“My deepest apologies, young master.”

Those were the last words I heard from my most trusted aide, Edran, after he and other of my retainers assassinated me. The memories before this moment flicker like dying embers—brief, elusive flashes of betrayal and fear. The only memories that were clear as water were those very words, and the fact that I was set to be killed by none other than my own family.

Four stabs, all of them directed at my chest, all of them with the earnest intent to kill. An unfamiliar fire coursed through me, igniting a primal fear that clawed at my insides despite my lack of training, that is just how much ferocity they exuded when they tucked in a knife in me like it’s a common thing to do.

Fourth stab, that’s when they let go of the knife stuck in my chest, I had one last look at Edran, and what I saw was a pair of eyes with no regrets, no guilt, nothing.

“If you’re angry, blame neither us nor the one who gave the order, blame yourself for being born.”

Those were his last words before they left, with me clutching to the knife in my chest, writhing in pain all confused and tortured by the imminent death I’m facing. In that agonizing moment, I almost welcomed death, believing it to be my only escape from a life filled with regrets.

Well, that’s what I am supposed to think in this situation.

Unfortunately for them, they underestimated me once again, assuming I was oblivious to their actions. Like all those drunk on their own strength, they grew arrogant before someone they deemed weak, convinced the advantage would always be theirs. But that’s the flaw of the powerful—their complacency becomes their undoing.

You’ll see.

I tried to stand up while holding the knife stabbed directly into my heart, since removing it would let me die faster by blood loss. Controlling even my breathing became more difficult the more I walked, however, I must move forward toward my only lifeline right now.

I was able to fool Edran into bringing me close to the spot near the river where I hid one of the most treasured elixirs of our family, the Elixir of Vitality.

[Elixir of Vitality. These vials of bluish liquids are products of concoctions that takes several ingredients from legendary beasts to make. It is so important that wars were waged, and people were killed just for droplets of this miracle drink. Not only they heal on a near-death level, but they also provide different enhancements on the body.]

Taking the elixir I had hidden in a rock nearby, I removed the cork and prepared to drink. Needless to say, I had to remove the knife stabbed on my chest. Bracing with all my determination, I plucked the weapon out. I had to bite my lips from the excruciating pain because I don’t want to attract unnecessary attention. Blood spurted like a fountain from my chest, and I instantly gulped down on the elixir.

At first, I felt dizzy from the continuous blood loss, but true to the word, after just a few moments, all of my injuries vanished like the wind and I also felt a surge of strength inside me like I’m being renewed. It truly deserves its moniker as the “miracle drink.”

“Phew.” I had surmised that I will be having near death experiences in this plan, but I guess you always underestimate things you’ve never experienced before. Thinking back, I had thought that they would execute me three days later, Edran must have noticed something, so he changed plans. Sharp as ever huh. Good thing that I hid a few elixirs like this in different other locations, although the process was tedious and extremely dangerous, it was all worth it.

This was a fatal mistake by Edran, thinking that I would die eventually and leaving me clutching to dear life. They must have thought of me as extremely weak and that I wouldn’t have lasted long. Thinking back, I guess this was supposed to happen after all, considering that I am a Rattusian, and that the kill order was probably from my stepfather.

[Rattusian. A variant of the beastkin race that is characterized by a single pair of continuously growing frontal teeth. Most rattusians are small with thin limbs and long tails. They have high reproductivity which sometimes result in overpopulation. They are also physically weak that causes them to live by groups to increase overall resiliency of their clan.]

Well, this will be regrettable, but I will make sure to see you again, Father.

For now, I need to ensure my survival. The location Edran brought me was near a river, they must have thought of throwing me into the river as a back-up plan in case something happened. This is among the most dangerous places after all, and knowing Edran, I’m sure he has numerous back-up plans with him that would adapt in different situations.

But because of that, I had access to freshwater, so I don’t have to worry about losing too much moisture. Another thing to take care of is that since I am fully healed now, I have to ensure my basic necessities just by myself. I am not royalty anymore and I won’t be having other people do and bring things for me. The only one that I can rely on now and in the future would be me. Well, no betrayal at least.

