Episode 8: Fairies and Spirits

“Gyaaaah!”

The pseudo-panther collapsed, blood spurting from its belly, and I smashed its head with a rock to finish it off. I managed to defeat the pseudo-panther without much danger. The forest remains as full of danger as ever.

Having weapons really does increase the variety of attacks available, making fighting much easier. Having a spear to maintain distance when thrown stones are dodged allows me to stay out of range of fangs and claws while keeping the enemy in check.

Also, as I get used to it, the effectiveness of the whip stands out. The speed of the whip, exceeding the speed of sound, seems impossible for even ferocious beasts to track, and its destructive power to gouge flesh from several meters away is overwhelming.

I started moving near noon today. I spent the morning constructing a poncho and a knapsack, managing to finish them somehow, albeit clumsily. Trying them on, they were stiffer and harder to move in than I expected, but as I moved my body, they broke in and became more comfortable.

The knapsack is about the size of a daypack and holds a decent amount, making it convenient for carrying canteens, the recovered “Telekinetic Stones,” my stone knife, and vines for rope. I named the stones taken from the animals’ necks “Telekinetic Stones.”

I also made a pouch for throwing stones out of leftover fur, so my equipment is reasonably complete. Thanks to the arm and shin guards, walking through grass causes less discomfort from scratches and wetness from leaves and branches, making walking much easier. The old man is definitely evolving.

As usual, beasts and insects attack or block my way, but I’ve gotten somewhat used to fighting and can now handle them with a combination of Telekinesis and weapons.

So, I’m currently advancing while practicing to master the whip. I can now hit targets about 3 meters away at will. Since I can attack from any direction—up, down, left, or right—the trajectory is hard to predict. I’m now using the whip exclusively to mark tree trunks to show where I’ve walked.

Mastering weapons in such a short time is likely due to this body’s high physical ability. In addition to extraordinary physical prowess, it possesses excellent dynamic vision to follow those movements.

Looking back at my fights, I’m always able to track the opponent’s movements with my eyes and react accordingly. This is amazing, but rather than feeling like I trained for it, I feel like I was made this way.

To pull off fights like that with this young body, one would need training on par with a professional boxer. I doubt the body that was in the capsule actually did such things. Anyway, it’s a grateful ability, so I’ll just make use of it.

Thinking about that, Junior started getting huge again. Not the time for this, I think, but Junior behaves like a tyrant, regardless of the situation. What a nuisance.

Even though I released three times when I woke up this morning, this body’s libido is abnormal. I have a feeling that masturbation won’t resolve this sexual desire. The desire for a female body is rapidly increasing, and a sense of crisis is budding. This is bad, this is bad…

I walk through the forest in agony. I end up taking it out on attacking beasts by stabbing them repeatedly or whipping them until their bones show. I know this is pretty bad, but sometimes the irritation becomes uncontrollable. When my concentration breaks and I can’t dodge leeches or bees, that’s a danger signal.

While debating whether to relieve myself, I saw a faint light in the distance within the dim forest. It looked like sunlight reflecting off something, but since I was curious, I headed toward it.

As I got closer, I saw lights dancing through the gaps in the trees. Getting even closer, the dancing lights turned out to be trails of light following flying fairies.

Fairies? Seriously?

I watched the mysterious scene from the shadows of the trees for a while. There was a small spring, nearly circular with a width and depth of about 10 meters, and above it, three small people with wings—fairies, presumably—were flying around as if dancing. I think the fairies were about 30cm tall, flying by fluttering wings that resembled butterflies, and light appeared and diffused behind them like scattered scales.

“Frolicking” was the perfect word for it; the three fairies would spin over the spring, gather together as if snuggling, fly up toward the sky, and then separate in different directions. They repeated these gestures, flying freely. Captivated by the fantastical scene that felt devoid of reality, I honestly thought it was beautiful.

Observing the fairies closely, their bodies were translucent, allowing the scenery behind them to be seen. At first glance, they looked like tiny humans, but in detail, their bodies were quite different. Their eyes were large with no whites, and their hair seemed to be a single mass with protrusions like antennae. Their limbs were shaped normally, but the extremities had plant-like patterns. Their bodies were smooth, like they were wearing skin-colored body suits, but their waists were abnormally thin, giving them a somewhat insect-like vibe.

I was tempted to watch forever, but suddenly coming to my senses, I questioned if such things really existed. However, no matter how I looked, they didn’t look like flesh-and-blood creatures, nor did I sense the breathing or presence living things have. They certainly fit the description of fantasy creatures like fairies or spirits perfectly.

This is a world where psychic powers exist, but to think fairies exist too…

What kind of world is this, really? Don’t tell me it’s a fantasy world… If it is, this old man is going to go crazy. Fantasy worlds are fine because they exist in imagination; if such things existed in reality, it would be too unreasonable for the world to function.

