1 Rebirth

It was a busy day in the market and in the young boy's eyes, it was a place for his job. In the market as usual where commoners were normally seen every day.

Bustling crowds were heard idly chatting random spouts of their own, minding their business. In such a place, a wandering boy ragged in his clothes and rubbish into the eyes of the common folks.

In the eyes of a child, a piece of bread will solve all his problems. His eyes were weary and lifeless, weakened and his posture was unsteady. His memories were hazy and it utterly confused the kid while he was young. He was Troan, as he was not given a name and so he named himself one.

Pulling the skirt of a woman dressed in a commoner's attire but she was someone who has seen better days than him.

"Please, food ma'am, I beg you....."

His eyes were about to well tears but he was kicked by her husband slightly on the chest. His butt plummeted on the brick with a thud.

"Shut up, you beggar! Let us leave this place immediately. We will get dirtied by his unclean hands," the man said to his daughter and wife.

They rushed to walk away and only the daughter was looking back at him as they went on their way. She has light purple hair that was dropping towards her shoulders. Summer hat was on her head and was in a skirt.

Troan can only wipe his tears after having the coin pouch of the man that kicked him. Ever since Troan can remember, he was begging for food from the age of three or four.

It has come to his mind that he will have to become a thief to have food to eat. Scrawny and barefooted, he has become adept at stealing and sneaking as the years go by. Even lock-picking was included and parkoured masterfully on the walls and buildings.

His flexibility and agility have been honed after years of practice and training. Dealing with his daily life was always a round of chase.

Also, his endurance and stamina were nothing to scoff at. He swam like a fish on the water while swerving and evading inside the crowd.

The place he liked the most was the food district. He would just go there after reaping many coin pouches. Eating food was what his life was all about and his favorite food was all of them. He tasted one food after another and celebrated after eating them all, one by one. From soup to grilled, bread to pastries, all of them.

Alas, he has grown into a teenager and has become the best at his skills. But not all good things happen all the time, his fate was sealed after he was at the right age to be vulnerable to the law. He was caught by the authorities and was dragged to the platform for his trial.

The citizens spouted curses and threw tomatoes at him. His clothes were reddened after a few rounds of volleys of their onslaught. Thinking all of his past, he didn't regret anything about what he had done.

Nothing, not a shed of dismay nor faltering in his belief. All he could do was laugh at his fate for being born a beggar. Life could be sometimes brutal or even unfair.

It was then, that the judging was announced and he will have to face the forest of trials. The head elder declared that he has to survive one week and then if alive, can come back home sentence-free.

Well, that was just for his current crimes. Others have to be paid as their stolen goods have to be either returned or have to be given back something of an equal value.

"The verdict has been announced! You will be exiled for one week and you must return, or you will not repay your debts. Release him on the gates!"

The elders have decided and it will be the start of his troubles. All he could do was face it head-on. Being put to the gate, chains were lifted and the gates were shut with a thud on his back. All he could see was the darkness starting to rise from the east. The time was at hand and with just a dagger on his hand given by one of the guards, he will defend his life with what he had.

Soon, howls in the wild bathed the forest. Growling and yelping of monsters were heard within echoing throughout. They left a spine-chilling sensation deep within his heart. All those years, he was in the shelter of the walls and hadn't killed any monster before.

The problem was how will he survive for an entire week with just a dagger? All were concluded when red eyes stared at the darkness soon encircling him. All he could do was run after it jumped in his direction.

Running while panting, greatly exhausted physically and mentally. Heard shrieks and howl of demon foxes following him. Hands swipe the twigs that he came across on his path and cover his face when he was struck with more hardy branches.

The trees withered and leaves were falling as the wind blew them. His feet were hasty on every step and casually trips sometimes. His heart was panicking as monsters jumped and yelped while they pounced on his neck.

"Don't kill me! Somebody help!"

The boy was then bitten on his legs and he slammed his chest on the ground full of leaves. Crisp crackles were heard as he tried to stand up. It was then, that he screamed as he was bitten left and right. His arms, neck, and thighs were feasted but he was agonizing with every bite they made.

It was at that moment that his memories from his past surged as a tidal wave of information went inside his mind. An awakening deep inside his soul has happened. It felt like an eternity of memories were all gathered and put inside him.

Time slowed down until he realized that he was indeed reborn. Only a speck of memories was remembered in his past but he doubted it in the first place.

Now, he felt like he had woken up from a coma and realization struck him in the utter twinkling of an eye. All he felt was like he was in that same spot for millennia of memories that were being processed and time has stopped ever since.

His memories from his childhood then merged with his new ones, making him process them in just a second. Also, his scattered memories compact and became one.

The sparks of life have been once again reignited. His last was reserved and then it soon died out. His eyes were teary as he started to feel the pain of the wounds. With the essence left on his soul, he started to heal himself that was converted to flesh. Wrath then followed after making him feel that much pain.

"I am once again reborn!"

He grabbed one demon fox on the neck and twisted it clockwise. Others shrieked and leaped when their fallen comrade died but they immediately growled. They pounced on him with their mouths opened wide.

According to Troan's memories, Demon wolves were huge and a great threat for a kid even armed with a weapon. A bite can be very devastating for one unarmored. But they have a weakness and that will be something that Troan will exploit.

Troan stopped the mouth fangs bearing off one with his two hands and twisting their necks. Leaping behind them and twisting their necks hundred eighty degrees clockwise. Doing it without any hint of hesitation. Not needing much muscle in doing it. Even a famished teenager can do it.

