Author Note

I've put some foreshadowing and I'll put some more in some of other chapters. They will be an important factor for our MC (no, the people who appeared in this chapter aren't the main character though they will be important in the future). By the way, I started to write just recently so you might find me bad and such. And I do have someone who will help me proofread our submission so please bear with a bad chapter until he corrects them.

As I'm still a beginner on writing novels, the chapters I can produce could only have as many words as this..sorry.

[Ed: Eyyo editor here! I'll be responsible to correct this bastard who manage to beat me on a test somehow.]

[Ed: I'm also responsible to add the details but due to my time constraints I'll do that after correcting the author's grammar. To signify that I have edited it I'll put the tag [Edited] to the chapter.]

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A troop of hundred cavalry being led by a single officer in the front. Marching towards the north, they arrived at a dark forest. The dark forest looks eerie and dangerous. It seems as if a legion walks into the forest none of them might return. In fact, some of the soldiers from the cavalry are already spreading rumors of a unidentified monster that is lurking in that forest. The officer at the front turns toward the soldiers.

"We are not resting here. Currently, that traitor is in this forest. We need to move onward and capture that bastard. Of course, disregard your orders and be charged for treason." the officer said with the voice of authority. The officer's voice sounded tired yet very angry.

Even though the soldiers frowned hearing those words, they did not dare to disobey. It's because the target they are chasing made enemy against the royalty. Knowing the current line of royalty, they didn't dare to imagine the consequence if they fail to catch even a glimpse of his hair. Some of the men were remembering the horrific scene of their comrades being torture, their screams, their plead for mercy, their final cry.

"We are moving on. Squad 1, take the North! Squad 2, search at the West! Squad 3, find him at the East. Squad 4, with me to the South! Squad 5 and 6, surround the forest and don't let even a Death Ant get out of this forest!" commands the officer. The officer was trying to remember the layout of the forest. He had been here before to capture a group of rebels but during that time most of the forest was cleared out by a fire. This time though, they did not have the luxury. The spirits of the forest were very angered last time. It almost caused a border shift between them and the next empire.

The officer and the soldiers went to their designated areas. They were swift, they had to capture this man no matter what. Their blood and bones depended on it.

Meanwhile, a strange man could be seen in the forest climbing a tree. He is reaching his arm out to grab from fruits from the tree.

The branch he was standing of was bending downwards due to his weight but he paid no heed to that.

*pluck* *pluck*..*thud*

As he apples pluck the apples and put it in his backpack, the branch he was on snapped, causing the man to fall butt first to the ground. If someone were to see the scene, the scene would be burned into their memories. It was a comical sight, the man's shocked face, the apples flowing out of his backpack and the eventually collision of the man's bottom and the ground.

"Ouch, dammit! My butt hurts now and its all your fault, tree! I'm a 40-years old man for god's sake!" the man said as he held his back. He was did not look as old as he says. In fact, he looks as if he was in his early 30's. The man picked up the apples that were dropped and stuffs them into his backpack again.

[Ed: Them errors.... How the hell did he get an A while I got B on the test?!]

After getting mad for basically no reason, the man stands up and began tapping his back to remove dust from his clothes. Looking closely, the man is dressed in full-suit leather clothes. On his waist, there is a sheathed short sword that gives a hint of being used for a long time. He began to peel and eat apple that he was holding then started to head to the west. Around 30 minutes later, he stop walking to rest next to a tree.

The man fell asleep by accident, but the sounds of metal clashing from the distance woke him up. He was alerted and his left arm instinctively grab his short sword while turning behind. He checks his surrounding trying to pinpoint the sound. Finding the direction of the source, he then move sneakily to the direction. A few minutes walking, he saw a group of five armored men fighting against a monster. Even though the monster is outnumbered, the monster is beating the group like a man beating disobedient children.

The monster is around 2 meters in height and width. It is clad in skin of steel with its tail having spikes. The monster seems to be enraged for some reason. That is quite uncommon thought the man. The monster usually lurks in the dark and only hunt small animals. The group that is losing had it hard since their weapons are ones that are focused on slashing instead of piercing. A man who seems like the leader went to the front while another man went towards another direction.

"Shit, what the hell is a Stedra doing here! The information said that this forest only has monster below Rank C+! And the highest is Rank C+! But why is there a Rank B+ too?!" said the leader. The officer was pissed even more now. The amount of problems he had today is piling up by the minute. "Whatever the case, we must hold on until George finds help." the officer thought of using his soldiers as bait but that was out of the question as his reputation was already in jeopardy.

The leader tried to keep the monster busy while his teammate who just ran earlier tried to get help. The group of five were already having a hard time against the monster and now they only have four people. They can barely keep themselves alive. The monster's roar were loud but it was not loud enough to penetrate through the thick forest.

The monster swings its tail towards the left side of the leader. Taken by surprise, the leader managed to avoid the spikes from hitting his body, but because of the impact, he was flung and crash into tree. Stedra moves quickly to the leader with the intent to kill him. The others seeing this rushed quickly to the monster to stop it from reaching the leader. But, the monster didn't even spare a look to them and walk towards the leader while being attacked from all direction.

