Chapter 64: A new Vincent

“How about two fish each for everyone? They will last us around seven days at this rate.” Vincent swiftly calculated the days of food from the fish. The crabs and mudcrabs would increase the days even further.

“I want a feast. Please... Lupa is a good girl.” Lupa tactfully begged with a pair of golden puppy eyes gleaming under the moonlight.

“Fine. Today we earned it. Let us add the clam, four crabs, and small mudcrab to the menu.” Vincent felt like a reward was due. At the same time, he saw Ester doing something a bit far from them.

“Ohh, sister is preparing the fish. She heard my belly growling and started preparing to eat.” Lupa said with a cheeky smile.

“Go and help Ester then. Can you cook a piece of the large mudcrab for me? It could help me recover from its energy effect. But do not take a bite since I haven’t checked if it’s safe to eat.” Vincent asked and warned Lupa. He didn’t think it was poisonous, but Lupa was energetic enough to add more fuel to her energy.

Lupa left and went beside Ester. She told her what Vincent said with a chuckle. She was overexcited while her tail displayed all this with the light breeze it fanned.

“I used to catch fish, clean, and prepare them.” Ester sighed after continuing while remembering unhappy memories, “The man the other wolves killed would mostly arrive drunk. He would forget to bring food, so I had to find food to store on my own.”

.....

“It’s ok, sister. We can hunt together now. Vincent saved both of us from our past, now we became family, hehe.” Lupa giggled at the thought of hunting with someone she could trust and call sister.

Lupa went beside the adult mudcrab and, with great difficulty, pulled out one of the mudcrab’s legs.

“Are you going to eat that?” Ester asked with surprise.

“Vincent wants to eat it, so I am going to cook a piece. ” Lupa said. Then she left to cook a piece of the long crab leg.

Ester stared for a few seconds and returned to clean the fish. She wanted to do the food preserving job after cleaning all the fish from their insides. She felt happy to have a thing only she could help with.

Vincent relaxed while he gazed at the two girls doing something. He felt oddly at peace after no one but him got hurt. This fight made is determination ever fiercer to train and become stronger.

However, there was one thing they did not know and would later find out. An adult mudcrab of this size would have a D Rank full team quest requirement, which means five D Rankers for minimum casualties or injuries. Classes also depend on the outcome.

Later, Lupa finished cooking a small piece of the mudcrab leg. It was hard to break the carapace of the leg open, so she had to scoop a few meat pieces. She placed it in a bowl and skipped over to Vincent for praise.

“The mudcrab meat is cooked. ” Lupa said with a smile.

.

[Name] Cooked Freshwater Mudcrab Meat

[Condition] Fresh

[Effect]

*Medium Stamina Boost

*Minor Adrenaline Boost

.

“Thank you for cooking this, but we should save it for desperate emergencies only. Its energy effect can help us in a pinch.” Vincent quickly said after noticing the beneficial effects.

‘What would Lupa do if she ate a piece? I’m afraid to think about the energetic outcome.’ This thought haunted his mind.

“Ok... let me frame the pelt. You can reward me later, hehe.” Lupa left with a sly grin. She then took a few sticks and followed every step Vincent made to frame the wet pelt used to catch the fish. She was a naive wolf girl, but her memory was sharp like her claws.

Vincent took a cautious bite. As he swallowed the mudcrab meat, the effect started showing immediately as it coursed in his body with a bang.

Vincent could feel his arms, legs, and body twitch for some action. He felt like he could run a marathon in his current condition or go for another round against the mudcrab.

‘This feels strange. Is this like a drug on Earth? The one used for fitness?’ Vincent arrived at this conclusion after only taking a small bite.

Vincent decided to keep eating as any help was beneficial. He ended up eating three fist-sized portions of stamina boosting meat.

Suddenly Vincent felt strange. His heart pounded as if he ran a mile. His body trembled from the adrenaline to move. He also breathed heavily from the energy circling in his body while feeling a bit angry to fight something.

.

[Name] Vincent Agius

[Condition] Injured, Exhausted, Minor Bruises(Arms, Legs), Medium Stamina Boost(7:28), Minor Adrenaline Boost(7:28), Minor Boost Overdose

[Soul Power] 20sp

[Class] Soul Hero

[Class] Soul Mutation

.

Vincent quickly pulled himself up while worrying about the Overdose condition. However, the taste felt addicting as he desired for more. Saliva drooled from his mouth to rush and eat the adult mudcrab meat raw.

[Calm down, Vincent. I was taking a shuteye when I noticed your condition. If its extra energy that you have, then you know what to do, hehe.]

Vincent understood her words yet not want she exactly meant. He needed to do a strenuous night activity to waste all his energy and have a good night’s sleep.

