The Slow, but Dangerous, Life

The Start of Ryo's New Life

Meet Ryo Mihara, just your average high schooler who, well, gets hit by a truck – classic "Truck-kun" move. Instead of kicking the bucket, Ryo ends up in this weird white, empty room – basically a waiting area for dead people. There, he bumps into an angel he totally nicknames "Fake Michael".

Now, Ryo's not your usual Isekai hero. He knows he's getting reincarnated, but he doesn't ask for awesome cheat codes or a harem of girls. Nope, he just wants a chilled-out, peaceful life – no big heroics or saving the world, thank you very much. Michael is cool with that and sends him off to a new world called Phi, where about 20% of folks can do magic. Turns out, Ryo's super good with water magic. For his fresh start, Michael hooks him up with what sounds like an introvert's dream kit: a comfy little house in the Rondo forest with a monster-proof shield, two handy tutorial books (a Monster Compendium and a Flora Compendium), a knife, and two months' worth of food chilling in an ice house.

Building Up Skills and First Encounters

So, with his basic gear, Ryo kicks off his solo training montage. He quickly figures out that magic is way easier than he thought; he can just imagine what he wants to do, and boom, spell cast! No need for fancy chants. Days just fly by as he learns to whip up water, make ice by squishing water and sucking out heat, and even create hot water for a decent bath by doing the opposite. He trains like crazy, getting super good at water jets and making instant ice. His big goal? Develop some attack magic so he can hunt when his food runs low.

His first time stepping outside his safe zone, he runs into a lesser boar, which is apparently the wimpiest monster in the forest. He freaks out for a second, but then totally pulls it together, uses his water magic to make a slippery ice path for the boar, and then bam! Ice spikes right through it, instant defeat. That easy win is quickly followed by a tougher fight: a giant assassin hawk that uses crazy sharp wind magic. Ryo whips up ice shields to defend himself, gets nicked by the hawk's first strike, but manages to hurt one of its eyes. The hawk flies off, but not before probably putting Ryo on its 'to-get' list. This wild chase leaves Ryo completely lost deep in the forest, a far cry from the chill life he signed up for.

Unexpected Allies and Tougher Foes

Lost in the woods, Ryo surprisingly stumbles upon a glowing lake and then – wait for it – a Dullahan, which is a headless knight. His monster guide doesn't even mention Dullahans, so you know they're way out of beginner league. Even though he's totally outclassed, Ryo regularly spars with the Dullahan, basically using it as his personal trainer. He starts to think the Dullahan is actually teaching him stuff, and sure enough, it eventually gifts him a sword powered by water magic after showing him a cool move.

Now with his awesome new sword and sharper skills, Ryo gets a rematch with that assassin hawk, which has totally evolved – it's black now and way stronger. The hawk's wind attacks just smash through Ryo's thick ice walls, and get this, it even zaps him with lightning! But all that tough training with the Dullahan totally pays off; Ryo deflects its attacks and, seeing his chance, jams his sword right through the hawk's neck, finally winning. Ryo even gives props to the hawk, admitting their fights really made him stronger.

A Dragon and a Hidden Trait

Not long after, a red dragon named Lewin shows up. Ryo remembers his guide saying "run from dragons!" so he totally thinks this is the end of the road for him. But nope, Lewin is super friendly, talks to Ryo with his mind, and asks about the black hawk. Lewin's pretty impressed that Ryo beat the souped-up hawk and notices the fairy king's sword he's got, so he totally takes a shine to Ryo. They end up chatting for hours, with Lewin spilling the beans on the world Ryo's now living in.

Back in heaven, Michael is going over Ryo's paperwork and finds something he missed: a super rare hidden trait – eternal youth! This is a HUGE deal, apparently, because Michael hasn't seen anyone get that trait since he sent some girl to Phi, like, 10,000 years ago.