Sadly I had to wait for the food because for some reason Selena did not want to eat around the dead bodies.

So we looted the corpses and went down the road for another hour and a half until we reached a clearing by the side of the road, I only took some money, 50S, and a knife as they were the only things I found useful. The guard’s distributed the rest of the loot amongst themselves.

To prepare the camp by the side of the road, the remaining 10 guards set up a rotation between themselves where three guarded Selena and her sister whom I believe is named Sophie, another three were on the lookout, two prepared the camp while two rested. These positions were changed so everyone had time to rest, although the two set up the camp did not change. Not wishing to get in the way I decided to talk to the two merchants who looked fucking miserable.

“Hey, guys I am Jacob, you mind if I sit with you?”

“Fine by me” Merchant 1 replied ”Suit yourself,” Merchant 2 agreed. Both looked very depressed.

“So I take it you guys aren't too happy about your guards baling on you, then trying to kill you all?”

Merchant 1 scrunches up his face and spits on the ground while muttering “Fucking Adventures”

“They weren't our usual guards, they were at a funeral, so we hired the piece of shit adventures as muscle.” Merchant 2

I think for a bit before replying “ That is odd don’t you think? If this was their first time working with you how did they know when and where to meet up with the bandits? Also, why would they go against the people who hired them? I am no expert but wouldn't the guild have precautions against this sort of thing, so why risk it? No offense but neither of you look wealthy enough to make the risk worth the reward.”

[Sooooooo bored may as well try a brain teaser, maybe it will lead to me carrying favor these important looking ladies.]

A look of confusion comes over both their faces as they think about what I have said. As they think it through I look around the developing camp. It wasn't much, just a bunch of tents in a semicircle around a fire. The only thing of note was the noblewoman's carriage which now had expensive-looking fabric coming out of to make a large tent attached to the luxurious wooden vehicle, making an attractive Puedo building.

Merchant 1 finally replies with “Your right, they knew where we were going but not the route, and if an Adventure betrays the contract they sign at the start of the mission then their assets in the bank are taken and they are removed from the guild and if it is really bad they would be imprisoned or killed.”

Nodding along merchant 2 adds “And you are right, sadly, we wouldn't have the money or goods to justify the action of betraying the contract.”

“Well, gentlemen it would appear they were brainwashed, controlled or paid enough for them to think that betraying you was worth it and somehow knew the exact route you were going to set up an ambush. So there is most likely a third party involved or we have a mole. I doubt it would be any of the guards; they put their lives on the line to fight against the attacks when they could have joined forces.

I can’t see why Selena or Sophie would… unless. Selena was very well dressed and spoken; she also introduced her family like it meant something. Could they be nobles? Selena is old enough to assist in the fight if she organized it so I doubt it was her. But Sophie, she would have motive and means while being too young to actively help in the fight.”

“What do you mean motive and means? She is just a kid.” both merchants asked at the same time.

“Well, the attack could have been to kill Selena, making her the oldest daughter to the family, while if the where nobles they could have the money to pay the adventures and bandits to attack, she would also have access to the planned route.”

“But she is so young, there is no way she could do such a thing.” said merchant 1

Before I reply it occurs to me that he is most likely right. [Most kids weren't reincarnated mind-controlled slaves, raped tortured, lived on the streets, survived for 2 years in a forest and had their mind merged with a 40-year-old integrator from another world. Hell, I wasn't even human so I can't compare myself to other kids. It's true that a 13-year-old kid brought up in a pleasant life by nobility would most likely not be capable of planning her sister's death. But she would have access to all the requirements to achieve it, so perhaps she is being controlled? But then who could do that?]

“You are right perhaps I am looking too much into this. As for the reason I came over here. I would like to offer you both my services to guard your carriages. I don't need payment; I only want a recommendation for when I sign up to be an adventure and for you both to cover any accommodation and food costs on the job. Sound fair?”

“I think you are onto something but I doubt it is the little Sophie girl. As for the job, I for one agree to your terms” merchant 1

“You really want to become one after all that?" merchant two

"Well I want to travel and become strong so why not get paid while I do it?"

He sits in silence for a while "Fine I agree to the deal. Just try not to sell your soul kid.” merchant two

[ Where would be the fun in that.]

"Excellent now would either of you happen to have a book about different races and customs or some maps on you? Living in the forest kind of fucked over my education. I am willing to pay."

Merchant one thinks for a bit before pulling out a book from what I assume to be a space ring. He looks at it before throwing it over to me. "Its a basic book about some of the different sentient species. No need to pay just give it back before we go our separate ways."

“Great, now if you excuse me I need to see if the guards need any help.” Shaking both of their hands I join in the guard's rotation.

[What to do, what to do? Should I even bother to help? I could just kill them and then eat or use their corpses. I could also help the person trying to kill them all, but gaining a noble houses favor will probably be more useful in the long run. Even if my supposed task is to create chaos the kids are still young, the parents can probably make new ones if they don't have others already. That means I should help find the culprit if there even is one and expose them so I can deal with them appropriately. No use killing them outright. The person is properly close to them to have control so killing them straight away will cause unneeded drama.]

With this in mind, I start to use my empathy again to ‘see’ the emotions of the people around me. All of their emotions where to be expected due to the circumstances, but there was one person who caught my eye. The maid to both Sophie and Selena has a connection with Sophie’s emotions like she knew them before Sophie did.

