The forest wind whistled through the twisted trees, dragging dry leaves and the metallic scent of blood along with it.
"Wait! Sir, I—please, let me explain!" the soldier begged, crawling through the dirt.
I watched him silently, my hand steady on my sword's hilt.I didn't want to kill him.Not without a good reason.
But now... now that there was even the slightest chance my family was somewhere in this world...I couldn't take any risks.I couldn't leave loose ends that might one day come back to tear us apart.
"Alright," I said, offering a calm, almost pleasant smile, each word measured like the edge of a blade. "Tell me—why would two armed soldiers come all the way from the capital just to find one man?"
I leaned against a nearby tree, arms crossed over my chest, the rough bark creaking beneath my weight.
"What's your name?"
"...My name is Svend, sir."
"Good, Svend. From now on, just call me Bill," I said, letting a faint hint of false friendliness slip into my tone.
Svend tilted his head, puzzled.
"It's just a nickname," I added.He nodded slowly, finally catching on.
The wind stirred again, rustling the nearby bushes.
"So... are you going to tell me what's going on, Svend?"
He lowered his eyes to the ground, to where his severed arm still lay.He gritted his teeth before answering.
"A letter arrived, sir..."
"Sir?" I shot him a quick look. "I told you—Bill. And what did the letter say?"
"It said that the Swordsman of the Forest... would lose his mind—even more—and attack the capital. Among low-ranking soldiers like my partner Mark and me, a rumor started spreading.They put a heavy bounty on your head.We came... at least to try to reason with you, or find out what your true intentions were."
The silence between us grew heavy, thick like the mist curling at our feet.
"Do you know who sent the letter?"
"No one knows for sure," Svend said, swallowing hard."But... it bore the royal seal."
I took a deep breath, fighting to keep my face neutral.
Freshly awoken into this world, and I'm already branded an enemy of the kingdom.What a goddamn joke.
"You mentioned the soldiers... How many of them are actually heading this way?"
"Not too many," he said, hesitating. "If you count the ones stationed in the capital and those who caught wind of the bounty... maybe just a few."
"Exactly how many?"I asked, staring straight into his eyes..
"...At least a few hundred... maybe more..." he mumbled.
"A few hundred"?That's what he calls a few?!I barely managed to survive against two...!
I took a slow breath, pushing the panic down.
"Alright, Svend," I said, voice steady, "one last question. And I want the truth."
The soldier straightened up, his posture stiff and formal.
"You may ask, sir."
"There he goes again, 'sir'..." I thought, almost amused.
I pointed directly at him.
"Tell me... can you see this strange golden window floating in front of me?"
For a moment, confusion crossed his face like a shadow.
"Sir... have you already caught that strange illness? Could this be a new symptom?" he muttered, more to himself than to me.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
Turning back to the glowing golden window, new lines of text floated in front of me:
[New Ability Unlocked: Body Coverage][Activate: Yes / No]
I swallowed hard.
The wind hissed through the trees, carrying the scent of wet earth—and something sharper, metallic, like rusted iron.I clenched my fists, feeling my heart hammering in my chest, loud and frantic.
"Is this really happening...?What if I trigger something I can't control?"
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
I thought of Mom.Of my brothers.Of how every second of hesitation could mean losing them forever.
No.No more doubts.Not here.Not now.
I would take every advantage this world gave me.The giant, the hundreds of soldiers, the kingdom itself, the rift in the sky... I would crush anything that stood between me and my family.
I drew in a deep breath, feeling the cold air burn in my lungs, and reached toward the window.
[Activate Body Coverage: Yes / No]
"Yes," I whispered.
The window exploded into golden light.