Author's Note

Ayyyyyy here's the new chapter from this noob writer hope toy enjoy

Our MC's story continue for he must learn to survive and thrive

Ps this story was taking awhile to be approved my God

But who cares enjoy and judge.

2. Natural selection

Be born

Be born!

Live MANNAZ!!

‘O-oh G-god’ was the recently born second son of Dvalinn’s thoughts, his mind still processing everything he’s seen, heard and went through.

Firstly he’s birth, the process itself was horrifying, not giving him enough time to properly think of a way to get him and his brother away from this demented village.

His lungs suddenly started working with his placenta straight up turning off, the meaty walls around convulsed and shifted in many ways making it hard to focus and the final process felt as if he was being crushed as he was delivered into the outside world.

He doesn’t know how he did it, but somehow he managed to imprint some runes within his body without the use of his hands, inscribed the rune Uruz deep within his heart to boost his life force, while simultaneously did something he only observed done on the runes found on the female prisoners of this village, warping a rune to do the opposite of its given nature, a corruption of the rune.

It felt disgusting doing so but his frantic mind didn’t care at the moment, placing a Corrupt Uruz rune near the outer layer of his body, specifically under the skin on his chest.

The normal Uruz fueling and maintaining his inner life force with the corrupt Uruz sucking away my outer life force, essentially making it seem like I’m near the brink of death, without actually dying.

All of which was activated by a mental command, It worked too, fooling my wet nurses and father.

Well now he knew he’s definitely not a “Bzzzt” judging by the fact he was surrounded by anthropomorphic deers(?).

‘…Mother…’ He didn’t know what to feel about her at the moment, her death definitely shook him, but the impact of such a thing was not as large as he hoped, ‘I’m so sorry…’

He started focusing on his surroundings again now noticing his father had picked him up with a strange insidious look in his eyes, be spoke in a language that I still didn’t understand, but the mad look he had told the reborn earthling it’s nothing good.

‘Dammit if only I was fast enough!’ the “dead” baby thought while sensing his healthy looking brother held in the arms of a NAKED DOE ‘Wait they’re all naked! Even this jackass holding me!!’ The only one wearing some form of clothing is said jackass’s loincloth with his weapon ‘Wh-what kind of primitive excuse of a weapon is that!!’ A weapon that relies entirely on the rune inscribed on it to be relevant in battle, in his opinion.

‘Wait how am I seeing? My eyes are…still…closed?’

All of his senses have been boosted to levels he didn’t think possible, now noticing how clear everything is outside the womb. New senses and old working together to form a colourful near clear image of his surroundings both physical and magical within his mind, the only sense excluded being his true sense of sight.

‘Holy shit…’ so far consumed in his stupor he didn’t notice the large grey stag take him and his brother outside, shaken out of it by his brother’s cries ‘Whoa what’s wron-COLD COLD COLD!!’

It took all his willpower to not shiver as that would be a sign of life.

‘FUUUUUCCKKK!!!’

ONE LONG SPEECH LATER

‘Is he done!!? Put me back inside dammit!!’

I didn’t even pay attention to my surroundings only focusing on not shaking nor making any kind of noise.

Everything was moving quite fast too, the cheering and all other unspeakable things happening around me, they put me in a thick bundle with tribal markings across it and my face, some old stags with runes across the arms and legs checked on me before they frowned and looked sadly at me with pity ‘I don’t need you assholes pity!!’ I angrily thought.

It looked like so like cross between a ceremony and celebration of some sort.

A very large and beefy looking brown stag picked me up, he wore fur bands around his arms and legs of some unknown animal(I can smell a herd of them up north!), and wore a dark red loincloth with yellow tribal marks

How do I know all this without seeing, well that’s what my combined senses determined in my mind, I sensed my father lazily gazing at me from a distance while holding my brother, ‘Am I going to be buried? Sacrificed in a fire!!?’ I thought now realizing the error of making myself look dead and what it could mean for me.

‘Though the idea of them burying me is not exactly unappealing, to be so close to nature-WHAT THE FUCK AM I THINKING!!?’

Before I could internally scold myself, I felt a rush of cold air slam into me realizing the large stag was running into a forest, sounds of the village getting further away as he ran.