The next thing I have to worry about could be more of a threat than the stabbing that I experienced. I have read numerous books detailing all the horrors and dangers this place has. Even the word ‘dangerous’ would be and understatement for the tales brought back by those extremely lucky enough to get out of here.

The “Hallowed River” slithered nearby, its waters a deceptive mirror reflecting danger, a treacherous vein running through the heart of the Kyuram region. Naturally, this is the best place to dispose of a body since they think that I would just be eaten by other monsters here after dying. And they did not have to worry about their safety as well since they’re hardened veterans in these types of situations, I assume they have their own escape route already; though I’m not fully sure if they did escape, knowing the hazard level of this place.

Of course, I could be eaten by monsters here, even if someone was alive and healthy in this place, they would surely still die by different means, from the poisonous patches of soil, acidic quick-sands, carnivorous flora, to the extremely hazardous beasts. No one in their right mind would just wander here, even the most skilled of professional adventurers would hesitate in entering this forest. It surely lives up to its reputation—

Forest Macabre

Unfortunately for my killers, they have overlooked one crucial point in this situation— they didn’t have complete information of my capabilities. Yet I’m relieved of that fact, since it gave me several opportunities to take advantage of them, particularly on this situation. Though I am still thinking that maybe this was a part of Edran’s plan, or maybe they were just that confident; whatever it is, they failed to kill me.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

True, the forest had a reputation for mercilessly claiming the lives of any foreign creature that dared to wander into its depths. Its soil alone was a death trap, teeming with dangers invisible to the untrained eye. However, I recalled a curious tale from Datorni Gabard’s renowned work, The Forest of Death. In his explorations, he once encountered a goblin, seemingly oblivious to the perils that surrounded it. Gabard had been certain the creature would meet a swift end, tripping one of the forest’s countless traps, or succumbing to the malicious flora. But, to his astonishment, the goblin moved as though the forest bowed to it. It strolled across the lethal soil like a king on a red carpet, and the very plants that would strike terror into the heart of any beast recoiled in its presence, almost as if they feared it.

This behavior baffled Gabard, and he observed the creature closely, studying its every movement. What could explain such a bizarre phenomenon? After careful analysis, he uncovered a single trait that distinguished this goblin from all others—

Primordial Blood.

It wasn’t just an ancient legend or a myth to be dismissed; the blood carried within it an untold power, a force that could bend even the mightiest of nature’s threats to its will. With Primordial Blood coursing through its veins, the goblin became untouchable in the very place that should have been its tomb, or so it says in the book.

No books or information from the Palace’s Grand Library provided details on the origin of Primordial Blood. The only definitive text was from an ancient scroll with no title stating that the blood was from the origin beasts. Although, information regarding the blood’s effects were not that scarce.

I remember when I became aware of my surroundings, my stepmother told me that I was destined for great things as I had primordial blood flowing in me, and everyone in the palace was so kind and caring to me. However, ever since they found out that it cannot be transferred to another beast, they started showing their true colors. Life after that could not even be called life anymore, there were rare times that I wished they didn’t discover anything about the blood, that they would just move on and live together happily again.

But that’s just wishful thinking, I was bestowed with an early awareness of how cruel the world is. Beasts are all generally alike, we have this instinctual desire to be the most powerful, and because of that, the standard of society is strength. If you’re weak, you have no place here. This continent of beasts is like a giant predator-prey battlefield where the strong kills the weak. The weak is always the loser, the weak will never survive, that’s the faith of the beastkin. Therefore, my stepfather’s order of assassination on me is just natural.

Natural for the strong, that is.

Well, since I’m here and I have this blood, I guess I need to make full use of it, I learned that one of the greatest characteristics of having primordial blood is that even with huge amounts of bleeding, as long as you have at least a drop of primordial blood, you will never die. That’s how much life and vitality this type of blood has, and that I think, is the reason why my family wanted me dead. One could say that it’s one of their strategies in monopolizing authority, they dispose of things that threaten their position. And of course, since they fear that if someone stronger appears before them, they would appear ‘weak’, which any beastkin would never tolerate.

I am the only one to have this kind of bloodline, even my stepfather didn’t have at least one drop. I’m not too sure as well why I was born with it but my personal aide, Leopold who died protecting me said that I was blessed by the original beast.

