Building A Business Empire From Scratch In Another World

The dense foliage of the Twilight Mountain Range rustled ominously, setting the stage for an epic showdown.

Costa, a ten-year-old boy with fiery determination blazing in his amber eyes, tightened his grip on his halberd.

The weapon loomed nearly twice his height, feeling both familiar and foreign in his small hands, a heavy reminder of the expectations resting on his shoulders.

"I can't fail… Not when big brother Felix believes in me."

His breaths came in ragged bursts; every muscle screamed from exhaustion. Before him stood a towering nightmare: a Tier 3 Magical Beast known as the Ironhide Boar.

This monstrous creature was clad in thick, metallic-like hide that gleamed dully under the sparse sunlight filtering through the canopy. Its tusks, each as long as Costa's arm, curved wickedly, capable of gutting a grown man with a single swipe.

Those crimson eyes burned with primal fury, locked onto the small human who dared to challenge it.

Costa was just a Tier 1 Beginner Knight. The power difference? Staggering.

But did he back down? Absolutely not.

With a snort that sent steam billowing from its nostrils, the Ironhide Boar charged forward like a living battering ram!

The ground trembled beneath its weight. Costa's instincts screamed at him to dodge, but he stood firm, planting his feet resolutely.

"No running. No hesitation. A Morningstar doesn't retreat!"

At the last possible moment, he twisted his body and swung his halberd in a wide arc. The blade screeched against the boar's hide, sparks flying, but it barely left a scratch.

"Damn it! Too tough!"

The boar pivoted with terrifying speed; its massive bulk defied all logic.

A tusk grazed Costa's side, tearing through his training attire and drawing blood.

He hissed but didn't falter; he knew brute force wouldn't cut it, he needed precision!

As the boar charged again, Costa leapt aside, using his smaller frame to slip past its massive body. With all his might, he swung downward at its softer flesh behind its leg.

THUNK!

A spray of blood erupted as the boar roared in pain.

"Got you!"

But victory was fleeting, the enraged beast lashed out with a back kick that slammed into Costa's ribs.

CRACK!

Pain exploded through him as he skidded across the forest floor, leaves and dirt sticking to his sweat-soaked skin.

His vision blurred but he forced himself up once more, gripping his halberd like it was a lifeline.

"I can't… I can't fall here."

Felix's face flashed in Costa's mind, his brother's proud smile when he first formed his Mana Veins.

"You're stronger than you think, little brother," he had said, words echoing like a mantra in Costa's heart.

Now, as blood dripped from his lips and pain coursed through his body, Costa grinned defiantly at the relentless boar charging him.

Every muscle ached, every breath felt like a battle, but there was no way he was pulling that emergency signal. Not now. Not ever.

"If I do… I fail. I won't disappoint him."

With determination burning in his chest, Costa waited for the beast to close in.

At the last possible moment, he ducked low, sliding beneath the boar's massive belly.

Channeling all of his strength into one final strike, he thrust his halberd upward with a roar of defiance.

"DIE!"

The blade sank deep into its throat, and blood erupted like a crimson fountain, soaking him completely.

The boar thrashed wildly, its death throes shaking the ground beneath him as if the earth itself was mourning this fierce creature.

But Costa held on tight; adrenaline surged through him despite his trembling arms. Finally… with one last shuddering gasp, the beast collapsed into silence.

Thud.

He fell to his knees,gasping for air,his body a patchwork of bruises and cuts. But victory washed over him like a warm wave.

"I… won." A slow smile spread across his exhausted face; it felt surreal yet oh-so-sweet.

In the shadows nearby, an instructor nodded approvingly before disappearing into the trees, a silent witness to this hard-fought triumph.

The cave was damp, the air thick with the earthy scent of moss and wet stone.

Dim light trickled through the entrance, casting long shadows that danced across the rugged walls.

Costa sat against the cold rock, his halberd resting on his lap, its blade still glistening with the blood of the Ironhide Boar.

Every breath he took sent a sharp reminder through his bruised ribs, while a dull throb pulsed from the gash on his side.

His training attire was tattered and stiff with dried blood and sweat, evidence of a fierce battle fought. But despite it all, he was alive.

And that was enough.

With his eyes closed, Costa replayed the fight in his mind. "What went wrong?" he pondered.

His first mistake? Underestimating the boar's speed. Despite its massive size, that beast moved like lightning!

He had thought he could outmaneuver it, what a reckless assumption that nearly cost him everything!

"Next time," he vowed silently, "I'll study its movements first and wait for an opening."

Then there was his stance during that fateful charge.

He had planted his feet firmly in place as if trying to withstand a tidal wave, but brute force wasn't where he excelled; speed and precision were his allies.

"Next time… I'll use my surroundings to my advantage," he resolved. "Lure it into a trap."

But perhaps his biggest blunder lay in how he managed his Mana.

Relying too heavily on physical strength had been foolish; even a Tier 1 Knight could enhance their strikes with Mana! If only he'd channeled it properly from the start, his halberd might have pierced deeper right away.

"I won't make that mistake again!"

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Costa began circulating his Mana.

A warm golden glow radiated from his palms as they pressed against his injuries; energy seeped into torn muscle and mending bone like sunlight breaking through clouds after a storm.

It wasn't perfect, true healing magic remained just out of reach, but with focus, he could hasten his recovery.

"Breathe in… Breathe out."

At first, pain flared, a sharp sting as his body resisted this forced regeneration, but gradually it dulled into soothing numbness. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he poured every ounce of remaining energy into healing himself.

Minutes turned into hours.

When Costa finally opened his eyes again, darkness shrouded the cave, three hours had slipped by unnoticed.

He stood slowly, testing each part of himself carefully; though aches remained in his ribs, gone was that sharp pain!

The gash on his side had closed up nicely, leaving only a thin scar, a testament to survival rather than defeat.

His stamina wasn't fully restored yet but functional enough for what lay ahead.