Lakh walked through the forest.
The air was fresh, fresher than any mountain or place on Earth.
The trees were taller than skyscrapers back on Earth. Even the insects were larger.
On the horizon, a giant tree could still be seen a tree so massive it towered above the clouds, so vast it rivaled mountains.
It was thousands of meters away, yet still clearly visible.
When Lakh first saw that tree, he realized without doubt that he was no longer on Earth.
According to the memories passed down from his mother, there were thousands of those trees across the continent.
They were called Trees of Life, or Mother Trees.
Those trees protected the world from Hagun.
Hagun was a giant dragon.
According to legend, it lived in the volcanic region of Ashtar. It was almost as large as a mountain, with a wingspan over ten kilometers wide and a body stretching seven kilometers long.
A hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Northumbria one of the strongest and most advanced kingdoms possessed a metal stronger than copper.
With its military might, it had even conquered a Titan.
But during its expansion, the kingdom unknowingly provoked Hagun.
The nightmare came one night when the dragon attacked.
Men. Women. The elderly. Children.
Hagun spared no one.
In less than an hour, a kingdom of over a million citizens vanished from the land of Karos.
Just thinking about it makes my palms sweat.
Seriously this world is terrifying.
Thankfully, Hagun doesn't attack unless provoked.
For the past eighty years, it has done nothing but sleep at the top of a volcano.
But there are things even more terrifying than Hagun.
They roam freely across the land of Karos.
Titans.
Titans are abominations known for their endless hunger.
I've never seen one myself, but according to the information I've gathered, Titans are giants rivals of the Nepelheim, the ruling race of this world.
Both Titans and Nepelheim came from fallen angels.
Nepelheim were born from love the union of a human and a fallen angel.
Titans, however, were born from lust.
Fallen angels would force themselves on human women, and the result was a Titan.
Poor things, Lakh muttered to himself, shaking his head at the thought.
Nepelheim stand around twenty to thirty feet tall and are born with nearly endless mana more than a thousand humans combined. They usually form their own nations, and humans seek their protection, serving them in exchange for safety.
Titans are different.
When I say massive, that's an understatement.
They are colossal.
There is no fixed size for Titans.
The Kingdom of Northumbria once defeated a Titan that stood 380 feet tall. But it's said that some Titans exceed a thousand feet in height.
Titans are walking fortresses.
Their skin is so thick and hard even fifth-circle attack magic can barely scratch them. To defeat a single Titan, you need an army at least ten 8th-circle mages, five Swordmasters, and two adult Nepelheim.
With just one swing of a Titan's arm, the resulting gust of wind can cause calamities.
After a few minutes of walking, Lakh reached his destination a wide river, around two to three feet deep, with shallow riverbanks.
The water was so clear he could see fish swimming beneath the surface.
First, Lakh looked for a solid rock to stand on. After a short search, he found the perfect one.
He took out a shin bone. It was about one foot long and fairly thick.
Since the bone had already dried, the inside was hollow. There were visible cracks along its surface.
Lakh began smashing the cracked parts of the bone, carefully thinning it down. Once it reached the right shape, he started sharpening the edge against a flat stone.
It took him at least two hours of grinding and reshaping.
But the finished product was worth it.
The bone knife was sturdy and razor sharp.
Next, Lakh gathered the shattered bone fragments. He sharpened them again, turning them into arrowheads. Since they were small, it didn't take long.
After finishing his work, Lakh went straight to look for twigs to make arrows.
That was when he saw it.
An injured boar lay on the ground, still groaning.
Two arrows were pierced into its body. Lakh immediately hid in the bushes, waiting to see if whoever shot it was still nearby.
Then he saw it.
A goblin.
It was his first time seeing one in real life. The goblin looked like a lone hunter.
It moved slowly toward the injured boar, raised its bow, and calmly fired another arrow into the creature desperately clinging to life.
Lakh froze as he watched from the bushes, his body stiff with shock.
The boar stopped thrashing, but its abdomen still rose and fell it was still alive, barely breathing.
The goblin broke into a run, gripping an arrow and preparing to stab the boar once it got close.
At that moment, a thought crossed Lakh's mind.
I haven't eaten meat for two months.
Protein was something he desperately needed. Without it, his growing teenage body wouldn't develop properly.
If he stayed weak, his future would be no different from that boar hunted and slaughtered.
Lakh picked up a large rock.
He threw it with all his strength.
The rock struck true, smashing into the goblin's head.
The creature collapsed face-first into the dirt before it could reach the boar. It shrieked in pain, a sharp, ugly sound.
Before the goblin could react, Lakh drew his blade crafted from a Huruk shin bone and rushed forward.
He lunged and stabbed the goblin's back, then slashed its nape.
Even then, it didn't die.
The twitching goblin grabbed Lakh's leg and hurled him to the ground. Its strength was greater than that of an average adult human, despite its small size.
Both of them struggled to their feet.
The goblin was furious. Thick green blood dripped continuously from its head and back. Seeing it made Lakh shiver in fear.
I thought goblins were weak…
That was true in games back on Earth.
But this wasn't a game.
There was no turning back now.
It was do or die.
Lakh tightened his grip on the blade and charged forward.
The goblin raised its arrow, aiming to stab Lakh as well.
Both of them were fully committed to killing the other.
As he ran, Lakh scooped up dirt from the ground and threw it straight into the goblin's eyes.
The goblin shrieked in surprise.
While it flailed wildly, trying to stab him blindly, Lakh shifted position.
Before the goblin could wipe the dirt from its eyes, Lakh drove his blade into its throat, then pinned it deeper into its chest.
Green blood splattered onto the ground.
The goblin collapsed to its knees, eyes filled with rage as it stared at Lakh.
Moments later, its body slumped forward.
Lakh stood there, breathing heavily then slowly grinned.
His first victory.
As the goblin closed its eyes, Lakh felt something strange. With his own eyes, he saw something like a faint, shimmering mist rise from the goblin's body and flow into his own.
Warmth spread through him.
Strength.
Lakh staggered back in shock.
What… was that?