Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

Heavy rain had been pouring over the Great Milis Forest since morning. The sky, usually bathed in sunlight, was now shrouded in dark clouds, casting a damp and chilling atmosphere. Raindrops dripped from the towering leaves, forming small streams that ran between the massive tree roots.

Under the wooden canopy of a Dedoldia settlement, a young boy sat, his sharp eyes fixed on the falling rain.

Ryu Dedoldia—or rather, Ryusei Takeda, in his past life—took a deep breath, listening to the monotonous rhythm of raindrops hitting the ground.

"Ugh… boring."

He leaned his head back against a wooden pillar. Since morning, there had been nothing to do but stay inside the settlement, as the rain had made the forest difficult to navigate.

Train. Hunt. Train again.

That cycle repeated endlessly, without change.

It wasn't that he hated training—far from it. His instincts as a former elite soldier demanded that he constantly hone his skills. But even after years of living this way, something still felt missing.

Purpose.

Back then, as a soldier in his previous life, he always had a purpose. Every mission assigned to him had meaning. There was always something to accomplish.

But in this world… all he did was train.

"Will I just keep doing this forever?" he muttered.

Not wanting to be trapped in his thoughts any longer, Ryu finally stood up and stepped outside, letting the rain drench his body.

A tall, muscular man with silver fur stood near the training grounds, watching him with a small smile.

Gyes Dedoldia—Ryu's mentor and a father figure in the village—crossed his arms as he saw the boy approaching.

"Aren't you tired of training all the time, kid?" Gyes asked with a teasing tone.

Ryu shrugged. "If I sit around, I'll be even more bored."

Gyes chuckled. "Good. That kind of mindset will make you stronger."

Then, without warning, he drew two daggers from his waist and hurled them toward Ryu at high speed.

Ryu's instincts kicked in—he leaped sideways, catching one of the daggers mid-air while narrowly dodging the other.

"Hmm, not bad," Gyes said with a smirk. "But you can still be faster."

"Then let's try again," Ryu replied, his eyes glinting with excitement.

Gyes didn't turn down the challenge.

Without hesitation, the older warrior launched another attack, swinging his daggers swiftly. Ryu responded immediately, dodging and countering with precise movements.

His movements weren't those of a child.

Every step, every leap—everything was calculated.

Gyes smiled in satisfaction. "You're getting more used to this body, huh?"

Ryu gave a faint smirk.

Yeah. He was.

He felt faster, stronger, more agile than ever before.

But there was still something bothering him…

Their training continued until the rain finally began to subside. Ryu, now exhausted, sat on a fallen log, gazing up at the clearing sky.

However, the tranquility didn't last long.

His sharp nose caught a scent.

An unfamiliar scent.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of place. But his instincts screamed at him—something was watching them.

Slowly, he stood up, pretending to stretch, but his senses remained on high alert.

"Hey, Gyes…" he murmured.

Gyes turned to him. "What?"

"In the forest, three o'clock direction… do you smell that?"

Gyes furrowed his brows and sniffed the air.

Ryu saw the shift in his expression within seconds.

Gyes had noticed it too.

"That's not one of our kind's scent…" Gyes muttered, his expression turning serious.

Ryu tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand.

"Should we check it out?"

Gyes didn't respond immediately. He seemed to be weighing his options before finally nodding.

"But we need to be careful. If something is sneaking around near the village, we can't take it lightly."

They exchanged a brief glance before swiftly moving toward the forest.

Their steps were quick and silent, blending seamlessly into the shadows of the trees.

But as they drew closer—

The scent grew stronger.

And just as they were about to reach its source—

Something moved.

Something big.

From the surface of the rippling water, a massive, slithering creature slowly emerged. Its elongated body resembled that of an eel, but its scales shimmered ominously, and its back was lined with sharp, venomous spines. Glowing yellow eyes locked onto them, filled with predatory intent.

"That thing is huge…" Ryu muttered, his reddish-brown eyes narrowing as he analyzed its movements.

Beside him, Gyes was already in a battle stance, his jaw clenched tight.

"Damn it, why did a monster like this have to show up now?" he growled.

The river's surface churned, signaling that the creature wasn't just revealing itself—it was preparing to strike.

Gyes quickly turned to Ryu.

"Ryu, go back to the village and warn the others!"

Yet, the young beastman remained where he stood.

Gyes narrowed his eyes. "I'm not joking, kid! That's no ordinary animal. That's a Giant Spine Eel! A vicious beast that could wipe out an entire hunting squad if we're careless!"

Ryu clenched his fists. He knew his common sense was telling him to listen to Gyes—to run back to the village and call for reinforcements.

But his body refused to move.

Because his instincts were screaming something else.

His body trembled—not out of fear, but excitement.

"I don't want to just train my whole life. I want to fight. I want to see how far I can go."

And this was his chance.

Ryu lifted his head, his eyes shining with fierce determination.

"I'm not running."

Gyes froze for a moment before cursing under his breath. "You stubborn little—!"

But before he could force Ryu to leave—

BOOM!

The river exploded.

The Giant Spine Eel leaped into the air with impossible speed for its size. Its massive body twisted mid-air before diving straight toward them like a living spear!

Gyes jumped to the side, dodging the attack.

Ryu, already prepared, leaped backward with incredible reflexes.

The monster crashed into the ground where they had stood, creating a small crater and sending mud flying in all directions.

Without hesitation, Gyes struck first.

With razor-sharp claws, he slashed at the beast's side—only for his attack to bounce off its hardened scales.

"Tch!" Gyes clicked his tongue. "Its scales are tougher than I thought!"

Meanwhile, Ryu stood a few meters away, eyes locked onto the monster.

He controlled his breathing.

Analyzing.

This thing is big, fast, and well-protected.

But that doesn't mean it's unbeatable.

"If direct attacks won't work, there's only one way—"

Strike its weak spot.

And he knew exactly where to aim.

The monster snarled, its attention turning to Gyes. The spines along its back rose, signaling that it was preparing a venomous attack.

But before it could—

Ryu moved.

In an instant, his body shot forward like a shadow, using his beastman agility to slip through the monster's defenses.

Target: the neck.

The beast sensed him and swung its tail to counter.

Ryu jumped, twisting mid-air with unnatural grace, dodging the attack with a level of reflexes no child his age should have.

At the peak of his jump, he poured all his strength into a single strike.

With his sharpened claws, he slashed directly into the monster's left eye.

CRAAK!

Black blood gushed from the deep wound.

The creature let out an ear-splitting roar, its massive body writhing in agony.

Ryu landed smoothly before swiftly retreating out of range.

Seeing an opening, Gyes struck.

With all his might, he drove his claws into the exposed throat.

SLASH!

A final, gurgling shriek echoed through the forest as the Giant Spine Eel thrashed violently—

Then, at last, it collapsed.

Its body twitched a few more times before falling completely still.

Silence followed.

Ryu stood there, his breathing slightly heavy, black monster blood still dripping from his claws.

Gyes stared at the boy in front of him, eyes filled with both astonishment and… pride.

"You… are absolutely insane, kid."

Ryu looked up at him, a small smirk forming.

"But we won, didn't we?"

Gyes scoffed before breaking into laughter. "Yeah, we did."