Shane wondered whether it was currently summer; not only was the sunlight incredibly intense, but the temperature was also quite high.
As he trudged through the forest, wielding the Holy Sword to slash away the obstructive weeds and branches around him, he found himself panting and drenched in sweat without realizing it.
Shane groaned wearily, but he did not stop and continued on his way.
Because, as he ventured deeper into the forest, Shane increasingly sensed the danger.
"I can't hear any sounds from birds or beasts..."
Shane had a bad feeling, prompting him to want to leave this place quickly.
Especially as that bad feeling intensified, reaching a level that gradually made Shane uneasy.
Then, at a certain moment, a message suddenly appeared in Shane's mind.
"Skill acquired—[Enemy Detection]—Do you wish to learn it?"
Shane was momentarily taken aback.
"Just like that, a new skill is acquired?"
Surprisingly, Shane immediately chose to learn it without hesitation.
At that instant, the previous bad feeling seemed to transform into a definite warning, surging into Shane's mind.
He only felt a headache and a chill down his spine. Suddenly, sensing something, he spun around swiftly and looked into the air.
The sound of something swiftly piercing through the air suddenly assailed him.
The dull thud resounded like an explosion.
Shane felt as if he had been struck by a heavy mountain; he couldn't even grunt as he was sent flying, crashing into a tree's trunk like a cannonball, causing the tree to snap apart.
Only then did Shane feel a dull pain in his chest, which made him cry out.
"Skill acquired—[Physical Resistance]—Do you wish to learn it?"
As the new message surged into his mind, Shane remained bewildered.
"Did I get attacked?"
Shane did not comprehend what had transpired as he slid down the tree trunk onto the ground.
Miraculously, although the attack was strong enough to send him flying and crack a tree, Shane was not severely harmed; he only felt a little pressure in his chest.
By the time Shane reacted, perhaps due to the [Enemy Detection] skill's effect, he finally discerned the location of the source attacking him, prompting him to quickly get up from the ground, looking around.
What he saw made Shane freeze.
Before him appeared a scene surpassing reality.
A sinister cry filled the forest's canopy, hovering for a long time.
A gigantic black shadow descended from the sky, appearing before Shane.
A bird entirely black, with a serpent's body, bird wings, and a human face. Its size was enormous, its wingspan ten meters wide, appearing extremely bizarre and evil.
It seemed this massive ominous bird had attacked Shane from the sky, sending him flying.
Now, the fierce bird stared intently at Shane with bloodshot eyes, telling him it did not intend to let its prey escape.
Shane couldn't help but laugh.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
After meeting the Goddess and being reincarnated in the Otherworld, alone and thrown into the forest, did he immediately encounter the attack of a bizarre Demon?
Shane's curse and the bird's cry erupted simultaneously.
Immediately, the fierce bird once again transformed into a black shadow, soaring through the air toward Shane.
Shane felt the [Enemy Detection] skill urgently signaling a warning, prompting him to roll aside without thinking or caring about his dignity.
The dull thud resounded once more.
The tree Shane had just crashed into was shattered by the fierce bird, scattering bits of wood flying in all directions.
"Skill acquired—[Evasion]—Do you wish to learn it?"
Rolling on the ground awkwardly, Shane received a new mental message.
He didn't need to think; Shane was frantically agreeing.
In this moment of crisis, this skill was definitely for saving his life.
Without overthinking, Shane quickly learned both the [Physical Resistance] skill he just acquired and the [Evasion] skill he gained now.
Elsewhere, the fierce bird that shattered the tree soared back into the air. As if infuriated by its failed attack and Shane's resistance, it screeched and then spewed Lightning in Shane's direction.
The Lightning seemed to scorch his eyeballs, causing Shane, who had just gotten up, to see only white as he was hit instantly.
The Lightning struck Shane's location, causing an Explosion and blasting Shane, sending him rolling out like a gourd.
"Skill acquired—[Magic Resistance]—Do you wish to learn it?"
Yet another new skill was acquired.
Rolling like a gourd, Shane coughed violently. Still, as before, he unhesitatingly learned the new skill.
Once again, despite being struck directly by the Lightning, Shane wasn't gravely harmed, he only felt immense pain throughout his body.
By this point, Shane more or less understood what was happening.
"Is this the Power of the Holy Sword?"
Covered in dust, Shane lay on the ground, his gaze shifted to the Holy Sword he still held tightly.
The Holy Sword, as it did initially, glowed with dazzling luminescence and brilliant colors.
Since the Holy Sword had the effect of reducing any type of damage by 99%, it made sense Shane remained mostly unscathed thus far.
The fierce bird in the air was unaware of all this, seeing Shane lying on the ground, appearing on the verge of death, but actually not having lost a drop of blood, it cried out in fury.
Presumably, it hadn't expected that its prey, which it had discovered with so much effort, hadn't been taken down yet.
Consequently, the bird dove down, as if determined to finally deal with Shane, its entire body emanating fierce waves.
Witnessing this unfold, Shane's heart ignited with a fighting spirit.
"Don't think I won't counterattack!"
Facing the ominous figure descending from the sky like a nightmare, Shane grasped the Holy Sword tightly, struggling to his feet unsteadily.
The previously calm radiance on the magnificent Holy Sword suddenly intensified, shining brilliantly.
An incredible Power flowed from the Holy Sword into Shane's body.
Shane then lifted the Holy Sword, aiming at the menacing figure in the sky.
"Skill acquired—[Two-Handed Sword]—Do you wish to learn it?"
Without question, Shane chose to learn it.