Point of view of Salvaj.
Damn it, this is a nuisance. I had forgotten what it feels like to be so useless and small in front of someone. Ever since my new adoptive father found me in the forest, everything in my life changed.
I was lucky to be at Emerald rank when the caravan carrying my entire family, along with other families, suffered an accident. There shouldn’t have been any Grade 3 or 4 monsters in that area; I’m certain it was planned by someone or some organization.
The caravan guards managed to annihilate all the monsters in the end. Only two of them survived, and they were heavily poisoned. Unfortunately, they died a few hours later. Most of the adults tried to fight to help the guards; they all gave their lives to keep three of us alive.
The other two survivors were siblings. At first, living together was calm despite the difficulties of being stranded in the middle of a forest with no idea which direction to take to return to civilization.
I was eleven years old. I had an early awakening and was supported by my family with various elixirs to reach Emerald rank as soon as possible. The two siblings were ten and fifteen. At first, we survived on the caravan’s supplies. The months passed quickly. We managed to build a base in a fairly safe location and secure stable sources of water and food.
The forest was surrounded only by Grade 2 monsters. Between the older brother and me, we could handle almost every battle as long as it didn’t involve massive groups.
We began exploring the surroundings more once we gained confidence. From the caravan we had salvaged some maps and useful items to start moving little by little; we just needed to orient ourselves and determine the exact direction we had to go. According to our calculations, it would take at least two months of safe travel to reach our destination.
Almost a month later, on a day like any other, we woke up and decided to advance a bit further. It had become our daily routine. After a month with only minor problems, we were fortunate to have obtained some storage bracelets where we kept provisions like food and medicine.
That day something unexpected happened. We were surrounded by a massive pack of monsters—far more than the two of us could handle. The younger sister trembled with fear but stood firm with a small sword. I could clearly see the terror in her eyes, and her older brother was more focused on protecting her than on the situation itself.
At that point, I made what I believed was the best decision. “Run. I’ll buy you time.” My words were direct and sincere.
“What are you talking about? We can’t leave you,” the older brother shot back. His sister tried to say something, but she couldn’t find the words.
“Mercide won’t stop trembling, and you can’t focus. Just run. Don’t make this harder, please.” In my final words, tears almost slipped out. I looked straight into Eduad’s eyes; he understood my decision was final. I threw him the storage ring, and he caught it.
“I’m sorry, brother.” Those were his last words. The redness in his eyes from sadness almost broke me. Eduad grabbed his little sister by the waist and ran at full speed. I could hear Mercide’s screams as they faded into the distance.
One of the wolves tried to follow them, but a sharp pillar pierced its stomach, stopping it instantly. That forced the wolf pack to focus their attention on me.
In that moment of desperation, something awakened inside me. I felt my body reacting differently, my movements more connected to my natural instincts. I partially stopped relying on the years of practice with my masters and let my savagery take over.
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I felt my Imra grow much stronger than before. Something was definitely changing little by little as I fought that pack of wolf-type monsters.
Wounds tore across my body. No matter how great my improvement was, it was an explosion of power I wasn’t accustomed to. At least it allowed me to stay standing, fighting barehanded against more than thirty monsters.
Their well-coordinated attacks and swift, agile movements were the greatest problem. Gradually I reduced their numbers; one by one the wolves fell while I endured more claw and fang attacks.
At some point I lost awareness of my body. Exhaustion shut down my brain, and my body moved on its own. I was lucky that only six wolves remained at that point. Somehow, my exhausted mind and battered body managed to defeat them all.
When it was over, I collapsed like a sack of rice dropped onto the ground, face-first. My breathing was frantic, blood pouring from multiple parts of my body, some wounds deep and many others minor.
I had two healing potions in my small pack. Fortunately, they hadn’t shattered when the wolves tore it apart. I remember dragging myself across the ground until I reached the tree where the potions had fallen.
The first potion healed nearly all the deep wounds. The second closed the remaining ones and restored some blood to my body—not all of it, but enough to survive.
I still had a problem. I could bleed out from the minor wounds. I decided to do something crazy: I bit off a piece of my shirt and, using my fire mana, cauterized the longer wounds that were still bleeding dangerously.
Once I sealed all the critical injuries, my mind could no longer endure the pain, and I fainted. When I woke up, I was sure no more than an hour had passed. The sun told me so—I had learned to read it over those months—and the smell of corpses and blood was still fresh.
My eyes begged for more sleep, but a small spark made me jolt awake. The siblings. I forced out the last bit of strength from that short rest and ran in the direction they had fled.
Their tracks were still fresh; somehow I managed to follow them. A wave of fear flooded me when I saw the tracks of a wolf-type monster near theirs—these tracks were larger than usual.
The pack leader? That was my first thought, and it made sense. It never appeared while I slaughtered the rest of the pack, which is highly unusual for group-type monsters.
I ran harder and harder. At that moment, I only needed to find them. I prayed and hoped to arrive just as they were still fighting so I could join Eduad and emerge victorious as we had done for weeks.
My world shattered when I reached the point where the tracks were no longer linear but had turned into the aftermath of a fierce battle between an older brother defending his sister and a monstrous wolf leader trying to kill them.
When I arrived, my friend Eduad’s body was destroyed—one leg torn off, one arm missing a hand, and a massive bite wound on his ribs.
The wolf didn’t notice me because it was inches away from biting Mercide again. I could see the dying look in her eyes; she was on the verge of death.
I ran as fast as I could. My body moved like never before—and it wasn’t enough. The bite came first. My fist smashed into the wolf’s head, forcing it to release Mercide. Another punch followed, and I felt its skull crack beneath my hands. Each blow carried pain and hatred. The wolf struggled to break free, biting and clawing at me, but I didn’t let go. In the end, I crushed its head completely.
The wolf was already badly injured and missing a leg. Eduad had left it in critical condition; I merely finished it. I ran to the girl immediately, trying to save her.
Her eyes were nearly lifeless, her breaths faint. The wolf had destroyed half her body with its bites. “Salvaj… my brother and I… we considered you a brother.” Those were her last words.
Her breathing stopped. Her eyes lost all life and meaning, and her heart ceased—just like time itself around me. I didn’t even have time to use medicine; only a second or two had passed since I reached her.
I don’t know how long I cried. I just cried, screamed, and held her body for hours. My mind slowly calmed. During that time, I wished to die and join them, but little by little I realized they would not want that. They would want to see me survive and surpass myself.
I buried their bodies, prayed for them, and left with everything important—not toward our original destination. I wanted a place to release all the hatred in my body. This monster-filled forest was ideal.
Why am I remembering this now? Is this what happens when you’re close to death? I shake my head and slap my cheeks. Eduad and Mercide must be watching me from somewhere. I can’t die this young.
I look at that bastard laughing like a maniac, and my blood boils. I just want to beat him into a pulp like I did that wolf. If only it were that easy. He’s a Diamond rank after all—a weak one, but still enough to suppress us with his jurisdiction.
I glance at the prince and the princess of Skyblue. Both are wounded. The man in front of us isn’t completely unharmed either; we’ve managed to injure him. Their unyielding gazes are clear. I cannot give up either—not while I can still stand and fight.