Though Ryota Kitazawa had never experienced survival training before, he had read enough to know what to do.
The first priority in any unfamiliar environment: find shelter.
Crouching low, he moved slowly through the pitch-black jungle. Above him, strange winged creatures occasionally passed overhead, casting eerie shadows through the leaves.
Instinctively, Ryota reached for the dagger strapped at his waist and gripped it tightly.
It was all he had.
One dagger and a low-powered electromagnetic pistol—both provided automatically by the War God System when training had first begun. The pistol's energy reserves were already low, not enough to sustain any prolonged combat.
> Damn it...
Everything around him was dead silent. Towering, unfamiliar plants loomed all around.
As Ryota froze in place in the underbrush, suddenly—
A chill shot through his body.
His skin crawled. Every hair stood on end.
An intense wave of danger—and the unmistakable intent to kill—washed over him.
This wasn't imagination. This was instinct—sharpened through a month of brutal training in War God Space.
The moment the sensation hit him, Ryota moved.
He lunged forward, just as the "tree" beside him split open—revealing a massive mouth that snapped down where he had just been.
That tree was a predator.
Cold sweat ran down his spine. If he had hesitated for even a second, he would've become that thing's midnight snack.
> I knew this place was dangerous… but I still almost died. I let my guard down.
He rolled forward, putting as much distance between himself and the creature as he could.
Fortunately, the "tree" was immobile. Next time, he might not be so lucky.
Dagger still in hand, Ryota's senses were on full alert.
In the darkness, fear and panic could easily take over—but only mental discipline and trained awareness could keep him alive.
And in this forest, danger was constant.
A sudden gust of cold wind brushed his ear. The heavy shadows threatened to swallow his mind.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Once again, Ryota sensed something coming—even stronger than before.
> Stay calm… stay calm...
He forced himself to focus. In pitch-black conditions, the eyes were useless. Only intuition and the other senses mattered.
He would only get one chance.
He drew a deep breath, tightened his grip on the dagger, and drove it forward with all his might toward the source of the killing intent.
> Screeechhh...
A horrible screech tore through the silence as the blade scraped against something like stone—so hard, it even sent sparks flying from the dagger's tip.
It felt like stabbing into a boulder.
But Ryota didn't panic. He immediately leapt back, just as a massive force slammed into the ground where he had been standing.
> In total darkness, sight is useless. It's all about instinct...
> Damn it! Is this training for piloting an Evangelion—or for becoming a hitman?!
Ryota mentally cursed.
But there was no time for complaint. He shifted his weight, backed away fast, and reached for his electromagnetic pistol.
> BANG!
The pistol discharged a bolt of bright energy, slicing through the darkness.
In that brief flash of light, Ryota finally saw what he was facing:
It wasn't a rock—it was a monster, towering like a small mountain. A thick, armored shell covered its back, and glowing eyes shimmered with menace.
Sharp fangs jutted from its mouth. Its appearance resembled that of a grotesque, mutated turtle beast.
The energy blast had struck its leg, burning a gaping hole through it. Green blood oozed out in thick streams.
It was disgusting.
Had this been the old Ryota Kitazawa, he'd be dead already.
But after a month of living hell, he felt no fear.
Using the fading light from the blast, he surged forward and plunged the dagger downward with all his strength—
—straight at the creature's head.
It was a reckless move. Right beneath the skull was the creature's gaping jaws—a single snap could tear Ryota in half.
But the most dangerous moments are when hesitation is death.
And Ryota didn't hesitate.
He drove the blade straight into the beast's open maw.
In combat, you don't pause. A single moment of doubt could cost you everything.
> RIIIIIP!
> ROAAARR!!
The dagger tore through flesh with a sickening sound. The monster let out a horrific howl as streams of green blood sprayed into the air—splattering Ryota head to toe.
Its massive body twisted violently in pain.
> It worked…
That final blow proved one thing: his instincts were right.
As the monster collapsed, Ryota felt a wave of heat surge through his chest.
> Fight. Keep fighting.
> Only through endless battle can I become stronger.
> If I want to be a true Evangelion pilot—
I must survive this forest.
I must grow stronger.
He clenched the blood-soaked dagger even tighter.
> In this place, there's only one rule:
Survive… or die.
---
The dark jungle trembled with the sounds of constant battle.
And before long… the one-year mark arrived.
---
When Ryota Kitazawa emerged from the forest, his face wore a calm, quiet smile.
But his presence had changed.
An aura of silent, lethal power surrounded him—one that only came from staring death in the eye again and again.
He had the bearing of a warrior—honed by blood and fire.
The moment his mission ended, the system presented him with his reward: a Beginner's Gift Pack.
Staring at the item, Ryota smiled faintly and whispered:
> "This world… I'm here now."
As his vision gradually cleared, Ryota's body returned to the real world.
---
He looked around.
The familiar hospital room appeared just as it had before.
Same objects, same lighting—not even the clock on the wall had moved.
After an entire year of training… in the outside world, only one minute had passed.
Ryota looked down at his hands.
> I'm not the same anymore.
He had been remade.