I Became a Wendigo in a Fantasy World

27 – Episode 27

Wendygo casually threw away the seed and stared at the man.

The man, facing the sinister face of Wendygo, trembled with tears streaming down.

“Please have mercy…”

“… I get it, now answer my question.”

The man nodded his head frantically, though it was an unwarrior-like attitude. But there was no choice.

Death wasn’t frightening, but the endless torment from the malevolent spirit was terrifying because its end couldn’t be known.

“What tribe of warriors do you belong to? Why did you attack people?”

“That, that’s… Huh!?”

“!”

As soon as the man tried to speak, the mysterious force that had been protecting him transformed into a noose-like grip around his neck.

Wendigo, taken aback, pulled back the mysterious force.

“Is it to prevent the secret from being revealed?”

With his nails coated in the mysterious force, Wendigo aimed for the man’s neck.

If even a tiny mistake were made, not only would the man’s neck be severed along with the mysterious force… but he would die anyway.

“It’s fine, since he’s going to die anyway.”

Without hesitation, Wendigo swung his nails towards the man’s neck. The nails expertly avoided the neck and tore through the mysterious force.

However… Wendigo frowned. Something about the sensation felt off.

“Grk!”

“Your accomplice is truly despicable. To put chains on the subordinate I entrusted with the mission.”

After confirming the man’s survival, Wendigo turned his gaze towards the mysterious force. The partially damaged force, clinging to his nails, was stirring up something.

The mysterious force slowly began to take on a single form. A voice flowed out from what seemed to be its mouth.

– I didn’t expect there to be a spirit rooted in this forest.

“Well, that’s how it is. There are no peaceful enemies in this forest.”

As Wendigo sensed the presence of a spirit in the mysterious force, he growled softly.

What kind of food is there in this forest that causes such incidents to happen?!

The Wendigo, imitating the form of a wolf, glared at him and spoke.

– First, let me apologize. I never thought there would be a spirit rooted in a place like this.

“Nevertheless, offering an apology might make him a better fellow than that arrogant boar or those parasitic scoundrels.”

The boar, upon meeting, had immediately tried to act haughty and condescending.

And didn’t the scoundrels act as if time revolved around them, akin to government officials?

In that sense, just the act of apologizing might be enough to deem him acceptable…

“Enough about apologies; let’s get to the point from now on.”

“Well, that’s right. As if spirits could ever be good.”

“What did you say?”

“It’s nothing. Just continue.”

Unfazed by his question, Wendigo remained silent. With no visible expression on his form, there was no worry about giving anything away.

Silently, Wendigo gazed at the entity before opening its mouth again.

“I am the one who swallowed the wildness that was worshipped by humans on the vast plains to the east… Known to the human folk as Oneton.”

“I am Wendigo. Quite peculiar, isn’t it? Oneton—was that name given by humans?”

“Hardly so. Humans addressing my name itself is an impertinence. Therefore, I directed them to call me by a suitable name that they could utter. Aren’t you the same?”

His contempt for humans was evident as he sneered, further showcasing his unclean disposition.

Wendigo gestured as if urging him to continue speaking.

“It’s remarkable that a matured spirit like me came to such a harsh place.”

“I’d prefer if you’d keep that to yourself, as I’m not particularly interested.”

“However, sometimes, despite one’s pride, there comes a time when an inevitable choice must be made. I, too, was in such a situation.”

Oneton, like a majestic wolf, stared into the emptiness, commencing his story.

Wendigo listened, appropriately disregarding the entity’s grandiose tale. He had no interest in how deceitful and malicious the entity had been towards spirits and humans alike.

Wendigo listened to the story until the very end and then summarized the conclusion.

“So… are you saying that because your subordinates were incompetent, your perfect plan fell apart, and so you had no choice but to venture into the forest hoping for a better future?”

-That’s correct.

Oneton nodded approvingly.

As expected from the same spirit, the comprehension is swift!

While Oneton evaluated Wendigo as a clever spirit, Wendigo looked at Oneton with a perplexed expression.

If I were to distill his story, removing the embellishments, wouldn’t it be something like… ‘In the end, driven by greed, he got beaten like a dog and ran away’?

Describing an attack on the empire located below, in the south, and getting a humiliating defeat from humans in such a verbose manner.

‘No, that’s not it. In a world where they’re called an empire, it’s evident they must be powerful.’

The name “empire” holds considerable value in any world. It implies having enough strength to maintain such a position among numerous powers.

Even in a world rampant with spirits and magic, being referred to as an empire signifies an undeniable power.

Naturally, Oneton, who dared to confront such an empire, must be a somewhat capable spirit himself.

‘I’d prefer to coexist without conflict if possible.’

-Now, let’s start the real story. Look at the map I drew.

Oneton’s tail spread widely, revealing a map.

-This forest is located at the northern end of the continent. There’s scarce food, and the number of humans is relatively low.

To the north, there’s an endless forest and tribes of humans.

In the east, the land of nomadic giants stretches.

To the west, the alliance of elves is expanding its influence.

