The Cyclops's Gem
I'd thought it was just a small gem embedded in its head, faintly wrapped in red light... but sparkle! Once I pried it out and shook it clean in a nearby puddle, that crimson glow was downright dazzling. It shimmered like a ruby, yet inside, strange bubbles(?) bubbled and sparkled in a mysterious dance. No doubt about it—this was rare. The original novel mentioned it could buy a whole castle, and now that felt totally believable.
"But... how much would a castle even cost in this world?"
Thinking back to those Western castles I'd seen online in my past life, my mind swelled with grandeur. Towering walls stacked high enough to keep outsiders out, spires stabbing at the sky! Conservatively, at least ten billion? Nah, way more.
"...Not bad at all."
So there was some payoff for all my suffering here. Clutching the glowing red gem, I rose to my feet.
Crackle, fizz-crackle!
My massive hand gripping the gem still sparked with golden currents that looked like lightning. As my Berserk Mode duration extended, these residual electric arcs lingered longer across my body. And come to think of it, the rewards from this hellhole weren't just this gem. The electric powers I'd gained from devouring that thunderbird exceeded my wildest expectations.
Creak. Human movement relied on electrical signals firing between cells. I'd speculated that channeling the currents surging in Berserk Mode could explosively boost my muscles, nerves, and reflexes—but I hadn't dreamed it'd be this effective.
"Think I can squeeze out one more go?"
The explosive acceleration from before seemed capped at a couple uses, but after taking down the Cyclops, that hardly mattered.
Thud, thud.
A few powerful stomps carried me up the valley slope, scarred by massive explosions, to the peak of Monster Island's tallest mountain. Beneath a blanket of white clouds like sheep's wool, no threatening terrain in sight demanded such acceleration—not a single one across the island's expanse.
"...So this is the view from up here."
It felt surreal. The full panorama of Monster Island stretched out beneath the open sky, filling me with awe. Take a look. Beyond the jagged valleys like knife blades, vast plains unfurled into the distance. Scattered between were low hills, ridges, rocky outcrops. Rivers snaked through, flanked by dense jungle on one side. Deeper in lay swamps... The milder spots would suit orc tribes hunting nearby wolves or bears; the thicketed areas hid trolls snaring snakes and crocs; down there, lush meadows and ravines perfect for goblins to swarm from at night...
And I'd devoured ninety percent of those monsters myself. The orc and troll tribes that once roamed, hunted, and formed clans everywhere—from rabbits, deer, wolves, and goblins at the bottom, up to their predators like thunderbirds, ogres, and even the apex Cyclops. Somehow, I'd become the pinnacle of this hellish island's food pyramid.
Huuuuuh.
Suddenly, a deep, pent-up breath rattled out from my dantian. Maybe it was the island's edge, now tiny as ants, stirring memories of those hellish days. How many months had it taken to reach this point? Survival. I'd charged toward that single goal like a madman, enduring unimaginable ordeals from my past life—trials I'd never even dreamed of, let alone needed.
Clap!
No time for nostalgia yet. I slapped both cheeks to snap myself alert, focusing on the final step to turn ninety-nine percent suffering into one hundred percent payoff.
"...Let's go."
The vast ocean stretched azure in every direction. Time to cross that eye-searing blue expanse and finally reach the continent.
Descending to the island's edge took half the time it did to climb. With Berserk Mode still active, massive leaps downward did the trick.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Like some green-skinned kaiju from old movies, I bounded down, leaving craters in the earth, vitality surging so wildly I couldn't help laughing.
"Hahahahahahaha—"
Shaking the mountains and forests in my wake, I reached the shore and dragged out the raft I'd stashed in a cave last month. Dozens of whole logs lashed with bundles of monster sinew, topped with huge oars and a small sail—my colossal raft. Ever since my fists could shatter boulders, crafting this from the island's endless resources was child's play.
'Direction's that way.'
Monster Island lay directly east of the Carbon Kingdom. Having tracked the sun daily, picking my heading was easy.
And so.
Whoosh!
Splash!
Just before boarding the massive raft to paddle through the crashing waves...
"Oh, right."
I'd almost forgotten. A ridiculous chuckle escaped me. This insane endeavor had started because of those, after all.
Splash, splash, splash.
Retracing big footprints along the coast, I hoisted the huge rock beside the cave.
"Hup."
The boulder arced high, splashing far out to sea. Suddenly, a grotesque rumble rose from the depths, and a massive tentacle burst forth. Its tip splayed open, spines writhing toward me.
"What the fuck."
Another casual boulder toss nailed it. With Berserk Mode holding, I hurled rocks from everywhere like a snowball fight.
Grrrrrrumble—
The tentacle writhed, emitting stranger cries than before, spewing iridescent blood as it flopped lifeless atop the waves. I fanned boulders left and right.
"Hup! Hyah! Hoozah!"
About thirty minutes later, the shallows frothed only with blood foam and floating tentacles.
Clap, clap.
I dusted my hands, a relieved laugh bursting free. Finally... all prepped! Time to leave this goddamn island!
Brushing off half a year of horrors with one laugh, I stepped onto the raft with trembling legs—crossed by a whirlwind of emotions. No more monster meat! Maybe a real fluffy bed!
"Alright then."
Gripping the massive oars, I rowed fiercely.
"...Farewell at last!!!"
"...Finally complete!"
Aboard the ship speeding toward Monster Island, Ivan's eyes gleamed with greed and shock at the crimson aura filling the vast deck.
Shoooooo—!
Karina, the genius mage, was prepping her spell. The mana gathered at the ship's center swirled like a massive vortex.
Kaboom rumble rumble—!
"This is..."
"The power of a mage called a genius even in the Magic Tower..."
"Insane..."
The magic swordsmen watching from afar muttered in disbelief. What kind of explosion was she preparing? More importantly, how could she hold that much mana suspended in the air? A colossal red spiral towered into the sky like a geyser, Karina floating within, hair whipping as she chanted.
Ivan couldn't hide his awe. " ...All set? Just say the word and it'll fire?"
Karina nodded slightly, eyes closed.
"...What?! Not yet? You mean it can gather even more mana? That's..."
One finger rose—don't interrupt. Large-scale spells demanded total focus. Knowing this, Ivan clamped his mouth shut with both hands, but his admiring gasps slipped out.
"...My god..."
As Ivan anticipated Karina's massive blast—thrilled at the massive ROI from using her—his lips curled smugly.
Then.
"Huh?!"
From the crow's nest, a lookout—awestruck by the mana vortex—spotted something odd through his spyglass, just beyond the faintly visible Monster Island.
"What... is that?"