One Week Later

The slime popped with a wet splurch, dissolving into a faint mist. A chime echoed in my head as I swiped my hand through the air to clear the notification.

[Quest Complete: Defeat Slimes.]

Reward: 10 Magical Cores (F Rank), 10 Medical Salves (Lesser).

The Magical Cores appeared in one hand, small and faintly glowing, while the Medical Salves—a set of tiny clay jars filled with pungent green paste—rested in the other. I stored the salves in my [Inventory] with a quick mental command, feeling a small sense of satisfaction.

The [Inventory]. Another relic of my past life as a Celestial Hero that had somehow followed me into this timeline. It was oddly comforting, a familiar tool in an unfamiliar body and world.

A second notification popped up almost immediately.

[Would you like to absorb 10 Magical Cores (F Rank)?]

I tapped "Yes" without hesitation. The cores dissolved in my palm, their faint glow intensifying as they turned to wisps of energy, drawn into my right hand like iron filings to a magnet.

The Emblem on my hand glowed faintly as the energy coursed through me. I sat down cross-legged on a nearby rock, letting my breathing slow. This wasn't my first time absorbing cores, but I wasn't about to risk rushing the process. Energy integration was something to be done with focus and care, not recklessness.

Closing my eyes, I let myself drift inward.

I stood in a vast expanse of black, an endless void flecked with stars. The cosmic sea around me pulsed gently, an intricate web of energy stretching out in every direction.

In the distance, the heart of my inner universe loomed: a brilliant white star, its radiance so intense it illuminated everything around it. The sight was overwhelming, a reminder of the power I was only beginning to understand.

A tether connected me to the star—a thin, glowing thread attached to my navel like an umbilical cord. It pulsed faintly, drawing me forward.

The energy from the Magical Cores flowed through the tether, forming a shimmering bridge beneath my feet. I glided along it, moving closer to the star. Warmth surged through me, a sense of strength and clarity growing with every step.

But the bridge stopped short, the flow of energy trickling to a halt.

I sighed, frustration bubbling up despite the progress. So close, and yet so far.

When I opened my eyes, the meadow greeted me once more. The sensation of raw power faded, leaving behind the dull ache of a half-finished meal.

"Appraisal," I muttered.

The blue screen flickered to life, displaying my updated status.

+

Name: Alice

Race: Colossal

Title: Irregular

Emblem: Emblem of the Omega (Copper VIII)

Abilities:

[Root][Mystic Eyes]

Stats:

Strength: F-

Agility: F-

Endurance: F

Intelligence: F+

Luck: EX

Charisma: F-

+

I frowned. My stats had shifted, improving slightly, but my Emblem Rank still hovered at Copper VIII—barely scratching the surface of what I needed to become. If any of my old party saw me like this, they'd never let me live it down. Especially Eve, I thought bitterly. That rascal wife—no, ex-wife—of mine.

Shaking the thought away, I leaned back on the rock, letting my mind drift. The past week had been grueling but necessary. I'd hunted almost every critter in the meadow, practicing basic combat movements and rebuilding my muscle memory.

The outskirts of the forest were where I'd turned my focus next. Slimes had proven to be perfect training fodder—easy to fight, especially once I remembered the old trick of exposing their cores. That loophole had been discovered by the Wisdom King in my previous timeline, abused so thoroughly that both the Adventurer Society and World Guild had banned slime hunting outright. It felt ironic, using the same exploit now to build myself back up.

But I wasn't in a position to care about irony. Survival came first.

Where am I? The question lingered at the edge of my thoughts, unanswered. The monsters here weren't particularly hostile, which meant the Prelude to the Millennium War hadn't begun yet. That was a small relief, but it also raised a new concern: the Celestial Hero Summoning.

I wasn't the Hero anymore. Someone else would take my place. I'd effectively shoved the burden of fighting that interdimensional bastard onto another poor soul.

The guilt churned in my stomach. But what could I do? Regret wouldn't keep me alive.

I stood, brushing dirt off my legs. Focus on the present. Or was it the past now? Didn't matter. What mattered was progress.

With my knowledge and this Colossal body, I had every tool I needed to slingshot my way to the top. But first, I thought, glancing at my stats again, I need to hit FFF rank across the board. And I need my Emblem to reach at least Iron X.

The prospect of getting an attack-type skill from my Emblem was tantalizing, but I wouldn't get anywhere with these pathetic stats.

And there was another concern—the Colossal lineage. If anyone found out what I was, I'd be hunted, captured, or worse. A single slip-up could ruin everything.

+

A rustle in the bushes snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned sharply, instincts kicking in. My hands clenched into fists as I dropped into a combat stance.

The creature that emerged wasn't what I expected.

It stood at about my waist, its body covered in coarse, bark-like fur. A pair of curved antlers crowned its head, and its golden eyes glinted with eerie intelligence. I muttered, "Appraisal."

[Deerak]

Difficulty: FFF

Grade: Green

Skills: Charge, Camouflage

Another chime echoed in my head.

Quest: Is Monster Meat Edible?

Objective: Kill the Deerak.

Reward: Deerak's Horns, 1 FFF Rank Magical Core, Deerak's Meat, Deerak's Hide.

I sighed, feeling the weight of another quest press down on me. The Deerak pawed at the ground, its antlers lowering as it prepared to charge.

"Sorry about this," I muttered, my voice low. "But you're a stepping stone I can't afford to miss."

The Deerak's golden eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I swore it understood me. Then it charged.

Game on.