I might not have any use for it anymore, but my manhood was still precious to me. And I was sure every other man felt the same way.

Even your lifelong buddies who'd laugh their asses off if you broke a leg would offer sincere sympathy if something went wrong with your balls. Anyone who made fun of that was the asshole.

And right now, I was facing the greatest crisis of my life as a man. Maybe it was the eel I'd eaten yesterday, but my tent simply refused to collapse.

Could eating a single eel really do this to you? In the Forest of Four Seasons, though, all bets were off. Hadn't I spent an entire day with a fever after eating just one fish before?

'Oh, please. I really don't want to ask anyone about this.'

I desperately searched the forum for symptoms like mine. But apparently all guys were the same, because the bastards did nothing but brag. Occasionally there was a story about someone screaming over urinary stones, but that was it. Finding anything as serious as my situation was difficult.

'Should I post about it...?'

I had to give that some serious thought. This was a little—no, extremely embarrassing. The forum guaranteed anonymity, so normally I could just swallow my shame, but this was different.

Some of my friends were the sort who minded their manners even in games. They said they just weren't the shameless type. I hadn't understood them back then. But now that I was facing an emergency, I couldn't help agonizing over all sorts of things.

'No. Let's ask Allfather first.'

Allfather knew a great deal about everything, so he ought to be some help. Besides, as a fellow man, he'd take me seriously. Praying that his expertise extended to medicine, I sent him a message.

Allfather, are you there?

Allfather

What's the matter?

Fortunately, Allfather seemed to have been hanging around the forum. I was relieved, though that wouldn't mean anything unless I found a solution. Hoping for the best, I told him about my symptoms.

I'm in what seems like... a slightly dangerous situation.

Especially as a man.

Allfather

Surely your penis or testicles haven't burst?

That was a terrifying thing to say. If that had happened, I'd already have departed this world. Still, the fact remained that I was one step away from bursting.

It's not that bad yet.

But it hasn't calmed down at all since I woke up this morning. Yikes.

Allfather

Hmm. It seems to be the eel you ate yesterday.

An eel from the Forest of Four Seasons, no less. That would explain it.

Are you sure?

Allfather

Yes. When I woke up this morning, mine was positively...

Ha ha ha.

That hearty laugh seemed to say a great deal. What on earth was in that eel to make it as potent as a tonic? But none of that mattered. Getting treated came first.

This can be cured, right?

Allfather

Yes. But first, would you mind if I explained the theory?

It will make treatment a little easier.

Can't I just take medicine?

Allfather

It concerns the energy inside your body, Grylls, so your own efforts matter most.

No wonder the Elixir hadn't worked. I'd even applied it directly down there, to absolutely no avail. It had only gotten sturdier. I couldn't blame anyone for calling me a dumbass.

But I was fucking serious right now, goddammit.

Please keep the explanation simple.

Allfather

Of course. According to my research, each sex possesses its own unique energy.

In the Central Plains, they call it yin and yang, but it can be described in medical terms as well.

Was he talking about hormones? I paid close attention to his explanation.

Allfather

Yang energy tends to govern physical aspects such as muscle, body hair, and endurance.

Some claim it is linked to hair loss, though this has yet to be confirmed.

Are you saying the eel contained yang energy?

Allfather

It doesn't contain it.

It simply has the effect of amplifying that energy.

The problem is that a man's energy gathers most readily in his groin.

Allfather's explanation was simple. Eating eel had caused my yang energy—in other words, my male hormones—to skyrocket. Those increased hormones had most likely pooled in my groin and caused this whole mess.

That might sound utterly absurd, but this was a fantasy world. Things that made no sense by my standards were common sense here.

How do I cure it?

Allfather

It should be simple, since you've learned an internal energy cultivation method.

Practice it while imagining the energy gathered in your groin spreading throughout your body.

That sounds really easy.

Allfather

The real question is whether you can concentrate on cultivation with an erection.

Oh.

Now that he mentioned it, that sounded pretty difficult. Internal energy cultivation required intense concentration. It was starting to hurt down there, and I had to cultivate in this state? I didn't know how I'd manage.

Allfather

If it's too difficult, there is an easier way.

What's that?

Allfather

Cut it off or relieve yourself.

One or the other.

Yikes...

Cutting it off was absolutely out of the question. I thanked Allfather and began cultivating. I had to resolve this somehow to get through the crisis.

'Focus on the energy in my groin, not my lower belly.'

Anyone who saw me would think I was a pervert. But I was serious. Surely I had to stop my pride and joy from bursting.

Trying to ignore the part of me that was demanding all my attention, I gathered the energy.

"Whew..."

As expected, this wasn't easy. I could sense the energy in my dantian clearly, but the energy down there was a struggle. Still, it had to be done. I concentrated with all my might.

SHHHHHH

Had my concentration finally paid off? I felt the tightly packed energy gradually thinning. My delight at the sensation was short-lived, however, as something strange happened.