Others fled with their tails behind their legs and only their wails were heard echoing in the forest.

It was then, that sparkles of lights entered his body and he watched them with eyes opened wide. Also, a crystal that was floating emerging from the body was seen approaching him. He grabbed it while smiling then moved on to the next problem. He broke the crystal and his body absorbed it. It was none other than a Stat crystal.

Demon wolves' stat crystal gives +1 to Dexterity and every monster gives different types of crystals as a reward. Others gave Skill crystal, others Stat crystal. The other type was Health crystal, Stamina, and Mana crystal. Others were their regeneration varieties like Health, Stamina, and Mana regeneration crystal. The last one was Essence crystal.

They gave additional boosts to the ones who consumed them. Making Troan smile as he broke all the crystals that he had gathered. Summing it all up, he did receive + 4 to Dexterity on just a whim. Extinguishing his short-lived happiness, he wanted to solve his problems first.

As he scanned the surroundings, he indeed was lost. He doesn't know where to go with him inside the deep wilderness he was in. As he shook his body, he saw a dagger tucked into his belt.

"I have it all along? Dumb,"

He didn't recall all along that he had that piece of weapon. It might help fend off some enemies. But anyways, it was not important. As he unsheathed it from his scabbard, it was a curved dagger that has a reflection of his face.

After watching the reflection, he saw his thin cheeks and his wrinkled eyebags. Round face and a ponytail spiky auburn hair on his back. Hazelnut eyes and reddened lips. While his lips being dry and malnourished build. He only has tattered clothes and a robe for slight protection from the rain.

Troan then watched the sky and couldn't see the moon and the stars. He knew deep inside that they were there but was just unseen by his eyes. Looking at his current situation, he was exhausted and hungry at the same time. He slammed his butt on the leaves and analyzed his situation first.

"I need shelter and food with water. A safe place inside the forest of trials is close to nothing. And water and food are also so scarce that you will be left dead in just a week. Especially all those running around from all those beasts chasing you all the time."

He first rested and sat at the rock near a tree. As he watched the rocks, a bright idea kicked in and somehow solved his food source. He pushed the rock and saw many creepy crawlies living under it. Eating his ass off after selecting only the ones that were edible and then went to find some mushrooms.

Sneaking inside the forest, he felt like he would live if he did not meet more monsters along the way. He saw a small brook several meters from where he was standing. Looking at himself on how lucky he was.

He then crouched and bent his knees while watching for potential stalkers and whatnot. He took a handful of water and tested if it was drinkable or not. To his surprise, it was sweet. Especially due to how dry his throat was.

Now his problem was his shelter.

"The top of the trees is not as safe as it seems. Most monsters can catch you off guard while sleeping as they can climb the trees effortlessly.

"Only the demon wolves and demon foxes can't climb. As for the demon tigers and the rest strutting monsters in the forest of the trial they were able to do what they want with you especially when you were asleep. Sounds cute but it ain't funny." Troan scoffed.

"Don't mind gargoyles, they can fly and stalkers can climb trees with their curved claws built for rending flesh. Don't mind climbing trees, they were adept at it. The monster bestiary sure is helpful.

"Now another problem is my smell."

He went to the brook and then put mud all over his body. Especially the smelly parts of his body. That way, he was able to smell mud. It makes sense after all.

"The shelter was still a problem, hiding from monsters without smell is still hard if I thought of it. Covering myself with leaves won't help if I move for an inch when a monster is currently present."

And so devised a brilliant plan, his memory was pretty sharp despite forgetting some important memories. Luckily his survival instinct was with him all the time.

Wandering around the monster-infested forest. Sneaking with his knife drawn. He found a fox hole in one of the trees. To his surprise, it was not inhabited by any creature. Just as before his excitement gets before him, he heard howls of wolves nearby. His hair went up for a moment.

As hasty as he was, he dug the hole with his knife for a bigger entrance and then entered it. Covering the entrance with his robe. It was then, that he calmed himself. His heart was pumping as the wolves scurried on the nearby leaves.

Crackles were getting nearer and nearer. Others might find his location but he will face his fate with all he got. His retreat was also impossible with no emergency exits currently. But it all became silent and the deafening silence was what responded.

'Luckily, they went away for now.'

The inside was cold and dark, luckily he was able to adjust his vision into the darkness. Making him have more time to rest and stretch his stiff aching body.

His days went by without more problems, just a couple of stalkers roaming around the forest while he hides most of the time inside the roots of outgrown trees. Just lucky enough to dig them up before they showed up. They looked like gargoyles without their wings and were on their fours.

"This bunch of monsters is a nasty one when they stop stalking. They will surely aim for the kill. Mysterious freaks."

Troan then jolted after he didn't know he fell asleep for a while. Waking up with back pain as he was curling inside the tree root. He went outside and then stretched his back. Another day passed like he didn't know.

Minding how many days have passed, it was almost a week. He didn't know time passed that fast. The howling of monsters still felt spine-chilling every moment he heard them.

"Never getting old."

He then knew that it was time to return. Though he didn't want to do it as he was hated there, still it was better there than to survive in this forsaken place, he wondered.

'So I am in the forest of trials huh. This village is on the edge of human civilizations, making it a frontal cannon-fodder for the monsters. Also, the monsters here are densely packed and variations are more than your fingers to count. Seems a good place to hunt crystals and get stronger.'