Raven POV:
I woke up to the sound of the alarm.
I opened my eyes, got up as usual, took a shower, then ate and finished my usual routine.
Now, I sat thinking about what I should do before the academy begins.
"Training… and money."
Training was absolutely necessary. Also, I needed to buy healing potions to restore my damaged vitality.
I opened my status panel while thinking.
[Name: Raven Klainte]
[Health Condition: Vitality Drain]
[Vitality: E > -E]
[Endurance: +E]
[Strength: -E]
[Speed: +E]
[Mana: D]
[Ability (1): Locked]
[Ability (2): Locked]
[Element: Locked]
[Stats: Combat (3), Calm Mind (2), Mana Control (3), Sword Mastery (3), Gun Mastery (3), Golden Eye (1)]
[Rank: +E]
More specifically, I focused on vitality.
[Vitality: E > -E]
A person absorbs mana from the world, then circulates it, gradually merging it with their heart until their body becomes capable of using mana.
This method is similar to chi refinement in martial arts.
However, overdoing it can lead to serious injuries and even affect one's vitality.
My vitality had been damaged and dropped by a level because I absorbed more mana than I should have.
I sighed.
Because of that, I now had to stop absorbing mana and focus on improving my skills, my body, and earning money.
Also, to reach rank -D and unlock the first ability, one must expand their mana heart and raise all stats to +E.
The method may change later, but that's not important now.
"Training and money."
I refocused on my goal.
I already knew the perfect place.
I smiled slightly and stood up.
. . . . . . . . . .
A few hours later, I stood in front of a bar.
Although my memory was somewhat unstable due to merging over thirty-five years of memories at once, I still remembered some minor details from the novel.
That's why I had already written this place down in my notebook.
I wore black clothes—a long hooded coat, black pants, and a scarf to hide my face.
"But my eyes…"
I lowered my hood slightly and entered.
Security in this world is highly advanced. In the main cities, almost nothing goes unnoticed.
But not here.
The moment I entered, the noise stopped.
Everyone looked at me.
"I feel like they're about to strip me."
Despite that, I remained calm thanks to Calm Mind.
I released a small amount of my mana—just enough to show I wasn't prey.
Gradually, their gazes faded.
I walked to the counter.
An old man stood there—short white hair, strong build, and a fierce expression.
One of his green eyes had a scar.
Despite his calm demeanor, my Eye of Truth sensed danger.
At the very least… Rank B.
"The bar isn't a place for kids like you," he said with a faint smile.
"I want to make a request," I said quietly, trying to stay calm.
He stared at me.
Suddenly—
The world changed.
A forest.
Ruined.
Corpses everywhere.
Burned trees. Blood-covered ground.
The smell… unbearable.
I almost collapsed.
I couldn't stay calm.
Even when my mother died, I had only focused on her—not the surroundings.
Calm Mind struggled to stabilize me.
But I couldn't resist alone.
I looked up.
A green eye stared back.
My body froze.
I couldn't speak.
He could kill me before I even thought.
Then—
"Not bad. You meet the minimum requirement."
Everything returned to normal.
I stood at the counter again.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
After a few seconds:
"I want a rift… Rank E."
"Do you plan to hunt monsters there?"
"Yes."
"Three gold coins. Five hours."
He handed me a paper.
I chose:
[Southern Rift – Rank E]
"Sit and wait."
Soon, a man in a suit came.
"Follow me."
We left.
A black car was waiting.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
After a short drive, we arrived at a ruined
warehouse.
"This is it."
I looked.
Space itself was cracked.
Black cubes floated.
A narrow tear… enough for two people.
Pressure leaked from it.
This was—
An interdimensional rift.
The result of worlds colliding
Dimensional Rift
A result of worlds colliding
It was like a hidden space,
not present on Earth…
yet it existed.
I looked at the rift in front of me. I thought about activating the Eye of Truth to examine it, but I didn't—fear of death stopped me.
Just seeing mana nearly killed me… let alone observing a rift.
"Once you enter this crack, you'll be transported to the target rift."
The man spoke again.
I glanced at him, then back at the rift.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Five hours."
"I'll come back to retrieve you after five hours."
He said before leaving.
I nodded as I watched him go, then entered the rift without looking back.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Entering the rift felt strange.
Like being stripped of everything.
It was only one step
just one step back to Earth
yet it felt incredibly far away.
I opened my eyes again and looked around.
The air felt different—clean, but heavy.
Gravity was slightly stronger.
"Because of mana."
I didn't activate the Eye of Truth. I could simply feel it.
The environment resembled a forest.
"Since it's an E-rank rift, it shouldn't exceed 10 kilometers."
The trees were massive, and the grass was thick. Birds flew in the sky.
"As long as an S-rank doesn't destroy it, or it doesn't collapse… it will remain."
That was the nature of rifts.
Legal or illegal—like this one.
"Ssh…"
A faint sound came from the trees.
One… then two… then four.
Four humanoid shapes appeared.
Monkeys.
Sharp fangs, red eyes, drool dripping from their mouths.
Their limbs were long—longer than a human's.
They tilted their heads as they looked at me.
"They almost look human…"
"Inhale…"
"Exhale…"
"Come on, you bastards."
Mana surged through my body. My silver eyes glowed.
I drew my pistol with my left hand, and turned the ring into a katana in my right.
I raised the gun.
"Come on, you disgusting creatures."
I showed them my middle finger.
They didn't understand the gesture—
but they understood the insult.
They charged.
I stepped back.
A claw struck where I had been.
I fired at one's leg.
But the others attacked immediately.
One from behind, one from above.
"Smart monkeys."
I dashed forward.
I blocked with my katana—sparks flew.
"Bang!"
Headshot.
I jumped back—but a rock grazed my cheek.
The injured monkey smirked… and flipped me off.
"...Damn it."
A claw struck my arm—my gun fell.
Another rock hit my back, slamming me into a tree.
"I was arrogant…"
I activated Calm Mind.
Ignored the pain.
Drew my second katana.
Now, two blades.
One attacked from behind—I turned and cut its neck.
Two more rushed me.
I ducked—cut off their arms.
Kicked one away and threw my katana—pierced its heart.
I dashed forward—
Decapitated the last one.
"...Huff… huff…"
I picked up my gun.
Shot the last survivor trying to escape.
Finally…
Silence.
"Once again… I was careless."
I lay down briefly.
Turned the katana back into a ring.
"I need to move… fast."
I searched the corpses.
One mana heart.
"...About 60 gold coins."
I smiled—
Then heard something in the forest.
"I've been discovered."
I moved immediately.
"My goals now—"
"Collect mana hearts."
"And improve my fighting style."