The red moon hung high in the middle of the night sky, projecting its eerie glow on the realm below.
The surroundings were filled with a deafening silence.
Moonlight danced across the water's surface, glowing in the dark. It felt like an ethereal dance of rainbow lights, as if the moon goddess were dancing on the water.
The calm water flowed slowly, containing a hint of the dreadful battle. A slight redness visible in the water.
It was my blood mixed with the water, leaking from the wounds I got from the dreadful battle with Crimson Fang.
My body was drained beyond words, with only small remnants of life left.
The cold water made my wounds burn, causing a stinging sensation all over my body. It felt like burning in hell's flames while being stung by needles all over.
I still endured, gritting my teeth.
Time passed, and the water current grew fierce.
I could hear the sound of water crashing clearly.
The current swept my limp body with it, holding onto the slight consciousness I had left. I felt powerless against nature.
A sudden fire rose in my mind, and I made a resolve:
"I will never let myself feel this powerless against anything. Even if it's nature, I will make it bend to my will."
With that, my vision blackened, and my sight blurred until my eyes fully closed.
I was swept along with the water current until—
The sound of the water crashing grew more evident. The current became more violent, throwing my body up and down. And finally, the end came.
While it was the end, it was also a new beginning.
For the waterfall is made when the river reaches its end and craves a new path for itself, removing every obstacle in its way. And the waterfall creates a beautiful scene, signaling a new beginning.
It could be an end or a beginning for me. And this scenery was made...
When—
The water finally cascaded down between two large, round, shiny stones. The water descended calmly and gracefully, without any wind, until it splashed down. A white mist rose with the water droplets. When the red moonlight touched them, they seemed like rubies rising into the sky.
At that moment, my limp body came near the stones, floating. At last, it too fell down with the water. Moonlight beamed on my body, making it seem like a one-winged eagle that had fallen from the sky.
"SPLASH!!!"
My body sank and resurfaced, floating for some distance, until it came to a stop by a rock.
While I remained unconscious.
The bloody night faded with the red moon.
And there came a new day, with the sun rising from the south.
The sunlight shimmered on the water, changing its color. It looked like a river of gold.
The light glimmered on the tree leaves, creating a beautiful harmony of nature. A golden river and shining trees. But no light escaped beneath the tree leaves, making it feel like a graveyard that contained evil spirits.
Yet, in contrast to that, the whole forest was lively again. The sounds of creatures echoed all around.
Meanwhile, the sunlight made its way toward my corpse-like body. My breathing was steadier than before. Sunlight shone brightly on my face, causing slight ripples in my eyes. My fingers showed slight movements.
My whole body made slight movements. showing signs of life.
I slowly opened my eyes, trying to move my stiff body after staying underwater all night. I tried moving my left arm, which I had cut last night—it seemed to have fully recovered. With my whole body healed, I was able to move freely.
I moved my legs, planting them on the surface below the water, trying to lift myself up. But I couldn't lift myself properly and—
"SPLASH!!!"
I fell back into the water, and a thought came to my mind.
"It seems to be the aftereffects of overusing instant regeneration. Now I don't even have the power to stand on my own."
"How ironic, I can't even stand on my own and yet talk about revenge."
"What can I even do in this condition? I'm just a powerless brat, full of empty threats."
"I wasn't able to do anything except run when that beast was about to kill me... The only thing I could do was cut my own arm, not his..."
Many different emotions surged in me at that time, making my eyes teary...
"Will I even survive? At this rate, it won't be long before I die at someone's hands."
"Am I going to die like this? Without even being able to do anything?"
"No! I won't die this easily. I can't."
Blinded by rage, I tried again and again to get out of the water, but the result was the same as before.
"SPLASH!!"
It had been quite a while since I'd been trying to stand, and I fell again. This time, my head went deep into the water. The cold water made my body freeze...
...It trembled from both the lack of energy and the cold water as I sank deeper. Then, old memories began to surface—
My mom's figure appeared in my mind. She was wearing a white one-piece, which made her look quite beautiful. She was under a tree with me, and I was two years old at that time. We were sitting in a park on a bench.
Back then, in the park, I couldn't stand or walk properly. Every kid beside me could do it, and their moms looked so happy when they walked to them. I wanted to make my mom happy too.
But I kept failing. I couldn't stand properly. My mom used to tell me I didn't have to try so hard, but I couldn't understand what she meant at that time, so I just kept trying until I had no energy left.
That's when my mom told me,
"Kaal, you don't have to try so hard to make me happy. I'm already plenty happy that you tried your best for me."
When she said this, she had a bright smile on her face. But I still wanted to make her happy, so she told me,
"Kaal, you know what? Everyone learns to crawl before they can walk. Before that, they try to hold onto things when they stand so they don't fall. Why don't you try doing that too?"
And at that, my mom offered me her hand. When I grabbed it, it gave me warmth and comfort like no other—making me forget all my worries. Surprisingly, I was able to stand and walk properly while holding her hand.
