Day 1

 

I sat in the deepest part of the wolf den. This cave wasn't too far from the creek, supposedly the wolf pack's shelter.

 

After howling for hours, as the sun(s) began disappearing on the horizon, the cubs were chased by the female inside here. I was too.

 

The female wolf in charge of me, a beautiful creature of nature, was about 2/3 of the size of the corpse that has already begun rotting.

 

She came behind me slowly and pushed me with her nose towards the direction of the den.

 

At first, I didn't understand what she wanted. I stepped away from her.

 

She pushed again, this time using strength. My found legs scuffled together, and I fell down.

 

Bitch!

 

"Grrr...." I spat angrily. I wanted to curse her, but that was not possible with this wolf throat.

 

It was a strange feeling. No matter what I tried to say, only a growl left my mouth.

 

Before she would nudge me the fourth time, I had understood what she wanted. I mean, I wasn't blind.

 

I could see the other female. She looked like she was thoroughly bullying the her little cubs. Grabbing them with her teeth from the back of their necks and throwing them towards the cave. All the while glowling like the beast she was.

 

She was being rough with them.

 

For the fear she might do the same with me, I charged, hurried towards the cave, and entered it.

 

I was surprised at how fast I could run in this body. Three times as fast as before.

 

Inside the cave, it was quite messy. It was, after all, a wolf den; the atmosphere was dimly lit from the twilight, with the scent of earth and musk lingering in the air. Twisted roots and dried leaves form a makeshift bedding in the centre, providing a cosy nest. The den's walls, composed of solid black rocks, offered a sense of security, while the echoes of distant chirping occasionally penetrated the quiet sanctuary.

 

I dragged myself to the farthest corner, not wanting to interact with others. Why?

 

Well, I was a human not too long ago. The fear of wolves, having died by the fangs of one, was still very high in my mind.

 

Even if years of the apocalyptic crisis have long since made me quite courageous in nature, Human instincts are hard to suppress.

 

I am no longer human, though, so I am sure this fear will die out soon.

 

After a bit of struggle, I folded my four legs in a fashion that was most comfortable and settled down. I made sure to remember this position for future use as well.

 

I was not tired, but everyone else was doing the same, so I followed suit.

 

By everyone, I meant the cubs. The females, after stuffing us in here, rushed outside again. Who knows what they were up to?

 

Anyway.

 

Including me, there were six cubs here; each looked slightly different from the other, but they were of the same species. I was sure of that.

 

How do you ask? The same way I could tell the females apart from the males. My new-found beast instinct. To identify ones of your own kind. Differentiate between the sexes. This much was easy for animals.

 

Or perhaps it was my keen sense of smell. I was not sure.

 

Two of the cubs were already asleep. They slept together in the centre of the cave. One was sitting at the entrance of the cave, perhaps waiting for the females.

 

Or perhaps it couldn't move eyes from the corpse. Who says animals don't have empathy?

 

The last two were fighting together, no playing. Biting and pushing each other, making dust to flow everywhere.

 

These noisy types were trying to ease up their pent-up frustration. Understandable.

 

I decided to name them.

 

I was still a small cub, so I was sure I couldn't survive in the jungle on my own. Meaning I would live with them for a while.

 

It would be inconvenient if I didn't know what to call them, wouldn't it?

 

"Umm, let's see. The one at the entrance is Cub A. The sleeping lots are B and C. The fighters are D and E. Making me the failure, F, of the pack."

 

I didn't put too much thought into it. Most of them would die not long from now.

 

Jungle life isn't that kind. Without a leader, there is no hope for them.

 

The females weren't stupid. They weren't playing around outside the den in such darkness. They aren't hunting either.

 

They are getting rid of the corpse.

 

If it stayed near the den, it was bound to attract the attention of other creatures. I saw how big that bee was. Who knows what kind of beasts roam in this world's jungles?

 

Even if no predator came, The rotting flesh would eventually make the lives of these wolves unbearable. Their sharp sense of smell will be their biggest frustration at that point. And don't forget the huge swarm of flies and insects.

 

Meaning to say the females knew what they were doing.

 

They came back after a couple hours. By that time it had gotten completely dark inside the den. If it weren't for the superior eyesight of this new body, I wouldn't see a thing.

 

They were both covered in blood and dirt. One of them, which pushed me earlier to say (female Alpha), held that huge bee in her mouth. It was in pathetic conditions. It's wings were already withered, and a gel-like substance was oozing from its round body. It was about 1 foot in diameter. Its previous yellow colour, appeared grey in the darkness.

 

The final gift of the male wolf to his family.

 

It smelled like vomit. Even worse.

 

Alpha rolled down the bee on the floor and gave a small growl. She was demanding that the cubs to accept his gift of compassion.

 

Was that even edible?

 

Beta, the second female, had already made her way to the entrance as she chased Cub A aside and sat down, looking outside. She was guarding the den.

 

All the cubs were moved. Cub B and C were already awake by now; they were beasts, their instincts were strong, and sleep was light.

 

They might have sensed this horrible smell even in their dreams.

 

What kind of dreams did wolves see anyway?

 

The cubs weren't picky eaters. They obediently walked towards their food and started eating it. Using their paws as forks and their teeth as knives.

 

A smooth sound of munching filled the cave.

 

Alpha made a somewhat satisfied expression, the motherly bliss of seeing her children eat. It was like that until her eyes darted around and found me.

 

A chill ran through my spine.

 

Do I have to eat this too? Is that what she wants from me?

 

I was reluctant. But I didn't make a fuss.

 

In the last few years of my life, the kinds of things I had eaten were not to be taken lightly.

 

So what is a giant bee? A corpse? As long as there is no risk of disease, I'd eat it.

 

I am not human anymore; I can't expect to find clean, cooked food.

 

I was hungry. I hadn't eaten anything since my rebirth. I stood up slowly and made my way towards the other cubs.

 

Upon sensing me, they immediately made a small gap in their circular formation. Very courteous of them. They had long accepted me as one of them.

 

I held my breath and closed my eyes.

 

The sense of smell is greatly influenced by the senses of sight and smell.

 

I took a small bite of the plumpest area of the bee. My mouth got filled with a slimy, disgusting cold liquid. I had no courage to chew on this stuff.

 

I gulped.

 

Disgusting! I can't describe how bad it tasted. Imagine there is a piece of cheese, flush it in the toilet, then take it out of the sewer. Now eat it.

 

That's what I felt like I was doing.

 

 

// Consumed: Great Bee Flesh

+ 3 Energy

//

 

A system notification came into view.

 

One bite of this crap means +3 energy, huh? I wonder how I can see my stats. Without knowing how much energy I have, I can't determine anything.

 

I ate a few more bites. My energy rose with 12 more points, making it a total of 15 points.

 

Sure enough, I was feeling a bit more energetic. What a waste, though. It was time to sleep. It had gotten too dark to even see the food anymore, even with my superior sight.

 

 

"I hope my whole stomach is strong enough to dissolve what I just ate. I don't want to vomit it out."

 

It was nauseating.

 

 

 

To be continued.