Charlie rubbed his eyes several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
He noticed a dim light emanating from the bodies of people around him. Not just humans, but Demi-Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and other races also seemed to emit a faint glow.
At first, he thought it was just an illusion, but even after trying to refocus his eyes, the light on people's bodies did not disappear.
The amount of light emitted varied from person to person, with most emitting only a small amount. However, Charlie found that those he suspected to be adventurers emitted a brighter light compared to ordinary people.
"Is this due to Falna?" Charlie speculated.
Before receiving Falna, he had toured around Melen City, and everything seemed normal to him. Now, having received the blessing of Falna from Hera, awakening Skills and Magic, and officially becoming an adventurer, things had changed.
"Wait... Magic? It's due to Spirit Art!"
His Magic was Spirit Art, which was Karasuki Rio's Innate Magic. Charlie remembered that in the original work, Rio experienced something similar to what he was experiencing now.
Suddenly, he realized that his own body was emitting the same light, and the amount was much greater than others.
✧Charlie...✧
As Charlie pondered this supernatural phenomenon, a melodious female voice faintly echoed in his mind.
"Aishia? Have you recovered?"
"..."
Passersby gave strange looks at him for talking to himself.
✧Not yet... Go to... A quiet place...✧
Aishia's voice was intermittent, as if it could disappear at any moment.
"Okay."
Although Charlie didn't understand why Aishia wanted him to do that, he didn't refuse.
Melen City was located by a large lake and surrounded by dense forest. It only took Charlie a few minutes to reach the edge of the city and enter the forest.
"There's no one else here. What's next, Aishia?"
Looking around, he didn't see anyone nearby.
✧I will teach you how to use your Ode or essence... Remember this feeling✧
"Thank you, Aishia."
Charlie was glad to hear this. He had no idea how to use Spirit Art as this was his first contact with the supernatural. His worldview, beliefs, and values had been shaped over 26 years.
His mindset was fixed on science and technology, and he was no longer the naive child who believed in magic. This made it difficult for him to master Spirit Art, unlike Rio in the original work who learned independently very easily and quickly.
✧Sharpen your mind. There should be light flowing from your body. Use that light to enhance your physical strength... Imagine it in your mind. Don't worry. You can do it... Charlie...✧
The fragmented sentences echoed in Charlie's head with Aishia's very gentle voice.
"Sharpen my mind."
Following Aishia's detailed instructions, Charlie closed his eyes and visualized the light spreading throughout his body.
In the next moment, he became more sensitive to the light, as if he could perceive his surroundings through his senses.
"Hm...??? It's not my physical strength increasing, but my perception? Did I do something wrong?"
He could stretch his senses without limits, allowing him to understand things beyond the capability of a normal person. His extended senses gave him a feeling similar to a cultivator using Divine Sense in China cultivation novels.
The amount of light emanating from his body continued to increase, but there was no change in his physical condition.
"Don't be impatient, take it slowly."
His perception reached a radius of 100 meters. Without needing to see through his eyes, Charlie could sense everything happening within his perception.
Ants crawling on the ground, crickets clinging to trees, worms wriggling in the soil, and even passing rabbits.
Everything was clear through his perception, as if he had Clairvoyance.
✧Let me help you✧
Aishia noticed Charlie was making mistakes, so she guided the light in his body personally.
*FWOOSH*
Charlie felt his body suddenly become lighter, the flowing light was used to enhance his physical strength and body.
"I've never felt my body this light before."
Opening his eyes, he was amazed at the increase in his physical strength and body.
"Let's test how strong I am now."
Charlie tried testing his new strength with a simple jump. To his surprise, he jumped three to four meters, surpassing professional basketball players.
"Next, test pure strength."
Not wanting to damage a tree, he looked for something he could destroy without feeling guilty. After all, his wife in his previous life was an environmentalist and highly valued trees.
According to Dinda, it takes several years to decades for a single tree to mature. The act of cutting down trees without reforestation undoubtedly destroys nature and oneself.
Having lived with Dinda for several years, Charlie had begun to be influenced by her.
"This one."
Standing in front of a rock twice his size, Charlie chose it as his test subject for his physical strength.
Clenching his fist, he struck the rock with all his might.
*BOOM*
To his surprise, the rock exploded instantly with a loud noise that frightened the animals in the forest.
Countless rock fragments scattered in all directions like bullets.
"W-What?!"
Thanks to his enhanced perception, Charlie reflexively avoided the flying rock fragments, only getting hit by a few, which left bloody scratches on his skin.
"This is clearly a strength not possessed by a Level 1 adventurer, right? At least it's the physical strength of a Level 3 adventurer or higher…"
Having never seen high-level adventurers in action, Charlie compared the strength he had just used with the anime Danmachi.
"I'll name this technique Physical Enchant."
"Not good, people are starting to come."
In the distance, Charlie saw some people rushing toward him to check the source of the explosion.
Not wanting to be seen too soon, he quickly ran away from the scene.
While still active, Physical Enchant, he found that his body's strength was not only enhanced but also his speed significantly increased.
"With my speed, even Usain Bolt couldn't catch me."
After running quite a distance, Charlie felt an intense hunger once Physical Enchant was deactivated.
*GROWLLL*
His stomach growled loudly.
"If I remember correctly, I haven't eaten anything today. Using Physical Enchant consumed a lot of energy, worsening my hunger."
Despite the intriguing experiment, Charlie couldn't continue without filling his empty stomach.
With no other option, he returned to Melen City, Hera's residence. Even if he wanted to eat out, he had no money!
Dragging his exhausted and hungry body, he saw Hera preparing warm food on the table.
"On schedule, consider this a welcome feast for you. You're lucky, Charlie. You're the first lower world creature to taste my cooking."
"It's an honor to eat Goddess Hera's cooking."
Charlie sighed with relief upon seeing the food on the table looking normal, not the dark, dubious dishes often shown in anime.
"Sit down, I want to hear a man's opinion on my cooking. Zeus always declines my invitations with the excuse that I cook poison."
As soon as Zeus was mentioned, Hera appeared as a frightening yandere.
Even Charlie, who had experienced many hardships in his life, couldn't help but shiver in fear.