Vincent quickly approached the girls, huffing, and puffing as if he wanted to eat them. With a pair of energetic eyes, he said, “The mudcrab meat gives too much energy, I need to waste it alone. Don’t follow me, ok?”

Ester and Lupa slowly nodded with a puzzled frown. They noticed how Vincent was sweating and breathing strangely. Even though he asked to eat the mudcrab meat, Lupa felt bad for cooking it. She thought she poisoned him.

Vincent rushed behind some trees until he couldn’t be seen. Soon Ester and Lupa heard strange sounds.

*Hah...

*Ahh...

*Argh...

*Huff...

historical

The two girls would sometimes peek at each other while the sounds they heard left both speechless. Lupa couldn’t hold her curiosity anymore and decided to check. However, Ester quickly stopped her.

“He is probably doing something he doesn’t want us to see. Maybe an embarrassing activity to waste his energy.” Ester said while thinking he was playing with himself. An activity he didn’t want them to see.

After half an hour, Vincent appeared from behind the trees. He was exhausted with sweat dripping like rain. His thorn shirt was hanging in his hand, and his pants were wet as if he went for a swim.

“Uhmm... did you finish your... thing?” Ester shyly asked with a pair or red cheeks. Her eyes barely blinked as the eye candy body was too much to avert her eyes from.

[Looks like Ester is a dirty one, unlike you. You trained even after the effects ended instead of doing what I suggested, is becoming strong the only thing in your mind?]

Vincent didn’t reply to the two of them with a dirty mind. He picked up a rag and walked towards the river to clean himself up. He placed the rag on the shore and removed his pants.

Ester and Lupa were a bit far from him. They couldn’t entirely take a peek as his sweaty sheening body disrupted their view.

“Sister, what are those new hard things on his arms and belly? They look nice.” Lupa asked with a wagging tail.

“On is arms are biceps and on his stomach are ABS. I learned a bit from my father’s books. ” Ester said while feeling her heart pound. She felt embarrassed by the thought of what he did all alone to become this sweaty and strangely more ripped.

Vincent’s body significantly changed after they saw him without a shirt. His body became toned to almost shredded. His biceps rock hard, and ABS that made the two girls almost drool. His hair also grew longer, reaching his bottom.

[The girls are gawking at you, haha. Your body might be special and have the ability to level up, unlike others of this world. That’s why with some intense training, you became a new Vincent.]

Vincent nodded while he cleaned himself under the blessing light of the full moon. He felt his body was different, yet he couldn’t believe it was his body. In fifteen days, his body changed from an unhealthy skinny person to a very athletic person.

[There is hope for Ester yet. She will definitely fall for you now.]

-Are you still trying to make me form a harem? I want to survive this forest first.-

[Hehe, then I hope we leave this forest soon.]

Vincent cleaned himself and wrapped the rag around his waist. Then he casually approached Ester and Lupa.

“Have I kept you waiting for long? I’m famished, can we start cooking some food?” Vincent said while his belly wildly growled to devour food.

Ester gulped as she gazed at Vincent. His body became too attractive to speak to, so she tapped on Lupa’s shoulder and pointed at the fish.

Lupa grabbed the fish and said, “Let’s leave the forest quickly, my mate.” Then she rushed to cook the six skewered, cleaned fish.

“Are you alright? Both of you are acting strange?” Vincent knew the reason, but he felt that if someone other than Kazumi says something about his strange body, he felt like he could come in terms with this change.

“Yo-your b-body l-looks nice... ” Ester stuttered in embarrassment while averting her gaze. The thought of what Kazumi said about him liking her flashed in her mind at the worst time possible.

“Thanks... although I don’t feel it’s my body. But at least you like it.” Vincent slyly said while touching his ABS.

“Y-yes... now I will help Lupa cook. Please put on a spare shirt from the cart. There should be the last one that I hid for emergencies in the sewing bag.” Ester quickly said and left to stay beside Lupa with a pair of reddened cheeks bright enough to light in the night.

[Don’t tell me you’ve become a narcissist?]

-No, I wanted to see how others saw me. Is this body real? Because I feel like I’m in a dream.-

[This whole situation feels like a dream to both of us. I am the soul of a dead person from another world, and you are you.]

-What do you mean by that?-

[No comment, hehe.]

Vincent found the shirt, removed its sleeves, and wore it. He felt a bit breezy with only a rag covering his lower body while his pants and underpants dried next to the campfire.

“Vincent, the food is ready!” Both called for him at the same time.

Vincent walked over to the campfire. The closer he approached, the delicious aroma of freshly cooked fish entered his nostrils.

.....

Vincent sat down on the ground with his legs together, not to give a show. The three of them grabbed a fish on a stick and took a bite. As Lupa and Vincent gulped the first bite, both said, “This is good!”