Chapter 3

The pain gradually subsided.

But perhaps the aftermath still lingered, as my body tingled all over.

Phew.

I almost died. From shock.

It felt like my whole body was being torn apart while still alive.

I’m kinda proud of myself for enduring it without even screaming.

When I touched my stomach, even the puncture wound had completely healed.

It doesn’t hurt even when I apply pressure.

Am I fully healed?

Not only that, but my skin feels a bit firmer too, even if just slightly.

This must also be the result of spreading magic power throughout my body.

Who knew circulating magic power could have such effects?

I slowly crawled out from under the tree roots, from the hastily made dugout, and surveyed my surroundings while checking my body’s condition.

Then I came to a conclusion.

“…If I fight again, I could take them down without getting hurt, right?”

[I told you, no dangerous hunting!]

Magic power is truly a fantastical substance.

Just by having it, it granted me multiple beneficial effects.

Moreover, as I opened my magic circuits, my body felt indescribably refreshed.

My condition is so good, it’s like I’ve taken some kind of drug, surpassing even my peak.

But usually, when you open magic circuits, don’t things like waste products come out?

This part is different from the common sense I know.

[There was no waste to begin with.]

Huh?

[I’m not sure how it changed after the dimensional shift, but a body this clean would be hard to achieve even if you tried. Isn’t it amazing?]

“That’s…”

It feels kinda creepy, that cleanliness.

It’s like someone washed every inch of my body and then meticulously reassembled it.

But hey, good is good, I guess.

“More importantly, any changes in my stats?”

[Yes, of course. Strength, agility, and stamina each increased by 1, and magic power went up by 5. That’s incredible growth!]

No wonder my body feels unnaturally light.

I smoothly stretched my legs and reflected on my growth over the past few days.

Starting from the level of an ordinary human, I’ve now surpassed the human limit by a fair margin.

If I were to compete in the Olympics now, I could sweep gold medals in any event.

But the process wasn’t always smooth or righteous.

Especially yesterday, I almost died.

Ugh…

Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

That moment when the world seemed to stop.

And the sensation of the raptor’s claws piercing through my flesh.

[Are you okay?]

I unconsciously steadied my heavy breathing and tapped the back of my neck with my hand.

It’s drenched in cold sweat.

Thanks, Belva.

[Stay strong. If I knew you’d feel pain, I would’ve shared the burden. I’m genuinely sorry.]

Yeah, yeah. I’m really glad you’re here.

I nodded and recalled yesterday’s battle again.

I was sure I had the upper hand.

No, more than that, I was confident I could win without taking a single hit.

From the moment I decided to hunt the raptor, I spent time observing and studying it.

Its instant acceleration.

The maximum force it could exert.

The cutting power of its claws.

Even the possibility of a hidden trump card.

For two whole days, I prepared and exhausted myself for the raptor hunt.

And I concluded:

That thing is weaker than me. I can definitely take it down.

In reality, the raptor’s stats weren’t as high as I thought.

I was far superior in both strength and speed, and my techniques were overwhelmingly better. It was a fight I couldn’t lose.

But the result was far from what I expected. I ended up barely surviving after nearly losing my head to the River Styx.

Why?

The reason was simple.

I didn’t know how to properly control the power and body I had.

In other words, I lacked skill and experience.

Unlike the raptor I faced.

No matter how strong my power was, until recently, I was just an ordinary person who had never even swung a kitchen knife.

The raptor was a predator that crossed life and death daily in the wild to hunt for food.

The difference between the two of us was immense.

Enough to overcome the overwhelming difference in power and deliver a fatal blow.

In the end, I survived, and the raptor did die, but…

If we had the same strength and speed, I wouldn’t have lasted even 10 seconds.

I’m sure of it.

“So, I’ve decided to stop.”

[Really?]

“Yeah. I need to fully control the power I have first.”

If I just inflate my strength without knowing how to use it, it’ll only increase the danger.

I need something more fundamental.

“I need to improve my skills.”

Stats aren’t everything.

If I keep growing by just throwing rocks like before, I’ll eventually get eaten by a stronger enemy.

This battle made me realize that.

As I finished stretching and slowly began carving a spear, Belva shouted at me in shock.

[Are you planning to fight again?!]

What else am I supposed to do?

Belva is kinda overprotective, you know?

