Prologue

I am Daken.

No.

I was Daken, a soldier on his prime, but was framed for unknown reason. Was it my love for the kingdom's princess, Shiva Eternia Ethervalen?

A soldier with the power rivaling a general tossed away just like that. Fortunately, a voice warned me the attempts of ambushes and an assassination.

The voice told me to go into the Accursed forest, Gal A forest.The most dangerous place of all dangerous places ever known. Even getting close 50 meters from the forest was said to bring bad luck.

Rumors said that would invite a catastrophe.

Some said it would erase the closest villages.

Some, until the sightseer die.

Some, the whole kingdom perish.

Many rumors flying around, shrouding the forest with more mystery and fear.

BUT. There is one fact, well known to any who knew about this infamous forest.

The fact of it, of course, not about it is or was cursed or anything.

The fact is no trespasser ever come back as survivor.

All dead, seen or not seen.

That fact made it, a treasure forest. Like insects allured by sweet smell, humans allured by the resources and mysteries accumulated within the forest. From unranked unknown place directly to A after many adventurers below S rank failed to return. Then directly to SS rank until an S ranker's magic placate which indicating his life became ashes without warning.

Greed fired up in which then went to play the pride of the strong resulting in the hurt pride felt wrath toward the forest.

It was said 7 vice guild masters along with the army of a kingdom tried to explore the forest all vanished just like that after all, except a messenger team consisting 5 S rankers adventurers, entered the forest.

From 5 seemed to be wasteful messengers, only 1 survived. A sole survivor who wasn't the strongest of the 5 nor was the weakest or was he the fastest. It was said he was the only to focus on escaping with not even the slightest care of the tragedy happening behind him. He was determined to return home to do his last job as a mere messenger to report the tragedy.

It was said that kingdom was the strongest of in the history as well as the richest.

The story had been shared from generation to generation, not clear wether it was a legend, a myth or a fairytale.

It has been the most common fairytale throughout the continent, even people across the continent got copies of the fairytale story as well.

most countries took it as myth.

Few called it legend.

The kingdom's location have not even a single debris to prove the sign of civilization, not to mention ruins to back the legend. The location only have a huge lake with a mountain in the center of the lake. It was rated as SS rank location.

The forest was not far from the lake. The adventurer guild announced it as one of the most dangerous place and deemed it forbidden.

Not even a single settlement dared to set up within a thousand kilometers from the location. The nearest would be the headquarter of the adventurer guild. The place that was once ruled by a king. The kingdom now ruled by the guild federation and renamed itself as Doom Gate. It was said the name came from hemisphere barrier which is visible to the naked eyes.

The villages, towns and cities within radius of a thousand from the lake became ruins of its former form. All the surviving villagers, towns people and citizens had integrated themselves as citizens of Doom Gate. It's power rose from the weakest kingdom before it was overthrown after the old king succeeded by his son, the crown prince, who was then overthrown by the old foxes of the nobles. The once royal family became one of the major families of Doom Gate. It became a huge city ruled by the guild federation after the king stepped down to cooperate with the guilds in the kingdom.

That is the famous story told to any newcomer who came to the city.

I was about to register myself as adventurer before I left the building, the city in a hurry, marching toward the promised land of mine, the Accursed Forest.

Little did i know, Gal A forest would be my end and my new beginning, as well as the fated place of me losing everything including what's important to me as a man.