Chapter 5

Chapter 5
Chapter 5
First Encounter

A silent assault from a creature that dropped without making a sound.

My survival instincts kicked in at the very last second, allowing me to counter just in time.

Thud—!

“Ugh… What the hell is happening all of a sudden?!”

Writhing on the dirt, I used the iron bar I kept for protection to jam open the creature’s gaping maw.

Even with my enhanced physical strength, the sheer mass of the beast pressing down on me made it impossible to shove off.

“Grrrrr…”

Foul saliva dripped down the sides of its jaws as its teeth ground against the iron rod.

To this predator, I was clearly nothing more than its next meal.

“Ugh… Sickening.”

My upper garments and arm guards were already shredded and sliced open from the creature’s sharp talons, but I forced myself to think clearly about my next move.

The initial ambush had caught me off guard, but once I locked away the terror and physical pain, the situation felt no different from an intense video game.

Because of that mindset, I was able to react instantly without freezing up from panic.

Shifting my weight and tilting the iron bar to one side, I forced open a tiny window of opportunity and rapidly grabbed the hilt at my belt with my free hand.

Swish—

“Krghhh—”

Plunging the blade straight into the creature’s neck required no second thought.

Perhaps because I had channeled my minor magical energy into the blade using “Magic Affinity,” the steel sliced effortlessly through the tough hide.

Using one arm to keep the jaws at bay with the iron bar, I used my other hand to repeatedly drive the knife deep into its throat.

Thankfully, striking a lethal area caused the beast to lose its strength, giving me the leverage to hold my ground.

How long did this brutal struggle last?

Slowly but surely, the tension and power drained out of the creature’s limp frame.

“Ugh… Whew… It’s finally done.”

I delivered a final blow to ensure it was completely dead, and once I was certain, I hauled myself up from the ground.

The predator turned out to be a dark leopard.

Spotting it in the pitch-black darkness of the night would have been nearly impossible, and I was incredibly lucky to have sensed it just in time to defend myself.

Turning my eyes away from the dead leopard, I inspected my own injuries.

My garments and defensive gear were completely ripped to shreds, and my flesh was covered in visible gashes and smeared blood.

To put it mildly, I looked like an absolute disaster.

On the bright side, my flesh wounds were already knitting back together in real-time.

Even though my protective attire was ruined, it had successfully absorbed the brunt of the impact and saved me from fatal trauma.

“Linger here any longer would be a terrible mistake.”

The commotion from the struggle and the heavy scent of fresh blood drifting through the air meant other predators would arrive soon. I needed to move.

I quickly rinsed off the worst of the blood tracking down my skin, though I couldn’t clean it completely.

Picking up my pace, I prepared to flee the area.

It seemed my luck hadn’t run out just yet.

A faint glimmer of light caught my eye through the dense treeline.

Creeping closer with extreme caution, I discovered what appeared to be a tiny settlement nestled deep within the thick woodland.

‘I assumed everyone would be asleep because of how dark it is out here, but it looks like people are still up and about, judging by the figures walking around.’

This marked my very first contact with the people native to this world.

Despite looking like a battered wreck, I did my best to smooth down my clothes and look presentable as I walked toward the wooden palisade protecting the perimeter.

Because of the late hour, the heavy wooden gate was sealed shut, and the post appeared completely unmanned.

As I debated how to get their attention, a man’s face peered over the top of the fence.

“State your business!”

Relieved to find a living soul, I smoothed out my voice and called back.

“Greetings. I lost my bearings in the woods while traveling and stumbled upon your home. Would it be possible to lodge here for just a single night?”

“You navigated through the deep woods by yourself at this hour? The very same woods where those vicious predators hunt?”

Oh…

I had only crossed paths with a single dark leopard, but was the surrounding forest truly that lethal?

A cold sweat broke out as I realized exactly how narrow my escape had been.

“Ah… Yes, luckily, I managed to get away with my life after a massive struggle. Though it certainly cost me my clothes. Ha ha.”

I let out an awkward laugh and answered without delay.