‘Dammmmnnnn, this guy would could give all the Olympians I know a run for their money!!’

He ran deeper and deeper with astonishing speeds, and here I’m wondering how someone so big can run so fast.

He stopped to catch his breath and spoke in the middle of some pants, didn’t know what he said but looked satisfied, jogging to a rock and placing me atop it before he nodded and left, I caught sight of the pair glowing blue runes on his calves AND biceps, Thurisaz.

‘Yeah forget my complements about his magically steroidal ass! And why did he leave me in the middle of this cold ass forest!!’

He was gone, well gone as in very far away, the village even more so. I can still sense them but I just want to get as far away as possible from them.

‘So they left me here to die?’ I thought releasing my inner runes, my baby form enlarges and my fur becomes a healthy silver white, now looking like a 3 month old anthropomorphic baby Caribou.

Taking a huge breath, and squinting my still closed eyes, I tried to think of a way to get out of this predicament, ‘Ha! That could work!’ I thought removing my small arms out of the bundle, shivering, and proceed to write a rune on my right palm.

Sticks broke as a wild animal made itself known, an odd looking snow leopard with a much longer muzzle than Earths version and had two small horns jutting from its head.

It's beady yellow eyes focused on easy prey, it carefully trudged the snowy ground creeping closer to my form, before the animal could pounce me I revealed my right palm at it direction and inscribed on it was the rune Wunjo, shaped like a “P”.

A mental command ‘Wunjo!!’

It casted a white glow that blinded the animal turning its head away from me, when it turned back to me instead of eyes filled with hunger they were filled with complete and utter bliss when the animal stared upon me.

‘I don’t like mind control but considering my situation I kinda have no choice’ the cat all but abandoned subtlety and walked to me with a very apparent skip in its steps, the rune itself induced feelings of happiness whenever the animal looked at me.

It turned me around onto my face, not before nuzzling me for a few seconds, on the rock and picked me up by the scruff of my neck as if I’m its child and started traveling to what I assume is the feline’s habitat.

‘Let’s gooo! Cat-mom! I wonder if she has litter?’

Where my thoughts as we travelled to who knows where.

30 minutes later back at Brave hoof village

Dvalinn watched with a stoic expression as the runemasters drew runes on his “only” son’s body to increase his development as he grows to be the God-King his kind deserve.

“We’re almost done my Chief” said one of the three runemasters surrounding the kid, he just finished inscribing the blue rune, Ingwaz, on his pelvic area just above his penis, meant to boost his fertility and endowment.

Advanced runecraft in the eyes of the Caribou, pretty simple(and stupidly wasteful) in the eyes of the reincarnated man of Earth, if he was there.

“Excellent” responded Dvalinn, his imagination going wild at the possibilities, his greatest dream coming closer to reality, one of which involved the conquering of certain vixen’s empire, many tales where spoken of the Tamamo empire’s Empress - her beauty, grace and very divine body.

His secondary goal was to get his hands on her and leash her to his rightful will.

“By the great winter!” one the runemasters gasped, drawing Dvalinn’s attention before he smiled darkly.

He’s son had a golden yellow aura surrounding him turning the blue runes gold, he grew bigger and older now looking two years in age.

“Do not be afraid my brothers” Dvalinn assured the frightened old stags ,”For what you see is our future” he said pointing at Dàinn “The key to for us to rule as kings!!” the runemasters eyes widened before they starting bowing to the sleeping child muttering incomprehensible praises and worship.

Dvalinn couldn’t help but laugh overjoyed at their reaction.

--- 4 Year later ---

The frozen forest

8 years has passed…I think, it’s hard to tell, but I’m sure of that considering I look 8 years old. It’s one thing to discover that you are reborn as some furry but another thing to add if the way I age is wrong too.

So I just assumed that much time has passed, it definitely felt that way considering all the progress I made in my rune magic and recently hunting skills with my new family of feral kitties.

I’ve already mostly given up on any sort of normalcy in my new life only holding on thin strings of what I considered an average reality…bruh I’m just lying to myself at this point.

But anyway my progress with runes has proved fruitful now knowing more runes than before, how? Simple mother nature “told” me…somewhat…in a way…yeah I really don’t know how listening to rocks and trees made me know more runes.

