With Bomber's directions — nudges and tilts of his ears — the two of us walked for quite a while. It felt agonizingly painful just how far we went; although the path wasn't too hard for either of us, the time it took to traverse Grey Valley's woods ate away at our precious sunlight. Worm snack-breaks and grass-chewing aside, we walked for hours at end without anything in the woods seemingly differing.

All I had to go by was my ranbli companion's directions and the occasional pop-up.

Keep going.

That same pop-up, again and again; you'd imagine how annoying the ding could be but that still wouldn't hold a candle to having to mentally close it so you didn't trip or bump into a tree. Comparing it to my old world, the only thing that might come close was having pop-up viruses.

But in time, the two of us and our system-based guide made progress; the trees grew less dense and the sounds of bonebacks and gemfawn faded behind us. More patches of mana-enriched grass ate away at the forest and the valley ultimately showed us a different sight entirely: a village of stone carved into a clearing.

It was the village I had seen from the valley's edge, no more than a couple hundred yards from us at this point.

Wait a minute, bushboy.

... Bushboy? This definitely isn't that maniacal patron of mine, is it?

After all this walking, I feel like I'm at least owed some form of answer. Finding the village means that I'm one step closer to society, but it also means I'm one step closer to society. What happens if the locals here decide they want to eradicate all Creeper-related plant life? Not to mention that Bomber looks like a hunter's favorite meal.

Speaking of which, Bomber doesn't even seem worried about the village. I don't fully understand it but all he seems focused on is sitting on the ground patiently.

Okay. Now, remember that part where I asked you to do your best? Allow me to incentivize good behavior.

The message flickered across my vision no sooner than my vision hued red; every color around me washed into a momentary crimson sea.

[Notification] The system is now rewarding the user Kaden for completing an unmarked quest.

Unmarked? What does that have to do with blinding me like it's an R-rated mov-

[Notification] Reward received.

Granting ability Comprehend Language: Oldnat.

The sea of red parts, washing away and leaving rune-like marks that I'd never seen before. Each one pulses and blinks, engraving into my mind with words both alone and compounded, with another word spelled out beneath it in what I'd known my whole life. Dozens every second race through and make me ache but every completed set makes me realize that these runes aren't unfamiliar.

Oldnat is a language and one that I'd seen before. It was engraved on the side of that house and in the noise and madness that Grey Man danced in. Comprehending an entire language in an instant might be seen as an isekai cheat but... it hurts. I can see my HP isn't dropping but every leaf on my body aches in perfect harmony with the flickering words. Bomber's looks and confusion all but tell me that this is exclusively for me... and to be honest, I think that's probably for the best.

If the trip to the outskirts of this town felt like ages, this felt like months. An accumulation of agony that just keeps growing until my perception fades, I guess. It's difficult even putting it to words how suddenly comprehending an entire vocabulary sucks, since I realized just how much of it specifically is for hating me.

Dungeon Masters are a sin of the gods.

Creepers should be burned before they grow.

Just those two sentences yelling out in my head alone heralded untold dozens of others slang-like connections of Oldnat to wish death or worse on them.

If I ever meet someone who speaks Oldnat, hopefully it's someone I've taught to speak it.

And that's your quest's bonus completed. Aren't you grateful?

No.

Pft. Fine, you mortal baby. You'd have probably failed to gain an ability for Language with your way of thinking anyway.

This isn't Grey Man. He may be crazy but this is just mean. What's my way of thinking supposed to mean, exactly? I could try to figure out languages, surely, without ever meeting someone. Of course, it'd be hard and require a lot of investment... but if I had to choose time and patience over searing pain that feels like the real me is being tortured? I'd definitely prefer to pick patience and time. As a plant, I'm starting to wonder if I'd even age or just grow larger and unlock more titles.

[Notification]: Quest Update Your world is always expanding, isn't it? You control your territory and now look outward to explore and find more! But the best way to do that is to rely on more than your own means. It's time to meet the locals who can talk.

Meet a humanoid-level intelligent species.

Bonus: Learn a Language ability. Completed!

Completing the bonus definitely isn't bad, though.

What do you need me for, whoever you are? Instead of bullying me, why don't you tell me what it is I'm here to do?

Bomber looked toward the village in the corner of my eye just as the screen flicks back in between the village and I.

You will locate and steal something from this place and its people.

Steal something?

The screen flickers away and I finally see what drew Bomber's attention, wishing that my body had lungs so I could hold my breath. I mean... technically, I breathe but- forget it, that's beside the point of me seeing someone flying of their own volition.

What is that!?

A pop-up flickers into view just as I "zoom in", albeit this time the system-controller is far more lenient and keeps the window reduced in the corner of my vision.

The natives of Grey Valley: Echowings.

