My Bugged System Made Me Too OP!-Chapter 34: The deeper parts of the forest

Noah leaned back slightly in the chair, letting out a long breath as he flexed his fingers.

Slowly, he clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the muscles shift and tighten, the new energy coursing through his veins like molten fire.

The sensation was electric, almost intoxicatingd.

Each contraction, each release, reminded him of the difference between the boy who had arrived at the academy this morning and the Core Magus who now sat in his home.

’It’s time I complete the weekly quest also,’ he thought, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.

He wiped it away absentmindedly, already picturing the path he would take.

The weekly quest needed him to hunt down five mana beasts, a task he himself knew could be quite dangerous.

His decision to raise Sense more than the other stats was strategic. He needed to detect the beasts first, locate them before they could flee or attack, and then gauge the best way to handle each one without drawing attention.

His eyes drifted to the window.

Beyond the small clearing around his home, the familiar landscape stretched out—a mixture of barren fields, patches of dirt, and the faint silhouettes of other small homes in the distance.

His house was situated on the edge of a deserted area, but just beyond it lay a large bush forest.

In the outer edges of the forest, the land was occupied by farms.

His mother spent most of her daylight hours there, tending to the crops, tilling the soil, and gathering what little they produced.

The small plot she cultivated was hardly unique—many of the other poor families in the region did the same.

Each farm was a patch of survival, a stubborn claim to food in an otherwise harsh and unforgiving land.

The ground was dry and barren in most areas. Only a few hardy plants managed to yield edible produce.

Most of what was harvested went directly to the family’s daily sustenance, leaving only scraps to sell at the local market or exchange for other necessities.

The deeper parts of the forest, however, were rumored to be far more dangerous.

Whispers among the villagers spoke of wild mana beasts, and other hazards that had deterred even the most experienced adventurers from venturing too far in.

Noah had followed his mother to the edge of the farms a few times, helping with light chores or gathering materials. But he had never dared to enter deeper into the forest.

The tales told by others of the forest’s dangers lingered in his mind. It was enough to keep even grown men cautious, let alone a boy like him—back then untrained, weak, and unable to defend himself.

Now, though, things were different. The surge of stats, the new abilities, and the experience from the morning’s exploits had sharpened his body and mind.

He could feel it in the way his muscles moved, in the subtle tingle along his nerves, in the clarity of his thoughts.

The forest might still be dangerous, but he was no longer the boy who had watched it from the edge.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. Soon, he would see just how much his newfound strength, agility, and perception could allow him to accomplish. The weekly quest might not be easy—but he felt ready to face it.

The path ahead was clear in his mind: complete the weekly quest, gain more EXP, earn Supreme Points, and continue building himself beyond the limits everyone else thought he had. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

A faint shiver ran down his spine when he thought about unprecedented dangers he could face in the forest, and he gulped quietly.

The thought of facing such dangers—of being completely alone, deep inside the forest with no help—made his chest tighten slightly.

The risk was obvious, undeniable. One misstep, one moment of hesitation, and it could end before it even began.

Yet, a dry, humorless chuckle escaped him, almost involuntarily.

’It’s dangerous... but then... there are mana beasts there. I need to hunt mana beasts.’ His lips curved faintly, and his eyes narrowed as he considered the logic.

Noah exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, letting the soft breeze wash over him.

He had done this before, but now it felt different.

Even with his eyes shut, the world seemed to sharpen. The air brushing against his skin carried more information.

Each rustle of leaves, the faint creaking of branches, the distant chirp of a bird—it all felt vivid, clear, almost amplified.

A bead of sweat slid down his temple as he concentrated. He could feel the tiniest shifts in the wind, detect subtle changes in the earth beneath his feet, and sense the faint residual pulses of mana that floated in the house.

This, he realized, was exactly why he had increased his Sense stat so heavily.

He could detect threats before they appeared, anticipate the sudden strike of a beast, and avoid hazards that others would stumble into blindly.

The feeling of awareness alone reassured him. The forest was dangerous, yes, but now he could feel its rhythm, its subtle heartbeat.

’I’m strong... strong enough to handle whatever I might face in that forest,’ he thought, his jaw firm, a quiet fire lighting behind his eyes.

Every pulse, every beat of his heart told him he could handle this.

With that certainty anchoring him, he straightened his shoulders and stood up, heading towards the door.

He made sure to lock the door behind him before turning towards the direction of the forest, letting out a low exhale.

The worn path toward the forest stretched before him, dotted with patches of dry grass and broken stones.

His boots made muted crunches as he walked, and the faint smell of earth and moss filled the air. The deeper he moved toward the shadowed treeline, the more the sounds of the village faded behind him.

As he reached the first line of bushes, a frail voice called out behind him. "Noah... that’s your name right? where are you going?"