Stronger.

"You. We. See? really."

Hah? It's... Hot...

Along with the moment the red light asked Riot about it, the air around that place also began to change, and started to get hotter and hotter every time.

"Are. Actually. See. You?" Urging Riot again with its question, the red light began to shine wilder than before, as the temperature of the air there increased.

Unlucky... It's hot... It seems, I certainly have to answer this thing's question...

Unable to contain the heat anymore, Riot decided to speak up, "Y-yes... I did see you all."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

...Hah?

After hearing Riot's answer, all the red lights also began to stop moving and finally, fell silent there without saying anything more.

Hm? Wh-what?!

However, soon, all of the red lights also began to move slowly and finally, began to enter Riot's right hand. Due to the influence of the extremely slow flow of time, Riot absolutely couldn't do anything at the time, other than watch all the red lights enter his right hand.

... What are they doing now?!

Not understanding everything that's going on, Riot starts to panic and tries to rebel, even though the flow of time there is still slow.

*Burn!*

However, Riot's efforts instead resulted in something else. To at least move a few of his limbs, all the red light that was there finally finished entering his right hand. And, after that, a red pattern began to grow in Riot's hands, followed by the burning of his right hand not long after.

At first, Riot instead became more panicked and started trying to put out the fire. However, it wasn't long before Riot finally realized that the fire didn't hurt him at all in the slightest, even though the fire was surely quite large.

"This fire... It honestly feels comfortable-"

*Perk*

When Riot was just about to start trying to research the fire that had grown on his right hand, a cracking sound sounded, followed by the return of the normal flow of time in that place.

"Gyaa!!"

This also means, that all those Goblins will be able to attack Riot again now.

Oh, shit!

Snapping his tongue, Riot immediately turned his eyes to a goblin who had tried to ambush him before.

"Accept this, you shit!"

*Swoosh!*

Shouting to ease the pain he felt in his body due to excessive fatigue, Riot threw his axe at the goblin.

"Gya-"

*Stab!*

Shocked by Riot's unexpected actions, the Goblin also failed to fend off the incoming axe, which eventually led to him being killed with an axe stuck right in its head.

However, Riot didn't even witness the success or failure of the throw.

I don't know why but I'm starting to feel that this fire is also a part of my body now. So...

Facing back to the eight goblins, Riot pulled his right hand back.

*Buuurrnnn!*

Perhaps capturing Riot's intentions, the fire in his right hand began to flare up more wildly, making the dark forest environment bright enough as a result.

"Haaaa!!" Pushing his right hand forward, Riot also gave a punch to the Goblin who was closest to him.

"Gya-!!"

*Bam!*

However, Riot's attacks are not over there yet.

*Shuu!! *

Just after Riot hit the goblin, the entire fire in his right hand began to enter the goblin's body, making a strong burning scent fill the place.

Seeing that, Riot also began to smile, "Well, it seems that I succeeded..." Before finally starting to jump back far enough away from where the remaining goblins were.

"Then... Goodbye, f*cking goblins." Saying that, Riot also began to snap his right hand's fingers.

"Gya?"

Hearing Riot's triumphant words, the goblins were confused at first. However, a moment later, all their confusion was answered, with a huge explosion coming from the body of one of the Goblins that had been hit by Riot before.

Without being able to do anything else, all the remaining Goblins were killed by the explosion, leaving a small burnt crater in the middle of the forest that had returned to silence.

"... Haaaaaa... " Releasing all the tension he felt, Riot dropped his body to the ground.

"Huff... Huff... Huff... Huff... Uhookkk!!" With the disappearance of the threat that threatens his life, all the guilt that has accumulated during the fight begins to attack Riot, causing him to become nauseous and vomit.

***

1 hour later.

*Tap* *tap* *tap*

With a basket of edible plants and fruits on his shoulders, Riot began to walk back to the village.

"It's a pretty tough fight, 'I guess..." Staring at his right hand which currently has a strange red tattoo on it, Riot murmured about it.

I'm even dead now if there hadn't been any strange noises and red lights before... However, what exactly are they? And... Why do they feel so anxious to help me?

Walking through the silent forest, Riot's head began to be filled with questions. However, at that time, he finally remembered the main reason he went to the forest before.

"Ah, that's right, I have to cut down a tree to patch my house's hole!"

After that, Riot began to walk back into the forest, to find a suitable tree to turn into boards that could be used instead of the walls of his house.

By the way, what Riot looking for is not a tree that is still growing strong and full of leaves. Instead, what he was looking for was a tree that was quite large and old, but almost died.

Why? Because while the surviving tree is harder and more durable, its manufacturing process will also be more complicated, Riot doesn't have time for that at the moment. Meanwhile, although the almost dead tree is more easily weathered, that tree honestly has a lighter weight, because the moisture content contained in it has been reduced. Therefore, such a tree would be better suited for the temporary additions that Riot trying now.

At least, that's what Riot knows based on his previous experiences in wood-related jobs like this.

In the end, it took more than 1 hour for Riot to find a tree that fits his criteria. And, when Riot managed to return to the Seihul village, that was already getting dark. So, Riot also became unable to start patching holes in his new home that day.

After distributing some fruits and plants that he had collected too much with a few villagers, Riot immediately returned to his new home and began to wash his body with the water he had taken from the well in the middle of the village.

Although some villagers asked him what had honestly happened to him until he suffered several wounds and blood splashes on his clothes, Riot only replied that he only accidentally experienced a fight with a wild wolf in the forest, because Riot didn't want these villagers to worry too much about the goblins.

However, there was one thing he realized had changed in his body.

He felt... That he has become a little stronger.

Whether because of all the red light that had entered his right hand and left a mysterious fiery red tattoo or because he had defeated the goblins, Riot didn't know the exact answer to that.

"However, I believe I have somehow become a little stronger..." Muttering that, Riot also stared at the mysterious red tattoo on his right hand at this time. Smiling, Riot also began to say, "After all..."

*Burn!*

"... Now I can bring out a fire from my hand." With a warm look in his eyes, Riot also watched the small fire that began to grow in his right hand.

Seems... I'm finally going to get a pretty good life here. Not as a "Weak" or a "Strong" one, but simply, just as a slightly strong villager. So...

Thinking about that, Riot also extinguished the fire in his hand, and finally began to close his eyes.

"... You don't have to worry about me anymore, Rena."

Saying the name of someone very precious to him, Riot finally got a good night's sleep for the first time in his life.