Some time later after Kerren got back from the nothingness he decided to get out since he ran out of food in his inventory.
What bothered him is that... it still remained untouched! What did that mean? Was it tied directly to his soul? Then why didn't his inventory from the past life remain? Not did his actual skills...
He didn't know what to think about since the only clue he had about it was The Tree, his only explanation was that it took it... But he knew it was wrong. Why would it do that? To steal some crystals and potions? What bullcrap.
As he wentured to the nearest store he met a lot of students, none of them seemed to recognize him at first, but as one of them said that he looks like Kerren they started to talk about.
Not long after some even tried talking to him, asking he was related to him! Of course, he answered positively. He didn't understand why they even asked that. It's not like they had a reason to, did they?
Nothing major happened on his trip. Rumors started going around the university, people thought that a relative of Kerren was studying there too, getting back from a closed dungeon was impossible after all.
As Yusaya heard those rumors she had some hope that she'll meet another strong person that could possibly rival her! It's not like she liked Kerren or anything, it's that she was sad that he her opponent died earlier than she could even fight properly against him!
And so, she went to look for that rumored person. It took a long time for her since Kerren didn't ever leave his room, and she didn't think about looking there. Why would she? It was Kerren's room after all, and he was dead.
She didn't find that guy who looked like Kerren, thus she announced that she will reward anyone who'll give her any information about him. Many people tried giving her some fake information. Some even claimed to know him!
Of course, she didn't believe any of them as she had a way to tell if people were lying. But, after some time a person who didn't lie came! It was a guy who claimed that he was seen him personally!
He told Yusaya everything he knew, including the place itself and how that person looked. He even drew a picture with a special spell! Yusaya was in great shock, as he really did look exactly as Kerren!
Did he really have a brother? Was he a twin? Maybe that drawing was inspired by real Kerren? She didn't know, thus she wentured to the place mentioned. She waited there almost every single day, hoping to meet that person.
As such, a week has passed. She didn't meet that guy and thought that she was scammed! It wasn't impossible, it's just that it was hard to do so! Maybe that guy had such a method?
But, as she was about to leave for today, she finally saw a person! It was Kerren who went to the store once again, as he wanted to try out some new food! He got tired of only eating meat and wanted to get some snacks! Or maybe orange juice? Hmm... Apple juice?
As he was thinking about such an important matter... he was interrupted by a sword slash! He didn't mind it since it was long since he played his "arrogant and borderline insane" character!
Thus, he replied with a slash of his own! Of course, it wasn't a sword slash but a simple wave of his hand that released insanely sharp mana wave! It wasn't a thing that could do before getting a new body.
As he was sitting in his room he didn't even read the skill book, he focused on studying his body! He learned that many seemingly impossible things were now possible for him! Changing his looks was one thing, it could be done so with a normal body.
But... Releasing such compressed mana wasn't! Of course, mana-compression could be used by mages, but it was greatly limited as he now understood! He had a plan of using those waves before, but he understood why nobody used them!
They were too weak! They weren't considered a proper skill and were only so-so damage wise! But that new body of his... Made those waves his greatest weapon! At this point of his life he didn't even think about using anything but them!
Thus, after that wave hit Yusaya, who didn't think much of it just as Kerren did before, she was grealy shocked! What insane power it had! What about the guy itself!? A simple mana wave was so powerful!
- You! -- she cried out -- How are you related to Kerren!? -- she really could see similarities between them.
- What? -- he didn't understand why would she answer that, was he in a parallel world or something? -- Well, to get an answer to that question you'll have to beat me! -- he decided to use her own tactic against her! Of course, he wasn't planning on losing!
- Gladly! -- she happily answered.
As they found she soon found out that this guy was on a similiar level to Kerren, maybe even stronger! She couldn't tell since she never saw Kerren attack properly, but she could get the gist of it from feeling his mana.
What was strange to her is that... Whenever this guy used skills it didn't feel like he did! Not only that, she couldn't feel any mana in him at all! As if he was a part of the world, just like a random rock or a tree!
