A Bug In Fate

Three days had passed since Alden’s battle with the crystal bear.

The injuries he had sustained were already healing, though several bruises still lingered as reminders of how close that fight had come to ending differently. During those three days, he had done little besides cultivate, recover, and familiarize himself with the knowledge granted by Basic Swordsmanship.

The results were astonishing.

The crystal cave that had once seemed like an endless treasure trove now looked noticeably emptier. Piles of mana crystals that had filled entire sections of the cavern had nearly vanished, their energy completely drained.

Alden still found the sight difficult to believe.

His physique was terrifying.

At first, he had assumed absorbing mana crystals would become increasingly difficult as his strength increased. Instead, the opposite seemed to be happening. The stronger he became, the faster he absorbed mana. At his current rate, a hundred crystals could lose their stored energy in less than an hour.

Even now, the thought felt ridiculous.

Not that he was complaining.

His swordsmanship had improved as well. The knowledge granted by the ability no longer felt foreign. What had initially resembled information crammed into his mind had gradually become instinct. His stance felt natural. His movements felt smoother. Even simple actions like drawing his saber or adjusting his footing required noticeably less thought than before.

Combined with the growth he had gained through cultivation, Alden was considerably stronger than the person who had entered the cave.

A grin spread across his face.

"I wonder if I would’ve one-shot that bear if we’d met now."

The confidence sounded arrogant.

The problem was that his recent progress almost justified it.

Almost.

"Damn, I hate this taste."

Alden took another reluctant bite from the fish-like monster he had cooked over a small fire.

Calling it a fish felt generous.

The creature possessed scales, fins, and a generally fish-shaped body, but the pair of oversized fangs protruding from its mouth made the comparison slightly unsettling.

He stared at the teeth for a moment before chuckling to himself.

"If I’d had those instead of sticking apsara pencils in people’s bags for harmless pranks back in school, half the class would’ve ended up in the hospital."

The image alone nearly made him laugh.

After finishing the meal, he reached into his pack and unfolded the worn map.

The paper had survived far more abuse than it probably deserved.

Judging by the markings, he wasn’t far from leaving the forest.

"If this thing is accurate, today should be my last day here."

The thought felt strange.

Ever since arriving in this world, the forest had been his entire reality. Every day had been spent hunting, running, hiding, fighting, cultivating, or trying not to become something else’s dinner.

Leaving almost felt unreal.

Before departing, Alden opened his status panel one final time.

His eyes swept across the numbers.

Every primary attribute had reached advanced awekend rank.

The sight immediately improved his mood.

"Am I imagining things, or am I growing faster than before?"

He considered the possibility for a moment.

Then shrugged.

Whatever the reason, he wasn’t about to complain.

Growth was growth.

And right now, he had plenty of it.

After packing his belongings, Alden performed one final inspection.

The map.

His saber.

A few supplies.

That was everything.

Technically speaking, the saber wasn’t even his.

"Victor takes it all, or whatever the saying is."

Alden smirked.

"Not like I was the one who killed him."

The shameless justification sounded perfectly reasonable in his own head.

Several mana crystals remained behind in the cavern.

Not many.

Just enough to continue illuminating the chamber.

The decision had little to do with generosity.

"There is absolutely no way I’m wasting my hard-earned lamp."

The cave had become his temporary home.

Besides, after his recent advancement, the remaining crystals probably wouldn’t be enough to push him into another realm anyway.

At least, that was the practical explanation.

The less practical explanation arrived a moment later.

"Maybe some unlucky guy ends up here one day like I did.Haha if I had cctv to moniter him- khm that sounds like typical stalker line "

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

"I should leave my successor a proper inheritance."

The image of some poor soul discovering a pile of mana crystals deep inside a monster-infested forest was amusing enough that he carried the smile with him as he departed.

The journey itself was uneventful.

Alden moved at a steady pace through the forest, alternating between walking, jogging, and hunting whenever the opportunity presented itself. Compared to the desperate survival that had defined his earlier days, traveling now felt almost relaxing.

Four hours passed.

Then his footsteps suddenly stopped.

Alden stared ahead.

Far in the distance, beyond the final stretch of dense trees, something bright illuminated the horizon.

For several moments, he simply stood there.

Then realization struck.

"Sunlight."

The word escaped his lips as little more than a whisper.

It really was sunlight.

After spending so long beneath endless canopies and inside dark caves, he had almost forgotten what it looked like.

Alden continued staring.

The sight was absurdly ordinary.

The kind of thing people ignored every day back on Earth.

Yet right now, it looked beautiful.

"Tsk. What’s wrong with my eyes?"

He blinked several times.

A strange moisture blurred his vision.

"Is it raining?"

His hand brushed across his face.

The answer was obvious.

Alden immediately looked away.

’You’re a grown man. Pull yourself together.’

The internal lecture accomplished absolutely nothing.

His gaze drifted back toward the sunlight almost immediately.

For several long moments, he simply stood there.

Watching.

The world beyond the forest practically glowed.

Without wasting another second, Alden broke into a run.

The trees gradually thinned.

The shadows receded.

Then, finally, he emerged from the forest.

Warm sunlight washed over him.

The sensation felt almost unreal.

Like rain falling upon a drought-stricken field.

Like a mother’s embrace.

Like returning home after spending far too long away.

A slow breath escaped his lips.

"What a feeling."

His eyes drifted upward toward the sky.

A golden sun hung overhead.

Ordinary.

Familiar.

Beautiful.

Alden couldn’t remember the last time he had appreciated something so simple.

Ever since arriving in this world, common sense had been repeatedly beaten into submission. Giant monsters existed. Magic existed. People cultivated mana.

For all he knew, the forest itself might have been cursed.

Nothing would surprise him anymore.

Basking beneath the sunlight, he lowered himself onto the grass and allowed his body to relax.

The past few weeks replayed themselves within his mind.

The constant fear.

The desperate escapes.

The countless monsters.

The sleepless nights.

The endless uncertainty.

He remembered wondering whether some monster was secretly watching him whenever he bathed.

He remembered fleeing from creatures far stronger than himself.

Most of all, he remembered how he had arrived here in the first place.

Not because of a legendary truck.

Not because of some divine summoning.

A dying snake.

The memory hit him unexpectedly.

Alden stared at the sky.

Then a laugh escaped.

A small one at first.

Then another.

Before long, he was laughing so hard that he had to clutch his stomach.

"Hahahaha!"

The absurdity of it all finally caught up to him.

Everything that had happened.

Everything he had survived.

The sheer ridiculousness of dying to a snake while some truck driver screamed at him like a lunatic.

The memory was so stupid that it became impossible not to laugh.

Several minutes passed before he finally calmed down.

A deep breath escaped his lips.

The smile remained.

The forest was behind him now.

Whatever came next, he would face it.

Standing once more, Alden adjusted the saber hanging at his waist and turned toward the east.

For the first time since arriving in this world, he knew exactly where he was going.

And for the first time since arriving in this world, he was looking forward to what awaited him there.

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