The great forest was dark and silent, except for the sound of running water and mournful howls. A pack of wolves gathered around their dying leader, who had fought bravely against the monstrous Queen Bee.

 

The bee's stinger was embedded in the 6-foot-tall creature's forehead. A fatal wound that poisoned his blood and clouded his vision. His thick white fur was stained with purple and yellow, a grim contrast to the green and brown of the forest. His jaws clenched the bee's body, a final act of defiance and victory.

 

His eyes had no light left.

 

Apart from two females and six cubs that cried for him, there was one that stood out. His fur was black as night, and his eyes were red as blood. He was neither their species nor their kin, but they had accepted him as their own. He was an anomaly, a mystery, a stray.

 

He was the protagonist of this story. Well technically.

 

As he wept, suddenly, certain symbols appeared in his teary vision. Words that he could not understand, obviously.

 

//

Incoming Stray Conscious Detected

Apply?

>Yes

>No

//

 

He was startled by the sudden appearance of the words and by the voice that spoke in his head. He did not know what they meant or what to do. He instinctively moved his head, trying to get rid of them. But he made a mistake. He touched the word that said yes.

 

//

>>YES!

Command accepted!

Applying Conscious

//

 

He felt a jolt of pain, then a flood of flowing memories. Memories that were not his own but of another being. A being that walked on two legs, wore clothes, and used tools. A being that lived in a world of metal and glass, of noise and chaos, of violence and despair. A being that died not long ago.

 

***

 

He ran for his life, dodging the rubble and the corpses that filled the mall. He could hear the wolf's roar and the sound of its paws behind him, getting closer and closer. He knew it was only a matter of time before the beast caught up with him and ripped him to shreds.

 

He had been looking for food and supplies when he encountered, perhaps from the ongoing apocalypse or some mysterious reason, this wild creature had found its way in the cocreated world. It was skinny and dirty, but still strong and hungry. Its species is unknown. It attacked him as soon as it saw him, enforcing the primaeval food chain with its force.

 

He had no weapon, no protection. He only had his feet and his instincts. He ran through the mall, hoping to find a way out or a place to hide. But the mall was a hell of destruction and death. The windows were broken, the doors were locked, and the stores were plundered and burned. There was no sign of life, except for the wolf and him.

 

He reached the food court, hoping to find something to distract the wolf or to use as a weapon. But there was nothing left, only empty booths and rotten food. He looked around, desperate for an escape. He saw a fire extinguisher on the wall. He grabbed it and threw it at the wolf, hoping to slow it down or hurt it.

 

The wolf dodged the extinguisher, barely missing it. It growled and jumped at him, its mouth wide open. He tried to avoid it, but it was too late. The wolf bit his arm, tearing the flesh and bones. He screamed in pain and terror, feeling the blood spurt out of his wound. He fell to the floor, dropping the extinguisher.

 

The wolf did not let go of his arm. It shook its head, ripping his arm off. He felt a surge of agony, then a wave of numbness. He knew he was going to die. He looked at the wolf, its eyes red and its fur soaked with his blood. He felt no anger, no hate, and no fear. He felt only pity, for himself and for the wolf. They were both victims of a cruel and hopeless world.

 

He closed his eyes, waiting for the end. He heard the wolf's howl, a sound of triumph and sorrow. He felt the wolf's teeth on his neck, piercing his skin and veins. He felt his life drain away, his heartbeat fading. He felt nothing, then everything, then nothing again.

 

He was gone.

 

***

 

"Woah, that was intense!"

 

I sigh, fully aware of what had happened. I had been killed by a wolf, and then my consciousness had been transferred to another world in a wolf cub's body.

 

Quite cliché, but okay!

 

I wasn't going to waste my time pretending to doubt the obvious. I had memories of both the cub and the human I used to be.

 

I felt a little sad about having died, but I couldn't really do anything about that now. I should try to live my new life as a wolf and try to find happiness.

 

By the way, do I have a system?

 

I willed it in my mind, and sure enough:

 

//

Name: None

Race: Evolution Wolf Cub

Level: 1(0/10)

Skills: None

Evolution Path: Need Level 10

//

 

Is that it? Where are HP, intelligence, luck, etc.? I have seen many more in the novels I read.

 

Anyway.

 

I looked around. The mood was tense. A huge wolf, about 6 feet tall, was lying on the ground. Dead. Since he was the biggest in this group, he must be the leader. I had memories of him as well. He was quite brave when he fought. Poor guy. For a wolf to be killed by a bee. A shame!

 

Without the leader, the whole group would be in danger. Me as well. What if I died right after rebirth? That would be sad, wouldn't it?

 

I hope the females can attract a new male soon.

 

I tried to move around.

 

This new body was kind of light and fluffy; walking on four legs is the best. A human might not think like this, but for a wolf cub like me, it's very convenient. I got used to it in a few seconds.

 

I walked slowly towards the creek in front of me. A body of water with a weird smell. It was like a mini-river. I peeked at my reflection in the green water.

 

Two red eyes stared at me intensely, in pitch black form. My body was small, like a puppy, but my teeth looked much more sharp.

 

I was a handsome guy. Though a little too small, I bet one of the bigger wolves could eat me in one bite.

 

I turned around. This place was, by no chance, Earth.

 

Earth doesn't have trees with black

leaves, blue grass, and such. Most importantly, there were two suns in the sky.

 

I mean stars.

 

To be continued