Similar to an anime-styled harpy, the Echowing in question flew with batlike wings for arms. They didn't seem as big as humans but their wingspan easily surpassed the lengths of anyone's arms in my prior life. Their legs, unlike harpies, were more human-like and instead had strange blades on the back of their heels, They wore simple clothing of hide and fur, clinging around their flat chest and thin hips with hardly any of their smooth darker skin visible besides their arms. True to the "monstergirl" tradition, they didn't have human ears but their pointed ears rose up along the side of their head and into an uncomfortably thick head of black hair.

If it were night time, it'd be damn near impossible to see one of the echowings. Just the fact alone that they looked like bats made it likely that their eyes were pitch black, but the distance between us made it impossible to see anything. Bomber tucked up against a tree and stayed deadly quiet; if they heard him, his fur color would reveal him in an instant from an aerial onlooker.

I shook myself out of shock at seeing the closest thing to a human since my reincarnation, turned around, and stepped close to provide the ranbli some natural camo.

How and what am I supposed to steal something from them!?

How? First off, take a look at your new ability. Isn't that what you always do?

Whoever took over the system really knows how to be a wise-ass! I don't check every time! Especially when I'm busy hurting from a language that had nothing but awful things to say about me whilst seeing a race that may very well speak it!

... Urgh. I hate gods. Manager; view language "Oldnat".

[Manager]

Comprehend Language: Oldnat Acquired Personal-type Oldnat is the oldest language in Brogdar, well-known for its use among primitive or low-intellect species. The language's writing, known as Nata, is utilized by most languages within their alphabets.

Allows the user to understand Oldnat verbally.

Allows the user to understand written Nata.

Allows the user to communicate using Oldnat if able to speak.

Allows the user access to the entire Nata dictionary.

The entire Nata dictionary? Is that why I saw every word I've ever learned burn itself back into my brain?

Of course; Comprehend Language is a compound ability that can only culminate when you can speak, write, and understand a language. In this case, you were taught Oldnat in its entirety so you could speak it as if you were born with it. Isn't that nice?

Being able to speak may be nice if I could actually talk but for now, the only benefit I got out of it was the ability to write. Even without proper hands, my vines could dig at the soil well-enough to etch it out. Communication was definitely possible but that still relied on actually exposing myself for conversation. Thinking of words brought out the unique Nata rune as simple as spelling words in my previous life felt, which means I could probably write an entire essay on how little this tells me on how and what I am supposed to steal.

Just tell me how this helps.

Bomber peeks around me as another echowing swoops out of the forest and across the mana-glowing field leading toward the village.

Since you're so terrified of these onlookers, I'll spell it out for you: activate that ability to separate from your body, leave it with Bomber, and then infiltrate the village. Once inside the village, you'll no doubt have ideas of perversion. Ignore them and find the local healer's hut. Once inside, you'll find an artifact... and that artifact will need to be recovered one way or another. You have the tools to deduce the best method, so I trust even a pathetic excuse of a mortal like you can get it out.

If all you're going to do is berate me, maybe I should just leave. I don't even know if these echowings are friendly to either of us, so staying just-

The screen dings angrily back into view, this time a blazing red.

DO IT OR I WILL DESTROY THAT PATHETIC GRAVE YOU CALL A DUNGEON.

Closing it isn't even an option; it leaves me stunned until it flicks off on its own, no doubt similar to someone slamming a phone.

Bomber and I aren't very strong so it's a good thing that he seems oblivious to what just transpired. Hiding in the forest like this is probably for the best since it's impossible to envelop him inside my thorned body without harming him. The only way to get him closer would be to grow larger, but growing larger would make me more obvious. I've not tested just how "visible" I am to wildlife, if I'm being honest; most of the time it seemed like they'd have to be able to see me if my summons could. Not to mention that I'm away from the dungeon right now, which means I may not even have any sort of protection incase someone can see me.

... Despite that, the system hijacker threatened my dungeon. I don't have to like them to know that someone who can control the system seemingly dictating my new life probably has the means to execute that line of aggression. Using all capital letters probably implies she's angry, too, but her inability to process rage isn't too different from someone not fond of using it.

Someone that may very well have a bigger influence on the world without needing to use it.

I've said it before but my god is genuinely awful if he's being outclassed by all these others.

Freeform.

[Warning]

User Kaden is attempting to swap from their Manifest Form while outside of the dungeon's boundary. Doing so will make you susceptible to damage.

Are you sure?

[Confirm] | [Cancel]

Being susceptible to damage didn't stop me before... albeit that was with my Manifested Form.

I turn my camera, looking at Bomber just as the little hare-kid faces me.

Keep my body safe, Bomber. I'm going in.

Confirm.