[Arthur Glaiz]
[Synchronizing…...]
[20%… 50%… 80%… 99%… 100%]
Ding.
[Welcome to the world of The Strongest Hunter's Rise, Arthur Glaiz]
"…Huh."
I blinked at the glowing text hanging in front of me like a hologram. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating. But the crisp voice that followed shattered any doubt.
[Host identity confirmed.]
I froze.
"…Wait. Don't tell me this is…"
The corners of my lips twitched. "Is this the so-called system? The one every transmigration story throws at the protagonist?"
[Affirmative.]
"…You've got to be kidding me."
A dry laugh escaped my throat. Of course. No transmigration was complete without a system tagging along.
"So," I asked cautiously, "are you one of those systems that throws out quests, tasks, rewards, all that nonsense?"
[Yes.]
"Then… do you have any for me right now?"
[No.]
"…Tch." I clicked my tongue. "Figures. Can't even get a newbie starter pack, huh?"
The screen blinked out of existence, leaving me alone in my dorm room once more. I slumped into the rickety chair by my desk, rubbing my temples.
Fine. If the system wasn't going to hand me freebies, then I'd just have to claw my way forward myself.
Right now, I had three problems. No—three fatal flaws.
First, my body. Too weak. Malnourished. Even walking up the stairs left me winded.
Second, my mana. Or more accurately, the lack of it. My pool was a pathetic puddle, barely enough to light a candle. Without mana, I couldn't even awaken my attribute, let alone wield real magic.
And finally—my talent limit. The ceiling that determined just how far I could climb in this world. Right now, mine was pitifully low.
If I didn't deal with these three, I was doomed to rot as the useless stepping-stone villain named Arthur Glaiz.
I clenched my fists. "Five days…"
Today was Friday. Classes wouldn't resume until Wednesday. That gave me five days to find a solution. Five days to rewrite the future.
"Haa… looks like I don't get to rest at all."
I stood, grabbed my coat, and headed for the door.
The eastern dormitory of Nexus Academy was quiet as I stepped outside. This building housed the lowest-ranking students—anyone ranked below one thousand. Our rooms were cramped, our privileges nonexistent. A reminder that we were nothing more than dead weight.
The academy grounds were calm. A few students lingered by the training hall, sparring or laughing with friends. None of them spared me so much as a glance.
Good. I didn't want their attention.
I made my way to the academy gates. Two guards stood watch, spears in hand. Their eyes narrowed as I approached.
"Where are you heading?" one of them asked.
"Visiting town," I lied smoothly.
The two exchanged a glance, then shrugged. "Fine. Don't cause trouble."
They waved me through.
Perfect.
The portal station stood at the edge of the city. Warp gates—tall arches carved with runes—hummed with faint blue light. Normally, traveling through one cost a fortune, but being a Nexus Academy student had its perks. Outsiders valued us highly, even if we were at the bottom of the barrel.
A tall man in a long coat sat behind the counter, flipping through a ledger. He barely looked up until I slid my ID across.
He scanned the holographic seal, then blinked at the name. "Arthur Glaiz… Nexus Academy?"
"First time," I said curtly.
His expression softened with the faintest trace of respect. "Then welcome. Travel safe."
The gate flared to life.
I stepped through.
Cold. Crushing. Like my organs were being pulled through a blender. My lungs seized, my ears rang, and bile clawed at my throat.
By the time light reappeared, I stumbled out of the portal on shaky legs, fighting to stay upright.
A city stretched before me. Silverpond. A prosperous town nestled between a river and a forest ridge. The streets bustled with chatter, baskets, market goods. Picturesque, almost idyllic.
But I wasn't here for the scenery.
I flashed my ID to a woman at the platform exit and she let me through with a smile. My feet carried me past the cobblestones, past the merchants, and toward the shadowed outline of the forest beyond the city.
The checkpoint at the forest entrance was manned by guild guards in armor. One of them stepped forward as I approached.
"ID?" he demanded.
I handed it over. His eyes flicked across the scan.
"Nexus Academy?" His brows rose. "Don't see your kind around here much. You'd better stick to the Fourth Sector. Only low-rank monsters there. Any deeper, and your ID won't save you."
"Understood," I said.
He returned the card and waved me through.
Ten minutes into the forest, the trees swallowed the path. Shadows stretched long, the canopy blotting out the sky. I moved carefully, scanning my surroundings.
And then I saw it.
A cave, half-hidden by vines and moss. To anyone else, just another monster den. But I knew better.
This was it.
The hidden chamber.
I ducked inside, torch in hand. The air grew colder with each step until the tunnel ended at a stone wall.
A dead end—for most.
I pressed my hands along the surface until my fingers caught a seam. Too clean to be natural.
A false wall.
I braced myself, shoved hard, and stone groaned open. Dust cascaded down as a narrow passage revealed itself.
I lit the torch again and stepped inside.
Minutes passed. The air turned heavy, suffocating, each breath laced with mold. Until finally—light.
A faint silver glow ahead.
The tunnel widened into a cavern.
And there it was.
The Black Vein Root.
Small. Twisted. Black as charcoal, streaked with glowing silver veins.
To the untrained eye, it was worthless. But I knew its secret. In the game, this herb was a miracle drug, one the protagonist ignored because he no longer needed it. But I did.
If consumed, it rebuilt the body from the ground up. Every bone, every tendon, every muscle fiber—broken down and reforged stronger.
A chance at survival.
I knelt, unearthed it carefully, and stared at the pulsing veins. My stomach churned.
This wasn't a game anymore. The pain would be real. Agonizing. Maybe even lethal.
But if I wanted a future worth living, there was no choice.
I raised the root to my lips—and bit down.
Bitterness flooded my tongue. Ash. Rust. My throat convulsed as I forced it down.
Then the fire came.
I collapsed, torch clattering to the ground. My back arched, muscles tearing, bones snapping. My chest felt like it would explode. My scream tore my throat raw but no sound came.
It was death.
But I didn't black out.
Because of Perfect Poker—my only skill. A calm mind, no matter the storm. Even as my body shattered and rebuilt, my mind remained grounded.
[Initializing.]
[Body Synchronization.]
[Processing…]
I endured.
Second by second.
My nails scraped bloody grooves into stone. Sweat drenched me. My heartbeat thundered like war drums.
And then—silence.
The fire ebbed.
I lay there, gasping.
Then—
[System Notification Detected.]
[Body Calibration Complete.]
[Success.]
A ragged laugh escaped my throat, echoing through the cavern.
"It… worked."
I sat up slowly. My body trembled, but everything felt different. Stronger. Alive.
Let's see my status.
"Status"
------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Arthur Glaiz
Class: Swordsman
Talent: 25
Attribute: Locked
............
Strength: 12 → 16
Speed: 14 → 15
Endurance: 11 → 14
Dexterity: 12 → 15
Perception: 13 → 15
Mana: 10
............
Passive Skill: Perfect Poker
Active Skill: Dash
............
Arts:
Basic Sword Style (Common)
Basic Non-Armed Combat (Common)
------------------------------------------------------------
"Not bad," I muttered. "Most of my stats went up."
Two, maybe three points each. Not much—but it was something.
Progress was progress.
And more importantly, my body felt alive. The malnourishment, the weakness—it was gone. My muscles were firmer, my breaths smoother. For the first time since arriving in this cursed body, I felt like I had a chance.
I clenched my fists, grinning despite the ache.
"This… is only the first step."