Nam woke up, his body feeling even more numb than before. Yet, there wasn't a single animal in sight. It was as if they were deliberately avoiding him.

He sat there, waiting for the numbness to fade. His lips were dry, his throat parched—he needed water. When the sensation finally returned to his limbs, he pushed himself up. He was still exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes making it obvious.

"A new place, a new life… and still, my luck sucks. Damn it," he muttered, taking slow but determined steps forward.

There were no animals around, yet he was sure he had heard some earlier. Still, something else was bothering him. His pendant—the one that had always followed him—was missing. That alone was enough to put him on edge.

For nearly three hours, he walked. His legs ached, but he pressed on. Then, in the distance, he spotted a cabin. Narrowing his eyes, he leaned against a tree for support.

"Another cliché, huh?" A bitter chuckle escaped him. He was sick of clichés, yet he knew that every story was built upon them.

He had put enough distance between himself and the burning city. If he wanted, he could check out the cabin. But that would only move the story forward—something he wasn't particularly interested in. So instead, he turned east.

That's when a cold voice echoed from behind.

"Do you need help, young man? You look exhausted."

A woman's voice.

Nam didn't turn around. He didn't even flinch. "I don't need anything. Got it?"

She didn't sound convinced. "Really? Your lips are dry, and you're barely walking straight. That alone is proof that you're dehydrated."

Nam didn't reply. Because she wasn't wrong.

But he didn't want help. If he accepted, the story would move forward, and more things would unfold. He didn't want that. He just wanted a simple life.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" she asked again.

Nam gave the same cold response. "I said I don't need help. Got it?"

The woman examined her nails. "Swear it."

Nam frowned. If there was one thing he hated, it was people asking him to swear on something. "Do I really need to swear? Can't I decide that on my own?" He hesitated for a moment but then continued. "Ha! But if you're so sure that I need help, then tell me… If you really wanted to help, why did you wait until I started heading east?"

The woman smirked. "So, you figured it out?" She paused for a moment before adding, "If you want to survive, just keep going east. You'll find what you're looking for."

And with that, her presence vanished.

Nam felt uneasy. There was no way she was normal. But at the moment, he didn't care. He needed water.

He moved forward, each step echoing in the forest's silence. Eventually, he spotted two young deer—one male, one female—playfully chasing each other.

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

Then they saw him.

Nam froze as if bound by invisible chains.

The moment their eyes met, the deer bolted. The female stumbled, twisting her ankle, yet she forced herself to keep running. The male, even more terrified, leaped over obstacles, desperate to get away.

A chill ran down Nam's spine. Were they… running from him?

His breath caught in his throat. What if there was a wolf behind him? What if he was about to die? His body stiffened as he slowly turned his head.

Nothing.

The forest was completely silent.

No wolf.

No predator.

Just him.

His fingers trembled slightly. "Are the animals… running from me?"

It didn't make sense. He had seen a rabbit earlier, and it hadn't reacted that way. So why now?

He didn't dwell on it. The woman was right—there really was a river ahead. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees and drank as if he had never tasted water before.

Yet, even as he drank, his mind wandered back to the woman. Who was she? And why had she helped him?

Beside the river, large stones were scattered, and at the river's source stood a monument.

It depicted a figure with long hair, its hands pressed together in a gesture of offering. The head was tilted slightly, as if waiting for something.

Fish swam lazily in the clear water, indifferent to his presence. After washing his face, Nam approached the monument.

"Nael Corven, may you live on forever," the inscription read.

Beneath it, another line of text:

"Nael Corven, a wise man and mentor to all. Though beloved by many, he has never taken a single disciple."

Something about it felt familiar.

Nam stared at the monument. A wise man. A mentor. Someone beloved by all.

Someone like that should have been treated as royalty. So why was his monument in the middle of nowhere?

Maybe he had chosen this place himself. Maybe he had wanted it this way.

Nam examined the monument more closely. It was plain. Just stone—nothing extravagant.

He glanced at the years carved into the base.

1540 – 1567.

His breath hitched.

His hands trembled.

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Twenty-seven…?" he whispered. "He was only twenty-seven when he died?"

It was absurd. How could someone become a wise man, a mentor, and a legend—all in just twenty-seven years?

"Wait… Does that mean… he was the protagonist?!

This time, Nam didn't just stare—he looked at the monument with admiration. "But how did he die at twenty-seven…?"

Then, at the base of the monument, he noticed something.

A pendant.

His pendant. The Ouroboros.

Larod's words echoed in his mind.

"No one abandons their master."

A shiver ran down his spine.

Nam picked up the pendant. "So, you came back to your old master's grave, huh? You useless hunk of metal."

He slipped it into his pocket, but something else caught his eye.

The monument… was slightly tilted

A suspicion formed in his mind. Carefully, he placed his hand on the stone and examined it more closely.

Then, realization struck.

"I see," he muttered coldly.

Taking the pendant out again, he placed it into the statue's hands.

Nothing happened.

"What? Come on! In stories, this kind of thing always works!"

Just as he was about to give up, the statue's hands clenched tightly around the pendant.

Nam barely reacted. Somehow, this felt… normal.

Then, a parchment appeared.

Nam grabbed it and reached for the pendant—but the statue wouldn't let go. No matter how hard he tried, it held the pendant in an iron grip.

"So, I have to give something up to take this," he mused.

Without much thought, he grabbed one of the large stones nearby and hurled it at the statue.

The stone shattered, and the statue crumbled.

The pendant, however, remained unharmed. Nam retrieved it, then turned his attention to the parchment.

Unfolding it, his eyes scanned the words inside.

"If you're reading this, know this—right now, you will either kill or be killed. We are nothing but pawns in this world. Nothing here is normal. Everything is built on lies. We live in a world where even gods mock us."

"The entire world is trapped in a cycle. No, not just the world—this entire galaxy is stuck in a never-ending loop. I tried to break free, but I failed. Maybe no one can. No spirits, no Chronis, no other race—none of them can win against that bastard."

"Or rather… those bastards."

"This life is a joke. We're treated not as people, but as disposable tools. Everything I worked for, everything I dreamed of—it was all destroyed. And yet, they still weren't satisfied. It's impossible to please them."

"If you've read this far, then read the rest. This message will disappear after you finish it, and the materials will reveal themselves. I'm sorry for leaving this to you—Nio… or should I say, Nam."