I was awakened by the crash of a broken jug.
I opened my eyes and saw a thatched roof — makeshift, as if built by clumsy children.
I was alive. Memories of the fight by the river came back. Of the incredible duel with the white-haired girl and the insanely strong humans who defeated me effortlessly, even with Berserker's Fury…
"I'm such a klutz…" I heard a familiar voice beside me. "It's awake! The Hydra is awake! Father!" The goblin jumped up at the sight of me and dashed outside.
I lay on the straw, unbound and wrapped in bandages.
To my surprise they hadn't killed me. After all, I was a mute monster to them, a creature that attacked the bandits out of nowhere.
I looked around. I was in some dark hut, with light coming in through a single small window, its curtain made of exposed hide. The floor was dry, and the interior modest, as if intended for storage. Half empty baskets and loosely stacked bundles of branches revealed that the locals weren't wealthy.
The other head lay quietly, still recovering from the last fight, which had gone completely wrong. I couldn't imagine humans in this world being so strong! On top of that, magic, grenades, and other flammable substances…
I felt like a piece of shit again. This time I had more luck than sense; I once again tried to be a hero, and I almost paid for it with my pathetic life.
Never again. I don't want to interfere in other people's affairs!
I remembered my school days, when I defended a classmate and became the main target for years, until I changed schools and moved to a dorm on the other side of town…
Always those Disney-esque impulses of mine for which nobody even thanked me!
Never again!
Clenching my teeth and cursing in my head, I heard footsteps.
A dozen or so goblins entered the hut and stood right next to me. They looked starving and scared. They wore tattered rags and rusty weapons at their belts. They shook with fear, none of them spoke, only observing me with their eyes.
"Oh mighty forest lizard! We are grateful to you for helping defeat the human intruders from the east! Many of ours were taken into slavery, and even more killed in the past!"
The eldest among them, whom I had spared during hunting back then, struck his forehead against the floor and shed heartfelt tears, along with many of his kin, including his daughter.
"My father was killed years ago during one of their raids! We are so grateful to you once again! Sniff, sniff…" He started crying in earnest.
The entire group bowed, sniffling and sobbing. They looked completely defenseless; no wonder they thought of me as something strange.
Then I experienced something odd that scared me immensely.
[ Level: 6
Threat: NEGLIGIBLE ]
The subtitles revealed less information! Panic surged through me. I checked my stats, but fortunately, they were still readable. Only the information about other monsters had changed! I had lost information about their species and evolution stage! I checked each one individually, but only their levels changed, from 4 to 9, and for none did the species or evolution stage appear!
I wanted to howl in rage! I had lost a huge advantage!
Was this the result of nearly dying in that fight!? Or some punishment from the system, or this world!? What happened!? Fuck!
I regretted my decision even more. If I could go back in time and stand beside myself on that hill, I'd have cursed myself to hell and kicked myself back into the wilderness…
Does this mean now I'll have to fight strange monsters blindly!?
I cannot afford another fight that nearly ended my life. If my abilities to analyze other creatures and resources, and worse, my own abilities, were impaired again, my chances of survival in this world would drop drastically.
I had to somehow get out of this situation.
I didn't want to suddenly get up, so the goblins wouldn't interpret it as an attack. A sudden rise of a two-headed hydra, weighing over 100 kilos and nearly 2 meters tall, could instinctively trigger them to attack.
I couldn't speak. I hoped they would feed me and let me go. It didn't look like I was going to be their meal or a permanent resident…
"Mighty lizard! We raise our pleas to you to become the guardian deity of our settlement!" shouted a goblin with a trembling voice. "We beg you! We beg you, mighty forest lizard!" The others echoed him.
I was stunned.
That was exactly what I didn't need — having to protect this miserable rabble when I couldn't even defend myself. Moreover, the friends or acquaintances of those bandits could come back in greater numbers, seeking revenge. And who is the brother of that terrifying lancer!?
I hope I never meet anyone so skilled with a weapon again! His moves were like a wild snake striking unexpectedly, and his defense had no gaps.
I could feel the goblins' trembling hands and their sweaty bodies beside me, and it made me sick. I felt responsible for this mob, even though I had nothing to do with them!
Once again, my heroic personality revealed itself — always getting exploited.
I'd probably die fighting some bandits, and then serve as dinner for this green bunch. That would be my "divinity"! No way!
