After three hours…
I came across some of the monkeys I had killed, but none of them had dropped a Mana Heart, as if the luck I had at the beginning was nothing more than a rare exception.
Mana Hearts were extremely scarce.
"Good thing I got one from the first group…"
I thought while slowly turning the small, circular heart between my fingers, before my gaze shifted to my body, covered in wounds, the pain reminding me of a single truth.
"I was reckless."
Despite my skills… I had been arrogant.
I paused for a moment, replaying what had
happened, until everything began to make sense.
Ravin and Jin… were completely different people.
They lived different lives and thought in entirely different ways.
"I was the calm one… but Ravin's madness and hatred toward monsters made me abandon my defenses… even mock them."
I clenched my teeth, realizing that what happened wasn't just a simple mistake, but the result of an internal conflict I hadn't yet adapted to.
I needed time.
Sometimes I felt like Ravin, and other times like Jin… but in truth, this wasn't an identity crisis.
Both of them had become me.
It was more like a chemical reaction that created something new—me—carrying traits that contradicted each other.
Smart… yet foolish.
Strong… yet weak.
Careful… yet arrogant.
The pain running through my body wasn't just from injuries, but a constant reminder of that harsh reality.
"I need time…"
I muttered, glancing at the gun in my left hand, realizing that Ravin wasn't particularly skilled with it… or perhaps guns simply didn't belong in this world anymore.
When I used the katana… it felt different.
More natural… more fitting.
I raised my gaze to the sky, my silver eyes slightly unfocused, as if searching for an answer that wouldn't come.
What would happen to me?
Would Jin take over?
Or Ravin?
And what about me…?
Even though I was both… I was neither.
In the end… I would change.
I let out a slow breath, pushing those thoughts aside for now, then stood up from the rock and began moving toward the forest.
…
It didn't take long before I found myself standing before a +E rank monster, resembling a rhinoceros, its massive, muscular body alone enough to create pressure.
We stared at each other for a brief moment.
I muttered calmly, discarding all unnecessary thoughts and focusing solely on it, especially as it let out a deafening roar, signaling the start of the battle.
This time, I didn't mock it.
I raised my gun and fired directly at its eye, but the sound of impact brought me back to reality as the bullet bounced off its hardened shell like it had struck metal.
"Useless…"
I let out a light sigh before tossing the gun aside, transforming the ring into dual katanas, accepting that this was my only option.
As mana surged through my body, I partially activated the Eye of Truth, my right eye glowing gold as the world around me began to slow, its details becoming sharper and clearer.
In the next moment, I reinforced my body and
blades and vanished from my spot,
Reappearing directly in front of the monster as it prepared to charge, swinging my blade in a swift motion that cleanly severed its horn.
At that moment, I realized something.
I had never truly used my swordsmanship before… and my mana control had been crude.
But now… I was stronger.
The monster roared in fury and swung its massive head toward me, but it struck nothing but an afterimage,
While I appeared at its side and unleashed a rapid series of slashes that carved a deep wound into its flank, blood bursting out.
It didn't stop. Instead, it retaliated with a swift tail strike, and although I couldn't fully dodge,
I crossed my blades in an X to reduce the impact, still being pushed back slightly.
I quickly scanned my surroundings, realizing the open field could work in my favor, with only a few scattered trees around
So I stepped back toward one of them as the monster locked onto me again
Its eyes turning red while a crimson aura surged from its body, stopping the bleeding of its wounds.
"Annoying…"
It had become stronger… which meant ending it in a single strike was no longer possible.
It didn't give me much time to think as it charged again, faster than before, forcing me to evade as it crashed into a tree and tore it from the ground, only to turn and rush at me again with even greater ferocity.
"I can dodge… but I won't last long…"
I avoided it once more, but this time its tail followed immediately, catching me off guard and sending me flying backward, rolling across the ground before regaining my footing with difficulty.
It didn't stop. It charged again without giving me any time to recover, and as our eyes met, one truth became clear.
"A direct hit… means death."
I poured a large amount of mana into my body and forced myself out of its path at the last moment, while it continued its relentless pursuit.
"I need to use the environment…"
As exhaustion began to creep in and cold sweat ran down my back, I spotted a massive tree in the distance through my eye, and the idea formed instantly.
"I'll make it crash into that."
I dashed toward it at full speed, the monster right behind me, each of its steps shaking the ground, and as it closed the distance dangerously,
I reached the tree at the perfect moment, reinforcing my legs before jumping toward it and using the trunk as leverage to push myself backward.
The monster slammed into the tree, but this time it couldn't uproot it due to its enormous thickness, and without hesitation, I seized the opportunity.
Gathering the last of my mana into my blades, I adjusted my position mid-air and thrust both
swords straight toward its head, and with a sharp grinding sound caused by the resistance of its hardened shell, I felt the attack slow for a brief moment… but not for long.
The blades pierced through the shell and drove straight into its brain without resistance.
"I killed it…"
Blood began to flow from its mouth and head, while the light in its eyes gradually faded until it lost focus completely.
I jumped away before its body collapsed, landing on the ground as I watched it fall.
I had killed a +E rank monster.
Even if we were the same rank… it was stronger than me.
Before reaching rank D, humans were always at a disadvantage.
I didn't feel much joy.
The fight had been perfect… but what truly
mattered was something else.
I had become stronger.
I dropped to my knees, breathing heavily as my mana was nearly depleted, exhaustion crashing down on me all at once.
But I couldn't rest.
The noise of the battle might attract other monsters.
Forcing myself to stand despite the pain, I began moving unsteadily, blood dripping once more from my reopened wounds.
"What a waste…"
"I can't risk searching for a Mana Heart… only to get killed because of it."
Frustration filled me as I walked away from the corpse, knowing that survival mattered more than any reward