'Huh? Wh-what?'

The concentrated energy began spreading throughout my body. It was quite startling, but before long, the clump of energy scattered like powder. If scattering had been all it did, I wouldn't have been so alarmed. A change followed immediately.

The mana circulating inside my body hadn't merely sped up. Its flow had become far more powerful. And it wasn't just my mana; it felt as though all my physical capabilities had been forcibly pumped up.

My heart hammered, and I could draw out each breath much longer than before. The sudden change left me beyond startled. I was bewildered.

'F-first, let's finish the circulation.'

There was no telling what might happen if I stopped here. I maintained my focus to the end, barely managing to match my long breaths to the stormlike flow of mana while gradually calming my pounding heart.

'Heaven is the supreme height to which all things look up...'

Just in case, I even recited the formulas Heavenly Demon had taught me.

I pictured myself matching the storm rather than calming it. I managed the energy by "adapting" rather than "controlling." Without at least doing that, I felt as though the storm would sweep me away.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

After a while, my heart gradually settled, and the flow of mana stabilized with it. I steadied my breathing a few more times, then ended my cultivation and opened my eyes.

"Whew."

I shook my head. I felt as though I'd become one with the storm. What would have happened if I'd tried controlling it instead of adapting? Given my already low proficiency, there was a very good chance I would have failed.

'Those formulas Heavenly Demon taught me are surprisingly useful.'

Reciting them during a crisis really helped. I suddenly wondered what the next formula was, but I intended to wait patiently.

'... It didn't burst, did it?'

Fearing the worst, I peeked inside my pants. Thankfully, it was safe and sound. Sorry for being such a lousy owner.

I'd had one hell of a bizarre start to the morning, but I'd made it through safely.

'I'm not posting this on the forum.'

I'd be too embarrassed. I'd just write it in my diary instead. Now that I'd learned what the eel did, it seemed worth recording.

'Share eel whenever possible. Eating it alone will make you sick.'

A perfect diary entry. Illustration, effects, precautions—it lacked nothing.

And so I was finally able to begin day twelve, which had already been eventful right from the morning. First, I posted on the forum to let everyone know I was alive.

Wild Grylls Is Up

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the campfire burned down to charcoal)

Day twelve starts today.

└Heavenly Demon: You've risen unusually late.

└Wild Grylls: Something came up this morning.

└Heavenly Demon: Was it dangerous?

└Wild Grylls: Personally, I'd call it my greatest crisis ever.

└Heavenly Demon: Still, I'm glad you resolved it.

└Allfather: It seems everything worked out.

└Wild Grylls: Thanks to you, haha. Whew.

└Passing Dwarf: Hey, that eel you gave me yesterday really works lmao.

└All Hail the Sun: Same lol. Got my confidence back for the first time in ages.

└King Leor: My wife milked me dry first thing this morning...

└Smart Demonic Cultist: I thought it was some kind of drug, not eel.

└All that from just one piece each?

└Must be another Forest of Four Seasons thing.

└Then what about Grylls? He stuffed even more of it down his own throat.

└Maybe his morning problem was that he couldn't get it down?

└Lmaooo, that really would be a crisis lol.

Apparently, I was the only victim(?). Too much of anything was bad for you, and this had happened because I'd hogged more for myself. Next time, I'd share the eel. Assuming I caught another one, that is.

'Do I have to watch what I eat now, too...?'

I could ask Allfather, but I was the one who'd have to deal with the symptoms. Sighing, I got to my feet. Time to begin the day's work.

Repairs came first. I'd decided that yesterday. This needed to become a proper refuge, not just a base, so I'd have to go over everything carefully.

'He said he'd give me the barricades at lunchtime.'

First, I needed to reposition the existing barricades. Since I'd converted the moat into a drainage channel, much of it ran underneath them. It would be better to place the barricades outside the channel instead.

'Time to put my back into it.'

The barricades stood slightly higher than eye level. Moving them without mana would be impossible...

SCRAAAPE

"Huh?"

Or it should have been. Why was it moving? I'd only given it a light test push, but the barricade slid right along.

I checked to see if the ground was slippery, but it wasn't. Even on dirt, it shouldn't move this easily.

'What's going on? Am I imagining it?'

Wondering whether I was mistaken, I pushed a little harder. I didn't use any mana at all.

SCRAAAPE!

To my amazement, the barricade moved easily. Was it lightweight? Absolutely not. The gouges it left in the ground made that obvious. In other words, I had become far stronger than before.

'Nothing had changed as of yesterday, though?'

Had a single eel really made me this strong? It was the only explanation I could think of. I doubted eating eel could increase my strength this much, but then again, where was I? The Forest of Four Seasons, where you had to take every bizarre occurrence in stride.

After dragging the barricade around, I grabbed its bottom and tried lifting it on a whim. It came up effortlessly.

'... This is pretty nice.'

I was starting to understand why athletes took performance-enhancing drugs.