The older gentleman, who had briefly stepped out of view after looking over my tattered appearance, returned alongside an elderly man.

“Very well… I’ve been told about your situation, young man. You lost your path while journeying and found your way here?”

“That is correct, sir.”

I answered with utmost courtesy, doing my best to look completely non-threatening.

The elderly man scanned me from head to toe before offering a warm smile.

“Folks like us need to look out for one another when times get tough. Come in and get some rest.”

With a heavy groan, the younger man who accompanied the elder immediately unlatched the wooden gate.

I bowed my head in deep appreciation and stepped through the threshold, offering another polite nod.

“I cannot thank you enough for your generosity.”

“Think nothing of it. It’s late, so get inside where it’s warm. We have a couple of vacant quarters in my residence, you may occupy one.”

The elder accepted my gratitude with a pleasant demeanor, though the other man remained largely indifferent.

‘A bit of a sour personality, it seems.’

I kept the thought to myself as I walked alongside the older man, engaging in light conversation.

Just as I suspected, the elder was indeed the leader of this settlement.

I also gathered from our chat that the wilderness I had just survived was far more perilous than I initially assumed.

Crossing paths with only one dark leopard in a place like that, and finding a settlement so close by, were dual miracles.

“I go by Malcolm. What do they call you?”

“Ah! You can call me Hans.”

Before long, we arrived at the leader’s home; the settlement was quite small, so the walk took no time at all.

“You may use this room for the night. You’ve had a grueling journey, so get some proper sleep.”

“Thank you so much. I’m not sure how I can repay this kindness…”

“Well, if you truly want to repay me, you can help me split some logs in the morning.”

“Understood! I have plenty of physical endurance. Leave it entirely to me!”

With that settled, the leader took his leave, leaving me alone in the space.

Though a layer of dust covered the furniture, it felt like an absolute luxury compared to sleeping out in the dangerous wild.

“Phew…”

Finally letting my guard down, I unbuckled my pack and shed my ruined garments.

The shirt was completely torn beyond repair, and the armor pieces scarred by the predator’s talons were in no better shape.

Even so, they were better than being naked, so I decided to keep them for now.

“I knew it intellectually when I arrived… but experiencing it directly is genuinely mind-blowing. Being able to instinctively comprehend and speak their language without trying.”

As I ran a cloth over my skin to clean up, I noted that every single wound had vanished without leaving a scar.

“Rapid Recovery” was proving to be an incredibly invaluable asset.

“Magic Affinity” had also shown its worth.

After cleaning myself up, I unrolled my bedding across the ancient mattress and collapsed onto it.

Since my arrival in this realm, I had already slain a monster and successfully conversed with the local populace.

“Yeah, things are going well. The dialogue felt completely natural, and the village leader treated me well enough.”

Staring up at the wooden planks of the ceiling, the corners of my mouth curled into a gentle grin.

“Mind Hub” likely played a role in keeping my composure, but the smile felt entirely genuine.

After a few moments of staring upward, I shut my eyes and allowed my consciousness to drift into a resting phase.

—

I tore open the delivery container and took a savory bite of the fried chicken.

“Nothing beats fried chicken.”

The moment I deployed my character into the alternate realm, I had placed an order for food, but the delivery didn’t arrive until after my character had completed several legs of his journey.

Granted, only about twenty minutes had elapsed in real-world time on Earth, so it made perfect sense.

‘Putting that aside, this setup is fantastic. I can easily investigate this alternate world while enjoying a hot bath and eating comfort food.’

My alternate character, ‘Heinz,’ immediately took over the queue while ‘Hans’ rested in the other realm, diving straight into a grueling workout regimen.

I had to ensure my stats were elevated in case a crisis caught me off guard.

After devouring the food and tossing the trash away, I could sense the morning sun breaking on the horizon of the other world where my character had been resting.

“Right… Time to start digging into how the social hierarchy and geography work over there.”

I walked over to my desk, sat down at the monitor, and began scanning through different web forums.

My progression through this fantasy realm could be thoroughly enjoyed while simultaneously browsing the internet.

