Chapter 5

There’s an old saying: “Even a dog at a school can recite poetry after three years.”

It aligns perfectly with the idea that if you invest 10,000 hours into something, you’ll become an expert.

Even if it’s something unintended, it doesn’t matter. In this busy time just trying to make a living, many people have inadvertently become experts.

It turns out that even the wilderness, which is far from civilization, isn’t so different. I’ve focused solely on survival, and somehow, here I am.

I can’t help but wonder if I’m the same guy who used to struggle against hungry wolves. Just moments ago, I ambushed and took down a massive bear in one hit.

‘But what does it matter?’

Thud!

Returning to my hideout, or rather, my cave, I dropped the bear with a thump that shook the ground.

I had to check something, so I stepped inside the cave. As soon as I entered, a cool sensation washed over me.

Originally, this cave was empty, but over time, I’ve made it somewhat homey.

The skulls of beasts I’ve hunted were mounted on the walls, and thick pelts covered the floor.

On one side of the wall, countless lines were drawn. They marked how long I’ve been here.

At some point, I gave up on marking my escape attempts. Just doing a rough count, it must be over three years.

“Ugh.”

Feeling a tug of melancholy, I knew I could not linger. I needed to check if anyone had intruded.

Once, I had naively dozed off, exhausted, and woke up to find myself under attack by poisonous insects. I genuinely thought that was the end for me.

Fortunately, despite closing my eyes and focusing, I sensed nothing nearby. Monsters and beasts, not even insects, dared approach.

If something came through those defenses, it would be a sentient creature. Probably that damn Porori.

‘It’s been quiet lately.’

After fully adapting to the wilderness, I’d sneak into Porori’s territory whenever boredom struck. I still can’t forget how it humiliated me back then.

As a result, we’ve become the ultimate rivals and foes. The more I grow, the more that little brat grows too.

I confirmed there were no traces of Porori’s intrusion and planned to head back outside.

Actually, I was about to leave until I noticed the mural deep in the cave.

“… …”

Even in the darkness of the cave, my sharp vision picked out the ‘drawings’ on the inner wall.

They’re juvenile at best, made with only bones and stones as tools. Yet I understand what they signify.

They depict the future of this world, crafted in case I ever managed to escape.

The protagonist attending the academy, facing all kinds of trials, ultimately fighting against a demon in a desperate battle.

I didn’t bother to draw the ending. Endings change at every branching point, so I saw no need.

Still, I could argue that a happy ending would be preferable, but just look at my current state.

Seeing an ending is a pie in the sky; I might have to live here for the rest of my life.

“Ugh.”

A sigh escaped me in frustration. If I had my way, I’d want to escape this place.

But it’s easier said than done. They say that once you lose your way in this forest, you become a permanent lost soul.

From what I remember, the magic energy is all tangled up, so even the compass is useless. Unless it’s a special tool, you’re bound to get lost.

‘But why has no one come all this time?’

Though the academy warned strictly against entering, the moment someone tells you not to, you want to do it even more.

In truth, several students have ventured in, barely escaping or going completely missing.

Of course, not a single one has made it into the area I live in.

‘Let it be.’

I absentmindedly stroked my chest-length beard as I stepped outside.

Sure, it looks like a Viking’s beard, but who’s around to judge? My hair is long and bushy too.

With that, I shoved the bear to begin the disassembly process. Once its belly was exposed, I could truly grasp how massive it was.

‘Bear meat, haven’t had it in ages.’

Muttering to myself, I climbed up on the bear’s belly and extended my left index finger.

Paah!

From the fingertip, a blood-red aura surged forth.

The ominous glow, red as blood, slowly radiated. This is the ‘magic power’ I’ve recently gained access to.

In this fantasy world, magic power exists, and the measure of strength depends on how well you can utilize it.

Normally, you’d have to endure rigorous training just to grasp the basics, but somehow, I stumbled upon it.

Maybe my instinct to survive kicked in after facing death so many times. It’s something I myself didn’t even realize.

‘Who was it that used red magic? Can’t remember for the life of me.’

I honestly can’t recall the details. There’s not much of use in remembering anyway.

I pressed my finger glowing with red magic onto the bear’s chest. I pushed deep into the thick hide.

Fwoosh—

As I moved my hand, the leather parted with astonishing ease. This is why I didn’t bother with any tools.

