I Became a Wendigo in a Fantasy World

12 – Episode 12

Scadi, who was blankly staring at the shell of what was once the Wendigo, released a deep sigh.

“Master, sorcerer? What should we do?”

Geron and Hegilson watched Scadi with an increasingly respectful manner. It was only natural after witnessing a battle that wasn’t from this world.

As Scadi’s tired eyes flicked over them, Geron swallowed. Scadi might not have been as terrifying as the Wendigo, but she was still intimidating.

‘She’s not going to freeze us just because she’s upset, right?’

Despite the concerns of Geron and Hegilson, Scadi was not particularly angry.

The Wendigo suddenly crushing the seed? It could happen. It’s okay if that’s what it wants.

Scadi didn’t view her relationship with the Wendigo as the ordinary one between a shaman and a spirit. They may have had a contract, but the relationship was far from ordinary.

‘A contract with the Wendigo… no, I’m indebted to it. What complaint can I have against it? As I handle secrets that could be taken back at any time, I must simply follow the Wendigo’s will!’

Scadi’s passion was a kind of loyalty. The purest loyalty to serve the being she revered!

With newfound spirit and vigor, Scadi slapped her cheeks, her eyes sharpening.

“First, I’ll build a wall where part of the rampart fell. And..,”

“Um, Scadi, sorry, but I have something to say.”

“If it’s about not being able to pay compensation, you can set that aside. The Wendigo didn’t come looking for a great deal either.”

“!”

Geron’s eyes widened in surprise. A sorcerer not demanding a great compensation? Was such a thing even possible?

It wasn’t that Scadi was making unobtainable promises. Although she did not fully understand the Wendigo, she believed in one thing.

The Wendigo wants to live harmoniously with humans!

It might be difficult for other spirits, but Scadi believed in the potential of the Wendigo. Its broad heart and the endless secrets it possessed.

Just as humans needed food to live, spirits needed secrets to maintain their existence.

Unlike other spirits, Wendigo had no reason to cause a commotion to gather mystery, so it could have lived with humans perfectly well.

“Wendigo is an entity that harbors infinite mystery. He also has a broad mind and bravery comparable to a dragon…”

‘Could the shaman be enthralled by the spirit?’

Geron came up with this disrespectful thought, as he looked at Skadi, who began to praise Wendigo with a joyous face. It was quite a plausible thought.

A spirit that mesmerizes a young maiden to make her a shaman and controls her, there’s nothing strange about it if it exists.

‘For such a thing, his eyes are clear…’

“Mayor, are you listening?”

“Ah, yes! Long live Wendigo. Long live.”

Geron was startled when he made eye contact with Skadi and raised his hand up shouting hurrah.

Skadi’s praise for Wendigo ended roughly after one hour.

* * *

How long time had passed? How long was this deep sleep?

Wendigo woke up from a deep sleep and moved his body. His mind was clear and refreshed, his body was full of energy.

‘No, can this be called sleep?’

Wendigo woke his mind up, groping his memory. His last memory was definitely the moment of chewing a seed.

The womb made of roots and branches. Wendigo realised he was inside the womb.

‘It’s uncomfortable to be in a womb of this size.’

No matter how much the giant of three meters curled up, its vastness was the same.

Wendigo cut the womb with his nails, feeling stuffy. Like the beast that just hatched from the egg, he tore the womb and came outside.

“Where am I now.”

A ceiling he did not remember made him wonder spontaneously. It was a place where the sky was visible, so why is there a roof now?

‘Did Skadi move me?’

It was possible. Skadi’s passion and action were extraordinary and she was capable of doing things beyond imagination…

“Who is it. Who dares to invade the residence of the sacred spirit and causes a disturbance!”

From behind, a door opened revealing a man’s figure.

Upon Wendigo’s gradual turning of his head, the warrior who had presumptuously entered widened his eyes in surprise. The source of the sound was Wendigo?

Damn it!

“I-I’m sorry! Unaware that the spirit had awakened, I was just too rude!”

“No, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

With an attitude as if he would thrust his own head into the ground, Wendigo quickly defused the man’s flustered demeanor. The man tearfully expressed his gratitude.

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‘Why is this guy behaving like this? Did the boar spirit cause a family death or something?’

If that were the case, the man’s exaggerated behaviour would be understandable. If the spirits the boar spirit released killed the man’s family, it wouldn’t be strange for him to show gratitude to the individual who took down the boar.

“Where is this place? And where’s Skadi?”

“This is a shrine Skadi set up to protect your resting place, great Spirit!”

“…I’m not a deity, so what’s all this about setting up a shrine? I could see a temple or a holy ground”

The man’s exaggeration made Wendigo feel sick. It would be ridiculous to be recognized as a god in a world where the existence of gods was uncertain.

