It struck without warning. One moment everything was normal, the next — it appeared.
The sensation was like puberty catching you off guard, bringing unexpected changes and awkward moments of washing clothes in secret.
That's exactly how Adam felt.
He had just resolved to spend a quiet winter avoiding adventures when reality blindsided him. The revelations came like rapid-fire slaps across the face.
His cheat ability had discovered coordinates to another world!
To go or not to go — that was the question. After precisely three seconds of contemplation, he made his choice.
How could he pass up this chance to grow stronger and gain experience in other worlds? His Cheats would never forgive him if he declined!
With the decision made, time was of the essence.
Better to depart now while the path was clear. Who knew when troublemakers might appear and complicate things?
After half a day's preparation, Adam stood ready. He wore his Nichirin Longsword and Recognition Obstruction Cloak. His supplies included three bottles of Aqua's high-grade Holy Water and twenty Manatites purchased from Wiz.
He would have carried more Holy Water if not for its bulk, and more Manatites had Wiz's supply not been limited to twenty. Never before had he prepared so thoroughly.
His caution stemmed from hard-won experience. After encountering overwhelmingly powerful enemies like Pandora in that child-raising simulation world (Aka Re:Zero), Adam knew better than to venture forth unprepared.
If only he had a space ring — then he could have brought even more supplies.
The team gathered together.
When Adam announced his training excursion, Kazuma and Aqua instantly understood — he could cross worlds again.
Megumin and Darkness, left in the dark, caused quite a stir. Fortunately, their limited insight made them easy to persuade.
Adam sought Aqua's blessing magic as usual.
Delighted to be useful, Aqua brightened and cast her enhancement blessings on her follower.
"So what exactly is the point of Art Boost?" Kazuma's familiar complaint surfaced.
It was his third time asking.
But Aqua didn't argue — she'd grown immune to his doubts and simply ignored them.
With preparations complete, Adam addressed the pair, "Well then, I'm off."
"Eh, now?" Kazuma asked, puzzled, "It's already late, why not wait until tomorrow morning?"
Aqua chimed in, "Yeah yeah, better leave tomorrow morning."
"No, I'm not waiting." Adam shook his head and refused, "If we wait until tomorrow, Darkness and Megumin might catch on, and what if they make a fuss about coming along? It's better to leave now."
"Well, those two would definitely do that."
"Indeed, those two..."
Kazuma and Aqua nodded in agreement.
Adam turned to them, "That's why I'm heading out now."
"Have a safe journey!" They called in unison.
The two waved goodbye.
Sensing the coordinates in his mind, Adam felt the familiar pulling force and vanished before their eyes.
After he left, they returned to their respective rooms.
Opening his eyes, Adam found himself in a forest.
"Night time — and another forest?"
Frowning slightly, he activated his 〔Perception〕 skill to scan his surroundings. Forests at night were the most dangerous places, so he had to stay alert.
He readied himself for a quick return. If he encountered any troublesome opponents, he would retreat to the Parallel World immediately — he'd learned his lesson about recklessly confronting powerful beings.
To his relief, his skill detected only small nocturnal animals foraging nearby, nothing dangerous. He let out a quiet breath.
"But where exactly am I?" Adam surveyed the area but saw no distinct landmarks.
Towering trees surrounded him on all sides. Looking up, he saw only the moon hanging high among unusually bright stars — brighter than in the previous worlds he'd visited.
Of course, that could have been his imagination. The night sky's appearance depended on many factors, from weather conditions to the distance between stars.
But this wasn't the time for stargazing. Forests at night were treacherous, and he needed to move. Though confident in his abilities, staying vigilant was a fundamental principle of adventuring.
He avoided using〘Flying Magic〙, which would make him an easy target. Instead, he determined his direction from the growth patterns of the trees and began running.
With his senses heightened to their limits and his Recognition Obstruction Cloak's hood pulled up to mask his presence, he moved silently through the forest.
Just as he neared the forest's edge, he spotted a bright firelight to his right, piercing through the darkness.
After brief consideration, he changed course toward the light. Curiosity drew him forward, though he hoped to find humans rather than goblins, kobolds, or other simple-minded monsters.
Minutes later, he reached the campfire.
To Adam's relief, the figure tending the fire was indeed human — a silver-haired old man.
Though he seemed to be in trouble. The silver-haired old man was facing off against a wild boar.
The boar was massive — larger than those in the Parallel World — with huge tusks that gleamed menacingly in the firelight.
The old man pointed his trident at the beast, but Adam noticed the weapon trembling slightly under the boar's overwhelming presence.
The decision came instantly — a righteous youth couldn't simply stand by and watch. He had to help the old man.
Adam lunged forward, his Nichirin Longsword positioned at his waist, right hand resting lightly on the handle. His chest heaved as his eyes locked onto the boar's neck.
◈ Divine Convergence Breathing, Thunder Style ⫸ Thunderclap and Flash ◈
The explosive sound startled both the old man and the boar. The beast sensed danger and tried to flee.
But its speed was no match for Adam's — in an instant, the Nichirin Longsword pierced the boar's neck, and the massive beast collapsed.
The threatening boar fell to the ground, dispatched by Adam's swift attack.
Rather than decapitating it — which would spill blood and attract other beasts — he had chosen a clean stab through the neck.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" Adam appeared beside the boar and turned to the surprised silver-haired old man, "Please forgive me — the situation was urgent, I didn't mean to frighten you."
The rescued elder showed only momentary surprise before his expression returned to normal.
This composed reaction suggested to Adam that the silver-haired old man was quite extraordinary.
"Haha, no matter. I never expected that this old one would be saved by a young man."
T/N: If you want more chapters , check out my Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories.50 you can access all the extra content, and descriptive images, costs only $2!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories.com/mrblackwing