Yuta stood there for a moment longer, staring at the fallen trees.
The excitement still lingered in his chest, his heartbeat slightly faster than normal. The proof of his power lay right in front of him—clean cuts, smooth and unnatural, like the trees had simply been separated rather than broken.
"…This is real…"
He muttered quietly.
But—
Grrrrr…
His stomach growled again, louder this time.
"…Right."
Yuta snapped out of his thoughts, his expression returning to something more grounded.
Excitement was one thing.
Survival was another.
"…Food first."
He glanced deeper into the forest.
If this really was the world he thought it was, then animals should exist on this island. And now—
He had a way to hunt.
"…Let's try it…"
The forest was quiet as Yuta walked carefully between the trees.
His steps were slower now, more deliberate.
Not wandering—
Searching.
His eyes scanned the surroundings, his ears picking up small sounds—the rustling of leaves, the distant movement of something alive.
"…There…"
He stopped.
A small animal—something like a wild rabbit—moved cautiously near a bush.
Yuta narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Alright…"
He raised his hand slowly.
This time—
He didn't move blindly.
He focused.
The strange feeling from earlier resurfaced, the understanding of his ability guiding him.
Space.
A line.
A cut.
"…Like this…"
He made a small, controlled swipe.
Shhhk—
The air distorted faintly.
The next moment—
The animal froze.
Then—
It split cleanly.
No struggle.
No noise.
Just… instant.
"…That's…"
Yuta blinked.
"…too easy…"
He walked forward slowly, looking at the result.
The cut was clean.
Too clean.
"…This is dangerous…"
He muttered under his breath.
If he misused this—
It wouldn't just be animals.
But for now—
He pushed that thought aside.
"…Food is food…"
Not long after, Yuta returned to a small open area with his catch.
"…Alright…"
He crouched down, placing the animal on the ground.
This part—
He knew.
At least, a little.
Living alone in his previous life meant he had to handle things himself. While he had never hunted before, he had seen enough and read enough to understand the basics.
"…First…"
He took a breath and steadied himself.
"…drain the blood…"
It wasn't perfect.
It wasn't clean.
But he managed.
Then—
"…Organs…"
Separating them carefully, trying not to damage anything important.
"…This is harder than it looks…"
He muttered, his movements slightly clumsy but improving.
After that—
He left the meat to dry slightly, as best as he could manage.
"…Now…"
He looked around.
"…Fire…"
That was the next problem.
Yuta picked up two dry sticks, staring at them.
"…I remember something…"
A survival method.
Simple in theory.
Hard in practice.
"…Let's try…"
He began rubbing the sticks together.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Nothing happened.
"…Come on…"
He kept going.
Still nothing.
Minutes passed.
His hands started to ache.
"…This is harder than it looks…"
He frowned, adjusting his grip and trying again.
Faster.
More pressure.
Still—
Nothing.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
He stopped, exhaling sharply.
His hands were already sore.
"…Again."
He didn't give up.
He tried again.
And again.
Each attempt ending the same way.
Failure.
"…Damn it…"
Frustration built slightly.
"…One more time…"
He pushed through, gritting his teeth.
Faster.
Harder.
More focused.
And then—
A faint spark.
"…!"
He froze.
Then quickly continued.
Careful.
Steady.
A small wisp of smoke appeared.
"…Yes…!"
His movements became more controlled now, feeding the small spark carefully—
Until—
Flame.
A small one.
But real.
"…I did it…"
Relief washed over him.
"…Finally…"
Not long after, the fire grew steady.
Yuta sat near it, carefully placing the meat over the flames.
The smell slowly spread.
"…Not bad…"
He muttered.
Watching it cook, he leaned back slightly.
"…Thinking about it…"
A small, tired smile appeared.
"…I can cook."
Not like a professional.
Not anything amazing.
But enough.
Living alone had forced him to learn.
Simple meals.
Basic skills.
Enough to survive.
"…Guess that helps…"
When the meat was ready, he didn't hesitate.
He ate.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
His body, still recovering, welcomed the food immediately.
"…This is good…"
Maybe it was hunger.
Maybe it was relief.
But to him—
It tasted better than anything he had eaten in a long time.
After finishing, Yuta leaned back slightly against a tree.
"…Full…"
He let out a small breath.
For the first time since arriving—
He wasn't hungry.
His body felt stable.
Calm.
And now—
His mind could focus again.
"…My ability…"
His eyes shifted slightly.
"…Space…"
He raised his hand, looking at it.
"…What can I do with it…"
He began thinking.
Not randomly.
But seriously.
Carefully.
"…First…"
He moved his fingers slightly.
"…Space cut…"
That was the ability he had already used.
Simple.
Direct.
Effective.
"…Then…"
His thoughts continued.
"…Storage?"
If he could manipulate space—
Could he create a space to store things?
"…That would be useful…"
No need to carry items physically.
"…Teleportation…"
He paused.
That one felt harder.
Much harder.
"…But possible…"
He didn't reject it.
He simply noted it.
"…Sensors…"
Using space to detect surroundings.
"…That would help…"
Especially in unknown environments.
Then—
His thoughts went further.
"…Flight…"
"…Gravity…"
"…Barriers…"
More advanced ideas.
More complex uses.
Things he couldn't do right now.
Not even close.
But—
"…I'll keep them in mind…"
His eyes sharpened slightly.
Because now—
He had direction.
Not just survival.
Growth.
"…Step by step…"
He muttered quietly.
"…I'll figure it out…"
The fire crackled softly beside him.
The forest remained calm.
And for the first time—
Yuta wasn't lost.
He had food.
He had power.
And most importantly—
He had a path forward.