A month had passed since Jin's arrival in this world.
Time flew by in a blur of relentless training. Every day, he honed his martial arts, perfected his swordplay, sharpened his archery skills, and expanded his control over magic. His efforts bore fruit. His movements were now precise, refined—his body stronger, faster. He could sprint like a cheetah, leap and twist mid-air like a monkey, and weave through obstacles with the fluid grace of a snake. His senses had sharpened, and his instincts had grown keener. He was no longer just surviving. He was thriving.
But training within the safety of his clearing only went so far.
Today, it was time to test himself against real opponents.
Jin tightened the straps of his gear. His self-crafted iron sword hung securely at his hip, a makeshift wooden bow slung over his shoulder, and a quiver of arrows with iron-tipped heads rested against his back. His body hummed with energy, anticipation thrumming through his veins. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
"Let's see just how strong I've become."
With that, he stepped beyond the clearing, venturing into the unknown, where true challenges awaited.
It didn't take long to find his first prey.
Just a few meters from his base, a lone goblin prowled through the underbrush. It was small and hunched, barely reaching his waist, with greenish skin and sharp, beady eyes. Despite its weak-looking frame, Jin knew better than to underestimate it. Goblins were sneaky, and in numbers, they could be deadly.
Raising his bow, he steadied his breath, aligning the tip of his arrow with the goblin's head. A heartbeat passed. Then, with a swift release, the arrow cut through the air. The goblin barely had time to react before it collapsed, the arrow embedded deep in its skull. A notification rang in his mind—
Level Up! Level 4 Achieved.
He exhaled, lowering his bow. That was easier than expected. But a single goblin wouldn't be enough to truly test him.
Pressing forward, he soon stumbled upon a group of four goblins. Their levels ranged from 10 to 13, slightly stronger than the first, but nothing he couldn't handle. He positioned himself, nocking another arrow, and let it fly—one goblin dropped instantly. But the remaining three whirled in his direction, shrieking in rage. Their crude weapons glinted under the sunlight as they charged.
Jin dropped his bow, unsheathing his sword. The first goblin lunged, aiming to slash at his legs. He sidestepped, twisting his body to bring his sword down in a fluid arc—cleanly severing its head. Another goblin thrust a jagged dagger toward his side, but he turned with the attack, his blade flashing as he parried, then countered with a swift stab to its heart. The last goblin hesitated for a split second. Jin wasted no time, dashing forward and slashing through its chest. It gurgled once before crumpling to the ground.
Level Up! Level 5 Achieved.
Jin exhaled; his heartbeat steady despite the adrenaline pumping through him. That had gone smoother than expected. Perhaps he had underestimated just how much he'd grown. A grin tugged at his lips.
Feeling emboldened, he ventured deeper into the forest.
The further he went, the stronger the creatures became.
He soon encountered a pair of kobolds—wolf-like humanoids with lean, muscular frames. Their sharp eyes locked onto him; their snarling faces filled with aggression. Unlike the goblins, they didn't charge recklessly. They moved with coordination, circling him, assessing his movements.
Jin shifted his stance, gripping his sword tightly.
One of them lunged, swiping its clawed hand toward his chest. He barely dodged, feeling the rush of air as its claws grazed past. The second kobold took advantage of the opening, swinging a crude axe at his back. He twisted just in time, raising his sword to block, the force rattling his arm. They were stronger than goblins—faster too.
But Jin wasn't about to lose.
Seizing the moment, he dropped low, sweeping his leg at the first kobold's ankle. It yelped as it tumbled, and in one swift motion, Jin plunged his sword through its throat. The second kobold snarled, leaping back, but Jin was already moving. He dashed forward, deflecting another incoming strike before driving his blade deep into its chest. It let out a strangled cry before falling limp.
Level Up! Level 7 Achieved.
Jin panted, wiping sweat from his brow. That had been a close one. He glanced at the felled creatures, then at the dense forest ahead. The pattern was clear—the further he strayed from his base, the stronger the monsters became.
He had stepped into a world where the weak were prey and only the strong survived.
And he would make sure he belonged to the latter.
Memorizing the sensation and the feeling of growth, he made his way back to his base, a newfound determination settling within him.
Hunting and leveling up—
That would be part of his routine from now on. After all, this was training too.
Two weeks had passed since Jin began his venture into the wilderness. Through relentless hunting and training, his strength had grown tremendously. His level had risen from 7 to 15, his combat skills had become second nature, and now, it was time to shift his focus—magic.
Magic had always intrigued him. While his body had become a finely tuned weapon, magic offered a different kind of power—a force that could shape the battlefield, defend against overwhelming odds, and unleash devastation upon his foes.
He stood in the training field, taking a deep breath. With a flick of his wrist, a small flame flickered to life in his palm. Following the image in his mind, the flame slowly curved into a small sphere—Fireball. It hovered for a second before he willed it forward, watching it shoots toward a target tree, scorching the bark upon impact. He smirked.