At that time, my mom gave me the sweetest smile of my life, one I still couldn't forget. It was filled with care, happiness, and love—nothing compared to how joyful I felt in that moment.
Meanwhile, pulling myself back from those memories, my body was still in the water, cold, feeling ashamed of myself.
I quickly understood the mistake I was making...
I saw a hand extended toward me, and I grabbed it, feeling a warm sensation flood my body...
With that, I pulled my head out of the water, using the stones beside me. I grabbed those sturdy, big stones with my hands and rose without falling again.
A thought came to my mind as I tightly clenched my fist.
"Sorry for making you worry, Mom. And don't worry, your son will never forget your advice."
I pulled myself together. Got out of the river. And drank some water to get a bit of energy.
With the intent of recovering my strength, I decided to get a little rest under a tree. It was a towering tree with large leaves.
I scanned the surroundings for any signs of danger. With everything safe, I sat down beneath the tree.
It was time to inspect my body.
My torn limb had regrown. Only slight, minor injuries remained.
Now, with everything in place, I had to think of a plan about my future course of action.
I observed everything nearby, just to find the whole forest alike.
I had three main necessities right now:
Food – because I would need to eat to recover my strength and energy.
Shelter – I also needed a shelter to secure myself from upcoming dangers.
A way to get stronger – it is the most important necessity currently.
I need a way to get stronger, or the chances of survival will be slim.
With this in mind, I decided to analyze the surrounding area using Information Analysis.
But before that, I scanned the stone from last night, which I had kept in my pocket.
It was a mysterious stone shaped like a spearhead. Black, strong, sharp, and shiny like a diamond.
I used the skill and found something rather interesting.
[Information Analysis]
Name – Nocterite
Description – A rare mineral only found in the upper parts of the Black Forest. It possesses insane durability and sharpness. Can be forged into any weapon. Has the sharpness to even cut through dragon scales. This mineral is formed in areas with dense mana.
After reading the description, I was able to confirm many things.
Firstly, this place was called the Black Forest, and it seemed I was in the upper part of it last night. No wonder it was that dangerous. That also explains why this area feels quieter and less terrifying.
It must be the lower part of the forest—where the level of danger is low. That's likely why the noise here is minimal compared to the chaos I experienced before.
As for the description, I also learned that this world has entities like dragons and something called mana. It wasn't exactly surprising after everything that had happened, but it did explain why I felt a presence even more dangerous than Crimson Fang last night.
With this new information, I might be able to find more ways to grow stronger.
Aside from that, I'd also discovered something valuable.
I looked at the stone in my hand.
So it was called Nocterite—a rare mineral with extraordinary abilities. Seems like my luck isn't all bad after all.
I finally had some control over the situation… or so I thought.
Suddenly, I heard sounds coming from the bushes beside me.
I crouched down and quickly rolled behind the tree to hide myself.
I calmly observed the bushes—the sound of rustling grew louder and louder. And then, a figure revealed itself.
It was neither a beast nor a monster... It was a man, holding a spear in his hand. His black eyes were darkened and weary. His hair was black, and his clothes were torn, as if he'd been running from something. A bow and arrows hung on his back.
He kept glancing behind him as he ran forward. And it seemed something was chasing him. Loud steps approached the man quickly...
Emerging from the bushes, with blue skin and standing on two legs, came a figure with red eyes gleaming from the shadows. Its face resembled that of a wolf. Sharp teeth and claws, capable of tearing apart anything in front of them.
It was also quite injured, blood dripping from its entire body... From the scene, it was clear the man and the beast had been locked in a fierce battle.
And from the man's attire, it seemed he was a hunter who had tried to ambush the beast and failed—resulting in the current situation. Unable to match the monster's ferocity, the man had chosen to flee.
After deducing the situation, I immediately used Information Analysis on the beast.
[Analyze]
Name - Werewolf
Height - 2 meters
Type - Normal monster
Strength - Above average
Speed - Above average
Defense - Average
Intelligence - Low
Skills -
Savage Rend – A powerful claw attack that tears through flesh.
Moon Howl – Emits a terrifying howl that weakens enemy focus.
Abilities –
Becomes more aggressive and stronger on full moon nights.
Can hear sounds from long distances.
Note – Its vulnerable point is the back of the head.
Current survival chances – 30%.
Upon reading the description, many thoughts rushed through my mind.
Meanwhile, the beast's saliva dripped down...
The werewolf focused all its attention on the man. Now, the roles had reversed—the hunter had become the prey.
The man, out of breath, gasped loudly, pointing his spear toward the werewolf. It was a sharp, clean weapon—now stained with the beast's blood.
The man screamed in a light, fearful voice, his spear trembling in his grasp.
"Stay away! Don't come near me!!!"
Terrified, he couldn't think calmly—and just screamed…
As the beast slowly crept forward… prepared to savor the man's fear…
I bit the inside of my cheek and clicked my tongue in disappointment.
"Tch."
And prepared myself to move.
Will Kaal help or run?