Chapter 243

Growing Pains (2)

Every time I recited a new verse, I had a dream.

Up through the second verse, I had floated through the sky as though experiencing an out-of-body experience, but this time was different.

I dreamed of the past—of the days when I had worked hard to survive on Earth rather than in this forest.

It was the period after my parents passed away, when I barely attended school.

Back then, I believed I was the most unfortunate person in the world.

To be fair, not many people went through something like that.

Yet despite my misfortune, I had been blessed with wonderful people in my life.

Friends who understood my difficulties and treated me with consideration.

A deeply devout pastor who helped me.

A military officer I met after enlisting while I was still lost, who taught me all sorts of practical skills.

Misfortune had struck without warning, yet strangely enough, I had always been extraordinarily fortunate when it came to people.

Thanks to them, I made a resolution.

If someone tried to help me, I would at least make an effort—even if I was only pretending at first.

But that pretense soon became sincere.

I wanted to change and repay them somehow.

If you do nothing, nothing changes.

You can only truly grow by changing when someone reaches out to help you.

I lived tenaciously with that mindset, and before I knew it, it had become evident not only in my thoughts but also in my actions.

Of course, just as misfortune could strike without warning, unexpected situations would always arise.

I had finally grasped good fortune in my hands, only for all of it to suddenly slip through my fingers.

More than emptiness, I felt furious.

I had been dropped into this damned forest, but I would never give up.

I didn’t know who had brought me here, but I would grit my teeth and escape.

Although most of the good fortune I had held had slipped away, not everyone around me had disappeared.

Opportunities came to those who acted.

One way or another, I would seize good fortune again.

I blinked.

It felt as though I had been having a rather happy dream until moments ago.

For the first time in ages, I had seen the faces of my deceased parents and met my friends and all the people who had helped me.

It had been the period when I learned what true happiness was.

The military had been awful, but even that hadn’t been entirely bad.

’This is... the cave.’

But it was time to leave the dream behind.

I moved my eyes around.

The familiar ceiling of the shelter’s cave entered my view.

For a moment, I wondered why I was staring at a cave ceiling, but then everything came back to me.

’Oh, right. Body Reformation.’

The moment I recited the verse, it had felt as though every joint and bone in my body were twisting.

Unable to endure the pain, I had passed out cold.

In martial arts stories, people normally remained conscious while undergoing Body Reformation, but apparently, that wasn’t the case for me.

I worried that passing out might have caused my bones to twist in strange directions.

I would have to wash these clothes later.

Blood was difficult to remove, so that was concerning.

"Oh?"

A moment later, I took a mirror from Cain and examined myself.

Body Reformation was supposed to reconstruct the body into its optimal form.

I had been worried because I didn’t know what standards it would use, but the moment I saw my face, my concerns diminished.

[Well? What do you think?]

"I’ve become handsome."

[Is that all?]

"That’s more than enough."

I was pleased that my face had improved.

My newly defined nose bridge was particularly excellent.

Granted, my appearance wouldn’t be very useful while living here. Everyone around me was male, after all.

Still, it provided an excellent sense of personal satisfaction.

It made me feel motivated to work even harder from now on.

’Nothing else seems particularly different. I’ll need to cut my hair, though.’

I played with my noticeably longer hair.

It seemed to have repeatedly grown and fallen out while my body was being reconstructed, because a thick pile of it covered the floor.

I planned to trim it roughly anyway, so there was no need to worry about it.

My beard was a greater concern.

"...Do I look like a bandit?"

It wasn’t just my hair. My beard had become overgrown as well.

Did this happen to everyone who underwent Body Reformation?

It seemed I would need to shave.

I might have left it alone if it were a reasonable length, but this was far too long.

I could probably obtain a razor from the Passing Dwarf or Praise the Sun.

For now, I should head outside.

Stagger—

"Whoa."

The moment I stood up, my legs suddenly failed to support me, and I staggered.

I barely managed to regain my balance.

Then I realized something.

’My clothes seem... a little smaller.’

They felt slightly tight, particularly around the armpits.

My trousers were no better. The hems had become too short.

Apparently, the Body Reformation had increased both my height and build.

’I’ll have to ask Princess Cheonggu for some clothes.’

It couldn’t be helped.

Clothing was extremely important.

As vitality gradually returned to my body, I walked out of the cave.

Outside, Ludwig was busy preparing lunch.

"Kyuuu! Kyuu!"

Wonmo was the first to notice me and came scampering over.

But the moment he drew near, he stopped and became slightly wary.

It seemed the changes to my body had made me feel unfamiliar to him.

"Wonmo, have you already forgotten your daddy’s face?"

"...Kyuu!"

Of course, he immediately charged toward me again when I spoke with a smile.

I lifted Wonmo as he clung to my leg.

That soft, fluffy sensation healed my heart every time.

"Piiiii! Piii!"

Tyrano approached next and whined for me to pick him up as well.

He scraped insistently at my leg with his claws, apparently overcome with jealousy.

So I picked Tyrano up too.

My strength had increased considerably, making it easy to hold both of them.

"Are you all right?"

Ludwig approached and asked about my condition.

I nodded, then set Wonmo and Tyrano down and faced him.

"Oh."

"#$%%#."

Just as I exclaimed upon seeing Ludwig, he looked at me and nodded.

