Fate or Coincidence? (6)

*The body cannot withstand the sudden torrent of mana. The vessel will rupture.*

*Unknown strength surged through, repairing the body*

*Mana of unknown origin tore the body*

*Unknown strength surged through, repairing the body*

*Mana of unknown origin tore the body*

*Mana of unknown origin tore the body*

*Unknown strength surged through, repairing the body*

*Unlocked Skill: Regeneration-level 1*

*Mana of unknown origin tore the body*

*Mana of unknown origin tore the body*

*Unknown strength surged through, repairing the body*

*The body regenerate*

*Skill Level Up* *Skill Level Up*

*Mana...* *Strength...* *Regen...*

*Mana...* *Strength...* *Regen...*

*Skill Level Up* *Skill Level Up*

*Mana...* *Strength...* *Regen...* 

***

The clash of power and mana inside him set off a continuous cycle of pain and recovery, each surge breaking him down only to be built back stronger than before. His body strained and adapted, building up its resilience. 

*Skill: Regeneration-level 20* (You reach the specified level, now the regeneration of your body will be two times faster)

"U... uh, what happened? Why did I suddenly pass out? I feel so full of strength." Tristan clenched his fist and punched the air. "Has the elixir fully absorbed? I don't know why I fainted, but this is definitely a good thing. Alright, next up, my father's equipment." He stepped toward the worn gear next to the table. "Wearing a full set of iron armor feels a bit... embarrassing. I'll just go with leather armor instead."

He slipped into the leather armor, which initially seemed oversized, but the garment slowly shrank, adjusting to fit his form. "Wow, magic like this is really handy. I need to learn it later. Now, let's try out this monitoring magic circle." Tristan channeled his mana into the circle, and a transparent screen appeared, showing the cave's surroundings from within the magic circle.

"Hmm, this is like a TV. Let's see… whoa, it's already morning! Did I pass out all night? Can I move this screen around?" Tristan tried touching the transparent box, his hand passing through it. "Maybe I have to use mana?" He channeled mana into his fingers as he touched the screen. "Whoa, it worked! It's like having a touch-screen TV, haha."

***

Earlier that morning, before Tristan regained consciousness.

Outside the cave...

"Captain, look! All the orc corpses have vanished!" The captain raised his hand, signaling the squad to halt. "What now? Where did all the orc bodies go?"

"Captain, over here! There's evidence of a massive pit having been dug."

"Dig a bit; that might be where the orcs were buried." After a few moments of digging...

"You were right, Captain. There's an orc corpse down here."

"Who could've done this? There's no way Mortis would bother burying monsters. Search the area; look for any clues nearby."

"Yes, sir." The group, all clad in black, scattered to search for any signs of what might have happened at the scene.

"Captain, over here! I found a cave; it seems someone's been living here." The captain crouched down and entered the cave, followed by the soldier who had discovered it.

"It does appear someone has been staying here." The captain scanned the cave, his gaze landing on a sword marked with the symbol "C." He thought to himself, "I recognize the owner of this sword… Could he have survived and been living here?"

Another member of the squad called out from outside, "Captain, I found a grave here!"

"Let's head out."

"Yes, Captain."

The captain approached the grave and speculated to himself, "Judging by the size, this has to be an adult's grave... Could it be...?"

"Alright, everyone, we've gathered enough evidence. Let's regroup with the others and report back to Lord Lucien."

"Understood, sir."

***

Tristan sat on the riverbank with a small, squirrel-like creature sleeping in his lap.

"Two months have passed since I defeated the orc horde and entered the storage room. I've been learning to wield various types of magic, from defensive spells to offensive ones. I've even created some new spells inspired by comics I used to read. Every day, I've also been practicing my father's sword techniques. His style is unique, using the opponent's energy as his own to strike back—it's almost like Taichi but with a sword. No wonder no other swordmaster could ever defeat him."

"These past two months, my life has been all about eating, training in swordplay and magic in the storage room, and then resting. I haven't been too worried about monster attacks while I sleep since I can stay safely inside the storage room."

"In the storage room, I've also been studying space magic that my father and mother researched. The essence of it is that I can create anything in this space as long as I understand how it works. Right now, I'm learning ice magic. Do you know what I want to do with ice magic? That's right! I want to create a food storage, so I won't waste food like I did before, haha. Oh, by the way, are you curious about the creature sitting on my lap? While petting the creature, "I don't know what this creature is. It looks like a sugar glider or a squirrel, but it's black with a purple stripe running from its head to its tail. It can also attack using the bones from its body, so let me tell you how we first met."

"So it all began on the day I left the subspace room to find something to eat. I was walking toward the river, picking berries along the way, when I glanced at the spot where I buried the orc corpses. I noticed the hole looked freshly dug, and I thought maybe some creature had been digging there. An idea sparked in my mind to catch whatever was responsible for disturbing the grave. I continued to gather berries and eat by the river."

"When night fell, I waited inside the cave without lighting a fire, and sure enough, the creature entered the orc's grave. I crept up quietly to the grave, and when the creature emerged, I captured it, planning to attack with a fireball spell. Just as my magic activated, I saw the creature's pitiful eyes, nearly in tears. I couldn't bring myself to harm it, so I let it go. But then it kicked my face with its foot and fled, carrying an orc's hand in its mouth."