I was about to get up and leave, maybe even use a charge to ram the wall or a few greens if necessary, just to escape and focus on hunting.
I was interrupted by the arrival of the woman I had fought alongside. She appeared suddenly, in total silence — pale-faced and with a flustered expression — approaching me without fear in her eyes.
I nearly pissed myself.
[Level: 53
Threat: DEADLY ]
I myself was only level 19 at the time, not a bit higher!
How was it possible that she struggled with a gang whose levels didn't exceed 35!?
She approached me as if nothing had happened. She wore a light, dark tunic tied with a belt emphasizing her slim figure, and her long silvery hair fell freely over her shoulders. She was tall and slender, moving with natural grace, as if every step was calculated.
A dangerous aristocrat. That was my first thought.
Where had she come from in this monster-infested wilderness? I wondered, but before I could ponder, her eyes pierced right through me.
One golden on the right, the other crimson-amber. Stunning. Breathtaking.
"Thank you for your help. Without you, I wouldn't have managed." She smiled while speaking. I noticed two well-defined fangs, slightly distinguishing her from an ordinary human. "I owe you eternal gratitude!"
She grabbed my head, pulled me to her chest, and she bit my neck!
"Thank you for the meal," she said in a sweet voice, licking her lips. "The blood of friends and loved ones is a vampire's favorite delicacy." She laughed innocently.
The other head growled, but I calmed it by spending 1 [MP]. I didn't really expect to be bitten by her. Though, who knows, I could forgive such a beauty a lot… Unfortunately, in my hydra body, more drive would be found in an 87-year-old widow bargaining with a priest over a grave…
You could say that excluding family, this was my third contact with female lips, counting my previous life! Though the first was in elementary school during "Truth or Dare," and the second was when a high school girl had to kiss me unexpectedly as a humiliating challenge from classmates…
"The goblins were kind enough to host us. Would you like to stay with us until we sort things out? I know you understand us. You're not some wild hydra, or you would have attacked us already. I can sense you manipulating your aura… I'm truly grateful for the rescue, and even though you can't speak, it doesn't have to be like that forever."
The beautiful vampire began her speech, and I stood frozen, trying to control the other head before it did something stupid. Not only could she kill me effortlessly, but she also had around 40 goblins around her, who looked friendly with her.
"Apparently, wild monsters, if they eat enough humanoid or intelligent creatures, or rare plants, can gain the ability to speak in the common language of our world. That's what the books I had to read and memorize as a child said. I'd like to talk with you someday."
The greens were slightly alarmed at the mention of eating someone. Little Gege grabbed her father's arm, and he trembled trying to calm her.
"Calm down, Elder Godo! I wouldn't dare harm my benefactors. I mean other creatures…" She became serious. "Anyway… you'll decide for yourself."
After those words, she bowed again, smiled like a teenager seeing her first crush, and left the hut with a dignified step.
The other goblins did the same, kneeling and trembling before me like some deity, almost crawling on all fours, face down, outside, until I was left completely alone.
Later, they brought me some herbs mixed with weeds and two large buckets of water, which I gulped down in one go with the other head.
I kept thinking about the silver-haired woman's words. So if I eat enough talking beings, I'll gain the ability to speak? What kind of system is this? Does it mean that if I eat enough humans, I'll be able to transform into a human!? How does this system work? What does the vampire mean by wild creatures gaining the ability to speak? Did she mean other reincarnated beings?
I remembered Zod's words. He mentioned others who had reincarnated as monsters. Although he didn't give me their names or fates, the very fact that they met the Lord of Monsters indicated they managed not to die immediately.
Maybe there was still hope for me?
The wind picked up outside the window, and the beautiful moon filled me with optimism for tomorrow. I paced from wall to wall. I examined the contents of the crates and noticed that my resource analysis abilities were also limited…
I cursed in my mind, but there was nothing I could do.
At least, I was still alive, and that was the most important thing. I decided to lie down and make a decision tomorrow. I was human and if necessary I could scratch my thoughts on stone. Somehow, I'd manage to explain myself. I wasn't completely lost yet.
Sleep was deep and pleasant, though such rest is often interrupted by phenomena beyond our control.
Outside, I heard the wild stampede of beasts and the piercing screams of dozens of goblins!
That was it for my peace!