It's been a week.
Seven long days since I washed up on this island.
No people.
No village.
No voices.
Only monsters.
Every dawn, I woke to the sound of growls and the smell of blood. Every night, the forest glowed faintly with mana from the beasts I'd slain. My body grew heavier, my muscles tougher. I didn't know whether I was becoming stronger—or just more numb.
I lost count of how many Abyss Hounds I killed. Their numbers felt endless. But now, new creatures had begun to appear—ones with scales and burning red eyes.
---
[Scaled Lizard]
Level: 40–43
Habitat: Deep Forest & Rocky Cliffs
---
They were fast, vicious, and their tails could split a tree in half. But I learned their pattern. I learned how to move before they did.
One slithered toward me now, its tongue flicking in and out, sensing my mana. It lunged—but before it could bite, I stepped aside and swung my makeshift blade downward, slicing clean through its skull.
Thud.
The lizard's body twitched once, then stilled.
---
[Scaled Lizard defeated ×1]
+7,800 EXP gained.
Level Up!
---
The familiar blue light flickered in front of me.
Name: Haru Villamor
Age: 23
Job: Warrior
Level: 48
Title: Third Rate
Strength: 61
Intelligence: 52
Agility: 55
Vitality: 58
Sense: 72
Remaining Points: 12
Skills:
Crimson Blade (A-Rank)
Flash Step (B-Rank)
Barrier of Barrack (A-Rank)
Mana Reinforce (C-Rank)
---
I exhaled slowly. "Level forty-eight… from thirty-eight in just a week."
It was insane.
But so was this island.
I sat beneath a tree, using my broken sword as support, and stared at the horizon. The forest stretched endlessly, yet I could sense something different now — a faint pulse beneath the ground. Mana… thick and ancient.
Maybe that's why monsters here grow so fast. Maybe that's why no one's found this place.
I tore off a piece of dried meat from a monster I'd cooked earlier and ate in silence. My wounds had closed quickly, my stamina recovering faster than before. My body was changing — adapting to constant combat.
But deep down, I knew it wasn't enough.
Somewhere out there, that Demon — Limbo — still existed.
And if I met him again at this level… I wouldn't even survive a second.
I stood up, tightened the straps on my new gloves, and looked deeper into the forest.
A faint blue light flickered far ahead, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Something… was calling me.
Without hesitation, I walked toward it.