Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

---

The place we arrived with Celyon was a forest where dozens of meters-high trees twisted and grew together. Looking at the trees that reached high into the sky, I couldn’t help but recall the forest where I met the elves.

The giant trees growing like vines formed a path through the forest. Celyon and I began to climb the giant tree to traverse the woods.

After moving for a while, Celyon pushed aside a pile of leaves blocking our way and pointed ahead.

“We’ve arrived. That’s it.”

“Wow…”

I exclaimed in admiration as I gazed in the direction Celyon was pointing. The base camp of the expedition team, which we had reached after about a month, was built at a point where large branches intertwined.

A cabin built atop a tree—it was a very romantic sight.

As I approached the base camp, stepping on the large branches, various signs of life caught my eye. There were things like long vines stretched out to serve as a clothesline and a designated area for chopping wood.

At that moment, the firmly shut door of the base camp swung open, revealing a woman. She stepped out with a long yawn and began to collect the laundry scattered nearby. Just as the cool wind blew away the fluttering white fabric, our eyes met in mid-air.

“Um…”

“Hello?”

I greeted her cheerfully. According to Celyon, most of the people living in this base camp must be her teammates. So, this woman was likely my senior.

The woman, taken aback by my polite greeting, seemed surprised as if she had just noticed Celyon standing next to her.

“Team Leader…?”

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Well, I’ve been okay… Is your health alright now?”

“Yep, no problems.”

The two women continued chatting among themselves for a while. In the midst of their conversation, Celyon suddenly seemed to remember I was waiting behind them and exclaimed.

“Oh, this is the new recruit who just joined. Her name is Seris.”

“I’m Seris. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, um. I’m Noelle.”

The woman, introducing herself as Noelle, awkwardly smiled and looked away. She seemed rather shy.

“Where are the others?”

“They went out hunting for a bit. They shouldn’t be long since they just left.”

“Sounds like we’re out of food, huh?”

“Yeah, something like that…”

Celyon chatted with Noelle, seemingly familiar with the base camp, and headed inside. I watched the two of them for a moment before releasing the Nightmare nearby and then following after them.

The inside of the base camp was surprisingly tidy. The unidentified leather rugs on the floor and the taxidermied trophies adorning the walls looked like spoils from monsters hunted nearby.

Celyon placed her large bag on the ground and asked Noelle.

“Are there any empty rooms left?”

“Uh, yeah. A few.”

“Oh? Then could you show Seris to one?”

“Sure.”

Noelle turned to me at Celyon’s response and motioned softly with her hand. Since she still couldn’t make eye contact, it seemed like it would take considerable time to get close to her.

The place I arrived at with Noelle was a room in the furthest corner. It didn’t have any dust, as if it had been cleaned recently.

“Uh, if you need anything, just let me know…”

“Ah, thank you, Noelle.”

I started unpacking as I looked around the room. By “baggage,” it only consisted of a few clothes and underwear I had packed inside. I had lost most of my belongings due to the surge of mana, so my stuff was rather sparse.

After organizing my belongings, I stepped outside, but I couldn’t spot Noelle anywhere. As I searched for her, Celyon asked.

“Do you like your room?”

“Uh, yes. It’s nice. But where did Noelle go?”

“Noelle? Does she need something?”

“She needs a place for my weapon and the Nightmare to rest.”

“Hmm, for the Nightmare…”

At my words, Celyon stood up and rummaged through a nearby drawer. She pulled out a long candle from inside.

“For the Nightmare, just ask Noelle outside.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I received the candle from Celyon and watched as she sat down at a wide table, reading a thick stack of documents. Since she wasn’t paying any attention to me, it seemed I had nothing to do for now.

I returned to my room to decorate with the candle before stepping out of the cabin.

A rustling sound greeted me when I exited the cabin—it was the Nightmare. I petted its head while glancing around. As I somewhat expected, there wasn’t a stable built in this base camp.

“Noelle!”

I ran over to Noelle, who was nearby, leading the Nightmare. She was finishing up collecting the laundry she had been handling earlier.

“Ah, um?”

Noelle turned to me and set down the laundry basket.

I stopped at a proper distance and asked her.

“Is there a place like a stable? My weapon needs a resting spot.”

“A stable…? Hmm… How about over there?”