I just meditate and here you go.

Well I did feel strangely in tune with my surroundings and the magic around me, could explain my super senses, but again I didn’t feel anything similar with the other Caribou if they could do the same thing though…whatever I’ll investigate that bridge when I get there.

So any way new runes as well as finding less disgusting substitutes for Corrupt, being Chain, Improved and Alternate.

Chain, being a way to combine runes to create a new purpose, for example combing Laguz(water) and Kenaz(Torch)to create steam, appearance looks like roots half circling a rune and connected to another rune in a similar fashion, I can make three connections at best for now.

Improved, being a way to further “emphasize” its purpose, for example elemental runes like Kenaz, which ignites the object or substance its written on aflame, it’s enhanced version can give the object or substance its written on the explosive properties of fire much greater than the normal version and if the rune is inscribed in thin air(took me a year to pull this off) it will launch a very explosive fire ball. Appearance looks like a crimson magical circle around the white rune.

Alternate, these runes have multiple meanings thus purposes, other purposes I can draw out and exchange for the old general purpose, example Thurizas the runes that big stag who left me in the forest had, whose purpose is to “enlarge”, it’s other purposes I can now access being to unleash thorns on what ever its in contact with, increase ones durability and the disruption of magical energies. Still trying to see if I can enhance the other purposes too with Improved. Appearance being a purple diamond encapsulating the glowing white rune

Even though I hate the Corrupt feature, I can’t deny its uses at certain situations. Appearance is the rune itself glows a sickly green with crack like features on it.

Right now I was hunting for boar in this frozen hell wearing my blue baby bundle around my waist, as a make shift dress, and a fur coat of a male ‘leopard’ that tried to mate with my cat-mom via trying to kill me and her cubs, now I wear him as a sweat open hoodie.

It's cold but it’s doesn’t affect me that much anymore, for God’s sake I’m literally traveling bear hoof.

Holding a makeshift wooden spear that looked 3 times too long for me and heavy, yet I wielded it as if it didn’t weigh a thing.

Putting crazy strength for a “eight year old” aside.

I scanned my surroundings with my senses immediately finding the boar quite far from me munching on some red sweet smelling berries.

“1 km? Too easy” I squeaked out my first words in this story, feeling the direction of the wind against my exposed silver fur, before throwing my spear in a perfect arc a distance away, wind picked up from the force of the throw.

A squelch sound was heard only by my enhanced ears, my heat sense telling me the animal died immediately judging by its dropping temperature.

Running to my downed prey I couldn’t help but think ‘I started hunting for myself and pack ever since I started walking’ his running leaving a snowy dust trail ‘I didn’t eat with them considering all they ate was Raw meat surprised I didn’t die from hunger when I was younger, but than I again I stopped questioning this things’

He found the large boar with his wooden stake of a spear lodged in its eye, smiling he carried it over his after he finished eating all the berries on the bush the boar was feasting on. Unlodging the spear and carrying the animal with one arm he started walking back at his home.

The wilds were…entertaining to him, fun even, something the old him would have never agreed with. He sees living here as an exercise, the running in the woods, climbing trees and small hills, dodging big predators and the hunting.

There was a beauty to this place, especially during daytime.

He reached his home seeing his pack mates still sleeping, chuckling he placed his food down and started skinning the boar with a well made iron knife.

A clever way to use his senses to detect vibrations mixed with some magic to find ore, he forged himself some basic utensils for making food, such as pots, pans and even cutlery.

To challenge himself he limited how much rune magic he could use to forge his stuff, made gloves from the leather of those weird mounts near Caribou camps, starting fires the good ol’ fashion way etc.

The only parts he used rune magic was to make the pot to melt his ore’s in and his trusty hammer, and anvil.

Though some improvements came to mind if wants to make better stuff like real quality steel weapons, but that’s for later.

Though there was an easy shortcut for that via a specific rune.

Putting his pot over a fire he started cooking, adding peppers and spices that were magically made, cause I live in a constantly cold environment mind you.

The smell woke up the sleeping felines, the 2 younger ones immediately standing up and approaching him first with the older mother coming last.

