A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 5

There is an old saying: Even a school dog can recite poetry after three years.

It aligns with the idea that investing 10,000 hours into something makes you an expert.

It doesn’t matter if it was unintentional. In an era where survival is a priority, many people accidentally become experts.

That’s no different in the wilderness, far removed from civilization. Focusing solely on survival, I somehow ended up like this.

I wonder if I’m the same person who once struggled against a hungry wolf. Just now, I killed a massive bear with a single strike, even though it was a sneak attack.

“So what if I did?”

Thud!

I returned to my hideout, a cave, and dropped the bear onto the ground. Its sheer bulk made the earth tremble as it landed.

I stepped into the cave to check something. The moment I entered, a cool and refreshing sensation enveloped me.

This cave, once completely barren, has gradually been furnished over time.

The skulls of beasts I’ve hunted are fixed to the walls, and thick layers of animal hides cover the floor.

One side of the wall is marked with countless lines, recording how long I’ve been here.

At some point, I gave up on escaping and stopped marking. Judging by the visible lines, it’s been over three years.

“Tsk.”

I felt a pang of melancholy, but there was no time for that. I needed to confirm if someone had intruded.

Once, I naively fell asleep out of exhaustion and got attacked by a poisonous insect. I genuinely thought I was going to die back then.

Fortunately, even when I closed my eyes and focused, I couldn’t detect anything. I’ve taken measures to prevent monsters, beasts, and even insects from approaching.

If something managed to get through, it must be an intelligent being. Like that damned Porori.

“It’s been quiet lately, hasn’t it?”

After fully adapting to the wilderness, I invaded Porori’s territory whenever I was bored. I’ll never forget how he defiled my face.

As a result, we became each other’s greatest rivals and nemeses. As I grew stronger, so did he.

After confirming there were no traces of Porori’s intrusion, I stepped out of the cave.

Or rather, I was about to step out—until I saw the drawings at the very back of the cave.

“··· ···”

Even in the dim cave, my excellent vision allowed me to see them. Drawings were etched deep into the walls at the farthest end.

The only tools I had were bones and stones, so the drawings were no better than a child’s scribbles. Still, I knew what they represented.

They depicted the future of this world, drawn in preparation for the day I escape. I made them so I’d never forget.

The protagonist attending the Academy, facing countless trials, and ultimately engaging in a desperate battle against a demon.

I didn’t draw the ending. The ending changes depending on the turning points, so I didn’t feel the need to include it.

You might say, “Wouldn’t a happy ending be better?” But look at my current state.

Forget seeing the ending—I’m stuck here, likely to live out my entire life in this place.

“Hoo.”

I let out a sigh, stifled by frustration. Deep down, I wanted to escape this place.

But it wasn’t that simple. According to the setting, once you lose your way here, you’re doomed to remain lost forever.

As far as I remember, the mana here is so tangled that even a compass doesn’t work. Without a special tool, you’re guaranteed to lose your way.

“But why hasn’t anyone shown up during all this time?”

The Academy strictly warned people never to enter, but the more forbidden something is, the more tempting it becomes.

In fact, some students ventured in, barely escaped, or disappeared entirely.

Of course, no one has ever reached the area where I reside.

“Let them do as they please.”

I habitually stroked my beard, which had grown down to my chest, as I stepped outside.

My beard resembled that of a Viking, but since no one was around to see it, it didn’t matter. My equally long, thick hair was just a bonus.

I pushed the bear with all my might to begin dismantling it. As its belly was exposed, I realized just how massive it was.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had bear meat.”

Muttering to myself, I climbed onto the bear’s stomach and extended the index finger of my left hand.

Fwoosh!

A reddish aura surged from the tip of my finger.

The ominous red energy radiated a sense of foreboding. It was the “Red Mana” I’d somehow gained the ability to use.

As expected of a fantasy world, mana—this mysterious energy—exists, and one’s mastery of it determines their level of physical strength.

Normally, it takes grueling training to barely learn how to use mana. But I somehow picked it up along the way.

Perhaps it was triggered by my survival instinct after narrowly escaping death multiple times. Even I’m not sure.

“Who was it that used Red Mana again? I can’t even remember.”

Now, I barely recall the details. Not that it matters; it’s not like any of it is useful.

I pressed my finger, imbued with Red Mana, against the bear’s chest and pierced through its thick hide.

Schluk—

As I moved my hand, the hide was effortlessly sliced open. This is why I don’t bother using tools.

Using unrefined bones or stones would’ve been more cumbersome than relying on mana.

