Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

-Luciel Greyrat- 

After tending to the wounded, I made sure that those who couldn't survive received a proper farewell.

This world had no mercy for the weak, but at the very least, I could ensure that those who had passed were not forgotten.

When everything was done, I prepared to leave.

However, before I could take a single step outside, a group of beastman children tugged at my arm, their eyes filled with hope.

They spoke in their native language, their voices trembling yet firm.

"There's still one more! In the farthest cell!"

I stopped in my tracks, staring at them seriously.

For a moment, I considered leaving this place as soon as possible.

If reinforcements arrived, we'd be in deep trouble.

But…

If there was still one person trapped here…

I couldn't ignore it.

I let out a deep sigh and made my decision.

"Ruijerd," I turned to the Supard warrior. "Help evacuate them. I'll free the prisoner myself."

Ruijerd studied me for a few seconds before giving a silent nod.

Wasting no time, I hurried toward the farthest cell.

Whoever was inside—I would make sure they got out of here.

As I shattered the cell's lock with ice magic, a thin wave of cold air seeped into the cramped, stifling space. Stepping inside, my gaze immediately fell on the being trapped within.

A large white dog.

Its long silver fur shimmered faintly under the dim torchlight. Its sharp blue eyes gleamed, but its expression was weak, as if its strength had long since faded.

Around it, magical formations were etched into the floor.

That was what had imprisoned it.

I could sense the flow of mana bound to those symbols, restricting its movement—perhaps even draining its energy little by little.

"So this is… just a dog?"

I stepped closer cautiously, ensuring there were no other traps hidden within the formation.

The beast's ears twitched slightly, and it lifted its head to look at me, though its posture remained defensive.

It was still on guard.

I raised my hand, signaling that I meant no harm.

"Relax… I'm getting you out of here."

Of course, it wouldn't believe me right away.

To this creature, I was nothing more than a stranger appearing out of nowhere in the darkness.

But I didn't have time to build trust gradually.

I reached out my hand and activated analysis magic, scanning the structure of the formation on the floor.

The magic was quite complex.

I could see four main points acting as the core of this formation.

If I destroyed them all at once, there might be unexpected consequences.

So… it was better to break it down gradually.

I took a deep breath and began using interference magic to weaken the mana flow within the formation.

Little by little, the magic circle started to dim.

The sacred beast looked up once more, this time with a glimmer of hope in its eyes.

A few seconds later…

Crack!

A sharp cracking sound echoed as the formation shattered completely.

I immediately stepped back, giving the creature space to move.

The large white dog slowly stood up, shaking its body before fixing its piercing gaze on me.

For a moment, I thought it was going to attack.

But what happened next caught me off guard.

It stepped closer, lowered its head… and then—

It licked my face.

"…Huh?"

I couldn't process what had just happened.

"RAAAAARGHHHH!!"

A deafening roar echoed from outside.

I jolted, startled by the sudden sound. Something was happening.

Without a second thought, I shot to my feet.

"Looks like Ruijerd's in trouble. Let's go help him!"

"Woof!"

The white dog barked lightly, as if agreeing with me.

But before I could step outside—

A massive figure leaped into the cell.

A towering beastman, muscular and shirtless, stood before me.

His eyes burned with fury.

I opened my mouth to explain, but before I could say a single word—

"RAAAARGH!!"

He let out a thunderous roar that shook the air itself.

The sound hit my ears like an explosion.

My head spun, my vision blurred, and…

Everything went dark.

I lost consciousness, unaware of what had just happened.

###

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

My head was still spinning, and my body felt cold.

As my consciousness returned, I immediately realized something.

I was inside a wooden cage—suspended in the air.

A shiver ran through me, though I wasn't sure if it was from the cold air or the lingering effects of the previous attack.

When I looked down, my eyes widened.

My body was clean… too clean.

My clothes… were gone.

I was completely naked, without a single thread covering me.

And worse—I was alone.

My siblings weren't here.

I bit my lip, suppressing the panic creeping into my chest.

What exactly had happened…?

For now, I needed to think rationally.

As far as I could recall, I had been attacked by an adult beastman—their magical roar hadn't just immobilized me, but also knocked me unconscious instantly.

And now, I had woken up hanging from a tree, trapped inside a sturdy wooden cage.

A prison, in every sense of the word.

I looked up, scanning my surroundings. From the height, this was definitely the treetops of a massive tree—likely part of a hidden beastman village.

I let out a long sigh.

Hopefully, Ruijerd had found my siblings before anything happened to them.

