A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

I am a truly ordinary person, that I can be confident about. I was born into an ordinary family like others, made friends in an ordinary way, served in the military in an ordinary manner, and am an ordinary person who enjoys playing games. 

The only difference might be that I was a hardcore gamer due to being deeply immersed in a specific game. Unless I was playing games with friends, I would get completely absorbed in it by myself.

[Soul World]

That’s the name of the game I used to enjoy. At first glance, it may seem like an ordinary game, but once you delve deeper into it, you will find out it has remarkable depth. 

First and foremost, the future changes depending on your choices, and the composition and harmony of the characters were excellent. Although the story becomes increasingly grim and even becomes a wreck, it was praised for having coherence. 

However, there was a drawback that overshadowed all of that: the god-awful controls and combat style.

Nothing seemed to work properly, and key inputs kept getting stuck. I almost broke my keyboard a few times out of frustration. Because of all this, even though the story is good, everything else was a problem, so it’s becoming a game for hardcore fans. 

As for me, I was one of those hardcore fans who immersed themselves in the characters and story and cleared it multiple times. 

But in reality, I’m nothing more than an amateur. Even that damn squirrel, known as ‘Porori,’ almost killed me with one blow. 

‘Someday, I’ll get my revenge.’

I pressed my still-aching neck, trying to maintain composure. The stench of that damn rat’s piss lingered in my nostrils. The squirrel’s official name is Latatosk, but fans call it Porori. 

It’s a monster infamous for its annoying behaviors, from teabagging to everything else. When entering the academy, it’s customary to go to the nearby forest for training. If you go deeper, you will arrive in this place. 

And as soon as you enter, you usually encounter that damn Porori, and most of the time, you get one-shotted. Dodging is nearly impossible due to the damn controls, and even if you manage to win, it plays dead and attacks again. Porori is just a complete nuisance. 

‘By the way…’

I leaned against a tree and looked around. It was daytime before I passed out, but now it’s already dark.

This forest is inhabited not only by the Porori but also by dangerous beasts and monsters. In other words, if I don’t escape from here, there is a 99% chance of dying. I don’t want that to happen. 

“Ugh…”

I groaned, struggling to stand up. Even breathing was difficult because of the blow I took to the sternum. In fact, it’s a miracle that I’m still alive after being struck in a vital spot by the beast. 

In the game, usually you’d die with one hit from Porori, although occasionally, you can manage to survive. 

‘It’s fortunate that that occasion happened now.’

I gathered fallen leaves nearby and wiped my face with them. I have to do something like this to get rid of the damn stench of urine. What if it’s mixed with venom? 

Well, I’m already poisoned then. This fucking life. 

Little by little, the environment, a mix of forest and jungle, seemed to be getting dark quickly. It’s fortunate that this forest remains warm throughout the seasons. Right now, finding a place to hide my body was crucial. 

‘The fact that there are Pororis means there are no dangerous monsters nearby.’ 

Survival of the fittest is the law in the wild. It means that this little Porori is the strongest in this area. Due to its nature, it would only allow you to survive if you’re defeated. 

In return, it would only smear your face with shit.

Some people may know that Popori leaving traces is a warning. ‘This is my territory, so don’t approach’, kind of warning. Since I received a warning, if I intrude again, there will be no mercy.

‘I feel so unjust.’

I wanted to wake up in my room. I’m so upset that tears are welling up. 

Nevertheless, thanks to leaving traces, monsters won’t be able to approach easily. Beasts and monsters have a good sense of smell, so they usually don’t encounter each other.

Growl!

Well, there are exceptions too. I faced a wolf approaching while making a growling sound. It seemed to have been starving for a few days, as it looked weak and its rib bones were visible. It seems like it was driven out of a pack or wandering after losing a fight. 

‘Why is a starving wolf here…’

This forest is inhabited by various monsters and beasts regardless of their level. In other words, it wasn’t surprising to encounter a hungry wolf that normally appears in low-level areas. 

In the game, it’s an easy target to catch, but the problem with this one is its extreme aggressiveness. It relentlessly attacks weaker players, trying to find food by targeting the weak.

If it accurately reflects the game’s characteristics, it seems that this creature perceives me as someone weaker than itself.

‘How did it know?’

Even if the scent of my fear lingered in the air, a beast is still a beast I guess? I swallowed hard, taking a step back. Already on the verge of passing out, I barely managed to stay on my feet, and I had no weapon whatsoever. I was someone who had always lived a life far removed from the wilderness.

If I were Bear Grylls, I could have turned this into a fine source of protein.

Grrrr!

Without giving me any time to think, the wolf lunged at me like an arrow. Startled, I quickly raised my arm. However, I realized it was a bad decision when the wolf sank its teeth into my left arm and pulled.

Crunch!

“Arrgh!!”

The wolf’s strong fangs gnashed at my arm as if they were about to crush it. Its sharp teeth dug into my flesh, causing an indescribable and excruciating pain. A scream involuntarily burst out from me. At the same time, my vision turned pitch black for a moment before returning.

It was a pain intense enough to make me momentarily blackout. I gritted my teeth in agony and glared at the wolf.

