On the eighth day of his new life, Cael woke to the first rays of sunlight piercing through the small window of his modest room. He swung his legs out of bed, stretched deliberately, and made his way to the sink. The cold water hit his face as he studied his reflection: sharp amber eyes, ash-colored hair, features decidedly more attractive than in his previous life. Not bad for a reincarnation, he thought with a half-smile, gazing at a face that now seemed to belong to someone far more confident, far more dangerous.
After a quick check to ensure nothing was out of place, he headed to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and ate everything inside, determined not to waste a single scrap in a world where even a simple meal could be a valuable resource. Every bite counted; survival depended not just on power, but on discipline and foresight.
Once satisfied, Cael began his final preparations for the day. Each piece of his gear was checked: straps tightened, pouches secured, weapons calibrated, potions double-checked. He draped the dark cloak over his shoulders, the fabric falling around him like a shadow. The hood concealed his youthful face, and combined with his height, lent him a slightly ominous air—mysterious, hinting at danger beyond what his appearance actually revealed.
Cael paused for a moment, looking around the house with a mix of disdain and amusement. He probably wouldn't return; with such limited time, his plan was to head straight into the beasts' territory, coming back only to sell materials or pick up some treasure. Having searched the house and found nothing tying him to it, he understood it would never be his home: no deed, no memory that truly belonged to him.
"As far as I'm concerned," he muttered sarcastically, "there's something shady about this whole reincarnation thing… but why stress over what I can't control?"
A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he walked away, feeling the weight of the hood over his face. He called a taxi and, with a precise gesture, gave the driver his destination, ready to take the next step on his path.
A little over three hours later, Cael stepped out of the taxi at the edge of a vast forested area, far from civilization. The air was fresher, filled with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. He surveyed his surroundings carefully, adjusting his cloak over his shoulders, hood still hiding his face.
As he moved deeper into the trees, he reviewed what he had learned about the world. The enormous domes covering cities and regions were interconnected; practically all habitable domains of the planet where civilization thrived lay within these colossal structures, so vast they spanned areas comparable to entire countries of his former world.
He was currently in the northern part of the region, where his phone's map indicated "San Lucas Mountain." While the domes could keep beasts at bay within their limits, the same control didn't extend to citizens. Anyone daring to venture outside the protected domains faced real risks: unimaginable treasures or a grisly death. Not a place for the inexperienced—but for Cael, every calculated risk was just another opportunity.
In truth, he didn't have much choice. If he showed up at the academy as he was now—untrained and unprepared—he'd likely be expelled before even understanding the rules. Every step he took outside the city wasn't merely strategic; it was necessary. He had to accumulate knowledge, equipment, and skills before confronting a system that spared no one unready.
Delving deeper into the forest, Cael advanced slowly and carefully, wary of crossing paths with any beasts lurking among the trees. His goal was still far off; see that mountain in the distance? Not even there. Beyond that mountain lay an ancient ruined temple, the true destination of his journey. That's where his cautious, determined steps were headed.
In the distance, he spotted silhouettes of creatures moving among the trees. With measured movements, he crouched behind trunks and rocks, using every shadow to remain unseen.
The forest beasts were unpredictable: some massive, with bodies covered in glistening scales; others nimble, cloaked in fur that seemed to swallow light. Their eyes glimmered with an almost human intelligence, and each roar or howl seemed to test the strength of anyone daring to cross their path. Cael knew they weren't mere obstacles; each encounter could mean instant death if he slipped up even for a moment.
His amber eyes tracked every motion of the predators; he couldn't afford a single mistake. Every time a beast turned its head toward him, Cael held his breath, barely able to murmur: "Great… another chance to die."
Time passed, and the sky began to darken, painted in purples and oranges that barely lit the forest. Fatigue set in, and Cael knew it was time to stop. He spotted a tall, sturdy tree, its branches robust and welcoming. "Perfect…" he said with a thread of humor. "Nothing like sleeping in a tree."
Carefully, he climbed, finding a secure spot among the branches. From his improvised perch, he could watch the forest without exposing himself too much, his thoughts bouncing between strategies and worries. For a moment, he even allowed a small smile to surface, enjoying the strange sense of safety suspended between earth and sky.
Before giving in to sleep, a thought chilled him to the bone: "I haven't even reached the mountain yet, still technically in civilization's domain, and I haven't faced a single mana beast… but when they start appearing, my only option will be to fight."