Nevertheless, I cannot remove the possibility that there might be other reasons for my assassination. I heard that there were some political conflicts with the other races and internal disputes within the clan. There’s also the fact that the battle for inheritance is near and I can say for sure that my stepsiblings will do anything on anyone for the throne.

I really have a lot of questions in my mind, but I understand that I will get them once I start exploring this world. I never got to see things outside the palace since I was young, I was once regarded as a precious treasure of our clan so they did all they can to make sure no harm befalls me, that includes the action of ‘going out’ was within the palace grounds only.

To be fair, being royalty came with more than just a few minor perks. The greatest advantage was my access to the kingdom’s finest resources—books, food, wealth, you name it. I made sure to fully exploit these privileges. Given my frail body, I had to compensate in other ways—by sharpening my intelligence, honing my resourcefulness, and refining my wit.

Well, it's nothing more than a distant memory now. Despite any reasoning or justification, my family still sought to kill me. For that, I’ll be sure to return the favor—with equal 'hospitality.' After all, isn’t it customary to give gifts in return?

I’ll make certain everyone receives theirs, especially my stepmother. She saw me as nothing more than a tool, a pawn to gain the king’s favor. Foolishly, she believed she could possess the Primordial Blood by somehow transferring it to herself.

Currently, I am thinking of trying to forage for materials to build a temporary home here in the forest. Yet, I think it will prove to be difficult since I must be wary at all times for all types of dangers that the forest presents, but I noticed that ever since I got here, even after Edran and the others left, I have not sensed any monster around.

Suspicious. Monsters of the Forest Macabre are known to be aggressive and are adept at sensing prey, I had been bleeding just a few moments ago so my blood should have been a trigger for their extreme senses, yet I have walked parallel to the river for quite a while already and there is still no presence, either from land, air, nor water.

I tried to list all of the factors that could be the reason why I am not being pursued or detected,

Is it because I am a Rattusian? I’ve read before that this Forest only houses beta to apex predatory monsters. Uhm. Probably not, us Rattusians does not have any presence-removal traits.

Did Edran and the others casted some kind of spell on me? Well, why would they? And if so, wouldn’t it be better if it were for ‘attracting’ monsters?

Is it because of my blood? Did Gabard’s idea proved to be true after all?

Right now, that is the most possible explanation. However, how can I prove this theory if there is no monster nearby?

Just as I pieced together my thoughts, a shadow flitted past—a dark blur darting into the river. My heart raced and instincts sharpened. It went into the river, it was so fast that I was not able to even see even the shape of its silhouette, it just appeared like a black thing speeding to the waters.

After a few moments, the ‘thing’ that resurfaced turned out to be a Pantherian, trying to swim towards the edge of the river.

[Pantherian. A variant of the beastkin race that is characterized by a muscular body with powerful forelimbs, along with stripes that differentiate their clans by its color. They have long and heavy tails that acts both as a weapon and a balancer in combat. They are also very aggressive even with monsters stronger than them.]

But, as a part of the Forest Macabre, naturally the river is not normal as well. The water in it is deceptive enough to look like it is safe, yet tales from books tell that people who survived the forest had one advice for anyone daring to go inside.

‘Pay your respects to the Hallowed River’

I am not still sure as to what It means but obviously its common sense to just avoid it. The Pantherian, being submerged to that very river is desperately swimming to get out. From what I know, Pantherians are supposed to be good swimmers since some of their prey also includes water-dwelling beasts.

So, the question begs, what is keeping the Pantherian inside the river?

My mind was occupied for just a moment when all of a sudden, a vine burst out of the waters and tried to lash at me. Instinctually lowering my body, I managed to avoid a hit, although when I heard a crash and looked at the direction the vine went, I saw what looked like ten or more trees destroyed.

It was the first time the forest had truly turned against me, and the realization hit me hard. If I hadn’t dodged that strike, I wouldn’t be standing here—I’d be nothing more than a lifeless heap, devoured by whatever lurked in the shadows. My legs buckled under the weight of that thought, trembling as fear crept up my spine. I collapsed to my knees, my strength drained, heart hammering in my chest.

I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die, were the thoughts running through my mind at the moment.

At that instant, I forgot that the vine was still there.