All of them rubbing themselves on my back causing me to chuckle.

The younger cats went straight for the rest of the skinned meat left behind as I only took the necessary amount to satisfy me, the cat-mom on the other paw stayed near me, looking at me and my cooking expectantly completely ignoring the raw meat her cubs were eating.

I scoffed “Picky eater aren’t you?” finishing up making two dishes for her and me, she started eating slowly almost savoring the flavor as she purrs.

I don’t know why seeing that filled me with pride and why I’m not questioning the fact that an animal is showing such expressive emotions, but I didn’t care at the moment, digging in to my food.

Some days are like this while others we usually hunted together with me taking on the much larger animals that would’ve otherwise one-shot this entire pack, giant mammoths that commanded the cold with a single stomp, Huge serpents that swam under the snow possessing very big venomous fangs(Well I think so, never got scratched by them, seen their handy work though strong enough to melt animals into a puddle) and the most target practice’y of them all being the hunter parties that somehow find his pack.

My marksmanship with a bow and arrow(as well as spear in some occasions) is truly tested with them considering I don’t want any of them to even see or find me.

They never did, all headshots.

Most of them were Caribou of some unknown tribe with their stone age weapons, bears included in tool quality and some owls who straight up just use sharpened sticks though their stealthy nature makes up for their under equipped assess.

Seriously I hope one species brings weapons that don’t look like something from the stone age.

Some days I just look at myself with my custom made mirrors and ask…when has the act of killing become so easy for me…

Those were dark days alright!

Later that evening

In an underground cave/forge I forged a weapon, my first steel made weapon.

A spear was the weapon I chose to forge, steel blade and steel pole(wrapped with studded leather) with a blunt end, the blade itself is as long as a normal steel sword, why? Because my spear can detach into a sword and staff, that’s why.

I wasn’t going to use it now, only once I’m older.

Wrote some runes on it to preserve it from the hardships of time, I wiped the sweat from my brow and marveled at the creation.

“Yeah. I’m gonna do wonders with you” I said with a bright smile on my youthful features, even though I’m done making my weapon I knew that as I will grow older new ideas could come, possible improvements for my special spear. ‘Upgrades people! Upgrades!’ words of an unknown origin popping in my head.

“I’ll call you Hárr”

4 more years

I finally remembered everything about my past life, my family, friends, job and me.

Every single detail that revolved around John Cormac.

I sighed sitting at a mountains peak, above the clouds, my appearance changed again to match my “14 year old” body. I learned via ‘observing’ the age of my surroundings, my true age confirmed as eight(My soul still felt old).

He wore a fuzzy ‘jersey’ made from a wooly super mammoth he slew , well sowed leather pants with fuzzy ‘boots’.

He made a hat too, but realized his now apparent antlers would make It impossible to wear.

Cat-mom passed away, in her sleep, it wasn’t from any injuries, it wasn’t from old age nor sickness, things he could’ve prevented with medicinal herbs and magic. She was poisoned.

Something I couldn’t have predicted as it was to ridiculous as to how she got poisoned, she must have seen me eat berries a couple of times, because that would explain why she thought they were safe to eat only for me to discover the ones she ate were poisonous…

“The fuck…” I uttered going through emotions I wished I could’ve went through when my biological mother passed.

I buried her next to the biggest tree I could find, vowing to protect my feline sister and brother. Right now it was very early in the morning ‘They’re still asleep’ I thought hearing their calmed heart beats.

His usual target practise with the hunting parties became a bit lax, he still shoots a large majority of them down, only leaving those who are wise enough to run back where ever they came from.

Not of kindness mind you, did so to see if they’ll bring reinforcements(which they usually did) to get the same treatment as the other previous parties, running with their tails between their legs at the unknown archer(s? Who knows! Ha!).

“Man I’m fucked up in the head!”

Thus why he’s atop a mountain, to meditate and try to bring out some empathy for Christ's sake.

He’s been training these past years, both magically physically.

His Chain skills have gotten better and he can Chain six runes.

Rapid casting as well was one thing he learned to do, something to use together in battle.