It feels like I’m getting special treatment, though.

Honestly, I know how dangerous the plan I’ve set is.

I almost died just yesterday, and now I’m going out to fight again? It’s insane.

But both the raptor and I are at the bottom of this world’s pyramid.

Just look at the pterosaurs in the sky above. Not long ago, I saw one emit a sonic wave and blow up a dinosaur dozens of meters tall.

One day, out of nowhere, those…

Is there a guarantee that monsters won’t appear in front of me?

No one is responsible for my life.

I have to protect it myself.

And personally, I also have a desire to become stronger.

Both the justification and the benefits are clear.

[But…]

“If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just run away, so don’t worry. Raptors can’t climb trees anyway.”

At least when it comes to climbing trees, there’s no creature around here that can beat me.

And this is a dense jungle full of trees.

If things go south, I can just bolt.

After reassuring Belva like that, I once again picked a suitable raptor and spent a few hours observing it.

The result? I’m superior in strength, agility, and stamina.

It doesn’t seem to have any special abilities.

Good. Let’s not get careless. As long as I don’t get careless, there shouldn’t be any danger.

I came down and took my stance.

The raptor, noticing me, let out a fierce roar.

“Belva, translate.”

[It’s a strange prey! It looks hideous!]

[It’s a human who only does unnecessarily dangerous things!]

…The last part is just what you wanted to say, isn’t it!

I thrust my spear in a straight line.

Once in actual combat, I could really feel my stats have improved.

The spear, much faster and stronger than before, shot towards the raptor’s neck.

“Kaaaaah!”

The raptor then leaped back, retreating.

…Huh? This is a reaction I’ve never seen before.

I didn’t do any special attack, so where did this difference come from?

More importantly, this was the opportunity.

My thoughts, accelerated by extreme focus, presented me with several options.

Should I step forward?

Or retreat and observe?

Although its stance is broken, having been hit, I’m not feeling particularly brave.

In such a case, what attack method should I take?

The deliberation didn’t last long.

I stepped forward,

leaned back slightly, then used the recoil to

throw the spear.

“Ke, keee…”

Wow.

The spear flew at an unbelievable speed, faster than I could have thrown.

I couldn’t even see it properly.

I probably couldn’t have achieved that speed with just my strength.

In fact, as I made the move, I felt a slight warmth, perhaps from the assistance of magic power.

[That’s right. You just naturally used magic power.]

No wonder. Before coming here, I tried throwing a spear a few times with this body.

I knew it didn’t even reach half that speed.

I looked at the spear, which had pierced the raptor’s neck and embedded itself in the tree behind.

“…What do I do with this?”

This messes up… the plan.

I wanted to repeat battles with raptors to sharpen my combat senses. But I’ve become too strong.

I clenched and unclenched my fist a couple of times.

It’s like waking up to find I’ve become One Punch Man.

Then, my body started getting hotter.

At the same time, an unpleasant sense of happiness enveloped my head.

My heart kept pounding, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

It felt like a euphoria stronger than any pleasure I’ve ever felt was drumming in my head.

What is this feeling?

Is this what taking drugs feels like?

I’ve never tried, but I can’t imagine anything feeling better than this.

I started to get a bit suspicious.

Could I be under some kind of mental attack?

[Your emotional state is a mess. Suddenly moving to this dimension, facing life-threatening situations, and maintaining extreme tension have overloaded your brain. Using magic power temporarily paralyzed your dopamine regulation. It’s not normal.]

Belva gave an appropriate diagnosis.

Hmm.

So, does this mean I’ll feel this way every time I use magic power from now on?

[As you get used to using it and reach higher levels, the side effects will gradually decrease.]

That’s a relief.

More importantly, I need to control these boiling emotions now.

I hid in a safe spot and slowly regulated my breathing.

The urge was pushing hard against my back.

I want to kill. I want to kill them all. I want to become stronger. I want to tear them apart, devour them.

Closing my eyes, I saw myself covered in blood, tearing flesh.

If I can’t control these emotions I’m feeling now, I’ll turn into exactly that.

And then I’ll die.

Going crazy doesn’t necessarily make you stronger.

[If Yuyeona goes crazy, I would be really sad!]

Me too. If Belva changes, I would also be very sad.

Anyway, Belva is the only one here with me.