God. I feel like a creep looking at this boy. I would not if I could, but it seemed like he was my only way out of this godforsaken forest. If he were to see me, he'd think of me as a half-naked feral man out to get him. I mean, I look the part. I'd look even more feral when I jumped at him and used my only skill. But how am I going to use this skill? I opened my status window again, but it didn't say how to activate the skill. Do I merely think about it? Scream about it? It would feel fucking cringy when I needed to scream the skill's name.
While I was busy wallowing at the thing I hadn't done yet, the herbalist finished his search for medicinal herbs. His wicker basket was filled to the brim. He stood and left Northward where I was facing.
Fuck it!
I left my spot and ran toward the foothill. The force of gravity increased my speed until I could not control it. What I could maneuver, however, was where I would crash. And I crashed into the herbalist, sending his wicker basket flying and his herbs into a confetti of green adorning the air around us. Upon a closer looked, he seemed a little larger than expected. A little more years to him, and he could shove me to the side with ease. Before he could scream, I placed my palm on his smooth face and screamed.
[Skinsuit Touch]!
The boy stopped his struggles as the rest of his body froze. I removed my hand to show his frozen, horrified face. His arms were curved, and his hands were in a claw-like position. I walked closer to see if the skill worked. As I did, I saw his eyes recede deeper until hollow voids were left. His limbs assumed an anatomical position, and his body moved to stand. He faced me with a hollowed, emotionless look; his void eyes stared deep into me before turning around. I saw a slit on his nape, like a vagina, but somehow longer and lined his spinal groove. I didn't think he would mind, so I removed the boy's colorful tabard and white shirt to have a better look at the slit.
The slit pried his back open like what you would see if you sliced a chicken roast down the middle. Instead of a roast smell, it was warm; and briney on the boy's inside. It was completely hollow inside, which meant all his organs were gone. I inserted my arm and caressed the inside surface. It has the texture of uncooked chicken breast but is somehow as warm as a living person. I pushed my hands deeper and felt this tugging feeling. No one was pulling me, but it was like an invisible force pushing me inside. The invisible force grew stronger until it pulled the rest of my body inside!
"FUCK!" That was all I could say before the slit sucked me in.
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"Pairo!" I heard a boy scream my name above me. But, Pairo wasn't my name? Although, it felt like it. I opened my eyes to a blonde-haired girl patting my cheeks. "It's unlike you to fall asleep in the forest. And you scattered all the herbs!"
I removed my head from his lap and looked for Pairo's wicker basket. It was filled up again with herbs. This blonde stranger must have picked up the mess Pairo made. "So- sorry," It wasn't Pairo's fault but mine. It was natural for me to say sorry.
"Where would you be if I wasn't here?" the stranger sighed. I grabbed the wicker basket from her, and together we left. I trailed behind her while I discovered my new body.
The most distinct change since I became... this... Pairo was how short I've gotten. I must have lost a foot or two. Everything around me looked larger relatively, and the towering trees of the forest reached further into the skies. Since I was shorter, my body has gotten lighter as well. I could nimbly prance around underbrushes and scattered rocks. I could follow the stranger as we climbed this massive boulder that blocked our path to our destination. If I were still in my previous body, I would probably pass out before I reached the top. When we passed a pond, the stranger excused herself so she could take a leak. I used this chance to look at my reflection on the water's surface. I saw the image of a young boy with smooth and perfect skin. It was so perfect that I could not discern any blemishes or pores! But the water's surface was a poor way to view my reflection, so I didn't think my observation would amount to much. My skin was fair, my eyes were gold, and my hair was strawberry blonde. I would have continued the examination beyond my face if the stranger didn't return too quickly.
One thing I noticed further was how resilient my body was to fatigue. We climbed boulders and cliffsides, and I haven't felt fatigued in my muscles. Although, I did feel hunger and thirst. The stranger didn't have food but let me drink from her canteen. As the sun dipped below the horizon, I saw a pillar of smoke in the distance. And as the sky finished bleeding orange and transitioned to a deep blue hue filled with a million stars, we reached a small village between two tall mountains.
The stranger and I left the wicker basket to a guard by the village entrance. I followed her until we stopped by a hut.
"See you tomorrow, Pairo!" She said.
"See you too,"