Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Ominous Black Bird
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“Shwoooong….”
“Caw caw.”
I'd tamed the little ghost, Shwoong.
Common sense said you couldn't physically strike a ghost, but Shwoong was the kind that wandered around with a handkerchief draped over itself.
Which meant if I pinned that handkerchief down with my body, Shwoong would end up squished underneath me too.
“Shwooo….”
Shwoong slipped inside me, just like a mother bird brooding her eggs.
I'd tried to pry some information out of it, but communication proved too difficult, and I failed.
For now, I'd focus on keeping the little guy from bolting off somewhere else.
I set down the wisdom pouch the Sage had made for me—what you'd call a basket in other words—for a moment.
My belly was full enough from hunting, but snacks were a whole different story.
I pulled a kiwi and a chili pepper from the food basket.
The chilies had grown on me with time, and they didn't taste quite as fiery as before—proof I was adapting like a proper bird.
The kiwi was a precious treat with its sweet-tart flavor, hard to come by, so I'd been rationing it carefully.
...Until today, anyway.
As I pecked away at the kiwi with my beak, I suddenly remembered the little ghost beneath me.
“Whoo?”
Can you eat too, by any chance?
It had gone “shwooomp” at me earlier, so it seemed like it could.
On a whim, I nudged some kiwi crumbs toward it.
“Shwoooong!”
The little guy stared at the kiwi for a good long while, clearly fascinated. Then it opened what I assumed was its mouth nice and wide, just like it had with me.
Shwooomp.
“Chirp...!”
A ghost that could eat? That was shocking.
“Whooo!”
Shwoong patted its belly happily.
Already done eating?
...But that pile hadn't shrunk a bit?
“Shwoong.”
I had no idea if it was pretending or absorbing something I couldn't perceive, but Shwoong seemed satisfied regardless.
With dinner over, it was time to tidy up for bed.
For starters, I'd use this mysterious stone structure as my nest.
It had decent insulation, and if I just blocked the entrance a bit, it'd be reasonably secure.
I gathered up the straw scattered around and spread it inside the stone structure.
Not bad for a rough job.
“Chirp!”
“Whooo?”
Shwoong tilted its head, clearly intrigued by the nest taking shape.
Come to think of it, this guy had been here before me.
It wasn't objecting, so it must like the idea too.
The sun dipped low, and the moon rose into the sky.
The first night since arriving in Skarnas.
I sealed the entrance tight and poked my head out from inside the nest.
“Kyahahahat!”
A horrific laugh echoed from far away.
“Grraaawr.”
The rattling of bones too.
“Tra la la...”
Even some unidentified wailing.
Stepping outside now would turn me into crow kebab for sure.
I burrowed into the straw and glanced at Shwoong.
It seemed friendly enough toward me, but it was still a ghost at heart—who knew what it might do.
If the adult ghosts called, it might go running to them.
I wouldn't stop it, but please don't rat me out if you see me.
“Wh... whooo...”
Shwoong plastered itself right against my side.
“Kyahahat!”
Every time the adult ghosts' voices drifted in from outside, its body trembled faintly.
Was Shwoong afraid of the other ghosts?
That subtle golden glow about it, plus the quest referring to it as a “girl”—it felt different from the rest somehow.
Which made it a fateful encounter, right?
I'd worried it might side with the other ghosts, but this one seemed fine.
It was cold.
I'd prepared as best I could, but the wind blew chillier than expected.
No choice—I huddled under a blanket of decent size.
“Shwoooong?”
Don't give me that look.
I'm just cold, that's all.
And so, half-smothering the little ghost, I closed my eyes.
Why smother it? Just in case it changed its mind and stabbed me in the back.
Definitely not because it was shivering.
“Whooo...”
Shwoong must think it's a Lace too—it hated the sunlight.
It wouldn't burst into flames or anything, but it was doing its best to stay in the shade.
“Caw caw.”
I'm heading out, so guard the house.
“Whooo?”
Got it?
I worried it might wander off while I was gone, but I couldn't stick around all day babysitting.
My time here was limited, and right now I could only use half of it.
I couldn't roam at night until I figured out how to deal with the ghosts.
So I'd make the most of the daylight.
