The Random Portal
As Takumi stirred awake under the massive tree, he felt the chill of the night air prickling his skin. A strange stillness hung in the air, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves. He rubbed his eyes, wondering how he ended up here.
Wait... wasn't I just outside the palace gates?
A sudden realization struck him. The city portal he was ushered through had been random. It wasn't meant to simply send him outside the city walls—it had dropped him 100 kilometers away, in the middle of nowhere!
Worse, the ancient tree he now rested against stood at the heart of the Forest of Monsters, a place infamous for its dense mana and lethal beasts. The forest's reputation sent shivers down his spine. It was said that no ordinary adventurer could survive a night here, let alone someone as weak as him.
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The Malice of the Forest
As the night deepened, Takumi found himself unable to sleep. The air was thick with malice, and the oppressive mana of the forest seemed to claw at his very soul. The environment felt suffocating, heavy with impurity and chaos.
"This is impossible," he muttered, clutching his knees. "How am I supposed to survive like this?"
Then, he remembered his Purification skill. It was the only ability he had access to, and he had no idea how effective it would be. But he was desperate.
He opened his status window, focused on the skill, and activated it.
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Purification: The Miracle Spell
A radiant light burst forth from Takumi's hands, spreading outward like ripples in a pond. The entire forest seemed to tremble as the light cleansed the air, banishing malice and impurity.
Unbeknownst to Takumi, his Purification skill was at MAX level, making it a divine-tier spell capable of altering entire ecosystems. The skill eradicated every trace of malice in the forest and even destroyed the mana that spawned the monsters.
As the spell concluded, Takumi's mana was completely drained, and he collapsed unconscious under the now serene tree.
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Morning Awakens
When Takumi woke up the next morning, he was greeted by an unfamiliar sight. The once oppressive and dark forest was now bathed in sunlight, with clear skies and fresh air. The environment felt pure and serene, unlike anything he had experienced before.
"What… happened here?" he wondered aloud.
Before he could piece it together, status windows began popping up one after another:
You defeated [Forest Wolf]. You gained 1,000 experience points.
You defeated [Mana Serpent]. You gained 10,000 experience points.
You defeated [Demonic Treant]. You gained 50,000 experience points.
These notifications continued endlessly, listing the countless monsters that had perished in the purification.
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Infinite Power
Takumi's level skyrocketed with every notification. When the messages finally stopped, he opened his status window to check the changes. What he saw left him speechless:
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Name: Takumi Hiroshi
Level: ∞
Strength: ∞
Dexterity: ∞
Intelligence: ∞
Charisma: ∞
Luck: ∞
Mana:∞
Skills:
Purification (MAX)
Sword Mastery (MAX)
Magic Mastery (MAX)
Appraisal (MAX)
Teleportation (MAX)
Skill Concealment (Locked - Auto Active)
Unique Skill: Manga Character Summoning (Hidden)
Takumi's Skill Concealment automatically hid his overpowered stats from anyone attempting to view them.
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Teleportation to the City
Realizing the forest's mana would regenerate in 24 hours and spawn new monsters, Takumi knew he had to leave immediately. Using his newly unlocked Teleportation skill, he focused on the nearest city and cast the spell.
In an instant, he vanished from the purified forest, reappearing at the gates of a bustling city 100 kilometers away.
As he stood before the city's grand entrance, Takumi couldn't help but grin.
"I may have started as a weakling, but now…" he clenched his fist, feeling the infinite power coursing through him. "This world is mine to explore, and my adventure is just beginning.