2 Our First Encounter

This happened after several days I turned into a mouse.

Can't really say if it is in the span of weeks, months, or years. After all, when you turned into a mouse, you would constantly get sidetracked by how big the world is—forgetting time.

Also forgetting yourself, of what I used to be. So much effort has been done so I could adapt a life as a mouse...

Sigh just thinking about it makes me cry in manly tears...

Well, I'll tell you about that later. For now, it is about my first meeting with Jane.

Long ago, I used to gnaw and squeak without care. Almost everyone would scream and shout whenever I pass by. Nobody would even dare to block, the path of yours truly!

I would happily go wherever and whenever I please. In the box, where a mountain of food was made available.

In the cabin, where only those delicious food can be found— My fountain of pleasures! And there, exist the haven of all heavens!

A room guarded by a giant! It was a room forbidden by my forefathers and my fellow clansmen. All have entered but no one returned!

But nobody is braver than yours truly in my generation of young ones. Of course, because I am weird, to begin with.

And so, with great ambition and conviction in mind, I set foot to challenge the impossible. I went to the forbidden land!

Sneakily crawling, slowly but surely avoiding each checkpoint! Not even your loyal guard dog could detect me.

Not even your trusted scout can hunt me.

And then... Success!

I finally entered the forbidden land!

What greeted me were large obstacles and huge objects!

Everything seems to appear large!

And in my line of sight, a gorgeous mountain of treasure laid.

A patch of fences covered this divine treasure... But be worried not! This Yours truly had his divine weapon of his own.

The sharp daggers of greed!—The tooth of yours truly.

And without warning, succumbing to my natural instincts... I hastily went climbing the table of which the mountain of treasures was firmly placed.

When I arrived at the top, I stood up tall and proud! Yours truly had conquered the impossible!

"I, Wu Lei the Great—first to ever cross the forbidden lands, first to ever cross the bridge of death."

I went close to these patches of fences that blocked me from getting the divine treasure. And with my saliva as the catalyst, the fences fell under the mercy of my fangs.

Two squared broad swords with unilateral edges clawed their way as they began to weaken the Mountain of Divine Treasure's Defenses. And not too long, The Mountain of Divine Treasure revealed itself in its naked full glory!

Thinking up to this point, I could not help but to get emotional.

Finally! The divine treasure of which the myth had been spoken of is right at my very eyes!

My cheeks began to grow big as they puffed and puffed, excited to chew this Divine Mountain of Treasures.

My eyes were blinded by its brilliance. The golden object shined and flashed its light against my eyes.

"It's the Golden Pule Cheese!"

The Legendary treasure is here.

Heavy breathing, gasping and fuming with excitement.

Yours Truly is finally about to make a mark in the history of Rats! And right then... I felt a tingly flick of my senses.

It's as if some unknown threat is coming. I sensed a foreboding imminent danger!

My hairs straightened, my limbs quaked, and all the fur in my body raised itself without my permission. And I suddenly heard a loud sound! Followed by a rattling clap of boulders that seemed to descend from the heavens!

'Uh-oh!' I screamed in my head.

"You pesky little rodent! Get out of my house!"

A giant figure appeared!

The loud sound seems to come from it and it sounded foreign to me.

The vibration of the air that emanated from it disrupted my capacity to observe my surroundings.

To a little rodent, like yours truly—the broom looked like a huge earthen wall that collapsed under the power of a God from heaven. This giant figure that guards the Divine Mountain of Treasure repeatedly smashed me; of which I immediately avoided, automatically.

I stared at the Divine Mountain of Treasure as I renewed my determination to bring it back home.

I clenched my two protruding, squared broad swords—the only weapon I had which I could have used to devour the treasure but ultimately failed.

As the earthen walls descended, I evaded it successfully on my first try. The goal is in sight! The giant figure seems to be an apostle of God, without rest it continuously hammered me. After the fourth try, I was hit by the earthen wall!

My body yelped in pain as I began to lose my senses. And my footing was not firmly placed. And right then... I found myself in a tight situation that could determine my life or death.

'Glory and Death or Shame and Life'

The Giant smashed me without mercy. Then I glanced at the Divine Mountain of Treasure. It shone Goldenly and as always, fragrant as it may be. The smell invaded my nostrils and blocked my senses... My vision got blurry as the Giant continued to pummel me down.

I began to weep as the earthen wall was again, ready to descend from the heavens at any minute. I recalled their foreboding warnings!

I had been warned!

By the legend of my forefathers.

The oral tales of my elders. And the rumors between my clansmen. But all for naught!

"Is this my end?"

The huge earthen walls descended from heavens, the Giant had no mercy! A realization hit me hard!

Earlier I was bragging about my accomplishment, claiming to be the first! The Gods must have been mad at me, and like a fool who disgraced them.

My punishment was death.

I can no longer stand.

I am weak all over.

I found myself praying while chanting his name.

"Oh! Great God of the Rodents, Our Heavenly Ancestor, Hamsuke! Forgive this lowly descendant of yours for disgracing our kind. Please! Please! Allow this lowly one—Wu Lei the Fool, another chance at life! And I solemnly promise under your name, that this lowly one would always be nice... In the dark, in the pipes under the sink, or in the vastness of trash bins! I will remain kind to any Rodent of our kind."

I hopelessly prayed.

And just when the earthen wall was about to hit me again, God must have received my prayer.

It had forgiven me of my foolishness.

Beneath the walls, I noticed a small hole.

Armed with my newfound strength I gathered all of my remaining strength.

I dashed towards the unknown!

Luckily I escaped the vehement Guardian of the Golden Pule Cheese. Entering the hole that looked like a tunnel inside, just in the nick of time.

"Geez! That Rat was annoying! I did not manage to catch it!"

The mad titan shouted.

Somehow in the middle, I can but can't understand what she said. Perhaps due to the previously inflicted pain I just received. My head is still dizzy.

And that day, marked the day of the start of Me and Jane's Peculiar, Romantic Love Story.

All I can say after that: "The traps had never been the same."