Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race

The forest seemed to swallow everything around Rygar. He and Ghislaine ran side by side.

He, with slumped shoulders, his body covered in dirt and blood, and his left arm missing, did not exchange a single word. Every step he took without something pressing him to act was more time for him to think—he could not clearly remember the attack on the Joylore estate.

But in some ways, that made it worse. He only recalled flashes—anything that moved was mercilessly slaughtered in his fury, and images of him tearing out the throats of guards and servants flashed in sequence through his mind as his thoughts began to settle.

Every movement felt heavier than the last, every second he ran without something to distract him, the weight of guilt seemed to glue his feet to the ground. He could no longer shake off the image of the dead, their screams, the sound of his claws cutting through flesh—the same way his doubts were cutting through himself.

The silence stretched between them. Ghislaine, running with the energy that kept her moving forward, noticed something was wrong. The boy, once so focused and direct, now seemed distant, lost in thoughts she could not guess.

Each passing second was another step toward the abyss he was sinking into. But she was not good with words, nor with comfort.

So she simply remained silent, glancing at him sideways while keeping her pace steady.

Ghislaine's eyes drifted toward him for a moment. When she first met Rygar, she thought of him as a prodigy—a boy with more talent than anyone she had ever seen. But as time passed and she learned more about him, what fascinated her the most was his intelligence and the maturity he displayed, always so focused and capable.

When he faced the Holy Order of Milis, she admired his courage and fighting spirit. Over time, without realizing it, she had begun to see him as an equal.

But now, something about his posture had changed.

Then, finally, they spotted the rest of the group. Poulak, Taes, and Fehel were ahead, running quickly. Poulak, carrying Taes and Fehel on his shoulders, seemed slower than usual. When he noticed the two approaching, he slowed down, abruptly stopping and turning to face them.

Without hesitation, Rygar shouted:

"Poulak! It's us!"

The beastman stopped, and upon seeing Rygar's condition, his eyes widened. He stared for a moment, but what shocked him the most was the absence of his leader's arm. Horror spread across his face.

"Boss, your arm!" he exclaimed, panic evident in his voice.

Rygar took a deep breath, as if trying to shake off the weight on his shoulders.

"Don't worry about that. Give me the two of them. We need to get back as quickly as possible."

Poulak glanced at Ghislaine, but she remained expressionless, her gaze focused elsewhere. He wanted to ask more, but seeing Rygar's grim expression, he knew he shouldn't. The decision was made in silence, and the three of them departed without another word, heading for the Iron Legion's base.

Tinaver was close to Milishion—just a few hours of running would be enough to reach it. Rygar and Ghislaine arrived even faster, fueled by Rygar's fury.

What awaited them at the base initially seemed like relief but quickly became another reminder of the battle—a reconstruction after destruction. The scene was one of frantic activity. The base was being rebuilt, rising more imposing than before. Markers and targets were placed along the walls, and new plans for fortifications were being drawn.

Upon arrival, Rygar quickly distanced himself, speaking to no one. He approached Poulak, who watched him with a mixture of concern and reverence.

"Tell everyone I'll be learning Saint-tier Healing Magic to heal Taes and my arm. I don't want to be disturbed," Rygar ordered, his voice low but carrying a weight that was not just physical.

Poulak wanted to say something, wanted to question him, but fear and apprehension silenced him. He simply nodded, understanding that his leader was not himself.

Rygar walked toward the main building—his residence—Ghislaine following in silence. When their leader departed, all Poulak could do was watch, a strange sense of helplessness consuming him. It was obvious that Rygar was deeply troubled, but why? What had truly happened?

Rygar, meanwhile, walked in silence. The pain of losing his arm did not bother him as much as his own thoughts. He felt utterly unworthy—his role as 'Leader' seemed empty to him now.

How could he be worthy of leading when he was the first to succumb to chaos when faced with difficulty? The massacre he caused, the suffering he inflicted. He no longer knew who he was. Learning Saint-tier Healing Magic would only be a band-aid—a temporary fix for a much deeper problem.

Since Rygar was reborn into this world, he had been confident he would achieve great things with his knowledge. The more he grew, the more he saw the injustices in this world—against his race and many others—and he decided he would change that. His confidence grew with each passing moment, reinforced by those around him.

He had ambition—an ambition born and strengthened by everyone around him since birth. They called him strong, talented, and just. He never saw himself as a hero; he never cared for those who were not close to him. He would kill his enemies without hesitation—that was what his instructors had taught him. But they had also taught him leniency and the wisdom to judge who was an enemy and who was not.

He could blame all his mistakes on his beastly instincts, but would that bring back the innocent people he had slaughtered?

'I thought I would have more control after reaching Saint-tier...'

The confidence he had built based on his strength and the people who believed in him was gradually beginning to fade.

'Am I really someone worthy of being followed?'

