While training in my skill, I suddenly got a message from the system.
[Another living being has approached you.]
[Would you like to leave -Mind Seclusion-?]
My heart raced at the messages.
'Another living being?'
'L-Like a humanoid being?'
My body was filled with joy, knowing that something else was outside, and since my consciousness wasn't automatically returned to my real body, this living being wasn't a threat.
But I also had a question in the back of my head.
'What about the barrier?'
I didn't overthink it and said one word.
"...Yes."
[-Mind Seclusion- has been deactivated.]
I blacked out as usual and waited for the longest five seconds of my life.
Once five seconds passed, I returned to my body and immediately sensed two new beings.
Next, I sensed a delicate flower-like fragrance that entered my nose.
I couldn't wait anymore and slowly opened my eyes.
And the first thing I saw was the face of a young female with brown hair that reached her shoulders, fair white skin, and clear amber eyes.
My first thought was, 'Cute'.
Opening my eyes surprised her as her face got red, and she took several steps back.
"Ah, ah..."
I could tell that she was struggling to find the right words to explain what she was doing. Honestly, it was pretty cute.
Then the other person, I sensed, stepped in and questioned me.
"Hey, who are you?"
"Huh?"
"Don't 'huh?' me, answer the question."
The other one was also a young female. She had long black hair that reached her hips, and although one eye was covered, she also had clear, teal-colored eyes and fair white skin.
She couldn't be categorized in the cute section but into the beauty section.
And currently, she was giving me a sharp, suspicious glare.
I answered her.
"I am Allos."
"That's not what I meant. What is your background?"
Does she want to know about that?
Just as I was about to open my mouth, the other young female opened her mouth more quicker.
"Elien! What are you trying to do?"
"What do you mean, 'what am I trying to do'?"
"I mean, why are you questioning him out of nowhere?"
"Out of nowhere? I have a perfect reason to question him. First, we don't know why he is this deep in the forest. Second, he's wearing some weird clothing and is barefoot, and last, he could be an enemy."
Ah. I almost forgot that I was wearing clothes from my original world.
A baggy black shirt and some comfy sweats.
The next moment, the one beside me stared at me. I also stared back. It was as if she was looking deep into my soul.
After a few seconds, she turned her head towards her friend.
"Elien, do you think someone like him, this young, could be up to no good?"
"That..."
She then turned her head to me again.
"I'm sorry for my friend. My name is Alisa, and she is Elien. It's nice to meet you, Allos."
She stretched her arm to me, prompting me to grab it and stand up.
And so I did.
"Woah."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, sorry, you're much taller than I thought."
It also surprised me how tall I was at my age.
Alisa was at least 5'2, while the other one, Elien, was 5'3, and me 5'6.
Once I got up this time, Alisa was the one to question me.
"Umm, Allos, if it isn't too much, I would like to ask why you are here?"
She asked the same question but in a much friendlier tone.
As I was about to answer, I sensed something else enter my range.
'What the? What is that?'
Although I could sense it, I couldn't tell what it was. But I knew one thing for sure.
It had a much larger supply of magic than everything else I'd seen.
The next thing I knew was that it was getting closer in our direction, and it wasn't even five seconds before the ground trembled.
The ones most startled by this were Alisa and Elien. No... they weren't just stunned by the tremble but had the face of terror.
Without a second thought, the both of them ran, and without warning, Alisa grabbed my hand and forcefully made me run. Of course, I could have easily just stood there and not moved a single inch, but I allowed myself to be dragged by her.
But even in this situation, I could not get out.
As I got close to the barrier, I removed my hand from Alisa.
Knowing this, Alisa quickly turned in my direction with the same terrified expression.
"Allos, what are you doing?! We have to get off here!"
"I'm sorry but... I can't."
"What do you mean, you can't?"
Elien pitched in, too.
"Hey, this isn't the time to be joking. Hurry and run!"
"As I said, I can't."
I knew they wouldn't believe me with words, so I used another method.
I punched the barrier, holding back all my strength, but even that caused a bit of its tremble.
When I looked at the face of the two, I saw astonishment and disbelief. But Alisa quickly turned to sorrow.
"T-Then y-you..."
"Alisa!"
Elien shouted Alisa's name, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her behind a tree.
I guess that short confession took some time since the trembling had stopped, and a huge shadow had covered me.
The thing that I sensed was right behind me.
I turned my head ever so slightly up behind me.
'Wow.'
It was a 'wow' moment.