Using crude bones or stones is a hassle—magic is far more convenient.

After all, I have more than enough magic to go around. As long as I eat properly, I can recover quickly, even after using it all day.

Rustle—rustle—rustle—

Thanks to my practiced hands, it didn’t take long to disassemble the bear. That would be my blanket from today onward.

I discarded all the organs except for the heart, lungs, and liver. I have no idea what’s inside, so there was no need to eat them.

The reason I consumed them is simple. From what I’ve eaten so far, those three are excellent for magic recovery.

I learned that firsthand, whether I’m an established player or not.

“Ugh.”

Gulp!

They must be eaten raw to be effective. I took a hefty bite of the bear’s heart.

I made sure to remove the blood first. So, no worries about it splattering on my face.

If it does, I can just wash it off at the creek.

Chew—chew—chew—

The chewy taste of the heart is exquisite. It brings back memories of the first time I ate one.

My left arm is healing slower than anticipated, and depending on bugs for sustenance has its limits.

Eventually, I had no choice but to survive on animal carcasses like a caveman. The part I ate back then was the heart.

I barely held back the urge to throw up. I wasn’t worried about parasites.

Damn it. I’m on the brink of starvation—who cares about parasites? If I paid attention to them, I’d be a dead man by now.

“Guh.”

With a body this size, even just eating the organs fills me up. They’re so water-rich that I don’t even need to drink.

After eating my fill, I began to dissect the meatier portions. The weather is somewhat humid, and the temperature is rising, so I need to preserve them.

That means I need to smoke them. Good thing I prepared everything beforehand.

What about other beasts sniffing around? Don’t worry about that.

Most monsters and beasts in this area know this is my territory.

The moment someone intrudes, I plan to punish them immediately. Then they’ll become a fantastic protein source.

Crack!

I flicked my finger against some dry wood. A spark ignited, and the kindling caught fire.

I don’t need to go through the hassle of starting a fire anymore. I can just flick my finger.

Of course, it’s not something anyone can do easily. It’s the result of my struggle, I mean, effort to start a fire.

Puff-puff—

The large chunks of meat are slowly smoking in that rising heat. It’ll probably take over an hour.

With nothing else to do, I decided to check my status after a long time.

[???]

•Physical Strength: 143

•Agility: 140

•Stamina: 147

•Magic Power: 145

•Luck: 102

•Faith: 0

[Traits]

•Wilderness Instinct (???)

•Berserk (Ex)

•Tenacity (SS+)

•Steel King (SS)

•Poison Resistance (SS)

•Digestion (S+)

•Dexterity (A)

[Skills]

•Throwing (Ex)

•Ambush (Ex)

[Abilities]

•Red Magic (Ex)

•Regeneration (SSS)

Over time, my stats have certainly risen. From my understanding, a decent threshold in the Soul World is 140.

You can reach 120 with just time invested, and 130 is achievable if you’re fast enough in the world.

But starting at 140, hell begins, and 150 is a stat you can only see in top-tier fighters.

As for 160, it’s best to just give up. 150 is more than enough.

Additionally, my initial stats were all 10, so you might think there’s an inflation issue, but it’s not inflation.

If you know the strategies, you can easily hit 120 at the academy. I merely grew stronger by sheer survival.

If you choose a different origin, you start at around 50. I had nothing but bare hands and started at 10.

‘Not bare hands, though?’

At least I was given a rag. Without that, I’d probably be crying.

Anyway, as you can see from my stats, my hardware is absurdly high. Daily survival is what’s propelling those numbers up.

Let’s skip over the faith stat being 0. Every day I prayed while cursing God.

With that kind of track record, it’s no wonder my faith is at rock bottom. It’s a miracle I didn’t go negative.

‘It’s not just physical abilities; traits are more crucial…’

First trait I got, ‘Wilderness Instinct’—its effects still remain a mystery.

There are traits that sharpen the senses, but Wilderness Instinct seems different.

There are moments when I feel anxious, but as long as I avoid those, I don’t usually get hurt.

The other traits were acquired through survival. Most are quite useful, but ‘Berserk’ is the one I worry about.

‘When I lose my sanity…’

Berserk is a trait that’s usually found in high-tier monsters.

As the name suggests, when certain conditions are met, you completely lose your reason and go on a rampage.

In my case, it’s when my stamina is almost depleted, like when I’m hunting or ambushed.

