"Sigh..." I looked at my fluffy paws—no, my claws—and let out a deep breath.
Just a second ago, I'd been arriving home, ready to enjoy my post-work solitude. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, I'd find myself in a forest?
Not only that, but when I instinctively started running on all fours, I realized the severity of my situation.
These fluffy claws, and this huge tail!
"Why did I turn into a squirrel?!" I stared at my reflection in the stream, utterly devastated.
In the reflection, I had grayish-brown fur, a pair of round black eyes, and a tail even fluffier than my body. Honestly, if I wasn't the owner of this body, I might have found it kind of cute.
But right now, I just wanted to cry.
What was I supposed to do? Go home? How? I didn't even know where I was! And with this appearance, even if I made it back to human society, I'd probably just end up as someone's pet, right?
Just as I was spiraling into an existential crisis, something burst out of the nearby bushes.
"Hsss..."
A snake!
And because I'd turned into a squirrel, this snake was at least five times my size! Its slender body coiled around a tree root, its triangular head aimed directly at me, tongue flicking in and out, radiating a bone-chilling presence.
Just then, a semi-transparent blue panel suddenly appeared before my eyes.
[Vine Serpent]
[Level 5/20]
[A snake-type magic beast that camouflages as vines, preys on small mammalian beasts, possesses constriction and suffocation abilities]
What is this!?
Before I could examine the blue panel more closely, the snake lunged forward, its wide-open mouth revealing sharp venomous fangs. In desperation, my body's instincts made me leap sideways, barely dodging its attack.
The snake's head slammed hard into where I'd just been standing, sending dirt flying.
No time to think!
I summoned the fastest speed of my life, running on all fours, fleeing with everything I had in one direction.
Behind me came the "swish-swish" sound of scales scraping against the ground as the snake pursued—that sound like Death's whisper, relentlessly chasing me. My heart pounded wildly, my four paws desperately kicking against the ground, trees and shrubs rapidly receding in my vision.
This body's agility was far greater than I'd imagined—I could even easily avoid protruding roots and dead branches lying on the ground while running.
I don't know how long I ran. Only when my legs felt weak and breathing became difficult did I dare look back.
The snake was gone.
"That scared me to death..." I gasped for air, my limbs going weak as I collapsed on the ground.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I'd never imagined that one day I'd be chased by a snake and nearly become its dinner.
After confirming the area was safe, I finally had a chance to carefully consider my situation.
First, I'd been transported to another world.
Second, I'd become a squirrel—no, something called a "magic beast."
Finally, that blue panel...
I tried to recall what had just happened. When that snake appeared, the panel suddenly displayed information about it—the snake's name, level, and a brief description.
"Can I look at my own information?" I tentatively thought to myself.
The blue panel appeared in response, displaying text clearly before me:
[Cheek Pouch Squirrel]
[Level 1/10]
[Experience: 0/100]
[A small magic beast that generates spatial spheres with its cheek pouches, non-threatening, agile movements, highly alert]
[Traits: Cheek Pouch Space, High Sensitivity]
[Skills: Leap, Bite]
"This is me?"
I carefully examined the information on the panel. Level 1, cap of 10—meaning I could still level up?
And what were these traits and skills?
"Cheek Pouch Space!" I raised both hands high and shouted, but nothing happened.
"I'll study the skills later..." My gaze slowly moved to the phrase "non-threatening," and I let out a deep sigh.
That snake earlier was level 5, I was level 1, and its level cap was 20. This gap was basically starting on hell difficulty.
"Grumble..." Just then, my stomach let out a loud growl.
After that escape, I'd depleted too much energy. Hunger washed over me like a tide, ten times more intense than anything I'd felt as a human.
"What do squirrels eat?" I muttered to myself, dragging my exhausted little body to stand up.
Nuts? Fruit? I looked around. This forest was lush and verdant, with tall trees blocking out the sky, the ground covered in fallen leaves and dead branches. In the distance, there seemed to be several trees laden with fruit, but it looked like at least a dozen meters away.
With my current size, that wasn't a short distance.
And... I glanced at the dense surrounding bushes. Who knew if another snake might pop out?
Whatever, I couldn't starve to death here.
I cautiously moved toward those fruit trees, stopping every few steps to prick up my ears and listen to my surroundings. This body's hearing was exceptionally sharp—I could hear the "swish" of wind through leaves, hear distant bird calls, even hear the faint sound of insects crawling across tree bark.
The sensation was strange, as if the entire world's sounds had been amplified tenfold.
After walking about five meters, I suddenly stopped.
On the ground ahead lay a beetle.
Its shell was grayish-brown with rock-like patterns, quite large—about the size of my fist. Oh wait, I meant the size of my paw.
I looked at it curiously, and the blue panel appeared again:
[Stone Beetle]
[Level 1/1]
[An insect-type magic beast with a hard shell, strong defense but slow movement, feeds on rotting wood and fungi]
Level 1, cap also 1.
And it was lying on its back, six legs waving feebly in the air—it seemed unable to flip itself over.
I hesitated.
Could I... eat this beetle?
Squirrels ate insects too, right?
But the question was, did I really want to eat a bug?
My stomach growled again, louder than before. I could barely walk anymore.
"...Fine, survival is most important." I gritted my teeth and slowly approached the beetle.
The beetle sensed my approach and struggled more violently, but its upside-down position made escape impossible. I extended my paw and tentatively pressed down on its shell.
Very hard.
No wonder it was called a Stone Beetle.
I opened my mouth, bared my front teeth, and bit down on the beetle's relatively soft underside.
Crunch—
Surprisingly, this body's bite force was quite impressive. The beetle's shell crunched under my teeth, and then...
A strange flavor spread through my mouth.
Not bad, actually—it even tasted somewhat like... nuts?
And the moment I bit down, a warm current flowed from my mouth into my body, dispelling some of my fatigue.
[Defeated Stone Beetle]
[Gained 3 Experience]
[Experience: 3/100]
A notification popped up on the blue panel.
Oh, I could gain experience?
I paused, then continued eating. Soon, I'd finished off the Stone Beetle, leaving only its hard shell.
[Gained 2 Experience]
[Experience: 5/100]
So eating also gave experience.
My stomach was still hungry, but at least not as urgent.
I licked the residue from around my mouth, feeling somewhat conflicted.
I'd actually eaten a bug.
And... it was kind of tasty.
"Well, when in Rome..." I shook my head self-mockingly and continued toward the fruit trees.
But after just a few steps, I suddenly stopped.
Something seemed to be moving behind the bushes not far away.
I held my breath, quietly hiding behind a tree, carefully peeking out to observe.
Was that... another squirrel?
No, it looked a bit different from me. Its fur was more brownish, its body slightly smaller than mine, and it was picking up fallen fruit beneath a tree.
The blue panel automatically displayed:
[Tree Sprite Mouse]
[Level 2/10]
[A small magic beast that inhabits trees, feeds on fruit and leaves, non-aggressive]
Another one with a higher level than me.
But according to the description, this one shouldn't be dangerous.
Just as I was debating whether to approach and say hello, the Tree Sprite Mouse suddenly looked up, alertly staring in my direction.
Our eyes met.
It froze for a moment, then whoosh—it scurried up the tree, disappearing into the canopy with a few leaps.
"..."
Well, apparently magic beasts were wary of each other too.
I sighed, stopped overthinking, and focused on finding food.
Finally reaching the fruit tree, I looked up at the red fruit hanging from the branches and fell into contemplation.
So high—how was I supposed to get up there?