"I chased after it, not paying attention to my surroundings, and found it stopped, staring intently at the cursed forest. As I approached, wanting to catch it again, it let out a pitiful 'kyuu' while pointing its snout toward the cursed forest. I asked the creature, "Do you want me to go in there?" It responded again with 'kyuuu,' signaling me to follow it inside."

"I hesitated for a moment, but because the creature looked so desperate and pitiful, I decided to follow it inside. I also had no reason to fear since I had the subspace room to protect me."

"As I trailed behind the creature, I remained alert, shivering at the aura and atmosphere within this forest. It felt like a true depiction of hell; the ground was barren, the trees wilted, and there was an unsettling heat in this cursed forest. I glanced at the creature again, which elongated its neck as if trying to remember the path we needed to take."

"After a few minutes of walking, it stopped and dashed into a small cave. Inside, I saw two creatures identical to my guide, but slightly larger. As I approached, I realized that these two creatures were already dead. The creature that had led me began nuzzling its head against one of the lifeless bodies, looking at me with pleading eyes."

"Do you want me to take them?" I asked. The creature replied with a soft 'kyuu,' as if asking for my help. I took hold of both creatures in my arms, but just as I was about to exit, a heavy thump echoed, shaking the ground. The cute little creature and I froze, too scared to move. A large creature halted right in front of our cave. The entrance wasn't very big, so all I could see was its ankle. The giant had a blend of light blue and green skin, and I immediately recalled the large monsters often depicted in fantasy worlds: a Troll. I was certain that this creature was a Troll. Then, smaller footsteps approached, and I heard one say, "Did you find it?"

"No," the large creature replied, its voice deep and resonating. "I suspected as much. There's no way a human would dare to enter here." The other creature chimed in, "I've never been wrong in sniffing out a human."

"Come on, let's go. The boss will be furious if we're gone too long," said the smaller creature.

"Fine," replied the Troll.

I waited for a moment before peeking outside. The Troll stood three times taller than the trees surrounding us, and I was sure the other creature was an ogre, a warrior race above the orcs. I let out a sigh of relief as we remained undetected. After waiting for a while, we retraced our steps and exited the cursed forest.

"Once we emerged from the forest, I asked the little black creature, 'What should we do next?' It just stared at me in silence. I tried again, 'Do you want us to bury them?' It responded with a soft 'kyuu.' 'Alright, let's bury them by the river,' I said. We walked to the river, and just as I was about to lay the bodies of the two creatures to rest, the little one nudged its head against my leg, as if to say, 'Not here.' I asked, 'Then where do you want them buried?' It replied with a gentle 'kyuuu,' signaling for me to follow."

We walked until we arrived at the entrance of the cave. It continued forward, heading toward my parents' graves, and then let out a few soft cries, 'kyuu kyuu.' 'Do you want me to bury them next to my parents?' I asked, and it replied, 'kyuuu.' 'Alright,' I said, agreeing to its wish. I didn't know why it wanted to lay its parents to rest next to mine, but I figured it wasn't my place to ask. I wouldn't understand its words anyway. I buried the two creatures right beside my parents' graves. The little one sat quietly, gazing at their resting place.

I asked it, 'Were they your parents?' It replied with a sorrowful 'kyuu.' 'What will you do now?' I asked again. 'Kyuun,' it said, then dashed into the cave, spinning around in little circles. 'Kyun kyun,' it cried out, and I asked, 'Do you want to stay with me?' 'Kyuuuu,' it said, rubbing its head affectionately against my leg. 'Alright, if that's what you want.'

I didn't know what kind of creature it was, so I thought, 'Should I give you a name?' It seemed delighted, letting out a cheerful sound 'kyuu kyuu.' I looked at it, considering, and then glanced at the crescent moon in the sky. An idea struck me. 'How about… Eclipse?' I said. 'With that purple streak on your black fur, it feels like you're glowing with the night.' 'Kyun kyun,' it responded, nudging my leg happily.

*Unlocked Skill: Tamer-level 1*

"Alright, Eclipse,' I said, smiling. 'Welcome to the survival game with me, Tristan Ciyane."

"And that's how I met this little black creature, Eclipse"

***

Deep within the Cursed Forest.

A vast gathering of monsters stood before a colossal, dead tree. Even the tallest Trolls reached barely a quarter of its height. Atop this towering tree, a humanoid figure stood astride a fearsome beast—a lion-bodied creature with dragon wings and scales under its belly. The two surveyed the crowd from above, and then the lion-beast let out a thunderous roar that echoed through the entire forest. Instantly, all monsters present fell silent and knelt in reverence.

The humanoid creature stepped forward, its voice resonating through the air. "Hear me, my loyal followers. The day of our dominion over this world draws near. Soon, our allies in the human cities will complete their preparations. When the time comes, we shall storm beyond this forest, and you will feast upon any human you encounter. For the glory of the Demon God!"

The monsters chanted in unison, voices reverberating in fierce devotion: "For the glory of the Demon God!" "For the glory of the Demon God!" "For the glory of the Demon God!"