The MC swallowed the flower petal.
The moment it slid down his throat, the world shattered.
His vision twisted violently, colors bleeding into one another as if reality itself was melting. A searing pain exploded inside his eyes—so intense that it felt like molten needles stabbing directly into his brain.
"Aaah…!"
He staggered to his feet, clutching his face. Panic surged through him.
Water… I need water—now.
He rushed forward, but his legs betrayed him. The cave spun endlessly, his sight reduced to nothing but shadows and blur. He slammed into a stone wall and collapsed to his knees.
His breathing turned ragged.
I'm going blind… no—worse. I'm dying.
With trembling hands, he reached for the corpse of the beast he had hunted earlier. There was no time to hesitate. Dipping his fingers into its still-warm blood, he smeared it over his eyes.
A faint relief followed—like pouring cool water over burning skin.
But it wasn't enough.
The pain surged again, fiercer than before. His vision flashed violently, and for a brief moment, the blur cleared.
His eyes reflected against a shard of stone.
They were yellow.
A terrifying, unnatural yellow.
The pain didn't stop. Instead, it deepened—slow, relentless, crushing his sanity bit by bit. His teeth clenched as frustration and fear overwhelmed him.
"I won't scream… I won't—!"
Desperate to escape the torment, he slammed his head against the cave wall.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Again.
Each impact echoed through the cave until finally—darkness swallowed him whole.
When consciousness returned, it was gentle.
Soft.
Warm.
The MC slowly opened his eyes.
The cave came into focus—not all at once, but layer by layer. Tiny cracks in the stone walls. Dust floating in the air. The faint movement of insects hidden deep within the shadows.
He froze.
"…What?"
He sat up slowly, heart pounding. His vision was clearer than it had ever been—no, clearer than it should be. He could see details far beyond normal human limits.
Veins inside leaves.
Hairline fractures in rocks.
Depth… distance… movement.
"Wow…" His voice trembled. "So this is what I was missing."
A weak laugh escaped his lips, filled with disbelief and relief.
"The experiment… worked."
He clenched his fists tightly.
"But first—water. I smell worse than a dead beast."
Previously, he had avoided water sources like death itself. Lakes and ponds were hunting grounds for predators far stronger than him.
But now…
He narrowed his yellow eyes.
The surroundings slowed.
Movement became clearer.
Danger became visible.
After waiting silently and confirming there were no hidden beasts, he approached a small pond and washed himself thoroughly.
"Aah…" He sighed deeply. "I finally feel human again."
His eyes burned with determination.
"Let's hunt."
One month passed.
The MC was no longer the fragile survivor who trembled in the dark.
A blue-and-white beast resembling a leopard sprinted desperately through the forest, lightning-like spikes crackling across its body. An arrow was embedded deep in its flank, blood spraying as it ran.
Behind it—
A man.
Muscular. Lean. Fast.
His long hair flowed freely, his yellow eyes locked onto his prey with chilling calm.
He climbed onto higher ground, slowed his breathing, and drew his bow.
Time slowed.
The world bent to his will.
Now.
The arrow flew.
It pierced straight through the beast's skull.
The lightning faded. The body collapsed.
"Phew…" The MC wiped sweat from his brow. "Finally caught it. Fast bastard."
After cooking and eating, he sat cross-legged and entered meditation.
"In just one month… I've changed."
His thoughts grew deep and steady.
"This planet is filled with strange resources—flowers, beasts, stones. Some strengthen me… others nearly killed me."
His fingers brushed against his eyes.
"That flower changed everything. When I focus, the world slows down for a few seconds. It's not time control… but perception enhancement."
"But the strangest part…"
Inside his mind, a piece of land appeared.
A mysterious inner space.
Yellow mist drifted into it, slowly expanding its size—yet offering no obvious benefit.
"I still don't understand you."
His eyes opened sharply.
"Tomorrow, I'll find answers."
The next day, he stood hidden among thick bushes near a mine.
A three-headed rhino slept inside, its massive body resting atop a mountain of crystal-like stones.
Activating his yellow eyes, the MC saw something shocking.
White mist flowed out of the crystals.
The mist was being absorbed directly into the rhino's skin.
"So that's it…" he whispered. "This mist strengthens beasts."
His fists clenched.
"I've tried absorbing it before, but it always faded."
His gaze hardened.
"So the problem isn't the mist."
"It's me."
Retreating silently, the MC returned to his cave.
This time, not in frustration—
But with purpose.
I'll figure it out… no matter what it takes.
What do you think the inner land is? Cultivation core or something else?