(Pov - Laura Cavendish)


    Laura had always been a researcher. Ever since she could remember, her curiosity had driven her to explore the mysteries of the world. This led her to discover a universe known by few: the world of anomalies, phenomena that were impossible to explain by science. These phenomena weren''t limited to objects or creatures; sometimes, they encompassed entire locations.


    The forest in question was one of these anomalies. While creatures ended up trapped in it, unable to escape, the forest itself seemed to generate its own beings. Among them were the monsters that decimated almost the entire security team assigned to protect Laura.


    Though they resembled dogs, their actual mouths were located on their stomachs, and they had horrifying human-like arms. These were creatures that seemed to have come straight out of horror stories. However, despite their terrifying appearance, these creatures were relatively weak. Although they were more resilient than an average human, they could still be killed by bullets.


    What made the situation truly complicated was the regenerative ability of these monsters. Laura couldn''t fully understand how this regeneration worked; sometimes, a single shot was enough to kill them, while at other times, even dozens of shots wouldn’t put them down, as if nothing was happening.


    Laura had never seen so many of these monsters gathered in one place. They weren''t intelligent, only hunting by instinct and usually solitary. A horde of these creatures was something unexpected. This led to the annihilation of the security team, who weren''t equipped to handle a situation like this.


    Faced with an extremely bizarre anomaly, Laura couldn''t hide her curiosity. Just seconds ago, the creature that looked like an innocent little girl was now holding the heart of one of the monsters in her hand. Everything happened so fast that even Laura, confident in her ability to catch the smallest details of any anomaly, couldn’t fully comprehend what occurred.


    The monster lunged at the girl, but in the next instant, she was already behind it. And, in an even quicker movement, the monster’s heart appeared in the little girl’s hand.


    Laura wondered if the previous scene was part of the little girl''s anomalous powers. She wanted to understand her, study her. Even in a situation that would be terrifying to many, Laura’s fear wasn''t of death, but of not discovering more about this new anomaly.


    “The forest anomalies... are retreating!”


    Upon hearing this, Laura looked around. As the soldier had mentioned, the other monsters, which were already wary of the new anomaly, were now visibly frightened at the sight of one of their own being brutally destroyed.


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    Then, when the new anomaly cast a glance at one of the monsters, it immediately turned and began to run. Like a domino effect, all the others followed, seeming like prey in panic before their natural predator.


    “Could it be... we’re saved?”


    When one of the men’s voices broke the silence, everyone finally released the breaths they hadn’t even realized they were holding. The metallic scent of blood around them started to invade their nostrils, and somehow, it felt as if they were finally waking up from a nightmare.


    Although the sight of a little girl holding a still-beating heart in her hands was incredibly frightening, Laura and the three soldiers couldn’t help but think an unexpected thought: with her confused and innocent expression, the girl actually seemed like the cutest thing they’d ever seen.


    ***


    (Pov - Protagonist)


    Well, that was a pleasant surprise. After killing one of the monsters, just a single look was enough to make the others flee. Although I didn’t know why they suddenly turned cowardly, it worked perfectly for me, as I had no idea what would’ve happened if they had all attacked at once.


    Speaking of which, absorbing the heart sphere from that monster wasn’t entirely useless. Reflecting on this, I looked at my arm. Although I expected this, it’s still strange to see my arm ripped off and somehow still be able to feel it. Of course, it’s not like I could move it or anything.


    Then, as if waiting for a signal, my arm began to regenerate. There was no sound or peculiar sensation; it simply grew back, returning to normal, as if it had never been ripped off. Somehow, by absorbing the monster’s heart, I acquired a new ability.


    It’s pretty obvious, but my new ability involves regeneration. I don’t know exactly what the limits of this power are, but I’m confident I can regenerate any part of my body quickly. Putting that aside, I turned my attention back to the four remaining humans. Their expressions were of surprise, but the scientist seemed more curious than shocked.


    (Now, what to do... I imagine that seeing me kill one of the monsters didn’t leave a very good impression... Should I just act like an innocent, obedient little girl?)


    As I was immersed in my thoughts, the four remaining humans seemed to be discussing something among themselves. Since I perceive things differently, I could notice their expressions and hear some murmurs from their conversation. However, the words weren’t clear enough to understand the content of their discussion.


    Still, I noticed that the three soldiers seemed dissatisfied with something the scientist had said. To my surprise, the scientist turned and looked directly at me. With a determined expression, she started walking toward me.


    (Gentlemen soldiers, pointing guns at me can be a little scary, you know? After all, I’m just a cute and innocent girl right now)


    I watched closely as the woman approached, both hands raised in a gesture of surrender. She probably wanted to show that she had no hostile intentions. When she finally stopped in front of me, she took a deep breath, as if gathering all the courage she had.


    “You... can you understand me?”


    That was her first question to me. Of course, I understood everything perfectly, but even if I wanted to, I couldn’t respond. Literally, I had no lungs to breathe or vocal cords to make sounds. Not even a heartbeat echoed in my chest. So, all I did was tilt my head slightly to the side as I observed her, perfectly playing the role of an innocent and cute little girl, hoping to gain her sympathy.