Under a starlit, dark blue sky, Kairo was engaged in a fierce battle against three skeletons. He targeted their heads and crushed them with his fists, causing the skeletons to collapse onto the ground. This revealed that the head was the core of their bodies.
Kairo was exploring the cave, which turned out to be an ancient dungeon. After consulting the small manual, he discovered that his efforts in his previous world had an effect here; all the physical strength he gained in his first journey was now at his disposal. In other words, the training in his former world yielded supernatural results in this one, granting him immense physical power. But this was related to "ki," not "mana." Even the manual's author hadn't expected a "ki" user to arrive in this world, though he'd left a note just in case.
Kairo had practiced controlling his ki on dungeon monsters like goblins, slimes, and others. Moving cautiously through the dark passages, he followed engravings on the walls, signs, and unfamiliar drawings. Some depicted strange entities, making it seem like this place was a temple. It was evident these things were once worshipped. Kairo looked at the drawings with disdain before continuing.
He found an enormous, ornate door similar to other rooms in the dungeon, guarded by a massive stone golem resembling a statue.
As he attempted to pass the guardian, he noticed sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he could react, the golem's fist shot toward him with great speed. Kairo barely dodged in time, the creature's blow causing massive damage to the ground.
"If I hadn't dodged that, I'd be dead. My new life hasn't even started here, and I almost died!"
Kairo tried to find a way to defeat it. The golem swung again, but Kairo avoided it, jumped high, and struck its right side. The golem staggered as stones fell from its face, but it didn't fall. It retaliated with a powerful blow, sending Kairo backward. Kairo stood back, unaffected by the hit, realizing just how strong he was.
He conjured a small fireball and launched it at the golem, but it was unaffected.
"Magic resistance, huh? I'll try another approach."
Kairo darted between the golem's legs and leapt toward its head, kicking it down. Channeling ki into his fist, he delivered a decisive blow that destroyed the golem's upper half.
Exhausted, Kairo sat on the ground, having drained his physical energy and mana.
"Why am I so tired after just one fireball? I guess my mana reserves are low. But I can compensate with ki."
He had an idea: to replenish his mana by converting ki, given his limited mana reserves. After a few moments, he felt a surge of power flow through him.
"Success!"
Kairo pushed the door open to reveal what lay beyond, only to see another long corridor. He sighed at the endless darkness but pressed forward, examining strange decorations covering the walls.
At the end of the hallway, Kairo found a door leading to a room. Entering cautiously, he covered himself with ki, just in case. Inside, he spotted a sword in a black scabbard resting on a stone. Approaching it, he grasped the sword.
Suddenly, a wall behind the sword opened, revealing a knight in white armor. The knight drew his sword and charged at Kairo, who met the attack with a parry. Realizing the knight was an advanced swordsman, Kairo decided to abandon the sword and switch to hand-to-hand combat. He coated his hands in a sturdy layer of ki, parried the knight's blow with his left hand, then delivered a powerful right punch to the knight's chest, pushing him back.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
The knight only stared back with red-glowing eyes behind his helmet, filling Kairo with an unfamiliar thrill, deeper than mere excitement.
Picking up the sword from the ground, Kairo prepared to match the knight's style. Enveloping both his body and blade in ki, he braced himself. The knight charged, slashing at Kairo's neck with both hands. Kairo blocked with his sword, pushing the knight's arms back and creating a large opening in his defense. Focusing his power into his left fist, Kairo struck the center of the knight's helmet, sending him flying back into the wall. The knight fell motionless.
As Kairo approached, he saw the knight start to disintegrate.
"This didn't happen with the golem. Its remains are still here."
Kairo walked through the dark corridor, holding the sword. At the corridor's end stood a massive stone wall.
"Is this the dungeon's end? Where's the exit?"
Turning back, he felt a pang of frustration and weariness at retracing his steps.
"If there's no exit, I'll make one."
Concentrating his ki into his right fist, he punched the wall with all his might, creating a large gap. Sunlight and fresh air streamed in, a light Kairo hadn't seen in a while. Taking a deep breath, he thought, "Looks like I spent the entire night in there."
The forest stretched as far as he could see. Kairo leaped out, landing on the ground with enthusiasm, and began walking. He noticed various monsters like goblins, slimes, and wild boars, but avoided confrontation.
Finding his way out of the forest took half an hour. When he finally emerged, he found a group of wagons lined up on the roadside. Approaching one of the wagon owners, an elderly man resting beside his cart, Kairo greeted him.
The old man welcomed him kindly, asking, "Where did you come from?"
"I just left the forest. I was, uh, doing my business, but my cart left without me," he replied with a smirk.
The man chuckled. "Would you mind giving me a ride to the nearest town?" Kairo asked.
The man, amused, agreed, "Of course! I'm headed to the city of Eldor."
During the journey, Kairo learned that Eldor was the closest city to the capital, Camelia, known as the kingdom's center of knowledge.
When the man asked him questions, Kairo kept his answers short to avoid lengthy conversations. As they approached Eldor's gates, Kairo took in the sight of towering walls lined with watchtowers. Entering through the main gate, Kairo wandered through bustling streets alive with the sounds of children playing, men chatting, and the sight of couples outside cafes. Surprisingly, he felt a sense of belonging, despite being from another world.
He spotted a sign for the "Adventurers' Guild" and entered eagerly, taking in the lively atmosphere as adventurers of all ages exchanged stories and prepared for missions.
Approaching the main desk, a cheerful young receptionist greeted him.
"Hello! How can I assist you today?"
"I'd like to register as an adventurer," he replied confidently.
She handed him a registration form, and after completing it, she reviewed it swiftly.
"Alright, you'll need to pass an entry test. It's a simple combat assessment. Are you ready?"
Nodding, he followed an employee to the training area, where adventurers trained and sparred. He was introduced to his opponent, a massive man named Grard, who grinned and asked, "New hunter, huh?"
Kairo nodded, and they squared off in the ring, prepared to attack at any moment. Grard charged first, wielding his giant sword. Despite Grard's towering height and muscular build, Kairo noticed his lack of speed. He parried Grard's attack without using ki, then knocked the sword from his grasp and placed his blade at Grard's neck, signaling victory.
The employee announced his win in amazement, having not expected Kairo's strength. Grard took his loss in stride, shaking Kairo's hand afterward and asking his name.
Kairo then returned to the recruitment receptionist, who handed him an adventurer's card with his details, explaining, "This card serves as your ID. For any future missions, just bring your completed task to the nearest guild to receive payment. Feel free to ask if you have any questions."
Thanking her, Kairo left the guild, holding a mission he'd chosen in advance.