LRAB Chapter 25 New Look
Chapter 25 New Look
Ethan's smile widened as he watched the little bird flutter from branch to branch above him. It was small, with bright, iridescent feathers that shimmered in the sunlight. It chirped again and was about to jump onto the next branch when suddenly a black ball of fur collided against the bird.
The bird let out a startled chirp, its wings flailing as it tumbled to the ground in a flurry of feathers. Shadow landed gracefully nearby, her green eyes glinting with satisfaction as she batted the stunned bird with a paw.
"Hey. Hey. That's enough." Ethan blocked Shadow's next paw with an awkward expression as he did the deed instead. Sure, it still pricked him to kill something small and innocent like this but... it was kill or be killed.
Ethan watched as the bird's body went limp.
[Ding! Yellow bird has been added to your summoning list]
"Summon Tweety"
The next second, a small yellow bird walked out of nothingness. The bird's corpse still lay beside him, yet a brand new bird was right in front of him.
Ethan let out a sigh. The small mishap was only with the human corpses. His summoning power still worked just fine. Not that he ever doubted it. Just a small part of him was nervous. This was his single lifeline in this world. He needed to change that too soon.@@@@
Shadow meowed smugly from his shoulder, her tail swishing against his back as if to say, Told you I'm better. Ethan reached up to scratch her chin absentmindedly. "Okay, fine, I'm improvising," he said aloud, more to convince himself than anyone else.
He waved at Tweety with exaggerated gestures, pointing down the forest path and mimicking a bird flying far ahead. "Just... go that way and scout for danger, alright? No people, no monsters, just trees, and safety. Got it?"
The bird chirped in response—whether out of understanding or instinct, Ethan couldn't tell—and flapped off into the canopy. Ethan watched it disappear into the dappled light filtering through the leaves. "Great. Now we wait and see if it comes back in one piece."
Turning back to the stream, Ethan caught his reflection again. Even if he ended up going to the same city, he couldn't go in his current appearance. He quickly changed out of his fancier pants and shirt into a simpler one. He then ruffled his hair.
A few minutes later Ethan stepped away from the stream, the cool air brushing against his now completely exposed scalp. He rubbed a hand over his newly bald head, still adjusting to the sensation. "Well," he muttered, "this is... different."
Shadow perched smugly on his shoulder, her tail flicking as if judging his drastic choice. Meow, she said softly, her tone carrying an air of playful mockery.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't start, you little critic. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides," he added with a smirk, "it's not like anyone can recognize me now, right?"
Well, they still could but at least not at first glance which was all he could muster at the moment.
"Alright," Ethan murmured, his tone resolute. "New look, new start. Let's see if we can make it to a city without getting killed..."