For example, assuming Zeus from Greek mythology exists, he turns into a bull to seduce and kidnap maidens, or disguises himself as a husband gone to war to sleep with the wife. If that happened in reality and you were the victim?

It might be interesting as a story, but if you were the party involved, it would be unbearable. If that happened routinely everywhere, could you endure it? Could you forgive it because it was an act of God? Even if not a god, what if an individual possessed such world-shaking abilities and wielded them?

Thinking that God is on your side and gives you convenient cheat abilities is far too fantastic and naive. Therefore, I want fantasy to remain only in the world of imagination. No dreams? That is reality. And dreams are something you fulfill with your own power. Or so this old man thinks.

I was so captivated by the fairies that I completely neglected to watch my surroundings. Hearing a rustling sound, I turned around in a panic, and a beast resembling a fox attacked me.

I instinctively jumped sideways to dodge, but the fox-pseudo chased me while moving in mid-air. Its claws caught my shin and scratched it. Because of the awkward posture, the force was weak and it was just a graze, but it still went through the shin guard, tearing the skin and gouging the flesh.

I fell to the ground, but rolled while lying down to avoid the next attack. However, I had too much momentum and rolled out to the side of the spring. Trees didn’t grow around the spring; it was a well-kept grassy area like a lawn. Noticing me, the fairies immediately approached.

Bad!

I tried to flee instantly, but intense pain shot through the part scratched by the fox-pseudo, and I couldn’t stand up, falling back down.

I’m done for!

I thought I was helpless against a simultaneous attack from the fairies and the fox-pseudo, but the fairies just flew around me happily, while the fox-pseudo wandered around glaring at me, not trying to cross the boundary between the forest and the grass.

I didn’t understand, but I wasn’t being harmed. The fairies flew around me giggling for a while, but eventually flew toward the spring as if inviting me.

I watched the fairies in confusion as they began to circle in the center of the spring. Then, a large crystal-like mass about 2 meters tall emerged from the spring, rotating slowly while reflecting light and sparkling.

The reflected light illuminated the surroundings, and when it hit the fox-pseudo, the beast fled in a panic. The light hit me too, but nothing in particular happened. No, there was a change. Immediately after, the area wounded by the fox-pseudo healed visibly.

Removing the shin guard to look, the gouged flesh rose up, the wound closed, the bleeding stopped, and the skin regenerated. In just a few minutes, it healed cleanly as if the wound had never existed. I didn’t understand what was happening at all, but I was very grateful. The shin guard didn’t fix itself and remained torn.

When the crystal stopped rotating, it changed shape into a woman, gradually becoming more human-like and vibrant. Finally, it transformed into a woman clad in raiment that repelled light like silk.

However, she was clad in an atmosphere too pure to be called human, seeming like an entity unrelated to impurity. I don’t know how to describe it—it made me feel calm while also giving off a tense, solemn atmosphere like visiting a temple or shrine early in the morning.

If spirits exist, I felt convinced they would be like this. Strangely, I felt no caution.

I decided to think of this woman as the “Spirit of the Spring.”

The Spirit of the Spring stood floating on the water surface as if it were natural. The fairies fluttered below the Spirit’s waist as if serving her. When the Spirit stepped forward half a step, ripples spread across the spring water. She smiled gently and opened her arms as if to welcome me. Feeling absolutely no malice, I walked unsteadily toward her as if drawn in.

“~♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬~”

When I got right up to the spring, the Spirit spoke to me. I didn’t understand what she was saying, but it sounded like she was playing music. As I stood dumbfounded, she spoke again.

“~♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬~”

She seemed to be saying the same thing, but I couldn’t understand at all. The Spirit looked a little troubled, then cupped her hands together in the shape of a bowl and made a gesture of scooping up and drinking. It seems she’s telling me to drink the spring water.

Perhaps because of her atmosphere, I scooped and drank the water without suspicion. The moderately cold, clear water pleasantly moistened my throat. “Permeating the body” describes exactly this.

Then, my fatigue blew away, power surged through my body, and vitality welled up. What is this, a doping drug?! Surprised, I looked at the Spirit, and she smiled back gently and brightly.

Looking at her smile filled with benevolence, for some reason, I felt ashamed of myself for having such suspicions. For an old man whose heart had been completely sullied by nearly 40 years of city salaryman life, her smile was too dazzling. Moreover, Junior, who had been troubling me with thoughts of masturbation until just a moment ago, had become completely docile. It was a smile that made harboring such thoughts seem irreverent.

Is this really a fantasy world?

In fantasy terms, is this a “Recovery Spring,” and is this water a potion-like liquid called “Magic Water” or “Healing Water”? If so, is this woman an entity like a “Goddess of Recovery” or “Spirit of the Spring”?

Does such a thing really exist?

