"Ewan of the Crimson Rain? Humm... never heard of you! But what is this 'Earth' you mentioned? And what do you mean by another world? Did you come from the heavens? The underworld? Or... something like that?"
"Haha, don't know me? Ouch... that hurts. But I guess it makes sense—it's been many years. I understand people forgetting me. It's natural. Now, about the heavens and hell... it's not that. Listen, it's literally another world. Just like this one! Well, not exactly—there's no magic, monsters, or anything like that. I was just a humble worker back on Earth. One day, I got unlucky and died in a natural disaster. Then I reincarnated here. Since I didn't have any family back there, I accepted staying in this world. After a long time and a lot of effort, I became someone important... until I trusted the wrong people. But that's a story for another time. For now, let's hurry. Ah—right! Lend me a bit of your stardust! I need to use at least a detection spell. It'll help us a lot."
"Whoa! You can still use magic in this state? That's a nice surprise! When you have time, could you teach me? Right now I don't have many ways to attack or defend. I've been getting by however I can. Haha—you showed up at the perfect time! With a few first-circle spells, I'll become way more versatile!"
"No problem. Once we reach the base, I'll teach you the basics of magic. It's a shame you don't have a body. Otherwise, I'd show you some martial arts too."
"That'd be amazing! Another reason to hurry and get myself a new body."
Langdon then shifted into a smaller, more agile humanoid form, optimized for moving through the forest. He looked like a dark shadow with flickering spikes protruding like dancing black flames. Following Ewan's direction, they entered the forest, dodging beasts and hazards—until a massive rock was suddenly hurled at them.
"Langdon! Dodge now!!" Ewan shouted.
THUNK! The stone came flying at high speed.
"Ann?! What—?! Alright...!"
Thanks to Ewan's timely warning, Langdon dodged just in time.
"Ewan, thanks! But what the hell was that?"
"Crap! Kid, that's a Monkey King. A monster that usually matches a level-two master in strength. He's still a bit far, but he saw us—and his vision is damn good for a beast. He'll be here soon. And that rock probably won't be the last one. Quick! Shrink down even more and let's hide in those bushes!"
Langdon shrunk, grabbed Ewan, and slipped into a dense bush. There, they began planning their next move.
"Kid, I've got a plan. That thing is strong—too strong. Normally, we'd run. But that doesn't guarantee survival. On the other hand... if we take its core, it'll boost us big time and save a lot of cultivation. These monkey-type beasts are curious and arrogant—that's their biggest weakness. Here's the plan: you still have that book, right? Toss it near the Monkey King. He'll get distracted. Then sneak close in your small form. When you're near its belly, grow big and stab me into its abdomen—I'll handle the rest!"
"Damn... you're right. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. I'm just a little concerned about you 'handling' it—considering you're basically just a sword handle, haha. But okay, let's do it your way!"
Langdon threw the book. The Monkey King noticed the golden shine on its cover, grew curious, and began flipping through the grimoire. Langdon snuck up behind it. When close to its belly, he enlarged himself and drove Ewan deep into its gut.
**"GLUF!" Followed by a "KABOOM!"
The explosion ripped through the air, sending the Monkey King flying.
"UAAAGH-CHIIIIIIII!"
The shriek pierced the silence, full of pain. Langdon almost dropped the sword—but the beast wasn't dead yet. It was getting ready to strike back.
"What the hell?! You said you'd finish it! It's still alive!"
"Calm down! Don't panic—I've done 90% of the work! Move now! Turn your hand into a blade and slash its eyes!"
Gritting his teeth, Langdon rushed forward. The injured beast hurled another rock—CRASH!—hitting him hard. He stumbled, dizzy.
"Get it together, kid! You'll die if you don't stay sharp!"
"Right... you're right."
Langdon leapt up, turning his hands into a spear this time. He lunged forward and struck the monster's abdomen once more. The blade pierced deep, hitting the beast's core.
The Monkey King shrieked and collapsed—dead.
"That... was way too close. We almost got screwed. We can't keep going this weak... There's no way we'll cross this forest like this, let alone rescue Anna."
"Take it easy, kid. Things will get better. For now, start absorbing the mana from the core. I'll keep watch in case another monster shows up."
Sitting in lotus position, Langdon began cultivating. It took about an hour to fully absorb the core's mana and the beast's energy. It pushed him past the intermediate stage, straight into level two. The core shrunk, but now shone a brilliant white. This level granted a much faster stardust regeneration rate—and a tiny glowing seed now hovered around the core.