Morning. 5 a.m. The sun had barely risen, casting a pale light over the village.
Kael was asleep when his father shook him awake. "Get up, son."
Groaning, Kael rubbed his eyes and stumbled outside to relieve himself. The morning air was sharp and cold, laced with the faint aroma of food drifting from nearby huts.
He noticed movement near the great wall. Guards were marching—some carrying crossbows, some tall and muscular with shields and hammers, others with swords and shields. Kael's eyes widened.
Curiosity pricked at him. Who were these people?
Over breakfast, a simple bowl of rice, he asked, "Father… those people by the wall—who are they?"
"They're hunters," his father replied evenly. "They protect us from unexpected dangers."
"The deadly creatures you mentioned yesterday?" Kael pressed.
"Yes. But don't worry. They can't stand sunlight. As long as the sun shines, we're safe."
Relief washed over Kael. Until the sun was high overhead, there was nothing to fear.
His father settled a straw hat on his head, and together they walked north toward the gate.
Kael leaned closer, eyes wide. "Is… is this what a train looks like?" he murmured, a grin tugging at his lips.
In his previous life, he had read history books, studied early inventions, and imagined them from diagrams and descriptions. But seeing it in real life—this mechanical wagon, hissing with steam and smoke—was surreal.
It wasn't a full train like the ones in his books, massive steel giants carrying hundreds of people across continents.
No… this was smaller, more primitive. A single iron wagon, reinforced for heavy loads, with an engine that rumbled and spat smoke as it powered the wheels. Not nearly as advanced as the locomotives he remembered, but close enough to stir his excitement.
At its rear, a massive storage compartment stood ready—built to carry the weight of ores and minerals back to the kingdom.
A man climbed into the engine, and the machine rumbled to life, releasing a mechanical hiss. Smoke and sound filled the air, making Kael's excitement grow.
"Son! Come here, quick! There's an empty seat!" his father shouted.
"Coming!" Kael replied, eyes glued to the iron wagon.
At the front of the convoy rumbled a massive iron wagon, its storage compartments empty, waiting to be filled. Four elite hunters rode like living sentinels at each corner, their eyes scanning the horizon.
Behind them, two horse-drawn wagons carried the regular hunters, tense but ready. And in the remaining three wagons, the miners sat silently, gripping their tools.
Kael felt a surge of excitement in his chest. Today, he would finally see what lay beyond the wall.
A mechanical hiss filled the air as the massive gate lifted. The sun was just rising, casting warm light over the land. One by one, all the wagons moved forward in perfect synchronization.
Kael could hardly believe his eyes. Outside the wall, trees stretched as far as he could see, forming a dense, jungle-like landscape. The air was crisp and refreshing, a stark contrast to the dusty, sparsely planted streets inside the wall. The city felt almost like a desert compared to this vibrant wilderness.
Half an hour later, they arrived at their destination. The land opened into a vast clearing, surrounded on all sides by dense jungle. Mountains of rocks, glittering ores, and scattered minerals stretched as far as Kael could see, forming an endless, rugged landscape.
"Son… pick up your pickaxe and head down," his father said, his voice calm, almost neutral.
Everyone disembarked, Kael included, and soon they were divided into six groups of five. Four from each group would mine ores and minerals, filling buckets to the brim, while the fifth carried the gathered resources to the storage compartment attached to the iron wagon.
Kael and his father ended up in the same group, swinging their tools in unison as they chipped away at the rocks. The iron wagon stood ready for the return trip, while a few hunters patrolled near the edges of the jungle, vigilant for any signs of danger.
Though the creatures feared the sun, the dense foliage of the jungle gave them shelter—and the perfect hiding place.
Hours passed. By noon, they were granted a thirty-minute rest. Meals were handed out from the hunters' wagon, which carried enough food and water for everyone. Each received two medium-sized breadsticks, accompanied by a simple salad of carrots, onions, and cucumber, lightly dressed with lemon and a pinch of salt.
After the short break, mining resumed. The iron wagon's compartment was already half-filled with gathered resources.