He’s been training his body as well forging weights to use, Corrupt runes to make his weights heavier and challenging, made himself heavier too by inscribing runes in his body

,A trick he finally figured out, that as well as air inscription,

To increase his body’s sense of gravity, right now he’s sitting at 3x This world’s gravity(Still active) while also exercising with his weights.

He ran around the forest tens of hours for endurance training, always until he drops gasping for air.

Weapon based training was the slowest considering nearly all his opponents were wild animals, he always looked for the most dangerous ones as he and his pack migrate around this land to improve his instincts.

‘Though I wish I had a proper opponent, the hunting parties were ass!!’ remembering the few times he faced the large groups and their reinforcements, some attacked me immediately once I made my presence known, some spoke in their unknown language in confusion, plead or tried to order me, but that didn’t matter, I still slaughtered them all leaving no survivor’s(Well survivor’s of the battle specifically those smart enough to not be part of the fight I let live).

Even when I was holding back their attacks were so predictable with numerous openings. Using a plain iron sword, dagger and my hunting stick.

I stood up the mountain…and jumped greatly in the air, slowly descending before impacting the clouds as I continued falling.

“Chain! Hagalaz alternate! Improved Raidho alternate! Raidho alternate!” words that went so fast it sounded as if he voiced one incomprehensible word.

Combining Hagalaz alternate – purpose of change, Improved Raidho alternate – purpose of land travel enhanced into purpose of advent travels , and a different Raidho alternate – purpose of momentum

All combined to create FLIGHT.

All the runes now self inscribed on his body vertically down his back glowing a brilliant white, before he blasted off like a jet. A white aura surrounding him, breaking the sound barrier to reach his destination.

As he was reaching his home at mind blowing speeds, he stopped mid-air his ears twitching and his nose picking up a scent he has never picked up before.

“This is knew and…does my nose deceive me or is that perfume?”

Very Far from the silver stags position In a valley

A party of 3 foxes was seen traveling through the valley carrying bags on their back.

They wore thick winter clothing covering everything but their head.

Black full lips and long eyelashes on their orange furred and very feminine muzzles and eyes, they each had long hair, one colored black and the 2 others red-orange to match their fur.

The leading vixen with black hair had deep purple eyes, the one with orange-red long hair on the first’s right had green eyes and the one on the left had braided her hair near the ends, had sky blue eyes.

“Jinako! I hate this, this place is too cold!!” the vixen on the right addressed the black haired one with a tone filled pompous annoyance, her green eyes looking around the valley.

The now named purple eyed Jinako, responded “Shut up Nami!! All we have to do is reach the end of this valley and we’ll be back home!”

The blue eyed one on the left shook her head “I don’t recognize this valley…the snow storm may have caused us to get lost” she said with a passive tone, Jinako turned to the half braided vixen “And I told you, Temari, that this is the right valley! I never get lost!” pridefully stated the leading vixen.

Temari only rolled her eyes, her cool expression still remained.

“I don’t know it’s just that I wish to not encounter any of those antler creatures” she said with disgust, obviously addressing the Caribou.

“We are nowhere near those lands!” Shouted Jinako with irritation, Nami on the other hand just shivered from the cold and prospect of not just encountering the Caribou but also the other barbaric species that they may encounter.

The Caribou were definitely the worst of them all, next to incredibly violent brown bears who killed in gruesome manners - who took no prisoners.

“Now shut it and follow me I’m pretty sure we’re almost near the Zonai lands” proclaimed Jinako with certainty, believing they’ll reach their home.

Temari just sighed, and looked at her group, they were part of a scout regiment of the Tamamo empire that was created to scope out for fresh and fertile land that the empire wishes to claim especially considering the fact that their empire was experiencing severe food shortages combined with their dropping male population(who were the once those who usually did these kind of missions) that really put their empire in an awkward position.

The reason their empire was still able to stand strong despite their circumstances was due to how superior it is to the other species of this continent, better developed weapons, high quality silk clothing, tougher armour , a bigger United species/race, riches and powerful illusionary magic as well as spirit summoning.

All that and the large impenetrable walls surrounding said empire.

They usually do trades with crows despite their shifty nature, none can deny their tinkering skills and ability to make the most interesting of tools.

They once traded with the owls but civil war and greed left that particular species in shambles, all forms of status they once had was reduced to ruin, made worse by the tribes Caribou who made the owls torn lands their home.