'How am I supposed to look them in the eyes? How can I give orders again? Will they still follow me out of respect and not out of fear?' He pondered as the corridors of the base seemed to stretch endlessly before him. He no longer felt like the leader he once was. He felt smaller than anyone else there.

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Meanwhile, at the time of teleportation.

POV: Rudeus Greyrat

I was dreaming.

In this dream, I was flying through the air, holding Sylphy in my arms. My mind was hazy, but somehow, I knew I was flying. The world around me was nothing more than a blur, with shapes and colors constantly shifting. I soared through the air like a sound wave or a particle of light, my body randomly tossed in different directions.

I didn't know why this was happening. But I was certain of one thing: no matter what I tried, I would eventually lose speed and crash into the ground.

So I focused. I looked down at the ever-changing landscape, trying to find a relatively safe place to land.

Something inside me was screaming that I had to do this—if I wanted to survive.

Even so, we were going too fast. And suddenly, we started to slow down.

"Ah, shit. I'm gonna fall!"

Panic surged in my chest, but now I could see the ground below me clearly. I needed to land in a field. Crashing into the ocean or hitting solid ground directly would be bad. The forests would obviously be dangerous, but if I could aim for a field…

I forced myself to land, hoping for the best. Our speed rapidly decreased as we dived toward a vast stretch of yellowish desert land.

A moment later, I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely white, empty space. Some kind of lucid dream? However, for some reason, my body felt strangely heavy.

"Huh...?"

I looked at myself and widened my eyes. I was back in the old, familiar form I had for thirty-four years.

Seeing this, memories of my previous life resurfaced. I was still the same bitter, vile, insecure, and selfish trash as ever. The ten years I spent as Rudeus suddenly felt like nothing more than a dream.

A crushing wave of disappointment washed over me. I had returned to my old, pathetic body, and I found it disturbingly easy to accept.

'So it really was just a dream, huh…?'

As far as dreams go, it lasted a ridiculously long time. But in the end, it was all too good to be true. I was born into a loving family and managed to befriend my master Roxy and Sylphy. I guess it was good for seven years of life. Still, I wanted to enjoy that life a little longer.

'Ah, well. I guess it's over now.'

As I thought that, my attention drifted.

Eventually, I noticed that a strange figure had appeared right in front of me. The individual had a blank face, with nothing on it except a huge, wide grin.

I simply couldn't make out any distinguishing features. Whenever I tried to focus on a specific part of their face, it would immediately fade from my memory; my mind refused to form their image. It almost felt like… a person was being blurred out by a pixelated mosaic.

Still, somehow, I got the impression that I was dealing with someone calm and patient.

"Hey, you. Nice to meet you, Rudeus."

Hm. I had been so busy drowning in self-pity, and now some weird, censored guy—like in a porno—was calling out to chat.

Actually, that voice was pretty ambiguous. Maybe it was a guy, maybe a girl. Please, let it be a girl! That would make the pixelated thing seem kinda sexy, wouldn't it?

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

'Ah. Yeah. Sure. Nice to meet you.'

"Excellent. It's good to see you have some manners."

I hadn't actually spoken out loud, but it seemed like my new friend here could hear my thoughts. I figured it would be best to keep communicating that way.

"Wow. Nothing rattles you, does it?"

'That's definitely not true.'

"Ehehe. No need to be so modest!"

Anyway. You are… who or what, exactly?

"Can't you figure that out for yourself?"

'I can barely see anything beyond a mosaic. Uh, are you the Mighty Sperm Man or something?'

"The Mighty Sperm Man? Who's that? Does he look like me?"

'Oh, definitely. He's got all his pixels blurred out, just like you.'

"Hmm. So there's someone like me in your world too…?"

'Well, no. Not really.'

"What? Ah, right, let's move on. I'm a god. The Human-God, to be specific."

'Uh-huh. The Human-God. Sure.'

"I must say, you don't seem very impressed."

'Uhm… I'm just wondering why a god would waste time talking to me, I guess. Also, isn't it a little late for you to show up? The god is supposed to appear in the first chapter, don't you think?'

"The first chapter…? What do you mean by that?"

'Never mind, it's nothing. Please, continue.'

"Right. Anyway, I've been watching you for some time now. You've been living quite an interesting life!"

'Spying is always fun, isn't it?'

"Oh, absolutely. And that's why I decided to take care of you."

You're taking care of me? Wow, thanks. Speaking of superiority… what am I, your pet or something?

"Come on, no need to be so hostile! I'm only talking to you because I can see you're really in trouble right now."

'Well, it is a critical situation. Anyone who suddenly shows up offering to solve all your problems while you're struggling is definitely a scammer.'

"No, no. I'm on your side, buddy."

'Hah! And now we're buddies? Don't make me laugh. I met guys just like you in my past life, pal. People who showed up and said, "Do your best" or "I'll take care of you." They were all liars. They didn't really care. They just assumed everything would go the way they wanted once they lured me out of my room. No one ever tried to understand the real problem. Everything you're saying reminds me of those people. I'll never trust you.'

