I immediately plop down on the bed as soon as I got home without minding my unchanging clothes. The comfort provided by this simple bed made my eyelids feel heavier, until they finally closed.

But as usual, instead of falling asleep into a dream world that is just a fantasy, I wake up again in a dream world that felt real.

I want to cry, because I'm really tired of all this.

Not so different from in real life, the drowsiness hit me again. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I tried to sleep, my consciousness remained awake. The longer I closed my eyes in a conscious state, the more sore my eyelids felt.

“Sigh... How annoying...”

In the end, I am only required to accept all that happened gracefully. Silence will not solve the problem. So, I just need to live this life with passion. No matter how mentally exhausted this is, I have to keep moving forward.

Imagining an illustration of a face that had recently been engraved in my mind, I step steadily to go to the Holy Altar.

The Holy Altar, the place where the block-shaped stone is located.

So far, the mental fatigue I've felt has lessened considerably while I was in there before. As in the description that appeared on the screen, the Holy Altar is able to restore the Hero Candidates which also included myself.

I plan on recovering from fatigue for a while before continuing on the mission that appeared a while ago. In fact, I've finished fulfilling the requirements to declare mission completed. However, I don't feel rushed to complete the mission.

The objective of this first mission is to level up the character as high as possible. It is recommended that the minimum upgrade is level 10.

My current character level is level 12, I don't know how many demon apes have fallen in my hands. In addition, there are several monsters that also fall victim to my character's level up.

"Well, I should at least make it to level 15 to be safer on the second mission later..." I mutter as I am surveying the surrounding area from a tall tree branch.

After I looked at the broadcast screen that appeared on the stone blocks on the Holy Altar, I get some updated information. The broadcast screen turns out to be spreading the latest news about someone's achievements, the appearance of powerful monsters, someone who needed help, and so on.

The news spread by the broadcast screen is detailed enough, it answered my confusion at the girl I saved a while ago who could know my name.

The broadcast screen is also the place where new missions are announced. I also learned of the start of the first mission after I accidentally discovered a hidden Holy Altar. That's where I spend a lot of time, apart from leveling up my character.

Then regarding the status points I've earned so far it's 17 points, with the base points received from leveling up being 14 and the rest being earned from achievement bonuses.

I've twice earned the status point bonus earned from the achievements I've made. The first one was when I managed to defeat the demon ape which was four levels higher. Then, the second was the achievement as a Hero Candidate who had reached level 10 earlier than the others.

All the points I just got I haven't placed any of the character's statuses.

I've come to understand of one thing, placing status points must be taken into account. Because it's like one stat point I used for strength, I've actually wasted it. It doesn't matter if I get a new skill from power, it won't be of much use to me wielding this Iron Knife.

Another reason is that I don't want to stand out because I'm afraid that the broadcast screen will recount the achievements that I accidentally achieved.

After I monitored the few places that were still in the Valley of the Skeletons, the people I found talked about me a lot. Some want to meet to get to know each other, some plan to become my followers, some want to challenge me to a fight because they feel they are greater than me and superior.

Perhaps, those who want to challenge me feel unjustified.

If all of that happened, I might faint or the end of my life would come as a result of my mental exhaustion and reaching my limit.

Free people declare that the mission is completed after successfully fulfilling the requirements, then the reward for completing the mission will be given. This becomes one of the reasons for me to delay receiving the bounty by declaring the completion of the mission and choosing to level up my character, for fear of a new achievement coming back.

[Swift Movement]

[Agility Master]

In a single activation of the skill, I just knocked out a few monsters around. Not a demon ape, but some creeping beast-type monsters. Like, a snake-shaped monster that is quite large which has two small wings or rather like fins called a shooter snake. Yes, one of the monsters that just fell was a shooting snake.

Shooting snakes are able to move swiftly and fly between tree branches to deliver poison fire when the position feels right.

Fortunately, no matter how nimble the snake-shooter moved, my agility after activating the Swift Movement skill reinforced with Agility Master made the snake-shooter unable to rely on its superiority.

Monsters other than snake shooters are just monsters that are easy to beat and not challenging at all. In addition, the level of the shooter snake is quite high. So far, the shooting snake is the highest level monster I've encountered in this Valley of Skeletons, which is level 8.

“Haven't leveled up yet…” I mumble after seeing that the status screen hasn't changed yet.

I continue looking for monsters to hunt, since it’s still midday. There is enough time for me to mentally recover at the Holy Altar before it is time for bed to wake up again in my real life.

I find, a snake shooter is circling a tree branch not far from my current position. Without further ado, I immediately activate Swift Movement to move swiftly towards the shooting snake to surprise it.

Then when the Iron Knife rubs against the shooter's snake scales, I don't think the Iron Knife only deals superficial damage.

When I realized that the Iron Knife has dulled make me wince. I'm not sure without a sharp weapon can fight a scaly monster. Plus, I focus on speed and not strength.

'Perhaps, I can do that...'

[Strengthening Muscle]

All the muscles in the body feel stronger instantly. Not letting the shooting snake get away, I want to chase it. But unfortunately, the first branch I step on after I jumped broke just like that.

I fall helplessly, because there are no branches or tree trunks nearby to stop my fall.

For the second time, I am again covered in mud.

I look at the broken branch, it is large enough to withstand the shocking momentum it received from me. Even smaller branches will not break.

"The condition of the branches is normal, there are no visible cracks or anything like that. Yet, how can it be broken just like that?”

My investigation is now looking at this branch that has fallen with me.

Then one thing that I think may be the cause, namely the increase in muscle strength makes my body become more weighty.

“Come to think of it, muscle density is different for each person, depending on how the person cultivates the body. The denser and stronger the muscle, the greater its mass. So in the end, Strengthening Muscle isn't suitable for fast movements huh?” I scratch the right side of my sideburns while frowning.

Even so, everything must have its own benefits. It could be, this Strengthening Muscle can be used at certain times. In the end, I shook my head slowly before deciding to head early to the hidden Holy Altar.

...

I’m flabbergasted after I arrived at the Holy Altar.

What surprised me is that a girl who returned my kindness with a kick to the genitals is sitting on the hidden Holy Altar. It’s with a heavy heart that I go to the Holy Altar, for there is no longer any place that I know is comfortable to live in.

“Whoa… Kennomaru-sama!?” the girl exclaims after noticing my presence. She immediately run to me with sparkling eyes.

I coughed at the embarrassing-sounding name spoken by the girl, before I immediately correct my usual demeanor. “Ahem... You, a girl from that time, huh? No need to call me with something emberassing of all, just call Hiro. Then, why are you in this Holy Altar I found?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at the girl in front of me probingly.

“Apparently, this Holy Altar was found by Kennomaru-sama?”