My Isekai Life in Hard Mode

Creating a Mana core

"Thankfully, the game's map on my computer resembles the virtual reality version, so getting there only takes a few minutes," Ryoshu said, stripping off his shirt in the dimming twilight to gather dry firewood on his way back to camp.

Dumping the firewood in the center of his marked circle of rocks at his campsite for the week, Ryoshu chose a spot near a large rock to fashion into a seat.

Planning to start a campfire to stave off the cold, Ryoshu realized he needed to master Fire Magic quickly, even if it meant a struggle for survival.

As the forest temperature dropped steadily with the rising moon, Ryoshu's damp clothes from earlier laundry clung to him, forcing him to sit shirtless, shivering uncontrollably. Tearing pieces of paper from his notebook, he lit a small fire with trembling fingers.

"This time seems easier, doesn't it?" Ryoshu tossed the paper into the firewood pile, watching as it caught and grew, warming him considerably.

"Mmm, much warmer now. Living off the grid has its charms; maybe I'll give it a month-long shot sometime," he mused, adding more wood to the crackling blaze.

Setting up his seat on the second rock, Ryoshu pulled out his notebook, determined to use it to remember crucial details despite his Super Memory making it seem redundant.

His grumbling stomach interrupted his thoughts, reminding him of his body's needs.

Inspecting his body, Ryoshu felt disappointed at its averageness, prodding his stomach and contemplating gym visits.

Continuing to write, he periodically checked his hoodie's drying progress, rotating it to hasten the process near the fire.

Finally dry, Ryoshu packed his belongings into his ring and extinguished the fire, prioritizing safety over comfort.

"Time for some shut-eye. I'm dead tired," Ryoshu crawled into his tent, relishing the warmth and comfort of his makeshift bed.

"First day, still a bit overwhelmed by... everything," Ryoshu muttered, unable to believe his virtual reality predicament.

Thinking of the uncertainties ahead, Ryoshu pondered the game's impact on his life, saving and taking from him.

Excited about meeting his favorite characters, especially his in-game crush, Katia, Ryoshu's anticipation heightened.

"Feeling like a kid again, huh? Guess I'm 22, not a seventh-grader," Ryoshu chuckled, trying to push aside his childish excitement.

As sleep beckoned, Ryoshu buried himself under the blanket, feeling a pang of guilt about his fading memories of his ex-girlfriend.

The morning birdsong interrupted Ryoshu's thoughts, signaling another day in the virtual world.

"Still here... in this darn world," Ryoshu sighed, resigned to his virtual reality fate.

Reflecting on yesterday's surreal events, Ryoshu hoped sleep would bring clarity despite his doubts.

"The system, can I log out?" Ryoshu asked, but to his surprise, there was no response from anyone, or more accurately, from the System itself. Ryoshu sighed and got up from his bed, cautiously making his way to the tent's entrance as if fearing it might collapse.

He pushed open the tent flap, allowing the morning light to filter in. The previously dim tent was now illuminated, casting light into every corner.

Standing up, Ryoshu folded his pillow and bedsheet as he would in the real world. He glanced around at the camp he had set up the night before.

Waking up had helped Ryoshu realize just how dire his situation was now. Yet, instead of panicking, his mind felt oddly numb, as if frozen. Ryoshu pushed aside unnecessary thoughts and focused on what needed to be done.

"Alright, brushing my teeth first," Ryoshu said, opening his mouth and sniffing to confirm his decision. Dental hygiene seemed more urgent than ever.

He headed to the stream where he had bathed yesterday to brush his teeth. He had traversed this path countless times in the game, now more out of habit than conscious recollection.

Approaching the stream, Ryoshu suddenly remembered something crucial, making him hesitant to get closer.

"I... have to face the reality. I can't keep avoiding it forever."

Ryoshu reached the stream bank and looked down at the water's reflective surface as a makeshift mirror. There, he saw his character's face.

"Honestly, my face doesn't look much different from yesterday, or perhaps it's even a bit worse?" he pondered.

He mused, "Maybe Charm isn't directly reflected in my appearance, but rather in the aura or radiance surrounding me. Yeah, that makes more sense. Otherwise, what's the point of my Intelligence stat?"

"I hope so, or else I might get expelled from the academy," Ryoshu chuckled nervously.

Ryoshu retrieved his toothbrush and applied toothpaste. As he brushed, he glanced at his status board, focusing mainly on his Charm stat.

Charm: 1 (Unranked)

Recalling his previous Charm stat, Ryoshu couldn't help but feel envious. In the old days, he would have resembled a famous movie star.

However, in the new society where Awakening Users could ascend, anyone could become more attractive. Thus, societal standards had shifted significantly: from F to D, everyone had modeling potential; from C to B, they were average idols like before the war; and from A to S, they were the movie stars of this world. However, anything beyond SS was almost non-existent.

Although the Charm stat wouldn't affect battle outcomes significantly, Ryoshu dreaded interacting with others with such a low stat.

"I think I should quickly raise my Charm stat. At the academy, even the lowest-ranking individuals have at least 15 units; the highest is 68... I might encounter unnecessary trouble otherwise... Maybe I should complete that dungeon challenge sooner than I thought?" Ryoshu pondered, gazing towards the temple gate while absentmindedly brushing his teeth.

From afar, the temple gate seemed discreet, but ever since Ryoshu unlocked his Magic Potential, he could sense a terrifying aura emanating from it, spreading to the surrounding areas like emitting sound waves.

"Should I do it? It's ranked C, so it's not a joke. But I don't have many options now, with only one Teleportation Scroll left," Ryoshu couldn't help but feel frightened at the prospect of entering and fighting inside.

Previously, the temple only required puzzle-solving and trap avoidance, so he could easily pass through as long as he remembered the shortcuts. But now, he would have to battle real monsters.

"If I just rely on over-gearing, I won't be able to pass the Conclusion... I need to learn how to fight properly."

Ryoshu initially chose this area because the monsters inside were only ranked C Slimes. Slimes were liquid-like creatures with a Mana core in the center, making them relatively weak, depending on how he handled them. And, of course, the most crucial thing was Ryoshu remembering the location of all the chests.

"But it's too early for me to enter now... I still don't know how to use either of my two weapons."

"Alright, today I'll practice archery. My goal now is to quickly ascend to rank F, but what about my Mana stat, System?"

Mana: 17 (F) (!)

Core: 1 (Unranked)

Ring: 1 (Unranked) (!)

Circuit: 12 (D+)

"Alright, I'm in the final stage of rank F and about to move up to F+. If all goes smoothly, I must make two more Mana Rings to reach rank E- in the next few days."

Thanks to his gaming habits, Ryoshu could create temporary rings to help him manipulate Mana more easily.

"This takes care of one prerequisite for me to ascend to rank F."

Many conditions had to be met to ascend to a higher rank, and Ryoshu had just completed the hardest one. He also completed another condition last night, creating a Mana core.