The dim cave was silent except for the faint sound of breathing.
The MC sat alone, staring at the strange piece of meat in his hands. Its surface was rough, the smell unfamiliar. His instincts screamed at him to throw it away.
"Do I really have to eat this?" he muttered. "What if I die from it?"
As if mocking his hesitation, his stomach growled loudly.
He let out a dry laugh. "Haa… if I don't eat, I'll die anyway."
With no other choice left, he closed his eyes and bit into the meat.
Raw. Bloody. Tough.
The moment he swallowed, his body reacted.
"What—?!"
A burning sensation erupted in his stomach, spreading rapidly through his veins and limbs.
"It's hot…!" He clutched his abdomen, teeth clenched. "Why does it feel like fire?!"
The meat wasn't cooked. There were no spices. Yet his body felt as if it were being scorched from the inside.
"I can't go outside like this…" he groaned. "I'll just endure it."
Time passed slowly. The pain lingered, refusing to fade, but it didn't grow worse either. Hunger eventually overcame fear, and he forced himself to eat until he could take no more. The remaining meat was wrapped and stored carefully.
Night fell, plunging the cave into darkness.
The world outside was quiet, but his thoughts were restless.
"I can't keep surviving like this," he thought. "Hiding… running… waiting to die."
His mind replayed the scene he had witnessed earlier—the strange battle, the impossible movements.
"That energy… those moves… what exactly were they?"
He picked up the claw he had taken and examined it closely.
"It's not much different from a normal cat's claw," he muttered. "Then how could it unleash such terrifying power?"
His fingers tightened around it.
"If I don't understand this… I won't last long."
Exhaustion finally dragged him into sleep.
But it didn't last.
A sharp pain stabbed into his stomach, wrenching him awake.
"Aaah!"
Cold sweat drenched his body as he gasped for breath.
"Did the meat have poison?!"
He tried to stand, but his legs refused to obey. The pain twisted inside him, deep and suffocating.
"No… this doesn't feel lethal," he realized. "It feels… different."
He shifted again and again, desperately searching for relief.
Finally, when he sat cross-legged, the pain eased slightly.
"Haa… haa…" His breathing slowed. "So this position works."
"But I can't sleep like this…"
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm his mind.
"Should I try meditating?"
That was when he noticed it.
A faint yellow mist drifting inside his body.
"What… is that?"
The mist moved slowly, like smoke flowing through invisible channels. But it was fading.
"Wait!"
Without thinking, he focused on it.
"Don't disappear…"
The mist responded, stabilizing slightly. The pain gradually dulled, and his breathing became steady.
The night passed quietly.
When the first rays of sunlight entered the cave, the MC slowly opened his eyes.
He was still sitting cross-legged.
"…Huh?"
He stood up.
His body felt light—unnaturally light.
"Oh wow…" he whispered. "I feel refreshed. Stronger."
It felt as if he had slept for days instead of a single night.
"Was it because of the meat?" he wondered. "Or that yellow mist…?"
He clenched his fist, sensing unfamiliar strength flowing through him.
"I don't need to hunt today," he decided. "But if I encounter easy prey… I won't hesitate."
He picked up his spear and studied it.
"I should attach those claws."
After some effort, the weapon changed shape. With the added blades, it now resembled a traditional Indian trident—a trishul.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"It actually looks good."
With renewed confidence, he stepped out of the cave.
The forest welcomed him with danger.
Massive creatures moved in the distance, their presence alone enough to suffocate him. He knew better than to challenge them.
"Not yet," he whispered.
Instead, he observed. He collected strange flowers, unusual rocks, and anything that caught his attention.
When he returned to the cave, his arms were full.
"Let's see what I found."
His gaze stopped on a cluster of shining, crystal-like stones embedded deep into the ground.
"That creature wasn't guarding a single stone," he murmured. "This whole place…"
"…it's a mine."
Understanding dawned on him.
"This stone mine is their home. They don't eat these stones. They don't play with them."
"They guard them."
"Like crocodiles basking on hot rocks."
He struck one of the crystals with a normal stone.
Crack.
"So it's not a diamond."
His eyes lingered on the mine.
"These stones must have value… or energy."
He tested the colorful stones he had collected.
Some were warm. Some were cold.
And then—
"This one…"
The moment he touched it, energy surged through his body. His fatigue vanished instantly.
"This feels incredible."
Carefully, he shaped it into a pendant and wore it around his neck.
Encouraged, he continued searching.
Then he found it.
His breath caught.
"This… this is the real thing."
"I saw two beasts fighting over this," he whispered. "But they fell into the serpent's trap."
"After killing them, it left their bodies behind… and I took this."
He stared at the item in his hand.
"Now comes the real question."
"Should I eat it… or not?"
"It doesn't seem poisonous. Those beasts fought desperately for it."
"But that doesn't mean it's safe for me."
His fingers trembled.
"But if I don't take risks…"
"I'll never grow stronger."
His eyes hardened.
"I refuse to stay weak."
"I'll take this gamble."
"Just a small dose…"
He swallowed.
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