Prologue (Ch. 0) - A New Era

The erratic breaths and the light thumps of feet racing across the wilderness gave him the image of a creature slightly larger than himself. It wouldn't be as easy as dinner, but it would fill him up for much longer. In the end, he crawled up from his hiding spot and stalked the prey from afar.

His ear twitched with every sound, rising in sensitivity as he began his hunt. When something else was also hunting this prey, he didn't mind becoming a patient scavenger instead. Whether the prey or the hunter, he knew he would be able to consume whatever is left of the hunt as many days' worth of food. Each rustle and cough, every scrape and muffled cries, it all entered his ears and he moved over the snow and under the trees. The dead branches made noises that he can easily track and he stalked the prey through the familiar snowy landscape.

As he kept the prey on the edge of his perception range, his body lowered to the ground and the mana threads unfurled from his skin like an unraveling silk cocoon. His steps were deliberate whereas every move accelerated him to where he needed to be. His precision might be instinctive, but his experience had made him an adept hunter. The flow of the mana threads were so subtle that even the snowfall's errant energies could cover its tracks. As he heard his prey fall and cry from pain, seemingly so stupid as to trip over tree roots, he propelled himself up and over. His threads were controlled to safely bring him on top of a branch and he could finally see the prey with his own eyes.

He paused.

He had seen himself on the ice lakes and fragile flat-stones before, so he knew that this prey looked like him though with different hair and features. He glanced over and instinctively cast his threads over and around some trees. The slight opening there would be where the other 'hunter' had to go through to get here. After that, he spread his curious threads slowly behind the prey that seemed older but strangely weaker than he was. He jumped down silently in front of the prey, observed, and noticed that the prey had began making noises. Yet, those noises he heard feels... peculiar.

Although he couldn't be sure what this prey was trying to convey, the fear was so palpable that his experienced nose can almost smell it from the prey. The sounds assembled in a pattern that he has never heard from any other creature, be it prey or hunter. Since he had never met any living thing which looked like him, this was a novel experience that he considered of particular importance. He was estranged from the concept of language and had no prior experience of anything resembling coherent communication, but he still knew that new things could become useful. This made him understand the value of any opportunity to learn.

He began listening cautiously, lowly mimicking the prey's fearful noises.

"Y-you-! Who are you! Where did you come from?!"

"Wu... Wu arru? Werid yuh..." He tilted his head, "kamfro?"

It wasn't like he had never used his vocal cords. He had experience making various noises, from warning to coquettish ones even. And yet, these sounds are strange enough that his tongue felt heavy and uselessly twisted while his throat is unused to the non-growling texture. 

At that time, the prey seemed to notice something from behind him with a stunned and distressed expression. His awareness as a hunter rose to the peak again like a drench of cold adrenaline as he dropped low and swiftly turned at the direction of the 'hunter' in alert. The prey behind him had fallen in despair and fell from his danger radar to the bottom, only higher than most weak beasts and dangerous plants. Instead, he focused on looking at the mana thread web he had placed where the 'hunter' rushed through.

The 'hunter' that appeared was a familiar prey he had caught before, thus he moved swiftly to begin his hunt.

The beast went wild as it was caught in the visually invisible web of threads. Its two heads raised and roared in fierce anger, using its massive horns to rip the impediment away. Unfortunately, the threads were loose enough to tangle and strong enough to hold it mostly down. He rushed through the beast's blind spot as more mana threads unfurled from his arms. He moved as swift as wind yet light as snow. His threads were not as quick as he was, but his mastery of this weapon was showcased as this became a threat in and of itself.

The threads mixed and tangled with each other as each pull and tug in various directions created a web specifically created to ensnare this beast. The beast opened its snout covered in decaying flesh to bite at the threads, only to be caught and forced to face its head to the other side. Its fore-claws scratched and grasped as futile attempts in breaking the threads surrounding it. The strong tail thrashed through the web to no avail in a desperate attempt to leverage itself out of its predicament. Compared to the beast, he was quiet and swift, almost flashing around the beast as he spread the strong threads into an inescapable net around its large body. This was a familiar prey, so he knew precisely how to restrain and deal with his new prey.

He had this for breakfast a long time ago. He can have this for dinner now.