My eyes widened when I saw it but not out of fear but instead out of enjoyment.
I couldn't help but smile at the sight.
The thing that was behind me was similar to that of a bear. No. The mother of all bears, since it was undoubtedly the giant bear I've ever seen. At least twice the size of a polar bear, green fur, claws that were razor sharp, with a single red horn sticking out of its head, and the predatory stare it had on me.
'This really is a magical world.'
***
Alisa had many thoughts in her head at the moment.
'Was there always a magic barrier there?'
'Why isn't he able to leave?'
'Could he be someone dangerous to be trapped in a strong barrier?'
But all those thoughts went away when she peeked from behind the tree she was hiding behind and saw a giant bear right behind Allos.
'A Giant Forest Bear.'
A monster that even her father, whom she was proud of, wouldn't stand a chance alone.
And that monster was now behind a boy she had just met and was also trapped inside a barrier.
Subconsciously, she tried to reach out but was quickly stopped by Elien.
She turned her head to Elien, ready to talk back, but what stopped her were Elien's eyes that told her the hard truth.
'You can't do anything about this. You'll only get yourself killed.'
Alisa was about to despair until a loud boom was heard.
****
[-Mythical Eye- has activated!]
[Giant Forest Bear Age: 37 Sex: Male
Blessing: None
Species: Bear
-Strength Lv.24
-Stamina Lv.26
-Agility Lv.31
-Endurance Lv.32
Special Skills: -Fear Roar Lv.5-
Current Power Level: 665
Potential Power Level: 1030]
'That's new. Blessing...'
'Why the hell don't I have that?'
The new status Blessing threw me off a bit since even I didn't have that.
But I cleared my head out of that and focused on the main topic.
'A power level of 665.'
'Isn't it pretty weak? I mean, not that I'm bragging, but my power level when I came to the world was over 10000.'
Feeling pretty disappointed about the bear's power, I sighed.
'Well, I will take this chance to use my new power now.'
After realizing that I could finally use my powers on an actual enemy for the first time in 2 months, I smiled brightly.
I turned my body to face the bear and activated a new skill.
[-Earth Martial Arts- has been activated!]
'Let's use a simple technique...'
At this point, the bear was now baring its teeth at me and about to pound me.
'Here we go!'
The first attack I used was a simple jab to the stomach while using the same strength I used when hitting the barrier.
Since I was pretty fast, my first attack landed. However, you could say that it was instead the finishing blow.
The moment after it connected, a boom was created, and the giant bear was sent flying back with a hole in its abdomen, crashing into many trees.
[You have killed a -Giant Forest Bear-!]
[Status obtained a new feature!]
"Eh?"
Then Alisa and Elien peeked over the tree and saw the aftermath of what had happened.
Their reaction?
"Eeeehhhhhh?!"
It took a minute for me to realize what I had just done.
I killed a Giant Forest Bear with one hit.
And I wasn't the only one surprised by this.
Alisa and Elien both looked at the bear and me with bewildered expressions.
The first to speak was Alisa.
"Allos, are you okay?"
Even when Alisa saw the situation's aftermath, she couldn't help but still worry about me.
"I am."
Elien was looking at the dead monster and me and kept switching between the two before locking her sight on the latter.
"Honestly... who really are you?"
***
Nothing but a little red flame in the middle of the room kept the dark room visible, but it was still barely visible.
At first, it seemed as if nobody was inside the dark room, nobody at all, just the tiny flame that looked as if a simple blow of wind could put it out.
That was until a door opened, and the light could finally enter the dark room.
But that didn't happen. The room was still dark, and the flame was still there.
The one who had opened the door spoke to the empty room as if someone were there.
"Oh, Great, Despairer. The village you have kept close for a while is ripening."
A couple of seconds passed in complete silence until another voice was heard.
"...Is that so...?"
The flame in the middle of the room wavered a bit until suddenly, out of nowhere, the flame grew and formed into a structure similar to that of a human.
"If that is the case, how much more time before the feast?"
At the end of those words, the being that the red flame had completely formed was now materialized.
Although it had the structure of humans, it wasn't one.
Red and white hair, pale skin, razor-sharp teeth, red eyes with both scleras pitched black, and a demonic aura oozing out of its body.
It was, without a doubt, a Demon.
The one that had opened the door looked up at the Demon and smiled sinisterly.
"2 years, oh Great Despairer."
Chapter 2: Twins-Pt.1(End)