Awakening (3)

Chapter 3: Awakening (3)

In front of him was a tall mountain stretching toward a cloudless gray sky. It wasn't steep at its feet, but as Hunter climbed his eyes up its elevation, he found that the route to the top was pretty… vertical, steep, and dangerous.

Behind him expanded nothing but a land of silver desert, taking over the entire horizon. It seemed to lead to nothing, so Hunter paid more attention to the mountain.

It felt like cresting this eminence was the best move to find out what was going on. At least this mountain seemed to have a finish goal on its spire, unlike the never-ending desert…

"Life's nothing but hurdles, isn't it? But if I do nothing, I won't find opportunities to move forward," Hunter poured his opportunism and optimism on himself before stepping on a flat route, starting his climb to the top!

As he moved forward, he thought of his previous life… that was his first and probably the worst life that was even worse than his death to the wolf.

After all, facing the monster was his own choice! But in his previous life, the only choice he had made was probably signing the euthanasia form. Before that, he was controlled by his parents, following their strict life, which had left him without any friends and fun in life.

They put studies above anything else and even zoned him from kids they deemed inappropriate. This resulted in no one wanting to associate with him!

And then, the illness that left Hunter bedridden struck him. No one knew what kind of disease it was, but Hunter was in agony for five years, feeling like his body was being torn apart from the inside. From head to toe, he felt nothing but debilitating pain that drove him insane.

He couldn't even scream as the hospital staff had gagged him!

"I'm a master of my life!" Hunter was now on the vertical point of his climb to the top, extending his hand for a groove in the wall. "I have been doing all I wanted ever since I reincarnated. Only the world limited me… but if I ever return to that female-dominated world, I'll be him! I won't be just a man. I will be him! You hear me?!"

As this declaration swept through the mountain, the cold wind rolled down from the top, hitting Hunter like a bowling ball. Unable to hold onto the wall, Hunter was kicked off, his body plunging to the mountain's feet. He rolled like a rag doll before rising to his feet.

Lifting his eyes up at the peak, Hunter chuckled, "Nice one. I guess this is the way."

Inspired and galvanized to reach the top and possibly find more about himself, Hunter resumed his climb.

Which lasted sixty years in the gray world.

As he reached the top of the mountain, the vista of numerous mountains, each taller than the former, expanded before Hunter like a riddle of impossible challenges. Some of them were black and hidden in the clouds, with streaks of silver sunshine trying to find a way to him.

"No way I climb all of them in one go!"

Answering his wish, the blinding light fell on him from the skies, taking his soul back to the mangled body in the female-dominated world.

The body that was awakening… just like his soul.

-

While sixty years had passed in the gray world that Hunter knew nothing of, only six minutes passed in the real world.

Still in the clutches of the red wolf, Hunter woke up to feel the sharp teeth piercing him, inducing torment that he somehow could endure.

It was nothing compared to the pain he had experienced in the previous world.

'It still hurts as fuck… right… I returned… and this… is my skill… Deathless… I finally know my innate skill! Deathless! I am fucking immortal!' Hunter nearly screamed with joy despite still being in the mouth of the monster…

Feeling the stinging pain in his chest, Hunter was brought back to reality and focused on matters at hand. First, he couldn't give up on his new advantage! The monster, just like everyone from the hunter team, believed that he was dead, so he had to use that to strike the wolf's weak spot.

'But… while my innate skill is really powerful as I can't die… it doesn't have any offensive skill. Maybe I'll be able to suck out life force in the future, but not now! I don't have mana, too, so I can't really learn new skills… wait, what's this odd feeling?' Hunter felt really cold but pleasant.

It was like some source of strength was extending its grasp toward him from below… and even side.

Well, on his side, Hunter had the wolf's muzzle… but what was below him? His pool of blood, right?

'Do I use blood instead of mana?' Hunter questioned inwardly…

A question that 'Yes' answer made a lot of sense.

However, it didn't mean that Hunter could use it yet. He was just grasping that peculiar feeling, which was similar to humans learning about mana and how it flowed in their veins.

And just knowing about mana doesn't allow humans to learn skills, as more concepts have to be learned first. Well, only those talented prodigies could breach those concepts.

Hunter's concepts were much different, and no one had explored them before, so he had a rough start compared to others.

'Curses! I can't learn or awaken a new skill… so I must focus on what the current me can do. I know how to fight in close combat, so this will do! Also, I can try focusing on the cold blood in my veins. It might help me increase my physical strength or freeze the enemy. That would be useful… all I have to do is strike the weak spot and allow others to wound the wolf.'

Glancing at the wolf's eye, Hunter recalled how Anna's arrow had simply bounced off it…

Was his physical strength enough to wound this damn eye?

'Well… if not, this will surely work.' Hunter looked down at the tooth of the wolf, which was frozen from gnawing on the cold flesh and blood of the Deathless man.

The coldness… turned that fang… vulnerable… and one spot was so brittle that Hunter's idea became solidified!

'I'll turn it into a makeshift sword and kill you, the red wolf.'

Hunter closed his eyes and prepared for the eventful return… which would turn more eventful than he could ever possibly imagine.