The world was silent.
In the distance stretched an endless sea. The rippling waves shimmered faintly, soaking into the gray sky above.
"So it is the sea, huh."
"Then… I'm on an island?!"
At the mouth of a cave near the mountain's peak, Yoriichi Tsugikuni stood barefoot on the rocky ground. He was wearing nothing but a pair of rough linen shorts and a sleeveless fur vest. Squinting against the sunlight, he looked out toward the distant horizon.
The weather here was strange. Last night, the wind outside had been freezing cold, but now the morning air was almost warm. The sudden change in temperature left Yoriichi a little unsettled.
"Guess I should… check the surroundings first."
After taking a few deep breaths of fresh air, he returned to the cave, then came back out again a few minutes later—long sword in hand—and followed the small path that led down the mountain.
It was obvious that the body's original owner had lived in this cave for some time. The area near the entrance showed clear signs of being cleared and maintained.
Before long, Yoriichi's figure disappeared into the thick forest below.
---
It was a primeval forest, filled with towering ancient trees that reached up into the clouds.
The branches overlapped, their dense green leaves blocking out almost all the sky. When the sea breeze blew through, the leaves rustled, sounding like a giant dragon's sigh.
As Yoriichi walked, he saw all kinds of strange plants he'd never seen before. Occasionally, he stopped to inspect them—not out of curiosity, but to see if any bore fruit he could eat.
He hadn't forgotten last night's scene in the cave. The only thing that counted as "food" was that yellow mush in the wooden bowl. If he had any choice, he'd never touch it again.
Unfortunately, there were no fruit trees in sight.
Then—
"ROAR!!"
A deafening roar erupted through the forest. In the next second, a gust of foul wind rushed straight toward him.
Yoriichi instinctively leapt back, his toes barely grazing the ground as he jumped several meters away. The moment he left his spot, a massive claw slammed down, cracking the earth like shattered glass.
"What the hell?!"
He looked up—and froze.
A giant, ten-meter-long tiger stood before him.
Its body was massive, covered in striking stripes, and its mouth revealed two fangs half a meter long. Just looking at it made Yoriichi's scalp tingle.
Facing this beast, every hair on his body stood up on end. His hand moved on its own—drawing his black blade.
"ROAR!!"
The tiger lunged again. Its front claws swung like twin axes, cutting through the air with a bloody stench that made Yoriichi's breath catch.
Countless lives must've been crushed beneath those claws.
But at that moment of crisis—Yoriichi's mind went still. His breathing shifted without thought, becoming slow, deep, and controlled.
The tiger's movements seemed to slow down in his eyes. The world around him changed completely.
Transparent World!
By concentrating and shutting off unnecessary senses, everything became clear—almost transparent. He could see the flow of blood in the tiger's lungs, the twitch of every muscle fiber, and predict every move before it happened.
In this new world, Yoriichi awakened an innate, terrifying gift. Before his eyes, every organ of the tiger glowed faintly—he could even see its powerful heart pulsing with life.
Compared to the demons he'd slain in his past life, this creature's vitality wasn't much weaker than a Lower Moon demon.
"I can see it… just like before. I can see everything!"
"Breath of the Sun — First Form: Dance!"
In a flash, Yoriichi's blade sliced through the air three times. The massive claws missed him completely, flying past as if they'd struck nothing.
A heartbeat later—
Splat!
Blood sprayed across the forest floor. The metallic scent filled the air.
Thud!
The tiger's body collapsed heavily, staining the ground red. Both its front legs were severed clean at the roots, and a deep gash split across its head. Blood poured freely from the wounds.
Even a beast like this couldn't survive such blows.
Just as Yoriichi was about to sheath his sword and inspect the corpse, a shadow passed overhead.
"Whoosh—"
A loud crash echoed. A huge bird burst through the canopy, swooping down. In a blink, its talons snatched up the tiger's body and—before Yoriichi could even react—flew off into the distance, vanishing into the sky.
"What kind of world… is this?"
Yoriichi stared blankly. That creature—if his eyes hadn't deceived him—had wings nearly twenty meters wide. He had never seen anything like it. Its heart's vitality was even stronger than the tiger's—almost equal to a mid-ranked Lower Moon demon.
Of course, that only spoke of vitality, not power.
But after encountering two such beasts in a row, Yoriichi couldn't help but grow curious. What kind of world could give birth to such strange creatures?
Even more curious—his current body could effortlessly maintain Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, without strain. Every movement felt smooth, every swing lighter than before.
When he dodged the tiger's attack earlier, it had been pure instinct.
No doubt—this body was even stronger than his last one.
Putting everything together, a wild thought flashed through his mind.
"Could it be… I've crossed into a cultivation world?"
Thinking that, Yoriichi walked over to the two severed tiger legs. Each was about three to four meters long and weighed who knows how much.
"Well… I guess these are edible."
"At least I won't have to eat that yellow paste again."
"If this really is a cultivation world, then this must be a spirit beast, right? With how big it is…"
"I wonder if eating its meat will really make me stronger, like those old stories say—'one bite and you can run up five flights of stairs without breaking a sweat.'"
Muttering to himself, Yoriichi knelt to slice off a piece of meat—but then a strange thought crossed his mind.
He sheathed his sword, crouched, and grabbed one of the tiger's legs with both hands.
He had only meant to try lifting it—
But to his surprise, the massive leg came clean off the ground as if it weighed nothing.
"What kind of ridiculous strength is this?!"
Even Yoriichi was stunned by his own power. He had no idea where this strength came from.
Then again, after crossing worlds twice, superhuman strength didn't seem so strange anymore.
He laughed softly and shook his head. "Guess the heavens just favor me after all. Maybe I really am their chosen one."