"The sun… it's scorching my skin. I'm exhausted and thirsty. Even after drinking just a few minutes ago, it dries up so fast. At least my hat is keeping my head from burning," Kael murmured, wiping sweat from his brow.
He glanced at his father, drenched in sweat yet relentless, hammering away at the ores. Nearby, some hunters had taken shelter under the wagon or beneath the sparse shade of trees. Kael, fatigued, felt a twinge of envy, but he pushed it aside, refocusing on filling his bucket.
A few hours later, the iron wagon's storage compartment was nearly full. Parched and completely drained, Kael set down his pickaxe and reached for a cup of water. As he took a sip, a sudden chorus of screaming voices erupted from the eastern edge of the jungle.
Everyone froze, shock rippling through the miners as fear surged like wildfire. Buckets clattered to the ground, spilling ores across the dirt as men abandoned their loads and bolted toward the hunters' wagon—Kael among them.
The hunters rose at once. Some shifted nervously, unease plain on their faces, while others locked their gaze to the east, eyes sharp and unblinking.
From the shadows of the jungle, it emerged.
A massive creature loomed before them—thrice the size of a man. Its skin was ghastly pale, stretched taut over a scorpion-like body. Seven jagged legs scraped against the earth as its long tail arched high, twitching with menace. It had only a right arm—grotesque and massive—eight finger-like blades jutted out, each ending in a razor-sharp tip that gleamed under the sun. Its face… if it could even be called that… had no eyes, no nose—only a cavernous maw lined with serrated fangs, fresh blood dripping between them.
Kael's heart pounded as his father's warnings echoed in his mind. Yet the reality before him was nothing like the words he had once heard.
"Why… why isn't it burning in the sunlight? Weren't these things supposed to fear the rays?" he thought, muttering under his breath, terror creeping into every syllable.
There were twenty-four hunters on the field—four elites and twenty lower A-ranked. In an instant, they snapped into formation. Eight towering, muscle-bound fighters marched to the front, heavy shields braced and swords gleaming. Behind them, ten crossbowmen raised their weapons, bolts locked and ready, eyes fixed on the threat.
But not all held their ground. Two hunters broke rank, fear written all over their faces, as they scrambled behind the miners to hide.
The four elites mounted their warhorses, lances poised, bows slung across their backs, and lassos secured to the saddles. A perfect blend of offense and defense—a formation built to strike and withstand in equal measure.
The monster screeched and lunged. Its grotesque claw slammed against the front line.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Each blow left fresh gouges in the defenders' heavy shields. The crossbowmen unleashed a storm of bolts, but the creature didn't even flinch. Arrows rattled uselessly against its pale hide.
The elites circled like hawks, loosing arrows while probing for weakness. One shouted, voice sharp and commanding:
"Target the shoulder joint! Now!"
Bolts rained down, hammering the creature's only arm. At last, its strikes slowed, its swings turning sluggish and uneven.
"Legs! Go for the legs!" another elite roared.
Two shield-bearers charged, slamming forward with brute force. The monster staggered, its legs buckling, its body crashing to the dirt. Its tail lashed in fury—crack!—smashing into an elite and flinging both rider and horse across the field.
Even fallen, the beast refused to yield. Its body writhed and twisted, convulsing like it was caught between life and death. Wisps of smoke hissed off its skin—the sunlight was finally burning it away. But before the end came, it let out a guttural scream.
And suddenly—everyone froze. Hunters. Miners. No one could move a muscle.
The creature swung its mangled claw, smashing one of the defenders into the air. With a deafening crack, the claw itself snapped off, hurtling through the sky—straight toward the hunters' wagon where the miners cowered.
Time seemed to crawl. They regained control of their bodies, but the shadow of the falling limb loomed overhead. Panic erupted as men leapt from the wagon. Kael's heart sank. 'So this is how my second life ends…'
But in the final instant—someone shoved him hard.
He tumbled out of the way as the colossal arm crashed down. The earth quaked, dust exploded into the air, and the wagon splintered beneath the impact.