Chapter 2

I found myself reborn as a helpless infant, only to wake up and discover that my father was gone. To make matters worse, I seemed to be in some forest. In a nutshell, I was in a dire situation.

Moreover, I was hungry. Under normal circumstances, a newborn would simply drink breast milk, which the mother nearby would provide. However, I had no guardian, and it was difficult for me to move on my own. The only progress I had made was that I could now manipulate my "ki" (spiritual energy), but using it would cause me to lose consciousness again.

I was in a bind. This situation was unsustainable.

As I realized this, a thought I had been trying to avoid surfaced.

Could it be that I had been abandoned?

Could it be that I had been brought to this forest to be left to die?

...If that were the case, it would be a serious problem.

How would I get food? Where would I live? Was this place safe? More importantly, what should I do first?

A list of actions to take began to form in my mind. I needed to hurry. I had to survive, no matter what.

As for my parents, whose faces and names I did not know, I honestly didn't care.

First and foremost, I needed to secure food.

I had an idea about "ki" that had just come to me.

If I could expand my ki to touch objects and feel their texture, could I also give objects a sense of ki? In other words, could I touch and move objects with my ki? Could I use an invisible force to affect things at a distance? Could I even cause phenomena known as psychokinesis?

Once I had the idea, I shouldn't hesitate. I should try it.

My immediate goal was a red fruit hanging directly above me. I didn't know if it was edible, but I had to eat something or I would surely die.

I extended my hand and stretched my ki towards the red fruit, enveloping it. When I applied force to the smooth surface, the fruit fell surprisingly easily.

However, it fell towards me.

"Hey...!?"

I instinctively cried out and writhed, but I couldn't avoid it. It hit me in the stomach.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

Perhaps because I had no muscles, the pain seemed to resonate directly with my internal organs, causing me to writhe in agony. I wondered if I had any bone injuries, but more importantly, my internal organs...

The intense pain didn't subside, but my cheeks relaxed at the thought of my first successful harvest.

Then, another problem arose. I wanted to eat the red fruit, but I had no teeth.

Literally, I had no teeth.

I had no choice but to crush it with my ki and let the crushed fruit and juice flow into my mouth. The taste was like an apple, but half as sweet and three times as sour. It didn't seem to be immediately toxic, so I ate it, though it was honestly unpleasant. The muscles near my ears contracted.

It seemed that an infant's stomach capacity was small. One fruit left me nearly full. I frowned as I finished my first meal in this world.

With my stomach satisfied, I had to think about what to do next.

What should I do from here?

I had no food, clothing, or shelter, all of which were necessary for survival.

For food, I could probably gather fruits from trees. However, there were only a few within reach.

For clothing, I only had the cloth I was wearing. It would be fine for a while, but it wouldn't last as I grew. Besides, I didn't want to keep using a dirty piece of cloth.

For shelter, I didn't want to be exposed to the elements, but I couldn't stay in this wooden box forever.

Considering these, I needed a means of movement first. With that, I might be able to find food and shelter. Perhaps I should start by crawling?

However, I had probably been born less than a day ago. I had no muscles. I wriggled my limbs, but I couldn't move.

I was in a bind.

In the end, I decided to rely on my ki again.

I covered my body with ki and moved like a caterpillar. When I covered the wooden box with ki, I could move the box as well.

I moved as hard as I could and settled in the shade of a tree. For now, this would have to do.

I was getting sleepy again. Just as I thought that, I lost consciousness.

It seemed I had taken a short nap.

With a slightly clearer head, I thought about what to do next.

I had a means of movement, albeit a weak one. I thought it would protect me from the elements. Food seemed to be manageable for a while. So, out of the three necessities—food, clothing, and shelter—food and shelter seemed feasible. The last one was clothing. This single piece of cloth was not enough.

However, I couldn't realistically obtain more cloth. Spinning and weaving threads to make clothes was impossible in my current situation. I had heard of a Japanese soldier who made a loom in the forest, but that was a different situation, and I had no such skills.

I couldn't make cloth. Could I find a substitute? Perhaps I could wrap myself in leaves. But how long would that last?

For now, it would be fine, as I was an infant. But what about when I grew? A grown body with only a loincloth would stand out in a village or town. From my vague memories, my parents had worn proper clothes.

