I stared at the name Zotherg on the prompt, my curiosity tempered by hesitation. The question marks beside its level were an undeniable warning—it was far beyond my current ability to comprehend. I could only assume this indicated Zotherg’s power was off the charts, so high that my system couldn’t quantify it without significant leveling on my part.

  Still, my chosen trait promised that elementals would only help me, not harm me. That assurance was the only thing bolstering my courage as I steadied my resolve and activated [Soul Speak].

  The sensation was unlike anything I’d experienced before. It felt as though my very being flickered in and out, like an LED flashlight blinking rapidly. My soul vibrated, pulsing in waves that acted like a signal reaching out to Zotherg.

  At first, the communication was abstract—emotions flickered back and forth between us, faint but unmistakable. Zotherg’s joy at being contacted was warm and overwhelming, almost paternal. I hadn’t realized until that moment how excruciatingly isolated I’d felt since my rebirth.

  I was trapped, not just in a newborn’s body but in its many limitations. The humiliation of being utterly helpless, unable to care for myself, had gnawed at me. Perfect memory didn’t help, either—it preserved every indignity. I still winced at the thought of pooping myself multiple times a day, cleaned like an inanimate doll by hands not my own.

  And then there was the breastfeeding.

  I had resisted at first, my pride rebelling against the thought, but hunger was an unrelenting enemy. Eventually, I gave in. Even then, I closed my eyes during those moments, trying not to dwell on the awkwardness of it all.

  Yet, as mortifying as those moments were, not everything about this life was bad.

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  In my past life, I had never known my mother. She had died in a car accident shortly after I was born, a tragedy I had pieced together from police reports and scraps of family stories. Driving home after a snowstorm, her car had hit black ice, skidding out of control and crashing into a tree. The engine had burst into the cab, and she died instantly.

  But in this life, I did have a mother.

  Sienna Knollen was her name, and her love for me was like nothing I had ever known. She was fiercely protective, doting on me as if I were the most precious thing in the world. It was a feeling I hadn’t realized I missed until I experienced it.

  Her overprotectiveness, however, sometimes bordered on the absurd. She refused to let my father, Ileor Knollen, parade me around the village, much to his dismay. It was sweet in its own way, though occasionally annoying.

  As time passed, my [Soul Speak] skill leveled up. By the time it reached Level 3, the emotional exchanges evolved into actual thoughts and words. We could even share images, painting vivid pictures in each other’s minds.

  When Zotherg’s voice finally came through, it startled me. It was deep and rich, full of warmth and mirth, like what I imagined Santa Claus would sound like if he were real.

  “HA HA! Congratulations, young lord!” Zotherg bellowed, his laughter like the rumble of distant thunder.

  I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Um, thanks, Zotherg. It’s nice to finally speak with you.” My response came out more familiar than I had expected, as though we had known each other for years. Perhaps the emotional exchanges before had created a sense of camaraderie.

  “Well, I wondered how long it would take you to discover me,” Zotherg said, his tone still jovial. “But I never imagined it would be so soon!”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

  “It’s understandable that you wouldn’t know this yet,” Zotherg replied, his voice growing lighter with amusement. “But I’m an earth elemental, and you’re standing—well, lying—on top of me.”

  His words caught me off guard. I glanced around, half-expecting to see a tiny figure made of dirt or stone peeking out from the floor.

  Zotherg’s laughter boomed again, and I could feel his amusement ripple through our connection. “To be more precise,” he continued, “you’re camping in a forest on a mountain. That mountain is called Mt. Zotherg, and that’s me. Nice to meet ya!”

  I starred at the name Zotherg on the prompt. I was hesitant to contact the unknown elemental. Zotherg had question marks next to its level indication. I could only assume it meant its level was way too high for me to be able to see in the system without leveling up first. I took a deep breath and let it go. The system had not lied to me yet. My chosen trait promised elementals would only help me. I steadied my resolve and used Soul Speak.

  It felt like my very being was an LED flashlight blinking on and off rapidly in succession as I used soul speak. The fluctuations of my soul were acting like a cell phone signal. At first, I could only translate or feel emotions going back and forth between the two of us. Zothergs joy at me contacting it and mine at finally having someone or something with which to communicate. I had been unaware of how excruciating my imprisonment in my new body had been. Not to mention other unpleasant instances of my rebirth, whether I liked it or not I have a perfect memory. I did not like having to poop myself several times a day and be cleaned by others. It was ... humiliating to say the least. Heck, I tried my best to avoid being breastfed, but there seems to be no other method used by the elves. I refused at first, but hunger is a painful thing, and eventually, I gave in. I closed my eyes so their image would not torment me.

  It wasn't all bad, in the past life I had never known my mother. She had died in a car accident shortly after my birth. She was driving her car in the morning after a snowstorm. She lost control when she went over black ice and crashed into a tree ten feet down from the road. The engine burst into the cab and crushed her to death.

  In this life, however, I felt my mother's love for me. It was an odd feeling I had been unaware of was missing in my life. My mother Sienna Knollen seemed to be a bit overprotective. She was always worried I would get sick. She rarely left my side and so far refused to let my father Ileor Knollen show me off around the village. It was almost as sweet as it was annoying!

  As time passed my Soul Speak skill level up and once it reached level 3 we could converse real thoughts. We could send words and even images between us. I was surprised by Zothergs elderly male voice. He sounded like what I always imagined Santa Clause would if he were real.

  "HA HA, congratulations young lord!", Zotherg bellowed.

  "Um, thanks Zotherg it's nice to speak with you finally," I replied to Zotherg. I had answered to him more generally than I thought I would. It felt like I truly knew him after communicating emotions and such before.

  "Well, I wondered how long it would take you to find out about me, but I never expected it would be so soon!" Zotherg stated.

  "What do you mean?", I asked.

  " It's understandable that you don't know this but I'm an earth elemental, and you're on top of me." Zotherg declared. There was a moment of surprise as I looked around to see if there was a tiny man made of dirt around. Zotherg amused seemed to understand what I was thinking and continued, " To be more precise you are camping in a forest that is on a mountain. That mountain is called Mt Zotherg, and that's me. Nice to meet ya!".