"My, my, that is a problem. Hmm… Then how about I just give you a piece of advice, huh?"

'Advice…?'

"That's right. Feel free to ignore it completely if you want."

'Right. I get it. So this is your method. I know this one too. People loved giving me advice. They thought they could shove a bunch of self-help into me and make me focus on something other than my own misery. Give me a break, just get to the point. What good is a positive thought going to do for me now? I've already passed the point where my emotional state makes any difference. Being optimistic will only lead to more pain in the future.'

'I mean, this is exactly the case in question! Why the hell did you let me dream? Alternate reality, my ass. I clung to this second chance at life, and then you come along and pull the rug out from under me? Did you really have to be such a damn sadist?!'

"Wait a minute. I think you don't understand what's happening. I want to help you with your current life, not your previous one."

'Hm…? Then why am I like this?'

"This is your astral form. It's different from your current body."

'My… astral form?'

"That's right. Your body is perfectly fine."

'So, this is just a dream? When I wake up, I won't be stuck in this horrible body?'

"That's right. Since you're dreaming now, you'll go back to normal as soon as you wake up. Better now?"

'Wow. Alright. So this is just some weird dream…'

"Well, it's not just a dream. I'm speaking directly into your mind. It's hard to believe that your mental image would be so different from your real body…"

'Telepathy, huh? Fine, whatever. But what do you actually want from me? Do you plan on sending me back to my old world? Since I don't belong here or something like that?'

"Don't be ridiculous. I couldn't send you anywhere other than the Hexa-Facial World, obviously."

'Hmph. Maybe that's obvious to you, but I'm in the dark here.'

"A very reasonable point."

'Wait a minute. If you can't send me back… then you're not the one who reincarnated me into this world, are you?'

"Exactly. Anyway, reincarnation isn't my department. That's the specialty of a certain nasty Dragon God."

'Hrm. So there's even an evil dragon involved, huh…?'

"Anyway, do you want to hear my advice or not?"

'No, thanks…'

"Huh?! Why not?"

'You really give off the impression of a con artist.'

"And that's really a good reason to ignore me? At this rate, you'll end up dead."

'I will…? Why?'

"The Begaritt Continent is a very dangerous place. For one, there's not much to eat. On the other hand, it's full of monsters and labyrinths, especially compared to the Central Continent. You don't know their language, and nothing will be like what you expected from your old home. Are you really confident you can survive?"

'The Begaritt Continent? What? Hold on a second. You mean the desert on the other side of the world? Why would I be there?'

"You were caught in a massive magical disaster. You ended up being teleported."

'A magical disaster…? Are you talking about that light?'

"That's right."

'So that was some kind of teleportation spell. Hmm.'

"Wait… I wasn't the only one hit by that thing. The people from Buena Village were teleported too?!"

"Do you know anything about that, buddy…?"

'Would you really believe my answer? You don't even want to hear my advice.'

"Good point. You'd probably just lie and laugh about it."

'All I'll say is that they're all praying for your safety. Everyone wants you to return alive.'

"Well… yeah. Of course, they do."

"Hmm. Did you really believe that? Isn't there a part of you that thinks… they might have been relieved to be rid of you?"

'Yeah… I'd be lying if I said that thought hadn't crossed my mind. At the end of my old life, no one cared whether I lived or died. I still have some self-esteem issues because of that.'

"Well, people in this world care about you. It's better if you come back in one piece."

"Alright. You're right."

"I won't give you any guarantees, but I think you have a good chance of making it back alive if you follow my advice."

'Wait. Before that, I want to know why you're doing this. Why are you so concerned about me?'

"Heh, you're persistent… I just think things will be more entertaining if you stay alive, got it? Isn't that enough?"

'People who only care about their own amusement tend to be scumbags, you should know.'

"Is that how it was in your past life?"

'All the time. I met some guys like that, and they all loved making others dance like puppets just for fun.'

"Hm. Well, I like doing that from time to time too. I won't deny it."

'And what's so fun about watching me?'

"You're just… interesting, that's all. I almost never get to see what someone from a completely different world is doing!"

'Great. So, I'm a pet monkey, and you want to teach me some new tricks. Is that it?'

"Sigh… Look. You haven't forgotten my question, have you?"

'What question?'

"Then I'll repeat it. Are you sure you can survive? Stuck in a dangerous and unfamiliar land?"

'No… Not really.'

"Then maybe you should listen to me. Like I said, it's up to you whether you follow my suggestions or not."

'Alright. Fine. I get it. Go ahead, give me your advice if that's what you want. What was the whole point of this pompous conversation, anyway? You could've just told me what I need to do from the start and saved me the headache.'

"Okay, okay. Now listen carefully, young Rudeus. Right after you wake up, you'll see a scorching desert. Make it rain as hard as you can and build a house out of earth."

As those last fleeting words echoed into the void, the blurred god disappeared completely.

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