The air shifted.
Akira felt it before he saw anything—a sudden pressure, like the world itself had taken a breath and forgotten to let it out.
A figure stepped out of nothing.
Tall. Cloaked in darkness that didn’t move like fabric, but like absence itself. The forest seemed quieter around him, as if even the wind knew better than to make noise.
Grim.
Akira froze.
The god of death regarded him in silence, hollow eyes unreadable. For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then—Grim smiled.
It wasn’t cruel.
It wasn’t warm.
It was… approving.
Like he knew what Akira ends up doing in the future.
Akira swallowed. “Uh…”
Grim turned his head slightly, gaze shifting to Lumi.
“You’ve done enough,” he said calmly.
“Huh?” Lumi blinked. “Wait—what do you mean enough?”
Grim reached out, his hand closing around her wrist with effortless finality.
“HEY—!” Lumi yelped.
The sky tore open.
Darkness folded upward like a curtain being pulled aside, and in one smooth motion, Grim dragged Lumi straight into it. Light twisted. Space warped.
Then they were gone.
The forest fell silent once more.
Akira stood alone, staring up at the empty sky, heart pounding.
“…Did,” he said slowly, “the god of death just smile at me?”
The answer, of course, didn’t come.
Akira remained there for a long moment, the forest unnaturally quiet around him.
“…Right,” he muttered. “Guess I should check if I’m about to die again.”
He focused, and the translucent display flickered into existence before him.
His eyes skimmed the numbers.
Strength: 4
Speed: 7
Stamina: 8
Intelligence: 8
Defense: 1
“…Defense is one?” he said flatly.
He glanced down at his arms, at the shallow cuts and bruises still stinging. That explained why everything hurt so much.
HP: 200
He blinked.
“…That’s high.”
Lumi’s earlier words echoed in his mind—about averages, about limits. Humans weren’t supposed to have more than a hundred.
‘So even my health’s abnormal…’
His gaze dropped lower.
Magic Power / Mana: 650,000,000
Akira froze.
“…That’s not normal,” he whispered.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The number didn’t flicker. It didn’t correct itself.
‘Two hundred thousand was supposed to be the cap…’
His throat went dry.
It wasn’t that his magic was weak.
It was that his body was refusing to let that much power through—like trying to force an ocean through a straw.
Hands unsteady, he scrolled down.
Fire Magic: lvl. 1
Water Magic: lvl. 1
Earth Magic: lvl. 1
Wind Magic: lvl. 1
Light Magic: lvl. 1
Dark Magic: lvl. 1
“…Everything,” he murmured. “And I can barely use any of it.”
Further down—
Heavy Lifting: lvl. 13
Taming: lvl. 12
He paused.
“…Taming?” He frowned. “Is that because I used to look after animals?”
Then—
Modeling: lvl. MAX
Craftsmanship: lvl. MAX
His eyes lingered there.
‘No mana required. Guaranteed success.’
His fingers curled slowly.
“…So these don’t care what I am,” he muttered. “Just what I can do.”
At the bottom, faint light marked his blessings.
Blessing of the Goddess of Life
Blessing of the Goddess of Magic
Blessing of the God of Creation
Akira hesitated, then scrolled once more.
Sense Presence: lvl. 1
Appraisal: lvl. MAX
The moment he focused, the forest subtly shifted.
Not visually—but perceptually.
He felt it. Distances. Weight. Movement. Faint impressions at the edge of awareness.
And Appraisal followed.
The world whispered back.
The rubble from the stick and boulder he’d used earlier. The trees. Even the rocks beneath his feet—each carried faint impressions of durability, potential, and structure.
“…So that’s why I knew the bear was there,” he muttered. “And why that sword worked at all.”
Below it—
Language Comprehension: lvl. MAX
He blinked.
“…Huh.”
Lumi’s voice. Grim’s words. Different presence. Different intent. Yet he’d understood both—not just meaning, but nuance.
‘So it’s not just translation…’
And then—
Eternal Youth: lvl. NoLevel
He stared.
“No level?” he whispered.
The description was short. Too short.
User’s body will not deteriorate due to age.
Akira swallowed.
‘So… I stay human.’
No divine ascension.
No immortality.
Just a body time can’t wear down.
“…That’s,” he paused, choosing carefully, “a lot.”
He scrolled back up, taking everything in.
Some skills helped him notice danger.
Some helped him understand the world.
Some helped him understand people.
Some let him build within it.
And one simply made sure time wouldn’t steal the chance.
Akira dismissed the screen.
‘None of this makes me invincible,’ he thought.
‘It just means I get to keep trying.’
The forest rustled softly around him.
That felt… fair.
“I might not be invincible,” he said quietly, “but I can make things work.”
He took a deep breath and focused again, letting Appraisal overlay his vision.
Almost immediately, a branch caught his attention.
Rough. Dark. Twisted.
But the numbers screamed one thing—sturdy.
‘Okay… that’ll do.’
He crouched and yanked it free, feeling the weight settle naturally in his hands. Appraisal confirmed it: this wasn’t just a stick.
It could take force.
He turned to a nearby boulder and placed his other hand against it. Closing his eyes, he pictured what he wanted.
A long, solid pole.
The edges of the world blurred as Modeling activated.
In seconds, the branch stretched and reshaped, smoothing into a straight, perfectly balanced length of wood. Not a spear. Not a staff.
Just a long, reliable pole.
“…Alright,” Akira whispered, testing the weight.
It was solid. Balanced. Useful.
He could feel the potential for more—reinforcement, shaping, even fire—but not yet.
For now, this was enough.
The forest rustled again.
Shadows twisted between the trees.
Something was watching.
And it wasn’t another crimson bear.
should start merging 2 chapters into one from now on