Finally, in the south, there were the empires and kingdoms of humans and dwarves, firmly standing their ground.

Honestly, compared to other places, this forest didn’t have many good points. However, there was one reason why Oneton came to this forest.

-The only advantage of this forest is that it is good for hiding.

“Are there no other advantages? Like being full of mystery… or having lots of magic?”

-There’s nothing like that. It’s just a filthy and vast barren land.

“……”

Wendigo gave Oneton a sidelong glance. He already knew, but to blurt out such nonsense in front of a person, no, a spirit, living in this place.

‘I want to punch him.’

-Keep talking. The only advantage of this land is that it’s good for hiding. Criminals, witches, losers… such trash keeps hiding here.

Oneton chuckled, his tongue clicking. He used to think wolves were quite impressive creatures… but laughing like that made him look infinitely vulgar.

-So, this land is a good place to seize opportunities.

“Is it because you don’t have to worry about rumors spreading? I can’t understand how it’s a good place to seize opportunities just for that reason.”

Indeed, this forest was a good place to hide. It must have contributed to the fact that Kikas could hide for three hundred years without a problem.

If a guy like Kikas lived near a city, rumors would have spread no matter what.

But Oneton looked at Wendigo as if he were pathetic.

-You fool. If you were a spirit, you should have naturally thought of it.

“What are you talking about?”

-Of course, it’s not just mystery. This forest is a very reasonable place to gather mystery.

Even though it’s not full of mystery, why would it be suitable for gathering mystery?

After pondering for a moment, Wendigo asked Oneton, wondering.

“Do you mean a human sacrifice?”

-Yes! Fortunately, you’re not a complete fool. This forest is the perfect place to gain mystique through human sacrifice.

“A crazier spirit than I thought… No, this was just an ordinary spirit.”

Wendigo finally accepted it after much pondering. In a world where magic feeds on human flesh, there was no difference between a spirit and a crazed one.

From the perspective of the spirits in this world, Wendigo might have seemed closer to a crazed spirit.

Instead of using humans to enhance their mystique, Wendigo was a crazed spirit who was fixated on nurturing humans. That would be how the spirits saw Wendigo.

While Wendigo was bewildered, Onethon revealed his ambition in a determined voice.

-This land has no beings of interest, yet the sacrifices come on their own! Even the creatures that live in this land are scattered, making it optimal for hunting!

“So why are you telling me this? There must be a reason for revealing your plan.”

-You catch on quickly. I like those kinds of people.

Onethon, holding the map, locked eyes with Wendigo and warned, baring his teeth.

-If you don’t interfere, I won’t touch your underlings. Fighting with spirits here would be a waste of mystique… and you, who are stuck living in this land, are pitiful.

“Are you telling me not to care whether you cause chaos in the forest or not?”

-Yes. You catch on quickly. I assume you understand. I hope there won’t be any more red-faced incidents next time.

As Onethon finished speaking, the mystique lost its form and crumbled away. The mystique, whose role was over, oxidized and returned to nature…

“Unbelievable.”

“Yes, yes… Cough!”

Wendigo swung his claws and decapitated the man. There was no point in sparing him; it would only accumulate resentment.

More importantly, it was Onethon’s threat. As a spirit who had gained a reputation for his hostility, this guy was anything but ordinary.

It was just words, but to say, “If you interfere with my work, you won’t be able to live peacefully,” was quite something.

“In my opinion, it seemed rational…”

If it were an ordinary spirit, it might have thought the same. Those guys, they would have aimed for the next victim, saying something like ‘the forest is… a metaphysical nourishment… a memo.’

But Wendy-go didn’t think like that. Instead, irritation filled her.

“After all the effort I put into gathering humans!”

If those guys were to rampage in the forest, she was certain that people would gather, but she would also be caught up with the same kind.

Wendy-go, whose principles and goals differed from the spirits of this world, could not tolerate such behavior.

“How audacious. They dare cause a ruckus in my territory.”

Technically, the forest belonged to everyone… but she didn’t even consider leaving it be. Especially if it was a guy who would threaten her even if she were to lower her head and enter. They should show their intentions through actions, not just words.

“I should show them through actions.”

Wendy-go made up her mind to take immediate action.

“Scadi, are you outside? If you are, come in…”

Wendy-go hesitated while calling for Scadi. If she called now, misunderstanding could arise since the recently killed man was still here…

Without a chance to correct herself, Scadi responded to the call and entered quietly.

Scadi glanced at Wendy-go’s face and then at the decapitated body with a determined expression.

“I promise that this fact will never be known in the village.”

“No, it’s not what you’re thinking. It’s the truth.”

“Yes, I trust you, Wendy-go. I’m sure you had your reasons for doing this.”

“……”

A firm determination not to reveal the secret, even if a knife were placed at her throat.

Skadi faced Wendygo with her strong determination, regretting not having told her something in advance.

It took him a long time to explain the situation before he could convince Skadi.

Whether it was persuasion or consideration, he wasn’t exactly sure…