Just as the monster was about to use its tail to attack the leader, a bright red light illuminated the area and blinded the group and the Stedra. As they were regaining their eyesight, first thing they saw was a man with a short sword stood tall in front of the leader. The man threw a flask to the leader and then charge at the Stedra. The monster, seeing this, started to run to tackle the man. As the monster get nearer, the man jumps high and was positioned right above the monster. The Stedra didn't know that the man jumped tried to find the man. Falling down, the man aimed his short sword at the head of the Stedra. A few seconds passed, and there lies a lifeless body of a Stedra with a sword pierced in its head. The group stared at the man in disbelief. Who wouldn't if a monster they fought with 5 people still couldn't be killed suddenly died by the hands of one man.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The man grabbed his sword and took it out of the corpse. He then stabbed at the chest of the monster and grabbed the core. The leader after seeing the monster already died, tried to get up. But, because of the pain he suffered from crashing to the tree, he collapse on the ground. Fortunately, the soldier nearest to him was able to catch him in time. They then walk to the man who just saved their life. The man seeing this stopped whatever he was doing and looked at the officer.

"We thank you for saving our lives, sir." said the officer while bowing. The officer was not really that happy that he was saved by a stranger. Knowing most the strong people in this empire, this person might just demand compensation from him. "Ah..it's nothing, I'm hungry anyway and that was a perfect opportunity to get some meat." replied the man. "Then for a compensation, let me help you wi-" the leader stopped after looking at his savior's face.

His eyes got wider, while his mouth is gaping. He then asks "A-are you R-Reid Vulcan?". The man felt something was off. He checked the get-up of the officer. And immediately ran after seeing an emblem with horse picture attached to the armor of the leader. The group couldn't pursue the man because of the injuries they suffered. "Fuck'in hell!" yelled the officer. The man he was sent to capture was right in front of them yet he manage to escape. He also has to bribe the other soldiers to alter information when they report in.

'They are already here, are they? But that is way too fast. Was there someone who leaked the destination I was heading?' thought the man. He had been running from the convoy for weeks now. He went through the pain of not going to any villages too just to avoid people of the empire. Yet from all his efforts, they still manage to track him down to this place.

He kept running and running, he didn't stop until he was stopped by a sudden attack out of nowhere. He was able to dodge the attack by a few millimeters with his reflex he polished from experiences on battlefield. 'What the hell?!' he thought. Looking behind him, he saw a liquid stuck on some bushes. The bushes was slowly being eroded into liquid. Until what was left is only a puddle of water.

'Acid? The only acid this strong are... -!' the man thought of the monster that he has fought before. Cycling through his memories he finally remembered, dread filled his thoughts now.

He looked at the direction where the attack came from. Sure enough, a group of spiders half the size of an adult human came out from the shadows. Reid's face paled after seeing the spiders. Last time he fought a group of these they decimated his squad and left only a handful of survivors. The death of his comrades were more than enough to put his entire body on alert not minding his low stamina from running earlier.

"Verunum Spiders.." said Reid. "Out of all monsters to encounter, it has to be them. The world must want me dead. Why the fuck are they even here?! Their habitat is supposed to be weeks of journey from here!" Reid laughed bitterly. "I can beat them but not unscathed and they are faster than me. Let's hope none of their spits hit me." said Reid with a serious face. He had polished his skills since the last time he fought them. But he knows more than anyone that he could not deal with all of them at once.

Few hours has passed since then, Reid can be seen in a cave leaning his body against a boulder. His face is as pale as snow. He had lost a lot of blood from his wounds. And the other half of his injuries consistent of melted skin and flesh. Looking at his right arm, parts of his bone could be seen. His entire left arm seem to have melted off. The left arm that should be attached to him is not there. While on his leather armor, there were signs of liquid on his left shoulder.

"Damn it. Who would expect for Verunum Spiders to ambush me here. Even I wouldn't be able to be confident to survive in that battle." complained Reid to no one. He likes to talk to himself on his problems as it was rather relaxing for him. He raised his right arm, staring his wound. "The acid is one thing, but the variant's poison is really dangerous. I can't live for more than a day now.." said Reid. It was the same poison that once infected his comrade.

He then closes his eyes, remembering back his days when he was a captain of a platoon. Sharing laughter and sadness together. Fighting in many battle bravely even though they were against the odds. His face looked very gentle when reminiscing his memories. Those good old days where he did not have to worry about anyone betraying him.

"But after that damn woman Alys got promoted by that corrupted king, everything was taken away from me! Elena, Zolck, and even my friends!" the man like the previous monster was enraged. He had been through many painful experiences due to the woman named Alys.

Remembering those times, his face turned into one so angry, so cold, yet so sad. After losing everything, he wanted revenge on the one who made him miserable. He was prepared to die if he could achieve his goal. Even if a mountain filled with enemies were to be in the way, he would of charged through not caring about the odds of surviving. One could say that it was his way of making it out alive.

Unfortunately, the world isn't fair. He wasn't able to kill the General named Alys. What's more, he is now dying inside the cave. A lot has happened in his life, but this last thing was something even he wasn't able to accept. He has to find his way of getting revenge even if he has to sacrifice his own blood.

One day passed, somewhere inside a forest, there was a man, leaning his body against a boulder. His eyes can barely open. He then smiled and and his mouth opened "This is it, I can no longer hold on to a nonexistent miracle. I couldn't take revenge for you. I'm sorry..Elena.." said Reid in his last breath. At the corner of his eyes, there are tears slowly crawling down his face. The face of the woman appeared in his mind.

As he dies, a bright red light illuminated the cave. It shined brightly that the soldiers that were searching for his retreated thinking it was a fire caused by a low breed dragon. Though the light only lasted for a few seconds until it become dark again.

[Ed: The writer uses the word 'suddenly' excessively. There was also a slight beginner's mistake here I took take off. Well it seems that was all for this chappy. 

Damn I added the word count by a huge margin xD

I will re-edit the next chapter either today or tomorrow until then-

-Your editor signing out-]