Chapater Five - The Pebble On the Street

[Congratulations. You've been reincarnated as a pebble.]

"A pebble?" Confused, I asked, noticing the deep note of my voice. "You said?"

[Congratulations. You've been reincarnated as a pebble.]

A translucent mint-colored status window floated in front of me.

"Nah!" Somehow sounding metallic.

In the next moment, the text in the window faded into another sentence.

[{A} Face it!]

I blinked while maintaining a fixed stare at the floating green box.

"No, this must be a joke!"

[{A} A Joke?]

[{A} It's your attitude that seems like a joke to me!]

"No. No. NO, this can't be!"

[{A} Yes it can.]

"No."

[{A} Yes.]

"No."

[{A} Yes.]

"No."

[{A} Yes.]

"Argh! NO!"

[{A} Face it.]

Looking at the glowing green with the black text, I wanted to cry, and surely would have, had crying worked. Suddenly, the letters faded and his status flashed up. It displayed his distress perfectly in every word:

[Class: Stone] – [Type: Pebble]

[Rank: - ]

[Stats: {HP: 10/10} {STA: 5/5}]

"I have been reincarnated as a…" I felt like inhaling; somehow, I did feel refreshed but something was missing. The sensation of lungs filling with air and your ribcage rising was absent.

"Stone…"

At least, somehow, I could sense what was happening. My vision was monotone, my sense of smell gone, and the world, for the first time, felt tastelessly bleak to me.

Through vibration, I could feel the stomping of feet; the people were not really chattering and it couldn't be crowds of people coming closer.

Still, I felt something approaching. Two to be exact. With each contact they made with the floor, a unique vibration transmitted to where I was. I focused on the vibration; the grey blur became dark, and my senses were focused on the swinging of their steps.

Clack- Rustle-

"rometh nac ew yub raebd?" I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it sounded like a little child.

The steps were soft, quick-paced so the child must.

Within a second, a window popped up in my line of sight, this time clearly.

[Skill acquired]

[Perceptive vision] – [Level - FF]

{You can estimate living objects and the path they will take, based on sound, if you focus on their movement for three seconds.}

"Huh?!" In the same moment, the child somehow seemed like a white blur. His vibrations somehow made sense; they had a rhythm.

I focused on it. He must be only several meters away.

[Condition had been met.]

[Skill {Perceptive vision} has leveled up.]

[Perceptive vision] – [Level – F]

{You can estimate the action and exactly estimate the trajectory of their movement. The person will be clearly shaped.}

"What?" I focused again and noticed the change. His outline was clear. He was a lean boy with tattered clothes, approximately 30 meters away. And headed exactly for where I was. "That was one quick level up."

Inwardly I was happy as I felt that lying around and doing nothing would not be the rest of my life. Somehow, I felt warm and energetic.

"Ok, let's listen again. Maybe we can find out more."

The waves of vibration became stronger, and his outline clearer with each meter he was closing in. Suddenly, a second vibration emerged. This one was calmer and had more weight.

"Oh. A grown-up."

I felt the vibration as they approached. And in one moment, there was a difference in their steps.

"Oh no."