The sun and moon passed in the sky as the wind howled through the forest. Half a month went by in a blur of sweat and grueling training for Takero.
Deep within the woods, in a clearing he had flattened himself, an incredible scene was taking place. A boy who looked about ten years old was on the ground, pushing his body to its absolute limit. His muscles were tight, and veins stood out on his arms as he struggled through each repetition. The reason for his struggle was simple: a massive, jagged boulder the size of a small truck was sitting on his back. The weight alone was enough to crush an ordinary person.
"998… 999… 1000!"
As he reached the final count in his head, Takero let out a roar like a wild animal. With a sudden burst of energy from his core, he flipped the massive weight off his back.
Boom!
The boulder slammed into the ground, shaking the earth and sending up a cloud of dust that hung in the air. Takero pushed himself to his feet, his chest heaving as sweat poured down his skin like a river, soaking the ground beneath him. Without even stopping to catch his breath, he eagerly called up the system panel.
Power Level: 20
"Tsk…" The hopeful look on Takero's face vanished, replaced by a sigh of disappointment. "This is way too slow!"
For the past fifteen days, he had put himself through hell, following the training manual of the Turtle School as best he could. The manual talked about things like "delivering milk" and "plowing fields by hand," but those were impossible tasks on this deserted island. However, his experience as an underground boxer in his past life helped him understand the core principles: resistance training, pushing his endurance to the extreme, and sharpening his senses.
So, "delivering milk" became doing squats while carrying a giant boulder. "Plowing fields" turned into punching massive trees, and "working at a construction site" became climbing cliffs and running with weights. Thanks to this brutal routine, he had managed to raise his pathetic power level by a mere five points.
"Is this really all a Saiyan can do?" Takero grumbled to himself, but his mood quickly brightened. "At least I've mastered 'mind reading'!"
The "mind reading" described in the manual was basically just predicting an opponent's moves by watching their smallest muscle movements and expressions. But when he first succeeded in using it, the system gave him a surprise.
Skills: Conqueror's Haki (Lv.1), Observation Haki (Lv.1)
The fact that "mind reading" had turned into "Observation Haki" was what confused Takero the most. "I still feel like something isn't right here…"
He thought about it for a moment before deciding to drop it. Being able to predict attacks was a good thing, no matter what it was called. A Saiyan didn't need to overthink things; his instincts told him that strength was all that mattered.
As the sun began to set, the forest grew dark. Takero patted the dust off the grass skirt he had made and walked over to an ancient tree so thick it would take two people to wrap their arms around it. He took a deep breath, clenched his right fist, and focused all of his power into a single point. The muscles in his arm bulged like steel cables.
"Haaah—!"
A fierce roar shattered the evening's silence. His fist, surrounded by a powerful wind pressure, slammed into the tree trunk.
Bang—Crack!
A dull thud was followed by the sound of splintering wood. A deep fist print was burned into the trunk, and cracks spread out from the center like a spiderweb. The giant tree groaned as if in pain before its massive body crashed to the ground, startling a flock of sleeping birds.
Takero looked at his work with a satisfied smile. "My power level is only 20, but with a Saiyan's body, it's pretty terrifying," he said to himself. "I should be strong enough to protect myself now, right?"
With a few swift chops of his hand, he cut the thick trunk into a pile of firewood. He carried it back to his cave, skillfully started a fire, and began roasting a huge sea fish that was longer than he was tall. The fish sizzled as fat dripped into the flames, filling the air with a delicious aroma. Takero's mouth began to water as his massive Saiyan appetite kicked in.
Just then, a strange and dead silence fell over the cave entrance. Something was wrong. The usual chirping of insects and birds outside had completely stopped. The silence was so chilling it made his heart pound, as if the entire forest was holding its breath in fear. A moment later, a powerful, disgusting stench drifted into the cave. It was a sharp, musky smell of decay and wild animals, so strong it was hard to breathe.
Thump… thump… thump…
Heavy footsteps echoed from deep within the forest, getting closer and closer, making the ground tremble with each step. The source of the sound was heading straight for his cave. Takero's eyes narrowed as he stared into the darkness outside.
Whoosh—!
The bushes in front of the cave shook violently before being torn apart by an unseen force. Two glowing green lights, like evil lanterns, lit up in the shadows, their cruel gaze locked onto him. The flickering firelight revealed the monster's true form: a terrifying giant tiger the size of a small mountain.
Its shoulders were like blocks of granite, and its thick legs supported a body so massive it seemed to swallow the light. Two pairs of dagger-like fangs stuck out from its mouth, covered in dried blood and bits of flesh from its last meal. Its cold eyes held nothing but pure, raw hunger. That stare felt like a physical force, meant to freeze him in place and turn him into dinner.
Any normal person would have been paralyzed with fear, but Takero was not a normal person.
"Whoa! That's a big tiger," he said, a grin spreading across his face. His eyes were not filled with fear, but with the thrill of finally seeing another living creature.
The giant tiger couldn't understand his words, but it could feel the lack of fear in his tone. The boy's casual attitude was a direct challenge to its rule over the island.
"Roar—!!!"
A deafening roar filled with killing intent ripped through the night. The giant tiger's body became a yellow blur as it charged forward, its foul stench washing over Takero like a wave. It moved with enough force to crush anything in its path.
"Heh, you're coming right at me?" Takero's grin widened into a fanatical smile. "Interesting! This is more like it!"
The tiger's massive jaws, filled with sharp teeth, lunged for his head.
"Too slow!"
At the last second, Takero's body dropped low, and he slid cleanly under the beast's massive frame. The tiger's warm, soft belly was right above him. His control over Ki was still clumsy, but the ability the system called Observation Haki was working perfectly. The tiger's clumsy attack path had appeared in his mind as a clear, predictable line.
"Full of openings!"
The moment he finished his slide, Takero coiled his body like a spring and launched himself upward. His right fist was already charged with all his strength as he slammed it directly into the giant tiger's unprotected stomach.
"Get—lost—!!!"
Boom!
With a sickening thud, the tiger's massive body was bent into an arch and thrown violently into the air. A pained, distorted cry echoed through the night as the beast, which weighed several tons, was sent flying backward by the single punch. It crashed through several trees before finally coming to a stop in a mess of broken wood, blood pouring from its mouth and nose.
Takero slowly lowered his fist. The battle-hungry look on his face faded, replaced by deep disappointment.
"Sigh… Is that it?" he said, pouting as he casually cleaned his ear. "What a letdown, kitty. I thought you'd at least give me a decent workout."
As he was shaking his head at the tiger's corpse, the system, which had been silent for half a month, finally spoke.
[Ding! Combat detected. Threat assessment: Low. Combat evaluation: Easy crush.]
[Congratulations, Host, for completing a simple battle! Reward: Power Level +1!]