More than two months later, on the outskirts of the dense forest near Windmill Town…
In a clearing, a pile of bloodied meat lay at the center, the surrounding area silent.
Suddenly, the faint sound of movement came from the forest's depths.
Strong paws emerged slowly from the shadows. A forest wolf approached, sniffing the blood in the air. Its sharp teeth could instantly sever a throat, and its eyes glimmered with cold, lethal intent.
Seeing no one around, the wolf cautiously approached the meat, sniffing carefully.
Though its intelligence had increased, it couldn't understand why the food was left here—but a meal within reach is hard to resist.
After checking its surroundings, the wolf began devouring the bait.
Little did it know, in this world, a species called humans existed—clever, cunning, capable of using tools and poisons.
Having consumed all the bait, the wolf attempted to return to its territory. But after taking only a few steps, it suddenly felt light, as if it were floating.
Plop! It fell to the ground.
"Phew! That scared me to death!"
Not far from the fallen wolf, a small child stood upright.
This child wore a green hat made of grass, his face smeared with green plant juice. He was clad in patterned animal hide armor, with a dagger and a short bone spear at his waist, dark trousers, and a pair of cute tiger-head shoes.
Looking at the unsuspecting wolf, Luffy could no longer hold back his frustration. He recalled his experiences over the past two months.
Every day, he woke early, spent the entire day in the forest, constantly moving hunting locations.
Some days yielded nothing, and several times he had been attacked by wild beasts. If not for his data-formatted body, he would have been covered in injuries.
A few days ago, he had been chased by a wild boar.
Luffy had never expected the seemingly clumsy boar to have such a keen sense of smell, bypassing his bait entirely.
Ultimately, the boar was too slow; following Luffy's "Z-shaped" tree maneuvers, it ended up in Windmill Town, where the townsfolk finally killed it with combined force.
The village chief, fearing for Luffy's life after the boar incident, had refused to let him hunt again.
Eventually, Luffy convinced him to allow it—otherwise, he would sneak out.
The chief then took Luffy to the village apothecary, purchasing some sedatives and poisons, and had Luffy's weapons sharpened and his armor prepared.
Fzzzt! Luffy pulled the bone spear from the wolf's neck, along with a spray of blood.
[Ding! Host killed a common beast. Gained 7 EXP.]
[Ding! Congratulations! EXP is full. Leveling up…]
[Ding! Congratulations! Host has reached Level 2.]
Three system alert tones echoed in Luffy's mind.
"Finally leveled up!" Luffy's face lit up with uncontainable joy, his green face even tinged red.
"System, check Attributes."
[Understood.]
The Attribute panel appeared instantly:
Character: Monkey D. Luffy
Level: 2
EXP: 2/200
HP: 150
Stamina: 15
Strength: 12
Agility: 14
Spirit: 954
Free Attribute Points: 10
"Ha!" Feeling the tangible changes in his body, and seeing the new numbers, Luffy was so excited he nearly cried.
Clenching his fist, he said, "That was not easy at all."
He threw a punch experimentally. Though not very strong, compared to his previous weakness, it was a revolutionary improvement.
"System, allocate all free attribute points to Stamina."
[Understood. Allocation complete. Current Attributes:**
Character: Monkey D. Luffy
Level: 2
EXP: 2/200
HP: 2505
Stamina: 252
Strength: 12
Agility: 14
Spirit: 95
"Uh… HP is 2,505 now," Luffy said, a little embarrassed by the awkward number.
"Ah, whatever. 2,505 is fine—as long as I'm stronger."
Looking at the EXP required to reach level 3—200 points—it would be difficult for Level 1 Luffy. But now, with Level 2 Luffy's vastly increased strength, he felt capable of achieving it quickly.
"No matter what, I'll head home first."
He grabbed the wolf's tail, stepping with his tiger-head shoes, and began moving homeward.
Seeing the tiger-head shoes on his feet, Luffy's lips twitched.
After several hunting trips, he had found the previous sandals unsuitable for movement, so he had asked Makino to find him a proper pair for hunting.
After three days, Makino proudly returned with the tiger-head shoes.
Her beaming smile left Luffy no choice but to wear them (three-year-old version).
Makino added, "These shoes carry the tiger's aura. Ordinary wild beasts will fear you and won't attack."
Returning to the village entrance, Luffy immediately attracted attention—not least because of his striking appearance.
A child under half a meter tall, wearing a confident smile and cute tiger-head shoes, dragged behind him a nearly two-meter-long giant wolf, its sharp teeth, claws, and wide-open eyes making onlookers uneasy.
Luffy held the wolf's tail as he approached the tavern and shouted excitedly:
"Makino! Uncle! Come help! Quick!"
His enthusiasm resembled a child boasting of his achievements.
"Luffy's back!"
Makino, tidying the tavern, dropped her work and ran out.
"Makino, help me carry it inside! I can't do it alone!" Luffy called happily, thrilled at the girl who had cared for him these past two months.
In truth, he wasn't actually tired—though it looked strenuous, his data-formatted body no longer felt fatigue.
He just wanted those who had cared for him to witness his growth. After two months as a little kid, his adult heart had become somewhat pure.
"Alright, Luffy, go rest…"
Makino froze at the sight of the enormous beast, then hurried to the back of the tavern to fetch her resting father.
"This is incredible!" Her father was equally startled by the wolf Luffy had brought back.
Watching Luffy walk into the tavern smiling, he whispered quietly:
Looks like a new storm is about to arrive.