I grabbed my acorn helmet and stepped outside.
The traits I had equipped were Sturdy Beak and Flexible Bones.
There was no reason to unequip Sturdy Beak—it was an amazing passive.
It wasn't just tough; my beak had become ridiculously hard.
Stuff like the carnivorous Bird Nepenthes around here? One peck and they were done for.
Flexible Bones was the newest one—self-explanatory, it made my body more limber.
Didn't have much use for it yet.
I could swivel my neck like an owl, maybe?
Why equip it? Because Low Glide and Pheromone Manipulation only worked in specific situations.
I could swap feathers on the fly when needed, so for everyday use, these passive traits made sense.
They boosted my physical specs overall, so they'd come in handy eventually.
“Caw.”
Today's goals: scout the area and level up.
I had a quest, but I lacked info and power.
So I'd hunt while exploring.
Gamer instincts told me the next evolution hit at level 10.
After jumping four levels yesterday, two more would be a breeze.
I flapped my wings and set off in search of prey.
How long had I flown when a very welcome sparkle caught my eye?
Twinkle twinkle.
Not eye-searing, but nice enough to snag one of.
Never regretted grabbing a shine before, so I crept slowly toward it.
“Yaaawn. Did everyone sleep okay? I heard screams last night or something.”
“Screams? That was probably Erica talking in her sleep. Bet she dreamed about being chased by squirrels again.”
Human voices.
Not some creature like the squirrels that could speak human—actual humans in sight.
Five of them, by the look of it.
Too far for details, but their gear screamed “adventurers.”
Staves, swords, bows—weapons, all of it.
Thump.
My heart raced.
Meeting humans sparked a whirlwind of thoughts.
Part of me wanted to dash over and confess: I'm not really a crow, I'm human—got any curse-lifting spells?
But that'd get me roasted crow on a spit.
Instinct screamed one truth loud and clear.
Humans couldn't know I existed.
I might run into ones who hated crows, not loved them.
Armed in a ruined village? They were here to hunt.
Running into hunters like that?
Bad news.
Unable to talk, facing them was like tackling an uncontrollable boss.
But at the same time, they could be a massive opportunity.
What I needed most was info.
About this world, this village.
Chatting humans spilled beans like nobody's business.
Just observing could yield top-tier intel—what I wanted, plus their personalities.
If they seemed friendly, I could reveal myself later.
For now...
Hide and tail them.
Tough job, but genius crow me could do it without getting spotted.
Erica, mid-chat, suddenly glanced back.
No reason—just felt like it.
And she saw it.
The black shape trailing them.
A small, jet-black bird, tottering along.
Perfect new gossip fodder.
How could she resist such a cute little thing following them?
Especially a special crow wearing an acorn-cap helmet.
Mary would want to toss it bread crumbs, Agwen would ramble about elven-bird theories, Hans would brag about his monster bird hunts, and Ethan would quietly listen as always.
So why was her body frozen stiff?
The fledgling crow pulled its head back slightly.
Its startled expression upon eye contact was undeniably cute.
But this feeling—what was it?
Why did looking at that bird fill her with such dread?
An inexplicable ominousness washed over her.
Her gut screamed to call for help, now.
“Uh, hey...!”
“What's up?”
“Behind us... weird crow...!”
Her companions reacted instantly.
“Huh? Behind us? Nothing there.”
Not the reaction she wanted, though.
“...Huh?”
Erica whipped around again, but the crow was gone.
“What exactly did you see? There's this theory about neurosis and mana correlation...”
Even Agwen's nagging couldn't spoil her relief.
She must've imagined it.
No way something that oozed bad vibes existed in this world.
“Ugh, sorry sorry. Gonna get you all nagged at because of me.”
“Aw. Got my hopes up for a crow.”
Dismissing it as Erica's fatigue from a restless night, they pressed on.
“Ethan, you tired too? Keep looking back.”
“He stood watch alone last night—cut him some slack. Ethan's innocent no matter what!”
The boy called Ethan stared back for a long moment.
At the spot where the black-fluffed crow had sat, twisting its head owl-like.
Hummm.
His silver longsword vibrated faintly once, unnoticed by the others.