Ch-4 Special ability: Berserk

There are many private farms throughout the country, and the next morning after Ryan placed his order, a healthy Belgian Blue bull arrived from a nearby farm.

The bull was an impressive sight - more muscular than a bodybuilder. Just standing there quietly, he had an imposing presence.

In terms of size, this Belgian Blue Bull was about 30% larger than normal beef cattle, with much more muscle mass than most of its kind.

Its stamina and strength were both remarkable. Of course, its price was also higher than that of regular cattle.

Ryan put his hand on the bull.

"This is the first time I've ever sacrificed a living creature. I wonder if it will work."

"Sacrifice!"

A burst of light glowed from his hand, and the bull began to disintegrate, bit by bit - flesh, bones, internal organs - until finally even its soul was sacrificed. The process took only a moment and seemed painless.

As the bull was sacrificed, Ryan immediately felt a surge of power in his body. With each breath, his strength grew stronger and more stable until it finally leveled off.

Ryan opened his eyes and slowly clenched his fists. He could feel that his strength had increased to an extraordinary level.

"My clothes have shrunk."

He looked at his pants, which now looked too short. He was already a tall guy, about 1.8 meters, but now he stood over 1.9 meters.

Looking at his new height, he thought he'd fit right in at American High School as one of the tallest.

Taking off his shirt, Ryan went to the bathroom and looked at his reflection.

His features were more defined, with strong angles and sharp lines. His body was well proportioned, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, exuding strength.

He was full of powerful, masculine energy. Where he'd once had a bit of a belly, he now had a defined six-pack, as if he'd been working out at the gym for years.

His muscles were full, giving him a physique that could intimidate others just by looking at him.

Ryan stroked his chin and felt an uncanny resemblance to Jotaro Kujo.

The sacrifice of the Belgian Blue Bull had not only given him physical strength, but had also awakened a special ability: Berserk.

Ryan felt a strange tingling through his body as he activated it.

In the next moment, his blood was rushing like an air pump, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. His muscles began to expand, his skin flushed as his eyes grew bloodshot.

In a matter of seconds, he had grown to nearly two meters in height. But with this increase in power, he also felt his mind slipping away, replaced by a primal, animal urge.

When the berserk state ended, his body slowly returned to normal and he slumped down, panting with exhaustion. His muscles ached all over.

In those few minutes, he felt as if half of his energy had been drained.

In this berserk state, his physical strength and defense could reach two to three times normal levels, but his rationality would be greatly diminished, and his energy would be rapidly depleted.

After each berserk episode, he'd endure a half-hour period of weakness.

Although the ability had its drawbacks, it could turn the tide in a critical situation.

However, with his current strength, he could only sustain the berserk state for about ten minutes before he'd be completely exhausted.

He'd have to save that ability for emergencies.

"With my current strength, I should be able to explore the other side of the space-time gate."

His confidence grew as he felt his strength increase. He didn't know what awaited him on the other side of the space-time gate, but with his new power, he was sure he could handle any danger - or at least escape it.

To be on the safe side, he decided to gather supplies.

In most parts of the country, firearms are allowed, but you need a license and a permit to buy them.

Since he had both, Ryan drove to a gun shop.

He bought a pistol, a shotgun, an automatic rifle, and a sniper rifle, along with boxes of various types of ammunition, which he stashed in his portable space.

While the country has no restrictions on gun ownership, he had to register his purchases.

Ryan wanted to add some grenades to his stash, but unfortunately those are military grade and not available through legal channels, so he had to pass on that idea.

He also stocked up on a machete, a dagger, battle fatigues, and anything else he thought might be useful.

After spending half the day preparing, he stowed everything away in his portable room, took a rest to recharge his batteries, and called his teacher to request three days off.

Satisfied that he'd covered everything, Ryan took a deep breath and opened the space-time gate.

Swish!

As the gate opened, a half-real, half-virtual crack appeared in front of him.

Holding a double-barreled shotgun, Ryan stepped into the space-time gate.