There had originally been a considerable difference in our heights.

I had been around the average height for a South Korean man, whereas Ludwig was extremely tall.

Now, however, our eyes were at roughly the same level.

That meant I had grown taller.

’I must be well over 180 centimeters now.’

Ludwig himself easily stood above 185 centimeters.

I was satisfied in numerous ways and smiled proudly.

Physical size was important in the Forest of Four Seasons, and mine had improved dramatically.

Things should become much easier from now on.

’The Heavenly Demon is a goddess.’

I sent the Heavenly Demon my thanks.

I would have to repay her somehow.

But before that—

"You were making lunch, right?"

"Yes."

"I’ll help."

First, it was time to eat.

After enduring such an ordeal, I was starving.

Lunch was the grilled fish we frequently ate, now with added garlic.

Ludwig seemed to have developed a liking for garlic as well, because he didn’t complain.

After finishing our plentiful lunch, I took some time to examine my physical condition.

Crunch!

"Oh."

I exclaimed as the piece of wood in my hand shattered.

My basic muscular strength had increased considerably.

I hadn’t even needed to exert much force.

So this was Body Reformation.

The more I tested the changes, the more pleased I became.

’There don’t seem to be any problems elsewhere either.’

All that remained was testing my internal energy cultivation technique and aura.

I immediately sat down and began circulating the technique.

Surprisingly, the cultivation technique itself felt largely unchanged.

The original problem had been external rather than internal, after all.

However, now that my exterior and interior were in harmony, the circulation felt even more refreshing.

I could also control the cold energy with ease.

I was extremely satisfied.

’Finally, there’s my aura. I wonder if that has changed.’

I gripped the Heavenly Demon’s sword and gradually manifested my aura.

The aura rose like a heat haze and slowly expanded.

I didn’t stop there.

I attempted to advance it into an Aura Blade.

I cleverly combined SwordMaster’s advice with the third verse the Heavenly Demon had taught me.

’If it escapes, just let it flow away.’

Rather than dwelling on what was lost, I had to focus on completing the work.

I closed my eyes and quietly recited the Heavenly Demon’s third verse.

I constructed the image within my mind and combined it with SwordMaster’s advice.

If this still failed, it would mean I had reached the limits of my talent.

Hummmm—

"..."

I slowly opened my eyes.

Instead of an indistinct heat haze, a clearly defined shape entered my vision.

I couldn’t feel any aura leaking away either.

I smiled and raised my head.

"...What is this?"

It was good that my aura had taken shape.

I had finally completed the Aura Blade I had wanted so badly.

But could this really be called a... blade?

Rather than a blade, it looked like an enormous corn dog.

In other words, it was a club.

A needlessly enormous club.

[Congratulations. You have advanced to a higher realm. However...]

"What the hell is that...?"

Cain and Ludwig briefly congratulated me before staring at my Aura Blade in disbelief.

Both of them stood at levels far beyond my own.

Yet even they looked utterly dumbfounded.

Apparently, neither of them had ever seen anything like this.

"...Is it normally like this?"

I showed them the aura that resembled a gigantic corn dog rather than a blade.

SwordMaster had clearly told me it would take the shape of a sharp blade.

Reality, however, was entirely different.

I had succeeded in giving it a stable form, but that was all.

It looked like something meant for bludgeoning rather than cutting.

[No. It is not normally like that. It is simply... strange.]

"@$%#$ @?"

[He says it may be because you are an invasive species.]

"Come on."

Even if I was an invasive species, that had nothing to do with this.

Completely dumbfounded, I stared at the Aura Blade before making a post on the gallery.

Title: Are Aura Blades Normally Like This?

Wild Grylls

(Photo of an Aura Blade shaped like a gigantic club)

With the Heavenly Demon’s help, I underwent Body Reformation and tried manifesting my aura.

But instead of rising like a heat haze, it took on a defined shape, as you can see in the picture.

Isn’t an Aura Blade supposed to have a sharp shape? Why does mine look like this?

└ Heavenly Demon: Did you successfully undergo Body Reformation? That is a relief. However, even I have never seen sword aura like that before.

└ SwordMaster: This is my first time seeing anything like it too. Why the heck does it look like that?

└ Wild Grylls: Hearing you say that makes me even sadder.

└ SwordMaster: The problem may be that you possess an excessive amount of internal energy. Try refining it little by little, as though carefully carving a sculpture.

└ Wild Grylls: ;_;

└ You still obtained an Aura Blade. Have a drink and celebrate.

└ Can that thing really be called a blade? Lmaooo.

└ Why does this guy get stronger like some kind of beast every time we see him?

└ At this rate, his aura is really going to pierce the heavens. Lmaoooo.

└ Starlight Princess: What a big, magnificent aura club. Since you also carry a shield, why not use it like a lance?

└ Oh. That’s not a bad idea.

└ Grylls, I’m being completely serious. Use that thing as a spear instead of a sword.

└ Its reach is absolutely ridiculous. Lmaooo.

└ I’m curious. How strong will Grylls be once he escapes?

└ Forget his aura. That bastard’s fundamentals are probably terrible. He still can’t beat Ludwig.

└ Well, of course he can’t. Lmao.

Why couldn’t I ever become stronger in a normal way?