Besides, I have mana to spare. As long as I eat properly, it recovers quickly, even if I use it all day.

Shrrk—Shrrk—Shrrk—

Thanks to my practiced skill, dismantling the bear didn’t take long. I decided to use its hide as flooring from today onward.

I discarded all the innards except for the heart, lungs, and liver. There’s no point in eating what I can’t identify.

The reason I eat these three organs is simple. Through trial and error, I discovered they’re excellent for mana recovery.

Call it being a veteran player or whatever—it’s something I learned firsthand.

“Alright.”

Splat!

Eating them raw is the only way to get the full effect. I took a big bite out of the bear’s heart.

I had already drained the blood beforehand, so I didn’t have to worry about it splattering on my face.

Even if blood did get on my face, I could just wash it off in the nearby stream.

Chew—Chew—Chew—

The chewy texture of the heart was exquisite. As I ate, I remembered the first time I tried eating a heart.

My left arm’s recovery was taking longer than expected, and I’d reached my limit trying to stave off hunger with insects.

In the end, I had no choice but to survive on animal carcasses like a primitive man. The first part I ate was the heart.

I recall barely suppressing the urge to vomit. I didn’t worry about parasites.

Damn it. I was on the brink of starvation—parasites or not, I had to eat. If I’d been picky, I’d already be dead.

“Burp.”

Given the bear’s size, just eating its innards was enough to fill me up. The high water content meant I didn’t need to drink separately.

After finishing my meal, I dismantled the edible parts. The weather was slightly humid and warm, so I’d need to dry them.

Which meant I’d have to smoke them. Thankfully, I’d prepared for this in advance.

Worried about other beasts catching the scent? Don’t be.

Most monsters and beasts around here know this is my territory.

If anyone dares intrude, I’ll deal with them immediately. They’ll make excellent protein sources.

Snap!

I flicked my finger against the dry firewood. A small spark ignited the wood.

I no longer have to go through all sorts of trouble to start a fire. A simple finger snap does the trick.

Of course, it wasn’t easy to learn. It was the result of relentless effort—not madness, but close enough.

Puff—Puff—

The large chunks of meat began to cook, turning golden brown in the smoke. It’d probably take over an hour.

With nothing else to do, I tilted my head up to assess my current state.

[???]

• Strength: 143

• Agility: 140

• Stamina: 147

• Mana: 145

• Luck: 102

• Faith: 0

[Traits]

• Wild Instinct (???)

• Berserk (Ex)

• Tenacity (SS+)

• Iron King (SS)

•Resistance to Weak Poisons (SS)

•Digestion (S+)

•Dexterity (A)

[Possessed Skills]

•Throwing (Ex)

•Ambush (Ex)

[Possessed Abilities]

•Red Mana (Ex)

•Regeneration (SSS)

Over time, my stats have increased significantly. From what I remember, the benchmark for being considered high in the Soul World is 140.

A stat of 120 can be achieved with enough time, and 130 is possible if you travel extensively across the world.

However, hell begins at 140, and a stat of 150 is something only top-tier elites possess.

Lastly, aiming for 160 is best left as a dream. Even 150 is more than enough—anything beyond that is sheer greed.

Also, while all my starting stats were at 10, you might think the power inflation is too extreme, but it’s not.

If you master the strategies, even in the Academy, reaching 120 is perfectly doable. I just grew stronger by surviving.

If you choose a different origin, most start at 50. I started at 10 because I had nothing but my bare hands.

‘Or was it not bare hands?’

They did give me a rag, so I guess I was lucky. Without even that, I might have shed tears.

Anyway, as you can see from my stats, my hardware is absurdly high. Surviving every day raised it to this level.

Let’s skip over the fact that my Faith Stat is at 0. Every day, I cursed at the gods while praying.

With that kind of behavior, it’s no wonder my Faith hit rock bottom. It’s a miracle it didn’t go into the negatives.

‘Traits are more important than physical ability, though······’

The first trait I acquired, “Wild Instinct,” still has an unknown effect.

There are traits that enhance the senses, but Wild Instinct seems to be different from those.

Occasionally, I get an uneasy feeling, and as long as I avoid those moments, I don’t get hurt.

The rest of my traits were acquired through survival. Most of them are useful, but “Berserk” bothers me.

‘Losing reason is······’

Berserk is a trait found only in high-level monsters.

As the name suggests, it’s a trait where you completely lose reason and go on a rampage under certain conditions.

In my case, it triggers when my stamina is nearly depleted—like during hunting or when ambushed and cornered.

