Ainz had survived his first day in this brutal new world. But survival wasn't enough—he needed to grow stronger.
His first year in the jungle would be his true test.
The Harsh Reality of the Jungle
The days blurred into each other. Each morning, Ainz woke up cold, stiff, and sore inside his hollow tree shelter.
The first few weeks were pure suffering.
He struggled to find clean water, often drinking from puddles only to fall sick soon after. His first attempt at making a fire ended with burned fingers and a useless pile of ashes.
Hunger was his worst enemy.
At first, he hunted small creatures—rats, birds, even insects—anything to keep his stomach from eating itself. Raw meat made him sick, forcing him to figure out how to cook without proper tools.
His Regeneration saved him more than once when he ate something poisonous.
But every time he failed, he learned.
Bit by bit, his instincts sharpened.
He learned to track animals by watching footprints and broken twigs.
He learned to set traps using vines and sharpened sticks.
He learned how to find drinkable water by watching where animals went to drink.
And through it all, he fought monsters.
The Hunt and Growth
Every battle pushed him to his limits.
At first, Ainz only fought weaker creatures.
Forest Lizards (Lv. 3-5) → Quick, but predictable.
Giant Rats (Lv. 2-4) → Disease-ridden but weak.
Jungle Boars (Lv. 5-7) → Slow, but strong enough to shatter bones.
With each fight, he gained Experience Points.
[You have leveled up!]
His speed increased.
His reflexes sharpened.
His pain tolerance grew.
But monsters weren't the only things Ainz fought.
One day, he encountered a venomous snake.
It bit his leg, and a searing pain spread through his body. His vision blurred, his limbs went numb.
I'm going to die…
But then—his Regeneration kicked in.
He felt his veins burning as his body fought off the poison.
After an agonizing hour, he stood up—alive.
And when he checked his status—
[New Skill Acquired: Poison Resistance Lv. 1]
His body had adapted. He wasn't the same weak child anymore.
Building a Home
By the second month, Ainz knew he couldn't keep sleeping in trees like an animal. He needed a proper shelter.
Using a sharp stone, he began cutting down thick jungle wood.
At first, his hands bled from splinters. His arms shook from exhaustion.
But he kept going.
He built walls from layered wooden planks.
He reinforced the roof with large leaves to keep the rain out.
He dug a small hole in the ground to store water and keep food fresh.
By the time he was finished, his home was a real shelter.
That night, as he lay on a makeshift bed of leaves, he felt something he hadn't in a long time.
A sense of security.
Discovering Fire and Cooking
One of the biggest turning points was learning how to make fire.
At first, he rubbed sticks together for hours, but nothing worked.
Frustrated, he punched a tree—only for sparks to fly from his fingertips.
Elemental Control.
He stared at his hands.
Ainz focused—a tiny flame flickered in his palm.
"I… I can control fire?"
With his newfound ability, he quickly built a fire pit near his shelter.
For the first time, he could cook meat properly.
No more raw bites. No more stomachaches.
His daily life changed.
Fire kept predators away.
Cooked food made him stronger.
A warm fire at night gave him peace of mind.
The Art of Crafting
Fighting alone wouldn't be enough. Ainz realized he needed weapons and tools.
His first creations were crude.
A stone knife → Broke too easily.
A wooden spear → Snapped during a fight.
A makeshift bow → Useless without proper arrows.
But each failure taught him something.
He experimented with different woods, different stone types.
Over the months, he perfected his weapons.
Bone Daggers → Carved from monster bones, sharp and durable.
A Reinforced Spear → A stone tip tied tightly with jungle vines.
A Firestarter Kit → Flint and dried leaves, making fire easier.
With weapons in hand, he became a true hunter.
Discovering Alchemy
One day, while searching for food, Ainz found a strange blue herb.
Curious, he touched it.
[New Skill Acquired: Herbology Lv. 1]
Ainz's mind exploded with knowledge.
The blue herb could be used to slow bleeding.
A red mushroom was highly poisonous.
A golden flower could boost stamina when boiled.
Excited, he began experimenting.
His first potion was a disaster—it tasted like dirt and did nothing.
But after weeks of trial and error, he succeeded.
Minor Healing Potion → Restores small injuries.
Stamina Draught → Helps him fight longer.
Basic Antidote → Cures weak poisons.
Ainz wasn't just a survivor anymore.
He was learning to thrive.
The Monster That Changed Everything
By the end of his first year, Ainz had grown.
His stats had skyrocketed.
[Status Window Open]
Name: Ainz
Level: 17
Abilities: Healing, Regeneration, Elemental Control
Skills: Tracking Lv. 3, Crafting Lv. 4, Alchemy Lv. 2, Poison Resistance Lv. 2
But just as he thought he was ready for anything…
A beast unlike anything he had faced before appeared.
A Shadow Panther.
Level 25.
Its glowing red eyes locked onto him.
Ainz felt pure terror.
This wasn't just a fight for EXP.
This was a fight for survival.
The Shadow Panther Fight
The jungle was silent.
The Panther stalked toward him, its muscles rippling with power.
Ainz's instincts screamed—RUN!
But if he ran, he would never grow stronger.
With his spear gripped tightly, he faced the beast head-on.
The Panther lunged.
Ainz dodged—barely.
Too fast!
He slashed with his bone dagger, but the Panther vanished into the shadows and appeared behind him.
Ainz had one chance.
He focused all his Elemental Power.
A wall of fire erupted around him.
The Panther hissed, hesitating.
That moment was all Ainz needed.
He drove his spear forward—straight into the beast's eye.
The jungle fell silent.
Then—
[You have defeated Shadow Panther! Gained massive EXP!]
Ainz had won.
And he was just getting started.