—

Even though I had spent the night motionless with my eyelids shut, I hadn’t entirely cut off my external perceptions.

The moment the light of dawn filtered in and the sounds of moving bodies echoed outside, I opened my eyes and slid out of bed.

Naturally, even artificial vessels required a period of rest to let the cognitive faculties recharge, but tonight was merely about sync-matching the local time zone, so this brief rest sufficed.

“A pleasant morning to you, Leader.”

“Ah, Hans. Did the night treat you well?”

“Yes, indeed. Thanks to your hospitality, I had a very restful evening.”

After exchanging morning pleasantries with the elder as he exited his quarters, I moved to the rear courtyard to wash my face and hands.

“The spread is quite humble, but please eat your fill.”

“I am incredibly grateful for the sustenance.”

“Ho ho, neighbors must look out for one another to get by. You can assist with some chores around the perimeter in a bit.”

Though the morning fare consisted entirely of simple tubers, dense bread, and broth, it felt highly rewarding to consume my very first meal in this realm.

It didn’t look like the elderly man did much culinary work himself, and when I pressed for details, the leader remarked, “Since I am an old man residing by myself, the local families take turns bringing me meals. It is a blessing I am deeply grateful for.”

The residents of this settlement appeared far more interconnected than I initially anticipated.

Or perhaps the village elder simply held a position of high reverence.

As we ate, the topic of conversation drifted toward my background.

“Now that I think about it, I’ve never encountered apparel or gear crafted quite like yours. Where do your travels originate from?”

“Haha, I simply have a soft spot for eccentric gear. As I move from place to place, I collect interesting pieces, and it eventually became this mismatch.”

“I see… Journeying without companions must be an exhausting endeavor.”

Offering the vague backstory of an independent wanderer that I had formulated beforehand, I explained that I had simply lost my bearings while drifting through the region.

Following that explanation, I smoothly pivoted to ask about neighboring population centers.

“Hmm… A simple elder residing in an isolated settlement like this won’t have many answers for you. However, rumor has it that a modest city lies if you head toward the sunrise.”

Though the direction was vague, I resolved to set my course toward the east for now.

It beat wandering aimlessly through the wilderness without a target.

My plan was to depart from the settlement the following morning, so I dedicated the remainder of the day to assisting the elder with various manual labors around the camp.

I required a baseline understanding of this environment before I could safely cultivate my abilities in this realm.

This was the perfect setup for someone like me, who lacked fundamental knowledge, to integrate with the locals and harvest context.

I replenished the water cistern in the back, split piles of logs, and lent a hand reinforcing the worn sections of the wooden palisade.

“Hans, my friend, could you pass that bundle of twine over here?”

“You possess incredible stamina. What line of work did you specialize in prior to this?”

Laboring alongside the local men, I kept the dialogue flowing as naturally as possible, gathering bits of information through various chats.

“Understood. So the tracking teams handle all trade and external contact? Is there a recognized path that avoids the worst threats?”

With my augmented physical limits, the labor didn’t tire me out, and I viewed the tasks as an excellent way to push my physical boundaries, working straight through without pausing for rest.

“You put in a solid day’s labor. If you intend to set out at first light, you ought to wind down. How about a drink to close the evening?”

Once the chores were finished and I had rinsed off the grime, I returned inside where the leader produced a jug of strong spirits alongside our night meal.

The alcohol percentage was incredibly high, but it posed zero threat to my rapidly regenerating liver, and the flavor profile actually agreed with my palate better than expected.

Savoring the unique experience of tasting an otherworldly vintage, I suddenly realized several hours had slipped away.

Knowing it would be disastrous to sleep past dawn, I reluctantly cleaned up my space, returned to my quarters, and slid back into my bedding.

Unlike the chaotic previous night, my internal clock had adjusted, and the combination of heavy physical labor and spirits allowed me to drop into a profound sleep.

—

I paused the simulation running on my screen, shut my eyes, and concentrated my focus. Over at the fitness facility, Heinz stopped mid-squat, resting the weight as his eyes closed…

The link binding me to the character Hans in the alternate realm dissolved entirely.