At the center of the primeval forest on the eastern edge of the continent, a place untouched by civilization, a deep scar was abruptly etched into the earth.
The scene looked as if a massive fire dragon had crashed headlong into the forest; countless ancient trees were shattered, blasting a wide clearing into the once-dense woods.
The pungent scent of charred wood filled the air, and wild elemental forces surged within the deep trench, leaping about like unleashed ancient powers.
Following the scent of burning, deep within that scar, a young man slowly sat up in the center of the large crater.
His long, silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing a pair of black eyes shimmering with a strange, starlit glow.
The man looked up, gazing at the night sky visible through the wreckage of the trees, the boundless darkness triggering a sense of loss within him.
He studied his hands, seemingly searching for clues to his identity within the lines of his palms.
“Who... who am I...? And where is this?”
He struggled to search through his chaotic memories, but every attempt was accompanied by a sharp pain deep in his mind, ruthlessly pulling him back to his current state of confusion.
Right now, his memories felt like a mess of paste, completely unable to form a coherent piece of information; only fragmented place names and several disconnected nouns circled in his head.
He had no clue who he was or what kind of person he had been.
After a short while, having calmed himself slightly, the man finally stood up slowly.
At the very moment he rose, the previously restless elements around him suddenly went still, as if looking up at their supreme sovereign.
But when he turned around, the elements in the air returned to their normal state.
This anomaly lasted only a brief moment, and the primeval forest returned to its original condition.
Perhaps in a few years, this place would be restored to how it was before; no one would know what had once happened deep within this forest.
The silver-haired man set off, instinctively walking in one direction.
Although his mind was still a chaotic mess, guided by something unknown, he slowly made his way toward the outskirts of the labyrinthine forest.
After an unknown amount of time, as piercing sunlight began to penetrate the dim forest, the man stopped before a small river and crouched down by the bank to carefully examine his reflection in the water.
In the reflection, he had shoulder-length silver hair and black eyes. Though his face was somewhat delicate, there was a hint of determination in his features. His body lacked overly exaggerated muscle curves, yet it possessed a leopard-like grace and a hidden, explosive power.
The man scooped up the cool river water and took several gulps, then frowned slightly at his naked body.
With a single thought, various elements instantly transformed into runes out of thin air, gathering and twisting continuously. Finally, like flowing yarn, they wrapped around his body and wove into a set of form-fitting clothes.
He glanced at the custom-made outfit with satisfaction and tied his long silver hair behind his head.
At that moment, he noticed that the trees on the opposite bank of the river were becoming increasingly sparse.
He set off, stepping onto the flowing river water. With every step he took, a small patch of ice condensed beneath his feet, just large enough to stand on, allowing him to cross the river and head toward the forest's end.
...
“Damn it, where have all the beasts gone lately? Ever since that meteor streaked across the sky, we haven't even encountered any decent prey. How can we show our faces back home with only this much?”
On the Kowo Prairie, a small party of hunters was walking through grass that was nearly as tall as a man. A young hunter was complaining, waving a dead rabbit in his hand.
“It's true. I haven't seen anything like this in all my decades of living. Usually, even during natural disasters, there should be some migrating animals. This situation is indeed quite strange.”
The older hunter leading them said.
“It's as if the animals are all hiding because of something.”
“So what do we do? Are we just going to head back like this? The few rabbits we've caught these past few days aren't even enough to feed us. We can't return empty-handed. Captain, why don't we try our luck closer to the Far East Forest?” another hunter requested of their leader.
“No, you're all still too young. You don't understand how dangerous it is over there. If we run into high-level magical beasts, the few of us might not even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.”
The older hunter said firmly. Although he was concerned for everyone's safety, the younger members all showed dissatisfied expressions.
“So are we really just going back then?”
“In a situation like this, magical beasts probably won't show up either, right?”
“Returning like this is too pathetic. I'm not going back.”
While the young hunters were arguing, a cluster of grass not far away suddenly twitched without warning.
Everyone was startled and quickly retreated a few steps, raising their weapons and entering a state of alert.
“Looks like a big one in there. To make that much noise, it has to be a beast at least the size of a man. Get ready... throw your spears as soon as it comes out!” The older hunter in the lead squinted at the thick grass nearby, gripping his wooden spear shaft tightly as he spoke softly to the young hunters closing in behind him.
Rustle... rustle...
The swaying of the grass sounded like a tolling bell in the hearts of the hunters.
Just as one young hunter was about to throw his wooden spear, the grass before him parted on its own, and a fair-skinned hand reached out from within.
A silver-haired man appeared from behind the meadow, looking blankly at the hunters who were poised to strike.
“Uh... excuse me, where is this? And who... are you?”
While the hunters were frozen in surprise, the silver-haired man was the first to break the silence and ask.
“This is the eastern part of the Kowo Prairie, near the Far East Forest. We are hunters from a nearby village, and I am Sam, the leader of this hunting party.”
The older hunter leader breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his weapon, thankful that what appeared wasn't some large, fierce beast.
But on second thought, he found it increasingly strange. Why would a person suddenly appear here?
Aside from adventurers planning to group up for the Far East Forest or hunters like them looking to try their luck, practically no living soul would be found out here.
Thinking of this, he asked another question, “Who are you? Why are you alone in such a remote place?”
“Who am I...? Why am I here? I don't remember... I only recall waking up in the forest over there... and then I followed my instincts to this place,” the silver-haired man said, helplessly holding his forehead as confusion still lingered in his eyes.
“I've tried to remember who I am, but my mind is still a mess.”
“Does this man have amnesia?” Sam, the hunter leader, looked into the silver-haired man's black eyes. Based on his decades of experience reading people, the confusion in the man's gaze didn't seem faked.
Furthermore, according to Sam's observations, although the silver-haired man wore no luxurious clothing or ornaments, he unconsciously exuded a faint aura—the kind of bearing he had only seen on high-ranking individuals in the city before.
Could it be some noble who was attacked and then dumped in the Far East Forest? If that were the case, bringing him back might earn them a bounty!
After thinking it over, Sam said to the silver-haired man, “In that case, would you be willing to come back with us? I can take you to see the village chief. He's the most knowledgeable person in the village; he might be able to figure out your identity.”
The silver-haired man was slightly taken aback. The middle-aged hunter's thought coincided with his own, as a place with many people would be the best for inquiring about his identity.
He was still considering how to explain his thoughts, but the other party had already suggested it first.
“Alright, then thank you very much. I'll have to trouble you all for the journey.”
Rate on N.U.