“That…”

What Noelle pointed to was a small building next to the cabin. It wasn’t large, and seeing the metal chain hanging at the door, it looked like a space that had been used as a storage shed.

“Can I just use it?”

“Yeah, it’s not in use right now…”

“Thank you!”

After bowing my head slightly to Noelle, I headed to the small storage shed with the Nightmare.

As I began inspecting the small shed, the Nightmare sniffed around, seemingly aware that this would be the place it would be using.

It wasn’t spacious, but it was more than enough for the Nightmare to lie down comfortably.

The Nightmare seemed to like the place, as it repeatedly opened and closed the door with its long snout.

And with that, the basic problem was resolved.

Left alone, I wandered around the vicinity of the base camp. The trees intertwined like vines stretched out in all directions, showing new paths, while the cries of various monsters echoing around floated in on the wind.

Occasionally, massive flying monsters would reveal themselves in the sky, shaking the entire forest with their powerful winds.

Though I was worried about physical changes from the mana, the strengthened body provided me with a refreshing sense of liberation.

“Ha!”

Kicking off the ground with vigor, my body leaped into the air and rotated, landing on a tree across from me. The cool breeze tousled my golden hair as it mixed with the leaves.

Even without using mana for physical enhancement, the overflowing strength in my body allowed me to leap between trees with ease.

After running through the forest with movements I never even dared to dream of before, I swung onto a large vine and, at that moment, I heard a thud from above.

“Ah!”

As I realized the vine I was hanging onto had snapped, my body was already plummeting rapidly toward the ground. I flailed my arms and legs desperately, but there was nothing to catch onto.

In that fleeting moment, as I watched the ground approaching, I instinctively called upon my mana.

The mana circle began spinning rapidly, and a thin thread emerged. Just as that thread wound itself together to form a thin veil, my body underwent a transformation.

My smooth canine teeth sharpened, and long, pointed claws began to grow. Immediately, I plunged my claws into the giant tree.

Scritch-scratch!

My claws left long marks on the solid bark, slowing my fall. I could finally let out a sigh of relief once my descent stopped.

“Phew…”

*

That evening, the remaining team members who had been out hunting returned, carrying a massive monster. There were thirty returning members, all at least Silver Grade swordsmen.

My introduction was made while we ate. Everyone welcomed me, the newcomer, warmly and said to come to them if I encountered any difficulties.

Honestly, there was no way I could memorize the names of thirty people right away. Thus, I distinguished them by their features; like scars near their eyes or differences in hairstyles.

As time flowed, dawn approached.

Lying in bed, I tossed and turned until I suddenly bolted upright.

The two circles I felt around my heart had blended perfectly into my existing mana and seemed to dissolve within.

“Gasp…”

I began to move my mana out of curiosity.

As small gusts of wind and starlight began to fill the room, physical changes began to occur.

While I couldn’t revert the already changed body to its original state, I had to prevent any further changes from happening. I frowned and carefully monitored the flow of mana.

After wasting mana foolishly for a while, I watched as the mana escaping my body dispersed into nothingness, allowing me to sigh in relief.

“Phew…”

Even after pouring out almost all of my mana, there were no physical changes. This meant that the mana from Monster Island had completely merged with my mana, losing its original properties.

*

The next morning, feeling refreshed, I stepped out of the cabin and spotted a group of teammates gathered in one spot.

They were encircled around a giant log, exchanging various opinions. Peeking my head slightly to see the log, I felt a strange sense of familiarity.

“I brought it back because I found claw marks of an unknown shape.”

“Is it a new monster?”

“It doesn’t seem very large. It’s probably about the size of a goblin.”

“A subspecies of goblin?”

“From what I found nearby, it seems it’s good at hiding its presence too…?”

“That’s dangerous…”

As I eavesdropped on the team’s conversation, I discreetly slipped away, hiding my hands behind my back.

Eventually, the existence of the newly emerged monster reached Celyon’s ears. After being briefed by her team, she examined the log covered in my claw marks and nodded, ordering an elevation of the base camp’s alert level.

Following Celyon’s command, the team members began to move busily.

Celyon, as the leader of thirty, started handling various tasks. She shuffled through the buildup of documents while dividing roles among the team members.

Those who would continue the expedition were separated from those bringing back supplies. Naturally, I was placed among those continuing the expedition.