Snarl!

As if to declare that it would never let me go, the beast continued to stare me down. If it couldn’t kill me, the wolf would die. 

However, I had no intention of dying either. I had to do something, anything.

Until just now, ‘fear’ had engulfed my body, but now ‘instinct’ has taken over. It’s the kind of survival instinct that emerges in extreme situations, when one desperately wants to stay alive.

Thump! Thump! 

“Aargh! Agh!”

The creature exerted all its strength to sink its teeth into my neck. Each time, I blocked it with my left arm, but the pain only intensified.

Using my sacrificed arm, I cautiously felt around with my undamaged arm. Luckily, I grabbed hold of a suitable-sized branch.

First and foremost, I need to separate myself from this creature. With the pointed end, I precisely jabbed its eye.

Puck! 

An unpleasant sensation traveled through my hand. However, my survival instinct pushed aside that discomfort.

First, I have to survive. I can’t die here.

Growl! Snarl! Roar! 

The wolf, with its eyes stabbed, recoiled and let out a scream. I looked at the creature while blood flowed from my arm.

It seems that it will be rolling on the ground for a while, unable to regain its senses.

“Ugh…” 

During that time, I glanced at my left arm that the wolf had bitten. It was evident that there were more than five puncture wounds.

Porori hit near my throat, so there was no visual effect, but red blood now flowed profusely from my arm.

Furthermore, I have to worry about rabies since I was bitten by a wolf, and even if not, tetanus is guaranteed. The death probability, which was 99%, reached 100%. 

Overwhelmed with emotions, I stood up, gritting my teeth. 

“No… not yet…”

I can survive. Being a hardcore gamer of this game, I know everything about this place. What herbs are good for bleeding, which plants are good for bacterial infections, and which are good for illnesses. 

I know it all. I know it all, so I can’t die in a place like this. I can’t die until I know the reason why I was dropped here. 

Crack! Bang!

That guy still hasn’t regained his senses. Without hesitation, I approached him and forcefully stomped on his head with my foot. 

Thud! 

Whine!

He struggled as I stomped on him once. If I hadn’t quickly retrieved my foot, he would have bitten me. I have to cut off his breath before he regains his senses. Just then, my eyes caught sight of a wooden stick. 

Whack!

I fiercely pinned him down so that he couldn’t escape. Just his bulky presence alone made me tremble violently.

“Huh!” 

Thunk!

With my broken arm or whatever was left of it, I forcefully thrust a wooden stick with both hands. The more I did that, the more he screamed and caused a commotion, but I exerted all my strength and persisted.

Crack!

Eventually, the stick couldn’t withstand the force and snapped. It was the limit of the wood. Fortunately, I had anticipated this. The reason I risked my safety and pinned him down with my body was simple: to strike him with a sharp, nearby stone when the stick broke.

Whack! Thud! Thud!

At first, it made a sound of hitting something.

Crunch! Crunch! Crack! Thud!

The wolf’s skull shattered, destroying his brain. He trembled for a moment, then stuck out his tongue and died. Even afterward, I whipped him several times, staring at the wolf while breathing heavily. 

I killed him. 

The one who aimed for my life, I finally killed him. 

I lived a life far from taking lives, but when danger finally came, I acted instinctively.

“Haah… Haah…”

 Sweat poured down like rain, and my heart pounded as if it would burst. I took a couple of steps back and accidentally bumped onto my rear end. Just hitting my rear end was painful, and it felt as if my left arm had been electrocuted. 

[First successful hunt! Strength and agility have slightly increased!]

I didn’t even pay attention to the status window. After narrowly escaping death, what could possibly bother me? 

My mind was dazed. Even though I had taken a life, I felt unaffected. It felt like survival instinct was suppressing nausea. The adrenaline rushing through my body made me feel strangely calm, like a kind of sedative. 

[Trait acquired: Wild Instincts!] 

Wild instincts? Unconsciously, I turned my gaze towards that unfamiliar trait. 

[Wild Instincts: ???] 

[In the wild, it’s not the strong who survive, but the ones who survive become strong.] 

[All senses are maximized, and the more you survive, the stronger you become.]

Usually, traits have ranks. And those ranks could be increased. But Wild Instincts was filled with question marks. 

I’ve never seen anything like this before. What does it even mean? 

I obtained a trait, but I didn’t feel anything at all. My brain seemed unable to process this surreal situation. 

Ouch! 

The delayed pain in my left arm brought me back to reality. I furrowed my brow at the sharp sensation. As the adrenaline, which had been acting as a calming and pain-relieving agent, faded away, the pain followed. 

“First, I need to treat it… ” 

I didn’t pay attention to the wolf’s corpse. Treating the injury was urgent. Fortunately, I remembered a plant that’s good for bleeding. It’s easy to find plants in the deep forest. 

“I will survive… I must survive…” 

I’ll see the face of the son of a bitch who threw this shit at me. If the author, who goes by the name of ‘God,’ brought me here, I’d curse them out. 

[You have blasphemed against God. Your faith value has decreased.] 

Oh, for fuck’s sake. 

As if I wasn’t already annoyed enough, you’re making it even more frustrating.