The wind whispered through the trees, cool and sharp, brushing against my skin like fingers dragging along grass. The forest around me was massive, ancient. The trees were so tall their crowns swallowed the red moon above. Their twisted roots broke through the soil like veins, and the silence here wasn't peaceful it was heavy. It felt like the forest was alive, watching me.
I sat alone beneath a gnarled, crooked tree, my back pressed against its rough bark, around me, steam curled up from the fresh corpses of the beasts I saw around in the bushes, must be dangerous out here. The smell of blood mixed with damp earth clung to the air, sharp enough to sting my nose.
For the first time since I had woken up in this strange new world… I had a moment to breathe.
And for the first time, I looked at myself properly.
I dragged my tired body toward a pool of still water near the roots of the tree. The reflection that looked back at me was both familiar… and completely alien.
My hair, once short and unremarkable, was now longer, falling in messy with sharp strands. It was pitch black, with a faint shimmer like starlight clinging to it when the moonlight touched. My eyes, I froze, they glowed faintly, a light green so sharp it almost looked unreal, as though there was fire burning quietly behind them.
I leaned closer. My jawline was sharper, my skin pale and smooth like polished stone, free of the scars and tired lines I had carried in my old life. My shoulders were broader, my body leaner, stronger.
"…No way," I whispered, voice trembling, "Did I… get younger?"
I touched my cheek, smooth, my chest, steady heartbeat. My hands trembled with a strange mix of fear and excitement. I didn't feel like the old Souta anymore.
This body was new stronger and lighter, Like it could move mountains if I asked it to.
And then
SHIIING.
A faint hum filled the air, and before my eyes, a glowing blue screen appeared, floating in the air, I was familiar with this type of thing, it also existed in my past life.
[Status]
My eyes darted across the text that unfolded before me:
— — —~‡~ — — —
Name: Souta Kaede
Age: 18
Race: Human
Class: Hunter of the Boundless Path
Title: Reborn One
Level: 1
Rank: SSS
Strength: 32
Agility: 39
Endurance: 36
Intelligence: 27
Luck: 9
Skills:
— Voidstep – Instantly teleport up to 20 meters.
— Predator's Sight – See weaknesses and mana flows.
Traits:
Cursed Curiosity
—Your curiosity draws strength and danger in equal measure. High reward. High risk.
Boundless Affinity
—You are not limited to one magic school. All elements can be unlocked through contact and survival.
Mental Fortitude
—You are resistant to mental strain, fear effects, curses, illusions, and mind-based damage. It also affects system clarity, decision-making speed, and resistance to corruption.
— — — — — — — — — —
I stared, my mouth went dry.
"W…what the hell is this? SSS-rank? Me?!"
My chest heaved as I read it again and again. My whole old life I had struggled as a C-rank, barely scraping my way into B-rank by sheer stubbornness and now?
Now I was looking at the impossible.
An SSS-rank.
I couldn't even laugh.
I just sat there, staring until my breath evened out.
This was real all of it.
A new world, a new body and a new power.
No more mediocrity, no more being the weak link in someone else's party no more running.
"…Alright," I muttered. "If this is my second chance, I'll take it."
I clenched my fist, feeling raw energy hum beneath my skin.
"System," I called hesitantly, What do I do now?"
The screen shimmered.
[Objective Added]
Explore your surroundings.
Optional: Survive the night.
"…Survive the night?" I repeated, blinking. "That doesn't sound good."
Slowly, I lifted my gaze to the blood red moon that hung above the forest canopy.
The wind shifted. The trees creaked as if groaning under some invisible weight and then, the mana in the air shifted too growing sharp, predatory.
That's when I heard it.
Very low and deep a growl that vibrated through the soil beneath me.
Then another and another.
Glowing eyes appeared in the shadows between the trees.
One, two, five… Seven.
A pack.
[Danger Detected: Forest Lycans]
Species: Forestborn
Count: 7
Threat level: Low
I swallowed hard, my heart raced, but oddly I wasn't afraid.
I scanned the ground quickly. I had no weapon, nothing but my bare hands. But then my eyes caught on a broken branch, thick and jagged, with one end sharpened almost like a spear tip.
I grabbed it, feeling the rough bark bite into my palm, It was crude and weak but it was better than nothing.
The first lycan lunged before I could prepare, a blur of black fur and gleaming teeth.
Too fast.
But I was faster.
"Voidstep!"
WHOOSH—!
The world bent, and I vanished, reappearing ten steps behind the beast in a burst of wind my crude spear whipped across its back in a clean strike.
THUD.
It slammed into the dirt with a pained howl, stunned.
"Too slow," I muttered, heart racing.
The others snarled, circling me, their fur bristling with static energy. Fangs dripped with saliva that hissed when it hit the ground.
I focused.
Predator's Sight.
The world slowed, glowing lines appeared across their bodies muscle weaknesses, overextended joints, tiny flaws in movement.
I smirked.
"Got you."
I feinted left, then blinked right with Voidstep. My branch clashed with two claws at once, CRACK! the branch almost snapped. I gritted my teeth, rolling low and kicking upward my foot connected with the beast's ribs.
CRUNCH!
It flew sideways, crashing into a tree.
"Next," I growled.
Then came the Alpha.
It stepped forward, larger than the rest. Its fur shimmered with a dark red glow under the moon, eyes burning with intelligence and hatred. Its presence alone made the air feel heavy.
The pack leader.
It leapt, claws slashing down with speed that blurred.
I ducked. The air split above me.
Voidstep.
I blinked upward, appearing above its hulking form. My hands tightened on the branch, I poured mana into it, the wood glowing faintly.
"Let's end this."
I spun mid-air, driving the jagged tip down
CRACK!
It pierced just behind the Alpha's skull.
The beast howled once, twice, then collapsed, trembling before going still.
The forest went silent.
The other lycans whimpered, backing away. Then, one by one, they scattered into the shadows.
[Alpha Defeated - Pack Dispersed.]
My chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. I stared at the broken branch still in my hand, now slick with blood.
"…Hah."
I laughed softly not out of joy but out of disbelief.
"This… this was easy?" I muttered. "But there's no loot… these are just animals."
The screen appeared again, shimmering faintly.
[System Update: The Boundless Path has begun.]
I grinned, wiping the blood from my cheek with the back of my hand.
Alright, NEW WORLD, I whispered into the night, Let's see what you've got for me.
The red moon burned above.
And my path had only just begun.
TO BE CONTINUED…