It greatly bothered her, since such feeling couldn't be achieved no matter what one did, after all they were all alive! And that guy... it felt like he was dead! No, not like that... it felt like he was never alive in the first place, and she's fighting an illusion right now!
However, that didn't change the fact that she took him seriously and even considered him her next tagret to "claim" as her partner! She was obsessed with getting one! Obviously, i dont mean a romantic partner.
Kerren, however, didn't take her seriously at all. Even that she now used her sword he didn't consider her a strong opponent at all. It's not like he became infinitely stronger after getting a new body, it's just that he wasn't limited by his body at all!
What did that mean? He could easily adjust his senses! He could "slow down" time for him personally, as if his reaction time was insanely low! For example, if an apple started falling of a tree, he would notice it even before it traveled any distance at all!
Sadly, such a low reaction time couldn't be used normally, as it would consume lots and lots of mana! In the future, however... Anyway, that is just an example! He wasn't limited to anything that related to his body at all!
Twisting his limbs at insane degrees! Changing their lenght or even removing them completely was possible! Of course, it couldn't be used normally as it is was trump card! Moreover, it did consume lots of mana, and now he had only slightly more than before!
His only limit was the amount of mana he had, and it was insanely difficult to raise it! Thus, it was harder for him to get stronger at all, since increasing his mana pool was now the only good option apart from discovering new things he could do!
As time went on their fight concluded, this time Kerren won without even wasting 10% of his total mana! You might think that this is a great achievement, but their fight laster for merely 37 second, and Kerren already wasted 10% of his total mana...
Yes, he did win flawlessly, but... Was such power a good thing? After all, if he lost all his mana he would die once again! It would be a third time, and since The Tree told him that dying meant that he'll lose something insanely important to him?..
He couldn't allow himself to die a lot! That would just mean that he's incompetent! He couldn't even be killed by normal means now, unless something absorbed his mana directly he would be alive! Of course, he still needed mana to maintain his body, so technically he could be killed by a sword or a spell, but it would take a long time even if he didn't fight back!
Losing all his mana was the only way he could die, so his main goal was getting a constant source of mana crystals and increasing his mana pool!.. Oh right, the fight!
As Kerren made his final attack Yusaya cried out...
- Stop, stop! -- she was all sweaty -- How are you so strong!? -- she couldn't believe what just happened! She was beaten by an unknown guy in under a minute, slightly more than just a half!
- Strong? -- he chuckled -- I was just as strong when he fought last time, dont you remember that i didn't even attack you? -- he revealed, greatly shocking her as her eyes became wide!
- W-wait... Kerren!? How are you alive!? -- she couldn't belive that! Not only he beat her so fast, it was Kerren all along! Of course, they looked almost the same, but she thought that it was his brother or something!
- What do you mean how am i alive? -- he didn't understand what she meant by that, why did she think that he was dead? -- Did something happen for you to think that i wont be or something? -- he asked back.
- Are you?.. -- she too couldn't understand what he was saying! -- You were inside a dungeon that closed it's entrance, moreover, you destroed it along with yourself and you dont understand what i'm talking about!? -- she then explained it, maybe he really didn't understand and wasn't just joking?..
- Oh, that... Well... -- he said hesitantly as he scratched his head -- I got back here like a week, i decided to have a vacation in one nice place i know. If u'll ask nicely i might even take you there. -- he explained! Of course, it wasn't all bullcrap, he did have a vacation and the place was somewhat nice... if you liked pain.
- A vacation!? The whole university thought you were dead! Even your guild thought so! Your parents even went on TV! -- she couldn't understand what this guy was thinking! Why wouldn't he reveal that he was fine, didn't he care about feeling of others!?
- Huh? I was in my room for like a month, nobody even checked it and it's my fault? F*kk off, for gods sake! -- he answered back in his usual manner -- Anyway, i was going to buy some nice stuff, get lost. -- he stated as he continued his journey for food!