Chapter 4 - First Blood

*Yawn*

Raiden woke up early the next morning, the first rays of sunlight streaming through the window, "Damnit, I forgot to close the curtains..." Raiden muttered groggily. He hopped out of his bed, after a moment of just laying down motionless on his bed. He had an amazing sleep last night.

Surprisingly, Mary was already up, bustling around the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mary," Raiden greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, Raiden. Did you sleep well?" she asked, not looking up from her task.

"Yeah." Raiden said as he sat down on a chair, waiting for his breakfast.

Mary smiled at the little and brought him a play of food, "That's good. Here, eat up." She placed it on the table and went back to the kitchen, but not before ruffling Raiden's hair once.

Raiden quickly shoved the entire thing down his throat and placed the plate in the sink.

"Grandma, I'm going out."

"Hm? Alright, just be safe out there. And be back by lunch." Mary said giving him a quick glance before returning to her cooking.

Even though she didn't like Rock, Mary knew his presence alone made this island really safe. So letting Raiden roam around wasn't a big deal.

"Okay," Raiden replied, trying to hide his excitement. She didn't need to know his real plan for the day.

Raiden slipped out of the house, the morning air crisp and cool against his skin. He took a deep breath, feeling invigorated. The village was still waking up, and a few early risers were already tending to their chores. Raiden waved to a couple of familiar faces, all of them just being Rock's colleagues whom he met the day before, exchanging quick greetings as he made his way to the outskirts of the village.

Once he was sure he was out of sight, Raiden picked up the pace, running towards the dense forest he had scouted the day before. The path was uneven and wild, but his body seemed to handle it with surprising ease. It was as if he had a boundless reserve of energy. He pushed himself harder, enjoying the burn in his legs and the wind in his hair.

"This is amazing! I'm even faster than the old me. This body is insane!" Raiden squealed in delight. He was not the most physically gifted guy in his last life, but was still miles above the average. This 10 year old body had already surpassed that level and he hadn't even started working out.

The forest was quiet, a stark contrast to the bustling village. Raiden slowed down as he entered the thick canopy of trees, the sounds of nature surrounding him. Birds chirped, leaves rustled, and a distant brook babbled softly. He found a small clearing, perfect for his training.

"Time to get started," he muttered to himself, a determined look in his eyes.

Raiden began with his usual warm-up, a series of stretches and light exercises to prepare his body.

He soon moved on to more intense cardio, running laps around the clearing, jumping over fallen logs, and climbing up and down a steep embankment. His movements were fluid and quick, far more agile than most children his age should have. He didn't tire easily, his stamina seemingly endless.

After an hour of intense cardio, he paused to catch his breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He glanced at the sun, now higher in the sky, indicating it was mid-morning.

"This is insane. I went all out and even after that it took me an hour to even feel a bit of exhaustion." Raiden muttered to himself.

Raiden took a sip of water from his flask and wiped the sweat from his brow, "Alright, time for strength training," he said, setting up his makeshift weights. He had found a sturdy branch and attached rocks to either end, creating a crude but effective barbell.

He started with push-ups, his form perfect as he pumped out rep after rep. He switched to sit-ups, then squats, and finally, he lifted the barbell, his muscles straining but holding strong. Each movement was deliberate, focused, and he could feel his body responding, growing stronger with each rep.

Raiden pushed himself harder than ever, determined to find his limits. He added more rocks to his barbell, testing his strength. Sweat poured down his face, his muscles burned, but he didn't stop. He lifted, pushed, and pulled, his mind focused solely on his goal.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he dropped the barbell and collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

"Hehehe! Man, I'm beat." Raiden was elated. His entire body ached, but it was a good kind of pain, the kind that told him he was getting stronger. What was surprising, was the fact that he could 'feel' his body healing itself from the intense workout.

"Forget it, there is no point in applying earth's logic here. People here are monsters."

He lay there for a moment, staring up at the canopy of leaves above, the sunlight filtering through in golden beams.

"Hey, system. Can you wake me up in half an hour?" Raiden said, half jokingly. He didn't know if his system had a feature like that, but there was no harm in trying.

[Ding! Alarm set for 30 minutes from now.]

Raiden's eyes widened at the response. "Nice. Thanks." He said with a grin and dosed off.

After a short rest, Raiden sat up, pleased to hear the alarm actually go off. He got back on his feets and stretched. His body didn't ache even a little bit after the rest, showing how insane his biology was.

"No wonder people like Zoro can workout like a fucking maniac everyday. This is amazing." He muttered with a grin.

"Let's see if anything changed. Status," he whispered.

[Ding]

[Status: SILVERS D RAIDEN

Titles:

Member of D clan -

Effect : Constitution +50%

              Charisma +50%

Physical stats:

Strength - F (10/100)

Constitution - F (10/100)

Agility - F (5/100)

Will - E (0/1000)

Charisma - E (0/1000)

Haki - None

Observation Haki (not available)

Armament Haki (not available)

Conqueror's Haki (not available)

Devil fruits - None

Combat techniques - None

Skills -

•) Observe(F) (0/100)

At the host's level --> cannot check attributes of non living things.

(Can be used to enhance ???)

•) Rampage(D) (0/1000)

Achievement Points - None.]

"This is going to take a while. I can't rely just on workouts to increase my stats later." Raiden was just happy he could actually increase his stats through conventional methods and not be entirely dependent on the achievement points.

