Transmigrated into a novel as an escaped test subject.

Chapter 3 - Man in black

2 days later...

'Can I say I finally made it?'

'Wahhh, seeing a small town has already lifted a great burden off my shoulders.'

Phoebe was sitting on a rock exhausted, but had found a great view of the village before. She let out a brief sigh of relief.

'All that work paid off!'

Phoebe recalled herself trying to use the tips from survival tip books in her previous life, she was really bad at it, it was hard to even get a fire lit, with two sticks she tried to rub against each other, in the end she found an easier way by applying force to it.'

Phoebe then focused her attention back on the village and tried to figure out a plan.

'Hm, how should I introduce myself? Perhaps getting straight to a point, or just asking for shelter? No that's asking to much so should I-'

"Hey, you there."

Phoebe almost jumped out of her skins, she looked back to see a figure, dressed in a black clock sitting on a branch.

"Urr-"

Phoebe didn't know how to reply to an almost camouflaged sketchy man dressed in a black cloak sitting in the shadows of a tree.

"Don't be scared, you're an escapee right?"

"Yes?"

'Sort of? More of a possessed deceased one though'

"If you need shelter, I could help you."

Then he lifted his arm and took off his skin like tape, that was hardly seeable, to reveal a number, 217.

'Oh, is he an escapee too? Oh! He's probably a part of the resistance, his number is 217, that means he escaped a pretty long time ago I guess.'

"What's your name?"

The man asked, jumping down from the high branch without difficulty, revealing a young handsome face, with a scar right under his eye.

"Oh, my name's Phoebe."

The man gave me a look of surprise.

"Oh did I-"

"No, it's just usually the escapees answer with their number, not that there were many of them anyway."

"Oh if you're asking, it's 5804."

Phoebe blurted out, recalling disturbingly clear from her memories. Then she proceeded to lift her arm to show her number.

"5804, that much..."

he murmured, his eyes went cold and he started clenching his fist. Phoebe noticed his mood but could hardly make out what he was saying.

'His definitely mad at me, should I make a run for it?'

"Pardon?"

She tried to ask nervously.

The man stared back at her and sighed.

"Don't mind me, if you want shelter you can come with me."

He then proceeded to walk down a rocky path.

'Well, that was easier than I thought'

"Erm, what's your name?"

Phoebe asked as she continued to keep up with him.

"You could call me Vali."

"Oh."

'Oh that's a weird name for a parent to give.'

Vali noticed Phoebe's expression and then added additional information.

"It was a name given by my savior, Vali is the name of the god of vengeance, as for my original name I've long forgotten."

"My savior is also a part of the resistance, you'll be safe with them too."

Phoebe then proceeded to walk silently behind him.

'The resistance doesn't seem as bad as they describe in the novel, they're just people who want revenge for what the kingdom has done.'

"You know, you're pretty sane for an escapee as young as you, I can tell that you experienced some painful processes."

Then he nodded towards my wounds that were visibly not possible to be simple scratches or wounds from my journey travelling here.

'Oh right, I'm psychically 8, what do I tell him? That I'm a 26 year old person who possessed this dead body of a test subject? hah as if I have the courage, I'll play along for now.'

"I- it wasn't that bad."

Phoebe tried with her most pitiful voice, though she thinks she's really bad at acting.

Vali gave Phoebe a doubtful look, then turned his head away from her.

"We're almost there, then you can rest easy."