Without me, they had no one to protect them.

Now, the question was… what should I do?

Wait patiently? Or attempt to break free?

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting my thoughts race through different scenarios.

No—I couldn't act recklessly.

If they had simply wanted to kill me, they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of imprisoning me like this.

So… let's play along for now.

During my time in captivity, I was treated like a disgusting criminal.

Some of the beastmen who passed by shot me looks of disdain and contempt.

I ignored them.

Rather than worrying about their gazes, I chose to occupy myself with something more useful.

I sharpened my memories of Earth's science—revisiting theories, concepts, and formulas that might prove useful in this world.

Magic dominated this world, but the laws of nature never changed. Since I no longer had to hold back, I pushed my limits, experimenting with magic beyond common understanding—creating spells that had never existed in this world.

Would the laws of this world judge me for it?

Did I care?

Not at all.

As long as it was useful to me, that was all that mattered.

Oh, and by the way—the food here was terrible.

Three days had passed since I was imprisoned.

And I was bored out of my mind.

I had already tried experimenting with magic, developing a few theories that might work in this world, but without proper tools, testing was extremely limited.

Then, there was the food problem.

Seriously—their food was absolutely disgusting.

I was starting to consider whether I should break out and stir up another commotion.

But before I could make a decision—

"Move it! Get in there, you slippery monkey!"

Bang!

The cage door was thrown open, and a man was shoved inside, landing hard on the floor.

He groaned, rolling once before sitting up and rubbing his sore spots.

"Owww…! Geez, do you have to be so rough?! I only ate a little more than my share! No need to beat me up, right?!"

I remained silent, narrowing my eyes as I observed this newcomer.

He was human—different from the beastmen outside.

Short hair, a slightly narrow face, and a sly glint in his eyes—though he also looked oddly relaxed, as if this wasn't the first time he'd been in this situation.

And the most distinctive feature… his ears were pointed, like a monkey's.

"Hah… this sucks." He sighed dramatically. "Run one way, get caught. Run another way, still get caught. Is this my fate as a wanderer?"

I watched him without a word.

He was still busy rubbing his forehead—probably from a punch he had taken from the beastmen before being thrown in here.

After a few moments, he finally looked up and noticed me.

"Oh? I've got a cellmate?"

A grin spread across his face, and he casually sat cross-legged as if this was the most comfortable place in the world.

I remained silent, my expression unreadable.

Who was this guy?

"Hey, kid. Don't just sit there staring."

He grinned and patted his chest.

"The name's Geese. Geese Nukadia. A talented adventurer and a man of many charms!"

I raised an eyebrow.

Never heard of him.

"Luciel," I replied flatly, uninterested in his theatrics.

Geese blinked, then chuckled.

"Luciel, huh? Nice name! You're human, right? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you got caught for stealing food too?"

I snorted lightly.

"No. Just a little misunderstanding with the beastmen here."

Geese leaned against the wooden bars, exhaling loudly.

"Ah, so we're in the same boat. I also had a misunderstanding… about whether the food in this camp was free to eat or not."

I frowned.

"Don't lump me in with you."

"Eh? Why not? We're both locked up, aren't we?"

I didn't answer, choosing to ignore him.

Meanwhile, Geese started pacing inside the cage, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hmm… they locked us up pretty securely. Well, I could try talking my way out of this… Maybe bribe a guard with some juicy information… or spin a tragic tale to make them pity me… Hmm, I need to plan the best scenario."

I watched him briefly, and an idle idea crossed my mind.

Keeping my face expressionless, I leaned slightly toward him.

"Hey, Geese."

"Hmm?" He turned to me, unsuspecting.

"There's a bug on your forehead."

"Huh?"

Before he could react, I flicked his forehead.

Pak!

"Ow!" Geese yelped, stumbling back and rubbing his forehead.

"Damn it! That hurt!"

I maintained my blank expression.

"The bug's gone now."

Geese stared at me in confusion, then sighed.

"Hah… So you're the serious type who cracks jokes with a straight face, huh?"

I shrugged.

"Maybe."

Geese studied me for a long moment before breaking into a small chuckle.

"Haha! I like you, kid."

He leaned back against the cage wall, gazing up at the wooden ceiling.

"Alright, Luciel. Since we're stuck in this mess together, how about we work together to get out?"

I crossed my arms, looking at him calmly.

"Depends. Do you have a plan?"

Geese smirked confidently.

"Of course. I always have a plan."

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

This might actually get interesting.