Mario didn’t move.
The crimson eyes remained fixed on him from beyond the wooden fence.
The pressure alone was enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand.
“…You’re curious.”
Another deep growl rolled through the forest.
The trees trembled.
Leaves drifted lazily to the ground.
Mario looked toward the invisible barrier and frowned.
Something felt…
Different.
He had assumed the barrier was only meant to keep monsters out.
But what if…
He slowly walked toward the fence.
The crimson eyes followed every step.
He stopped just short of the invisible wall.
Then, cautiously, he extended his hand.
His fingers passed through.
Mario blinked.
“…Interesting.”
He took another step.
Nothing stopped him.
“So…”
“The barrier keeps them out.”
“It doesn’t keep me in.”
That changed everything.
He immediately stepped back inside the property.
“Don’t be stupid.”
He forced himself to calm down.
Just because he could leave didn’t mean he should.
He was still an ordinary man.
A single mistake could end his second life before it truly began.
Mario returned to the farmhouse and opened the Dimensional Vault.
Five relics rested inside.
His eyes stopped on the bow.
“A ranged weapon.”
“The safest option.”
The bow appeared in his hands.
It was surprisingly light.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the grip, something extraordinary happened.
Knowledge flooded into his mind.
Not information.
Experience.
Thousands upon thousands of shots.
Different winds.
Different distances.
Moving targets.
A lifetime of mastery compressed into an instant.
His breathing naturally adjusted.
His stance shifted.
Even the way he held the bow changed without conscious thought.
“…So this is what true mastery feels like.”
It wasn’t that he had learned.
It was as though he had always known.
He looked toward the forest.
“I can use it.”
“Whether I survive…”
“That’s another matter.”
Mario stood at the edge of the property once more.
This time, the bow rested comfortably in his left hand.
No arrow.
Yet when he imagined drawing one…
A shimmering shaft of pale light formed between his fingers.
“…Convenient.”
The crimson eyes narrowed.
The creature sensed danger.
A moment later—
The forest exploded.
A massive tentacle thicker than a coconut tree burst through the undergrowth, smashing centuries-old trees aside as though they were dry twigs.
Then another.
And another.
More than a dozen enormous tentacles rose above the canopy.
Their dark skin glistened with thick slime.
Rows of jagged hooks lined their undersides.
Each movement shook the earth.
Mario’s appraisal activated instinctively.
Abyssal Forest Devourer
Level: 500
Status: Extremely Dangerous
Threat Assessment:
Do Not Engage.
Mario laughed once.
“…Well.”
“That was honest.”
Level 500.
Level 0.
One hit.
That was all it would take.
One mistake.
Death.
His grip tightened.
The creature lunged.
One enormous tentacle slammed against the invisible barrier.
The impact echoed like thunder.
The barrier didn’t even ripple.
Good.
It still couldn’t enter.
Mario slowly raised the bow.
His breathing became calm.
His heartbeat slowed.
The world itself seemed to quiet.
Distance.
Wind.
Movement.
Every calculation completed itself automatically.
He wasn’t aiming.
The bow already knew where to shoot.
Mario released the string.
The arrow vanished.
There was no dramatic explosion.
No blinding light.
Just…
Silence.
A heartbeat later—
A tiny hole appeared in the center of the monster’s enormous eye.
The creature froze.
Every tentacle stopped moving.
Then…
Its gigantic body collapsed.
The impact shook the forest.
Birds scattered into the sky.
Dust rose high above the trees.
Mario lowered the bow.
“…”
“…That’s terrifying.”
Not the monster.
The weapon.
If a level zero human could kill something hundreds of levels above himself simply because of the relic…
What would happen after he became stronger?
He silently made another promise.
“I’ll never underestimate these weapons.”
A familiar warmth spread through his body.
Then another.
And another.
Golden lines of light surrounded him.
One notification after another appeared.
Enemy Defeated
Experience Acquired.
Level Increased
…
…
…
Level 100 Reached
Mario’s eyes widened.
“…One hundred?”
That was…
Far beyond his expectations.
Another panel unfolded.
Base Growth
+5 to all attributes per level.
Then a second message appeared.
Title Effect: Otherworlder
Growth Modifier Applied.
+100 to all attributes per level.
Mario blinked twice.
“…Excuse me?”
He quickly did the math.
One hundred levels.
One hundred points to every attribute.
Per level.
His expression became oddly blank.
“…That’s absurd.”
Yet another notification appeared.
Unassigned Attribute Points
1,000 Available.
“So…”
“Ten points per level.”
He rubbed his chin.
“I’ll distribute these later.”
There was no reason to rush.
The monster’s enormous body slowly dissolved into countless particles of light.
Mario cautiously approached.
His appraisal activated.
Mind Ward Necklace
Classification: Rare
Effect:
Protects the wearer against mental interference, illusions, possession, and external psychic intrusion.
Mario smiled.
“This…”
“I’m keeping.”
He placed the necklace around his neck immediately.
A faint cooling sensation spread through his mind.
Comforting.
Steady.
Safe.
Nearby rested several monster materials.
A crystal core.
Enchanted hide.
Hardened fangs.
A bundle of rare monster tendons.
All valuable.
All unnecessary for him.
Into the Dimensional Vault they went.
Back inside the farmhouse…
Mario washed his face.
Sat quietly at the dining table.
Then looked at the clock.
“…Enough for today.”
He stepped through the World Gate.
Ten minutes later…
He was back inside his apartment.
The city outside remained as noisy as ever.
Cars.
People.
Ordinary life.
A complete contrast to the monster-filled forest he had just left.
Mario removed his shoes and lay down on the sofa.
He stared at the ceiling.
“So…”
“I’m finally capable of protecting myself.”
Not invincible.
Not even close.
There were undoubtedly stronger creatures beyond that forest.
But today…
He had taken the first genuine step.
After nearly half an hour of rest, Mario sat upright.
His notebook found its way into his hands once more.
He wrote a new heading.
Income Plan
He tapped the pen thoughtfully.
Converting monster materials into millions overnight would certainly work.
It would also attract exactly the kind of attention he wanted to avoid.
No.
He needed wealth that looked…
Normal.
Explainable.
Sustainable.
Then…
A memory surfaced.
His lips curved into a faint smile.
“This timeline…”
“…is still years away from some of the biggest opportunities in history.”
Technology.
The internet.
Social media.
Companies that would eventually become global giants.
One particular name immediately came to mind.
Facebook.
Still private.
Not yet publicly traded.
Unfortunately…
That opportunity wasn’t immediately available.
He needed something closer to home.
Something within the Philippines.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
He began listing businesses that, in the coming years, would dominate the Philippine market.
Not flashy.
Not overnight riches.
Just intelligent investments made before everyone else recognized their value.
Mario closed the notebook.
“I don’t need to become rich tomorrow.”
“I just need to be early.”
Outside, the evening sun dipped lower over the city.
Inside the apartment…
A man armed with knowledge of the future quietly began planning how to build an empire no one would ever suspect.
End of Chapter 13