Thinking about the crows ‘To bad they’re so hard to capture, some torture would have helped us learn their secrets and no longer have a need to trade with those birds’ thought Temari a bit bummed.

She could smell how agitated her fellow vixens are and frowned, she knew how monogamous her species, making it hard for the many, many vixens who don’t have any mates especially during heat season.

Vixen on vixen relationships were encouraged but it only slowed the inevitable heat, the pains, heat and hunger becoming nearly unbearable for many, things getting so bad that during the coming of our next season we are to lock ourselves in prisons to prevent any harm on the obviously unwilling males and their chosen mate until it passes.

Their empress Tamamo III has never showed any signs of heat during the seasons, some praising her will power, others claiming she’s a goddess of strength and purity and a very small group spreading rumours that she has a secret mate of her own who’s keeping her composed.

An even very few claiming that she became bigger, in certain places…

Temari shook her head and saw the end of the valley now seeing mountain ranges she didn’t recognize, sending a fierce glare at Jinako who nervously looked ahead, only picking up on Nami’s soft sobs.

Before Temari could scold Jinako, a booming sound was heard.

“What was-?!” before Nami could finish something crashed behind them, creating a huge cloud of snow, they covered their eyes as they now faced their previous trail.

The cloud cleared as they opened they’re eyes, which widened upon seeing a young silver caribou who looked no older than twelve facing them with closed eyes.

His bizarre and well made clothes shifting around from the wind

Long silver hair that stretched to his back and well cared for antlers on his head.

All in all, it was a bizarre sight for the foxes, especially now realizing he was the thing that crashed here judging by how he stood in the small crater.

Shock turned to fear and anger, as fully realising ‘what’ was standing before them sunk in, Nami and Temari pulled out good quality enchanted daggers with their leader Jinako coating her arms with ethereal pink magic ,around black fur that made them look like long black gloves , claws exposed and their tails whipped around violently.

Despite their battle ready stance, none made a move as the vixens couldn’t make sense of the lone young stag in front of them ‘Caribou never travel alone! Where did he come from!? Was that explosion we heard a signal!?’ was the kind of thoughts going through their heads.

Temari was the first to move followed by Nami, Jinako casted an illusion in the area to disorientate him ‘I don’t know what trick he just pulled but it doesn-!” her thoughts were cut short as faster than she can comprehend Temari was downed, a knee straight to her stomach, collapsing immediately from the hit.

Nami seeing her partner get knocked out so quick faltered for a second, but that was all he needed as grabbing Temari’s dagger mid fall he parried Nami’s weak strike and easily disarmed her before slamming the end of the dagger’s handle under her chin. Causing her to violently spin in the air before she landed flat on her stomach out cold.

Jinako just stood frozen with her jaw dropped, words failing to form.

Seeing him get closer got her out of her stupor “No! No! No! Noooo!” tales of what the Caribou did to the women they captured running wild in her mind. Sending quick glances at her fallen allies, she made her decision.

“Please take them!! Spare me! I beg you!” she cried out before taking off in a sprint away from the dangerous child, and her fallen teammates, hoping he claims them instead.

Tears streamed down her, her eyes erratic, she ran and ran, not caring where it will lead her.

Silver stag’s POV

“Wow these guys were trash!” I sighed disappointedly, after seeing their better gear l had my hopes up to finally test my proficiency in close range combat but nope not really different from fighting the others.

Well except the one who ran, shouting around knows what, ‘I really have to fix this language barrier bullshit, she casted a spell that’s for sure but nothing happened, I only felt a slight tingle’

I thought, setting my ‘sight’ on the fallen “foxes?”, definitely different from the usual.

But I believed this could be a good solution for my language problem.

As well as that weird magic he detected on what I assume is their leader, I could’ve knocked her out but I wanted to observe and see her magical capabilities and what better way than leaving her at the mercy of this damned forest area.

Her magic did speak to me, but the connection wasn’t as strong as Caribou magic, “But in time I will learn and master this new power” I declared with a small grin.

Carrying the downed vixens on my shoulder and recreating my flight runes, I flew back to my home where two bored big cats waited.

END