[Haha well that's not suspicious at all, Miss maid you are now top of the suspect list. Now all I need is physical proof.]

Once the camp was set up everyone sat down by the cooking fire apart from the three guards on the lookout. But most importantly I got food that actually tastes good! We all chatted around the fire were I noticed that the maid who was named Amy got a lot of attention from the male guards, so there was not much for me to talk about.

“So Jacob how come you were in the green leaf forest?” asked one of the only two female guards.

Swallowing I replied without thinking “Well I was being transported by slavers until I escaped into the forest where I got lost for a while until I found you guys.”

At the mention of slaves the camp goes quiet as they look at me.

“But how did they get you? You are so strong,” The same guard asks

“Well I was...13 at the time”

“And how old are you now?”

“...14”

“You spent a year alone in a beast and monster-infested forest at the age of 13!?”

“...Yes”

“That's fucking badass.”

“Thank you,” I say while giving Shade an affectionate rub on her head. The rest of the night went by without anything of note happening, although I did notice the two merchants giving the rest of the group suspicious looks, and once everyone but the current guard rotation was asleep I sneak out of the camp, [Now where did we leave those corpses? It's time to play God again.]

[Just Because I want to gain favor from a noble family does not mean I can't have some fun, and it's about time I tried this plan I have had for a while.]

Once I reach the location of the ambush where the corpses were piled to the side of the road I start to change all the bodies but one into a condensed, flexible and efficient ‘human’ body without any impurities inside of it.

With the template done I make the body into a very attractive female, basing it off of the guild leader back in the city. I then create pheromonal glad by the eccrine glands that produce sweat. This will make people more sexually attracted to her when she sweats.

I then move onto the body I separated from the pile earlier, tie it up and then reanimate it. The reanimated man looks around frantically while mumbling incoherently.

“Hello there, my name is Jacob. How do you feel?”

“Golden fields? Name? I feel… they gave money so I can live good. Who am I? Where am I?”

[Seams his memories are scattered or perhaps lost. I don't think I can fix that]

“Well, your name is...James Thomas, we are in the green leaf forest. You were part of a group that tried to raid some carriages. Do you remember?”

“No, no, no NO! Let me go, let me go, let m…”

I remove his vocal cords before he attracts any unwanted attention.

[Well he does not need to be fully functional for the experiments I was just curious. Now for stage two.]

I walk back to the female body and animate it but keep the brain asleep. I then make a virus that makes the host incredibly lustful at first but then brings them into a blind rage, or at least in theory. I am hoping to make it so it can be given to another person through bodily fluids, hence the extreme lust. Once the first strain of the virus is finished I awake the sleeping beauty, which in hindsight I should have done at a distance or at least moved the reanimated human lab rat closer.

The very attractive and very naked woman jumps at me with surprising speed as she moans with desire. In my surprise, I backhand her away from me and towards the ‘Lab rat’ as I back away to a safe distance while I control my body so I don't get any form of arousal.

What happens next was expected as the woman jumps onto the man and they start to feverishly rub their genitals together. [Well it's a good thing I turned myself off; it would be very difficult to concentrate with this scene in front of me.] It does not take long for them to ‘finish’ and before they start to go another round I make both of them unconscious.

Checking both of their bodies I notice that the virus was transferred successfully but it was acting too quickly. I wanted a period before the lust so it won't be noticed quickly and so the people can spread after they caught the virus. I wanted people to have the lust first before the rage so that it is less noticeable and still has a chance to spread. Noticing the faults in the virus I tried my best to fix them.

For the rest of the night, I would change the virus, wake both the ‘lab rats’ and the beauty I have dubbed patient zero up, observe any changes [It was for science honest, I am not a perv, please believe me.] and make any alterations that were needed. By the end of the night, I have made the virus to the best of my ability with my limited knowledge. The result was a slow-acting virus that increases one's sexual desires, blinding them in lust until they are overcome by rage. The virus is transmitted through bodily fluids such as saliva, blood or sexual iterations.

With the virus finished I removed the body functions for the female to become angry, as I wanted her to spread it as much as possible without causing too much alarm. I then make my patient zero into 15 different beautiful women each with the virus. I then move the woman up and down the road and into the forest. With no use for the man I kill and absorb him as I head back to the camp.

[Well that was productive I hope you cause lots of chaos patient zero. Shame the guy couldn't remember anything, I will have to find someone else to try developing a truth serum on. Once I have a serum I can question that maid without having to connect a tentacle to her back. That would be difficult to explain.]

As I walk back into the camp the guard who I saved whose name I think is John sees me approaching. “Jacob, where have you been? We have been looking for you. We were just about to leave.”

“Ah, I was... taking a shit.”

“Oh. For an hour?”

“ ...Yeah...I had to eat some weird shit in the forest, it didn't all agree with me if you know what I mean.”

Suddenly I sensed something, I create a bone knife in a reverse grip and look around. John looks at me anxiously as I approach him with me knife in hand and a grin on my face. His hand goes towards his sword.

Before he draw however I stabbed forward. The space between us begins to tremble and warp as a horrific screeching sound invaded our ears.

John collapses to the floor why covering his ears as he yells out in pain.

Meanwhile, I grin as I hit the back of my head. "Well, this should be fun."