Night fell over Mistpine Village like a silent curtain. Houses dimmed one by one, lanterns extinguished, until only the soft glow of moonlight remained.
Arin stepped out of his hut.
This was the night he nearly died in his past life.
Dale's lackeys had lured him into the woods "to gather herbs," only for him to be bitten by a venomous Black-Spine Serpent. He had survived only by sheer luck—crawling back to the village with a swollen arm, fevered, half-conscious.
But tonight?
He walked toward the forest willingly.
He wouldn't avoid the calamity.
He would own it.
In the Forest — Mistpine Woods
The trees were tall and crooked, their branches like skeletal fingers scraping the night sky. The air was humid, filled with the buzzing of insects and the distant hoots of night beasts.
Arin stepped deeper, his footsteps soundless.
Thump… thump…
The Calamity Core pulsed faintly inside him.
He knelt near a cluster of rocks covered with moss.
"I know you're there," he whispered.
In his past life, the serpent had been here—resting beneath the stones. Arin reached down slowly and lifted one rock.
A hiss erupted.
A shadow darted out, black as pitch, its scales shimmering faintly under moonlight. Two needle-like fangs dripped venom.
The Black-Spine Serpent.
Its eyes locked onto him—cold, predatory, venomous.
Arin didn't flinch.
"Good," he murmured. "I need you."
The serpent struck.
Fast.
In his previous life, he had panicked. This time, Arin tilted his body to the side, letting the fangs graze his sleeve instead of his skin. With his weak mortal body, he couldn't kill the serpent in combat.
But he didn't need to.
He needed disaster.
He grabbed a fallen branch, swung it lightly, not to kill the serpent—but to anger it.
The creature hissed louder, striking again and again.
Arin stepped back deliberately, letting it chase him through the bushes, making noise, disturbing the area.
Because he wasn't alone tonight.
Bushes rustled nearby.
Three familiar voices whispered.
"Is he coming?"
"Yeah. Dale said the snake will finish him."
"Perfect. Once he's dead, the trial will have one less idiot."
Arin's lips curled.
Dale's lackeys.
Right on time.
The serpent hissed again—loudly.
The three boys froze.
"W-what was that?"
"A snake?"
Their faces paled.
Arin stepped out of the bushes, the serpent hot on his heels like a living streak of darkness.
"Evening," Arin said softly.
Their eyes widened.
"Run!" one boy screamed.
But it was too late.
Arin flicked the stick toward them—not to harm, but to direct the serpent's attention.
The beast lunged.
Straight at them.
"AHHHHH!"
Chaos erupted instantly. The boys tripped over each other, screaming, scrambling blindly through the forest. The serpent's venomous fangs sank into one of their legs, causing immediate swelling. Another was bitten on the arm. The third fled blindly, crashing into a thorn bush.
The forest echoed with their panicked cries.
Arin stood calmly under the moonlight, watching the panic spread like wildfire.
The Calamity Core pulsed—
Thump… thump… THUMP!
A dark wave rippled through his soul.
Power.
Faint, tiny… but unmistakable.His first gain.
The first calamity.
Arin inhaled slowly, savoring the feeling.
"In my past life, you three tried to kill me tonight."
He turned away, expression cold.
"Consider this a small repayment."
He walked back toward the village, listening to the distant screams fading into the night.
The Calamity Core hummed quietly, like a predator content after a hunt.
Arin smirked.
"This is only the beginning."