Chapter 138 — Voices of the Wild
S.C. 1511 — Early February
Dawn Island — Eastern Forest Edge
Ren stepped out of the underground tunnel entrance hidden beneath the layered brush.
Morning sunlight filtered softly through the leaves, warm but not overwhelming.
Zemo padded beside him, tail swaying.
Today's plan was simple, but dangerous if uncontrolled:
Test telepathy on animals.
Test telekinesis on fast-moving objects.
Measure outdoor control.
Ren tightened the straps of his small satchel.
"Alright, Zemo. No big animals today. Only small ones."
Zemo barked proudly — as if he had always planned to protect Ren anyway.
1 — Telepathy Test: Small Bird
Ren sat on an old tree stump. A tiny yellow forest finch hopped around nearby, pecking at seeds.
Ren inhaled.
He focused — but gently.
No overloaded senses.
No forceful push.
Just a soft mental tap.
…chirp… seed… warm… chirp…
A stream of raw instinct entered Ren's mind — not words, not thoughts, but sensations and impulses.
Ren almost fell backward.
"It works… it really works."
Zemo tilted his head, listening.
The bird froze — sensing something.
Ren immediately retreated mentally.
The finch relaxed and resumed hopping.
Ren wiped sweat off his brow.
"Small animals are easy… their minds are simple."
He wrote a quick note:
Telepathy Range (Animal) → ~20 meters
Clarity → instinct-level
Risk → confusion on animal side if too strong
Good start.
2 — Telepathy Test: Wild Fox
This time, Zemo stiffened.
Another fox — slimmer, wilder, cautious — watched them from behind a bush.
It lowered its head and stared at Ren.
Ren tried the same soft mental tap.
Instantly—
hungry… alert… who is this… strong smell… danger? Zemo? no… unsure…
Ren's eyes widened.
"It's more complicated… thinking in layers."
He pushed slightly deeper—
The fox flinched, baring its teeth.
Zemo stepped forward protectively.
Ren immediately pulled back.
The tension dissolved.
The wild fox paused… sniffed… then trotted away.
Ren exhaled sharply.
"That one almost attacked…"
Zemo growled quietly, as if warning him to be more careful.
3 — Telepathy Limit Test
Ren decided to push further.
He concentrated on a squirrel leaping from branch to branch.
His mind reached—
…fast… nut… jump—
A spike of dizziness hit him.
He grabbed a tree trunk to steady himself.
"Too far… too fast… moving targets drain energy."
Zemo nudged his leg, concerned.
Ren took a few deep breaths, stabilizing his senses.
The squirrel vanished into the canopy, oblivious.
4 — Telekinesis Test: 5-Gram Pebble
Ren picked up a tiny pebble.
He held it in his palm, then released it.
The pebble hovered — easily.
He spun it gently.
"Stable… no resistance."
He moved it 2 meters away.
Still easy.
5 — Telekinesis Test: 500-Gram Stone
Ren placed a fist-sized stone on the ground.
He focused.
The rock rose smoothly.
Zemo barked proudly.
Ren grinned.
"Feels like lifting a pen. Too easy."
He moved it in slow circles — no problem.
6 — Telekinesis Test: Moving Target
A small fruit fell from a branch overhead.
Ren snapped his gaze upward.
He reached out—
The fruit froze midair, wobbling.
Ren strained —
It shot lightly to the side and landed on the grass.
He gasped for breath.
"That… was harder than expected."
Zemo wagged his tail, impressed.
Moving objects require double the focus.
Ren wrote it down.
7 — Telekinesis Test: 1-Kilogram Log
Ren placed a thicker wooden limb on the ground.
He crouched.
Deep breath.
Telepathic push.
The log trembled—
Lifted slowly—
Stabilized… shakily.
Ren's forehead dripped sweat.
He held it for five seconds, then lowered it gently.
"That's my comfortable limit… barely."
Zemo barked once — "Good."
8 — Maximum Test: 2-Kilogram Boulder
Ren placed both palms on his knees.
"You don't need to help, Zemo. Just watch, alright?"
Zemo sat.
Ren took aim at a medium boulder.
"Focus… focus… steady…"
The boulder—
shook
twitched
lifted—
half an inch.
Ren gritted his teeth.
It hovered—
…then thudded back to earth.
Ren collapsed backward into the grass, chest rising and falling.
Zemo ran to him immediately, licking his cheek.
Ren laughed breathlessly.
"I managed to lift it… barely."
He scribbled in his notebook:
Telekinesis Power Scale
• 5 g → effortless
• 200 g → no strain
• 700 g → perfect control
• 1 kg → stable, mild fatigue
• 2 kg → extreme effort
• 2.5 kg → only slight movement
• 3 kg → shake only
• 3.5+ kg → no effect
Moving targets → very high difficulty
Ren closed the notebook carefully.
"Tomorrow… I test bigger range. But today… enough."
He leaned back against Zemo's warm fur.
The forest hummed with life.
Telepathy whispered faintly around him, like soft echoes.
And for the first time—
Ren felt a thrill rather than fear.
He was growing.
Slowly.
Carefully.
But undeniably.
End of Chapter 138