At Wendigo’s response, the man expressed his admiration once again. As expected, the words of the Shaman were all correct.

The generosity to forgive mistakes, the humble attitude different from normal spirits!

“It seems Skadi was right after all!”

“So, where is Skadi?”

“Oh, Skadi is currently going around the village performing her duties. By the grace of the holy mystery of Wendigo…”

“Stop with such embarrassing talk. Just explain it simply and shortly.”

“She is bestowing blessings around the village’s field.”

Upon hearing a normal response, Wendigo nodded. It was something called duty. Just distributing blessings.

‘Skadi doesn’t lack exaggeration but she knows my heart well.’

He remembered Skadi, deciding on dinner menu carefully according to his words while living together in the mansion.

A woman like her would definitely realize the desire to establish a good relationship with the village and she would be making a good impression by approaching people kindly.

“I need to meet Skadi. Please guide me.”

“It’s my honor!”

“There’s no honor in it, no. Just take me to Skadi.”

She claims to be fine, but what could possibly be done about it?

Wendigo knew better than anyone that sometimes it was better to give up than to persuade. This was one of those moments.

The man guided the Wendigo outside.

“Wendigo has woken up!!!”

What the hell, what sort of nonsense is this?

If Wendigo were capable of facial expressions, it would have stared at the man as if he had lost his mind. This ludicrous behavior – shouting when peaceful guidance would have sufficed.

The crowd’s attention was drawn to Wendigo. Sighing internally, Wendigo braced itself for fearful stares.

However, the emotion it felt emanating from the crowd was not fear.

“Oh, the divine spirit of the forest, continue to watch over us.”

“Mom, it’s a spirit!”

“Come on, pay your respects. The spirit waking after two months, seems like something good will happen today.”

Reverence, gratitude, curiosity.

Wendigo, who had been the subject of fear, terror, perhaps even hate and anger, was taken aback by the emotions it received from the people.

It didn’t recall spirits being such welcomed entities.

“Wait. Two months, you’re saying I’ve been out for two months?”

“Yes. Lady Skadi explained, you fell into a deep sleep after defeating a vicious spirit and cleansing the forest of its murky mysteries.”

What absolute rubbish.

Wendigo swallowed the insult, unable to voice out its scorn. There was no trace of embarrassment in the man’s demeanor.

And worryingly, he seemed to be telling the truth.

‘If this isn’t a total lie. Unless swallowing that boar-like creature caused some issues with my abilities, what the hell is he talking about?’

He had intended to meet Skadi and relieve his anxiety, but instead, questions accumulated during his journey to meet her. Wendigo decided to meet Skadi as soon as possible, as he could not make sense of the situation.

‘Does the village seem to have gotten larger?’

It wasn’t just a feeling. Wendigo realized that the village had changed from before. There were traces of demolished buildings scattered about, and quite a few new buildings that had been erected. What was strange was that every house had bundles of dried roots hanging.

“She is over there, Skadi.”

After a long walk, they arrived at a field. At a place pointed out by a man, Skadi stood holding a staff. People were watching her from a distance, and it was clear that she was doing something. Wendigo felt the mysteries gathering around her. The energy he felt from the mystery was familiar but different.

‘Can I feel my energy from the mystery of that boar?’

Wendigo realised that the mystery was his. Along with this realization, he was able to sense a new mystery squirming from his body. The source of the boar spirit was pulsating within him.

‘Did I absorb the source by eating it? Is this possible for other spirits?’

That didn’t seem plausible. Otherwise, spirits would have caused chaos fighting over sources.

Surprise aside, Wendigo watched the mystery concentrate on Skadi’s staff. Skadi mumbled a few words and stuck the staff into the ground.

When the mystery from the staff seeped into the ground, something strange happened in the field. Withering crops regained life, and things that shouldn’t bloom did, growing flowers. People exuded cheers of surprise.

Skadi, wiping her perspiration, turned her gaze to the people. As she smiled, Wendigo felt proud.

‘I did well killing that boar!’

‘Of course, it wouldn’t be strange for people to be moved when Skadi cast spells like that..’

“This is the grace and love of the kind Wendigo! Wendigo is different from other spirits. He wishes to bestow and support the grace of the forest to us! Therefore, everyone should cherish and respect his kindness!”

“…???”

Wendigo wondered if he had misheard. Was the woman directing people like a skilled missionary really Skadi?

The man spoke with red-rimmed eyes, “Look. Skadi is like a shaman embracing a spirit, giving enlightenment to the people.”

Wendigo exerted superhuman patience not to slap the man in the face. It was no joke to continue to hear such ridiculous talk right beside him.

Even in his every word, there was no malice. He was clearly insane.

“Calm down. I need to calm down and listen to his story.”

He took a deep breath and approached Skadi.