There are many private farms throughout the country, and the next morning after Ryan placed his order, a healthy Belgian Blue bull arrived from a nearby farm.
The bull was an impressive sight - more muscular than a bodybuilder. Just standing there quietly, he had an imposing presence.
In terms of size, this Belgian Blue Bull was about 30% larger than normal beef cattle, with much more muscle mass than most of its kind.
Its stamina and strength were both remarkable. Of course, its price was also higher than that of regular cattle.
Ryan put his hand on the bull.
"This is the first time I've ever sacrificed a living creature. I wonder if it will work."
"Sacrifice!"
A burst of light glowed from his hand, and the bull began to disintegrate, bit by bit - flesh, bones, internal organs - until finally even its soul was sacrificed. The process took only a moment and seemed painless.
As the bull was sacrificed, Ryan immediately felt a surge of power in his body. With each breath, his strength grew stronger and more stable until it finally leveled off.
Ryan opened his eyes and slowly clenched his fists. He could feel that his strength had increased to an extraordinary level.
"My clothes have shrunk."
He looked at his pants, which now looked too short. He was already a tall guy, about 1.8 meters, but now he stood over 1.9 meters.
Looking at his new height, he thought he'd fit right in at American High School as one of the tallest.
Taking off his shirt, Ryan went to the bathroom and looked at his reflection.
His features were more defined, with strong angles and sharp lines. His body was well proportioned, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, exuding strength.
He was full of powerful, masculine energy. Where he'd once had a bit of a belly, he now had a defined six-pack, as if he'd been working out at the gym for years.
His muscles were full, giving him a physique that could intimidate others just by looking at him.
Ryan stroked his chin and felt an uncanny resemblance to Jotaro Kujo.
The sacrifice of the Belgian Blue Bull had not only given him physical strength, but had also awakened a special ability: Berserk.
Ryan felt a strange tingling through his body as he activated it.
In the next moment, his blood was rushing like an air pump, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. His muscles began to expand, his skin flushed as his eyes grew bloodshot.
In a matter of seconds, he had grown to nearly two meters in height. But with this increase in power, he also felt his mind slipping away, replaced by a primal, animal urge.
When the berserk state ended, his body slowly returned to normal and he slumped down, panting with exhaustion. His muscles ached all over.
In those few minutes, he felt as if half of his energy had been drained.
In this berserk state, his physical strength and defense could reach two to three times normal levels, but his rationality would be greatly diminished, and his energy would be rapidly depleted.
After each berserk episode, he'd endure a half-hour period of weakness.
Although the ability had its drawbacks, it could turn the tide in a critical situation.
However, with his current strength, he could only sustain the berserk state for about ten minutes before he'd be completely exhausted.
He'd have to save that ability for emergencies.
"With my current strength, I should be able to explore the other side of the space-time gate."
His confidence grew as he felt his strength increase. He didn't know what awaited him on the other side of the space-time gate, but with his new power, he was sure he could handle any danger - or at least escape it.
To be on the safe side, he decided to gather supplies.
In most parts of the country, firearms are allowed, but you need a license and a permit to buy them.
Since he had both, Ryan drove to a gun shop.
He bought a pistol, a shotgun, an automatic rifle, and a sniper rifle, along with boxes of various types of ammunition, which he stashed in his portable space.
While the country has no restrictions on gun ownership, he had to register his purchases.
Ryan wanted to add some grenades to his stash, but unfortunately those are military grade and not available through legal channels, so he had to pass on that idea.
He also stocked up on a machete, a dagger, battle fatigues, and anything else he thought might be useful.
After spending half the day preparing, he stowed everything away in his portable room, took a rest to recharge his batteries, and called his teacher to request three days off.
Satisfied that he'd covered everything, Ryan took a deep breath and opened the space-time gate.
Swish!
As the gate opened, a half-real, half-virtual crack appeared in front of him.
Holding a double-barreled shotgun, Ryan stepped into the space-time gate.
Swish!
The moment he stepped out of the space-time gate, Ryan's vision darkened.
Tall trees, dark and humid air, and an endless expanse of primitive jungle surrounded him.
He looked up; dark clouds covered the sky, with faint starlight peeking through gaps in the branches.
Ryan relaxed slightly.
Thankfully, this wasn't the post-apocalyptic wasteland he'd feared, nor was it a high-dimensional world with gods and demons lurking everywhere.
But of course there could still be dangers. Best to remain cautious.
"Nothing but trees. Which way should I go?" he muttered, rubbing his chin.
Suddenly, he spotted a fire not too far ahead. Fire meant people.
"Since I don't know this place, I'd better find a native to talk to."
Touching the shotgun at his side, Ryan felt somewhat reassured. He walked toward the fire.
After a few minutes, a campfire came into view. A figure sat beside it, head bowed, eating.
"A person? Who is it?" Ryan sighed in relief. Since he seemed human, he could try to communicate, even if it meant using gestures and body language.
"Hello, friend. I'm a lost traveler. May I ask for directions?"
Ryan approached the campfire, but when he was within twenty paces, he stopped suddenly.
A strong smell of blood filled his nostrils, and he finally saw what the person was eating - a human thigh.
The figure looked up, as if aware of the noise. Dark, pupil-less eyes stared at him, and a face covered in thick hair looked more like a beast than a man.
Damn it!
Ryan cursed inwardly and turned to run without hesitation.
Behind him, the creature dropped the leg it was eating and charged after him at an alarming speed.
In a few breaths, the creature closed the gap to within ten paces.
"You bastard! You think I'm afraid of you?" Seeing no way to escape, Ryan gritted his teeth, turned and fired his revolver in one swift motion.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Six shots in quick succession, each hitting its mark. The blood-covered creature screamed, but continued to charge with ferocious determination.
With no time to reload, Ryan braced himself for hand-to-hand combat.
With a powerful blow, he struck the creature in the face, breaking its nose. Grabbing its arms, he used a grappling technique to slam it to the ground.
The creature struggled, but couldn't break free of his hold.
"So you're not as tough as you look," Ryan muttered as he saw the creature with holes all over its body.
It was fast and resilient, sure, but not stronger than him.
Just then, a ray of moonlight broke through the clouds and illuminated the creature. In an instant, it let out a painful whimper, and something incredible happened.
Under the moonlight, its hair began to grow visibly, and the bullet wounds began to heal rapidly. His face lengthened and his teeth turned into sharp fangs.
Within moments, the once-hairy creature had transformed into a full-fledged werewolf.
"Awooo!" The werewolf howled, its body swelling with strength as it struggled violently.
Its power had at least doubled, and Ryan could no longer hold it down.
"So you can transform, huh? Well, that doesn't change anything. Who fights fair in this day and age?"
Ryan let go and stepped back. Freed, the werewolf sprang to his feet and lunged at him, only to be met by the twin barrels of a shotgun.
Ryan calmly pulled the double-barreled shotgun from his personal space and aimed it at the shocked werewolf.
"Times have changed, my friend."
The werewolf's pupils quivered. Though it didn't know what this weapon was, its instincts sensed danger.
The werewolf turned to flee, but Ryan remained calm.
"You think you can come and go as you please? This isn't your backyard."
At this distance, at this angle, all creatures are equal before the shotgun blast. Werewolf or not, even gods would fall at this range.
Ryan pulled the trigger.
"Goodbye!"
Bang! The shotgun roared, its power amplified at such close range. Pellets burst from the barrel, tearing through half of the werewolf's body.
Ryan looked down at the now immobile werewolf, his expression calm and collected.
This is the power of technology.
All fear comes from insufficient firepower.
Gods? How many divisions do they have?