The Moonfang Alpha ran silently through the ancient forest.
Behind him, dozens of massive wolves followed without making a single sound. Their paws glided over the dense undergrowth and dry leaves as if they weighed nothing at all. The towering trees of the Ultimate Forest of Venara blurred past them, creating a tunnel of endless green and brown.
Kaizen was gently held by the soft white cloth wrapped around his tiny body. The Alpha's jaw was surprisingly steady, absorbing the shock of every leap and bound.
Even so...
He wasn't exactly happy about it. The rushing wind was cold against his face, and the sheer height of the giant wolf made him feel like he was dangling from a moving roller coaster.
"Hey!"
"Bad doggy!"
"Put me down!"
"I'm not a chew toy!"
He tried to shout at the enormous wolf with all the indignation a former lawyer could muster.
"Waaaah!!"
"Waaah!!"
Only loud, high-pitched cries came out, echoing slightly through the quiet woods.
The Alpha twitched an enormous silver ear, annoyed by the sudden noise near his sensitive hearing.
Then, to Kaizen's complete surprise...
A deep, rumbling voice echoed directly inside his mind.
"Ungrateful little brat."
Kaizen froze, his tiny eyes going wide.
"I just saved your tiny butt."
"And for your information..."
"I'm a wolf."
"Not a dog."
The Alpha continued running, leaping effortlessly over a fallen mossy log as if nothing had happened.
"You should be thanking me."
"Instead you're throwing a tantrum."
Kaizen's eyes widened even further, his crying stopping instantly.
"Wait..."
"You can understand me?!"
The Alpha snorted, a brief puff of hot air escaping his nose.
"Obviously."
"You're the one talking."
Kaizen's brain nearly stopped working. He looked at his own tiny hands, then up at the massive silver fur of his rescuer.
"No..."
"I'm crying!"
"How can you understand crying?!"
Before the Alpha could answer...
A calm, entirely emotionless voice echoed inside Kaizen's mind, completely different from the wolf's gruff tone.
Voice of All Things active.
Kaizen stiffened in his swaddling clothes.
"You!"
"I heard you before!"
"Who are you?"
A brief silence followed, as if the entity was processing the query.
Then...
I am your Soul Record.
"Soul Record?"
"What the heck is that?"
The Soul Record is the spiritual archive of an individual.
It stores Skills, Titles, Blessings, Affinities, Evolution Records, and Magenia pathways.
Every living being possesses a Soul Record.
However, possessing a Soul Record does not guarantee the awakening of Skills.
Kaizen blinked, trying to process the flood of fantasy terminology filling his head.
"So everyone has one..."
"But only I can hear mine?"
Confirmed.
Communication has been established through the authority of Voice of All Things.
"Huh..."
"That's... actually pretty cool."
A grin slowly appeared on his tiny, chubby face. He was an adult trapped in a baby's body, but the gamer inside him was suddenly wide awake.
"So..."
"What Skills do I have?"
A moment later...
Several lines appeared vividly inside his mind, glowing faintly like a digital screen.
Unique Skill: Origin
Status: Active
Kaizen read the name several times, chewing on the concept.
"Origin..."
"What does it do?"
Origin allows the host to analyze the fundamental nature of all phenomena.
Knowledge obtained through analysis is permanently recorded.
Recorded knowledge may be understood, adapted, improved, and developed into superior forms as the host grows.
Kaizen's mouth slowly fell open, completely forgetting the fact that he was currently being carried in the jaws of a giant predator.
"Wait..."
"So I basically have a cheat skill?"
The Soul Record remained silent for a beat.
After a few seconds...
Statement accepted.
Kaizen laughed inside his mind, feeling a sudden surge of excitement.
"Nice!"
"Anything else?"
"You mentioned Voice of All Things before."
Voice of All Things is an innate authority.
It allows the host to understand and communicate with every living being possessing a soul.
The authority also enables communication with the Soul Record.
Kaizen looked up toward the underside of the Alpha Wolf's jaw.
"So that's why I can understand him..."
"That's awesome!"
He couldn't help smiling, a genuine expression of joy masking the tragedy of his earlier birth.
"Anything else?"
Another line appeared.
Unique Skill: Draganute King's Presence
Status: Dormant
Kaizen tilted his head.
"Dormant?"
Conditions for activation have not yet been fulfilled.
"I see..."
"Anything more?"
The host possesses no additional active Skills.
The following are passive effects and not Skills:
- World Changer Mark
- Blessings of the Ten Dragon Gods
These are permanent authorities bestowed upon the host since birth.
Kaizen slowly let out a breath, feeling entirely overwhelmed by his own status.