"Let's get cleaned up. Grandma would get mad if I'm late." Raiden looked up at the sun. It was close to the time of lunch. He had noticed a river nearby during his exploration of the forest, and it seemed like the perfect spot. He quickly dug up a small hole and stashed his training equipment away.

"Now then, let's go." He said with a smile.

The path to the river was a bit tricky, with roots and rocks jutting out. Raiden ran through the terrain with a gleeful look on his face. He loved the feeling of being fast and parkouring through the forest.

Raiden reached the river pretty quickly and was greeted by a serene, crystal-clear stream winding through the forest. The water sparkled under the dappled sunlight, and the surrounding area was peaceful, with only the sounds of birds and the flowing river breaking the silence. Raiden took off his sandals and dipped his feet into the cool water, sighing with relief.

"This is perfect," he murmured, splashing some water on his face.

He waded into the river, the water reaching up to his knees, and began to wash off the sweat and grime from his intense workout. The cold water felt refreshing against his skin, rejuvenating him.

Raiden laid back on the shore, his feet dipped in the river. He just stayed like that for quite some time.

He was about to take a quick swim when he noticed ripples on the surface, moving against the current. Slowly, Raiden turned his head, and his eyes widened at the sight of a massive crocodile lurking just a few meters away. Its eyes were locked on him, and it was slowly advancing. The thing was easily larger than 20 feet, with its massive ten inch dagger-like teeth.

"Shit!" Raiden muttered, his heart racing. He backed up slowly, trying to put some distance between himself and the predator. But the crocodile wasn't going to let its prey escape so easily. It lunged at him with alarming speed, jaws wide open.

Raiden's instincts kicked in, but his reaction was clumsy. He tried to dodge to the side, but slipped on the wet rocks, barely avoiding the crocodile's jaws as he tumbled to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he frantically looked for anything he could use as a weapon. His eyes landed on a sturdy branch nearby.

Grabbing the branch, Raiden held it out in front of him like a makeshift spear. The crocodile snarled, its massive tail swishing as it prepared for another attack. Raiden's hands trembled, but he tightened his grip, trying to steady himself.

The crocodile lunged again, and Raiden swung the branch wildly. He managed to hit the beast on the snout, but the force of the impact nearly knocked him off balance. The crocodile roared in fury, but didn't back down. It swung its massive tail, and Raiden barely managed to jump back, stumbling and nearly falling into the water.

'Fuck! I cannot fall into the water. This thing would maul me to death there.' Raiden thought with a scared look.

"Come on, Raiden, focus!" he muttered to himself, his heart pounding.

He tried to circle around the crocodile, looking for an opening, but his movements were unsteady. The crocodile lunged again, and this time, Raiden wasn't quick enough. The beast's jaws closed around his arm.

"Argh! Fuck!"  He screamed in pain. He thrashed wildly in pain.

[Ding]

[Host has sustained 20% loss in his health. Rampage will be activated.]

[All stats increased by 30%]

"You fucker!" He ignored the notification and glared at the beast hatefully. He used his free hand to jab the branch into the crocodile's eye as hard as he could.

The crocodile roared and released his arm, thrashing around in pain. Raiden staggered back, clutching his bleeding arm. He was panting heavily, his vision blurry with pain and exhaustion. But he knew he couldn't give up. The beast was still glaring at him. Raiden knew he couldn't flee from the thing given how much he was bleeding. His only option was to kill this thing off before the adrenaline wore off.

With a desperate yell, he charged at the crocodile, using the branch to jab at its side. His strikes were sloppy and weak, but he kept going, driven by sheer determination. Finally, he managed to hit a sensitive spot near its already injured eye. The crocodile recoiled, giving him a brief moment of respite.

Raiden used this chance to climb onto a nearby rock, trying to catch his breath. The crocodile, still in pain, was slower to react. With trembling hands, Raiden picked up another rock and hurled it at the beast's head. The impact wasn't strong, but it distracted the crocodile long enough for Raiden to plan his next move.

He knew he had to end this quickly. Summoning all his remaining strength, Raiden jumped down from the rock and landed on the crocodile's back. He wrapped his arms around its neck, holding on tightly as the beast thrashed wildly. Using the branch, he jabbed at the crocodile's eyes, once again. His only option was to stab it through its brain

The crocodile roared and tried to shake him off, but Raiden held on, his grip like a vice. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the beast's movements slowed, and it collapsed onto the ground, motionless. Raiden rolled off, panting heavily, his entire body aching from the exertion.

He lay there for a moment, staring up at the canopy of leaves above, the sunlight filtering through in golden beams. His arm throbbed with pain, and his muscles felt like they were on fire, but a grin spread across his face.

"I did it," he whispered, feeling a rush of triumph. "I actually did it."

[Ding!]

[Achievement Unlocked: First Victory]

[You have defeated a formidable opponent and survived your first real battle. Achievement Points awarded: 5]

[First Victory--> Achievement points received will be doubled: 10 AP received.]

[Rampage has been deactivated.]

[Ding]

[Host is in a critical condition. Use 10 AP to heal the host?]

[Y/N]

"You can do that too?" Raiden murmured quietly, his voice laced with amazement and relief.

With a shaky finger, he clicked 'Yes.' Immediately, a soothing sensation washed over him, spreading warmth and comfort throughout his body. The feeling lasted for less than a minute, but it was incredibly effective.

Raiden's eyes flung open in surprise. "Wha... no way! It almost completely healed!" He stared at his arm in wonder, flexing it and marveling at the absence of pain.

His grin soon vanished though, "Tch. The scar is still there. How am I going to explain this to Mary..."

_____