He tensed for a moment, letting the cold reality sink in, and then lay back among the branches, attempting to sleep while his heart raced. The adrenaline of anticipation and the certainty that the real test was only beginning kept him on high alert, even as he closed his eyes.
The nerves of his first night outdoors—knowing he had never faced such darkness even in his past life—had woken him several times during the night, heart racing, ears alert to the faintest sound. When he finally managed a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, it was just before the sun peeked over the horizon, and his eyes shot open, as if his mind refused to grant more rest.
He shook his cloak sharply, dislodging a few fat, glossy insects that fell to the ground. Another crawled patiently toward his neck, and he flicked it away with a quick, lazy motion. "Perfect… didn't even get out of bed and I'm already someone's breakfast," he muttered, a mix of sarcasm and resignation in his voice.
He stood, stretched his stiff muscles, and adjusted the backpack on his shoulders. No time to waste; the mountain still loomed far away, and every minute lost was a gift to the beasts ruling these lands. With stealthy steps, he plunged back into the thick forest.
Chewing on a piece of jerky, Cael gnawed lazily, the tough, fibrous meat giving way slowly under his teeth. Not a delicacy, not even pleasant, but the salty, rough taste reminded him he still had something to fill his stomach. In the eerie silence of the forest, this simple act brought a strange sense of companionship.
A snap of a branch behind him made him spin immediately, heart leaping at the sight of a dark shape among the bushes. His eyes widened: a massive boar, tusks gleaming in the faint dawn light, had spotted him. The creature snorted furiously, scraping the ground with its front hooves before charging in a brutal sprint, sending dirt and dry leaves flying with each step. Cael felt an icy shiver down his spine; it seemed his luck had finally run out.
"Cute little puppy… you wouldn't hurt me, would you?" Cael muttered with a crooked half-smile, his voice tinged with nervousness. A pitiful attempt to lighten the mood for the hulking mass of muscle and tusks charging at him. What could one expect from someone whose fiercest encounter in life had been the neighbor's barking dog? Now, facing a boar roaring like a demon, the memory seemed almost laughable.
The beast, indifferent to Cael's feeble attempt at soothing, barreled forward, goring him with its tusks and flinging him hard to the left. Cael tumbled several meters, dazed and aching, barely catching a breath. Amid the pain and confusion, he silently thanked Rod for crafting such high-quality armor; without it, he might have been left bleeding out. The beast, noticing its prey still moved, roared and charged again, forcing Cael, desperate, to climb the nearest tree in a clumsy rush.
The creature paid no mind to Cael's maneuver. Its red eyes fixed on him with wild determination, and it began ramming the tree with the same ferocity as before. The trunk creaked with each impact, trembling as if about to split. On the third hit, the old tree finally gave way, crashing to the ground with a thunderous noise. Cael, barely halfway up, fell with it in a slapstick tumble. His scream pierced the air, an indistinguishable mixture of tones, leaving anyone nearby uncertain whether it came from a man or a woman.
The beast, relentless, charged again. Panicked, Cael threw a punch directly at its face. "Huh?" he muttered, stunned as the beast suddenly collapsed unconscious before him, as if that single blow had sapped its aggression entirely. Dumbfounded, he stared at his own fist, then at the fallen creature, and finally burst into nervous, uncontrollable laughter, betraying the fear he'd felt moments ago. "Damn… I guess as long as a beast doesn't have mana, it's no match for a Woken's body, huh?" he chuckled, pulse still racing.
Sitting atop the splintered trunk, Cael buried a hand in his face, caught between embarrassment and relief. The whole scene had been anticlimactic; he could hardly believe it. The image of him screaming like a child and tumbling so ridiculously would haunt him, yet he was thankful no one had witnessed such a humiliating display. Clearing his throat twice, as if convincing himself, he murmured with mock solemnity: "Ahem… ahem… even the greatest masters had their beginnings… yes, that's it."
His eyes took on a new gleam as he reflected. In retrospect, he realized the panic hadn't come from the beast's strength, but from its mere presence, its size, and the ferocity of its charge. Looking back, the creature had been slow, and though its hit landed solidly, it wasn't lethal; multiple strikes would have been needed to kill it. With that in mind, an idea formed: wouldn't it be wiser to spend some time in this area, facing non-mana beasts, to train his body and temper before venturing into the dangerous region where the mana beasts waited?