"One cheat skill..."
"A talking Soul Record..."
"I can understand wolves..."
"And I have blessings from ten Dragon Gods..."
He looked up through the towering trees of the Ultimate Forest, watching the leaves part to reveal slivers of the bright blue sky.
A smile spread across his tiny face.
"Well..."
"This new life might actually be pretty interesting."
At that exact moment, the Alpha glanced back through the corner of his eye and grumbled.
"Stop smiling."
"You're making yourself heavier."
Kaizen's eyes widened in sheer outrage.
"That's not how babies work!"
"WAAAAAH!!"
The entire wolf pack looked back at the sudden, loud cry, their ears twitching in confusion.
The Alpha simply sighed, picking up his pace.
"Definitely an ungrateful brat."
Kaizen blinked away his fake tears.
His curious eyes remained fixed on the enormous Moonfang Alpha carrying him through the deep foliage of the forest.
The more he looked...
The stranger the wolf felt.
A faint silver aura surrounded the Alpha's body, rippling like water over his thick fur.
It wasn't visible to ordinary eyes.
Yet Kaizen could see it as clearly as daylight, a mesmerizing flow of energy.
At that moment, the calm voice echoed inside his mind once more.
Sub Skill acquired: Analysis.
Kaizen's eyes sparkled.
"Another skill?"
Before he could ask another question...
Information suddenly appeared before him in a neat format.
Name: Unknown
Race: Moonfang Wolf
Title: Alpha of the Moonfang Pack
Status: Healthy
Kaizen stared blankly at the floating text.
"Whoa..."
"It's actually showing me information..."
"What exactly does Analysis do?"
The Soul Record answered immediately, precise and cold.
Analysis allows the host to examine the origin of beings, objects, materials, skills, and phenomena.
As the skill evolves, the depth and accuracy of the analysis will increase.
The current level allows only basic information to be obtained.
Kaizen nodded to himself, entirely satisfied.
"That's already ridiculously useful."
"So as I become stronger..."
"Analysis becomes stronger too?"
Confirmed.
Kaizen grinned, his tiny fists clenching in victory.
"Origin really is a cheat."
As the wolves continued deeper into the Ultimate Forest, plunging into areas where the shadows grew longer...
Kaizen noticed something else.
Tiny streams of light floated randomly through the air.
Some gathered around the roots of the ancient trees, glowing with a soft, earthy green.
Others drifted around the bodies of the running wolves, shimmering like tiny silver fireflies.
Even the ground beneath them seemed to glow with countless faint particles whenever a paw struck the dirt.
"Huh?"
"What's all this glowing stuff?"
The moment the thought crossed his mind...
Another notification chimed silently in his head.
Sub Skill acquired: Magenia Sense.
A gentle warmth spread throughout Kaizen's tiny body, starting from his chest and flowing to his fingertips.
The glowing particles instantly became much clearer, taking on distinct shapes and currents.
He could now distinguish different concentrations of energy flowing through the natural world.
The Alpha Wolf's body shone like a blazing silver sun, radiating a dense, powerful pressure.
The ordinary wolves emitted softer, pulsing lights that connected them all together like an invisible web.
Even the ancient trees possessed small traces of Magenia, deeply rooted into the earth itself.
Kaizen's eyes widened in pure amazement.
"Whoa..."
"So that's Magenia..."
"It's everywhere!"
The Soul Record explained the new phenomenon.
Magenia Sense allows the host to perceive Magenia present in living beings and the surrounding environment.
The greater the concentration of Magenia, the stronger the presence perceived by the host.
The skill will continue to develop alongside Analysis.
Kaizen couldn't hide his excitement anymore. His little legs kicked weakly against the cloth.
"This world is amazing."
"Magic really exists..."
"And I can actually see its source!"
He looked toward the Moonfang Alpha once more, studying the majestic beast with new respect.
The Alpha's Magenia was so dense that it formed a majestic silver aura around his body, acting like a natural shield.
It was powerful...
Yet strangely warm, giving off a feeling of absolute protection.
Kaizen smiled.
"No wonder he scared those assassins away."
The Alpha glanced back once again, feeling the strange shift in the baby's mood.
"What are you smiling about now, little brat?"
Kaizen instinctively replied, projecting his thoughts back.
"Nothing!"
"Waaah!"
The Alpha sighed, shaking his massive head slowly.
"I still have no idea why every sentence from you sounds like crying."
The wolves behind him let out low growls and gentle barks that almost sounded like laughter, picking up on their leader's exasperation.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world...
Kaizen laughed as well.
Even if, to everyone else...
It still sounded like the cry of a newborn baby.