The tangling of the threads began shifting in a different direction. With swift precision, more mana threads unfurled from his arms and he threw them around the new prey. As restraint was no longer a priority, the threads became a death trap. They tightened more aggressively with each new thread reinforcing the last, whereas the beast could struggle less and less.

As the web was completed, he leaped over the beast and landed between the weak prey that looked like him and this new prey. With the main controlling thread in hand, he pulled with all of his strength. The threads immediately tightened as they tug and squeeze with exponential strength. The strong threads became a sharp weapon that could slice through the hardened flesh of his new prey with tensile strength alone. He kept pulling the thread, almost lying parallel to the ground. Within seconds, the beast stopped struggling and the scales on it started splintering. After a minute, he began absorbing the threads back into his body to pull even further as he jumped back.

The snow was covered in vile blood and scales as flesh was cut and muscles were rend. The threads cut through all of the meat as measured pieces began falling.

Though some of the threads lost the target of its ensnarement as the flesh fell, he could feel the loosening threads get caught in other threads and cutting other parts of the prey. As he kept jumping back and pulling with all of his strength, the threads tangled with each other and formed new arrangements, seemingly able to be cut open ever more flesh. The chain reaction kept spreading as he absorbed the loose threads until he can barely see his prey anymore.

At last...

Only few flesh, horns, and bones were left when the threads completely loosened.

He adeptly collected all of the threads with a single movement, the loose threads enveloping him and returning into him as usual. Since the other prey was taken care of, he sprinted back to the trembling prey that looked like him. He looked down with a vigilant but curious stance, listening to its voice again.

"How did a kid like you do that?! What is that?! Please don't kill me! I can pay you!!!"

This time, he carefully examined this prey by slowly stalking around it. He did so while keeping his dinner on the snowy ground at the edge of his perception. At the same time, he kept trying those weird sounds he heard from the trembling prey.

"Howdi aki laiyudu da, wah isa... Piss doh kimi..."

He tilted his head again. He had a feeling he didn't need to try the last part. The prey seemed to finally hear him properly, looking confused and appalled.

"You... What are you doing?"

"Yuu... Wahar yuu dui?"

"Are you copying me?"

"Arr yuu ko-pee-e mi?"

The prey's face looked astonished.

He continued staring at the prey, growling a warning roar and glancing at its mouth repeatedly. It was a signal that he wanted to hear more sounds.

"... Can you speak?"

"Ken yuu pee-kh?"

"Uh, then do you know... anything?"

"Uuh den du yuu no eni ti?"

The prey moved its hand and he immediately jumped back towards his dinner and howled in warning. Heeding the warning, the prey moved back and waved wildly while pointing at itself and repeating a sound.

"Fanira! Fanira! I'm Fanira! I'm Fanira! Don't attack!"

He looked up and down the prey, narrowing his eyes and perking his ears to listen. He only relaxed slightly after sensing the tranquil silence all around him. When he gave the prey another look, he sniffed something in the air. A peculiar smell.

The prey seemed embarrassed when it realized it was being sniffed from afar. It reached inside and pulled out a few leaves. He could immediately recognize it as a delicious and helpful plant, useful when he feels weak after hunting.

"The Mana-Enhancing Frost Blues are very fragrant. This must be what you're smelling?"

He didn't bother copying the prey's sounds, showing a greedy look and silently approaching it instead.

"Wait, wait, stop there! I can give you this if you don't attack me?"

The panicked prey made a lot of noises and he paused. Though it is a prey, it had given him a good tribute after that hunting session.

Perhaps... He can allow it to present the tribute to him.

As soon as he made up his mind, he decisively used his mana threads to wrap around the prey and drag it with him. With another hand, he manipulated the threads to pick up and wrap the edible meats to carry back as well. Despite the firm yet un-squeezing nature of the wrap, the prey seemed to panic worse instead.

"Wait what- Let go of me! Don't you want this? Where are you taking me??"

He thought of how this prey seemed good at finding delicious plants. If it can stop making sounds with every part of its body, he could consider keeping it around and feeding it his leftover scraps.

Accompanied by the wails of the prey, he made satisfied noises as he thought of throwing out less bad meat leftovers.