3 Chapter 3

(MC POV)

The pain was the only thing I could feel. It was getting cold and everything was foggy. I looked down at my body. There was blood and a hole in my chest? Huh??!

I screamed.

I woke up sweating. Getting up, I hurriedly looked at my body. I sighed in relief seeing no injuries. Now, that was scary.

Haah~ It must be the stress building up.

Well, you see trying to train like a protagonist from a cultivation world doesn't always work out. There's also taking into account that I know nothing about ninja training. Scrolls can only get so far. That's not to say I haven't improved. I have. I just don't know how much I've improved. And then there are jutsus. I can learn jutsus from the scrolls I got. But it takes time. It takes a lot of time, even one of them. Again, I don't know how to use them in battles. I know that I don't have much time before I get in some kind of fight. The fact that I haven't still been found out by any human is a very fortunate occurrence. So, yes I've been worrying a lot.

The sun just came out. It rained a lot last night. In times like this, I enjoy the earthy smell that comes out in this damp atmosphere. So, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath chanting," All is well. All is well."

Now, everything would have been well if I just hadn't been shat on.

" Caw..caw.. Ahou.. Caw.. Ahou"

Again, hearing a crow talk would be very surprising and mildly cool, if the same crow wasn't calling me an idiot after shitting on my face. The ingrate even has the nerve to eat my food while doing so.

I'm not having a good day.

{A few moments later}

(MC POV)

I followed the crow deeper into the forest. I was a bit hesitant to follow it at first, but now I'm just waiting for something to happen. I need help. And for what I hope, this crow might be one of the crow clan.

After walking for a bit more, we came upon a small clearing. And there were patterns etched on the ground.

A very curious design. It had triangles, rectangles, circles, kanjis, and whatnot all in one circle. Fuinjutsu, if I had to guess.

The crow landed on my shoulder after circling the area for a bit. I was pretty pissed at him for what he did earlier. But I still tried to pet him. I mean like if a small animal came closer to you, you would try to pet him. The urge is too deep.

"Mothe********!...."

And the bastard pecked my finger. It bled. He went to the center of the circle and became still.

Then smoke.

And I was falling for the sky. I screamed as the ground was coming closer. Something picked me up before I could go splat.

Well, it's a big fucking crow on a huge fucking tree.

I just sat there on the ground for a moment as a whole lot of crows gathered around me in the trees.

I gulped and stood stiff. It was very overwhelming being watched by a murder of crows and yes, a big ass crow.

The big crow had red eyes and they were staring straight at me. I was just going to try to communicate when he spoke.

"You are a very curious human. We have watched over you since you came to the forest. You have survived death but death still clings to you. You escaped your torturer and yet you do not wander to seek your kind. You are young but you have the knowledge you should not have. You train as if you have a purpose, but what purpose can you have? So, tell us, child, do you have the answers?"

I opened my mouth and closed it instantly as I drew a blank. I didn't know what to say. I can't say that I'm a reincarnated soul transmigrated to a fictional world, where I'm panicking about my own survival. Not to mention there's a literal existential crisis coming soon.

" No, forgive me, child, what I mean to say is, do you have the courage?"

Again I reel back in shock.

"You can't, child, can you? The unknown is frightening to you humans. You want everything to happen in your preconceived lines. You are afraid of change. But child, or should I say traveler, your very existence has caused a ripple that will bring insurmountable change to the future you know."

I was sweating profusely. I gulped and looked around. They know about me. I asked in a small voice, " How do you know about me?"

" We know a lot of things, child."

" Then why am I here?", I asked again.

" We don't know everything. We know you are not from this world. And your fate is intertwined with us as has been your predecessors. You will play your part in the balance of the world. The balance is tipped and you will restore it. And we will help you in your endeavor."

" You mean being your summoner?"

" Now, that's just a part of it. We will stay with you to the end, as is our role in the balance. Do you understand, child?"

"Hn", I nodded.

Just then a huge scroll fell in front of me.

" Write your name, child, in blood." I did as he asked.

" From now on you will be our summoner. You will represent us in the outer world and we will prepare you for what is to come. Do not be mistaken, child. We don't know the future but we are afraid of the signs. So, we will do our part in maintaining the balance, as crows always keep the balance."

I stood surrounded by crows, taking in the pressure of the whole world on my shoulders. I may be the reason for the survival of the world or its destruction. I was now a crow looking over the balance.

And all I could say was, "Fuck."