(This chapter is longer than usual due to a bonus scene)

While Shoot and Sunny slept in the village, something was happening in the forest…

“W-waaaah!?”

“D-don’t come any closer… !!”

The mercenaries Shoot had incapacitated were being attacked by stronger-than-usual monsters, amplified by the night. Unable to flee or even stand due to their missing limbs, they were being devoured by Red Dogs and dissolved by slimes.

“Da-damn it! I should have refused that mercenary’s request… This… never should have happened—(Squish…!)”

The last bandit’s words were cut short as he was crushed by an Ogre.

The bandits had been sent to attack Todd Village, far from their original target, at the behest of Dande, the mercenary Shoot had defeated.

Dande and the bandits were business partners. Dande, a former bandit, sought revenge on Shoot and Todd Village after his humiliation.

Dande would only learn of the bandits’ demise after losing contact with them.

Several days after the bandits’ extermination, Shoot’s week as a bodyguard ended. He’d been looking forward to this day, and he was in a good mood.

“Thank you for protecting the village, Shoot-kun! We had a lot of ups and downs, but it was fun this week!”

“You’re welcome.”

“You seem happy. Are you so happy that your job is over? Are you glad to be rid of us?”

“N-no, that’s not it…”

“Heehee, just kidding!”

Sunny laughed cheerfully. Shoot’s heart fluttered slightly. He had spent almost every day with Sunny this week, and feelings of affection had developed.

(When was the last time I had such a fun conversation? Before I got bullied, I used to get along with Hanamiya and the boys in my class like this. Now, they’re all my enemies.)

In the real world, Shoot had no friends; he avoided social interaction. This was a direct result of the bullying by Nakazato and his gang. His isolation at school had lasted over a month.

(If a new school opened nearby, I might want to go there. A school with the people from this village would be more enjoyable than my old school. Whether I could make friends is another matter.)

Lost in thought, Shoot prepared to leave, heading towards the village entrance. Sunny and Temuji came to see him off. Other villagers were present but kept their distance, because of the incident with the bandits. After hearing the children’s story, they considered Shoot cold and avoided him.

“So, Shoot-kun, will you continue exploring this world or return to your own?”

Sunny leaned in to whisper.

“Well, I plan to explore a little, do some things I want to do, and then return.”

“Things you want to do?”

“I’ll tell you if I succeed.”

After exchanging farewells with Temuji, Shoot left Todd Village.

“Come back again! We know you can come back from anywhere!”

Sunny shouted. Shoot chuckled, waving goodbye; it was unlikely that the other world would be revealed by that statement.

After leaving the village and passing through the forest, Shoot stopped at the vast, deserted grassland where he'd first arrived.

“…Alright, this will do.”

Shoot’s plan was to build a home in the other world. He had wanted a base, a place to call his own, throughout his stay in the village. He desired a house similar to his real-world home—modern amenities included. He wanted to recreate a modern house with a familiar layout, electricity, gas, and running water.

“With some ingenuity using magic, I think I can really build a house from my world here. Let's do this.”

He placed his backpack on the ground, intending this as a temporary transfer point.

“First, I need to gather materials for the foundation and lumber.”

He warped to the forest he’d passed through earlier using “Spatial Transfer” and began felling trees. He intended to build a wooden house. Having gathered enough wood, he warped back to his backpack, transporting the lumber.

Returning to the grassland, he started building the house's foundation.

“Oooooh…!”

He began by creating concrete using earth magic, his intense focus manifesting it, allowing him to quickly build the foundation.

“(Huff, huff…) M-my magic is draining my stamina…”

Exhausted from using too much magic, he took a one-hour break before resuming. He used “Crafting” on the lumber to create building materials. He didn’t want a two-story house; it would be a relatively small structure.

He built the frame, the outer walls, and exterior. Then, he used concrete and wood to create the interior.

(I might be doing some steps wrong, but I’m not aiming for a perfect replica of my house, so it’s fine.)

He completed the exterior walls, flooring, interior walls, ceiling, and roof with incredible speed—a project that typically takes two to three months, completed in half a day. While it might be unstable compared to a professional's work, Shoot was satisfied.

After a short rest, he focused on the interior. He created a toilet, kitchen, bathroom, bed, and lighting—the bare minimum for living.

