CHAPTER 1
Convenience store
A young man in his early teens worked tirelessly in a small convenience store, striving to support his loved ones while pursuing his education.
Haru was cherished by his family—not just for his dedication to them but also for his relentless determination. He was preparing for the entrance exams of the most prestigious schools in the country. If he managed to pass, his family's life and his own future would change forever.
After hours of exhausting work, he finally returned home. But instead of resting, he went straight to his desk to study. He knew that even the slightest moment wasted could mean the difference between success and failure.
Minutes later, his vision blurred. Then—darkness.
---
The wind whispered through the trees. The dust and fallen leaves swirled together in harmony.
A figure lay motionless on the soft green grass. Moments passed before he stirred. But instead of waking up to the dim glow of his desk lamp, Haru was greeted by the blinding light of the sun.
He groaned, raising a hand to shield his eyes—only to freeze in shock.
His once-slim fingers had transformed into sharp, curved claws.
"What the hell is this?! Did I… become a werewolf or something?" he shouted.
Panic surged through him. He blinked rapidly, then squeezed his eyes shut. Once. Twice. Three times. He even pinched his arm—only to scratch himself with his newfound claws.
Still, he didn't wake up.
Haru's mind raced, but his first thought was of his family. Were they still back on Earth? Would he ever see them again? He clenched his fists, taking a deep breath to calm himself. No—he had to focus on the present.
He needed to figure out what was happening.
Examining his body, he was stunned by what he saw.
A humanoid creature with a long, wild red mane. Sharp claws and fangs. A muscular, gray-skinned body.
This… was him.
And strangely enough, he didn't hate it. In fact, he was mesmerized—almost as if he preferred this form over his human body.
But before he could process it further, a deep rumbling sound echoed in the distance.
His ears twitched. The noise was far away, yet he could hear it with perfect clarity—far better than any human ever could.
"Rumbling…? It sounds like multiple people are headed this way."
Suddenly, an arrow whistled through the air, flying straight toward him.
Haru flinched, bracing for impact—but instead of piercing his body, the arrow snapped upon contact, the wooden shaft splintering uselessly against his hardened skin.
"What the hell? Who just attacked me?"
A mixture of fear and surprise coursed through him. But as he stared at the broken arrow, a strange sense of confidence settled over him.
If even a direct hit couldn't hurt him… maybe he wasn't as helpless as he thought.
Before he could react further, a shadow loomed overhead.
A figure descended from the sky—a masked assassin with a dagger aimed straight at Haru's neck.
Instinct took over.
"WHAT THE FU—"
His words were cut off by a deafening roar.
The moment the sound erupted from his throat, the ground trembled. Trees within a ten-meter radius were violently uprooted, crashing to the ground. The assassin, caught mid-air, was flung backward like a ragdoll, landing in an unconscious heap.
Haru staggered, breathing heavily. His own voice had… done that?
"What just happened? Am I really this strong? I mean, my body does look like some kind of impenetrable armor, but still…"
His thoughts were interrupted as the rumbling sound grew louder.
This time, he turned his attention to the approaching figures. A group of armored men emerged from the trees, their eyes locked onto him.
"I see him! The King of the Forest!" a knight shouted. "It looks like he's already taken down our scout!"
Haru raised an eyebrow. **King of the Forest?**
Before he could ask what they meant, a mage took to the sky, chanting a spell.
A glowing magic circle formed in the air, crackling with energy. Haru instinctively raised his muscular arms just as a bolt of magic hurtled toward him.
*Boom!*
The spell struck him directly—but as the smoke cleared, he remained unharmed.
The mage's eyes widened in shock.
"That guy just called me 'King of the Forest'... Are they after my head?" Haru muttered.
His fists clenched.
"If they're willing to kill me, then I have no choice… I have to fight back, right?"
A memory surfaced.
Although Haru had never watched much anime—his schedule had always been packed with work and studying—his little brother was obsessed with them. And in those shows, the protagonists always did one thing before unleashing their strongest power.
They took a stance… and shouted.
"Is it like this?" Haru muttered, positioning his arms. "And then I need to—"
"RAHHHHHHHHHHH UHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The sky seemed to shake. Birds fled in a panic. Nearby trees snapped like twigs.
The ground beneath Haru cracked, sending jagged fissures outward. A powerful shockwave burst from his body, distorting the air around him. His muscles expanded, nearly doubling in size.
His eyes glowed a deep, menacing red.
His crimson mane lifted, floating as if caught in an invisible storm.
All twenty enemies who had surrounded him moments ago froze in fear. Then, one by one, they collapsed, their bodies unable to withstand the sheer force of his aura.
Only one man remained standing.
Haru's glowing eyes locked onto him. *The leader,* he assumed.
He took a slow, deliberate step forward. The ground trembled beneath his weight, sending out another shockwave.
"What's your purpose here?" he asked coldly. "Why did you attack me?"
The leader maintained his composure—barely.
"We were commissioned by the Adventurers' Guild, sir," he answered.
Haru studied him for a moment before nodding.
"I see… You were just following orders."
A pause. Then, he smirked.
"Although I *could* kill you all… I've decided to spare you this time."
**That was a lie.**
Haru had never even killed a fly in his past life.
The man exhaled shakily, then bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, sir… and for your mercy."
Without another word, Haru turned away. As he walked, his body slowly shrank back to its normal form. The transformation had drained him more than he realized.
The leader, who had kept his composure so far, collapsed the moment Haru was out of sight. His entire body was trembling.
Haru, meanwhile, felt an entirely different kind of exhaustion.
His heart was still racing. His thoughts were jumbled.
He had just been *reincarnated*—and within ten minutes, he had already been *hunted down*?
"What the hell is this? I was miserable in my past life too!"
But he knew one thing for sure.
If he wanted to survive in this world, he needed to find a way.
Fast.