In a normal scenario, you’d stay calm and figure a way out, but I don’t have the luxury for that. I immediately lose my sanity and start smashing everything in sight.

After the berserk wears off, I often find myself surrounded by destruction. And I’m usually on the brink of collapse regarding stamina and magic.

Because I’ve thrown so many tantrums, I’ve leveled it up to the max. Thankfully, since gaining the ‘Tenacity’ trait, it’s helped me contain my Berserk rage.

‘Me going Berserk means I’m in a serious bind.’

I turned my attention away from Berserk to review my other traits.

‘Steel King’ is somewhat similar to ‘Indestructible.’ While Indestructible hardens the body, Steel King also boosts recovery speed.

‘Poison Resistance’ means, as you’d guess, a resistance to toxins and toxins, while ‘Digestion’ helps convert consumed food into energy.

Lastly, ‘Dexterity.’ Living in the forest, I’ve had to make everything with my own hands, and this became a trait naturally acquired.

‘Skills are unavoidable.’

While skills are crucial, I only have two. The correct term for weapons here would be stone axes or stone spears.

Even those are crafted by me, so it doesn’t amount to much. They’re all specialized only for ‘hunting.’

With so many creatures having keen senses, I picked up ‘Ambush’ to kill those fleeing from my failures.

I managed to survive with just these two. As I did when I carved the leather with magic, I often find myself fighting barehanded.

‘Red Magic was maxed out as soon as I acquired it.’

I’ve been that way since awakening my magic from the get-go. By the way, ordinary people have blue magic, while demons and devils display various hues depending on their ranks.

Having red magic is unheard of. To repeat, aside from the major details, I hardly remember anything.

At least I remembered the story thanks to the drawings I made.

If I don’t venture out of here, all that knowledge is worthless.

‘Having regeneration is a blessing.’

Regeneration is, quite literally, healing. It rapidly mends my injuries.

Even if I succeed in a hunt, any significant injury can be fatal. I once had all my limbs smashed while fighting Porori.

Had I not gained regeneration, I’d have been dead or badly injured. Some may wonder here.

Wouldn’t regeneration be better as a trait? What’s the difference between traits and abilities?

To put it simply, traits are passive, while abilities are something I control actively.

‘If only Berserk turned into an ability.’

So that’s why I treat Berserk as a double-edged sword. It’s nice and all, but it’s way too dangerous.

I can’t predict how many more things I’ll earn, but this is my limit for now.

To grow further, there’s only one option: hunting Porori or getting out of here. I’m trying, but it’s tough on both accounts.

‘Was it the same in games?’

Considering Porori’s role in the Soul World, there should be more to it. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.

I grew stronger while fighting that little brat. But lately, it’s been quiet, as if it’s in a lull.

Besides winter hibernation, that little pest used to come to my cave every day and leave droppings. Now, with the silence, I can’t help but wonder if something’s up.

‘If that’s the case, I would feel it first.’

If a new predator had appeared, my Wilderness Instinct would’ve sensed it. But there’s been nothing lately.

While thinking about Porori, I didn’t forget the smoked meat.

Porori or not, the meat is the priority. It’s almost ready.

Just as I was about to take a bite of the perfectly smoked bear meat—

Flap flap!

I heard the sound of birds taking to the sky in the distance. Quite far off, but my enhanced hearing picked it up.

It’s rare for birds accustomed to the forest to react that way. It usually takes something to ‘stimulate’ them.

‘Did a monster appear?’

[ROAR!!]

As soon as I thought that, a resonant roar echoed throughout the forest. It was loud enough to create an echo, indicating it must be a large creature.

I bit into the bear meat, then paused, putting it down. This forest isn’t just home to beasts; many monsters lurk here too.

Honestly, trying to classify beasts and monsters here seems pointless.

Leaving it be would create more trouble, so it’s wise to deal with it.

Given the strength of that roar, it’s likely not a juvenile, but a fully grown beast.

[AAHHH!!]

Look at that. It has a great voice…

“… …?”

I blinked and looked toward where the sound came from.

That’s not a creature’s noise. It’s not a roar, but a scream.

A scream with zero wilderness flavor, pure 100% human terror.

‘What is that?’

In a panic, I gripped the still-bloodied stone axe and stood up.

A scream that breathed a flicker of hope into my dimming spirit.

‘Really?’

With both anticipation and skepticism, I started making my way through the forest.

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