As I thought about this, I felt a gaze. Something seemed to be watching me.

I instinctively expanded my ki. There it was, between the trees.

A dog.

It was slightly larger than a regular dog, perhaps a bit smaller than a standing adult. It was covered in short, brown fur and had the muscular build of a wild animal.

It was watching me with heavy breathing and drooling, and there seemed to be a few more behind it.

This was bad. I was small and soft, a perfect target.

My body tensed. I tried to make a sound, but I could only wheeze.

They were probably just cautious, but they would attack soon.

This was bad. What could I do? What could I use to defend myself?

As I pondered, the dogs moved. They seemed to have decided I was helpless and began to walk towards me. One, two, three. There were indeed two more behind.

What should I do? I had nothing. I couldn't fight back. My limbs were paralyzed from tension. Could I hit them with my ki? No, it wouldn't be effective. I could move my body, but that wouldn't cause enough impact to scare them.

Wait, maybe I could scare them away.

The lead dog, the one in front, was probably the most important. I aimed my ki at its eyes and nose. Even a small tap might surprise it.

The dog yelped and jumped back. The other two also retreated. Success?

The dog growled at me. It seemed to be annoyed that a smaller, weaker creature had resisted. It didn't stop growling.

I tried again, this time aiming at all three dogs' eyes. They jumped back a bit more.

The dogs seemed to be more cautious now and began to retreat, hiding behind the trees.

The immediate threat was gone. I felt a bit relieved, but it wasn't over. The dogs were still watching from the trees.

I was still being targeted. But what could I do? I couldn't resist any further. How could I drive them away?

Of course, in my previous life, I had never been attacked by dogs. I had no idea what to do.

The danger was still there. At any moment, they could attack. My life was hanging by a thread.

A thread? Yes, fire. Maybe I could drive the wild animals away with fire!

But how could I start a fire? I couldn't rub sticks together. I had no matches or lighters. If lightning struck nearby, it might start a forest fire, but that was too much to hope for.

...I couldn't afford to escape reality. But I had no options.

Had I lived such a short time only to die now? I didn't know if this was a repeat or a first, but I was going to die.

Strangely, I didn't have a strong attachment to life. Maybe it was because I hadn't lived much, or maybe I had lived enough, including my previous life. I didn't know.

The dogs were getting closer.

They were showing their teeth, growling, and walking slowly towards me.

I attacked their eyes again. But this time, their reaction was different.

I hit them, but they only flinched and continued to approach. They knew the attack wasn't dangerous.

I closed my eyes in despair.

Ah, this is it. It's over.

All I could do was pray to die without suffering.

Would those teeth hurt? The leader would probably bite first, tearing into my stomach and pulling out my organs, spilling blood and chewing them. The other two would then be given the remaining meat.

For some reason, the thought of their smug faces made me furious. I couldn't avoid being eaten, but I wanted to leave a mark on that dog. I wanted to hurt it somehow.

I opened my eyes, struggled to turn my head, and glared at the dog. I wanted to make it feel pain. I had no means to resist, but I couldn't just give up.

At least, this would be my final resistance. I focused my ki and tried to pierce the dog's ear. The dog shook its head to avoid it. I tried to create a large lump in its throat. It only made a choking sound. I sharpened my ki like a blade and tried to stab it, but the dog's fur was too tough.

The dog was getting closer. Its claws were almost within reach. I could smell it. Was this the end?

Tears welled up in my eyes. I didn't want to die. I refused to give up.

I was out of options.

But in my heart, I kept cursing.

Die, just die. Something, anything, make it die! Hit its head and make it die! Drown it and make it die! Burn it and make it die!

It happened suddenly.

I thought I should burn it. The next moment, it really happened.

With a "whoosh," a ball of fire appeared in front of the dog. It was about the size of a baseball, and I could feel a bit of heat and light. It disappeared quickly, but it was definitely a ball of fire.

The dog jumped in surprise. It looked back a few times and then quickly disappeared into the forest, running far away.

I was stunned but could sense its retreating form. I sighed unconsciously.

I didn't know what had happened, but the immediate danger was gone.

Of course, I couldn't relax yet. But fatigue washed over me, and I lost consciousness again.