"Alright, a success. Next, defense."
He stomped his foot, and a wall of earth rose before him—Earth Wall. Solid, sturdy, reliable. Testing its durability, he struck it with his fist, only to feel the impact barely resonate through.
"Good, but let's push further."
He extended his hand again, conjuring a spinning projectile of compressed air—Wind Bullet—and sent it crashing into the earth wall in front of him, only to make a small dent. Next, he summoned a ball of swirling water—Water Ball—and launched it toward the scorched trunk, extinguishing the embers.
"Alright, it seems I can fire at least one element at a time… what about using two or even three at once, like those in novels?"
He tried to cast Fireball and Water Ball simultaneously. At first, the opposing elements clashed within his mana flow, throwing his concentration into chaos. The moment he lost focus, the spells fizzled out. Frustrated, he repeated the attempt over and over, but the result remained the same. The conflicting energies disrupted each other before they could be cast.
Hours passed. His frustration grew, but so did his resolve. He forced himself to calm down, steady his breathing, and clear his mind. Instead of rushing, he synchronized his thoughts—fire and water, two extremes, but not enemies. He visualized harmony, letting the mana flow smoothly instead of opposing itself.
Then—success.
A Fireball burned in one hand; a Water Ball spun in the other. The realization struck him like lightning.
A notification flashed before his eyes:
New Skill Acquired: Tranquil Mind
Allows the user to maintain absolute composure in all situations. Enhances mental processing speed and grants resistance to mind-affecting skills.
Jin's lips curled into a grin. "That's more like it."
Another two weeks passed, all this time Jin tried to prolong his double casting and even triple casting with each ball of different element. This was hard at first, but now… over his head hovered five spheres, each representing an element: Fireball, Water Ball, Earth Arrow, Gust of Wind, and a Greenish Ball of Mana.
Now, with Tranquil Mind, he could stabilize multiple spells without interference. He started testing multi-casting with other elements, slowly improving his control. His next experiment? Fusion.
His first attempts were disastrous. Trying to merge two spells resulted in violent mana rejection, causing the energies to cancel each other out—or worse, explode in his face. The failures drained his mana rapidly, leaving him dizzy and exhausted. More than once, he collapsed to his knees, panting from the overwhelming mental load.
Even when he managed to force a fusion, the result was crude and unstable. The world system did not recognize these as proper skills, and the amount of effort required made it impossible to use in real combat. Doubt crept in, but he pushed forward.
Then, something changed.
He started simple—combining Fireball and Wind Bullet. As he manipulated both, something clicked. The world itself seemed to acknowledge his attempt, and the two magics merged. His Fireball compressed and accelerated, becoming a swirling, burning projectile that struck with far more force.
A new notification appeared:
Fusion Magic Registered: Blazing Shot
Jin's heart pounded. If magic combinations could be registered as actual skills, it meant the system acknowledged them as structured spells. This wasn't just a theory—it was reality.
Encouraged, he pushed further. Fire + Earth? The heat fused the rock into molten energy, and as he launched it, a chunk of burning stone crashed down like a meteor.
Fusion Magic Registered: Meteor
His mind raced. He tried Fire + Water + Wind, and as expected, ice shards took shape, forming a long, deadly spear.
Fusion Magic Registered: Glacial Lance
Then, he attempted Wind + Fire + Water—a volatile mix. The result was an unstable sphere, crackling with internal energy. When he let it go, an explosion erupted upon impact.
Fusion Magic Registered: Explosion
Jin panted, his vision swimming slightly. Even with Tranquil Mind, these fusion spells took a toll on his mental state. He shook off the dizziness and sat down, reflecting.
"This… is a game changer."
Now, he had to master them. He had to make them second nature before stepping onto the battlefield once more.
Two more weeks. Then, he would return to the hunt, stronger than ever.
Status
Name: Kazama Jin
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Race: High Human
Level: 15
Title: God Appostle; ????; Apprentice Gatherer; Apprentice Hunter; Beginner Blacksmith
Status: Healthy
HP: 4225/4225 (+15000)
MP: 2775/2775 (+10000)
Strength: 60 (+200)
Agility: 55 (+200)
Dexterity: 52 (+200)
Endurance: 55 (+200)
Vitality: 56 (+200)
Magic Power: 63 (+200)
Perception: 51 (+200)
Skills: Survival Instinct; Major Elemental Magic; Throwing LV1;
Binding LV0; Far Sight; Mana Concentration; Night Vision;
Blazing Shot ®; Meteor ®; Glacial Lance ®; Explosion ®
Unique skills: Appraisal (EX); Martial Art (SSS); Weapon Mastery (EX);
Tranquil Mind (B); Magic (EX)