"Sigh..."
Two years.
It had taken me two whole years to enter the Dreamscape again.
Every night before sleeping, I had hoped to return. Every morning I woke up disappointed. Eventually, I stopped expecting anything.
Then yesterday...
Nothing.
But tonight—
The moment I closed my eyes, the familiar feeling of weightlessness embraced me.
When I opened them again, I was standing beneath a sky unlike anything on Earth.
"So... I'm finally back."
The Dreamscape.
The air was cool against my skin, carrying the scent of damp earth and ancient trees. Golden mist drifted lazily between towering trunks that stretched so high they disappeared into the clouds. Strange flowers glowed softly beneath my feet, illuminating patches of the forest with blue and violet light.
For the first time...
I wasn't running for my life.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"I never realized how beautiful this place was."
Back then, every second had been a desperate struggle to survive. There had been no time to admire the scenery.
Now...
It almost felt peaceful.
Almost.
I glanced down at my tiny hands before clenching them into fists.
"I've really returned to square one."
No mana core.
No skills.
No weapons.
Not even enough strength to defend myself.
In my previous life, I had spent years fighting monsters.
Now?
A strong breeze could probably knock me over.
"What a cruel joke."
Still, curiosity won over caution.
I wandered through the forest, studying everything around me.
Some trees had silver bark that shimmered like metal.
Others bled glowing sap.
Tiny butterflies made of light floated between flowers, disappearing whenever I tried to touch them.
This world...
It didn't feel fake.
It felt alive.
Crunch.
My footsteps stopped.
Something else had moved.
The forest fell silent.
Even the insects disappeared.
An uneasy feeling crawled up my spine.
Then—
Boom.
The ground trembled.
Boom.
Another step.
Leaves rained from the branches overhead.
Boom.
Each footstep felt like a giant hammer striking the earth.
Klaus swallowed.
"...Please don't be coming this way."
The footsteps grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
Then it emerged from between the trees.
My breathing stopped.
The creature stood nearly twenty meters tall.
Its body resembled an ape, but that was where the similarities ended.
Its massive arms were covered in black scales, while dozens of fleshy tendrils writhed beneath them like living snakes.
Jagged spikes protruded from its shoulders and back.
Patches of coarse black fur covered its chest, barely hiding muscles that looked capable of crushing mountains.
Its enormous face was filled with rows of yellow fangs.
Each breath escaped like hot steam.
Its crimson eyes slowly scanned the forest.
I couldn't even call it a monster.
It was a nightmare given flesh.
Without thinking, I dove behind the nearest tree.
I pressed my back against the rough bark.
Don't breathe.
Don't move.
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Then...
Sniff.
The creature inhaled deeply.
A powerful gust swept through the forest.
Leaves tore from their branches.
Dust filled the air.
The enormous head slowly turned toward my hiding place.
Its breath alone bent the tree I was hiding behind.
My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst.
"...It knows."
Every instinct screamed at me to stay hidden.
Instead...
I ran.
My tiny legs pumped with everything they had.
Branches whipped across my face.
Roots threatened to trip me with every step.
Behind me—
BOOM!
The monster gave chase.
Each step shattered the ground.
I risked a glance over my shoulder.
Big mistake.
The creature's blood-red eyes locked onto mine.
There was no hunger in them.
Only rage.
And disgust.
It looked at me the way a person might look at a filthy rat crawling across their bed.
Cold sweat poured down my face.
"...I'm dead."
The monster suddenly stopped.
It drew in an impossibly deep breath.
The air itself seemed to bend toward its mouth.
"...No."
Its chest expanded.
Then—
ROOOOOAAARRR!!
The world exploded.
The roar became a visible wave of destruction.
Trees shattered into countless splinters.
The ground cracked apart.
Massive boulders were pulverized into dust.
The very air twisted violently.
The shockwave reached me.
For a single terrifying moment...
I felt every bone in my body break.
Every muscle tear.
Every organ rupture.
Then—
Darkness.
...
"...Ow."
Pain.
Unbelievable pain.
My eyes snapped open.
I was back in my bed.
Every inch of my tiny body screamed as though someone had fed me into a giant meat grinder.
I groaned and stared at the ceiling.
"Seriously..."
"Can't they turn off the pain settings?"
The Dreamscape was unbelievably realistic.
Too realistic.
After several minutes, the pain finally began to fade.
Golden sunlight streamed through the window, warming the room.
The peaceful morning couldn't have been more different from the nightmare I'd just experienced.
Creak.
The bedroom door opened.
My mother stepped inside carrying a basin of warm water.
"There you are," she said with a gentle smile. "Time to get ready."
I sighed dramatically.
Today...
I, Klaus Richardson...
Was going to school for the first time.
After surviving an apocalyptic world...
After being reborn...
After getting blown to pieces by a nightmare monster...
My greatest enemy had become...
School.
"...What a pain."
Maybe monsters weren't so bad after all.