Chapter 291: Reincarnated As A Human

Leon snapped out of the torrent of fragmented memories, his mind reeling from experiencing them. As he looked at his own hands, an absurd thought popped up in his mind.

’I... I reincarnated as a human?’

He quickly shook his head, clarity returning to his eyes. "What the heck was I thinking? Ugh."

He held his head in both hands, grunting.

The memories had been overwhelming, since the insect was actually many years older than him. Still, he had gained something from them.

He had witnessed how parasites took over all of the living creatures in the forest. He also learned about the dominant race of the planet—Vaelari.

As for how he knew the name, he had seen it from the notification messages when the insect killed them.

’We should probably go find a Vaelari camp once Selene wakes up. Then, I can start thinking about what to do.’

He sighed, leaned back, and closed his eyes. The memories of the insect came again, but fainter this time. It wasn’t like he was experiencing it, but merely watching its life.

Before he knew it, his breathing pattern changed into a slow and steady rhythm. He had fallen asleep.

He didn’t know for how long he had slept, but an annoying scraping sound woke him up.

Blinking, he could see nothing. The bonfire had burned completely and was out already.

There was no source of light in the cave. Closing his eyes, he activated Shadow Sense. Even in darkness, shadows remained.

He saw Selene lying not far away from him, he saw himself, then he saw...

’Another Parasite Zombie? Damn it!’

Cursing, he sprang to his feet and attacked. The creature wasn’t expecting him to suddenly attack, so it was caught off guard. However, it still managed to react.

Clang!

Its long, sharp claws blocked his spear, barely. Stomping on the ground, he pushed forward.

The zombie tripped and fell on its butt. Seeing the advantage, he pushed down his spear and watched as it pierced through the zombie’s head.

Puchi!

He finally sighed in relief.

[You have slain a Level 39 Tier One Parasite Zombie!]

[You cannot level up!]

[Progress has been stored!]

Dragging the zombie using the spear, he took it outside the cave and threw it in the distance. The veil of shadows was still there, though it was no longer necessary now.

Leon dissolved it to avoid having his mana drop unnecessarily. He walked back into the cave, keeping his spear inside his storage ring again. He moved closer to where Selene was currently sleeping and sat beside her.

Not even ten minutes later, he sensed something entering into the cave. His expression darkened, and he accurately fired a shadow spear to pierce the creature’s head.

[You have slain a Level 44 Tier One Parasite Fox!]

[You cannot level up!]

[Progress has been stored!]

Leon retrieved its crystal and dragged its corpse outside with a darkness tendril without standing up from his seat.

He closed his eyes while paying attention to his surroundings. About half an hour later, three zombies wandered towards the cave.

’What the hell? Are they tracking us or something?’

Irritated, he quickly decapitated the zombies and killed them before discarding their corpses.

Closing his eyes, he sighed. He really needed some long rest.

Sadly, it didn’t seem like he was going to get one. No matter how many times he killed the zombies or beasts, others kept appearing.

Leon instantly became wary, and he extended his Shadow Sense to the limit. What he saw made his expression turn grim.

He hadn’t managed to cover the whole forest. In fact, he could only check the area surrounding the cave.

’We’re surrounded.’

Vaelari zombies, beasts, and even mutated plants—all parasites wearing the skin of the living. They stood around motionlessly, but a few of them kept approaching after some time.

Glancing at Selene, he frowned. He couldn’t fight them all in here. There were several Tier Two within the mix, which made it even more difficult for him to stay and risk it.

In the end, he decided to leave. With a little difficulty, he managed to carry Selene on his back, tying her to himself securely to avoid her falling off.

’What am I now? A mother to a grown woman?’

Sulking, he stepped through the shadows and vanished from the cave. All that was left behind were the ashes from the bonfire.

Leon reappeared in the forest, far away from the cave and the creatures surrounding it. He leaned against a tree, panting.

He hadn’t expected that bringing someone with him through the shadows would be this draining. He had done it before in the past, but it hadn’t drained his mana this much.

Shaking his head, he adjusted Selene’s position on his back and thought, ’I hope this doesn’t affect her evolution. I have to quickly find another place to hide.’

He began rushing through the forest in search for another cave or hiding spot. After a few hours of searching, he got lucky and found one.

Sadly, it was occupied.

"Go to hell."

He cursed the serpent living in the cave, and immediately moved in to kill it. It was a Tier Two creature, so it managed to resist him for a long time, especially because he had to be careful not to shake Selene too much. By the time the sun rose into the sky, he finally managed to kill it.

Once again, he realized it was actually a parasite wearing the body of the serpent. He suddenly felt terribly cold.

Were parasites supposed to be this many? It seemed like there was no other creature that hadn’t been taken over by them.

Gritting his teeth, he used the serpent’s large body to block the entrance of the deep cave and retreated inside. Untying Selene, he helped her lay on the ground again, then sat beside her.

Even though it was just early in the morning, he felt terribly exhausted and a strong need for sleep.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to wake up anytime soon. The world respected his wishes, but didn’t grant them.

Not even an hour after he started resting, he sensed the serpent’s corpse being dragged away.

A scowl appeared on his face as he stood up. ’I’m going to kill whatever that is.’