His extensive use of earth magic had unexpectedly raised its level. Shoot could now perform alchemy.

“(Huff, huff, huff…) I… it’s done… For now, at least… (thud)”

Before nightfall, Shoot completed most of the interior work, collapsing onto his wooden bed, exhausted.

“More tiring than fighting weak monsters… I’ll get bedding later… in the big city… zzz”

He murmured before falling asleep. His simple, somewhat unstable home stood on the deserted grassland. With magic, he could create water, electricity, and fire, making it a completely self-sufficient house with zero living expenses.

The next day, he went to shops in the metropolis, “Colossan,” to get bedding, tableware, furniture, and clothes. He easily afforded everything with his accumulated monster materials and Strange Ore. People were extremely surprised when he showed them the Ogre materials.

Shoot, pleased with his home’s progress, quickly left the city.

“I’ll fight more monsters and get stronger. I need to spend some time back in the real world.

And, most importantly, I need revenge…!”

Shoot had been in the other world for almost ten days. Staying too long risked further changes to his appearance. Becoming even more different from a middle schooler would be inconvenient in his own world.

For two days after completing the house, Shoot ventured into other forests and caves, slaying numerous monsters to further hone his skills.

More than two days later, ten days after his third trip to the other world, Shoot decided to return to the real world and resume his life there. Bidding farewell to his new home, he approached the black vortex.

“I appeared near Todd Village last time. I’d like to travel directly between here and my house.”

As he murmured to himself, a strange noise came from outside. He went outside and saw…

"Wha—!? That vortex!”

The black vortex used for travel to the other world appeared in front of his house.

“Did it appear because I said that just now? Or was it just a coincidence? I’d prefer it if this became my regular transfer point.”

Making his wish, Shoot returned to the real world.

“Alright, preparations are complete. It starts tomorrow.”

“My revenge on those classmates who bullied me.”

Imagining his revenge on Nakazato and his gang, Shoot’s eyes burned with intensity.

The royal castle in the center of Colossan…

“…You mean a skilled free warrior was staying in that village?”

“Yes. Proficient with the sword, capable of casting magic without a staff.”

The man sitting on the large throne reacted to the words of the cowering mercenary.

“A swordsman who can cast magic without a staff…? Such a warrior exists in this world?”

“Even I, who witnessed it, find it hard to believe, but my words are true.”

Carona, the mercenary, recounted the events, sweating nervously. The man pondered.

“Todd Village, you said? Is that free warrior still there?”

“No… I doubt it. He has likely moved on.”

“His whereabouts are unknown. Very well. We must recruit such a rare warrior into our ranks. Immediately dispatch a search party to Todd Village.”

“As you command, Your Majesty, King Metero.”

A soldier behind the man replied respectfully. The man was King Metero of the Sigane Kingdom. He had short, silver hair, thick eyebrows, and sharp eyes. He was tall and lean, having served as a soldier in his youth.

“Your information was invaluable, Carona.”

“My honor.”

Carona bowed to Metero and left. While Dande had contacted the bandits, Carona, who had connections with a soldier, had informed the king about Shoot.

(That kid's power is unknown… I don't care what happens to him, but it’s annoying to let him roam freely. It would be satisfying to see him bound by the kingdom…)

Carona left the royal castle with those thoughts.

While Shoot returned to the real world for his revenge, an unexpected event was about to unfold in the other world…

Shoot Mitsuki's Current Skills:

• Super Strength: Unleashes tremendous power.
• Speed: Enables incredibly fast running.
• Tough Body: Makes the body as tough as steel.
• Levitation:
• Martial Arts: Intermediate level
• Swordsmanship: Intermediate level
• Spatial Transfer: Can transfer oneself and up to ten others.
• Dismemberment:
• Crafting:
• Identify:
• Horsemanship:
• Intimidation: (Acquired by repeatedly showing killing intent towards monsters.) Intimidates weaker opponents.
• Healing: (Acquired through repeated self-treatment of wounds.) Heals wounds by focusing on the injury.
• Universal Language Comprehension:
• Precognitive Vision: Can currently predict events one second into the future.
• Magic: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, Earth Earth magic is at the highest level (fifth-order) in the world.

The prologue ends here. The story mostly focused on the other world. The next chapter will primarily focus on the events in the real world.