped beside them like it was adopting them both. Elric smiled, feeling something powerful forming—something not based on war or glory, but trust.
A pack.
Not an army. Not slaves.
Just companions.
---
Nightfall Whispers
That evening, as Elric lay on the roof of the house, gazing at the stars, Grandpa sat beside him, biting into roasted yams like they were treasure.
"You're changing, kid."
"I hope for the better."
Grandpa nodded. "Just don't forget—strength is useful. But love? That's rare. And if your power ever makes you forget who you're protecting… I'll whack it outta you."
Elric smirked. "You'll have to catch me first, old man."
"Challenge accepted."
They laughed under the stars, while unseen shadows from far-off worlds slowly crept closer to the peaceful village… but for now, it was just a boy, his beasts, and a quiet life filled with love and laughter.
Chapter 17: Into the Quiet Woods
—The First Steps Beyond the Village
The sun hadn't yet risen, and most of the village was still wrapped in silence. Only a few roosters crowed in protest as Elric slipped out of the house. Crust the old dog limped behind him with lazy devotion, while the little lamb—who Elric had named Snowtuft—followed with a soft bleat.
Today wasn't about running from angry goats.
Today, he was going to explore.
Grandpa had warned him not to go deep into the forest, but he hadn't forbidden it either—just grunted, "If you go out there, come back alive."
That was as close to permission as Elric ever got.
---
Whispers of the Green
The village rested on the edge of the Everrest Woods—a lush stretch of untamed wilderness that grew wilder the deeper one went. Elric had always played around its edges, chasing bugs, collecting shiny rocks, and sometimes spying on squirrels like a little weirdo.
But now… something called him deeper.
Maybe it was the System, or maybe it was that instinct. That faint pull in his soul, whispering: Grow. Learn. Tame. Protect.
As he stepped beneath the thick canopy, sunlight spilled through in broken rays. The forest breathed in a way that felt alive. Magical. Ancient.
"Alright, pack," Elric said quietly to his two loyal beasts. "Stay close. No running off unless it's to bite something for me."
Crust barked once, and Snowtuft gave a serious nod… or maybe it just sneezed.
---
Discovery: The Fallen Tree
A short while into the walk, they found a massive fallen tree, half-rotten and blanketed with moss. It was oddly shaped—like something had slammed into it from above.
Elric knelt beside it, brushing moss aside.
That's when the System flickered:
> [Rare Discovery: Beast Nest - Dormant]
[Potential Egg Detected. Caution Advised.]
[Would you like to Investigate? Y/N]
"Elric of House Shameless votes: Yes," he whispered excitedly.
He dug carefully into the hollow trunk, heart pounding, and found it.
A single egg—dark green, about the size of his palm, with soft glowing veins pulsing under the shell. It didn't look like a bird's egg. More like something… primal.
A new message appeared.
> [Unclaimed Beast Egg Found: Type - ???]
[Do you wish to imprint? Warning: Unknown results.]
Elric hesitated only a second. Then he placed his hand on it.
> [Imprint Accepted. Egg added to Inventory.]
[Beast Bond Pending... Awaiting Hatch.]
"Okay, okay, this is big." He looked at Snowtuft and Crust. "We're gonna be parents. Kind of. Maybe. This is weird."
---
Unexpected Encounter
As he packed the egg safely in a cloth pouch and turned to leave, Crust suddenly growled. Low. Warning.
Snowtuft bristled beside him.
And then, from the trees, a figure stepped out.
It wasn't a beast.
It was a boy—a little older than Elric, with pale skin, strange metallic tattoos crawling along his neck, and eyes like cold glass.
"You shouldn't be here," the boy said flatly. "This is contested land."
Elric blinked. "Uh… what?"
The boy stared at him like he was a bug. "You're not registered. You're not tagged. You don't belong."
Snowtuft moved between them. Crust started barking wildly.
> [Danger Detected: Unknown Race - Mechanical Variant]
[Combat Probability: 42% Success | Recommendation: Avoid Fight]
But Elric wasn't afraid.
"I don't know who you are," he said, standing tall, "but this is my forest too."
The boy tilted his head. "You're not from the Academy. Not from the Hive. Not from the Outpost. You're... native?"
"Yeah. I'm Elric."
The mechanical boy stared for a long moment, then turned around.
"I'll report you," he said. "Don't follow me."
And just like that, he vanished into the trees.
---
Returning Home
Elric didn't chase. He wasn't stupid. Not yet.
He hurried back with Snowtuft and Crust, glancing over his shoulder every few steps.
The forest felt different now. Watched.