It’s hard to believe immediately, but the woman in front of me transformed from a crystal-like pillar and is standing on the water quite naturally. Smiling with superhuman beauty, she truly feels like a goddess or spirit.

Her features are simply beautiful, possessing a transcendent design that doesn’t suggest regional characteristics like “exotic” or “Japanese.” Yet, she doesn’t feel cold. Her figure is perfect to the point of feeling artificial.

The pastel blue robe she wears feels more like she is clad in it than wearing it, and along with her pale blue hair, it flutters softly even though there is no wind. Somehow, it reminds me of the raiment of a celestial maiden in Japanese folklore.

The more I look, the more mysterious the atmosphere she exudes.

If I were in Japan, I’d suspect holography, but finding this in a forest with nothing around is unnatural and meaningless. I took the plunge and spoke to her.

“Thank you for healing my injuries and restoring my strength. Excuse my rudeness, but are you the Spirit of the Spring?”

The woman showed a surprised expression for a moment, then looked confused.

“!~♪♪♫&♫♬%♬≦♪♪♫♫：※♬♬▶♪♪♫?!♫♬#♬~?”

She said something, but I didn’t understand at all. The woman shook her head, showing a troubled gesture. We stared at each other for a while, but the Spirit’s body began to turn transparent. Saying something, she began to transform back into a crystal.

“~♫&♫♬♬▶!♫♬~” “Ah, please wait!”

I involuntarily called out to stop her. Even if she wasn’t human, even if words didn’t get through, I didn’t want to part with someone who had a human form and the potential for communication.

She tried to disappear without answering my call, but when I stepped into the spring, she appeared again. And with a slightly angry expression, she said something. She probably pointed out that I stepped into the spring. When I stepped out of the spring, her expression returned to being gentle. Saying the same words as before, she tried to disappear again.

“~♫&♫♬♬▶!♫♬~” “Wait, please, don’t disappear!”

When I stepped into the spring again, she reappeared, showing an even angrier attitude this time.

“Don’t disappear, anything is fine, just stay as you are… please…”

Out of the loneliness of being left alone, I ignored the Spirit’s warning and pleaded. The Spirit hardened her attitude further and made a gesture like brushing something away. Then, the spring water surged up, drenching me and forcibly expelling me from the spring. I rolled onto the grass, soaked. In the meantime, the Spirit transformed into a crystal and vanished into the lake.

I tried to step into the spring to call her out again, but I couldn’t touch the spring. The spring rejected me as if there were an invisible wall.

The fairies approached me, took a mocking attitude similar to blowing a raspberry, and then disappeared. I sat in the grass for a while, dumbfounded. It seems I made the Spirit and the fairies angry.

After a while, I exhaled deeply and stood up. Thinking about it calmly, I realized I had shown a very unsightly attitude. With an attitude lacking respect and consideration for the Spirit, this result is only natural. I should probably consider myself lucky to be alive. My current circumstances have absolutely nothing to do with them.

“Thank you very much.”

I bowed to the spring and spoke words of gratitude. I have nothing but gratitude for healing my wounds and fatigue. The spring stood quietly, filled with water as if nothing had happened, giving a sense of endless depth.

I left the spring and departed. Leaving the grass and entering the forest, I immediately heard the bustling sounds of nature—insects and birds. Apparently, the area including that spring and grass was a space called a sanctuary or holy ground. No living things other than me entered. I don’t know why I could enter, but basically, the Spirit was favorable.

But is this really a fantasy world?

I ask myself again and again. Even after being shown all that, it’s hard to believe immediately. Was that really an entity like a goddess or spirit?

She showed supernatural abilities that force me to think so, but for me, born and raised in modern Japanese society, it’s hard to accept. Especially since I’m a person who doesn’t believe in occult things like ghosts or psychic phenomena at all, and I’ve never had such experiences. I think people who say such things are liars or frauds. Fantasy is strictly an event of the imaginary world.

If that Spirit really is a spiritual or higher-dimensional being, why did she accept me but not other animals? I don’t think the spring exists just for me, so maybe it accepts only humans.

If the condition is “pure-hearted human,” I don’t think I qualify. I don’t understand at all. It felt like it was made for humans to rest, and I sense some artificial intent. Or so I suspiciously guess.

Since this is a world where psychic powers exist unlike Earth, it might not be strange for supernatural beings to exist. Also, it’s too high-tech to be a gimmick, and is there any meaning in spending such budget and effort on that? And in a remote forest? I just can’t be convinced. In the end, I don’t know anything, but old men are fundamentally suspicious.

Still, I saw one ray of hope. I don’t know if that Spirit is a goddess or a spirit, but what’s important is that she had a form no different from a person. If I’m not a god or spirit type, humans probably have the same form too.

At least, it doesn’t seem like those green-skinned dwarfs dead in the lab-like place are the basic humanity of this world.

The possibility that there are humans no different from me is a stroke of luck.