Normally, I’d calmly escape the crisis, but not with this. I lose reason immediately and start destroying everything.

Once Berserk subsides and I regain my senses, the surroundings are in ruins, and my stamina and mana are nearly depleted as a bonus.

Back in the day, I went berserk so often that I maxed out the level. Thankfully, the “Tenacity” trait now suppresses it.

‘If I go Berserk, it means there’s no other option left.’

I shifted my attention from Berserk to examine my other traits.

“Iron King” is similar to “Diamond Invulnerability,” but different. While Diamond Invulnerability hardens the body, Iron King also accelerates recovery.

“Resistance to Weak Poisons” is, as the name suggests, a resistance to weak poisons, and “Digestion” helps convert the food I eat into energy.

Lastly, “Dexterity.” Living in the wilderness, I had no choice but to do most tasks with my hands. This trait came naturally from that.

‘As for skills, there’s no helping it.’

The most important thing is skills, but I only have two. This forest doesn’t have proper weapons—just stone axes and stone spears.

Even those are meaningless since I crafted them by hand. They’re all specialized for hunting.

“Ambush” was acquired from suppressing my presence to deal with creatures with sharp senses.

“Throwing” was learned to kill those that fled after I failed an ambush.

These two alone were enough for survival. Like earlier, I often fight barehanded, using mana to cut leather.

‘Red Mana was maxed out as soon as I obtained it.’

It’s been like that ever since I first awakened my mana. For reference, normal mana is blue, and demonkind and demons have varying colors depending on their rank.

I’ve never heard of red mana before. Again, aside from major details, I barely remember anything.

Fortunately, I didn’t forget the important parts thanks to sketching out the story.

But if I don’t leave this place, none of it will matter.

‘Regeneration is definitely a blessing.’

Regeneration is exactly what it sounds like—the ability to heal wounds rapidly.

Even if you succeed in hunting, there’s no answer if you’re critically injured. Once, I fought Porori and had all my limbs shattered.

If I hadn’t gained it back then, I would’ve died or been left crippled. Some might have a question here.

Why isn’t Regeneration a trait instead of an ability? What’s the difference between traits and abilities?

Simply put, it’s like comparing passive and active skills. Traits activate on their own, while abilities require my conscious control.

‘If only Berserk could be moved to an ability.’

That’s why I consider Berserk, stuck as a trait, a nuisance. It’s good, but far too dangerous.

I don’t know how much more I’ll gain in the future, but I believe I’ve reached my limit.

To grow further, there’s only one way—either hunt Porori or leave this place. I’m trying, but neither is easy.

‘Was it the same in the game?’

Porori was the mascot of the Soul World, so there must’ve been more to it. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.

Fighting that thing helped me grow as well. But recently, it’s been quiet, like a lull.

It’s the same creature that used to visit my cave every day, leaving its droppings everywhere except during hibernation. Now that it’s quiet, I’m wondering if something happened.

‘If that were the case, I would’ve sensed it first.’

If a new predator had appeared, Wild Instinct would’ve detected it. But recently, it’s been silent.

Even while thinking about Porori, I didn’t forget the smoked meat.

Porori or whatever—it doesn’t matter. The meat is more important right now. It’s almost done.

Just as I was about to take a bite of the golden-brown smoked bear meat.

Flap-flap-flap!

In the distance, I heard the sound of birds taking flight. Though far away, my keen hearing picked it up.

Birds accustomed to the forest rarely react like that. Something must’ve “provoked” them.

‘Could it be a monster?’

[Kwoooooooarrr!!]

As soon as I thought that, a thunderous roar echoed throughout the forest. It was loud enough to cause reverberations, suggesting a creature of considerable bulk.

I stopped mid-bite and put the bear meat back down. This forest is home to not just beasts but also monsters.

In fact, distinguishing between beasts and monsters is meaningless here. At least in this forest.

Still, leaving it alone would be annoying, so I should deal with it quickly.

Judging by the powerful voice, it’s not a young one but a fully grown creature.

[Kyaaaaaah!!]

See? Its lungs are impressive······

“······Huh?”

I blinked and looked in the direction of the sound.

That wasn’t a monster’s cry. It wasn’t a roar—it was a scream.

A scream devoid of any wildness, pure and unfiltered.

A scream from a human.

‘What’s going on?’

Gripping the bloodstained stone axe tightly, I stood up in haste.

A scream that rekindled a small spark of hope in my fading expectations.

‘Could it really be?’

Filled with both anticipation and doubt, I pushed through the forest.