*BOOM*
*WOOSH*
The earth trembled violently, but this was no natural earthquake. The shaking was concentrated solely in the surrounding forest, sending birds flapping their wings frantically into the sky and animals scurrying in all directions, desperate to flee from whatever force had disturbed their peace. The ground cracked under immense pressure, trees swayed as if caught in an invisible storm, and the very air seemed to vibrate with energy.
The cause of this chaos? None other than Renan, who was currently sprinting at full speed, tearing through the landscape with reckless abandon. His speed shattered the sound barrier, producing shockwaves that pulsed outward, rattling the branches and rustling the leaves with every step.
*BOOM*
*WOOSH*
*BOOM*
The earth caved in beneath his feet each time they met the ground, leaving deep imprints as he propelled himself forward. His face was filled with exhilaration, his red eyes gleaming with excitement as he continued his breakneck sprint.
’This… this feels amazing,’ he thought, his mind unable to contain the sheer thrill coursing through his veins. The sensation of unrestrained power flowing through his body was unlike anything he had ever imagined. He had strength—raw, untamed, magnificent strength.
’it feels truly amazing to have a power, a power that once was my imagination in my previous life is now a reality…’ His thoughts raced alongside him, his heart pounding with a mixture of disbelief and elation. He ran with no precision or perfection but just with just brute strength to feel the strength that was running through his body and the strength he felt couldn’t make him happier than he already was.
But just as he was drowning in this intoxicating sensation of strength, his momentum suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
*WOOSH*
The air around him swirled violently as he skidded to a stop in the middle of the dense forest. His clothes billowed behind him, the displaced wind rustling through his hair as he stood there, his body still humming with the energy of his rapid sprint.
’Wait a second… where am I even going?’ he thought, blinking as he surveyed his surroundings.
Only now did it dawn on him—he had been so caught up in the thrill of testing his strength that he had run off without any clear destination in mind. His excitement had completely overtaken his logic.
’Huh… I just got too excited and ran without any destination in mind,’ he admitted to himself, feeling a little foolish. Still, the sheer exhilaration of movement had been worth it. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths as he relished the lingering aftereffects of his high-speed sprint.
And then another thought struck him, sending a strange chill down his spine.
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’I can never go back to being a simple human again.’
Now that he had tasted this power, now that he had felt the way his very existence could shape the world around him, he knew there was no return. A life of mediocrity was no longer an option. He had stepped onto a path that could not be undone. The realization was saddening yet thrilling.
Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside. Right now, he had something more pressing to deal with—figuring out where he actually was.
’Ugh, I need to focus on my location first,’ he reminded himself.
Raising his left hand, he glanced at the golden ring on his middle finger. At that moment, the ring gleamed faintly, responding to his mana, and in the next second, a rolled-up parchment materialized in his hand. Unfurling it, he revealed a detailed map.
’I should thank Grandma Belinda for this,’ he mused, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. ’Without this, I’d be completely lost.’
The thought of how she had practically forced it on him resurfaced in his mind. She had insisted he take it, warning him that he would surely lose his way at some point. And now, here he was, proving her right.
Shaking his head, he focused on the map, scanning the markings carefully.
’Since I’ve been running in a straight line, I should be… here,’ he deduced, pointing at a large green area marked as a dense forest.
’If I head west, I’ll reach the Empire of the Elves… east leads to the Human Empire… and south takes me to the Monster Empire, where various smaller races have banded together to stand against the stronger ones,’ he recalled, going over the lessons Belinda had drilled into his head before he left.
Now came the real question—where should he go?
His mind immediately gravitated toward an interesting possibility.
’Should I go to the Dungeon of the Dwarf Progenitor?’ he thought, recalling something Belinda had mentioned.
According to what she had told him, there were three legendary dungeons:
The Dungeon of the Dwarf Progenitor,
The Dungeon of the Elf Progenitor,
The Dungeon of the Human Progenitor,
These dungeons were said to have been created by the Dwarf Progenitor himself before all the progenitors mysteriously vanished from the world—including the Dragon Progenitor. Until now, not a single one of these dungeons had been conquered.
’I think it’s decided. I’m going to explore those three dungeons,’ he concluded, excitement bubbling up again. ’And the first one will be the Dwarf Progenitor Dungeon.’
Checking the map once more, he confirmed his destination.
’It’s not that far,’ he noted with satisfaction.
With that decision made, he stored the map back into his ring, preparing to set off—but before he could take another step, a sudden noise to his left caught his attention.
*RUSTLE*
*RUSTLE*
His red eyes immediately flicked toward the movement, his body tensing instinctively. A moment later, a pack of wolves emerged from behind the dense foliage, their glowing eyes fixated on him.
*GURRRR*
Low growls rumbled from their throats, their sharp fangs bared as they took cautious steps forward, their predatory instincts kicking in. The largest of the pack—a massive black-furred wolf—stood at the front, its ears flattened and muscles coiled, ready to pounce.
Renan’s lips curled into a smirk.
"Oh well… I guess it wouldn’t be an adventure without running into some wild animals," he mused aloud, his voice carrying a casual amusement that contrasted with the tension in the air.