Partial Data Mode had many advantages—for example, it allowed him to clearly understand his own strength.
With this, getting stronger became much simpler: he just needed to improve his physical attributes while also sharpening his combat skills.
No matter how high his stats were, if he couldn't use them effectively in battle, they were meaningless.
Ender also guessed that if he could be sent to the Pirate World, he would surely be sent to other worlds too. That meant there would be many chances to grow stronger.
His current stats were: Strength 7, Agility 7, Endurance 5, Intelligence 6, Charm 3, and Luck—a miserable 1.
Strength and Agility were self-explanatory, both closely tied to his close-combat ability.
Endurance represented his vitality and toughness, while Intelligence was related to magic—though its use was still unclear.
Charm, however, was puzzling. Could increasing it make him more handsome?
Ender shook his head. Charm was probably connected to communication or summoning skills instead.
As for Luck, it was likely a very important and powerful stat, but one extremely hard to improve.
Ender was skilled with blades, so his future growth would likely depend on Strength and Agility. But since this was his first derived world, it was too early to plan ahead.
While he was thinking, a sound came from the distant forest—the cracking of branches. A large beast was approaching.
It was coming.
The creature drawing near was the ruler of Mt. Colubo—a giant tiger.
This tiger looked much like an ordinary one, but it was massive—over four meters tall and around seven or eight meters long, even larger than an elephant. It was the size of a house.
Its golden fur gleamed under the sunlight, smooth and shiny.
Ender hid in a tall tree, holding his breath as he stared down.
Such a beast could detect even the faintest sound, so he stayed perfectly still.
When the giant tiger neared the trap he had set, its nose twitched. It sensed danger and hesitated.
However, the few dried fruits on the trap held an irresistible charm for it.
Those fruits, called Mutenji, were something Ender had bought from a shop in the capital.
Mutenji was unique to the Pirate World, but in the real world, there was a similar plant—catnip.
Though the tiger was huge, it couldn't escape its feline instincts. It had no resistance to something like catnip.
After all, catnip was like a "drug" for cats—fatally tempting for almost all felines.
Judging from the tiger's drooling expression, Ender knew his plan was working.
The giant tiger paced around the trap cautiously. It smelled something strange, but didn't sense real danger.
Finally, under the lure of the Mutenji, it moved closer.
It took a few cautious steps, then stopped, scanning its surroundings.
Ender frowned slightly—beasts in this world were clearly much smarter than normal animals.
From its behavior, the tiger's intelligence seemed equal to that of a ten-year-old human child—maybe even higher.
Time passed in tense silence. It became a battle of patience.
At last, the ruler of Mt. Colubo couldn't resist any longer and lunged forward.
Boom.
Dust flew up as the tiger snatched all the Mutenji and began to chew.
The fruit tasted bitter and astringent, but the tiger seemed to enjoy it.
After a moment, it began to react—rolling on the ground with its back against the grass.
The ruler of Mt. Colubo was... rolling around.
Ordinary cats do the same after eating too much catnip—they hallucinate and roll everywhere.
Though mighty in appearance, the giant tiger couldn't fight its instincts. Drool ran from its mouth as it entered a dazed, hallucinatory state.
The time had come. Ender raised his flintlock and aimed—not at the tiger, but at the ground beneath it.
His gun couldn't kill the beast, not even with a shot to the eye—and he wasn't confident he could hit such a small target anyway.
Beneath the tiger, Ender had buried a large amount of explosives, with a few extra tricks added for good measure.
He extended his arm and pulled the trigger.
Bang.
The gunshot shattered the forest's silence, startling birds into flight.
The bullet, heated by the gunpowder's explosion, spun through the air and pierced the ground, igniting the buried explosives.
The sudden sound made the tiger flinch and try to stand—but it was too late.
Boom!
The blast shook the forest. Animals for a kilometer around froze in fear.
The chain of explosions sent soil and metal fragments flying.
The ground under the giant tiger erupted, launching it several meters into the air. Hundreds of nails—placed on the barrels to increase damage—tore into its body.
"Roar!"
A deafening cry of pain filled the air, followed by a burst of fire that swallowed the beast whole. The smell of burnt fur spread through the forest.
When it crashed back to the ground, smoke and flames covered its body, sizzling as they burned.
Ender stood on a distant tree, watching coldly. His face, however, was grim.
Not from pity—he'd long since thrown that emotion away.
He frowned because the tiger wasn't dead yet. The system hadn't shown a confirmation.
The plan had gone perfectly, but the creatures of this world were terrifyingly tough.
Leaping down from the tree, bare-chested, Ender drew his Dragon Slayer and walked toward the smoke.
If it couldn't be blown to death, he would cut it down himself. As long as there was a sliver of hope, he would fight.
He never feared battle—in fact, he lived for it.
In the heat of combat, on the edge of life and death, he could forget hatred and pain, losing himself completely until his enemy was slain.
(End of Chapter)