"Clank."
A similar sound to the one that I heard when I broke through my mana was again heard in my mind.
"Let's bring up the status window," I say with evident anticipation.
`Status,` I call in my mind.
--- Status ---
Name: Michael Dacre
Age: 15
Rank: E+
Strength: E+ --> D-
Agility: E+
Stamina: E --> E+
Intelligence: E
Mana: E+
Charm: A+
--- Profession ---
Swordsmanship lvl.2 --> Swordsmanship lvl.3
Mage lvl.1
--- Techniques ---
Draconic sword art:
(A powerful and versatile sword technique made by Nathaniel Dacre, an ancestor of the Saint household.)
Ice Domain:
(A technique that allows the user to create a domain of ice. The more mana is used, the bigger the domain and the more skills the user can create.)
"That's crazy," I mutter with astonishment.
No matter how many times I see it, I really can't believe it. A triple stat breakthrough at my strength, stamina, and profession? Aren't I becoming a little too OP a little too fast? But what is the reason for this sudden increase in those stats? Is it because I trained with more dedication than that of the previous Michael?
No, that can't be. He spent almost all his time in training and never had such a breakthrough. What is it, then?
And then realization hit me. Since my soul occupied this body, did it also at the same time strengthen it and allowed me to have such a quick breakthrough in my magic and my sword also?
That seems the most probable reason.
But wait, how did I occupy his body in particular, and what were the circumstances that allowed me to come here?
The same question is on my mind yet again.
As I try to focus more on the moments before my death on earth, I realize that I can't remember the reason that I died. The only thing that I remember is that I was lying on the cold pavement. Just remembering, I get goosebumps all over my body.
Not only that, but I don't also seem to have the memories of this body's original owner before I took over his body. The only thing that the memories show is that he got to sleep, and then I woke up on his body.
No matter how hard I focus, I can't seem to remember anything more. Will getting stronger help me remember more things, or will this transmigration's mystery remain?
"Plop, plop," the sound of the water droplets hitting my head due to the leakage can be heard in the room, the silence inside making it even more prominent.
The temperature in the room suddenly drops below the freezing point. The water that had flooded the floor now it's frozen. I let my emotions affect thus unconsciously imbuing my mana with the ice affinity and freezing the room.
"Haaa, so much for not wanting to freeze the training ground," I say to none other but myself, remembering my previous statement, but I can't help it. Who would like not to be in control of their own life? Even more so, I, who always was somewhat of a control freak.
"Relax, Michael, one step at a time," I say while taking a deep breath to calm down my beating heart.
I unstuck my feet from the frozen ground, and I put the sword back on the stack while keeping mana on my feet so that I don't slip.
Just as I was heading back to my room, an idea hit me.
`Should I visit the forest to hunt some beasts and blow off some steam?` I question myself.
Without much thought, I head to the training grounds once again, pick up a steel sword, this time one that looks like the most typical two-handed sword, and head straight to the forest, which is about thirty minutes with a slight jog.
There are many places in every kingdom where awakened go hunting mana beasts to mainly gain real-life experience. The most famous spot is the Elysium forest, where many rare types of mana beasts can be seen, and even some explorers have reported seeing ruins from lost civilizations. This rumor, though, has not been confirmed as of yet.
One place, such as the Elysium forest, is the forest that I'm heading to, which is a lot smaller in comparison and is called the Amber forest. It has taken its name after the many red-leaved trees that adorn it.
Getting inside the forest I start by tracking the footprints that are left on the wet ground by the beasts. After about fifteen minutes of tracking, I spot my first pray. It's a grey wolf around my height which is categorized as an F+ rank mana beast, while its alpha may be at E+ rank.
`I should be careful wolves don't hunt alone and I don't want to fight a pack led by its alpha,` I think to myself as I devise an attack plan.
As I keep a safe distance, I'm waiting for the moment that the wolf will let its guard down. My opportunity doesn't take long to arrive because I spot the wolf getting ready to piss.
I immediately put mana on my feet to propel me faster and, at the same use the second move of the sword art charging right forward. The wolf doesn't get a chance to retaliate, and I chop its head at once.
The rain will mask the scent of blood so I don't have to worry much about it.
`My strength has gone up, so I'm probably around two ranks higher than the wolf; let's find something more challenging. There should be more wolves in proximity,` I decide while thinking.
Still tracking as silently as possible, I spot three wolves eating a deer they probably have just killed.
Since they are distracted, I directly launch forward with the same style as before and kill one of the three by chopping its head. Before the other two have any chance to attack me, I switch to the first move sending a barrage of attacks to the second wolf, killing it as well, and the blood of it splatters on me.
As I'm about to attack the third wolf, I see it getting ready to open its mouth, preparing to howl and notify all the other wolves in close vicinity.
"Fuck!"
I immediately use my ice domain which encompasses everything at an eight-meter radius and simultaneously freeze all the water droplets from the rain, and
I send them all toward the wolf. The barrage of thousands of ice droplets leaves the wolf severely wounded, successfully stopping it from howling.
I see it lying on the ground whimpering, so I take my sword and kill it.
"That was close. Thank God it's raining so I don't have to stay any longer here," I say, and I immediately run towards the house, not taking any chances staying in the forest in a disadvantageous situation.
While running back, the smell of blood mixed with the scent of rain hits my nose.
"I should take a bath; again," I say to nonother than myself.