And the System kept blinking something new:
> [Hidden Faction Encountered: Prototype Scouts - Mechanical World]
[World Conflict: Early Phase - Level 0 Threat]
[Player Notified: Prepare for Incoming Changes]
By the time Elric returned home, he didn't say a word. He just hid the egg under his bed, fed his beasts, and sat quietly on the porch with Grandpa.
"You look like someone who touched a bear's butt," Grandpa muttered.
"I saw a mechanical boy in the forest."
Grandpa's eyes narrowed.
"Then it begins sooner than I thought."
Elric didn't ask what he meant.
But something told him... the training days were about to end.
And the real world?
Was finally waking Chapter 18: Whispers Beneath the Floorboards
—The First Hatchling and Grandpa's Truth
The night passed like a heavy shadow. Elric barely slept.
Each time he closed his eyes, he saw the cold mechanical boy in the woods and heard that strange sentence again: "You don't belong."
But most of all, he felt the pulse—the faint, rhythmic beat of the strange egg hidden beneath his bed. A heartbeat, slow and primal, like a drum deep inside a mountain.
Snowtuft had refused to leave its side. Even Crust had stopped chewing his tail for once and stood watch like a silent guardian.
Something was coming.
---
The Old Bandit's Warning
The next morning, Grandpa was already sharpening his knives by the fireplace. Shirtless, scarred, and humming a pirate shanty that no decent person should know.
Elric walked in quietly and sat down across from him, his face tight with thought.
"I saw him again, Grandpa," he said. "The machine boy. He said… the land was contested."
Grandpa didn't look up. "I figured."
"You knew something was coming, didn't you?"
"I've known for years. These woods were always too quiet. No birds fly too far in. The air tastes like war."
Elric narrowed his eyes. "And you didn't tell me?"
Grandpa shrugged. "Would you have believed me? Or would you have gone running out to 'save the world' like a hero from your storybooks?"
Elric flushed. "...Probably the second one."
Grandpa smirked. "Exactly."
Then he leaned in, eyes serious.
"Elric, you're not ordinary. You've got that System for a reason. Your class, your power—it's gonna make you a target. You think that mechanical brat was the worst thing in the woods?"
"No?"
"Right. There's worse. Insect scouts. Undead fog. Beast kings that sleep in stone. And now, the eyes of other worlds are looking here."
Elric swallowed. "Why?"
"Because something's waking up. And you, my boy, might be its Shepherd."
---
[System Notification]
> [Beast Egg Hatch Timer Complete]
[Initiating Imprint Sequence...]
[Hatching... 3%]
Elric jumped up. "It's starting!"
Grandpa blinked. "You brought it home?!"
Elric dashed upstairs before Grandpa could throw a slipper.
---
The Hatching
The egg had cracked down the center, glowing green fluid leaking from the seams. Snowtuft stood protectively nearby, bleating low. Crust barked once and backed away.
And in a slow, wet slide, the shell split open.
A small creature tumbled out—a baby beast, unlike anything Elric had ever seen. No fur. No feathers. Just slick black scales, glowing green eyes, and two small stubs on its back that looked like wings waiting to grow.
> [Beast Hatched: ??? Variant – Primal Gremlin Hatchling]
[Species Affinity: Void | Growth Type: Adaptive]
[Bond Status: Imprinted on Host (Elric)]
[Name your Beast Companion.]
Elric's heart thudded.
"...Voidy," he said without thinking.
> [Name Confirmed: Voidy]
[Companion Level: 1 | Loyalty: Instinctual Bond Formed]
Voidy blinked at him… then sneezed a spark of dark mist into the air and curled against his foot.
Snowtuft leaned over and sniffed the baby beast, then huffed softly. Crust, not one to be left out, dropped a torn sock on its head.
The pack had grown.
---
A New Kind of Talk
That night, Elric sat with Grandpa under the stars, Voidy sleeping in his lap, Snowtuft curled beside him, Crust chewing on a bone nearby.
"What is it?" Grandpa asked after a while.
Elric stared up. "Do you think I'm… really meant to lead beasts? Or save the world?"
"No."
Elric blinked. "What?"
"I think you're meant to live," Grandpa said. "Grow. Fight. Love. Mess up. Become who you want to be. Saving the world? That's just a side quest."
Elric chuckled softly.
"...Thanks, old man."
"Anytime, brat."
---
[System Notification]
> [Bonded Beast Pack: 3 Members]
[Pack Trait Unlocked: Early Bonding – Loyalty Growth x2]
[World Threat Level Increasing… Stage 1 Invasion